- TORONTO
- LONDON - Hilton London Metropole, Edgware Road, London
Horse head sculpture in Marble Arch park.
The Marble Arch. This was designed by John Nash in 1857 to be the entrance for Buckingham Palace. It was relocated to a traffic island in the city centre in the mid 1960's. Traditionally only the Royal Family, the King's Troop and the Royal Horse Artillery are to pass through these gates, but everyone wanders through them at will.
A view of Hyde Park. This is a huge park, created by King Henry VIII as his hunting grounds.
Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park. It has acquired an international reputation for demonstrations and free speech.
Animals In War Memorial. A powerful and moving tribute to the animals who served in the military during the 20th century conflicts.
The Tower of London with the sea of poppies art installation. As it's near the end of September, the moat is almost full of poppies.
The poppies cascade from the Tower window to the moat below.
The exhibit continues with new poppies added daily until Remembrance Day. Each poppy represents a Commonwealth soldier and there are 888,246 poppies in the full display. These poppies have all been sold with the proceeds earmarked for veteran charities and the Legion. £22.2 million ($40 million Canadian) has been raised in total from the sales.
We also decided to take the "Taste of London" excursion. We were taken downtown to the Tower of London and boarded a river boat for an evening cruise along the Thames.
The Tower of London at night - I was playing with my camera settings here to get the ghostly effect.
The Tower Bridge, all lit up.
The skyline along the Thames River.
The Millennium Wheel, or as it's more popularly known, the London Eye, all lit up in blue, lazily circling.
Big Ben, or as it is properly known, The Elizabeth Tower. We'll keep calling it Big Ben anyway LOL!
This is a reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre where William Shakespeare performed his plays once upon a time.
We didn't realize that the Tower Bridge was also a lift bridge, so of course we had to sit and watch it open and close!
The Cutty Sark. Built in 1869 for speed.
The tour included dinner at "The Butcher's Hook & Cleaver" restaurant which was built on the spot where William Wallace was hanged, drawn and quartered in 1305. Nice bit of history to relate while we're eating!
Front view of the restaurant.
The historical plaque with the story of William Wallace.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21ST 2014 - Holiday Inn Plymouth, Armada Way, Plymouth
- LONDON
We drove around RAF Northolt, where the late Diana, Princess of Wales' body was repatriated to Britain, while Ian told some stories of that time and the outrage of the people.
- SALISBURY - STONEHENGE
The iconic view of Stonehenge's sarsens. Due to problems with vandalism and graffiti, access to the actual stones is limited and well protected.
The sarsens from another angle.
The end sarsens, also another angle.
Awe-inspiring. It's hard to imagine anything being this old and well-preserved.
On this one, you can see the cement repair that the Historic Parks had to make.
The sarsens from another angle.
The end sarsens, also another angle.
Awe-inspiring. It's hard to imagine anything being this old and well-preserved.
On this one, you can see the cement repair that the Historic Parks had to make.
Burial mounds in the distance from Stonehenge.
One of the Heel Stones. They are thought to have astronomic significance as their shadows line up during the solstices.
Gord at Stonehenge. He couldn't hear any bees.
Julie at Stonehenge. I didn't want to hear any bees.
- PLYMOUTH
Percy the Prawn, the mascot of Plymouth.
The gate leading to the stairs where the Pilgrims supposedly left for America in July 1620.
Back view of the gate and stairs.
Palmerston Fort in Plymouth.
Palmerston Fort in Plymouth.
This bronze statue sits at the entrance to the Naval Memorial in the Plymouth Hoe. It commemorates those lost in the wars whose bodies were never recovered. There are walls surrounding the memorial listing the names of all who perished.
We stopped by the glassblowers during our travels, and saw a set of these drunken mouse wine glasses. I loved them, but they were pricey and I was sure I'd break them either during our travels or on the flight home so I didn't purchase any.
The gate leading to the stairs where the Pilgrims supposedly left for America in July 1620.
Back view of the gate and stairs.
Palmerston Fort in Plymouth.
Palmerston Fort in Plymouth.
This inn is the "Admiral MacBride", across the street from the Mayflower steps. The actual steps that the Pilgrims used to board the Mayflower are under the Women's Toilets inside!
