York, England

York - marketed as "Europe's favorite city" by the tourist board was indeed a beautiful city. Not sure I'd classify it as a European favorite, however.

City map (hey, why not?)

Despite all advance planning and communications efforts, we had a bit of a rough start at the campground. Somehow the wardens didn't know we were coming in a 35' motorhome (despite the fact it was clearly marked on the online booking form) and somehow, it was my fault. Mass transit at the site is extremely limited (4x a day). There is an ingenious park and ride system only about 1.5 miles away - but there's not easy access for bicycles (the bike lane ends quite suddenly on the very busy road leading to the park and ride with no side streets or side paths). Taxi fare to the park and ride was £6; taxi to town center was £10.

We finally made our way to the city, where it promptly started drizzling (not in the forecast...who's in charge of the weather??). Cool city - lots of interesting buildings to look at and enjoy. The shops have some fantastic fashions on display for summer and the streets were busy with tons of pedestrians.

Side street in the "Shambles" district

No heavy goods vehicles down this street!

Sophia, ever on the lookout for pennies, spotted glass jewels embedded in some of the paving blocks.

We took the kids through the Jorvik Viking Centre, enjoying the 2:1 price break from the Caravan Club book. It's an "interactive" exhibit about early viking settlers in York. It reminded me a bit of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland - you meander through a recreated Viking village - sights, smells and sounds similar to that which one would have encountered in the day. After the little ride, visitors are left to explore the exhibits - some with staff in uniform who tell stories, answer questions, etc. Megan heard all about how coins were made and even purchased a souvenair coin, stamped by hand in front of her.

Sophia - trying a Viking helmet on for size

Waiting for Sherry to finish taking pictures...

Reproduction prints can be found all over the city - this one was on one of the entrances to the city wall. (The Ambassadors, Hans Holbein The Younger, circa 1533)

Entrance to the market area

We're probably missing out on the best food...but just couldn't bring ourselves to sample from this booth. He was happily selling "real pork fat" - maybe Emeril should visit!

We declined touring York Minster and the tower. The cost is pretty prohibitive, even if it is a "once in a lifetime" experience and a "fine example of gothic architecture." We saw tons of gothic churches on the European continent and they didn't cost £30 (~$60USD) for the family to tour.

York Minster peeking out through a side street.

We opted instead for the city wall tour - free and a fun find. Our path was from Bootham Bar to Monk Bar. It rained the whole time, but was fun to walk and see views of the outer section of York Minster.

York Minster, viewed from top of city wall

Stairs at Monk Bar, leading up to city wall

If I could have one wish granted for the city, it would be that their transportation system be consolidated. I counted no less than 6 bus companies driving around the compact city. I don't think there's a single day-pass (like most other regions offer) that works on all bus lines. Their park-n-ride plan is great - users get free parking and a £2 fare (RT) to the city center - buses at the park-n-ride leave every 10-15 minutes from about 8am to 7pm Mon-Sat. There was a little bit of room for motorhome parking, but we couldn't see how to get around the height barriers (there were others who did).

On a parting note, how exactly do these buildings pass inspections? Maybe they are exempt due to age?

One set of many leaning buildings...not the worst, by far, but the one that I managed to snap a picture of.

On to Peterborough next, enroute to London.

Ciao!

Edinburgh, Scotland

Today we head back into central England, stopping first in York. Means it's time to do my blog post on our visit to Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. I'll leave most of it to pictures - we had a wonderful stay (3-days, 4 nights). The public transport is brilliant - buses are £2.50pp for a day pass and a bus runs every 15-20 minutes right outside the campground.


Crossing the Firth of Forth into Edinburgh

We didn't intent to spend all 3 days in the old district (Royal Mile area) but that's kind of how it worked out. At its peak, Edinburgh had the highest population density in Europe.


City blick from Edinburgh Castle

We had a remarkable day at Edinburgh Castle - though were glad for the half price discount from our English Heritage membership (£15 for the family vs. £30). The weather held - clouds but nice, warm sunny breaks greated us and kept us dry and warm. We started out in the park below the castle, which has a small ampitheater and hiked around the hill and up to the castle (the thoroughfare via the park was closed). After touring, we descended via the "Royal Mile" - a fantastic walk though we didn't quite make it the whole mile.



Looking up at Edinburgh Castle, from the park below


Saint Margaret's Chapel - Oldest building at Edinburgh Castle, dating back to the 12th century


Viewing the canon range


Mons Meg - presented to King James II in 1457


Dan & girls - Edinburgh Castle

For those who are not opposed to the "big bang" theory, a visit to "Our Dynamic Earth" is a good rainy day alternative. The building is next to the Scottish Parliment, at the bottom of the Royal Mile. It's very cool to see the contrast of the historical old city, glimpses of Holyrood Palace, the contemporary Scottish Parliment building all sharing Holyrood Park as the back drop.



