Ferry Trip to Norway, Summer 2003

Ferry Trip to Norway

Jeanette’s version

I guess if I lived in Nicky's flat I would eventually get used to all the various noises, traffic, trains, and seagulls. I woke up to what sounded like a huge seagull convention that had turned into a shouting match. My Goodness! I never heard such a carrying on in my life. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep so I decided to get up and annoy Emily who was sleeping on an air bed in the lounge by stepping over her to turn on the computer and check my e-mail to see if Kathy had made it home safe and sound, and check on my reading group to see what they were up to. Emily, however, was already awake, and not in the mood to be annoyed, so we had a cup of tea, checked our e-mail, and gathered up our belongings. When Nicky got up she was shocked to see us all packed and ready to go.

Nicky kindly drove us into Glasgow Central Train Station where we caught the train to Newcastle. Of all the train stations in Britain, Glasgow Central is my favorite. It still retains a whole lot of its Victorian atmosphere, mixed in with modern day Glasgow grittiness. The journey to Newcastle took about four hours and we arrived early enough so that we could enjoy a leisurely lunch and Emily had some time to venture out of the station and check out the shops in the area

I first learned about these ferries that cross back and forth to Europe when I was over in 1999. Jenny pointed out an advertisement in the paper offering "3 day mini-cruises" to Bergen, Norway for fifty pounds per person. This is a very good bargain but at that time I didn't have time to take advantage of it. But it stayed in the back of my mind and when I was making plans to come over this time I mentioned it to my travel agent. She could not find any information about these trips and we concluded that they simply didn't advertise to the American market. Either they already have all the business they can handle, or we Americans are more trouble than we are worth. Probably both. I mentioned this to Jenny who promptly booked us on the Fjord line for fifty one pounds per person.

We took a taxi to the Fjord Terminal which was about a ten pound taxi ride from the train station. We were still early so we had plenty of time to check in. The boarding time was delayed, which was a harbinger of things to come had we but known, but finally they announced that they were ready to board. After trudging up a long sloping ramp that must have been at least a quarter of a mile long, we finally boarded and went to our cabin. I don't know quite what we were expecting but the size of our cabin was quite a shock. I didn't know double accommodations could be so small. We considered trying to upgrade but then we sat down and thought sensibly about the situation and decided to make the best of it. This was after all, a ferry not a cruise ship. Emily and I pride ourselves on being flexible, and besides it's so much more fun to enjoy yourself than it is to complain. So we pulled up our socks, adjusted our attitudes and expectations, and prepared to enjoy the ride.

The first thing that we did was to set off and explore the ship. The ship was quite large and probably very heavy because for most of the ride we were not aware of much movement. There are several restaurants aboard and they serve everything from fast food to full meals. We quickly became aware that this is where they supplement their cheap fares. The price of the food literally made us gasp! I ate a good breakfast every morning and Emily had a good dinner and for the rest of the time we made do on tea and on cookies, plus chocolate bars that we had accidentally brought with us, supplemented by some judicious purchases in the Duty Free Shop. If I was going to do this trip again I would certainly pack plenty of snacks. The Duty Free shop was interesting. Aside from snacks, there wasn’t really anything in it that interested us since neither of us smoke, drink, wear expensive cosmetics or perfume. They also had large cold chest with fancy meats, but as we were traveling tourists that did not interest us either. The one thing that they didn't sell that we would have been interested in was souvenir type stuff like T-shirts and post cards. There were some post cards for sale at the reception desk but the price of those also made us gasp. But we planned on having some time in Bergen to shop so we didn't feel too sad about that.

We spent most of our time aboard the ferry out on deck. After the heat wave in Britain, the cool brisk sea air was a welcome relief. The sea and the sky are just magnificent and we got our first glimpse of the Norwegian Coast line in the early afternoon of the next day. What a beautiful country Norway is when viewed from the sea. Emily and I spent a great deal of time taking pictures and I wish I had a way to put up all of the pictures we took. The ferry arrived in Stavanger abut 4 hours late. They must have been having engine trouble because the ferry got progressively later and later as the trip progressed. The next stop was Haugesund but it was sometime in the night and we missed it entirely. The next day the ferry sailed among the fjord or fjords. I know because I looked it up that a fjord is a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes. What I don't know is whether or not we sailed through one fjord, or a succession of smaller ones. Either way, the scenery was breathtaking.

We were supposed to have about four hours in Bergen to sightsee and shop and we were really looking forward to it. They kept coming on over the loudspeaker and announcing our arrival time and departure time and the times kept getting closer and closer together. At one point they announced that passengers who were returning to Newcastle would have to get off, go through customs and immediately re-board. Finally they cancelled even that. We were very disappointed that we missed our chance to at least step foot in Norway, but the ferry trip all by it's self was a very interesting experience. I would not choose to travel that way again but I am not sorry that we went. On the way back Emily purchased a knit cap in the Duty Free Shop, so she at least got to bring home one souvenir of Norway anyway.

