Last Day in a London.

Well, it was another beautiful day in London. Warm weather and the was sun shining. I decided to go for a walk around the city one final time. It was a great morning! After that, I caught the tube back to my hotel to pick up my bags and head to my final hotel. After about an hour and a half of trains and buses I finally made it to my hotel.

It's hard to believe that a month is already over and I will be heading home tomorrow. I have had the best time on this trip. I have seen so much of Great Britain and met some of its very kind people, I even survived driving over hear. I'm not goo to lie, there were some ups and downs along the way, but at the end of the day, I figured out how to solve problems and find the funny side of things. It was definitely the experience of a lifetime and I'm glad I did it! Traveling alone has its challenges, but you know something, it's also really fun. You never know who you'll meet along the way, and sometimes that stranger sitting next to you has a great story to tell or creates a situation where you end up with a great story to tell! 😉

Now, home to finish summer out home in Vermont! I can't wait to see my family, doggies and friends! See you all very soon!!

Strolling Along the Southbank!

Today I decided to just walk and wander. I did have a little bit of a plan of where I was headed, but no real end goal, just taking in the sites, sun and fresh-ish air (it is a city after all). I started my journey stopping in at a little cafe called Exmouth. Let me tell you, baked goods galore and a tasty selection of simple breakfast items as well.

After that I was off. I've wanted to go for a walk along the Southbank for a while so that's where I headed. First stop to getting there, the Tower Bridge. An amazing structure it is. You can even take a tour of the top part and look down at the people below, I did not do that. After getting across the bridge I walked into Borough market. Full of street food vendors and little restaurants. The smell is incredible. I bookmarked that in the brain and decided to go back for lunch.

I finally made it to the Queens Walk where I passed a lot of interesting things. The first was the Tower bridge going up for a boat to go through. That was followed by the HMS Belfast. I did have a plan to go back to that, but forgot. Keep walking and you will pass the London Bridge and then Shakespeare'a Globe Theater and the Tate Modern. There is literally so much to see along this walk! I even found the ITV London Studios where they film This Morning and Loose Women! I did see a set up outside for filming, but I think they had already finished by the time I got there.

Eventually, I got to the Jubilee Bridge. It's really a neat looking bridge, with excellent views of the picturesque Big Ben and London Eye, a great photo op! Once across I made my way to Trafalgar Square. I finally got a shot of one of the lions! When Dad-o and I went they were gated off for a concert. Walking through there, inheaded on to the West End and Piccadilly Circus. I saw yet another Waterstones and couldn't resist. I ended up buying a few picture books, a David Williams book (I tell myself for the kids, but really I want to read it) and I couldn't resist, a copy of Nadiya Hussain's new cook book! That's right Granddad and Grandmim! Winner of the Great British Baking show! Oh, and best part... it's a signed copy!! Nadiya's British Food Adventure is all mine, I had to do it! Now... to find room in my suitcase. 😬

Tomorrow is my last full day in London and I think I might go back to the Southbank and visit some of the sites I skipped over today. This month has really flown!

Wandering Around London

Well, I started my day visiting 3 different museums. The first was the Natural History Museum, all about earthquakes, volcanoes and how the earth was forms. They even had an earthquake simulator! Next it was off to the Musseum of Science, which focused on the history of communication technology and robots! Yes indeed, robots robots everywhere! Then I hopped on the tube and went to the Museum of London. I think this had the coolest set up, I love walking through exhibits that are set up like the houses, shops or streets from the time. You feel like you're there. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the museums though.

My real excitement for the day was the walking around. You see, from tube stop to museums you sometimes have to walk a bit, and if you use google maps it's pretty easy. Unless, your me, and you don't exactly take the slight right or you space out and miss a turn. In that case, you find yourself in front of beautiful buildings with amazing metal work archaways, or churches with the sweetest gardens you've ever seen, or, in a hidden little park with a terrific garden and gigantic tree! I also found another old wall randomly in the middle of the city. Getting "lost" can be great sometimes!

After that I headed back to Ols Spitafields Market for some lunch. Can't beat delicious street food. I was going to go for some Turkish food today, but unfortunately the line was quite long and people were getting very pushy.  Not to worry though, I stumbled upon the London Bagel Company, on the street just outside the market. I got a burger on a bagel and took it back to my little courtyard/ garden park to watch Wimbledon again. It was a packed crowd today, all rooting for Federer, although they did show some sympathy for the other guy. The people were clapping and cheering and having a ball! I sat enjoying the moment and my burger. I know, I know, of all the options a burger?!? But let me tell you! This was one of the tastiest burgers I have ever had! I don't know what they did to the meat, but man!! Mmmmm!