Side view of Scottish Parliment building


Scottish Parliment building from the front

Visitors to Dynamic Earth experience an interactive "trip through time" exploring how our earth was created - learning about volanos, earthquakes, glaciers, etc. Again, we were thrilled to have the Caravan Club 2:1 discount - £17 vs. £30 (they charge for kids 3+ which is a shame - the exhibit is better geared to kids 7+). Cool factors include the "glacier" (yes, a huge piece of ice in a cooled room), the "rainforest" (where it actually rains every12 minutes) and the interactivity at the end, helping show how no decision on energy use or conservation is easy. Granted they take each aspect to the extreme, still drives the point home that the decisions we make impact us in ways we don't necessarily anticipate.


Dynamic Earth building with Holyrood Park in the background


Dinosauer evolution?

Had it been a nicer day, we would have ventured to take the hike to Arthur's Seat - but it was quite windy with rain squalls. We slipped into the Museum of Edinburgh (free) for a bit and were surprised at the silver collection - we hadn't known Scotland was famous for silverwork until then. Lovely exhibit including a sample sitting room from days gone by.


View of Holyrood Park with Scottish Parliment on the right

On our way to York now.



Ciao!

Isle of Skye

A visit to Isle of Skye became required after we saw an old travel show by Michael Palin which included his visiting Isle of Skye by train. Since then, we have been determined to visit ourselves. We're only saddened that we only had time to visit one region.

First thoughts - the road we took out (A835 / A 832 / A890) are crazy and we were glad to have the use of the tiny rental car for the drive out (~2 hours). For much of the drive we were on single track roads, with just pull outs to allow oncoming traffic by. The speed limits are crazy - still at 50 mph and people think nothing of passing in areas I would never dream of doing so. For that, we were treated to absolutely stunning scenery.

Glimpse of the scenery on the drive out


Same stop as above, but different direction

The Isle of Skye is now connected via bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh as shown below. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see the beautiful, gently curving bridge connecting Isle of Skye to the mainland in the background.

Bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh to Isle of Skye

We declined the whiskey tour - mainly as the kids aren't allowed on the production floor. There's no real use in touring a distillery if we can't visit all areas. With that stop off the list, we made our way directily for Dunvegan Castle, promised to be "the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland..."

Learning about the MacLeod Clan was interesting - though the castle and grounds itself didn't feel to be the most inviting of our tours. I can't fully explain it, but we were left with a sense of tension in the air and a feeling of not really being welcomed to the estate. Maybe part of it is the realization that an active family resides at the castle and suddenly acknowledging how odd it is that we paid to view someone else's stuff. The castle is interesting - there are sleeper bunks inside the walls, remnants of the "fairy flag" which holds magical powers, and several other artifacts. The gardens were quite impressive, with three separate themes to explore.

Dunvegan Castle

Dunvegan Castle - side view

View from the Castle gunyard

Round garden

Inside the walled garden

Water garden

We had inadvertently skipped lunch - there's really not much on the Isle of Skye, at least on the route we took. The villages were quite small, many just a few buildings. On the way out, stopped at a pub that served excellent food and Cuillin beer. Yum - what a fantastic treat to end the day.

Cuillin mountains

Cuillin mountains

As you drive by the mountains, there are visible rivers of water flowing down them - waterfalls like I've never seen before that appear to start at the top and just drop down. We hope to revisit someday and spend more time here. This area has got to be a nature lovers paradise - it's one of the lowest populated areas per square mile in all of Europe, I believe. We would love to hike and wander the villages in detail. Such a beautiful area - and as I understand it, rich in magic and folklore.

Ciao!

In search of Nessie

Posted 21.June, back dated to be in chronological order.

Knowing we can't visit Scotland and miss out on the Loch Ness Monster, we made our way to Inverness (campground at Culloden Moor). Had I known how much we would fall in love with the highlands, I would have planned to stay longer. There's so much in this area, 3-days simply wasn't enough.

This region of Scotland is very spread out and our luck with public transit ran out in a big way. The bus to our campground ran only every 2-hours to Inverness and there are massive changes in the bus operators resulting in confusing time scales and fees. For instance, the 1-day pass cost the same as the 7-day rider. But unlike other regions of the UK, the passes only cover Inverness; not the surrounding region.

We gave up and rented a car for the 3-days. At £38 per day, it was a bargain for saving the hassle of bus transit in this area.

First stop: Loch Ness.
Our drive started from Inverness and off we went, in search of Nessie. Loch Ness itself is 23 miles in length and about 700 feet deep in the deepest waters. There are several pull outs on the road, so we tourists can stop and read all about the history and take a look for Nessie. The girls loved this - gave them something to occupy their imaginations for the day.