We arrived back in Newcastle about 6 hours late and in spite of hurrying to the train station as fast as possible, we missed the last train that stopped in Grimsby that night. As soon as the Ferry had gotten into cell phone range I called Jenny and let them know we were running really late. We managed to catch a train that stopped in Doncaster and Bob and Darin drove there to pick us up. Luck was not on our side that night because the train developed an electrical problem and came to a slow, coasting stop somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. The crew managed to patch things together and get it running again but it was 1:00 am before it limped into Doncaster.

Emily’s Side of the Story

Grams and I both got up before we were scheduled to, we couldn't sleep. Grams got on the computer for a while..I went into the spare room and packed up my stuff. I got dressed and then got on the computer as well.

Anyway, Grams and I left Nicky's flat at warp speed and got to Glasgow Central train station and hopped on the train...first class all the way to Newcastle baby! It was pretty comfortable too. Got off the train in Newcastle. I walked around the town, while Grams sat at the station eating lunch and reading. Then we took a taxi cab to the ferry place...sat in the waiting room for about an hour, and then got in line with our passports. After we got through the passport place then we had to "walk the plank," it was this long tube thing that had to have been at least a quarter of a mile...a mile max. Just think Grams with a suitcase and me with that STUPID bag of Larry's. It was NOT fun! We then got onto the ferry and found our hidey-hole...We are in a room that is about a 10 by 10...pretty small. My bed is one that you pull down from the wall over the other one, so they kind of resemble bunk beds. The shower, well let me just say it was a task and a half..for ME. I am pretty little but the shower is obviously littler. Grams and I thought about getting a bigger room but then decided that we could handle it. It has worked out pretty well, if I may say so myself. Not too cramped.

Then we went and sat out on deck, it was beautiful, but cold. I came in for a while and went back out there and wrote a letter to He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, but here are some inserts to show you how awesome the sea is. It is so blue out there..and it stretches for miles upon miles. The cloud formations are unbelievable. This night is inexpressible...the beauty of it all. It is so picturesque." So anyway then I went back to our hidey-hole and snoozed.

Thursday 14th

Got up late...we were supposed to get into Bergen, Norway at 2:30 PM..and have an hour or so until we had to get back on the ship to set sail. We ended up getting there at 6:15 or 6:20 PM and had to get back on the ship at 7:00PM... I just stayed on the ship, so did Grams. The whole day we just kind of lounged around, saw land.."Land Ho!" Met some nice people up on the deck. Later Grams went back to the room and I went to the duty-free shop and bought a beanie, cause it was rather cold on the boat. I ate dinner at "Little Italy," then I had dessert, it was awesome. Then I went back to the room, read and then sacked out for the night.

Friday 15th

Got up late...sea was really high...boat was tossing and turning. Grams and I ate lunch at a buffet restaurant which cost about 50 bucks for both of us. Ate a whole bunch of junk food which we brought with us. Laid around in our room until about 6:15 and then sat and talked. Had some good conversation about life, God, and relationships. We arrived into Newcastle around 8:20 PM

Got to the train station around 9:15..Realized we couldn't get a train to Grimsby at this time of the night. Caught a train to Doncaster an hour and a half LATER. Got delayed on the way there so we didn't arrive until about 1AM, when our original destination time was 12:27 AM. Met Bob and Darin at the train station, got in the car, arrived in Grimsby at Claire and Darin’s around 2:15 AM. Didn't get to bed until around 3...slept on the floor in a sleeping bag....Got up around 8 and got in Claire’s bed. Got up at 11:45 AM, got in the shower and got ready for the BBQ this afternoon...talked to Claire some..and now I am writing this journal. I need to call Mom...today is the 16th of August..and it’s an important day. 8 MORE DAYS TIL I AM HOME!!!!!

PS..Don’t EVER get a ferry ride to Norway...it was an experience, high priced food, and you aren't even guaranteed that you can get off the boat when you were supposed to be able to. Grams and I both agreed we wouldn't ever do it again..just some helpful advice to all you travel-buffs.


All of our Pictures:

Cornwall

CORNWALL

Cathedral at Truro 

Emily and I decided that since we had been within a few miles of the northern most part of Britain it was only right that we visit the southern most part. So literally on the spur of the moment, Jenny got on the internet and then on the phone, and in a short time came up with reservations for us in a B&B hotel in Penzance plus tickets to the Minac Theatre where The Learned Ladies by Moliere was playing. Jenny is very, very good at pulling rabbits out of hats. So bright and early on Wednesday morning we made our very familiar early morning exit out of Canberra Circle and down to the train station. The train ride down through Devon and into Cornwall was very interesting. We went through Exeter and then cut west to St. Austell and Truro where I got pictures of the Cathedral there from the train. We arrived in Penzance in the early afternoon.

Cliff Hotel, Penzance

After locating our hotel, which was right across the street from the train station (how handy was that!) we dumped our overnighters and set off to explore Penzance. But before I get into that I want to say a few words about the hotel. I just love these small family owned hotels in the UK. I would so much rather stay in one of them than in the cookie-cutter places with all the amenities they are building nowadays. These hotels have something much more attractive to me than mere amenities. They have Character. And History. When the lady who ran the hotel discovered we were interested in the history of her hotel she sat down and had a cup of coffee with us the next morning while we were eating breakfast and told us all about it. It seems that her Mother was the one who bought the hotel in the late 1920's with a small inheritance she got from her share of the sale of her parents’ farm after they died. This was during the depression that was every bit as bad in the UK as it was here and according to the daughter was run as a family affair because they could not afford help..