Of course, after the match, I had to sit around and wait to find out who the new Doctor Who is going to be, and of course the shock of the crowd that they actually did decided on a woman! Yay! Should be very good!

Walked around a little more after that before going back to my room. Missing everyone back home, especially Sully boy! Can't wait to see the family Wednesday and get some puppy snuggles!!

London I'm back!

Another train ride and I made it to London for the last leg of my journey. After settling into my hipster hostel, I headed out on the town... well, at least up the road. Old Spittafields Market was the destination. It's a great place to go for shopping, unique vendors mixed with high street shops, and best of all... street food! That's right folks food from every corner of the earth.

Me? Well, I settled on a naan lamb wrap, delicious! I walked around for a bit and decided to take my wrap to go. Walking down the street I came to a courtyard where they were playing non other than the Wimbledon mens doubles match! I decided it was the perfect spot to enjoy my wrap and it was. Sitting in a courtyard full of people excited about a tennis match is quite an experience!

After that it was back to the hostel, where I currently sit at the bar. Quite a mixed crowd of people. I am however, sadly, one of the oldest people in the bar. An odd feeling for me, but I'll get over it. There's everyone from Anime characters to kids who I know are 18 but look 12. I feel old haha. I suppose it was bound to happen one of these days, I just haven't gotten used to it yet. On the bright side, they are playing, basically, every song from my U.K. Trip 2017 playlist, so maybe I'm not that old. 😉

Well, that's all for today. Tomorrow I'm going to do some more exploring different parts of London.

I almost forgot! I finished my book today, "Alone on a Wide Wide Sea." I highly recommend it!! A great ending, real emotional rollercoaster! Perfect for the adventurer and family lover in all of us!

New City, Newcastle!

So I had a final breakfast with my friends at Garland's Guest House and said farewell to Bill and Ian, what a great place to stay! I highly recommend it if you're ever in Edinburgh. Then it was off to the train station.

The train ride was beautiful, so much to see along the way. I lucked out at my assigned table seat, only one other person showed up! So we each had our own side of the table and room to stretch out and read. Turns out he was an optometrist going for a weekend in London, and for the first time, I met a non American, who, a. actually knew where Vermont is, and even better, b. has been to Vermont! We had a lovely chat about Vermont and the U.K., places we've been and life in general. Then we each got back to our reading.

My book is really great, it's quite emotional, I had a few tears while reading it, which is awkward in public.... but, what are you gonna do, when the writer does a great job you can't help it. The man in the story has finished his part of the story and the daughter has taken over. I guess I feel a particular connection to her side of the story because she's sailing across the world by herself. She's on an adventure, a journey to find her aunt. I'm on my own adventure, not sailing of course, but it's definitely been fun and challenging in its own way.  I'm not freezing cold getting battered by the sea, but like her, I'm seeing the world and learning a lot, about the places I visit and myself. I'm at that stage in the book where I don't really want to put it down.

But, I diverge, I'm reading, getting misty eyed on a train sitting next to the optometrist and a couple of others. I don't think he minded, and the couple across from us was too busy having their picnic, complete with ice for their gin and tonics, and sliced limes! They were prepared!

The train pulled in to Newcastle and I said farewell to the optometrist. Newcastle is a cool little place. I dropped my stuff off at my hotel with the front desk man who was very entertaining! Then I headed out for the afternoon to see some of the city. Beautiful churches, fabulous architecture, of course they have great shops, but what I found really cool was the castle wall that is around parts of the city. It was built in the 13th century, to protect the city from invasions during times of conflict. Now, this wall and the towers, sit blended in to the city. It's really cool, your walking around with brand new sky scrapers, older buildings that have been converted into shops and restaurants, and then boom! Ancient fortress wall!

I also saw the Newcastle United football stadium and China town. I'm discovering more and more on this trip places I want to come back and visit and things I want to do the next time I come. I feel like that's the weird part of vacation, you're always planning the next one, but in this case, I'm very excited! It definitely won't be as long, I don't think I'll have the money for that, but I definitely have a list of things I want to do and places I want to spend more time in. Anybody up for an adventure? Grandmim and Granddad, we are definitely going to work on a Cornwall visit!! 👍🏻😊💕

Tomorrow I'm off to London and London's Kings Cross Station! Platform 9️⃣3/4 here I come!!

