United Kingdom - June/July 2017
Wednesday/Thursday
31 May and 1 June 2017
Out flight on Iceland Air left at 6 pm. We arrived Keflavik about 6 am and had a quick turn around before our flight to Manchester. After arriving there, we were able to easily get a train ticket to Liverpool and a mediocre bacon bap before the 1 hour train ride to Limestreet station. There, we took a taxi to the marina. Ed met us there and took us to the boat. After depositing our luggage and a quick chat, we headed to the Albert Dock and The Pumphouse for supper.
We
returned and hit the sack. It was a long two days.
Friday
2 June 2017
The weather is sunny, but windy. The waves are quite high in the Irish Sea, so we are still in Liverpool.
Today we got our major shopping
complete - trains at the Mattel Store, beads at Pandora, soccer jerseys at the
Liverpool FC store. We also did some damage at Tesco before heading to
the boat for a drink and supper.
Saturday
3 June 2017
The weather has not changed, so we are touring the city. We ventured up to the Liverpool Cathedral and went up the elevator and steps to the top of the tower to see the city. On the way, you get to see the big bells. They are the heaviest ring in the country. The biggest bell is Big George, weighing in at 15 tons. It is only rung at Christmas, Easter and special occasions. We then stopped on the third floor to see the embroidery exhibit of altar clothes and priestly drapery. Beautiful! We stopped at the Philarmonic Pub for a sharers plate and a drink. We then toured the Catholic Church, dubbed "Paddy's Wigwam" and enjoyed the floral exhibit. On down to the waterfront for a pint at the Pumphouse before heading back to the boat.
Sunday
4 June 20117
Ed was up early to ring at a church. We all headed to the Cathedral for Evensong and bell ringing in the afternoon. Ed rang for 90 minutes, but there was no Evensong. So down the hill we went to get a picture of the Beatles statue
and to see the Pilot's house museum, a
house set up as it was in WWII when the three other houses beside it were
bombed. We then did the Customs exhibit, the Emmigrants exhibit and the Pilots'
exhibit in the Maritime Museum be fore heading back to the boat.
Monday
5 June 2017
The weather has really socked in - heavy rain and Gail-force winds. The boys did a couple of odd jobs while Pat cross-stitched. There is to be no change for many days so we are planning a trip to London via car rental. We will also fit in a visit with Nick and Chris who will be on their narrow boat in Lincoln on Friday. Back Saturday. If this continues, we may also fly to Dublin for a few days.
Tuesday
6 June 2017
Still lots of rain and gale-force winds so we are again on the boat. Three more odd jobs were completed by the boys and Pat stitched. The butterfly is coming along. By afternoon the rain had let up but the wind continues. Off to London tomorrow.
Wednesday
7 June 2017
Ed was up early and out to pick up the rental car. Then we were off to London via Milton Keys for a leg stretch. We arrived in about 6 pm and had a supper at the local Wetherspoons before arriving at our 'air bnb' for the night. The host couple are really cute. He is a curious East Indian and she is an Iranian. She works at the children's hospital in London.
Thursday
8 June 2017
It is cloudy and breezy but reasonably warm. We took the metro in to Kensington South and walked the couple of blocks to Royal Albert Hall for our 11 am tour.
What a beautiful building. In the round, we
started on the concourse and saw the pics of performers like David Bowie, Eric
Clapton, Phil Collins and the Beatles. The stage was set up for a
performance by Phil tonight. We viewed the
main stage area from the box next to the Royal box. Really nondescript looking.
We then stepped across the hall to the Royal reception room that has pics of
the royalty and spouse since Queen Victoria and Albert. Off the to the Royal
entry hall before taking the main stairs to the top where there is standing
room only tickets for performances. From here we could see the parasol baffles
and the organ pipes - all 9999 of them. The dome is covered over for sound and
light.
It was then over to the V&A museum, a block away, to see all of the stuff. We started with an overview your of the Chinese and Japanese galleries and then over to jewelry and pictures by Constable. We then wandered the statue gallery and the furniture gallery along with Victorian daily life. We enjoyed lunch in the museum cafe a novelty when the museum was built. By now it is getting late so we made a quick stop in the museum of math and science next door to see the ship pictures and the airplanes, as well as the clock exhibit. Then it was a reverse trip back on the metro, super at Wetherspoons again, and back to our room to see the results of the national election after the polls closed at 10 am. We didn't bother to wait up, so found out the next morning that the Conservatives had won with a minority govt.
Friday
9 June 2017
We are now on our way to Lincoln or close by to see Nick and Chris Seager in their narrow boat. On route, we stopped at Bletchley Park to see the Decoding Museum that was made famous by the movie "The Imitation Game". Here, brilliant men and 1 woman tried to and broke the German Enigma code and helped to shorten and win WWII. What a fabulous place!
Then it was
off to Torksey Lock where the Seagers were moored. It was great to see
them again. We had a great catch-up before heading to the White Swan pub
for dinner and then back to their boat to spend the night.
Saturday
10 June 2017
Rain and wind are the order of the day. We headed back to Liverpool and the Seagers went on to Lincoln. Our route took us through the Peak District and over the Pennines and Moors, always great to see. Back to the boat and a lazy afternoon.
Sunday
11 June 2017
The boys completed a few jobs while I stitched the butterfly picture for Keira.