During WWII the hotel was hit by a bomb intended for the train station across the street that went slightly astray. She pointed out to us some of the make-shift repairs that were done that are still holding up to this day. There was also a platoon of U.S. Army Engineers billeted there who participated later in the Normandy landings. She said that she was a very young child at the time but that she still remembered certain ones as they used to supply her with candy which was just not available in wartime Britain.

Cornish Cream Tea

The first place we stopped was the Tourist Information Center which was, and was not very helpful. Sometimes in Britain you have to know the right questions to ask because every once in a while the difference between American English and British English can really lead to confusion. Some of these people look at us like we come from another planet because they have no idea where we are coming from. Distance is one of the major breakdowns in communications that I have with the British. If you are asking local directions they always tell you the distance in minutes. If you insist on knowing miles, feet, yards, blocks, all the things that I understand they just give you a blank look. They only think in minutes.

After walking for what seemed like forever, we finally spotted a place called The Boat Shed and had lunch. I don't remember what we had but I do remember that by the time we were served, whatever it was, we were starving. After we had a little sustenance in our tummies we set off to explore Penzance. Penzance is a very pretty, but very hilly town with narrow streets, very old houses, and beautiful churches. A lovely church called St. David's caught our eye sitting atop one particularly steep street so Emily and I trudged our way up to do a little exploring. The Anglican priest there showed us around and gave us a little history of the church. There was a lovely view of the harbor from up there with steps leading down a series of terraces to the seaside. The terraces were part of the church cemetery and you could not help but hope that the churchyard was haunted, otherwise think about what a waste of a lovely view it was.

Getting out to the Minak theatre turned out to be a little bit of an adventure. There is a bus station adjoining the train station and a bus that runs straight to the theatre. However on this evening there had been an accident along the bus route and the traffic was delayed and the dispatcher at the bus station said that the delay was expected to take at least an hour. So we scrambled around and found a taxi to take us out there. This was an unexpected expense but to make up for it the taxi driver was very, very nice, and drove us straight up to the entrance. You would have to have been there to see how complicated this was. He also promised to be right there waiting for us when the performance was over to take us back, and he was. Taxi drivers in the UK are very obliging even if one in Weston-Super-Mare did teach Emily a bad word when he was referring to our current President. Called him a Wanker as a matter of fact.

Anyway, the Minak theatre as you can see from the picture above is one of the truly unique places on earth.  The Learned Ladies is one of those wicked British satires that skewered intellectual pretension and authors who take themselves too seriously. I loved it but Emily is still a little young yet to really appreciate satire. But the sheer beauty of the setting and the experience of being there was, in my opinion, well worth the time and effort it took to get there.

St. Mary's Mount

The next morning we set out to explore some of the Cornish countryside and decided that our best option was to take a local, double-decker bus to St. Ives which is about twenty miles or so from Penzance, and the trip involves passing through some lovely villages and countryside. One of the villages that we passed through was Marazion, a quaint village which lays claim to being the oldest town in Britain, originally called Ictis by the Romans. It was passing through here when we got a great view of St. Michael's Mount. The mount itself is dedicated to St. Michael, who, in Cornish legend, appeared to a group of Cornish fishermen in 495 AD - standing high on a rocky ledge on the western side of the Mount, and is also purported to be the setting for the great Celtic tragedy of Tristan and Isolde. Whatever is true, it's a lovely place. You can ride a ferry over to it from Marazion to the island which is now owned by the National Trust. They operate a couple of gift shops and you can tour the castle and gardens. Since we were pressed for time we had to settle for a photo from the top of the bus. Maybe someday on another trip........ .

St. Ives turned out to be one of those truly lovely little villages and we puttered around for several hours. We spent some time down on the sea front with all the other tourists, mostly Brits, and just watched the world go by. Emily shopped for souvenirs and we struck up conversations with several people, and then wandered back up the hill to catch the bus back to Penzance. Someone please tell me how every place you want to go is always up hill and never down hill?

View from the Saltash Bridge, Cornwall

As soon as we reached Penzance we collected our luggage from the hotel and caught the train back to Weston-Super-Mare. We had a rather messy train change in Taunton, and the train we were supposed to connect to was very late but eventually we made it. Emily carried on a mild flirtation with the young man who worked in the catering car on the train between Penzance and Taunton so that helped pass the time for her. I am so glad we decided to take the little side trip to Cornwall. I love it there and really wanted Emily to see it.

I have added this last picture taken as we left Cornwall by train simply because it reminds me of a scene in Rosamunde Pilcher's book Coming Home where Judith and Jeremy meet for the first time.