Tourists in Tiny Areas = Escape Quickly!

I decided today that I much prefer going to places that are out of the way of big cities, there were a lot of people at The Edinburgh Castle today and it was a bit overwhelming... loud, people too close in my personal bubble, and my word the selfie sticks!

That being said, I did really enjoy a few things at the castle. The first was the brief, but informative tour. I never knew any of the history I found out today, from William Wallace to Mary Queen of Scots, and King James VI of Scotland who is also King James I of England. It was really great and the guide was very entertaining. I also, obviously, appreciated the architecture work here, I never will get over the scale of these buildings and just how old they are. Last, the views! I mean, wow! You could see the entire city (useful for a fortress like this one), all the way to the ocean.

I did see the Crown Jewels and the Coronation stone and a few other things, but then decided to hightail it out of there. I walked a bit down the Royal Mile but then escaped down a side street. My next stop was the Scottish National Gallery, which contains paintings and sculpture from a number of famous Scottish Artists. One in particular that stuck out was Revd Dr Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch. Why you may ask? Well, it's a painting that I've seen a lot growing up at my Grandmim and Granddad's house. I actually really just stopped here to see that, I knew it was there because it's on the gigantic banners hanging outside the museum, not to mention all over everything you can imagine in the gift shop. They have a large Sir Henry Rayburn exhibit right now.

After that I decided to just walk, we'll walk and stop in a few shops. I'd been out and in the sun for most of the day so I decided to head back to the hotel to rest a bit. After that I went to a lovely little Italian Restaurant for dinner, yum!

Tomorrow I have an early train to Newcastle for a little exploring!

I survived nearly a months worth of driving in the U.K.!

Well, if you haven't already figured it out from the blog title, I survived driving around  the U.K. for nearly a month and the car is safely home at the Edinburgh airport! Few! That said, we did have one final adventure today, me and my hybrid station wagon.

Before we were off it was breakfast at the guest house. I sat with a lovely couple from... Boston! Yup, practically neighbors! We also sat with a young girl and her mother who were German and their dog Amy joined us, but they didn't really speak much English. I had a full English, or maybe Scottish, and although I'm not usually a breakfast person, it was really good! Then it was time to get in the car and hit the road!

My first stop was Falkland Palace! It's set in a tiny village that is really just beautiful, full of old stone houses and beautiful gardens, with a picturesque hillside in the background. The casket was very busy, there was a bus to our of older folks. They were a Jewish tour group from New York. I compare many of the members of this tour to Jerry and George's parents in Seinfeld, and Janice from friends... I'm sure you get the idea. They were all quite loud about their complaints with the castle, "oh my goodness, there are so many stairs..." or, "oh that castle was meh, we should have spent more time in the garden..." The best was in the gift shop when they all proceeded to buy pencils, presumably for the grandkids, and couldn't use their credit cards because the purchase was too small. Immediately, "well do you take American money?" I died laughing every time one of them went up, it was like Groundhog's Day.

Next, I was off to Kellies Castle and Garden. Another beautiful home, which was really interesting because originally it consisted of only one tower. Over the years, the different generations of owners added another tower, added to the towers that were there and eventually built the main building that connected them. The family that lived in this castle were painters and big art fans, so there was an entire painting room and paintings done by them throughout. It was nice because as you went room to room there was a guide from the national trust to tell you about the room and show you a hidden secret. I even got a chance to go up a hidden stairwell!

After that I toured the garden, I really wish I had a green thumb and patience because these gardens are inspiring. I suppose having a team of gardeners would help too... This garden was particularly magnificent because in addition to the beautiful landscaping with shrubs, trees and flowers, they also had a huge vegetable, fruit and herb garden. It not only looked good, it smelled wonderful too.

It was getting late in the day so I decided to head back. Originally I had planned to drop the car off tomorrow, but a last minute change in plans and I found my way to The Edinburgh airport where I said farewell to my beautiful hybrid wagon. I really became fond of her these last three weeks, it will be weird to not have a car. Next, I jumped on a tram, and headed back to Princess Street. I walked around the city center for a bit, grabbed a bite to eat and then headed back towards the guest house. It was so nice out I decided to go sit and read in the park near my house. A great way to spend an evening.