This bronze statue sits at the entrance to the Naval Memorial in the Plymouth Hoe. It commemorates those lost in the wars whose bodies were never recovered. There are walls surrounding the memorial listing the names of all who perished.
We stopped by the glassblowers during our travels, and saw a set of these drunken mouse wine glasses. I loved them, but they were pricey and I was sure I'd break them either during our travels or on the flight home so I didn't purchase any.
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22ND 2014 - Holiday Inn Plymouth, Armada Way, Plymouth
- PLYMOUTH
- LAND'S END
The welcoming sign at Land's End.
Isn't the view absolutely gorgeous?
The "Knight's Arms".
A lighthouse is visible in the distance when the fog isn't rolling in.
- CORNWALL
Once upon a time, until 1099, St. Michael's Mount was 5 to 6 miles away from the sea, built deep in the forest. In November of that year the sea flooded the area. Today it is an island with a man-made causeway for access. The current building dates to the fifteenth century.
- ST. IVES
 | |||||||
| The church at St. Ives. Notice the narrow streets - they're not very vehicle-friendly! |
A lot of cobblestone streets, and very narrow to boot.
 | |
| A view of St. Ives from the top of the hill. |
- DARTMOOR
One of the two bridges near "Two Bridges", on Dartmoor.
St. Michael's Church in Princetown, which was built by prisoners from the Napoleonic War. It is the only church in England which was built by prisoners. Notice the beautiful stained glass window.
The "Jail Ale" Brewery in Princetown. We sampled their wares while in the area.
I helped Terry, the barkeep at the Prince of Wales Pub, with serving the ales and ciders!
A casual photo of our storyteller (Gord), our driver for the evening (Thomas) and our guide (Ian Walker), relaxing by the fire with their ales while we were having our dinner before the storytelling began.
Our storyteller for the evening, Gord, was very, very good. He began with the tour and the tales of St. Michael's Church (above), then we headed over to the Princetown Jail for more stories. As we came back to town, we passed a house with a woman holding a small dog and waving at us like she was the queen! Turns out she was Gord's wife! We went to the Prince of Wales Pub for a deep dish beef pot pie (absolutely delish, with a huge mound of puff pastry on top!) and ales and ciders. Following our dinner, Gord told us the tales of the moor - all about the pixies, the phantom dogs which inspired the "Hound of the Baskervilles" tale written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the "gormy, hairy hands", and the local ghosts. He kept punctuating his tales with "I swear that everything I say is true, and if you don't believe me you can google it!" - and that phrase became the catchphrase for all of us for the rest of the trip!
Once our tales were finished, we headed back to Plymouth and our hotel. There was so much laughter and merriment in the bus on the trip back that our sides hurt for the next day!
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 23RD 2014 - Mercure Cardiff Holland House, Newport Road, Cardiff
- PLYMOUTH
- GLASTONBURY
- BATH
Bath Abbey. Look at the detail!
Side wall of Bath Abbey.
Notice the angels - our brochure says that on one side of the Abbey they are ascending to Heaven, and on the other side they are descending to Hell.
One side of Bath Abbey, near the piazza. Musicians sign a schedule and someone is playing here all day.
The first Baths were built in this area around 836 BC. There are hot springs which supply the bath house with the warm water, and was a popular attraction during the Roman occupation of the area from 100 to 400 A.D.
A view of the Roman Baths from the second level.
A view of the Roman Baths from main level.
Friendly Roman women are available to answer any questions you may have. And no, they recommend you do NOT touch the water as it is heavily contaminated now - lead pipes, radioactivity and infectious diseases are the dangers here!
- CARDIFF, WALES
The Norman Keep at Cardiff Castle in Wales.
Cardiff Castle, Wales.
Cardiff Castle, Wales.
The clock tower at Cardiff Castle in Wales.
Our entertainers for the evening - wonderful singers and storytellers! The lead woman (in green) claimed to be a cousin of Tom Jones and said he was coming in to sing for us later that night. Of course, he ended up unavailable and we were treated to a Tom Jones impressionist instead! The young women on either end are enrolled in performance studies at one of the universities - the one on the left had just landed a role on stage at a London theatre.
