June 6, 2019
Leaving on a jet plane…again…
Off for another adventure…this time to the British Isles and Ireland, visiting England, Isles of Scilly, Wales, Ireland, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. We have only visited Dublin, Ireland in the past, so this will be a totally new adventure
Allan is excited to see Aberdeen, Scotland where the Leslie family hailed from.
Hope you can join us….
June 7, 2019
After boarding our plane to fly to London, we passed by the cosy shells that pamper and cocoon the Polaris Business class passengers, and continued up the aisle past very cushy and roomy seats. Our seats were 23A and B and as I walked along, i passed row 19, 20, 21, 22, whoa…what…what??? Our row has cushy and roomy seats????? Wowser!!!! We couldn’t believe our luck. We had upgraded to premium economy, but this was Premium Plus…a new category that United has just rolled out. There were foot rests AND leg rests. Snazzy headphones, trays that disappeared into the arm rests, and the huge touch screen for our viewing pleasure completed our little travel haven. It was wonderful. The seats reclined way back and I actually slept a bit. The only negative…the power outlets were not working so we couldn’t charge our phones and iPads.
After landing, we sailed into baggage claim, where our luggage was waiting for us (whew) as was our driver. (He wasn’t holding a sign that read LESLIE…but it was still nice to see him there. LOL.) He carted our luggage to his Mercedes and off we went. London traffic rivals NYC traffic; the drive was bedlam. There is only 1 way in and out of Heathrow airport for security reasons and we saw a horrific accident going the other way. The road was totally closed down. Those folks waiting in the traffic jam weren’t making their flights anytime soon I can tell you that.
It was pouring rain as we crawled along and we saw horses from the equestrian center cantering with their riders alongside us in the traffic. We went thru a tunnel that interestingly had signs posted on the walls with yardage showing the way to each end of the tunnel. Surprised it wasn’t in meters. Our driver pointed out Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, and the Parliament buildings along the way.
After an over two hour ride, we arrived at the Tower Hotel overlooking the Tower Bridge, and we met Tony our trip leader who greeted us with a huge bear hug! He is young and Cockney and proud of it. He told us his accent would be the equivalent of a Bronx accent and he suggested he and I have an accent dual during our tour…to show off our respective accents. Since I’m a NYC Queens girl, he wants to hear more of how I pronounce different words like New Yawk!!!!
He gave us the info we needed for our stay in London and since our room wasn’t ready, he took a few of us in the group on a quick orientation tour outside. Tony showed us the place where the Queen’s royal barge, The Gloriana, is docked.
The Gloriana is a 90 foot long barge and was commissioned as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II for her 2012 Diamond Jubilee. The barge is docked in a marina which makes mooring fees for all other vessels docked in the same marina, astronomical… the highest fees in all of Great Britain. She has only used the boat once in her entire reign.
Allan and I went off to have lunch and when we returned, our room was ready…or should I say our Club Suite. We are on the top residential floor of the hotel and we overlook the Thames River and the Tower Bridge. I don’t know how we rated such great accommodations, but we’ll take it!
The sun came out and after we freshened up in the room, we walked over to the Tower Bridge and enjoyed the scenery. The Tower Bridge is a bascule bridge (for tall ships) as well as a suspension bridge and was built between 1886 and 1894. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London.
We ate dinner in the hotel and then walked around London for about an hour. Tomorrow is an early start day.
June 8, 2019 The Queen
How lucky were we today!!! We happened to be in London on the day of Trooping the Colour… also known as the Queen’s Birthday Parade. It has marked the official birthday of the sovereign since 1748, and has occurred annually since 1820 (except in bad weather, periods of mourning and other exceptional circumstances). Over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians came together in a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark The Queen’s official birthday.
We started our day with a bus tour and passed by the iconic sites in London once again and our local guide went into more detail about the sites. We then got off the bus and made our way through the throngs of people to glimpse the British guards and musicians making their way to Buckingham Palace. It was a site to see. The streets were lined with crowds waving flags as the parade moved from Buckingham Palace and down the mall, alongside members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages. I got a great picture of Megan, Harry and Camilla, who had on a huge hat (which blocked out Kate). I also got a great video and picture of the Queen. The excitement in the crowd was palpable and it was wonderful to be part of history in the making. The display closed with an RAF fly past, which we were able to see as well.