Tomorrow I will do the Edinburgh touristy things, the castle, museums and more, 6 more days and so much to do!

School Museums, Historic Houses and A Gorgeous City!

I went to one of the greatest museums to go to as a teacher, The Scotland Street School Museum! Not only did you get a history of the education system in Glasgow, but this school is beautifully designed. It's one of the last commissioned works of Charles Makintosh, and what a final piece of work! From the little details like the blue tiles on some of the columns in the hallway, to the hints of blue glass in the curved windows at the front of the building, little details just pop everywhere. The classrooms consisted of a Victorian Classroom, a WWII Classroom (complete with evacuation procedures), a general subjects classroom (complete with "girls work," wood shop, gym, the headmaster's office and more!), a 60s Classroom and a Cooking Classroom (which I found particularly intriguing, with the work stations, old stoves and amazing cabinets everywhere). They even had cloak rooms where kids can dress up in old school uniforms. Needless to say, I had a fun morning exploring.

My day continued on the road to Edinburgh, which proved slightly tricky because they updated the road system and not the GPS. Luckily for me, after a few "recalculatings" and me reading the traffic signs I made my way to the M8 and Edinburgh. But before I went to my hotel, I made a quick stop at Newhailes House, a large estate, which was actually occupied up until the 70s and the rest of the property was occupied until only a few years ago. It's a beautiful property and amazing house! Very green inside, perhaps the color of the time or maybe it was all that was available, but it was certainly everywhere. The house also contained one of the largest private libraries in Edinburgh and perhaps Scotland as a whole, a magnificent room. Although the "upstairs" rooms were interesting with their many, many portraits and high fashion features, I was particularly fascinated my the secret doors and stairwells used by the "downstairs" help. It was just what you want from an old house, secret staircases and hidden doors leading to the basement. The Scottish Natinal Trust even uncovered the old kitchen, with the more modern 19th century stove and fabulous kitchen. I just wish I could have taken pictures of the inside. We then left the house through a secret passageway especially for the servants and delivery people. Also, I found out the the man who originally constructed the house, was responsible for the Glencoe massacre that I learned about yesterday at Glencoe.

I then hopped back in the car and was off to my guest house retreat. A lovely little place run by two lovely older gents. My room is quite cute! My shower and sink are right out in the open next to my bed and the toilet is enclosed in a little closet type room. I actually really like it, it's so bright and light with a nice big window. I dropped my stuff off and then on my way into town ran into two other guests (I want to say they were Polish?), who were trying to get in, but unfortunately the owners had stepped out. They thought I was the owner or worked here, and I had to try and explain that I am just a guest, sadly I couldn't help. After that I walked downtown into the heart of the city, complete with brilliant architecture, shops, museums, restaurants, bars, sunshine ☀️, and tourists galore! I had a lovely stroll around and enjoyed a great dinner, before heading back to my hotel. I'm pooped! Tomorrow I'm going to do one more road trip day before returning the car Thursday, I think I'm going to try to make it to a Castle or two!

Oh! And, G'mim and G'dad!! You will never guess what I saw hanging outside the Scottish History Museum!! That painting of the skater man in the top hat you have at your house!!

To the Highlands!

I was up bright and early this morning, 5:43 am! I got myself up and ready to go because I was off to Glencoe and the Scottish Highlands. I was on the road at 7:30, which was probably a good thing because it was a two hour journey with the majority of it on a long, very narrow, winding road. The challenge with this, is that although you wouldn't think this road is a main highway, it is, complete with buses and tractor trailer trucks, which make for a slow and sometimes precarious journey. I finally made it out of the narrow bits of road and was able to pass the slow truck in front of me.

I'm not going to complain about the ride though, because it was absolutely breathtaking and spectacular! The views were amazing and no picture will ever do it justice! The best part is, all along the way to Glencoe & Dalness, there are pull off parking spots where you can stop and walk around. I decided to hold off on stopping until the ride home, which was a smart plan. As it turns out, all of the tour buses like to stop at every site they see as they come to them, so for me heading to my final stop first was a good plan. Once there I went on a little hike. It was amazing! I highly recommend it! What was really cool was their focus on conservation and reforestation. All over where trees had previously been cleared out, there were youth groups working to replant trees and installing plastic supports and protectors to help the saplings.