Monday
12 June 201
The wind is finally settling down. With a bit of sun, we headed into town to get a few groceries and see the slavery museum and maritime museum (Lusitania, merchant marines). Back for supper and sleep.
Tuesday
13 June 2017
Today we are off, but cannot leave until around 2 pm because of the tides. We are heading north to Fleetwood, then on to White Haven and across to the Isle of Man and Ireland before heading to Islay. That is the plan.
It is now 9:30 pm and we have just moored up to a buoy in the channel outside of the marina at Fleetwood. It is low tide, so there is a lot of sand around with boats in the mud. The rise of the beach is very steep. In the distance we can see little cottages that are painted bright colours. This looks like an interesting village, but we are in the water so no exploring.
The trip here was interesting. We went through the lock at exactly high
tide. Once out on the Mersey River, we joined a couple of large tanker
ships. As we headed to the Irish Sea, another couple of large sea-can ships
were turned around by tugs and followed us out. They were huge Goliath's
to our David. They were really moving, so quickly passed us as we hugged
the line of buoys. They ships all headed to the left and the Atlantic
while we turned right and the northern coast of England. The waves were
fairly low (half metre swell) but soon rose to at least a metre high.
Once we turned to head towards land, the wind was behind us so the rolling was
front to back rather than the side to side of the main leg of the journey.
We now head to Whitehaven before the weather socks in again for a couple
of days. Hopefully the stay is not as long as the stay in Liverpool.
Wednesday
14 June 2017
The boys were up early so that we could leave Fleetwood as the tide headed out. The water was twice as deep as when we arrived the night before (2m deep instead of 1m). The trip to Whitehaven was uneventful. The waves were low so the trip was not full of rocking and rolling. We did see one seal and three Dolphins. The cliffs near Whitehaven are high.
This was once the third busiest port in the country, but is now a small
Marina.
The coal, tobacco and sugar that once went through this port are
now gone as it is too shallow for big ships. John Paul Jones and
his crew did try to attack the port in 1778 on behalf of the US Revolutionary government, but were foiled by the rain, a fuse that wouldn't light, and the
pub. His men went to get new fire at the pub and forgot to come back for
the battle. This city is the coastal jumping off point for the Lake
District. All of this information was given to us by two delightful old
men as they sat on their bench at the marina street exit. One was a
non-stop talker and the other interjected comments that were mumbled.
The marina area is divided into the old quay and the new quay. The marina is in the old part. Once we were moored, we walked the cliffs to see the remnants of the coal industry and a bit of the original downtown. It is supposed to start raining in the night, so we will probably be here for a couple of days.
Thursday
15 June 2017
We are weathered in at the moment. It is warm and sunny in Whitehaven, but the seas are quite rough. We can see large whitecaps.
So we wandered the town and toured the excellent Beacon Museum which gave a good overview of the history of the area, with stations to interact with on the 3rd floor, and an excellent understanding of how nuclear power plants work and how the one in this area is being decommissioned on the 2nd floor. The top floor had some miners specimens and an etching, we met the education curator and he explained the area to us. We then wandered through the big church that burned down in the 50s. The grounds have been turned in to a little green space for the locals. Rain began about 6 pm, so we tucked in for the night and watched a tv show about the seven great British inventions. People were asked to phone in and vote on the greatest from tv, steam engine, jet engine, concrete, fridge, antibiotics, and the smartphone. Antibiotics were the final winner. Great fun.
Friday
16 June 2017
The boys did some work on the boat and I stitched because it wasn't very nice out.
Saturday
17 June 2017
The seas were supposed to be calmer today, so we headed out for about an hour. Unfortunately, the seas were not as predicted, so we headed back to the Whitehaven Marina and our same berth. Kerry and I did a bit of shopping and then the three of us toured the Rum Story, an old Jefferson's Rum warehouse, now made into a museum about the history of rum and its trading. It included how rum is made, the slave trade for workers on the plantations, the navy and its rum tot and prohibition in the US.
Sunday
18 June 2017
Happy Father's Day! The seas are calmer, and the sky is bright blue, so we are off to Peel on the Isle of Mann. It was a bit rough at the start, but soon calmed right down. The north end of the Isle of Mann is quite flat and sandy. The cliffs build up and the farms look lush as we headed south on the west side of the island. Peel was interesting. There were at least 10 boats waiting to get out of the harbour, and at least that many, if not more, waiting to get in at the tidal hour of 5:30 when the harbour was to open. The outward traffic was dispersed first, and then it was a mad rush as the sailboats all wanted to get in quickly. The harbour master had everyone go in in the order they had called in, so order was restored. In the marina, however, it was poorly numbered, so a sailboat took our spot and we headed to the other side. After discovering the mistake, they moved and then we had to move back to number 13. Once in, all was well.
Monday
19 June 2017
It is a bright, sunny day, so we are off to explore Peel. The town is situated in a small valley that extends up from the harbour. We start there and walk up the hill, past a few shops to the old St George church and on to the St George Cathedral, built in the 1990s. They did take the windows, etc out of the old church and relocate them to the new one. Very reminiscent of the Welsh church we visited two years ago, but much more light. They have a display cabinet full of communion sets from the ages. The oldest dates back to the time of Charles II. Then is one from each of the George's time, plus a few private home sets. We headed down to the beach, which has lovely sand and is quite wide. There we found a small place selling Isle of Man ice cream. Delicious. The owner is a talker, comedian and magician, so he entertained us with tales of the town, magic tricks and jokes. He claims that the BeeGees were originally from Peel and then moved to Manchester before heading to Australia. Robin Gibb apparently owned a house here until he died and his widow sold it all.
