Beautiful countryside of Isle of Skye

Wednesday 30 May 2012  -From a walk in a park to a drink in a port on Skye

Day 48 and 111 to go

We were woken early by a random phone call that was not appreciated though it did not prevent us going back to sleep and getting a couple more hours before we got out and ready to face the day. The shower was a bit hit and miss and unfortunately Paul was scalded in it. Not a good thing.

We wandered down to the water edge outside to check the canal. We saw a red deer springing along the bank. It was quite fresh outside and the cloud cover prevented us from seeing any of Ben Nevis.

We ate the hearty breakfast that began with a delicious bowl of fresh tropical fruits. I made sure I filled up as we had a walk ahead of us.

Paul filled the car, we said our goodbyes and we drove back towards Fort William and on to the Glen Nevis visitor’s area. After gathering the info for the walk we continued to drive amongst the valleys of the mountains until we reached the final car park and began the walk up the gorge.

Unfortunately Paul’s hip was playing up and he wasn’t able to walk for too far so he returned to the car while I continued on. The walk was not extreme, but I needed to be cautious due to the rocky and wet ground. The whole time I was I awe of the scenery. The water was rushing past below me. I could see where the rocks had been sculpted by the water.

Around 20min later I came out into the wide valley. It was spectacular. A large wide glen spread out between the mountains with the Steall waterfall in the background and a river winding by.

I took the pictures I wanted, soaked in the cool air and then began the decent. 20 min later I was back in the car park and with Paul. We then continued the journey to Glenfinnan where the Harry Potter train travels over the viaduct. The views on the way continued to amaze with beautiful lochs and green mountains.

Passing the viaduct we continued on to the coastal spot of Mallaig where we were to catch the ferry across to Armadale on the Isle of Skye. We found the port and bought tickets before walking through the town centre and having a drink at the pub. We then returned to the car and at 1.30pm drove onto the ferry and found a place to sit up on deck.

The ferry ride was a quick one with us arriving 30min later. We drove off and continued our drive through to Broadford where we stopped briefly to gather tourist info. With the info we needed our first stop was Talisker Distillery about 40min away.

The road wound past lochs and mountains again through the town of Sligachan before we made it to the distillery. We were going to do the tour but we didn’t time it right so instead we were given a free tasting and of course Paul had mine.

We walked through the shop before heading on again. This time we followed the waters edge to Dunvegan where there is a castle. I was intending just to take some photos from outside but you weren’t able to see it unless you went in the gates and paid the fee so we turned around and headed for our B&B just out of Portree.
We arrived at 5pm and were met by Duncan who showed us around and then to our room. We got ourselves sorted and had a cuppa before we drove back in to Portree to explore the small fishing village.

We stopped at the Cuilin Hills Hotel where the view from the beer garden back over the harbour and the town was beautiful. The sun was shining and it was just glorious soaking in the rays. After our drink we drove back into the centre and found parking. We wandered around the town stopping at the brewing shop  gathering information from the owners. 

We continued our walk on to the pub where we had another drink, sitting outside and talking to one of the locals. We have noticed the people here are friendly and more than willing to have a chat.

We wandered on to the Quay where the buildings were all painted in paisley. Very quaint. We were hungry so we checked out a few of the restaurants many were full so we returned to the pub for an easy meal of fish and chips.

With dinner finished I drove the car back to our B&B where we watched tv, checked emails and prepared for tomorrow’s adventure. 

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On the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond

Tuesday 29 May 2012 - Day 47 and 112 to go.
 Another good night’s sleep and we were ready and raring to get on the road, unfortunately that wasn’t going to happen until 11.30am. In the meantime we filled in the hours having breakfast, watching TV, surfing the net and getting some cash. 
We vacated the room at 10.30 but continued to use the hotel lounge before dragging the bags onto the street to wait for our Budget man to pick us up. He was prompt and helpful and he drove us to the Budget depot 10min out of Glasgow. We went through the usual paperwork before being told we were getting an upgraded car, a Nissan Qashqai (Cash Ky). A smaller version of the Murano. We were also lucky enough to be able to hand the car back at the airport before we check in next Monday, as it will be a bank holiday and they won’t be open. Yippee. 
We were shown all the controls before we drove on to our first destination, Dumbarton 15 min North of Glasgow. We didn’t stop here rather I plugged in Luss which is situated further along the road and sits on the edge of Loch Lomond. This Loch is the largest fresh water lake and is just splendid. We walked to the water’s edge and wandered out onto the jetty. The water was crystal clear. While it was a cloudy day we were still able to see quite well. There were little islands in the middle of the lake and people heading out on boats to tour around. We then wandered up into the little town stopping for lunch at the café before we continued our drive on to Oban. 
The drive continued to be spectacular as we clung to the edge of the Loch. The green covered mountains fell into the water. We were climbing into the highlands. I though Ireland was beautiful, but this was stunning. It was hard to know where to look. I wanted to stop and take pictures whenever we could to capture it all. It was great having the glass roof on the car as we could see so much more. We made it to Oban 1 ½ hours later. It was now 4pm. We found somewhere to park in the centre and then went for a walk along the waterfront. Oban is the seafood capital of Scotland and as such we had to stop for ½ dozen oysters. They were enormous, plump and juicy. Yum! Our next stop was the pub where Paul could have a glass of Oban whisky. He said it was wonderful. We then walked on to the Oban Whisky distillery in town. We did a quick look inside the gift shop before heading back to the car to drive up the hill to the Mc Caig tower. This is a colosseum like structure, but just the outer wall and was built as a memorial for the family. It was right on the hill so had great views over Oban and the quay. With time getting on we set the GPS to our B&B in Fort William and continued on another 1 ½ hour down the road. The views continued to be spectacular and I continued taking photos from the car or we found places to stop tot take in the view of the mountains surrounded by cloud, dipping down into the Loch’s below. 
We eventually drove through Fort William and on a further 15min to our B&B. We settled in and had a cuppa with scones and biscuits and at 7pm we drove back into Fort William. We found a pub to eat at and watch the French Open Tennis. It was quite a lively spot. After our meal we drove back towards the B&B, but diverted to another pub for a pint before bed. 
When we returned we checked out the things we would like to do tomorrow and worked out distances to places, ensuring we would have enough time to do what we wanted. With our itinerary sorted it was time for bed.
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Exploring Glasgow

