ROME 2012

+ I left my camera somewhere in Rome on the day we left, March 3.  I took plenty of photos I will never be able to share. 

+ Rick Steves describes Rome as "magnificent and brutal at the same time."  I agree! 

+ I was really amazed at the Pantheon which has stood for nearly 2000 years and hasn't changed all that much.

+ The many fountains and piazzas are quite a treat.

+ We enjoyed delicious meals again and again.  I am sure that the Rick Steves recommendations make a huge difference.  When we tried a ristorante he didn't recommend, we were not as pleased.

ASSISI 2012

+ Mary and I took a train from Rome to Assisi last week just before many hotels and restaurants opened for the season.  It was a bit chilly but the beauty of the town and surrounding hills and valleys more than made up for that.  St. Francis is probably my favorite saint.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.

So, of course, the Basilica of St. Francis was the highlight of our visit.  I really felt at home there.  It is a sacred place filled with the peace, humility, beauty and compassion which are associated with St. Francis and his many followers over 8 centuries.  And, so many other sacred places are found in and near this wonderful hilltop town.  The Basilica of St. Clare is also filled with that peace, humility, beauty and compassion associated with St. Clare and her many followers over 8 centuries.

+ We stayed at Hotel Pallotta near the center of town.  It was a great place to stay with a very helpful staff who provided plenty of information and suggestions.       

ENGLAND 2011 -- 10

+ updated at 5:34pm ESDT on Sunday, September 18, 2011

+ Our hosts in Bristol from August 18 to 21 offered us hospitality second to none. How about tea and coffee in bed each morning followed by breakfast? And they treated us to dinners at their home and at a couple of great restaurants, one in the Cotswolds -- The Gumstool at Calcot Manor, Tetbury -- and one on the Bristol riverfront -- River Station. They live within a ten minute walk of the bridge I wanted to see so much, the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge.  So, I got a chance to take many photos of the bridge and Avon River Gorge which it spans. 

SCOTLAND 2011 -- 10

+ updated at 5:04pm ESDT on Sunday, September 18, 2011

+ On 6 September I went on a bus and boat tour of the Caledonian Canal, Loch Ness and the ruins of Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness.  I got to see a beautiful rainbow over the loch and castle ruins. On the boat ride, I saw Nessie but nobody believes me! People who went out on the bow deck got wet as big waves splashed over the bow.  After a couple of dousings, I didn't see anybody on that deck for the duration. 

For more photos, go to the Facebook Album, Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Ruins September 2011.

SCOTLAND 2011 -- 9

+ updated at 5:12pm ESDT on Sunday, September 18, 2011

+ Here's a history of Kyleakin, the Isle of Skye village where we stayed On September 3 and 4. 

+ Here are some photos I took of Kyleakin and the Trotternish Peninsula and of the Bridge and from the bridge over the Kyle of Lochalsh.

SCOTLAND 2011 -- 8

+ updated at 11:20am ESDT on Wednesday, September 21, 2011

+ Here is a link to photos of the beautiful sunset we saw over the Isle of Skye from the Skye Bridge on 4 September. We timed this just right. We ate a delicious dinner at the Waverly Restaurant in the village of Kyle of Lochalsh and then walked over the bridge to our wonderful bed and breakfast, the White Heather Hotel. It was two and a half miles but worth every step as you will see if you look at the photos.

SCOTLAND 2011 -- 7

+ Today is our last full day in Scotland. We are on another great train ride from Inverness to Glasgow. Seeing more of the wonderful Highlands.

SCOTLAND 2011 -- 6

+ Tuesday, September 6, 2011 -- It is so frustrating to write several paragraphs and then make a simple keystroke error and lose it all. It nust happened. I wrote during and just after the boat and bus tour I just finished. Gone forever.

+ Tuesday, September 6, 2011 -- But the photos are not lost. Wind. Rain. Sunshine. Big waves. Rainbow. Going through a lock on the Caledonian Canal. Great Castle setting. Interesting ruins. Good film and exhibits.

+ Tuesday, September 6, 2011 -- Dinner tonight at the Contrast Brasserie which is situated right on the river, the River Ness. 2005 Bordeaux. Chateau Le Peyrat.

SCOTLAND 2011 -- 5

+ It is Day 27 of 30 (Tuesday, Sepotember 6). The 3 of us are going our separate ways today in Inverness. We will meet at a riverside restaurant for our last dinner with our great traveling companion, John, since he is taking the Caledonian Sleeper to London tomorrow while Mary and I spend the night at the flat of our new friend in Glasgow, Maggi.

My plan for today is to go on a three hour Loch Ness tour by bus and boat including a one hour stop at the ruins of Urquhart Castle with its fine viewsof the loch. Maybe I will spot Nessie, the Loch Ness monster!

+ Yesterday we took the fabulous train ride from Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the White Heather Hotel which is a great bed and breakfast recommended by Rick Steves. It is in Kyleakin just over the only bridge to Skye which means Clouds in Old Norse. There are always plenty of clouds. We were fortunate enough to see plenty of sunshine during our two day stay. Did I already say that the scenery was out of this world? Or something like that!