We then headed over to the Peel Castle on St Patrick Island, which is now connected to the harbour by a short causeway and also houses the breakwater. The castle is very old and has many parts from the 13th and 14th century. It was renovated during the English Civil war to modernize it (a quote from the castle literature).
You can walk around the
outside of the castle and maybe see a basking shark in the shallows, scooping
up small fish and krill. It is a local that can grow to the length of a bus,
but is harmless. We did not see any, but we did play on Fennine Beach and
find several small tide pools and lots of Queen Scallop shells.
Onward to a pub which sold Isle of Man brewed beer and fresh crab baps.
Then we headed over to the Manannan Museum and wandered the gift shop for a
picture. We wandered down to Moore's Kipper Museum and Store, but the
museum was not open. Sure smelled like smoked kippers, though.
About 6 pm, we looked out to the breakwater, and a tall ship was sailing in under full sail. It did a big turn and brought down the sails before it announced that it has arrived with a cannon shot. We headed over after supper to admire it. It is Russian and is a replica of a 1703 ship that was Peter the Great's private yacht. Very pretty.
Tuesday
20 June 2017
It is sunny, butt we are on the move again because it is supposed to rain tomorrow. We are headed to Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, and are traveling across the Irish Sea. It is quite choppy. The way is dull until we get to the inlet that leads to Belfast Harbour.
Carrickfergus Marina is on the edge of that inlet and fairly
close to Belfast. We plan to tour the area for a couple of days while we
are weathered in.
Wednesday
21 June 2017
Today is warm and cloudy. We are exploring Carrickfergus. This is an old town where a castle was built by the Normans in 1177. It had an small keep and wall area, but was enlarged and refurbished several times. It was used as a fortification until after WWII and as a prison until the Crumlin Road Jail was built. Because of its active duty, the castle is still in excellent shape and so the tour from Jackie was interesting and informative. We also walked by the town wall and through one of the gates.
Thursday
22 June 2017
This is Belfast day. We took the 10 am train in to the city and then did the city sightseeing bus (red hop on bus) to see the sights and hear the history. We started at Great Victoria treat and moved on to Dublin Road and the 5 Points Bar and Laverty's Bar. We drove passed Queen's University where John Kelvin studied and Liam Neeson and Margaret ?, a former prime minister studied. We then moved into east Belfast where it is obviously Unionist (Irish Catholics). Here are many murals painted on buildings commemorating battles and people who died for causes like WWII and the 30 year Uprising.
This area is mainly Falls Road. We then drove
passed the International Wall Murals that have pictures of local and world
events and issues.
Then we passed onto Shankill Road and the Loyalists
area. Here there are British flags and bunting everywhere as they prepare
for July 12 and the celebration of the winning of the
Battle of the Boyne by William of Orange over Richard of Scotland that made the
Protestants the
Then on to the Cathedral Quarter before having
to change buses at Central Place. We waited 40 minutes before we off
again past the big fish and then into the Titanic Belfast Museum.
This museum is really well done. It is shaped like the prow of 4 ships in the 4 directions of the compass, and starts off with what Belfast was like when the Titanic was built in 1907.
It took 3 years to build at 11 hours a day for 6 days
a week by thousands of men. There was a ride that took you through the
steps of the building and then placards describing it in detail before you look
at the slip where the Titanic was launched into the water. This a window
in one of the bows that point at the slip. Then you walk past an example
of a 1st class cabin, a 2nd class cabin and a 3rd class cabin and then you get
to stand on a 1st class deck and look out to sea. The nest area deals
with the disaster, the calls on the radio, the sinking and the rescue of the
people in lifeboats and the retrieval of the dead and
identification. It finishes with the Hollywood movies of the event and
then the finding of the wreckage in 1985. We all left very happy with the
visit.
We continued on to the Parliament buildings on the Stormont Estate. What a beautiful presentation. It is a 1 mile drive up a straight avenue to the white building on the top of a hill. Canada gave the Parliament the light standards, so they all have gold coloured moose on them.
After a
quick fish and chips we continued on passed CS Lewis Square to commemorate the
Narnia author, through Lower Newtownards Road and more murals, then by the beautiful
City Hall and we were done. Ed headed to the airport to get a car for tomorrow and to do some bell ringing. We walked to
Central Station and took the train back to Carrickfergus. A great day!
Friday
23 June 2017
Wednesday/Thursday
31 May and 1 June 2017
Out flight on Iceland Air left at 6 pm. We arrived Keflavik about 6 am and had a quick turn around before our flight to Manchester. After arriving there, we were able to easily get a train ticket to Liverpool and a mediocre bacon bap before the 1 hour train ride to Limestreet station. There, we took a taxi to the marina. Ed met us there and took us to the boat. After depositing our luggage and a quick chat, we headed to the Albert Dock and The Pumphouse for supper.
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| The 'Pump House' pub in the center! |
Friday
2 June 2017
The weather is sunny, but windy. The waves are quite high in the Irish Sea, so we are still in Liverpool.