The girls & I enjoying a vista of Loch Ness

Loch Ness Exhibition Center - we stopped here as it was the first as we entered Drumnadrochit. It was a bit cheesy but informative all the same, helping to explain what could have, might have, and can exist in the lake. We learned a bit about the mystery of the "monster" and the studies conducted to date in search of evidence. I think the gift shop was the best - full of little green (and one very large) monsters. It was hard not to buy anything.

Off to the tourist trap of the day


Fake Nessie at the Loch Ness Exhibition Center

Urquhart Castle - Just around the bend stands Urquhart Castle - a scenic ruin with commanding views of Loch Ness. We were granted free admission, thanks to our English Heritage membership. I can't do the history of this site enough justice - I recommend relying on the Wikipedia article or the Scottish Heritage information (sorry to my ex-colleagues, but Encarta didn't have an entry for the castle). Suffice it to say it's believed a fort may have been on this site as early as 600 AD with known records of the current site dating back to the 1200's.

This is a must-see in my book - the views and atmosphere are so pleasant. I wished we had a picnic basket to just hang out on the lawns a bit longer and soak in the landscape.


View of Urquhart Castle upon entering the site


Dan & girls waiting for me at the top


Love it!


Amazing trebuchet

Can't forget the Knicker Bocker Glory! We had read about it in a Paddington Bear book but didn't know what it was. Couldn't resist ordering it when we finally saw it on the menu at Castle Restaurant in Inverness. The picture tells the rest of the story:

Ciao!

Ayr, Scotland

Posted 21.June, back dated for chronological order.



Continuing our journey North from that Lakes District, we spent a week in Ayr, Scotland. It's a quaint seaside town and the campground (Craigie Gardens) was an easy bike ride from town. Famous Scottish poet Robert Burns lived in Ayr and it's the home place of Tam'O Shanter. The area is probably better known for its world class golf courses, including nearby Royal Troon. Neither Dan nor I play, so we enjoyed the view of the courses from the train. ;-)

Not a lot to report - the visit to Culzean Castle and the addition of a 3G modem are covered in separate blog posts. Interesting is the length of time the sun is up. We are quite far North and noticed that at 11pm, it's still fairly light out. The sun streams through our windows around 5am, making me wish our room darkening shades were a bit darker. It's strange to have it bright out at 10pm and later.




On the path to town - looking at the inlet from Firth of Clyde


We spent some of the time as "down" time - including a fantastic play day at (yet) another indoor playground. The girls love the freedom to run and be as loud as they want. When our two hours were up, we walked out of the building and ran into yet another playground - this one ocean-front and free. It has some awesome equipment. Dan wants to build a swing like the one below in our backyard.




Dream Swing


Now that's a fort

An encounter with a Scottish school girl left me smiling. She asked if America was nice and said she always wanted to go there. I asked her "why?" Her response, "Because Scotland is boring." She didn't like my response that she was lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world and that every town can be "boring." I truly am getting old if I can't sympathize with a bored kid.

We ventured out to Largs via train. Largs is the site of the last squirmish with the Vikings (Battle of Largs, 1263). We skipped the "Vikingar" movie/experience and spent a pleasant afternoon exploring the town. Best stop was the city museum (free). We were the only visitors at the time and the curator was quite friendly. She admitted us to Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs Old Kirk (the old church cemetary). Skelmorlie Aisle is all that was left of the church when it was demolished in 1802. It was built as a masoleum and the coffins of Sir Robert Montgomerie and Dame Margaret Douglass are interred in the vault. The ceiling of the building is ornately painted and includes paintings of Largs through the seasons with the autumn painting including an image of the old church. Sir Thomas Brisbane is also buried in the cemetary - in the Brisbane Vault next to Skelmorlie Aisle. Very cool experience.


Our "all inclusive" travel pass didn't cover the ferry to Cumbrae -- which would have required another bus ticket to get to Millport. With the day getting late, we headed home. Maybe next time. ;-)





Loved this iron work from a church entry in Largs



Viking statue - Largs


Skelmorlie Aisle


Ceiling of Skelmorlie Aisle - showing the coat of arms of Sir Robert Montgomerie and Dame Margaret Douglass

On Father's Day we visited the Ayr market, held at the nearby race course. We resisted the urge to purchase from the "Meat Auction" -- my favorite quote as we walked by was, "It might be prime rib, but I don't know. Who'll give me a 10'er for it?" They literally were plunking meat down on the scale, not cleaning it after the last batch, then dumping the contents of the scale into ordinary plastic grocery bags. We did find some cute new dresses for the girls - a bit on the big side, but both are so pleased with their new formal-wear, I can hardly get them to wear anything else. Late afternoon found us back on the mega playground - which was quite busy this time. It was fun to see so many families out together. The weather, while not super warm, is enjoyable for outdoor activity - though can be quite windy in this region. A nice end to a mellow week.



Meat Auction at Ayr Sunday Market


Chasing Dad on the beach





All dressed up and nowhere to go

All for now - ciao!