It’s our last full tour day. We fly out tomorrow from Heathrow. So, we made our way back to London by way of Blenheim Palace. There is a difference between castle and palace. Castle is for defense. Palace is for show. No moat probably a palace. And Blenheim is quite the show! We’ve seen a ...
Day 13 – British Isles: Coventry, Stratford Upon Avon, Cotswold
Our first stop this morning was Coventry. Legend has it, in the 11th century, Lady Godiva asked her husband to reduce taxation on his tenants. He sarcastically told her that he would reduce taxes if she rode horseback naked down the streets of Coventry. So, Lady G did. Since the tenants appreciated and respected her, ...
Day 12 – British Isles: Alnwick – York, England
We left Edinburgh and Scotland this morning. We are back in England. First stop today was Alnwick. The Castle Alnwick is where Harry Potter movies filmed quidditch scenes. The town is a quaint village of shops. And the Saturday outdoor market was open. We strolled around to pick up local flavor. The original town wall ...
Day 11-British Isles: Edinburgh and St. Andrews
We spent our morning in Edinburgh with Tom, a local guide. The scottish accent is thicker than any we’ve heard. It takes awhile to understand it but once I did, I found it beguiling. The Irish are charming and the Scots are adorable. Tom regaled us with colorful stories of local history. One of ...
Day 10- British Isles: Belfast, Ireland to Edinburgh, Scotland
We woke up in Ireland and went to sleep in Scotland. And in the between... I found out yesterday that Games of Thrones Season 5 is currently shooting in Belfast at Titanic Studios. During its television reign,it has brought in 87 million pounds to the city. Our guide yesterday said her son was offered a speaking ...
Day 9 – British Isles: Dublin to Belfast
We left Dublin en route to Belfast in Northern Ireland. On the way, we stopped at Malahide Castle. The castle has been owned for nearly 800 years by the Talbot family. The end of the family property came recently when Rose couldn’t pay the inheritance tax after her brother died. It worked out because the ...
Day 8 – British Isles: Dublin
We are staying at the Hilton in Dublin. It’s on a canal. The canal locale seems popular with Dublin folk. People just sit on the lawn reading and/or carousing. Dublin is also a bike friendly town. They have designated bike paths. And the “bikes for hire” system is similar to mine in Chicago. Although biking ...
Day 7 – British Isles: Killarney, Adare, Limerick, Kildare, Dublin
We woke up in Killarney and went to bed in Dublin. On the road to Dublin, we stopped at a few places for sightseeing and shopping. Tourism is a biggie in this country. We exit and often enter every attraction through a gift shop. It’s good though. We need to help Ireland’s economy. We’ve seen ...
Day 6 – British Isles: The Ring of Kerry
We awoke in Killarney and went to bed in Killarney. It was lovely! Today was dedicated to the Ring of Kerry. It is a 134 miles of gorgeous in County Kerry. The road circles around and through mountainous landscape. Cliffs give way to the beauty of the sea or a hidden lake. It is just marveling! I ...
Day 5 – British Isles: Waterford, Blarney, Killarney
We woke up in Waterford. What is quickly becoming our routine is to receive two times from our guide. Typically, it is 7 and 8. 7 indicates the time my suitcase needs to be outside my room and simultaneously also the breakfast chime. 8 is the time for being on the bus. After following a ...