After my hike I was back on the road. I stopped all along the way and walked around some beautiful spots. I also stopped at Loch Lomond, right as the rain started and the fog rolled in. It was a little eerie, almost like something would walk out of the lake... or swim by. By this point it was early afternoon so I decided to get back on the road. I got back to my hotel and decided to take a little nap. After that I walked around the West End of Glasgow. I explored the University Campus, which is really gorgeous. The buildings are amazing and it's a great campus. I the. Made my way to Eusebius Deli. It's a cute little Deli and restaurant not far from campus. This place is the real deal, fresh pasta made daily and pizza dough and of course pastries. It was delicious, I got crab gnocchi and even had room for a cannoli. What a way to end the day.

I decided to keep walking around a little while after that. The west end is really vibrant and fun. Now I'm back, out of the rain, at my hotel settling in for the evening and making my plans for tomorrow. A little more Glasgow in the morning and then off to Edinburgh. I really want to go to the Glasgow School Museum which is open tomorrow... it's the teacher in me.

Glasgow!

It's only my first day here and I already know I've not planned enough time in Glasgow, or Scotland for that matter! There's so much to see and do in this country, I should have planned a longer time here. Anywho, today was mostly driving and then an interesting afternoon at the laundromat. The man that worked there was really nice and quite entertaining, especially once he found out I was from America. He especially like the fact that I was my clothing at the appropriate temperature of cold, which is how he first figured out I must be from America, because Brits only use warm or hot, "they're rouining their clothes and they don't even know it!" We had a few good laughs while I was in there, especially because a couple came in (also from America) and asked if he would take a $10 bill in exchange for some pounds... a launderette is not a bank, although he does give good travel tips!

After that I went for a walk in the Botanic Garden and then went to dinner at a bar/restaurant recommended by a girl I met at the launderette. It was really good, Brel Bar on Ashton Street, if you're ever in Glasgow, hit them up! I recommend the mussels.

Well, early morning tomorrow, I'm heading North for a bit and then the city exploration in the afternoon!

All Over Aberdeen!

Well this morning started with a bit of a bust. I went to the launderette to do laundry only to find out that they didn't have a change machine... not to worry! I went and got change at a nearby store, only to find out that the machines do not accept the new one pound coins... ugh! Laundry shall be completed in Glasgow.

I wasn't going to let that ruin my day, so I dropped my backpack off at the hotel and was off. All over Aberdeen was the goal for today. First stop, Maritime Museum! What a cool museum it was, from artwork to actual boat cabins, to a complete exhibit on the U.K. oil industry, they had it all! I spent quite a bit of time there today looking at everything and even doing a few of the simulations they had.

Next, it was time for lunch! After lunch I was back on the beat exploring the streets of Aberdeen. From the architecture of the new and old buildings, to the amazing and surprising graffiti that appears randomly around the corners, you never know what you'll find.... you may even find an Omya plant! I was thinking of you Jill when I saw that!

I did manage to find, just by chance, the Brewdog bar, home of the delicious Punk IPA! May have popped in for one, but you would to if you like a good IPA!

Tomorrow I'm off to Glasgow to start another adventure! Well, first to do laundry and then go adventure! I can't believe how fast time is flying! Only 10 days left!

Escape to the country... Escape the country?

Today I drove to Aberdeen. What a beautiful ride it was! Scotland just gets more and more beautiful! I actually drove through Aberdeen today, and went to Pitmedden Garden, just outside of Aberdeen. Holy cow what a beautful place! It has small exhibits that remind me of the Shelburne museum, and then some of the most beautiful gardens and landscape artwork you have ever seen! I mean, it truly is artwork what these gardeners have achieved! I spent about an hour walking around this place in the rain and it was well worth it. I then warmed myself up with a cream tea in the tea room.

After that, I went looking for a castle. I say I went looking and that's about it. I didn't find it. You see, the road my GPS was trying to get me to go down was closed, so I ended up lost on some back country lanes. When I say lanes, it is really a road big enough for one car to drive down and maybe like 1/2 of another car, luckily, they had lots of passing places and there wasn't much traffic. I decided to bag the castle for the day and headed to my hotel. Well, that was an interesting idea. Not 20 minutes into settling in and... wahwahwahwahwah! Fire alarm! Then as I grabbed my coat and purse and walked out the door, it went off, false alarm.