Emily’s Side of the Story

Got up and got on the train to Penzance, got there and went to our hotel, which was 100 yards away from the train station. We got into the hotel and the lady who owned it gave us a keychain full of keys to get into the hotel. There were 3 keys to get into the hotel. One for the outer door, 2 for the inner door. 1 for the top lock and one for the lower lock. All of the locks in this hotel were all about 500 years old. Anyway then I had a key for our room. I had to fight with the door...it was a hassle but funny at the same time. Grams and I trekked out to the tourist information to find out what we should do for tonight’s performance, and how we could get there. Decided to get some suggestions on where to eat. The lady at the information desk told us that there was this nice pub about 10 minutes walk away. Well needless to say about 20 minutes later and we STILL weren't there. We decided to eat at The Boatshed. "It’s a ten minute walk," seems to be a loose term over here. You could be in England and ask how long it would take you to get to Scotland (another country) and they would probably say "Oh its just a ten minute walk." AHHHHH! Anyway, I went back to the girl and I was like well give me DISTANCE. I want MILES..not minutes. Anyway...*sighs* sometimes you wonder about people. In the States if you asked someone how far something is, they give you blocks or mileage. But on the other hand, how far I can walk in 10 minutes is not the same amount that Grams can walk in 10 minutes. At least in the States we try to take into consideration if you have an older person with you, that "Hey, maybe they can't get around that well." Anywho...

Got there and walked around Penzance, Grams and I found this awesome church, but what was greater was the graveyard in the back. There were TONS of palm trees. It was very beautiful..there was a grave there from 1769. It was just a beautiful day. Then Grams and I caught a taxi up to the Minack theater because the bus that we were supposed to catch was caught in a traffic jam because of a really bad accident. Our taxi driver decided that he would come pick us up from the theater when the play was done. He was really nice. Anyway..got to the Minack, which is a theater carved out of the side of a mountain. We saw "The Learned Ladies," there was a ton of satire..so I didn't really get it. I played with my camera the whole night...haha. Anyway..got back from the play and got into bed. The experience of going to the Minack Theater...was awesome. You should go if you ever get the chance. It was...really unique.

Got up and went out to St. Ives. It was beautiful. There were once again, palm trees...and beaches...people surfing...just great stuff. I loved it. We went back to Penzance..got back on the train to Weston...got back "home" around 9 PM. I watched a few movies...and then I konked out on the couch.


Link to my 2003 Cornwall photos on Picasso

Loch Lomand - Summer 2003

This was just a family day out for us.  Nicky gathered us all up, including the dogs and we all went to Loch Lomand for a picnic.  We all had a wonderful time but I think that Nicky's dog Cara had the best time of any of us.

Grimsby - Summer 2003

Jeanette’s Version

Grimsby is not your average tourist destination but since my Granddaughter Claire and her husband Darin live there it's a must visit place for me when I visit the UK. Grimsby is kind of a gritty little town I think. It was founded by the Danes in the 9th century AD. The old Danish word for village was 'by' and this one was probably Grim's by or Grimm's by or village. By the time of the Domesday Book (1086) Grimsby had a population of over 200. By the standards of the time it was quite a large village. The village of Grimsby grew into a port because it stands on a river called the Haven, which flowed into the Humber. So it was a natural place to build a port and for centuries was not only a fishing port but also a place where iron, timber, wheat, hemp, and flax were imported. In the later 20th century industries in Grimsby included fishing and food processing. However fishing in Grimsby has declined sharply since its heyday in the early 20th century but some new industries came to Grimsby in the late 20th century such as light engineering, chemicals and plastics. Today the population of Grimsby is 92,000.

Claire and Darin have recently bought a lovely new house and Claire has been busy decorating it while Darin and his Dad have been busy outside building a patio. Darin's Dad is a very avid gardener and is hoping to rub some of it off on Darin who, up to now has been less than enthusiastic about flowers and plants.

Jenny and I slipped off on Saturday morning and went to the Cleethorpes area that is kind of attached to Grimsby.  Cleethorpes is a traditional British seaside resort, with a beach, lots of souvenir shops, and promenade gardens full of bright flowers. We dropped into one of the Chippies and picked up some chips to munch on while sitting in the park and admiring the scenery. In the shop they asked if we wanted peas with our order and Jenny said no. I noticed that were putting a large green glob of peas on most of the orders. Jenny explained that these are "mushy peas." I thought at first they were plain green peas as we know them that were smushed up, but actually they are dried marrowfat peas which have been soaked overnight and then boiled. They are a great favorite of the north of England and are a traditional accompaniment to fish and chips.

In the afternoon Darin's parents and his brother and sister-in-law came over and we all sat outside on the new patio and stuffed ourselves and visited for the rest of the day. The next morning we all got up and headed back south again to Weston-Super-Mare. This will be our last week in England and we have decided to give London one last shot.

Emily’s Side of the Story

Got up...Met Claire...got in the shower..got ready. Sat and talked to Claire for a while...told her about back home..about Matt, about Mom and Larry and Dad. Talked for about half an hour. Went downstairs and got ready for the BBQ. Had the BBQ..really great food. I had salad, which I didn't eat except for the tomatoes, breaded chicken, cumin chicken, and peppered steak, potato and chive salad, and cole slaw...Man, I am a fat kid waiting to escape from a skinny kids body. HAH. 

Anyway, then I got a book from Claire, because I have finished all of mine. I brought or accumulated over the course of this trip 7 books...and I have finished them all. Now, if that's not a devout reader I don't know what is.