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| The ferry crosses back on forth across the Mersey. It is painted like this as apparently in makes it harder to bomb for the German pilots during the blitz in WWII. |
Saturday
3 June 2017
The weather has not changed, so we are touring the city. We ventured up to the Liverpool Cathedral and went up the elevator and steps to the top of the tower to see the city. On the way, you get to see the big bells. They are the heaviest ring in the country. The biggest bell is Big George, weighing in at 15 tons. It is only rung at Christmas, Easter and special occasions. We then stopped on the third floor to see the embroidery exhibit of altar clothes and priestly drapery. Beautiful! We stopped at the Philarmonic Pub for a sharers plate and a drink. We then toured the Catholic Church, dubbed "Paddy's Wigwam" and enjoyed the floral exhibit. On down to the waterfront for a pint at the Pumphouse before heading back to the boat.
Sunday
4 June 20117
Ed was up early to ring at a church. We all headed to the Cathedral for Evensong and bell ringing in the afternoon. Ed rang for 90 minutes, but there was no Evensong. So down the hill we went to get a picture of the Beatles statue
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| Liverpool's favourite sons .... The Beatles"! |
Monday
5 June 2017
The weather has really socked in - heavy rain and Gail-force winds. The boys did a couple of odd jobs while Pat cross-stitched. There is to be no change for many days so we are planning a trip to London via car rental. We will also fit in a visit with Nick and Chris who will be on their narrow boat in Lincoln on Friday. Back Saturday. If this continues, we may also fly to Dublin for a few days.
Tuesday
6 June 2017
Still lots of rain and gale-force winds so we are again on the boat. Three more odd jobs were completed by the boys and Pat stitched. The butterfly is coming along. By afternoon the rain had let up but the wind continues. Off to London tomorrow.
Wednesday
7 June 2017
Ed was up early and out to pick up the rental car. Then we were off to London via Milton Keys for a leg stretch. We arrived in about 6 pm and had a supper at the local Wetherspoons before arriving at our 'air bnb' for the night. The host couple are really cute. He is a curious East Indian and she is an Iranian. She works at the children's hospital in London.
Thursday
8 June 2017
It is cloudy and breezy but reasonably warm. We took the metro in to Kensington South and walked the couple of blocks to Royal Albert Hall for our 11 am tour.
 |
| The Royal Albert Hall build by Queen Victoria for her husband Prince Albert. |
It was then over to the V&A museum, a block away, to see all of the stuff. We started with an overview your of the Chinese and Japanese galleries and then over to jewelry and pictures by Constable. We then wandered the statue gallery and the furniture gallery along with Victorian daily life. We enjoyed lunch in the museum cafe a novelty when the museum was built. By now it is getting late so we made a quick stop in the museum of math and science next door to see the ship pictures and the airplanes, as well as the clock exhibit. Then it was a reverse trip back on the metro, super at Wetherspoons again, and back to our room to see the results of the national election after the polls closed at 10 am. We didn't bother to wait up, so found out the next morning that the Conservatives had won with a minority govt.
Friday
9 June 2017
We are now on our way to Lincoln or close by to see Nick and Chris Seager in their narrow boat. On route, we stopped at Bletchley Park to see the Decoding Museum that was made famous by the movie "The Imitation Game". Here, brilliant men and 1 woman tried to and broke the German Enigma code and helped to shorten and win WWII. What a fabulous place!
 |
| Bletchly Park |
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| German Enigma machine |
Saturday
10 June 2017
Rain and wind are the order of the day. We headed back to Liverpool and the Seagers went on to Lincoln. Our route took us through the Peak District and over the Pennines and Moors, always great to see. Back to the boat and a lazy afternoon.
Sunday
11 June 2017
The boys completed a few jobs while I stitched the butterfly picture for Keira.
Monday
12 June 201
The wind is finally settling down. With a bit of sun, we headed into town to get a few groceries and see the slavery museum and maritime museum (Lusitania, merchant marines). Back for supper and sleep.
Tuesday
13 June 2017
Today we are off, but cannot leave until around 2 pm because of the tides. We are heading north to Fleetwood, then on to White Haven and across to the Isle of Man and Ireland before heading to Islay. That is the plan.
It is now 9:30 pm and we have just moored up to a buoy in the channel outside of the marina at Fleetwood. It is low tide, so there is a lot of sand around with boats in the mud. The rise of the beach is very steep. In the distance we can see little cottages that are painted bright colours. This looks like an interesting village, but we are in the water so no exploring.
 |
| Sunset as we were moored to a buoy just outside the harbour at Fleetwood. |
Wednesday
14 June 2017
The boys were up early so that we could leave Fleetwood as the tide headed out. The water was twice as deep as when we arrived the night before (2m deep instead of 1m). The trip to Whitehaven was uneventful. The waves were low so the trip was not full of rocking and rolling. We did see one seal and three Dolphins. The cliffs near Whitehaven are high.
 |
| Whitehaven harbour entrance. |
 |
| Whitehaven marina. |
The marina area is divided into the old quay and the new quay. The marina is in the old part. Once we were moored, we walked the cliffs to see the remnants of the coal industry and a bit of the original downtown. It is supposed to start raining in the night, so we will probably be here for a couple of days.