Monday 28 May 2012  - A day to explore

Day 46 and 113 to go

It was so wonderful to have a full night’s sleep and a sleep in with both of us waking a little more refreshed.

We watched morning TV before heading downstairs for breakfast that was substantial. With a full belly we walked back up to the room and sorted our day. Paul called home while I got myself organised

We made it out into the sunshine. It was so glorious. We wandered into the city stopping at the Celtic shop. We then walked down to the River Clyde again. As we looked over the bridge we could see a large thing in the water that emerged and was moving around, it took awhile to work out that it was a very large seal. We watched it for a while before heading into the park that runs part of the length of the Clyde River. There were more Glaswegians out sunning themselves. So much white skin. 

We checked out the Lord Nelson monument and then moved on to the People’s palace that has a large green house to wander through. Unfortunately the museum attached was closed. 

On the outside of the building was a large water fountain that we checked out along with an interesting building modelled on a building from Venice.

We walked back towards the city centre stopping in a pub for a drink first. All the walking and warm weather was creating a thirst.  With it satisfied we made our way back to George Square admiring the architecture of the old buildings.

Paul stopped at another pub to try Bells Stout that he was hunting down. We then found a sandwich for lunch and joined the workers sitting out on the steps to eat. So many people were out catching the sun.

We walked back to the hotel for a rest. We checked emails, receiving a reply from the Dublin Hotel offering us a full refund for our inconvenience. A good result we thought.

After our rest we walked to the West end of town along the River Clyde walk. We crossed over the Arc Bridge and walked passed the science museum. The area here seems under utilised with much of it in disrepair. It was a shame really as we could see the potential.

We crossed back over and stopped in at another pub to refresh before making our way back to the hotel again to have a rest before wandering through town to The Goose pub for dinner. Where we took delight in being entertained by the weird and wonderful locals while we ate. We chose to go to another pub for dessert and then we returned home to organise ourselves in readiness for tomorrow’s journey. Another adventure. 

The land of Haggis

Sunday 27 May 2012  - In the air again. Och Aye Jimmy

Day 45 and 114 to go

An early start to our day today with us needing to be up and waiting for our cab at 7.30am. We didn’t have time for our cooked brecky so cereal and toast had to suffice. We sorted our account before being driven to the airport.

We checked our bags in with Aer Lingus, thankfully they were light enough to not be charged excess. We wandered the terminal, locating the tax return. We then went and sat in the departures lounge to await our flight.

We were taken by bus to our tiny prop plane. As we boarded we were told our cabin bag was too bag so it was taken from us and put in the hold. At 10am we were in the air and heading to Glasgow only an hour away.

We took the opportunity to get some shut-eye though it was brief. Before we knew it we were descending and landing at Glasgow with a jolt.

Getting through arrivals was quick and painless and we found a city bus to hop on to take us into the centre of town and with walking directions we mad it to our hotel dragging our bags behind us.

We weren’t able to check in so we left our bags and went exploring. The town was alive with shoppers and tourists. We stopped at the tourist bureau collecting pamphlets and bits for our week in Scotland.

We then grabbed lunch and found a bench to sit on in George Square . It was such a beautiful day many of the Scots were out sunning themselves there was lily white skin everywhere.

We continued to wander heading to the riverfront in search of a pub with no luck so we walked back towards our hotel and the pub next door. We had a drink while reading up on some of the places to visit and at 2pm we returned to our hotel and checked in.