Our "Tom Jones" - his voice was very close!
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH 2014 - Novotel Liverpool, Hanover St, Liverpool
- CARDIFF, WALES
- BUILTH WELLS
One of the fellows on the tour forgot his rather expensive camera in the bakery here where he and his wife stopped for tea and scones. A waitress came running down the hill, carrying the camera, hoping to catch us before we headed out as she knew the rush of business they had received came from our tour group. He was so surprised that she actually chased him down to return his camera! And so relieved - he hadn't missed it yet at that point!
- CHESTER, ENGLAND
Here is the Junior Gladiator class - all eagerly learning how to kill and be killed!
This young gladiator lost her fight. She is learning her fate from her classmates - the head gladiator said to her, "This is where you learn who your true friends are!"
Following their graduation, the young gladiators headed into town with the two head gladiators to practice their skills. They were so adorable!
- LIVERPOOL
The Liverpool Cathedral. It was designed by 22 year old Giles Gilbert Scott, who had never designed anything but a pipe rack prior to this. Work began in 1903 and was completed in 1978. Mr. Scott died in 1960, and was buried outside the main doors of the cathedral as there were to be no bodies buried within the walls of the cathedral.
Inside view of the mass area.
Looking down the aisle of the cathedral.
The height of the tower is 300 feet. It's a pretty impressive sight!
The Canadian connection to the cathedral. Sgt. Arthur Herbert Lindsay Richardson was the first soldier to receive the Victoria Cross while serving with a Canadian Unit under British command. Born in Britain, he emigrated to Canada at 19 years old and joined the NWMP. He became a member of the Strathcona's Horse during the Boer War. Following his service he returned to Canada until the death of his wife, when he retired to Britian.
The Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, known by the locals as "Paddy's Wigwam". Services were underway so no visiting was allowed.
Mathew Street, where The Cavern is located. This is where the Beatles began their career.
Statue of Paul McCartney near Mathew Street.
Lennon's statue, posing by The Cavern.
The Cavern in Liverpool.
As we hadn't celebrated my birthday yet, we decided to go to Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant for the evening.
We shared the Crab & Avocado Bruschetta, followed by Sausage Pappardelle for him and Fresh Crab Linguine for me. Dessert was a shared tirasmisu, and I told Gord that my tiramisu was better than Jamie's! I enjoyed a couple glasses of rosato while Gord had a couple Kooky Gold beers.
- LIVERPOOL
The famous "Yellow Submarine".
Cartoon from "Magical Mystery Tour"
"Magical Mystery Tour" display
The "Eleanor Rigby" prop
John Lennon's piano and guitar. A very simple, poignant display.
- GRASMERE
This church is still used for Anglican services.
The wishing well.
The Wordsworth family plot in the nearby cemetery.
Gord and I stopped for lunch in a little coffee shop. The bridge behind him is unique. We also enjoyed the squabbling of the ducks in the river below as they fought over the bits of food some of the tourists threw to them.
- GRETNA GREEN, SCOTLAND
Sculpture in the town square, commemorating young lovers.
Over the border and into Scotland! Gretna Green is the first town you reach once you enter Scotland, and is famous for marrying young people in the 1700's as Scotland allowed boys aged 14 and girls aged 12 to marry without parental consent. The local blacksmiths became "anvil priests" and performed the weddings. In 1856 the law changed so that you needed to live in Scotland for twenty-one days prior to the wedding and your age had to be at least sixteen years. One of every six weddings in Scotland is still performed here.
On our way to Glasgow, we passed the crash site of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. A very somber moment.
- GLASGOW
Flags flew everywhere welcoming the Ryder's Cup players and visitors to Glasgow. We had drinks one night with a father and son from Toronto who were attending every day of the Ryder Cup!
The Scottish poet Robert Burns, in George Square.
The cenotaph in George Square.
Wreaths at the cenotaph.
A pair of these guard the cenotaph, one on each side.
A bronze statue of a young Queen Victoria.