Thursday
15 June 2017
We are weathered in at the moment. It is warm and sunny in Whitehaven, but the seas are quite rough. We can see large whitecaps.
So we wandered the town and toured the excellent Beacon Museum which gave a good overview of the history of the area, with stations to interact with on the 3rd floor, and an excellent understanding of how nuclear power plants work and how the one in this area is being decommissioned on the 2nd floor. The top floor had some miners specimens and an etching, we met the education curator and he explained the area to us. We then wandered through the big church that burned down in the 50s. The grounds have been turned in to a little green space for the locals. Rain began about 6 pm, so we tucked in for the night and watched a tv show about the seven great British inventions. People were asked to phone in and vote on the greatest from tv, steam engine, jet engine, concrete, fridge, antibiotics, and the smartphone. Antibiotics were the final winner. Great fun.
Friday
16 June 2017
The boys did some work on the boat and I stitched because it wasn't very nice out.
Saturday
17 June 2017
The seas were supposed to be calmer today, so we headed out for about an hour. Unfortunately, the seas were not as predicted, so we headed back to the Whitehaven Marina and our same berth. Kerry and I did a bit of shopping and then the three of us toured the Rum Story, an old Jefferson's Rum warehouse, now made into a museum about the history of rum and its trading. It included how rum is made, the slave trade for workers on the plantations, the navy and its rum tot and prohibition in the US.
Sunday
18 June 2017
Happy Father's Day! The seas are calmer, and the sky is bright blue, so we are off to Peel on the Isle of Mann. It was a bit rough at the start, but soon calmed right down. The north end of the Isle of Mann is quite flat and sandy. The cliffs build up and the farms look lush as we headed south on the west side of the island. Peel was interesting. There were at least 10 boats waiting to get out of the harbour, and at least that many, if not more, waiting to get in at the tidal hour of 5:30 when the harbour was to open. The outward traffic was dispersed first, and then it was a mad rush as the sailboats all wanted to get in quickly. The harbour master had everyone go in in the order they had called in, so order was restored. In the marina, however, it was poorly numbered, so a sailboat took our spot and we headed to the other side. After discovering the mistake, they moved and then we had to move back to number 13. Once in, all was well.
 |
| Peel Marina. |
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| Peel Marina from inside the castle. |
19 June 2017
It is a bright, sunny day, so we are off to explore Peel. The town is situated in a small valley that extends up from the harbour. We start there and walk up the hill, past a few shops to the old St George church and on to the St George Cathedral, built in the 1990s. They did take the windows, etc out of the old church and relocate them to the new one. Very reminiscent of the Welsh church we visited two years ago, but much more light. They have a display cabinet full of communion sets from the ages. The oldest dates back to the time of Charles II. Then is one from each of the George's time, plus a few private home sets. We headed down to the beach, which has lovely sand and is quite wide. There we found a small place selling Isle of Man ice cream. Delicious. The owner is a talker, comedian and magician, so he entertained us with tales of the town, magic tricks and jokes. He claims that the BeeGees were originally from Peel and then moved to Manchester before heading to Australia. Robin Gibb apparently owned a house here until he died and his widow sold it all.
We then headed over to the Peel Castle on St Patrick Island, which is now connected to the harbour by a short causeway and also houses the breakwater. The castle is very old and has many parts from the 13th and 14th century. It was renovated during the English Civil war to modernize it (a quote from the castle literature).
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| A view of Peel Castle. |
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| Scallop shells on Fennine Beach. |
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| Yet more Scallop shells on Fennine Beach. |
About 6 pm, we looked out to the breakwater, and a tall ship was sailing in under full sail. It did a big turn and brought down the sails before it announced that it has arrived with a cannon shot. We headed over after supper to admire it. It is Russian and is a replica of a 1703 ship that was Peter the Great's private yacht. Very pretty.
 |
| A replica of Peter the Great's toy yatch! |
20 June 2017
It is sunny, butt we are on the move again because it is supposed to rain tomorrow. We are headed to Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, and are traveling across the Irish Sea. It is quite choppy. The way is dull until we get to the inlet that leads to Belfast Harbour.
 |
| Kinda looks like St. John's, Newfoundland? |
Wednesday
21 June 2017
Today is warm and cloudy. We are exploring Carrickfergus. This is an old town where a castle was built by the Normans in 1177. It had an small keep and wall area, but was enlarged and refurbished several times. It was used as a fortification until after WWII and as a prison until the Crumlin Road Jail was built. Because of its active duty, the castle is still in excellent shape and so the tour from Jackie was interesting and informative. We also walked by the town wall and through one of the gates.
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| Carrickfergus Castle enterance. |
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| Defending the castle in Norman times. |
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| Slightly more modern armament. |
Thursday
This is Belfast day. We took the 10 am train in to the city and then did the city sightseeing bus (red hop on bus) to see the sights and hear the history. We started at Great Victoria treat and moved on to Dublin Road and the 5 Points Bar and Laverty's Bar. We drove passed Queen's University where John Kelvin studied and Liam Neeson and Margaret ?, a former prime minister studied. We then moved into east Belfast where it is obviously Unionist (Irish Catholics). Here are many murals painted on buildings commemorating battles and people who died for causes like WWII and the 30 year Uprising.