+ There are of course pluses and minuses regarding a stay of this length away from home. On the plus side some real cultural immersion can happen. The UK is as close as any to US culture but the differences are still many. English is spoken differently here especially in Scotland. Ssometimes I just give up and enjoy the brogue without understanding much. I may have more to say about ourcultural similarities and diferences as I reflect some more.

SCOTLAND 2011 -- 4

+ Monday, Sept 5 -- Yesterday's travel was as scenic and memorable as any day I can remember. The Isle of Skye is truly amazing. We were in a tour on a van lasting 5 hours. Rain and fog were replaced with sunshine early in the afternoon. It was beautiful during the most scenic and interesting part of the trek. It was a wild ride especially on a single track road in the higher elevations.

+ Monday, Sept 5 -- Heather is everywhere in the Highlands. Beautiful purple blanket stretched out up and.down and all around. Today we are on one of Scotland's most scenic rail routes: Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness.

+ Monday, Sept 5 -- Last night our timing was perfect. We finished the tour of Skye in Kyle of Lochalsh. This town is on the mainland acoss the kyle from Kyleakin. First a pint of ale, then I got a taxi rideto see the Eilean Donan castle. Then a delicious dinner. The best was yet to come. We decided to walk back to Kyleakin. Two miles. But spectacular. We saw a supurb sunset as we walked over the kyle on the bridge built in 1995.

+ Monday, Sept 5 -- The immersion in the Gaelic culture at a venue known as Skipinnish Ceilidh House on Friday night was wonderful. Go to www.skipinnish.com

SCOTLAND 2011 -- 3

+ updated at 11:05am on Sunday, September 4, 2011 (6:05am ESDT)


+ Friday, September 1 -- Our Highlands adventure has begun. Great train ride from Glasgow to Oban along the Clyde and then along lochs including the famous Loch Lomond. Waterfalls. Sheep. 3500 foot peaks.

+ Friday, September 1 -- Yesterday I went to Kirkintillich where my great great great grandmother Jean Stirling was born and presumably raised by William and Margaret Stirling. A helpfull librarian got me the microfilm which included the written record of her birth. I saw it and took a picture of it.

+ Friday, September 1 -- At Cuan Mor Restaurant enjoying Ravens Wood Zinfandel 2008 celebrating our traveling companion's upcoming 66th birthday and the start of our Highlands portion of the trip which will be our concluding week of our UK 4 week stay.

+ Friday, September 1 -- We are hoping to enjoy some immersion in the Gaelic culture at a venue known as Skipinnish Ceilidh House. It has rained a lot since we got to this absolutely gorgous harbor town of Oban. You can join us. Go to www.skipinnish.com

ENGLAND 2011 -- 9

+ It is 10:00am in London as I write today (Saturday August 27). Our friend John has arrived and we should be aboard the same train headed for Edinburgh leaving Kings Cross at 1130. I have been a little concerned since we have been out of touch since he left Richfield Springs on Thursday.


+ It was a great day in London yesterday for both Mary and bill me. We went our separate ways during the day and then ate at Saint James Tavern before we went to a show: 39 STEPS, a comedy based on an old Alfred Hitchcock movie about an unlikely English spy and a romance.

ENGLAND 2011 -- 8

+ I wrote the following last Thursday, August 25:


+ We are on our way to London from Southampton as we move into the second half of our journey. We have 2 weeks to go. Our friend John will be joining us in 2 days We are staying in Glasgow for the first 6 days beginning Saturday, August 27. I am working on a revised itinerary for our last week because we decided to travel by train and bus rather than a rental car. Driving in the UK is quite a challenge. I think it is wo25rth it but Mary finds it very VERY nerve racking.


+ I would still like to get into the English country side a bit more. But I did get to see a lot from the car we rented. I think a few days on a bicycle in the Cotswolds would be delightful. Maybe some day. I was planning to do some hiking near Winchester but I simply ran out of time.


+ Bristol is off of the radar for Rick Steves but we found it fascinating. Two very impressive Anglican churches. A historical and picturesque suspension bridge over the Avon gorge. An inviting harbor. The oldest Methodist Church on the planet.


+ Southampton is also off of Rick's radar. It is somewhat more of an acquired taste than Bristol but I definitely acquired it! Ferry to the Isle of Wight. Remnants of the old wall.

ENGLAND 2011 -- 7

+ updated at 1634 on Wednesday, August 24 (11:34 ESDT)


+ I am aboard a ferry from Southampton to Isle of Wight. One hour over. 1 hour on island. 1 hour back. Approx 1 hour on bus back to flat. I am looking East toward Portsmouth. I can't believe that it was easy to go online on ferry.


+ Going back to Southampton now. Coffee. I think I will go up to the upper deck and enjoy the fresh air. Cheers!

ENGLAND 2011 -- 6

+ The adventure continues. More later. Flat tire in downtown Bristol.