We had a traditional British lunch of fish and chips and then went off with our guide to tour the East side of London where he grew up. It is the neighborhood where Jack the Ripper killed his victims and where the TV show Call the Midwife is based on. We also saw where J. K. Rowling got her inspiration for Harry Potter.
Our guide Tony is wonderful. He took us all around and gave us insights into the neighborhood where he grew up as a kid even taking us to where the drug users frequent. Many changes have happened over the years in the East side and even though more businesses have sprung up in beautiful glass skyscrapers, there are still pockets with derelicts.
Many people wanted to take the tube back to the hotel, but Allan and i walked back instead and made it just as the group arrived. We enjoyed a dinner of fish and chips again. It was a fabulous day!
June 9, 2019 M/V Corinthian
We took a bus to Poole this morning to board our home for the next ten days…The M/V Corinthian. On the way, our program director Tony told us all about being a Cockney in London and how he grew up with four older sisters. His dad died when he was 5…drinking himself to death….and relatives and neighbors told him he had to be the man now. He didn’t even know what that meant but felt the huge burden on his shoulders. Eventually his mom met someone else and remarried and that man is now the one he calls dad…so happy to have someone finally become the man of the house again.
He told us that when he’s back home in the old neighborhood he speaks cockney as that is what his dad expects. He would never order a red wine with his dad and mates in the pub…but would order a pint…otherwise they’d all make fun of him. On the bus he passed around a sheet with the cockney language and he encouraged us to learn some it. It was a lot of fun. For example…lady Godiva is a fiver but in cockney you would leave off the rhyming word at the end and only say…lady. A rosy Lee is tea…but you’d leave off the Lee and just say I’m having a rosy.
He also talked about some controversy in the royal family…Diana’s death – how did it really happen and who was behind it, Harry’s father (who is his real father ???), and a lot of other gossip….some of which he and most British folks truly believe. It was an eye opener.
We arrived at our ship and found out we were upgraded (don’t know why) to one of the four largest cabins on the ship. The cabin is large with a couch and…wait for it…a walk in closet!!! Wowser!
We went in for lunch, unpacked, did the safety drill, and then walked around the ship to familiarize ourselves with the layout. There is a lovely lounge in the back of the ship that looks out on the water, where I sat and chatted with a lady who has done about 18 trips with Grand Circle. I enjoyed hearing about some of the trips she had taken that I would be interested in.
We went to the captain’s welcome cocktail hour and met the entire crew and then after one of the program directors presented us with an overview of what to expect in the next ten days, we went off to eat dinner. We have met three couples that we hit it off with and we all decided to meet up each day for lunch and dinner. They are all a lot of fun and we had a great time at dinner last night…lots of laughs. Our table was rather noisy with laughter and we were getting looks from the other guests. Our tour guide came over (who is wonderful and full of fun) and inferred…oh no…all of you together??? This is going to be trouble!!!
And we’re off…
June 10, 2019
The Isle of Scilly
This morning after breakfast we listened to a presentation by a man from the Isle of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. The Isles of Scilly is an archipelago 30 miles off the southwestern tip of Cornwall with 150 islands only five of which are inhabited. The population on all the islands in 2011 was a little over 2000. The islands rarely have frost or snow, which allows local farmers to grow flowers, mostly daffodils and Scilly’s scented narcissi are renowned all over the world. Exposure to Atlantic winds also means that spectacular winter gales lash the islands from time to time. This is reflected in the landscape, most clearly seen on Tresco where the lush Abbey Gardens on the sheltered southern end of the island contrast with the low heather and bare rock on the northern end.