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| Unionist mural. |
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| Hunger strike leader mural. |
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| A terrible time ..... |
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| This wall kept the two factions apart. |
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| Unionist mural. |
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| Another Unionist mural. |
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| Such a sad story in human history. |
This museum is really well done. It is shaped like the prow of 4 ships in the 4 directions of the compass, and starts off with what Belfast was like when the Titanic was built in 1907.
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| Titanic Museum. |
We continued on to the Parliament buildings on the Stormont Estate. What a beautiful presentation. It is a 1 mile drive up a straight avenue to the white building on the top of a hill. Canada gave the Parliament the light standards, so they all have gold coloured moose on them.
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| Northern Ireland's parliament buildings. |
Friday
23 June 2017
Today we had a car and so we headed
north. After taking every small road we could until we reached the M2, we
were soon at the ‘Dark Hedges’. This is a straight road that goes for
about 750 m. It is lined with 300 year old beech trees that make a
tunnel, and is considered to be one of the top 5 tree tunnels in the
world. It has been used as a set for the tv show "Game of Thrones",
so many people, world-wide know this place as the "King's
Highway". The road had many people of many different nationalities,
walking its length, taking photos. Kerry texted a photo to Cam, Kyle and
Cory, and they were thrilled.
Our next stop, only a few minutes away, was the original old Bushmills
Distillery. We took the tour and then were given a sample of the 5 yr,
the 10 yr, the 12 yr and the Black Bush Blend. Our favourite was the 12
yr, so we purchased a bottle to take home.
The next stop, 5 minutes away, was the Giant's Causeway. It has changed considerably since we were there 10 years ago. Now, the National Trust has taken over running it, and has built a large parking lot and visitors' centre. The car rental agency had given Ed a heads-up about parking and a side entrance, so we saved the 40 pounds and parked on the road, bought a quick sandwich at the souvenir store, and headed through the gate and down. We didn't get to use the bus down and up, but I did manage the walk. The hexagonal stones are still beautiful, despite the throngs that are now there.
Carrick-a-rede was supposed to be our last stop. We were half way down
the 1 km walk, when a coastguard helicopter flew up to the island and had to
airlift a couple of people out. It was getting late and there was going
to be such a backlog to get across the bridge, that so we headed back up and
out. That place is definitely way busier than it was 10 years ago.
On the way back, we drove past, and then stopped at a round tower that was with
the Catholic Church in Armoy. It was very reminiscent of Saul Church in
Down Patrick.
Saturday
24 June 2017
Today, we were hoping to go to Dublin, by train, stay the night, and return tomorrow. However, it is Gay Pride weekend, and hotel prices have skyrocketed. Tourist bus routes are also being hindered, so we decided to stay putt and get more odd jobs completed.
Sunday
25 June 2017
Ed went off to church this morning, hoping to ring. No luck. We stayed put and worked on odd jobs.
Monday
26 June 2017
The tide and winds were perfect of an 11:30 am departure to Campbeltown, Scotland. It was the best crossing ever - smooth as glass the WHOLE way. We were blessed with the sightings of dolphins, twice, along the way. There was very little traffic. Kerry was driving when we were on a collision course with a ferry. His skill kept us out of the ferry's way because they move really fast, and we slowed down. Might is right on the seas.
The coastline around Campbeltown is high hills with steep cliffs! The harbour is in a small inlet, protected by an island. There is only one way around the island because the other side is dry ground at lower tides. We arrived at half tide, and it was dry. There are 3 distilleries here. Tomorrow should be fun.
Tuesday
27 June 2017
We woke up to pouring rain and low tides. The ground beside us was bare, so a small grey heron was looking for fish beside us.
The boys found a couple more new leaks and worked on the water in the bilge again. They are hopeful that the problem is now fixed (maybe). The wind was howling, so we moved the boat ahead when our forward neighbour left. I saw some amazing jelly fish hiding in the seaweed attached to the pontoon.
We took a walk to the Tourist Information to get the scoop. We walked over to the Whiskey Store to admire their product before going to Tesco to restock the cupboard. By the time we returned to the boat, we were all soaking wet. After a quick change and lunch, we walked over to the Ardsheil Hotel Whiskey Bar to sample a local fight and a smoke flight. The lady running the bar was very knowledgeable so it was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon.
Wednesday
28 June 2017
The weather has cleared, so we headed north Tarbert. The harbour is naturally protected. We got our spot and then headed out to explore the tiny village. They have a great Scotland Tourism shop and an old castle called Tarbert Castle. It is on the hill and a ruin now, with sheep wandering over the grass and down into the Glen (valley) beside it.
Thursday
29 June 2017
The weather would drench you again, so we are waiting. It cleared a little later in the day so we headed to a pub. Kerry and I stopped often to admire all of the different jellyfish, but none were as spectacular as the one I saw yesterday in Campbeltown, until we saw a big, ruffle peach coloured one on our way back to the boat.
Friday
30 June 2017
The sun is out and the sea is calm. We re off north to the Crinan Canal.
It is a 9 mile canal that shortens the trip to Oban because it
cuts throughout the isthmus that a we have been following. We had to wait
a while for the sea lock to fill with boats before we could get into the first
canal lock. We met Kate and Les, briefly, before suggesting they go
through with the French boat while we waited for the Swedish boat to come
though the sea lock and join us up the first 4 locks. The Swedes were in
agreement because they didn't know what to do in a lock station. We
immediately struck up a friendship with Katarina and then met Dennis and
Nicholas after we docked for the evening. We met for drinks at the hotel,
but it was not conducive to conversation so they came over to Ed's boat after
supper. The talked flowed until late.
