Carol A. Spradling, author

brony1 · Citizen Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 159

With another couple from our Golden Oldies rugby Group we start off in London heading for Scotland. We stay in Edinburgh for 2 nights and get to see the tattoo. The next day we are off to Aviemore for a night having stopped at St Andrews, Baemar and the Royal Deeside Distillery. The next day we visit Culloden, Inverness, Eilean Donan Castle and have a look for monsters at Loch Ness, we touch on the edge of the Isle of Skye and catch a ferry from Armadale to Mallaig then pass through Glenfinnan, Fort William and spend the night at Oban. That appears to be the longest day. We day trip across to the Isle's of Mull and Iona then return to Oban for the night. The last day we travel down to Glasgow for a night then its back to London. The next day we are joined by another couple from our group and head off to Wales. We stop at Hampton Court then are off to Salisbury (where I hope to meet up with Andrea), we stop at Stone Henge then take the waters at Bath (yeah right). We spend the night in Cardiff. After touring around Cardiff we take the ferry from Pembroke over to Ireland landing in Rosslare and stopping in at Waterford on the way to Tramore for the night. We stop off at Cork and Blarney on our way to Killarney for a night. The next day we do the Ring of Kerry and visit Adare and Limerick on the way to spend the night in Ennis. Our last day in Ireland we travel through to Dublin where there is no organised dinner which suits us well as my sister lives there so we are going out to dinner with her. The next day it is back on a ferry from Dublin across to Holyhead in the Isle of Anglsey in Wales and we travel through to Wrexham having stopped in Betws-y-Coed and Llangollen. On our final day we leave Wales behind and stop off at Ironbridge and Stratford on our way back to London. The next day we will meet up with the rest of our touring group and catch a train back to Edinburgh where our festival is. The week there includes a welcome ceremony at the Castle, a Parade of Nations down the Royal Mile and opening party at The Meadows with all the food and fluid refreshments put on. The next day is games day followed by a rest day which includes a Highland Fling day again with food & fluid refreshments put on. The next day is games day again then followed by a visit to a Brewery which will include plenty of food & fluid Refreshments again. The last day of games as with the previous two will have a party atmosphere of course followed by plenty of F&F then our final day is free to do what we will with a party that night with full sit down meal for 4000 at the Highland Hall at Ingliston. The next day David and I leave the group and head off to Nottingham to look for Robin Hood. We have friends there who we are to spend a few nights with. We are looking at going via Gretna Green on our way there. When we leave the UK we are stopping off in Vancouver Canada for three nights to stay with my sister who lives there. I dare say when I get home I will need a holiday to get over it all lol

cale · Citizen Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 134 Location: Illinois

Oh my! That is a lot. Is there anyway I could come with you? Laughing

It sounds like you're going to have a blast, and see a lot. I've never really been the typeof person who wanted to travel somewhere to relax. There's too many things to see and experience, if I want to relax I'll save the money and do so in the area.

CarolASpradling · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 9:01 pm Post subject:

Wow Brony,

That sounds like a great trip. I wouldn't want to lose one moment to sleep. How long can a person go without sleep?
_________________
Carol
www.CarolASpradling.com

Jeanne · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 2:36 am Post subject:

Sounds great brony!!! My sister and her family just left Ireland and are now in London. She will then go to Greece, Istanbul and then France. I went to Taco bell today!!! Now that was cool. Hey Cale, my nephew wrote James and said that in Ireland he saw some pagan new-agers rolling on the ground doing some wild things at some burial ground. I guess they were from France.
_________________
Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.

cale · Citizen Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 134 Location: Illinois

What the heck? Shocked

Figures, them crazy Frenchies. Laughing

Jeanne · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 1:31 pm Post subject:

They were doing some ritual or something like that. Each one would go into the burial cave or mound alone and come out. In the mound was some writing or pictures that were 5,000 years old. He said the pagans were dressed up in some hippy clothes. And when they came out of the cave they started rolling on the ground doing odd stuff. I guess he knew they were French because my nephew speaks French, having gone to French schools in Canada because he lives there and because my sister and her family lived in France for a year. I don't think he was putting them down for being French though. He just noticed that they were French. I thought you might enjoy this story being that you are interested in paganism even if you don't believe in it.
_________________
Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.

cale · Citizen Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 134 Location: Illinois

That's just weird. I like more of the earth-appreciation (not worship) aspects of paganism. Being thankful for the moon, stars, sun, flowers, water, etc. Not the ceremonial, crazy stuff like that, they were probably doing it for attention.

Jeanne · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 2:50 pm Post subject:

I really don't know what the ritual was about. Sounds like they were a little looney to me.
_________________
Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.

DeliaM · Colonist Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 342

Freakin French!!!!

Andi · Colonist Joined: 21 Apr 2008 Posts: 256

OY! My Alan's french!!! Shocked

DeliaM · Colonist Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 342

Well, I'm sure he doesn't roll around on the ground in cemetaries. If he does, then he probably fits the description accurately.... Wink

cale · Citizen Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 134 Location: Illinois

I thought Alan was a Scot?

Andi · Colonist Joined: 21 Apr 2008 Posts: 256

His Mum's Scottish and his Dad's French, I'm the only thorough bred in the house! A damd 'sasanack!' Laughing

brony1 · Citizen Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 159

It will be exciting. We are looking at taking one of the double decker bus tours the day we are in London as we have been told they are quite good and you can get off and on another bus as many times as you like. I will probably sleep on the bus from London to Edinburgh as it is a stratght through run. I'm lucky that I do shift work heaps ans as I am a bit of a night owl I should adjust to the time zone ok. While in edinburgh I want to try to do a tour of the old catacombs I think it is. They are a guided tour through old underground passages of some sort. I have been lucky that I have a couple of work mates who moved here from Edinburgh recently so they have given me heaps of info for the trip.

Jeanne · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 2:03 pm Post subject:

I would love to visit the catacombs for sure. Tell me if you encounter any ghostly tortured souls while in there.
_________________
Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.