He said in Tresco, which has about 150 residents, is just 1.8 square miles. The children go to primary school and he showed us a picture if the 8 students currently attending. After primary school, they then attend school on St. Mary’s isle, the largest of the inhabited isles. When they attend school on St.Mary’s, they live on the Isle from Monday until Friday with a family and then return to Tresco for the weekends to reunite with their own family. Most of the children return to the Isles of Scilly after college graduation. Tourism accounts for approximately 63% of the employment on the Isles.
Three times a week a boat delivers food to be sold in the grocery stores and a doctor comes once a week to Tresco whom residents make appointments to see. If there is a medical need, the hospital on St Mary’s will be utilized. Medical boats take sick people to St. Mary’s and helicopters can land in case of a dire emergency for transport.
It was so interesting to hear about this amazing place that I never knew existed, and that after lunch, we were able to visit. We boarded a tender and went over to Tresco to tour the beautiful Abbey Gardens. This subtropical garden is home to more than 20,000 species of plants from across the world’s Mediterranean climate zones, from Brazil to New Zealand and Burma to South Africa. Some of the plants we saw were succulents tucked into rock gardens, towering palm trees, King Protea and Lobster Claw.
The garden was decimated in 1987 when an unusual snowfall and frost ruined much of the vegetation, but with hard- work, the garden is almost back to its original splendor. We enjoyed the tour…the guide pointing out all the exotic specimens from all over the world. It was truly a gem and we enjoyed walking thru the gardens immensely.
After our tour we walked along the beach for a while until our tender came to take us back to the ship. We were extremely lucky to have a gorgeously sunny and warm day for our visit, something very rare in the British Isles.
Had a nice dinner and afterwards went up to the bar and had a drambuie and chatted with one of our dinner mates. Tomorrow will be a rainy day, 5 foot waves and 30 mile an hour winds. We go for a home hosted luncheon and the rest of the day might be canceled. We shall see.
June 11, 2019
Fishguard, Wales
Last night the seas were pretty rough but it was nice lying in bed and rocking to sleep.
in the morning we moored in Fishguard, a tiny quaint town, and after breakfast, we walked down the gangway and were greeted on the pier by some Welsh folks who gave us Welsh cookies and a tote bag. And then we were off to visit St David’s, a medieval cathedral named after the country’s patron saint. Saint David established a monastery in the 6th century on the site of today’s cathedral. It was beautiful but we noticed that the huge arches in the church were leaning backwards and the floor tilted down from the altar. It just so happened that a Welsh architect was commissioned to restore the cathedral in 1793, repairing damage done 200 years previously, but his work soon proved to be substandard and within a century his work caused the cathedral to become unstable – the walls started tilting and the whole building had to be restored once again.
After touring the cathedral we drove to a Welsh home for a home hosted lunch. On the way, our guide told us that the leek is the national symbol of Wales, the only country in the British Isles to have a vegetable as their national symbol. The Welsh for leek is cenhinen and the Welsh for daffodil is cenhinen pedr. Since they both are rather close in spelling, there was some confusion and so the daffodil became the second national symbol.
We arrived at our host’s home in the beautiful countryside and we were greeted by the family who made us feel very welcome the minute we walked in. We had a delicious lunch of cawl, a traditional Welsh stew. We had wonderful bread and butter with it and our hostess Jane served three desserts… scones with clotted cream and jam, mini cheesecake in small glasses and the traditional Welsh cookies. It was really a treat!
It was raining quite hard so we decided to go back to the ship and play cards. Our friends taught us a great game called Five Crowns and we had a lot of fun playing it.
We went off to dinner and we invited our program director Tony to join us. He cannot believe that the 8 of us who eat dinner together every night and enjoy each other’s company during the day, had never met before this trip. He said he could tell right away that we all became good friends immediately and that it is a very rare phenomenon.
He and his girlfriend Louise are expecting their first child, a boy, in about 5 weeks and he said he is hoping to one day travel to America for a vacation. Of course, all 8 of us said that they would be more than welcome to stay with each of us. We represent New Hampshire, Georgia, Arkansas, and of course, Pennsylvania… So they would have half of the USA covered. We are so lucky to have Tony as our guide. The other guides are very nice, but Tony has a genuineness and sweetness about him that we all love. And btw… His last name is Sweet!!