Anyway, read the book and then later, Jenny, Bob, Daz..aka Darin, Claire and I started watching Braveheart, because I have only seen one part of it, and it was when I was like 7..and I left the room when my brother and Nicky were watching it because it was gross..anyway I was like seven! lol So I wanted to watch it 10 years later considering I did walk the William Wallace Monument 2 times, hehe. That movie is soooo GOOD! I am going to buy it when I get home. I am going to start buying DVDs and I am going to steal my brothers DVD Player from his "love shack" cause he isn't using it. He has one DVD...HEAT, who would want the DVD HEAT!!!!?!?!?! I cried at the end of Braveheart...but it was an awesome movie. I understand the whole William Wallace thing now. I told Jeremy he was going to watch it with me :) I then started reading the book Claire loaned me, and cried, I was emotional, what can I say? haha.

Sunday 17th

Went with Claire, Daz, Bob, Jenny and Grams to the Millhouse...good food. had Lasagna hahahahahaha Me and Kathy and our same food! Anyway Grams paid for our dinner....and then we left Claire and Daz and started on our way back to Weston-Super-Mare. We stopped at "rest stops"..well let me tell you...the Brit rest stops are like MALLS. In Arkansas, the rest stops are like horrible, you go into this dingy bathroom and the mirrors are like half fogged, permanently, and you can't see yourself. Then you find a vending machine, maybe, and it has bars surrounding it...rest stops aren't pretty things. Well these rest stops had like clothing stores in them..coffee shops..it was awesome.


 Anyway...we got back to Weston at half past 6. It is good to be "home." I got up to our room and took all the stuff out of the piece of crap bag and started packing Luke's rucksack. I have all my clothes for the next 6 days and 5 nights of my life picked out. I am trying to get all packed for the trip to my REAL home. Helped Bob work on his computer, turns out he has a virus, so we are having to get online through my laptop, which is cool, but it costs a lot of money, probably. Then I went outside and talked to Jenny for a while. Got to know her more, as well as she got to know me. Saw Pete and Niner..heh Nina..and Bella. That dog is so cute. Had a lolly or two before I went to bed. Learned a new saying, "You Knobhead." But you say it like, "You Knob-ed" Also, "Shut your Gob." Gob being mouth hehe. Anyway then I went to bed.

Got up around 8 or 9..talked to Grams and apparently we are going to go to London tomorrow so that I can go to Madam Tussaud's Museum...then Wednesday we are going to go to Wales and then Thursday we travel down to Cornwall so that we can see "Pride and Prejudice," at the Minack(sp?) theater. Friday we are going to go to this little town called MouseHole. Awesome :) Saturday we are going to spend the day with Bob and Jenny. Sunday we travel home! YIPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEE! Can you tell that I am excited? heheh. Today is my first day of school...but I don't have to go...cause I am halfway across the world...SUCKER!!! Haha...just kidding, I hope everyone has a good first day...see you in 6 days :) I love you Jeremy..be safe when moving into the apartment. I am be praying for you.

I will write more journals...when we have visited these places :) So more to come to all you journal lovers ;)



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Helensbrough and Dunoon

Or perhaps this should be called The People and Places I Love

The day after we returned from Inverness, Nicky took Kathy to the Glasgow Airport at 4:30 am to catch her flight home. I really hated to see her go. She has been so much fun to travel with. Nicky said it was about a 20 minute drive to the airport. When I asked her how far away it was she said about 25 miles. I said we couldn't get there in 20 minutes. Nicky said we could. We did! It must be nice to be a police officer.

About a month before we came, Matthew spent several days with Nicky on the last days of his visit. Some of the pictures, including the one above, were taken by him on a solo camping trip on Ben Lomand. He took some really fine photographs and has given me carte blanche to use any of them I want to. The view in the photograph is of he and Nicky below Dumbarton Rock, on which Dumbarton Castle is perched and can be plainly seen from her kitchen window.

Nicky had to go into work for a few hours in the morning, but in the afternoon we drove across the Rest and Be Thankful to Dunoon so that Emily could see where we had scattered her Grandfather's ashes. When we lived in Dunoon we used to drive this road often as it was the quickest way to get to Helensburgh. I never got so used to the scenery that I could take it for granted. I have been awestruck every single time I have been over it. . This old military road was built by General Caulfield in the aftermath of the 1745 Jacobite rebellion, when the government of the day embarked on a road-building program to enable troops to be moved rapidly around Scotland. It served as the main road to the Western Highlands until the present road was built higher up the valley in the 1930. There is now a "high road" and a "low road" so to speak and traveling east, it ends at Loch Lomand. So there you go. You can still see little bits of the original road down in the valley between the hills.

Traveling west/south west you eventually end up in Dunoon, the small town where Jim and I lived for the two years we spent in Scotland. I have so many happy memories of the time we lived in there. When Jim passed away his wishes were that his ashes be scattered at sea. When we made our request to the Navy some of their stipulations made the kids and I uncomfortable, so we decided to scatter his ashes in the Holy Loch. The Holy Loch is located right outside Dunoon where the U.S. Navy maintained a forward servicing facility for SUBRON 14 from 1961 to 1992. Over the years there were several Submarine Tenders stationed there and Jim was stationed aboard the Nuclear Submarine Tender U.S.S. Holland from August 1978 until September 1980. When the Polaris Submarine's were replaced by the much longer ranging Trident Submarines the base was no longer needed and was closed.