A bronze statue of a young Prince Albert.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH 2014 - Mercure Inverness Hotel, Church St, Inverness
- GLASGOW
As we drove along A82 beside Loch Oich, we passed a rather different looking monument. The monument which stands above this ancient well was erected in 1812, its gory carving of a hand holding a dagger and seven severed heads commemorating an incident that took place in 1665. The well is said to have been the one in which the heads of seven murderers were washed in revenge for the killing of two of the Keppoch family. The two men were murdered by their own uncle Alasdair MacDonell because they stood in the way of him being the new chieftain of the Keppoch MacDonalds. All those responsible were rounded up and beheaded, their severed heads being washed at the well before being presented to MacDonell of Glengarry at Glengarry castle. Seven headless bodies were disinterred from a mound that was said to hold the murderers remains, so there is likely some truth to the tale.
- MALLAIG-ARMADALE and the ISLE OF SKYE
The bridge to the Isle of Skye.
Our visit here was to the Clan Donald Centre.
Armadale Castle ruins.
Armadale Castle ruins.
Armadale Castle ruins.
Stairs behind the Armadale Castle ruins leading to the gardens.
The laundry house.
The pathways between the gardens and the castle and the museum were beautiful.
A monkey puzzle tree. It was so unique!
Closer view of the monkey puzzle tree.
The Raven's Rock Memorial, outside the entrance to the museum.
We passed Dumbarton's Rock, which Robert the Bruce fortified for defense during battle. We also passed a Mass Rock, visible only due to recent landslides. The Mass Rock hosted open air masses in the woods during the times when Catholicism was banned in the United Kingdom. The scenery was breathtaking - photos don't do any justice to it.
Gord and I at Loch Lomond.
The abandoned Castle Urquhart at Loch Ness.
View of Loch Ness. Note the Nessie statue to the left.
A rainbow on the Scottish Highlands.
- INVERNESS
- INVERNESS
Culloden Moor, known then as Drummossie Muir, was the site of the last pitched battle on the British mainland on 16 April 1746.
The memorial cairn. This was erected by Duncan Forbes in 1881 and stands 20 feet high. 1200 men died in less than an hour at this battle.
Old Leanach cottage - the original farmhouse - near the battlefield.
The battlefield of Culloden. David Livingston's grandfather managed to survive this battle and escape to Glasgow.
The exterior wall between the Visitor Center and the battlefield. The recessed bricks represent the dead from one side of the battle, while the extended bricks represent the dead from the other side.
The "hairy cows" for which this area is famous. The meat from Highland Cattle is extremely lean.
We went to Balmoral, but the standard was flying so no visiting was permitted as the Queen was in residence.
- BRAEMAR
A
memorial in Braemar to honour the memory of all airmen who had lost their lives in the
Cairngorm mountains over the years. This engine came from a flight lost in 1942 in this area. Princess Anne unveiled it in 2003.
Sign in the butcher's window.
A red telephone booth. These are being slowly phased out and are available to purchase for £1000.
A wishing well beside the river, near the Airmen's Memorial.
Robert Louis Stevenson spent his summers in Braemar, and wrote "Treasure Island" while living here. The damp Scottish climate wasn't good for his tuberculosis however, and he died an early death.
- ST. ANDREWS
Golfers on the 18th hole of the Old Course St. Andrew's golf course.
Looking down at the Old Course in St. Andrews.
Memorial - plaque shown below.
The town of St. Andrews.
Overlooking the water near the Old Course at St. Andrews.
- EDINBURGH
Our hotel, The Carleton, on the left side near North Bridge.
The Grassmarket District, near our hotel. This area was established in 1477 and was the area where the hangings were held. Robert Burns lived in this area for a time and wrote some of his poems here.
A view of Princes Street in Edinburgh.
A pair of buskers in downtown Edinburgh.
St. Giles' Cathedral, consecrated in 1243.
"The Last Drop" pub. The pub name refers to the last drink given to condemned prisoners just before their date with the noose. They claim there are ghosts in the basement of this pub, who call out the names of the serving staff when they're alone.
Edgar Guerreiro, playing his saw on the streets of Edinburgh. His constant patter explains how to play, why he plays it, how he plays a little differently than most saw players, etc. He has a Facebook page with more information.
The iconic statue of Greyfriars Bobby, located by the bridge. One of my favourite stories as a child, and I still have the Disney movie as well.