We finished our evening listening to Welsh singers who entertained us with shanty songs. They had fabulous voices and we enjoyed their performance.
Tomorrow… We visit Dublin. Looking forward to a pint of Guinness.
June 12, 2019
Dublin, Ireland
After breakfast we boarded our bus for a tour around Dublin. Allan and I have been here before but it was nice to hear the guide’s commentary as we rode along.
We had lunch in an Irish pub… Guinness, cottage pie, and dessert and then Allan and I brisk walked back to the ship while everyone else went to visit the sights we’ve already seen.
And as luck would have it, our ship is docked right down the block from the hotel we stayed in the last time we were here and on the corner is The Ferryman, where we had many a pint of Guinness. So of course, we stopped in the pub for old times sake and had a lovely pint before going back to our ship.
Dinner was a buffet tonight featuring a taste of the British Isles and afterwards we enjoyed a performance of Irish music and dance.
June 13, 2019
The Isle of Man
The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency who is allegiant to the Queen, not to British parliament as they have their own parliament. It is the oldest continuous parliament in the world and it is not part of the EU and has no vote in Brexit. It is located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. The island has its own language called Manx that is still in use. Although very few speak it, Manx is still used on signs, in radio broadcasts, and in a dual- language primary School. The Isle has its own currency and its flag has the island’s symbol…three legs…which means “whichever way you throw, it will stand!”.
It is a beautiful isle… bucolic with cows, horses, and sheep dotting the countryside.. It has less than one percent unemployment and most of its revenue comes from tourism, insurance, banking, and the Tourist Trophy (read on for more info about that).
The Isle of Man has some interesting highlights attributed to it. The BeeGees hail from the Isle of Man and every year the Isle hosts the Tourist Trophy (the TT) an international event which began in 1907. It takes place in late May and early June. and has become a festival for motorcycling. It is lunacy!!!! The average speed the motorcycles go is 135 mph but they can reach 200 on the straightaways. Every year one or more racers are killed due to slamming into walls. You’d wonder why they would even run the race…but the race brings lots of revenue to the isle. I guess you could equate it with the Spanish running of the bulls. But still…I just can’t fathom it.
We visited St. John the Baptist located in the center of the Isle of Man. It is an Anglican church and has an annual ritual every July 5: Tynwald. Tynwald starts off with a church service and then everyone processes to the outdoor path which leads to a tiered hill. Dignitaries and members of the parliament attend. Petitions of grievance are offered and each grievance is discussed and voted on. It was a simple yet beautiful church.
From there we went to a smoke house that smoked kippers …a local delicacy. We were given a sample and I nibbled mine and promptly threw it away. Yuck. The smoking process is a lot of work and sadly, the owner is retiring next year and his son doesn’t want to continue the business. I guess Grand Circle will have to choose another venue to visit if no one else comes forward to continue the operation.
After the kippers, we boarded a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin. We enjoyed a delicious lunch on board and loved seeing the countryside pass by. It was really a treat!
Then we opted to go on a hike with one of the program directors and walked up a quite challenging path that had very steep inclines, finally and breathlessly arriving to the top to view the magnificent vista of the water and the distant shore of Scotland. It was some workout!!! I was out of my comfort zone coming back down, as we had to walk down a multitude of very, very steep steps and after my tumble down a flight of stairs 3 weeks ago…I clung to the railings for dear life!
Before dinner we joined some locals onboard who talked about life on the Isle of Man and taught us how to do the crafts that they made from rushes. After their presentation, one of the trip directors, who came from Belfast, gave us a port talk about Belfast and his life there as a child.
We enjoyed dinner onboard our ship and then played the game Liars Club with our trip leaders and crew which resulted in a lot of laughs.
June 14, 2019
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Today after breakfast we went on a walking tour of Belfast and learned about The Troubles…a violent 30 year conflict which began in 1968 and lasted until 1998.