Saturday
1 July 2017
Happy Canada Day!! The sun we shining as we headed out a 8:30 am with Kate and Les through the next 5 locks. They are a great couple, and another friendship was born. We arrived at the end of the canal, and moored while the Morss's went through the last, manned lock. The gates broke right after, so we were trapped until it was fixed. We met for tea before they headed through at slack tide to Oban and their mooring. The Swede's arrived from upstream and moored in the basin below us.
Sunday
2 Jul 2017
Rain again. Smer rain, according to Megan, the wee Scottish lass who ran the middle locks. The lock gates were temporarily fixed last night and the crew is out today to do the final fix. Divers and engineers were there, so we headed to the hotel and around before ending at the coffee shop for scones (the best we had ever had) and tea with the Swedes. We decided that we should get together again, and the invitation came soon after from Katarina. She had lived in Montreal with her first husband for 5 years. I asked them if they were game to play a dice game and she said yes. They are big fans of "10 thousand" they call it. We played 2 games. Ed and Nick won, Kerry and I were the big losers. Oh well, lots of fun.
Monday
3 July 2017
The sun is shining and it is warm. The big coal powered barge is loading with coal and needs the lock to get each side filled. We waited for them to load the port side and then the lock staff sent us through the final 2 locks.
The
Swedes head out an hour before us, heading for Port Ellen (Islay) with a stop
somewhere else for the night. We are heading right to Port Ellen.
On the way, we saw the distillery on Jura then we went by, Ardbeg, Lagavolan
and Laphroig. They are within easy walking distance of the town.
We also went by Texa island on the way in to the harbour. It is one beautiful place.
Tuesday
4 July 2017
The rain was pelting down, so we called a taxi to take us up to Kilchoman Distillery on the north side of the island.
On the way, we saw cows
walking across the beach to their favourite eating grass. We did the tour
and wandered the sales shop before calling another taxi to take us to Bowmore
town and the distillery. Once there, we decided against a tour and went
to the tasting room for a couple of wee drams. Needless to say, we
brought again.
We then hopped the bus to Laphroig so that Ed could claim
his rent on his 1 foot square plot of Laphroig bog land. On the way, we
could see areas where the peat had been cut out and piled, ready to go to the
various distilleries and the big malting plant at Port Ellen. Kerry signed up
as well, so we went out to post the Canadian flag on the plots.
We then
bought some whiskey. We walked the half mile back to Port Ellen on the 3
Distilleries path. The sun is now shining a bit and we are done for the
day.
Wednesday
5 July 2017
The weather is great, so it is time to head north. We were blessed with a couple of seals as we travelled. For the night, we moored on a buoy in an arm of the Sea of Jura.
Thursday
6 July 2017
Weather is holding, so we continued on to Oban. We moored in the marina and took the ferry across to the town.
What a change from the last times
we were here.
It has grown from a tiny town, 20 years ago, to a bustling
travel hub for the Hebrides and on. Lots of new stores - 5 souvenir
shops, 3 whiskey shops, 4 outdoor clothing stores.
Friday
7 July 2017
Still in Oban. The weather takes turns being sunny or raining.
Saturday
8 July 2017
We awoke to clouds and rain, so stayed on board until 3 pm when we took the ferry across to Oban and went in for a walk in town.
Sunday
9 July 2017
Pouring rain and cool all day.
Monday
10 July 2017
Rain
Tuesday
11 July 2017
Took the train to Manchester today. Sun was shining. It was great to see some of the familiar sights in Glasgow where we changed trains. In Manchester the hotel picked us up and all was great.
Wednesday
12 July 2017
As we flew over Greenland, there was no cloud and we could see the land. Covered in snow. It was quite mountainous. On the west side of the country, in the water, we could see the new ice bergs clearly. It was a sight to behold!
 |
| In Northern Ireland this area is known as the 'Dark Hedges', but to much of the world it is the 'King's Highway'! |
The next stop, 5 minutes away, was the Giant's Causeway. It has changed considerably since we were there 10 years ago. Now, the National Trust has taken over running it, and has built a large parking lot and visitors' centre. The car rental agency had given Ed a heads-up about parking and a side entrance, so we saved the 40 pounds and parked on the road, bought a quick sandwich at the souvenir store, and headed through the gate and down. We didn't get to use the bus down and up, but I did manage the walk. The hexagonal stones are still beautiful, despite the throngs that are now there.
 |
| The 'Giants Causeway'. |
 |
| Such a beautiful place! |
 |
| Carrick-a-rede, life is always an adventure .... see the helicopter? |
Saturday
24 June 2017
Today, we were hoping to go to Dublin, by train, stay the night, and return tomorrow. However, it is Gay Pride weekend, and hotel prices have skyrocketed. Tourist bus routes are also being hindered, so we decided to stay putt and get more odd jobs completed.
Sunday
25 June 2017
Ed went off to church this morning, hoping to ring. No luck. We stayed put and worked on odd jobs.