The grave of Greyfriars Bobby.
Tonight we joined the group and went out for an evening for a Robbie Burns' dinner and Scottish entertainment.
Soloist.
Very energetic highland dancers.
Our host.
And the ever-present bagpiper.
A very nice evening with The Address to the Haggis, samples of the haggis, free-flowing wine and lots of laughter.
- EDINBURGH
- Edinburgh Castle in the evening.
A view of Edinburgh Castle as we walked up to the gates.
Robert the Bruce, guarding the gates of Edinburgh Castle.
William Wallace, also guarding the gates at Edinburgh Castle.
Our guide for the day (on left), Tom Walyes, talking to John from our group.
Plenty of suits of armour on display.
The guardian for the chapel holding the centotaph.
The Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle.
The fireplaces were very ornate.
The grave of Ensign Charles Ewart, who captured the regimental eagle of the 45th Regimental Line at the Battle of Waterloo. Gord says this makes him the real life "Sharpe"!
On our departure from Edinburgh Castle, we headed towards Holyroodhouse. Founded as a monastery in 1128, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in
Edinburgh is The Queen's official residence in Scotland. Situated at the
end of the Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is closely
associated with Scotland's turbulent past, including Mary, Queen of
Scots, who lived here between 1561 and 1567. Successive kings and queens
have made the Palace of Holyroodhouse the premier royal residence in
Scotland.
Holyroodhouse Palace.
The fountain at Holyroodhouse Palace. This stands 6 metres high and was built at the request of Queen Victoria to copy one at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland.
Holyroodhouse center courtyard.
We climbed a set of 25 very steep stairs which led to the living quarters of Mary Stuart, or Mary Queen of Scots. A very elaborate apartment, which had many of her personal items on display.
The ruins of the abbey at Holyroodhouse Palace.
Carving above a lintel in the abbey.
Grave markers.
We stopped at this intersection while leaving Holyroodhouse Palace, and our guide suggested we take a photo of the castle at the entrance. He then proceeds to tell us that this was Mary Stuart's bathroom and toilet facilities. Mary Stuart was considered a very clean woman because she bathed twice a year in milk. Elizabeth I bathed once every 12-15 months - "which was why she was known as the Virgin Queen" said our guide wryly.
We settled into a tavern named after William Brodie, one of the inspirations for
Robert Louis Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde. Born in 1741 Brodie was a
deacon of the Guild of Wrights. By day, he was a respectable citizen, a
member of the town council but by night, he consorted with lowlife;
gambling and drinking. His dark side meant he had to take to burglary
to pay his gambling debts - as a locksmith he would make two copies of every key and thus give himself easy access to stealing from the homes afterwards - leading to his hanging in 1788. This was the only place in Scotland that we were able to find lamb, so we indulged in a lamb shank pot pie!
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH 2014 - Mercure York Fairfield Manor, Shipton Road, Skelton-York
- EDINBURGH
- ALNWICK
A view of Alnwick Castle.
Side view of Alnwick Castle.
Alnwick Gardens began as a 42 acre and £9 million bequest from the Duchess of Northumberland, Jane Percy. Alnwick Gardens is a charitable organization that receives over 800,000 visitors every year and offers programs for people with Alzheimers, children with disabilities, and daily respite care. While we were there, a group of Alzheimers patients were sitting by the fountain before going inside for yoga classes.
 | |||
The gatekeeper's cottage beside The Poison Garden.  The interior of the gatekeeper's cottage. Nice and cosy in the rainy or cool weather! |
The Poison Garden is strictly monitored. The gatekeeper takes a group of no more than 15 people through at one time.
Warning sign on the gate to The Poison Garden. See the spider?
I loved the tunnels built for people to wander through.
There are numerous sculptures along the walking paths.
In an area called "The Serpent Gardens", there are a series of water fountains. The water sculptures have been created by William Pye, one of the
world’s leading water sculptors, who brings art and science together in
his work. Each one is made from mirror-polished stainless steel and describes a geometric principle.
View of the main fountain from the bottom.
View of the main fountain from the top.
The Gardens had a dozen of these at the base of the main fountain for the kids to play with, and a pile of pea gravel so the buckets could be used too!