I decided that was my cue to get dinner and then go for a walk around Aberdeen. Aberdeen gives me kind of a NYC (but much smaller scale), vibe. Something about the buildings and its location along the coast, and the shipyard  across from my hotel. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and exploring some more. Also, on a different note, one of my favorite shows here, which is also on Netflix, is "Escape to the Country." People want to move to the country from cities, so they get shown 3 different house in the county of their choosing. They also then show some interesting things in that county. Well, Grandad and Grandmim, and dad, you will never guess what I saw this evening! Cornwall, and more specifically, one of the houses was in Newlyn! And, the woman ended up buying that house!! And, I'm pretty sure we walked right past it dad! Love that show!

Cheerio! 😉

Castle, Fort, Hadrian's Wall, Priory, Castle... Scotland!

It was a busy day of exploring English Heritage sites and driving north to Scotland. My first stop, and probably one of my favorites was Brougham Castle. It's a 13th century castle that was owned by the Clifford family. It's located in Penrith in Cumbria, and boy what a site to see. Although it has crumbled, there are still many walls and foundations to get a feel of what it must have been like there. You can walk through the castle and explore different rooms that have beautiful views of the river below. The inside of the castle rooms are covered in moss and ivy, and it takes your imagination by storm. That and the fact that you can walk up a winding staircase (a little wonky, due take care), and look out over the fields and rivers, not to mention the rest of the castle. It even has tiny slit windows, some for bows and some for crossbows to defend the castle. It was Patti nice because other than one small school group, I was the only one there!

Then it was on to Birdoswald Roman Fort and Hadrian's wall, which are only about a half hour away. The wall which runs 80 miles or so, is thought to be the border between England and Scotland, but really, it is completely in England and Scotland is a few miles north. The wall was supposedly constructed to keep the Barbarians out and away from the Romans. The Birdoswald Fort sits right on the wall and is just that, a Fort. Well, actually i guess it's technically a hostel now, but that's beside the point. You can take a lovely walk around the Fort and even hike along the wall.

After that I drove back down the narrow road to the Lanercost Priory, my other favorite visit today. What a beautiful church! From the actual existing and working church building, to the even more stunning ruins of the once existing church which was built sometime in the 1100s!! The architecture of this place was fantastic and around every corner there was something cool to see, even the birds loved it as they ducked and dove in and out of the buildings. As I was leaving a group of motorcyclists rode in and a few couples were coming in from a walk. I let them pass before I backed out of the space I was in and couldn't figure out why they were all staring at me. Perhaps it was because my vehicle had been bombed by an army of Blackpool Pigeons and I hadn't yet scrubbed it clean... but I think the real reason was because I backed from the space and drove down the driveway in complete silence. They were in awe of how silent my car was... thanks hybrid!

My final stop was Carlisle castle. All I could think of was Fort Ticonderoga. Not the look of it, but the feel. That fortress around what was once a bustling community, with the kings house at the heart of it. As usual, I explored the dungeons first, I can't help but wonder what it must have been like long ago. I then took a lovely walk around the castle wall which over looks Carlisle.  I didn't spend a whole lot of time here and there was much more to see, but after all of my other adventures I was poope!

My final leg of the journey was to Strathclyde, Scotland. It's just a layover until I move on to Aberdeen tomorrow, but boy did I get a good look at Scotland on my way in! The rolling hillsides filled with cattle and sheep. It reminds me a lot of Vermont, except there are less trees covering the hillside/mountain areas. It's absolutely stunning and I can't wait to see more!

Beach and a book!

Nothing much to report today. I had a leisurely morning planning tomorrow's big journey and stops along the way, followed by a relaxing lunch and then I spent the afternoon reading on the beach. Well, going for a long walk in the water and then finding a nice spot to sit and read.

So far, I highly recommend the book "Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea," by Michael Morpurgo, if you haven't already read it. It's classified as a middle school read, but it's very interesting. It's about a young boy who was an orphan in England post WWII. He gets separated from his sister and he, along with many other orphans, was moved to Australia to start a new life. They were told life would be great, but in many cases they were put into work camps and lived incredibly challenging lives. The story follows the boys life into adulthood and then it follows his daughters adventure to find out about her father's past life in England and to find his long lost sister. So far it's been a real page turner.

Tomorrow has lots planned, castles and much more!