When we got to our room it was slightly ruffled with a dirty teacup and the bed looked like someone had been sitting on it so we had it remade while we continued to read up on what to see and do.

Paul then found that the door didn’t close and could be pushed open from outside. So it was back downstairs to have that sorted which took some time. So we had to hang out in the room. I surfed the net and then we booked some accommodation for the next few days.

When the door was finally fixed we went out again. We stopped at a pub for a cider. The prices for food and drink are considerably cheaper.

After our pint we then wandered on again finding another pub where we sat and had dinner before returning to the hotel. 

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Last day in Ireland

Saturday 26 May 2012  -  Our last day in Ireland

Day 44 and 115 to go

So the music continued into the night and Paul did not get much sleep again. Which made for a happy man NOT. We got out, cleaned up, packed our things and then headed to reception. I went and found a cab while Paul spoke to reception about the noise again, this time asking for the GM’s contact details so he could make a formal complaint. So if you are thinking of staying in Dublin we would not recommend the The Paramount hotel in Temple Bar.

We caught a cab to the other side of the river back to the Charles Stewart Guesthouse where we were able to store our bags.

We walked down O’Connell Street and found a place for breakfast to keep us going. We then wandered on to Trinity College, Dublin’s University. The buildings are old and interesting.

After walking through the uni we continued into St Stephens Green Park, wandering for a bit more. It was so wonderful to walk around in the sunshine. It was a beautiful day.

 We walked back down Grafton St and found a pub to stop at for refreshments before crossing the river again and heading through another shopping area and into the Peace Park near our accommodation.

We made it back to the Guesthouse. We collected the computer and did some checking of emails. Fabio txt and we organised to meet him at 1pm.

We walked back to The Temple Bar and waited for Fabio and his friends to turn up. When they did we found a table and ordered our lunch. It was great to catch up with him in Dublin. Lunch was delicious and filling. It was very busy in the pub with many tourists.

By 2.15pm we had finished up and we said goodbye to everyone before making our way back and checking into our room. We were both tired so we stayed put and had a rest until we felt ready for another drink.

At 6 we ventured around the corner to a pub run by Koreans. It was fairly quiet but was enjoyable. We sat in the beer garden enjoying the fine weather and the last pints of Guinness. 5 pints for Paul by the end of the night!

We decided to have dinner there as well. The Korean food was delicious and was a good choice.

At 8 we returned to the hotel. Paul wrote his email to the GM of the Paramount and then did the check-in for tomorrow’s flight to Glasgow. We watched the final of Eurovision. Some of, make that most of the acts, were terrible. Ireland had their hopes pinned on Jedward 2 moronic boys poncing about singing Waterline. Englebert Humperdink was the UK representative and he was shocking. The eventual winner was Sweeden.

Dublin Hic Hic

Friday 25 May 2012  - Continuing our drink fest in Dublin. 

Happy Birthday Dad and Laura

Day 43 and 116 to go

Well that was a crappy night’s sleep and I slept better than Paul who was awake until the band finished at 2.30am. 

We got up and dressed and headed downstairs to ask to move rooms away from the band. The reception staff were very accommodating and organised it for us.

We went out heading towards Jamesons Old Distillery in anticipation of our tour at 10am. We wandered the street along the river enjoying the beautiful start to the day. We stopped at a small café for a cooked brecky that was yum. When we came out the weather had changed and was quite cloudy. 

We found the Jameson’s tour spot, collected our tickets and then started our guided tour. We watched a video presentation first and then were shown the steps to making the Whisky. There is no longer production of Jameson’s in Dublin as the plant has been relocated to Cork so we were only shown simulations and models. At the end we were given a Jameson’s to try. I barely took a sip before handing mine on to Paul who was only too happy to finish mine off. 

When we came back out on the street it was cold and cloudy so we decided to head back to the hotel. A new room was ready for us so we moved our bags to the room. We then decided to sort out the cases in readiness for our flight on Sunday. I then rang home to do a quick check on how things were going.

With this done we ventured out into the city again the weather so much nicer. We stopped at The Temple Bar for a drink firstly and then we walked to Grafton Street a shopping mall. It was busy with tourists, shoppers and buskers. It was very lively. This street is famous for music with U2, Bob Geldof, The Fureys to name a few frequented this area in their time.

We did some souvenir shopping before walking to the park. Here we saw the lizard man, the guy completely covered in tattoos of green scales and his tongue cut into a snake fork.

Our next stop was the Celtic Whisky Shop where Paul was able to try three Irish whiskies he had not seen before. They had so much variety, many we don’t see at home.

We then continued our journey stopping for a pint at Kehoe’s where they were complaining that it was so hot today! I think it was about 23.

We returned to Grafton Street and then cut through the back roads finding the post office where we bought another box before getting back to the hotel.

We packed up the post box with more souvenirs and bits we didn’t need and then took the box to be posted home. Another 5kg lighter. With that out of the way we returned to the hotel and a rest ready for tonight.