The Treehouse. There is a small movie theatre, a restaurant, and a variety of interactive areas for the kids. Rope bridges and skywalks along the trees are a hit!
The Alnwick Gardens were absolutely fantastic, and one of our favourite visits on this trip. We'd love to go back and see them again.
We passed a section of Hadrian's Wall. This was a fortification begun in 122 A.D. by the Romans under the emperor Hadrian. It extends 117.5 km and is quite a significant wall in other areas of England than this one.
A section of Hadrian's Wall on our way to York.
Another section of Hadrian's Wall.
The "Angel of the North" art sculpture, created by Antony Gormley, with an initial cost of £1,000,000. The Angel, 66 feet tall with a wingspan of 177 feet, is built over the entrance of an abandoned coal mine and is meant to signify the transition from the Industrial Age to the Information Age. The locals call it "The Gateshead Flasher".
"The Willow Man" or "The Angel of the South", created by Serena de la Hey, standing 40 feet tall with an arm spread of 16 feet. The artwork signifies the importance of willow in the art culture of the country. As it is made of willow, the original was destroyed by arson in 2001. The artist rebuilt it, and added a huge moat around it to protect it.
York is a historic walled city in Yorkshire, UK, founded in 71 A.D. This is where Constantius I, the father of Constantine the Great, died and where Constantine was proclaimed emperor.
One of the gates into the city of York.
The York Abbey. Pretty impressive!
"The Shambles" is a medieval section of the town.
Lots of ghost stories posted on chalkboards such as this one outside one of the pubs.
The streets in the Shambles are cobblestone, narrow, and yet small cars still manage to drive down them occasionally!
- YORK
- STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
Note the thatched roof.
Extensive gardens surround the house.
The birthplace of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, also lived here for the first five years of their married life.
One of the interior rooms of Shakespeare's home.
The birthroom window. This photo doesn't show the signatures clearly, but people used to sign the window after visiting the house - people like Sir Walter Scott, Ellen Terry, Thomas Carlyle, and Isaac Watts.
Most rooms had someone dressed in period clothing who explained items in the rooms and/or other things of significance. This woman is one of the actresses for the outdoor performances, and admitted her costume was inaccurate for the time period she was supposed to be portraying.
Today's performance was "Romeo and Juliet" - at this point we heard "Oh Romeo, wherefore art thou?"
"Youth at the Stream" - sculptured in 1844 by J.H. Foley and cast in bronze in 1851 by J. Hadfield. It sits beside Bancroft Basin. The sculpture is Hermaphroditus, the son of Aphrodites and Hermes in Greek mythology.
The Globe Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon.
William Shakespeare's grave. See the inscription? He was pretty serious about not having his grave disturbed by anyone in the future!
The statue of the Jester at the entrance to the city. The inscription reads "O noble fool, a worthy fool - The fool doth think he is wise but a wise man knows himself to be a fool."
- LONDON
Westminster Abbey.
The doors to Westminster Abbey.
Westminster Abbey along the side.
The home of the Horse Guards.
10 Downing Street, the home of the Prime Minister. Not as impressive as 24 Sussex Drive!
From Westminster Abbey, we followed this walkway:
The Jubilee Walkway is an official walking route in London. It was originally opened as the Silver Jubilee Walkway to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's accession; the Queen herself opened it on 9 June 1977 during her silver jubilee celebrations. The intention was to connect many of London's major tourist attractions and it is now one of seven such walks within the Mayor of London's strategic walking routes. Its length is 15 miles.
Once we entered the park, we walked to Buckingham Palace along this walkway:
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk is an 11 km long circular walking trail in London dedicated to the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. It goes between Kensington Gardens, Green Park, Hyde Park and St. James's Park in a figure-eight pattern, passing five sites that are associated with her life: Kensington Palace, Spencer House, Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, and Clarence House. It is marked with ninety individual plaques, each of which has a heraldic rose etched in the center made of aluminum.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was the chairman of the Diana,
Princess of Wales, Memorial Committee was quoted as saying it is 'one of
the most magnificent urban parkland
walks in the world.' The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk is in
London, and celebrates the life of the Princess of Wales who died in a
car accident on 31 August 1997 in Paris.