Unionists, primarily Protestants, wanted Northern Ireland to stay in the United kingdom, while the Irish Nationalists, the IRA who were mostly Catholics, wanted to leave the UK and join a United Ireland. As many as 50,000 people were either maimed or killed. One of our guides grew up where bombs could go off in his Belfast neighborhood sometimes three and four per day. He still gets a lump in his throat just speaking about The Troubles and had a difficult time telling us about the Belfast he knew as a child. The Belfast Good Friday agreement of 1998 was seen as the end of The Troubles, but peace is still tenuous.
During the city tour, we visited a beautiful pub (didn’t stay for a pint) and also went into City Hall, another beautiful building. We all walked over to the St George’s market and we looked at the tables filled with crafts, antiques for sale, fresh vegetables, meat, and fish. I bought a lovely hand made woolen scarf.
Our guide told us that Belfast linen is a very desirable commodity that is sold to hotels all over the world. He then recited a poem by Raymond Calvert
“In a mean abode on the Skankill Road
Lived a man named William Bloat.
He had a wife, the curse of his life, Who continually
got his goat.
So one day at dawn, with her nightdress on…He slit her bloody throat.
With a razor gash he settled her hash Oh never was crime so quick…
But the steady drip on the pillow slip
Of her lifeblood made him sick.
And the pool of gore on the bedroom floor Grew clotted, cold and thick.
And yet he was glad he had done what he had As she lay there stiff and still,
But a sudden awe of the angry law
Struck his heart with an icy chill.
So to finish the fun so well begun He resolved himself to kill.
So he took the sheet from his wife’s coul’ feet And twisted it into a rope,
And he hanged himself from the pantry shelf, ‘Twas an easy end, let’s hope.
In the face of death with his latest breath He solemnly cursed the Pope.
But the strangest turn to the whole concern Is only just beginning.
He went to Hell but his wife got well
And she’s still alive and sinnin’,
For the razor blade was German made But the sheet was Belfast linen.”
Too funny!!
After lunch we all were assigned black taxi cabs (ours actually was silver) and our cab driver, who was from the Catholic side of Belfast, drove us thru the war torn area of The Troubles where we were able to see the memorial gardens in each neighborhood of those who were killed during the uprising. There is still a very tall wall between the communities and our guide himself only ventured into the Protestant side a mere three months ago for the first time.
The residents can go back and forth now but the hope is that eventually the wall will come down and both sides will live in peace. There are still bombs thrown over the wall on occasion and on the Protestant side, neighborhoods are preparing for the annual bonfire that happens every July 11. We drove by the wood pallets being piled high to be set on fire on that day and little kids that were playing in the area actually started throwing stones at our cab because it was a Catholic cab.
According to Wikipedia, “The bonfires are lit to celebrate the Glorious Revolution (1688) and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne (1690), which began the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland.”
It was very eye-opening to be riding around where all the horror took place. There was a police helicopter hovering overhead during our tour and the guide said that they were patrolling because this week is a memorial service at the Clonard memorial garden, which is in IRA territory, just in front of the wall separating the both sides.
Before dinner, we had two speakers.. One from the nationalist and one from the unionist community. They were men in their 70’s and during the Troubles, were imprisoned. The member of the IRA for killing a man and the other by killing 16 people by a bomb. They spoke honestly and with conviction, and they still hoped for peace to come to the area in the next generation.
Since it was flag day in the US today, a man stood up and recited a beautiful poem written by Johnny Cash. It brought tears to my eyes it was so poignant.
After dinner we met in the bar and with the group leaders we sang karaoke. I got up with Sharon and sang Where the Boys Are. Also got up and danced with one of the other guides to We Didn’t Start the FIre! So much fun!
Our guide Tony said that all the other leaders are jealous because they all feel he has by far the best group. And it’s true. We all get along very well and it seems like we’ve known each other forever. It’s a beautiful thing!
June 15, 2019
Oban, Scotland
This morning we went on a walking tour of Oban, a beautiful haven in Scotland. We visited the Episcopal cathedral of St. John the Divine and then went to see the Catholic cathedral St. Columba. We walked around the beautiful sea port and absorbed the gorgeous scenery. We had lunch at a seaside restaurant…a huge plate of fresh mussels. Delicious! We did some shopping…I bought a beautiful cashmere scarf and Allan bought two shot glasses with the Leslie name on and some scotch that also had the Leslie name.