Our Granddaughter Kristen found this poem on the internet and sent it to me because it describes the way he felt perfectly:

Last Wishes Of A Seafaring Man

Scatter my ashes on the sea

And as I float on crested wave

I want no tears or grief for me

Or duty visits to my grave.....

Don't bury me beneath the ground

No cold imprisoned tomb for me

Or headstone with an Earthy mound

That's not the place I'd want to be.

It's where the winds blow fresh and free

I know that I will lie content

The sea I love my cemetery

The waves my only monument.....

Dulcie Levene

After leaving the Holy Loch we decided to show Emily the pretty little village of Inveraray located on the shores of Loch Fine and the traditional home of Clan Cambell.. The castle has a real cinderella appearance and looks like it would be more at home at Disneyland than in Scotland. We didn't get out of the car in Inveraray and by the time we got to the castle it was closed to the public. Oh well, it was a lovely drive and Loch Fine very picturesque. I have some great pictures of Matthew and Nicky that were taken there in 1995 but there is just not room on this site for me to put up all the pictures I would like to. Maybe someday I will try to cobble together something for that 1995 trip.

putting up with the streetlight.with the streetlight.

Stirling

Stirling

Nicky had to work in the morning, so Emily and I decided that what we really needed to do was to jettison some of our gear and lighten up our suitcases. So we spent the morning sorting through our stuff and packing as much as we could into a big box. When Nicky came home we took it to the post office and sent it to Weston-Super-Mare. The box weighted about 25 pounds so it was a morning well spent.

We arrived at Stirling Castle about 1 p.m. and since we had not had lunch yet we stopped by the ice cream kiosk at the entrance to the castle and treated ourselves to a Magnum Bar. This is the UK equivalent of a Dove Bar. Very nutritious I'm sure as it contains at least two of the major food groups, milk and chocolate. Once inside the castle gates we stopped by the gift shop and I looked for postcards. I bought a new digital camera for this trip, and  since I was still in the playing around with it stage decided to see if it would take a decent picture of postcards. I had spotted one with a highland cow on it - tried it. It didn't work out very well but when I looked around for the girls they were no where in sight. I finally spotted them up on the ramparts where they had fled when I started photographing post cards. Silly girls.

I just love Stirling Castle. We first came here in 1979 and at that time they had just started to excavate for the Great Hall that they have just finished. I think they finished it last year so that means it only took 20 years to build. Oops, I went and looked it up on the web and they worked on it for 30 years before they finished it. Over the years when I would get a chance to come back it would be in various stages of construction. The odd thing about it is that I never saw anyone actually working on it. I have always wondered if the work was done at night after they closed the castle.   There is so much to see that we wandered around for several hours and still didn't see it all. 

The interior of the Great Hall is just fabulous. Emily and I set ourselves down in the thrones and Nicky took our pictures.

Emily wanted to see the Wallace Monument as Matt had a picture of him and Nicky taken at the top in 1995. So here is the picture of Emily and Nicky at the same place. Emily has quite a tale to tell of her adventures here so I will not say anymore except that I was tired out after the Castle so I sat in the car and read while they got on with it. After we left the monument we went to the Clachan Inn in Dryman, near Stirling.

Emily’s Side of the Story

Laid around and copied some of my pictures for Nicky and put them on her computer. Read an email from the old flame, and then I wrote him back. Grams and I packed up some of our heaviest stuff into a box, then took it to the post office, and sent it back to Bob and Jenny's house. Then we finished packing all of our stuff up for our Norway trip and our trip to Claire's and then our final trip back "home" to Weston. Only 12 more days to go..really only 11 then back to the States we go..yippee!

Anyway...around lunch time Nicky came home and we all headed out to Stirling. Went to Stirling 

Castle..it was fun. Went to the Great Hall and the Palace and then to the Great Kitchen. Took some nice shots of the William Wallace Monument. You know...William Wallace from Braveheart..aka Mel Gibson? haha.. It is kind of funny because over here they sell portraits of Mel Gibson as Braveheart and it was really William Wallace..haha..

Anyway..then we headed over to the William Wallace Monument...the statue of William Wallace resembles Mel Gibson..Nicky and I hiked, literally, up this hill and then we got to these stairs and I was like "Alright so are these the stairs?" and Nicky was like, "Yea." So we got up the stairs and I was like "Wahoo! We are done!" and Nicky was like, "No there are more to the TOP of the monument." AHHH I thought I was going to die. Just goes to show you how out of shape I am..I may be a little skinny fat kid but...little do you know, I AM a fat kid cause I am out of shape haha. I decided that when I get back home I am gradually going to work myself into running and walking a couple times or more a week. Maybe join a gym...just to get fit. :) Anyway, so we get to the top..it was AWESOME! You could see Stirling Castle off in the distance, and Ben Lomand..man, it was great. Then we trekked back down, and I hadn't brought Grams credit card up with me so I decided that I would go back down and get it and go to the gift shop down there because they would have the same stuff, right? Well, we got all the down there, Nicky and I had a nice chat. So we got to the gift shop down there, and NO they didn't have the same stuff..they didn't have the shirt that said "I climbed 256 steps to the top of the William Wallace Monument", so there I go..BACK up to the top. ALL THE WAY...Huffing and Puffing Emily. Man, IT WAS HORRID. Nicky and I decided that we could make a booty load of money if we made little water selling stations up and down the stairs in the monument and up the hill. We would have to make the points like RIGHT past halfway so that you would be DYING for water. A pound each..man we would be RICH! :) Anyway..Got ALL the way BACK up there..and I was like gulping in the air. Then I got into the gift shop and the only shirts that they had that said that were kids’ shirts and Larges and XL. I can't wear those! What're those people thinking! Restock your shelves!!!! Anyway I just got another shirt, there is NO way I was panting all that way and leaving with nothing :) Anyway there was a guy up there who complimented me on my Southern accent...