The walk was constructed at a cost of £1.3 million. No members of the Royal Family were present at its opening.
Buckingham Palace.
The famous balcony.
They're serious about not wanting uninvited guests!!!
Canada Gates at Buckingham Palace.
One of the Beefeaters guarding the palace.
One of the front gates to the palace. This is Dottie, who hung out with us quite a bit. She is a retired gym teacher from New York City.
The famous statue of Queen Victoria in front of the palace.
Dottie joined us for a farewell dinner at The Slug and Lettuce pub on Tower Bridge.
Look at that burger!
A group of people came in and entered a reserved (sunken) area of the pub. Gord swore one looked just like Carly! He walked over and showed her a photo of Carly on his phone. Although the girl herself claimed she didn't see a resemblance, all her friends certainly did!
Back to the hotel for a drink then to pack as we had an early flight in the morning.
James (the driver), Ian (the guide), Jim, Dave, Peter, Gord, John, Greg, Frank, Joe and Patty.
James, Pat, Patty, Carol, Julie, Pat, Karen, Joyce, Anna, Camille, Caroline and Sheila.
Wendy, Rose, Kate, Julie, Lynn, Dottie, Joanne, Delia, Kate, Gwyn, Mary and John.
Ralph, Bernice, Rebecca, Vic, Pat, Janet, Rebecca, Charlie, Gayle, Mike and Chandra.
We met Dottie and the three New York City college friends (Joyce, Delia and Joanne) in the hotel lobby at 6 am to grab a take-away breakfast and meet our driver for our shuttle to the airport.
- DUBLIN
Statue of Charles Stewart Parnell, a famous Irish leader who championed the cause of Home Rule.
Garden of Remembrance sculpture, "Children of Lir". The inscription reads "In the darkness of despair, we saw a vision".
The reflecting pool at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square North, Dublin.
We spent our day using the Hop On Hop Off passes we purchased so that we could see the city and some of the more interesting sights and decide which ones we wanted a closer look at tomorrow. Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Kilmainhaim Gaol, Old Jameson Distillery, the Four Courts, Merrion Square, Dublina, Christchurch, the Temple Bar area, Phoenix Park, and the Liffey area. The drivers were very good with their patter, but some were better than others as they added little tidbits into their running commentary which we found interesting.
In the evening, we headed to the J.W. Sweetman pub for drinks and dinner. Sweetman's has been here since 1808 (formerly Messrs. Maguire).
- DUBLIN
Guess where we are? Go ahead, guess!
The entrance to Guinness!
The original lease signed by Arthur Guinness.
The countdown to Saint Patrick's Day - apparently Guinness takes this holiday very seriously!
The atrium where you enter to begin the tour is a huge Guinness glass with the storehouse circling around it. Guinness boast that ten million pints of Guinness are poured every single day around the world!
This area explained how the coopering was a huge component of the Guinness Brewery in the past. We found this a very interesting presentation.
A fanciful pint of Guinness, created by a team of artists.
One side view of the sculpture.
Top view of the sculpture.
Gord advertising his favourite beer!
Robert, our instructor. Today we learned how to properly "pull" a pint of Guinness.
Gord carefully pulling his pint of Guinness.
Our graduation certificates!
View from the Gravity Bar.
Another view from the Gravity Bar.
We spent a couple hours here - the National Museum of Ireland. They had an exhibit called "The Easter Rising: Understanding 1916" which examines the decade of 1913 to 1923 from the Dublin Lockout, through the Easter Rising, to the end of Civil War.
Being a fan of Oscar Wilde, I wanted to stop at Merrion Square and snap a photo of the writer himself.
This very interesting playground was in Merrion Square. Doesn't it look like fun?
The other side of the playground, on the other side of the pathway.
The park washroom for the tots. Isn't it adorable?
From here, we hopped the bus and returned to our hotel. We enjoyed a very nice dinner at the Iveagh Bar. Gord really enjoyed the St. James Gate Beef and Guinness Pie, which came with a huge puff pastry shell. I enjoyed the rack of ribs. We then did our final packing as we're flying home in the morning.
- DUBLIN TO TORONTO AND HOME