We went for a hot cocoa and scone with jam and cream at the local chocolatier.. Wowser… And then went on a hike up to McCaig’s Tower. What a hike up very steep roads. Whoa!! It was beautiful and the views below of the seaside was worth the hike. We found a staircase to take to go back down which was much better than walking down the steep paths.
We were treated to a parade today marking a desire for Scottish Independence from the rest of Great Britain. Many people were walking around in kilts and it was exciting to be a part of the forum.
We then went on a whiskey distillery tour… And sampled Oban whiskey, which is the largest selling Scotch brand in US.
We came in board and listened to a local explain why Scotland wants to break away from the UK and then it was open bar night… All drinks free of charge. Susan, our bartender, again made a delicious dirty martini for me. It’s pretty wonderful when your bar tender knows your name!!!
Tonight we had a delicious dinner of lobster tails and for dessert.. lava cake. And after dinner we had a whiskey tasting and afterwards the piano/guitar player played some songs and our program director Tony sang along. He has an amazing voice… Had his own rock band for 15 years and I joined in singing Steve Miller Band’s The Joker. Tony was impressed that I knew the words (thanks to my boys who played it many times!!!!).
The pianist played Falling in love with you… That I can harmonize to and Tony said I had a beautiful voice. I was humbled. But then he said he signed Allan and I up to perform tomorrow night. Don’t know what that will entail. Yikes!!!!!
It was a wonderful day. The hotel manager asked Allan what he thought of the cruise so far because he respects Allan’s opinion. Allan had nothing but praise for the staff. It has been an amazing trip and Allan was very happy that the hotel manager valued his opinion.
We stayed up till the wee hours. Tomorrow will be another amazing day I’m sure.
June 16, 2019
The Isle of Skye
This morning we had to tender in zodiacs from our ship to the isle of Skye which is the largest of the Inner Hebridean islands. There are numerous sea lochs that penetrate into the heart of the island and so it is impossible to travel farther than five miles from the sea at any one time. We took a panorama bus tour thru the sleepy town, it being more quiet than usual since today is Sunday and all the shops were closed. We saw lots of sheep and cows and not very many houses. There are only about 10,000 folks on the isle and many of them are retired.
Tourism is the major employment opportunity as well as the health and education venues. Crofting, a form of land tenure, is still important in the area, although only about 100 or so crofters are large enough to earn a livelihood from the land. The inhabitants of the Isle are not permitted to slaughter their own animals for food and since much of the land is not conducive for growing vegetables, they must travel about 30 minutes to get to the nearest grocery store where they would buy their food supplies. The meat from the lambs that are grazing all over the countryside is sent to other countries and the residents purchase vegetables and meat from the local stores for their own consumption which seems rather strange to me.
Salmon and other fishing is also a big industry and the fish are sent to countries like France and Spain.
After lunch our program director Tony arranged zodiacs for anyone interested in taking a spin around the waters. The sun came out and the ride was wonderful with the salt spray rising in the air and the wind blowing gently in our faces. The zodiacs take ten people at a time and it really was a lot of fun. This was an unplanned event… Which makes traveling with Grand Circle so wonderful. You never know what surprises will be coming along.
We invited Tony to join us for dinner once again because I found an adorable little bear that I bought for our table mates to give him for his baby to be. He is over the moon with excitement about the birth of his first child which could happen any day.
We all chipped in for the teddy bear, which has a little cap on and a vest… Just like Tony often wears. I was so lucky to spot it. We gave him the bear at dinner along with a card I bought that we all signed.. and then I recited a poem I wrote:
What an amazing cruise
The British Isles was the trip we would choose We met wonderful folks
Shared some stories and funny jokes
(Not to mention some fabulous booze.)
But what really makes our trip great
Is Tony, our program least…FIRST RATE!!!!
