Sunday June 26th - Edinburgh - LAST DAY!

So this is the last day before flying home.  I have to admit I'm very ready to go home at this point but it has been a wonderful trip.

We continued our stay in Edinburgh with a Scottish Experience last evening which included Scottish music, dancing and even a bite of haggis.  Yes, I tried it.  It really wasn't all that bad though it was a bit on the spicy side.  Not sure I know what the spices were but all good.

We took the bus tour this morning with an aim to visit the castle.  Unfortunately it wasn't accessible this morning so we took the complete tour and then visited one of the art museums which was nearby the bus stop and our hotel.  We had a nice lunch and then back to the bus and the castle.  As you might guess, the castle is on a high hill overlooking the city and visibility to the eastern shore, so it was a walk up.  Given that walk and this point in our journey we probably didn't see as much of the castle as we might have had it been earlier in the tour but we did spend some time there.  Then back down the hill to the bus. 

Now we're at the hotel just winding down.  Our flight leaves quite early in the morning so it will be an early evening.  We have yet to sample any whiskey so we may need to find time to at least get in a taste at a nearby pub or restaurant.

Thanks for following along.  It's been great to give you a taste of the journey.

Lori

saturday june 25th edinburgh

siting at another starbucks, this time in edinburgh.  took the train frok glasgow this moning but it definitely wasnt the express.  i believe we made 15 stops.  if you look at a scotland map you can probably see every town we stopped at.  got to our hotel too early to check in sob checked our bags and hit the streets.  our hotel is rght in the middle of everything so eplenty to see and do.  there is a disney store right next to our hotel so of course we stopped there.  then on to the hard rock for lunch where we had a lovely waitress who was very helpful in giving us tips.  after lunch we headed to the royal mile for browsing shopping and a visit to the john knox house.  knox was responsible fr the reformation in scotland and starting the presbyterian church, to which i belong.  coming out of the house we discovered it was raining yet again.  i have to say at this point in my journey i am quite weary W thus the lack of capitilization and spelling-and the rain just adds to the weariness.  this is just a wet part of the world.

tonight we head to a nearby hotel for a evening of scottish food - a little anxious about that - and entertainment.  tomorrow we may do a bus tour an d hopefully se the castle.

sun appears to be coming back out.  hotel is hopefully a quick walk back.

Friday June 24th Glasgow

Sitting in a Starbucks currently - God Bless America! - using the free wifi to update.

Took the Glasgow bus tour this morning.  Quite lovely. I think we will be hopping back on to go see the Glasgow cathedral which is on the east sie of the city.  Would also loveto see a coupleof things on the west side such as the University and the Kelvingrove museum.  Named after the man who developed the Kelvin temperature scale.

Glasgow has an abundance of shopping so may ned to take some of that in as well.  A few gifts left to buy.  May take in a movie thi evening as the cinema is quite close to our hotel.  Its actually the tallest movie theater in the world.

Would definitely reccomend Glasgow as a tour stop if considering it.  I had heard less than positive things about it prior to my trip but there is plenty of history and culture here to ill up moe than a couple of days.

Thursday June 23rd Glasgow

spent the morning in York ad visited the Jorvik viking museum which was very interesting.  After that we shopped the Shambles area and doged the rain. After arealy nicelunch we dexidedb to head for the train station and on to Glasgow.  It was about a 4 hour rde total so we arrived in Glasgow around dinner time.We found a lovely Italian restaurant near our hotel and had a very relaxing dinner.

Tomorrow we are planning on the Glasgow bus tour and possibly stopping stoping at a few places along the way.  Our cab driver in York told us that Glasgow has some of the same religious tensions that Belfast has,  with one football team being Catholic and one being Protestant.  It seems that a large number of Irish made their way to Scotland thus creating the tensions as Scotland is largely Protestant with the Presbyterian church being dominant.  I dont tink we will encounter those tensions here in the Glasgow City Centre but good to be aware of.
Moe tomorrow hopefuly after a day of sightseeing.

Wednesday June 22nd York

The Bangor Cathedral made for another interesting logistical experience again for our choir, dancers ad instrumentalists.  Especially given that we needed to add a 80 voice male choir for one movement.  But all worked out in the end (and up until the last minute).  It was probably our best of the three performances.  AFter the concert we enjoyed a lovely dinner just out of Bangor.

While the tour group headed back to Chicago early this morning, my traveling companion (Carolyn) and I went on to York.  It took three trains leaving out of Bangor with stops in Chester and Manchester but we made it to York about mid afternoon.  With most shops and attractions closing about 5 we had a little time to figure out what we will look into more tomorrow.  I got some good suggestions from one of my Aviva colleagues who spent three years working at the office here. The city centre does seem to be a lovely little area.  They even have a cat tour where you can find 16 or so cat statutes places on buildings around city centre.  I managed to find four this evening so maybe a few more tomorrow.

Maybe wishing we had booked more than just a day in York but will try to stay here tomorrow as long as we can and hopefully get to Glasgow for dinner.

Tuesday June 21st - Caenarfon

We arrived safely in Wales on Monday after a couple of hours on the ferry.  Such an interesting journey.  A bit of a floating city with resaurants, a bar and shopping.  It was about an hour from our arrival at Holyhead on Anglesey to our hotel in Caenerforn.  anAngelsey is where the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge live but no sightings.

We had  very quiet afternoon - I took a nap - and then after dinner we rehearsed with with thw Welsh mens choir.  They are fabulous and very much looking forward to them joining us this evening on the Benedictus.

This morning we visited the castle here in Caenarfon.  It dates back to the 13th centgury and was where Prince Charles crowned Prince of Wales.

This afternoon we are headed into Bangor for rehearsal.  Tonight is our last evening together.  The bulk of our tour leaves for Heathrow in the morning.  My traveling companion and I will be heading into York and then Scotland.  Will plan on keeping the blog going until I come home on the 27th.

Monday June 20th

Currently waiting to load the ferry from Ireland to Wales.  the whole bus goes on the ferryso we get to leave everything on the bus.  We have been told it is a 2 hour ride though only about 55 miles.

We will have dinner and rehearsal this evening.  We are being joined by a Welsh mens choir who will be singing part of the mass with us, the part that is in Welsh to be specific.  hope it isnt the rest of it as we woment may be sorely outnumbered.

lacking on slep at tis point in the tour so looking forward to much.more relaxed schedule beginnign wednesday when my friend carolyn and i are on our own as we head to York England and then on to Glasgow and Edinburgh Scotland.