We then left and went and ate at Clachan Inn, it was good. Then I went shopping at the grocery store for me and Grams, so that we would have something to munch on for breakfast in the morning on the train. I also bought my Papa's Christmas gift today at the castle, some golf stuff. Now Nicky and I are just sitting here watching TV..I am typing this journal. There is this guy outside who was yelling into the phone. We thought that someone was going to die. It was pretty funny, we all jumped up and looked out the window...haha..

Alright, well tomorrow Grams and I leave for Norway..so I don’t know when we are going to get to write again..or post again. We leave for Norway tomorrow and then off to Claire’s. I don’t even know if she has a computer. Anyway...we will post again so all you readers, DONT YOU WORRY! We won’t leave you hanging out to dry. :) Hey Kathy if you are reading this, don’t forget about our shirts I am going to make us :) hehe...Plus I am going to look for Nicholas that shirt on the internet and we are going to try to find Dan that underground shirt at the airport and other places around here :) Bye

Inverness - Summer 2003

Forth Bridge, Edinburgh

Inverness

Loch Ness

Over breakfast in Edinburgh the next morning we were chatting about the things we had seen and how a trip is never really long enough to see all the things that you really wanted to see. Emily and I had planned to go up to Inverness after Kathy left and it suddenly occurred to us that with a small shift in plans and a little sucking it up re: clean underwear and little things like that, the three of us go today and come back tomorrow instead of taking the West Highland Line to Oban. It was pretty easy to convince Kathy because she suffers from motion sickness and going to Oban and returning the same day would have been about 12 hours straight on the train. So we bolted down the remainder of our breakfast and dashed across the street to the Scottish Tourist Board where they were happy to help us make arraignments for a B&B in Inverness on such short notice.

I don't remember how long it took us but we had to change trains in Perth and arrived in the late afternoon. Of course we hadn't gotten a very early start so it probably was about a four hour trip. The countryside was lovely and the train wasn't all that crowded. They did not however, have any first class carriages so we had to ride with the ordinary passengers. I say this in a joking manner because we had been laughing at ourselves for riding in solitary splendor on most of our trips. I do remember that we were starving so the first order of business was to find a place to eat. About a block up the street from the train station was the East Gate Shopping Center and outside was a place that made a pretty decent pizza. After lunch Kathy and Emily went off to scout out the B&B and let them know we were indeed in town so they would not give away our room. I waited in the square until they came back and then we window shopped our way down the High Street, stopped in a pub so Kathy could try out a shandy, which she thought tasted downright nasty, and checked out the Tourist Board where we made reservations for a cruise down Loch Ness the next morning. I took a cab back to the B&B, and Emily and Kathy, who were hungry, went in search of sustenance.

I want to add a few words about the B&B we stayed in. I am sorry that I cannot remember the name of it but it was very comfortable and the people who ran it were very nice. The husband was rather odd, but when he explained that he was a math teacher that was all the explanation I needed. I have always found math type people to be alien creatures. Myself, I can only add, subtract and sometimes multiply but never divide. I figure that's why God made calculators.

But the place was lovely and the breakfast, served in a dining room furnished with lovely antiques more than adequate. So, well fed, and happy, we called a taxi and departed for the Tourist Board where a bus was waiting to take us on the tour boat down Loch Ness. Lucky for us we were only carrying our overnight luggage that we had packed for one night in Edinburgh so we didn't have to drag all our suitcases along with us.

The tour starts on the river Ness that feeds into the Loch and is an interesting part of the trip in its own right.. A footpath runs along the edge and is obviously a popular place for people to hike. We went through a loch and on the other side began passing sailboats and house boats. Since the weather was so fine, there were a lot of people out on the decks of the vessels we passed so we were all kept busy waving. Surprisingly, the tour boat, The Jacobite Queen was not so crowded that it was uncomfortable. There seems to be just the right amount of people on board. As the tour progresses they play a recording explaining the history of the area, what you are passing by at the time, and tell you about the wild life in the area that can be seen if you keep your eyes out for them.

Scotland is experiencing a very rare heat wave and on the day that we were on this tour the temperature reached the mid 90's. Emily had bought a rugby shirt in Edinburgh that she wanted to wear and it lasted just long enough for her to have her picture taken in it and then she had to take it off. We all ended up getting a little sunburned. Who would have ever thought it!