He is the real deal
His wonderful cockney accent he can’t conceal He’s a treasure…we’re happy to call him our mate.
The love of his life Is Louise
Who is pregnant you see (if you please)
But when will the wedding day be????
Every day we query with glee
But Tony assures us…SOON…he guarantees.
So please accept this small token
Of our appreciation that we didn’t want left unspoken A gift for your little boy
We hope it will bring him joy
Just as you have for us, we say with fond emotion.
And so on this June Father’s Day To you Tony we’d just like to say… You’ll make a great dad
Ozzie will be a very lucky lad
And we send Lou and you love ‘n blessings alway. Tony had tears in his eyes he was so touched.
Then.. He told us that he wanted Allan and me to participate in a skit for the entertainment tonight. Allan was voted unanimously for the role as the white horse by the four program directors. I was made a flower. We had a great time and a lot of laughs!
June 17, 2019
Orkney Islands
The Orkney Islands are part of an archipelago of over 70 islands and rock formations located about 10 miles north of the Scottish mainland. About 21,000 people live there. Some of the islands have no one living on them but are used for sheep grazing.
Orcadians farm the land and there is also a large shell fish industry. The water is fresh and clear and you can see down to the bottom when near the shoreline.
We visited an Italian Chapel created by Domenico Chiocchetti and his colleagues, prisoners of war who were captured in North Africa and transported to the Island. Following a request from the camp priest, Fr Giacobazzi, it was agreed that two Nissen huts would be joined together to provide a chapel. Among the Italians was an artist, Domenico Chiocchetti, and he was given the task of transforming the huts into a place of worship. He was assisted by other tradesmen – in particular Giuseppe Palumbi a blacksmith, and Domenico Buttapasta a cement worker.
Domenico Chiocchetti carried in his pocket a small prayer card given to him by his mother before he left his home in Italy and it was the image on that card of the Madonna and Child by Nicolo Barabino that Chiocchetti based his painting above the alter in the Chapel. Beautiful lanterns hang from the ceiling and were created out of the corn-beef tin cans that rations came in. The baptismal font was created from the inside of a car exhaust and covered in a layer of concrete.
It seems that Giuseppe fell in love with a girl from the island, but of course since he was already married, the affair couldn’t last after the war. He told the girl he would craft something in the church just for her so that his love for her would always be shown. He placed a small iron heart on the floor that can only be seen when the altar rail is opened.
Now, 70 years after the completion of the Chapel, it is one of Orkney’s major tourist attractions with over 100,000 visitors every year. Many people come to get married there and services are held during the summer months.
We saw the ships that the British Navy sank in WW I to block off the harbour and we also saw the Churchill Barriers that Winston Churchill had built to block off the eastern approaches to the naval anchorage of Scapa Flow. Officially opened in May 1945, the barriers now act as causeways linking the Orkney main island with the isles of Lamb Holm, Glimps Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay.
We then visited St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. Construction on the Cathedral began in 1137, and was added to over the next 300 years.
Allan and I had a scone and a coffee and tea at one of the local cafes. The butter for the scone was made on the island from the milk from the dairy cows and tasted delicious.
We went back to the ship and since I’m feeling a little under the weather, we decided not to visit Scara Brae in the afternoon.
The sun sets after 10 pm and last night the sunset was beautiful.
June 18, 2019 Aberdeen
Today is the last day on our ship the m/v Corinthian. We visited Aberdeen today…. First stop…a working farm with highland beef cattle. This beef is premium beef and it is sold to high end restaurants. We had an interesting tour of the farm and learned about how the cows are mated with the bulls that will give the best meat when slaughtered.
We were given tea and short bread cookies and a taste of the meat that they produce. Somehow, after hearing all the names of the cattle in the pen…I lost my appetite for sampling the beef.
We then visited the beautiful Crathes Castle. We had to climb up many circular flights of stairs to get to each floor of the castle and l i was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I persevered and made it to the top floor.
We had a delicious lunch at the Castle of tea sandwiches and scones and then made
our way by bus to the seaside for a walk thru a small neighborhood with tiny homes and enormous prices!