Proper Tourist Day

My morning got off to an interesting start. I was stopped outside of the  Poundstretcher by a guy in a suit and a young woman also dressed up. I'm sure they had something more to talk to me about, but once they heard my accent and found out I was from America, more specifically Vermont, ("I've heard of it, but I don't know where it is..."), that pretty much detoured their whole plan. They then told me all of the places I should go and had a debate about which city was better, Manchester or Liverpool, which I declared a draw. I then asked what they were doing and they said raising money for blind kids, and wished me well on my journey.

My next stop was The Blackpool Tower Dungeon! What a way to start your day. It was like the The Tower of Terror meets the Pittsford Haunted House, with a more historical and interactive twist. Along with a huge group people, you're loaded into an elevator and dropped to the dungeon. You then walk room by room hearing the history of Lancashire, from plagues, to witchcraft, torture chambers, to the War of the Roses and smuggling. Each room had its own particular fright and special effects, with that and the darkness, you were sure to scream and jump out of your skin a little. Luckily I was pretty good thanks to all my years of going to the haunted house, thanks Ingrid & Paul, and Jill! Few!

After that I went up to the top of the Blackpool Tower. You start with a 4D movie presentation, I think all the water they spray on you and the rumbling floors are the 4th dimension. The movie gives you a quick history of Blackpool and the Tower, followed by an overview of the city. You the. Hop in an elevator... I mean lift, and ascend 380 feet into the air. Once there you can get a 360 degree view of Blackpool and even a look down to the ground through the glass viewing floor. I then decided to climb the stairs to the second, third and fourth tiers of the Tower. I was over 400 feet in the air at the top and what a spectacular view it was.

A quick lunch, where I met a man who used to live in San Francisco and New York, and then I was off to Sea Life. It's an aquarium filled with lots of different well, sea life! This was particularly crowded today because there were lots of schools visiting. I walked quickly through and made it to the shark exhibit just in time for the feeding! I had to wait a lots bit, which I didn't mind because I was thoroughly entertained by watching this little girl try to climb up on the ledge near the edge of the tank. It was pretty crammed full of kids, but she just kept trying, at one point she straddled the kid next to her, then wedged her friend up on the glass, the her friend tried pulling her by the pants up and finally they figured out if her friend just stood up for a second on the ledge there was enough room for the girl to get up and then both to sit. Feeding time was after that and then I went to my final stop of the day, Madame  Tussauds. I must say, I'm not a huge fan of this place... it's kind of freaky. Although I did see a lot of my favorite celebrities, it was still really eerie!

I ended the day with a walk along the beach, down past a pier in a direction I had not yet been. I walked past the Imperial Hotel, which looks fantastic from the beach. It was windy and a little rainy, but a nice peaceful walk away from the crowds.

On a random note, can I just say they choose the weirdest American shows to air on TV here! The obvious choices of Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, and NCIS and CSI, but then they have Dr.. Quinn Medicine Woman, Walker Texas Ranger and Touched By An Angel. I mean I'm not complaining, it's like I've gone back to the 90s and am having a sleepover at my Grandma Dood's. All my favorite childhood shows, Kate would hate it! Hahaha!

Blasting off to Blackpool!

I had a leisurely morning at the hotel in Salford before getting on the road to Blackpool. However, before actually getting to Blackpool I took a slight detour and stopped at the Whalley Abbey. They laid the first stone for this Abbey in 1296!  Talk about historical sites! The abbey was home to some monks, and sometime in the 1500s when the abbey was closed as part of the dissolution of monestaries. Now, as with lots of history, the closing was not without push back which resulted in the  arrest, trial, conviction and hanging of some of the monks. The abbey was later purchased and converted into a private home. Much of what is left of the abbey is just walls and outlines of foundations, but it is fascinating!

After a great little walk, I hopped back in the car and cruised on the Blackpool. Let's just say parking is a bit tricky in Blackpool. I had to cleverly go to shops and purchase small items to get enough coins to pay for a ticket to park because the municipal parking lots only take coins... talk about stuck in the past.

It certainly is an older seaside town. The classic look and charm of the older  buildings remains, but much of the town looks like a tribute to the past and has seen better days. That being said, there is still a lot to see and the older buildings are really beautiful. Not to mention the giant expanse of sandy beach! I spent the afternoon walking around the town and taking in the sites. I also enjoyed a bit of time on the beach sitting and soaking up the sun, while I watched a group of donkey wranglers take kids for donkey rides along the beach. Let's just say some of the donkeys certainly vocalized their discontent with this activity.