Once out onto Loch Ness the view opens up and we really start to feel that we are in some place very special. One of the first things we saw as we chugged along was Aldourie Castle. The castle was originally a laird’s house in the 17th century and is now classified as "of outstanding historic and architectural interest." This historic baronial castle, situated on the southern banks of Loch Ness along with 447 acres of adjoining land, was sold to an American firm that plans to turn it into an exclusive holiday resort, complete with golf course. From the description I gathered that this was going to a place that caters to the very rich and famous.

The boat makes a brief stop at Urquhart castle. People who want to explore the castle up close and personal can get off the tour boat and then re-board another one to return to the tour when they have finished. This is one of the most picturesque sights on Loch Ness, and probably the most photographed. The castle was started in the thirteenth century, was held under siege by Robert  the Bruce and eventually destroyed in 1692 by British government forces who had been holding it under siege by the Jacobites. When the Jacobites eventually withdrew the British army blew it up with gunpowder to stop it being occupied by Jacobite forces.

At the end of the tour it's back to the train station to catch a southbound train to Dumbarton. I think that the less said about Scot-rail the better. It was not a pleasant trip. The fact that Kathy is leaving us tomorrow did not make things any better. Emily and I are really going to miss her. It's been the three of us through thick and thin, literally from one end of Britain to the other. From here on out it just won't be the same.

Kathy’s Side of the Story:

We were in Edinburgh (-o), when on a whim, down a deep dark alley, where we were dining before the Tattoo, we three decided to go to Inverness to see Loch Ness the next day. We had planned to return to Nicky's and then go north the next day on a long train excursion but I mentioned that I was sorry I wouldn't get to see Loch Ness (the one thing I knew everyone would ask me if I went to...regardless that it's near the North Pole! LOL) and Emily said, "Hey, why don't we just go to Loch Ness tomorrow?" and Jeanette said, "Hey, that's a great idea!" and I said, "Hey, but we don't have enough underwear!" and then they said, "Get OVER IT  Tinkerbell!" so I did.

Anyway....Jeanette said that it was no biggie that we had no where to sleep...she'd just go and check with the Scottish agency for people who want someplace to sleep. I didn't believe her, but it had a fine gift shop on the premises, so I went happily along with her. She stood in line while I bought stuff I couldn't live without (Emily turned her nose up at my thistle rubber stamp, but honest, I've been looking for one for a while!) and pretty soon I went over to check on her progress. Emily pulled me to the side and whispered that I was to be Jeanette's daughter and she was my daughter. (I never got the full story on that one, but I straightened up right then and there and acted like Jeanette's daughter would act. :)

After a few minutes, Jeanette had secured for us a B & B. More about that on a further date...the owner looked like Lurch from the Adams family and had the thickest accent I ever heard. I looked distinctly like a crazy smiling bobble head Katy while in his presence. He ended up being a retired physics teacher (he even threw in some math formulations that went right over J's and my heads!) who was trying real hard to be friendly. His home was beautiful.) Anywho...again...when I asked Jeanette what this service was all about she said that that's what they are there for. I am sure I was asking this at some weird time...like running for our train or something...and I didn't quite get to say, "Whaaaaa?"

I just wondered if any of you have used this service?  I doubt it would work here, but it seemed to work just fine there. (Even though they wrote down that Jeanette was from Arizona. snort....yep, those Arizona accents give you away every time!)

Emily’s Side of the Story

Went to the mall, bought a shirt that says, "Smile if you’re a wanker," with a smiley face on it. Haha, its great. Plus I bought some souvenirs for my friends. Got on the train to Inverness- it was hot. There was like a whole car full of wanna be rucksackers, I had a good time laughing at them. That train had the worst train bathroom yet. We got to Inverness, had a nice lunch at Pizza Express. Kathy and I got lost trying to find our B&B..finally found it..Creepy guy...ugh..Walked back to Grams, hung out...went to the tourist info and booked our "cruise " for the next day. Kathy and I ate dinner at Pizza Express AGAIN, it was the ONLY place open. Grams went back to the B&B..shortly after her, we went too..then went to sleep.

Went on the cruise of Loch Ness. Beautiful, slow, but fun. Didn't see Nessie :( Got on the train,- the MOST horrible train of them all. It was hot and cramped. There was this lady on there and all Kathy did was ask her if the seat was taken, because we needed a place for Grams to sit and the lady went all hostile on her. The lady asked if we had the seat reserved and said that she had paid more for first class. Finally she moved, and got all huffy puffy about it, and then Grams sat down. The train guy came and checked tickets and it turns out she HADN'T paid more for first class. So I, being myself, said "If you are going to lie, I think you need to apologize for it, and you don't just get mad at someone when all they do is ask you a question." She knew I was talking about her because when I got up to throw something away she started cursing me out, and she said I was either a bloody French or I was as bad as a French. Whatever, Kathy and I decided that she was upset because she knew she had on ugly earrings. :) I will write more later :)

We got off the train at Perth and our train was delayed for about an hour. Met some people from Houston. This next train was so much better than the one before..wahooo! We then arrived at Glasgow Queen Street and caught a train to Helensborough. Got to Nicky's and crashed out. I stayed up late so that I could finish this book that I wanted to lend to Kathy. I finished it and put it on her suitcase so that in the morning on her way to the airport she would find it.