ENGLAND 2011 -- 5

+ updated at 1:44pm here in England (8:44am ESDT) on Wednesday,August 17, 2011


+ I finally picked up a good Southampton guide at the airport where I rented a car yesterday. It suggested Romsey. While Mary heads to Bristol with Mandy, I am driving there leisurely. So, here I am in the historic market and abbey town of Romsey eating lunch at a Cafe Nero with a view of the town center and the abbey which I visited earlier. Good cafe americano! Very historic and well preserved abbey. I may insert a link here some day! And a photo. I am taking onefrom where I am sitting enjoying view and coffee and caramel chocolate shortbread after a tuna melt panini. Now I will try to log on here.


+ I must blog now that we have enjoyed the first 5 days of this adventure.


+ We are so glad we did not change our plans because of the threat of more riots in London. We joined tens of thousands of happy tourists and others visiting the popular attractions. We had already seen most of them so we decided to take the tube to Kew Gardens. I took at least 50 photos there. WOW! Because of construction on the tube we had to figure out an indirect route to get there from Paddington. Bakerloo and District instead of ... OH I Forget now! It was very hot inside the trains.


+ We saw WE WILL ROCK YOU at the Dominion Theater. Great! On Sunday we went to our home church whenever we are in London: St Martin in the Fields. The seron preached by Richard Carter was powerful. He had some very thoughtful, prophetic and compassionate remarks in the aftermath of the riots which broke out last week in London and other cities. We ate there at The Cafe in the Crypt. Then we took the tube up to the British Library which has an excellent display of many ancient and historic documents including the Magna Carta, a John.Milton notebook, the Codex Sinaiticus (earliest complete Christian Bible from the fourth century) and the Codex Alexandria. (I will edit this for spelling later and possibly add to it)


+ Our weekend in London included some frustrating moments and resulting stress for both of us. Our first room of 3 at the Hotel Indigo Padington was at the basement level. We didn't like the dungeon feel! Fortunately we didn't have to stay there. But I managed to trip a circuit breaker trying to get my European cell phone charged. The very pleasant staff moved us to a room on the second floor which was just painted. I have always dislikued the aroma of fresh paint and I quickly got a sore throat and headache. We had to stay there for one night. On Saturday the very pleasant staff moved us to a smaller room on the fourth floor which had a nice view. We really liked it. I tried one more time to charge my phone and tripped still another circuit breaker. Here in Southampton I found a very helpful man at amobile phone store who had the charger I needed. He also knew.how to get our second cell phone.going. It had a very dead battery.


I expected the GPS on my Galaxy tab to work here in the UK but it doesn't work. That is really frustrating since we will be renting a car for 2 weeks. Yesterday I bought a relatively inexpensive Navman GPS for Great Britain and Ireland at Halfords in Southampton. I had fun figuring out the train and bus routes. Soon (Tuesday afternoon) I will be taking the bus to the airport where I will pick up a car at Hertz.

ENGLAND 2011 -- 4

+ updated at 2:11pm ESDT on Thursday, August 11, 2011


+ This is good!
Rick Steves blogs about the current mayhem in London.


We have begun our trip to England and Scotland. Blogging on Amtrak with a Galaxy Tab is a bit of a challenge.


But it can be done!

ENGLAND 2011 -- 3

+ updated at 3:09pm ESDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2011

+ Soon Mary and I will be visiting London (for third time), Southampton and vicinity (second time), and Bristol and vicinity (second time).  Here are some websites: Visit London | London Tube Maps | Big Bus London Tour | London Theater Tickets | Visit Southampton | "Visiting Southampton" by TripAdvisor | University of Southampton | Isle of Wight | Visit Bristol | Bristol Wikipedia article | University of Bristol | Clifton Suspension Bridge | Brunel's SS Great Britain | Visit Bath

ENGLAND 2011 -- 2

+ In 22 days, Mary and I fly to London which we will enjoy for a couple of days before Mary begins 3 weeks of research collaboration in Southampton, Bristol and Glasgow.  I am looking for ideas for my travels in and near Southampton and Bristol as I will have a lot of time to enjoy Southern England.  I have gotten some suggestions from fellow travellers on the Rick Steves Forum and hope to get more on the string which is entitled "Need Ideas for Southampton and Bristol and Vicinity". I am definitely considering walking for a ways on one of England's famous public paths and Linda from Bromley gave me plenty of links.  Thanks Linda.

Oh, and I am still looking for ideas for London since we have seen many of the most popular sights in 2 previous trips.  What show will we see?

+ Since I have been to England twice, I responded to some questions on the Rick Steves Forum. The strings are: "UK 14 days" and "7 day itinerary in England/Scotland".

WALES 2011 -- 1

+ I think it is fitting that my first entry connected to our anticipated exploration of Wales this fall is a link to the Choirs of Cardiff.

+ 6/6/11 update: fall trip is no longer planned but we can spend a day or 2 in Wales in August or next February.  Mary will be doing some of her Sabbatical research in Bristol which is not far from Cardiff.