Monday
26 June 2017
The tide and winds were perfect of an 11:30 am departure to Campbeltown, Scotland. It was the best crossing ever - smooth as glass the WHOLE way. We were blessed with the sightings of dolphins, twice, along the way. There was very little traffic. Kerry was driving when we were on a collision course with a ferry. His skill kept us out of the ferry's way because they move really fast, and we slowed down. Might is right on the seas.
The coastline around Campbeltown is high hills with steep cliffs! The harbour is in a small inlet, protected by an island. There is only one way around the island because the other side is dry ground at lower tides. We arrived at half tide, and it was dry. There are 3 distilleries here. Tomorrow should be fun.
 |
| This was the view from our mooring in Campbeltown, of course there is a pub in the Royal Hotel! |
27 June 2017
We woke up to pouring rain and low tides. The ground beside us was bare, so a small grey heron was looking for fish beside us.
The boys found a couple more new leaks and worked on the water in the bilge again. They are hopeful that the problem is now fixed (maybe). The wind was howling, so we moved the boat ahead when our forward neighbour left. I saw some amazing jelly fish hiding in the seaweed attached to the pontoon.
We took a walk to the Tourist Information to get the scoop. We walked over to the Whiskey Store to admire their product before going to Tesco to restock the cupboard. By the time we returned to the boat, we were all soaking wet. After a quick change and lunch, we walked over to the Ardsheil Hotel Whiskey Bar to sample a local fight and a smoke flight. The lady running the bar was very knowledgeable so it was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon.
Wednesday
28 June 2017
The weather has cleared, so we headed north Tarbert. The harbour is naturally protected. We got our spot and then headed out to explore the tiny village. They have a great Scotland Tourism shop and an old castle called Tarbert Castle. It is on the hill and a ruin now, with sheep wandering over the grass and down into the Glen (valley) beside it.
 |
| Tarbert Harbour viewed from the castle hill. |
 |
| Tarbert castle ruins. |
 |
| Bah, bah black sheep. |
The weather would drench you again, so we are waiting. It cleared a little later in the day so we headed to a pub. Kerry and I stopped often to admire all of the different jellyfish, but none were as spectacular as the one I saw yesterday in Campbeltown, until we saw a big, ruffle peach coloured one on our way back to the boat.
Friday
30 June 2017
The sun is out and the sea is calm. We re off north to the Crinan Canal.
 |
| The 'Crinan Canal' near the top. |
Saturday
1 July 2017
Happy Canada Day!! The sun we shining as we headed out a 8:30 am with Kate and Les through the next 5 locks. They are a great couple, and another friendship was born. We arrived at the end of the canal, and moored while the Morss's went through the last, manned lock. The gates broke right after, so we were trapped until it was fixed. We met for tea before they headed through at slack tide to Oban and their mooring. The Swede's arrived from upstream and moored in the basin below us.
 |
| Ah to be a Scottish Laird! |
 |
| Yes, even a minor laird! |
 |
| Section of beach in Crinan. |
2 Jul 2017
Rain again. Smer rain, according to Megan, the wee Scottish lass who ran the middle locks. The lock gates were temporarily fixed last night and the crew is out today to do the final fix. Divers and engineers were there, so we headed to the hotel and around before ending at the coffee shop for scones (the best we had ever had) and tea with the Swedes. We decided that we should get together again, and the invitation came soon after from Katarina. She had lived in Montreal with her first husband for 5 years. I asked them if they were game to play a dice game and she said yes. They are big fans of "10 thousand" they call it. We played 2 games. Ed and Nick won, Kerry and I were the big losers. Oh well, lots of fun.
Monday
3 July 2017
The sun is shining and it is warm. The big coal powered barge is loading with coal and needs the lock to get each side filled. We waited for them to load the port side and then the lock staff sent us through the final 2 locks.
 |
| Loading up with coal. |
 |
| Ardbeg distillery seen from the water. |
Tuesday
4 July 2017
The rain was pelting down, so we called a taxi to take us up to Kilchoman Distillery on the north side of the island.
 |
| We wish it was this one! |
Wednesday
5 July 2017
The weather is great, so it is time to head north. We were blessed with a couple of seals as we travelled. For the night, we moored on a buoy in an arm of the Sea of Jura.
 |
| It is just so beautiful! |
6 July 2017
Weather is holding, so we continued on to Oban. We moored in the marina and took the ferry across to the town.
 |
| Oban marina. |
 |
| Oban as seen from the ferry coming from the marina. |
 |
| Oban at sunset! |
Friday
7 July 2017
Still in Oban. The weather takes turns being sunny or raining.
Saturday
8 July 2017
We awoke to clouds and rain, so stayed on board until 3 pm when we took the ferry across to Oban and went in for a walk in town.
Sunday
9 July 2017
Pouring rain and cool all day.
Monday
10 July 2017
Rain
Tuesday
11 July 2017
Took the train to Manchester today. Sun was shining. It was great to see some of the familiar sights in Glasgow where we changed trains. In Manchester the hotel picked us up and all was great.
Wednesday
12 July 2017
As we flew over Greenland, there was no cloud and we could see the land. Covered in snow. It was quite mountainous. On the west side of the country, in the water, we could see the new ice bergs clearly. It was a sight to behold!
 |
| Icebergs off the west coast of Greenland. |
 |
| A glacier that empties into the Greenland Sea. |
 | |||
| Tuna Glacier |