I’m feeling a little under the weather, and one of the staff has been making me a delicious hot brew of lemon, honey and ginger to soothe my throat. So wonderful.
We had surf and turf for dinner and they brought out flaming baked Alaska. We are sad to bid goodbye to our waiter Sergii and we all gave him a little extra tip and he was so appreciative. He is only 28 years old and has been homesick on the cruise. We’ve done our best to cheer him up.
Tomorrow we leave the ship at 8:30 when we arrive in Edinburgh for the last few days of our trip.
June 19, 2019
Edinburgh
We bid goodbye to all the wonderful crew who took such great care of us on our cruise. Chenna… The dining room manager had been making me a ginger, lemon and honey hot beverage for the past few days to help with my laryngitis.
We sailed into Edinburgh and boarded a bus for a panoramic bus tour of the city. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and is a beautiful, hilly yet compact city with gorgeous buildings.
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote A Child’s Garden of Verses here, a favorite book of mine when I was a child, and J.K. Rowling started her Harry Potter books while sitting in a cafe called The Elephant House. If course we had to stop in and have a proper tea and shortbread… Perhaps sitting at the very table where Rowling spun her tales. Rowling got pregnant out of wedlock and her boyfriend up and left her. (Bet he’s sorry he did that!!!). She was on the dole trying to make ends meet with her little baby girl. She got a job teaching and she would pick up her little girl from day care and while the little one napped, Rowling would sit in The Elephant House and write. Her father and mother, whom she was very close with, passed away and Rowling realized she was in fact now an orphan. She subsequently resubmitted the first part of Harry Potter that she had originally submitted to a publisher, and made Harry an orphan as well.
We also saw the grave where Creyfriars Bobby, the dog, is buried. The story goes that his master, whom he was loyal and devoted to, passed away and for the rest of Bobby’s life, he stayed by his master’s grave. The people in Edinburgh took care of him… taking him to the vet when needed, and putting a collar on him to abide by the law. His grave is covered with sticks and there is a monument of him with a shiny nose since everyone who passes by rubs it.
We also briefly stopped into the Museum of Scotland and we will definitely go back to visit it again tomorrow.
June 20, 2019
Edinburgh
We woke up to a beautifully sunny day and decided to walk over to the Scotland museum. It was quite a hike uphill but we persevered and spent a few hours in the museum. The museum is a mixture of the American Museum of Natural History and The Franklin Institute. The exhibits were very interesting and we took our time going from floor to floor. On the top floor, we walked out to the terrace and we were treated to a wonderful view of Edinburgh.
In the museum we saw the Millennium Clock, an eerie representation of good and evil throughout the 20th century. We were lucky to be there at noon to see the entire works in action.
Tonight was the farewell dinner and a Bag Piper led the way into our dining room. Our group, the Mighty 8 as dubbed by Tony, managed to once again procure a table for all of us to spent our last dinner together. The tour guides did a wonderful job summarizing our fabulous trip and our guide Tony sang Green Day’s Time of Your Life and Michael, who has a beautiful operatic voice sang Nessun Dorma.
We were served haggis which I ate for the first time. The haggis was ushered in on a ceremonial plate with a Bag Piper leading the way. It was paraded back and forth so that everyone could give it the honor it deserved. According to Wikipedia, “Haggis is a savory pudding containing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver, and lungs); minced with onion , oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked traditionally encased in the animal’s stomach.”. I know… Doesn’t sound appetizing… But it actually was quite delicious. We ate it with neeps and tatties.
We said a fond farewell to our table mates and promised to keep in touch. We have to get up early tomorrow to catch our flight.
June 21, 2019
Bye to the British Isles
Tony got up at the crack of dawn to see us off this morning. He gave us this beautiful note and amid tears, we hugged and promised to keep in touch. He was one of the best tour guides we’ve ever had and we were so fortunate to have him.
Sunny clear day for our flight. We loved every minute of our visit to the British Isles! From London to Edinburgh… Every moment a new adventure and discovery.
See you in Bethlehem!