As the afternoon went on, I was a bit tired so I decided to walk back to my hotel for a bit of a break. While there, I discovered that I could get a ticket to many of the attractions for an extreme discount! So, tomorrow, I will be a real tourist and visiting the Blackpool Dungeons, the Blackpool Tower Eye, The Sea Life aquarium, Madame Tussauds wax museum, and possibly even a circus! Although I do have 90 days to use the tickets 😉 and there are other events, but those were the most interesting. This is perfect because it's supposed to be kind of cloudy, cooler and rainy tomorrow.

Well, that's all for today folks! Tomorrow is 4th of July! Happy Independence Day America... I won't be shouting that out anytime soon over here, if you know what I mean? 😉🇺🇸🇬🇧

Manchester Center!

Well, it was an early and tough morning. I said farewell to my travel buddy Dad-o and made my way back to the hotel. It was weird not having someone to confer with about what the days plans were, so I started small and went to the store to get something for breakfast. After that, I was pretty tired so I took a nap.

When I woke up I was ready to go... well, almost. I did have a shower and got ready, and then I made my way to the metrolink. What a lovely way to travel, in no time I was to the city center. I started by going to the Manchester Arndale area. The Arndale is a huge, I mean huge mall which is surrounded by even more shops. I walked around there for a bit and then found my way to the Manchester Cathedral. I just missed mass... shucks. But seriously, it's a beautiful cathedral and there were a lot of people coming out of it this morning.

From there I headed to The People's History Museum. Another fantastic museum which focuses on the history of the people of Britain, and more specifically Manchester. What a rich history this city has, full of trials and tribulations and amazing people. They also had a special exhibit about the history and treatment of the LGBT 🏳️‍🌈 community in Britain. That was a really powerful, interactive exhibit. You walk all through the exhibit of photos, newspaper headlines and articles, personal artifacts and personal video stories. To hear from young kids and their families about their personal stories was really moving. At the end of this particular exhibit they had a place for visitors to write messages of their thoughts and of inspiration which were put into tiny envelops all over the walls.

After that I walked to the Museum of Science and Industry. Well, this museum was all about the how Science has helped advance technologies used in various industries over the years. From giant looms making fabric, one the earliest computers, planes and trains, you name it, they had it. I particularly enjoyed getting to try out some of the machines and demonstrations.

After a great afternoon of museums, I walked back to the metrolink station. Let me tell you Manchester is a great city! Full of old and new buildings, music, restaurants and a great all around atmosphere. Not to mention it's a great place to take pictures of unique things that are everywhere.

I grabbed a late lunch in Media City and then decided to head to a movie. "The House," is really funny if your looking for something to do on a rainy day, and from what I hear that may be a good call for people back home.

Tomorrow I'm off to Blackpool, the land of seaside entertainment!

Man oh Manchester!

Today began in Liverpool with a quick breakfast and then a tour of the International Slavery Museum. This was a really interesting and emotional exhibit about slavery and human rights violations throughout British and world history. There was also a great exhibit on the Art of Solidarity. This exhibit had posters supporting various social and political movements from different parts of the world.

Dad and I then got in the car and headed to Manchester, well technically Salford, but in the greater Manchester area. The woman at the hotel asked me, "what's your husbands name?" To which I quickly responded he's my dad, not my husband. We had a chuckle over that. Surprisingly it's the first time it's happened in two weeks.

Our hotel is located on the quays, just a quarter of a mile from Media City UK, home of the BBC and ITV Manchester studios. This is where they record some of their game shows, television programs and news broadcasts. We even walked past the Coronation Street studio, which is one of the long running U.K. serial dramas (aka soap operas). The buildings all around here are really neat and rather new, some crazy architectural feats for sure. We are also just across the river from the Manchester United Football Stadium.

Later in the afternoon we went to the Imperial War Museum. This was another great Museum. Here they explore the history of British war involvement, highlighting the roles of women and children. They have a great collection of artifacts, photos and video footage from all over history and what really set the mood was the set up of the room. Throughout the exhibit they project images on the walls while a narrator tells you all about it. It's kind of eerie because the whole room is dark except for the projections and some red lights, definitely catches your attention.

Wr had a great final day together and tomorrow I prepare to drop dad at the airport and start the next half of my journey on my own. I will certainly miss my travel buddy, but I am looking forward to what's to come!