Our Ferry, the Stena Line ~ Superfast

So...it is not THE BEAST that tackles the Hudson River....but it is also not a little pontoon boat that takes our little group over to Ireland. We have discovered that as the dedicated Floridians that we are, we understand lake boats and deep sea fishing boats. We understand cruise ships and we understand charter fishing boats. We think that ferryboats are the little rickety things that go across rivers and sometimes are overcrowded and sink.

Well..........rest well, dear parents because while this is not the Disney Cruise Line.....wheeeee, we scored!  Our ferry is a Swedish owned charter which was recently refurbished and placed into service in December. The chair cushions don't even have dents in them. This place has free wi-fi...you know I love this! There are interactive games, food..great food...and plenty of places to rest, read, journal, or snooze. Our group is doing some of each.

Needless to say, we could not be happier! A few of the kids took dramamine, but most of us opted out. The ride is not bad at all, the sunset is lovely, and dusk is coming upon us. We should arrive in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK...by dinnertime.

We started the morning off with our typical breakfast and a quick loading of luggage onto our bus. King Davey was ready for us and sad that this would be his last day with our group. I am always pleased when our guides and drivers tell me how much they enjoy the group...possibly one of my FAVORITE things to hear!

We drove out of Edinburgh, past the lovely places we had come to love. I think many of us want to return one day. We made it across the countryside to Glagow and some of those sites even remained familiar, even though we were seriously jet-lagged when we arrived in Glasgow. It is a much more modern city than Edinburgh, but has a definite character of its own.

At some point we stopped at a little convenience station, everyone needs to get up and stretch every now and then...and the kids always seem to enjoy finding the local snacks. The hot chocolate machine was great and did not use the powdery stuff, but rather a rich chocolatey syrup mixed with real milk! Mmmmmmmm!  They even provide 'chocolate powder' to sprinkle on top of the cream (whipped cream)

We were on our way to the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and Terry gave us some delightful readings of Burns poetry. It was great to hear it in that Scottish brogue....well, his was more London, but it sounded great to us! "My love is like a red red rose....." and the kids recognized the work, which made it much more special.

Mrs. Newport was as giddy as could be when we reached the Burns museum. She loved the home, the gardens, the mouse statue, the museum.....oh goodness, it was like a mini-me (only I am like that in an art museum...oooh...A Renoir!)  I love it when I have chaperones that are so enthusiastic about the subject at hand....good choices this year!

Many of us have photos of ourselves 'kissing the mouse".....it has to do with the Burns poem about the mouse....and human sized statue.

My personal favorite of today (so far) was the Birthplace cemetery...actually it has more character and ambiance if we call this a graveyard....those of you who know me or have traveled with me already know how much I love graveyards, particularly old ones. I love the stories on the headstones...how do you put a life into so few words? (A challenge to be sure, when someone has to write one for me!....well, I hope!)......
I love the neatness and order of the cemeteries. I love the mossy headstones....no pipes that hold flowers until mowing day, no smooth granite that fails to show the effects of the elements, ah...no, give me ambiance in a cemetery! Give me old mossy trees, and gravel and mud underfoot. Give me old wrought iron railings and stone steps that show the wear of centuries of footsteps wearing them down.

Ok...most of you are tired of that bit of our day, but if we had just had mist....but seriously, if you have never thought about it, you might want to consider this. We all will face a cemetery at some point in our lives, either for the loss of another or someone's loss of ourself.....I just think there is nothing like a cemetery to help you focus on your journey this side of eternity. What am I doing with it? Do I know where I am spending eternity? Am I sure? Do I care?  Well....I know and I care....so I guess the question really is....how about you? Anyway....cemeteries just make me take a moment to focus on what is really important.

And back to more lively chatter......

The Burns museum is interactive so the kids had plenty of learning activities to keep them busy before they headed to lunch. After a short stop in the gift shop, we loaded up again for a drive down the coast.

These Florida kids....when the saw the sea.........ooh, what is that? They knew it was not a lake, but it did not seem like the ocean with the rolling waves (and sunshine) that we know so well. The shoreline is rocky and though it was a little rough, the waves were nothing at all to us. There was what appeared to be a big island out in the distance....some sort of bird sanctuary. We are always hoping we will see Ireland and that it will be bright green. (Ah...the imagination from the books we read, I suppose)

We passed through a number of little seaside villages along the coastline, saw some coos in fields right next to the water (you remember coos, right?) and admired the ages old, stacked stone walls that divided fields and roadways. The rolling hills ranged from shades of green to fresh turned, rich brown soil. The afternoon air was provided a bit of a mist, but the weather was not extreme at all. We did not even need our jackets when we stopped for a bit at the shore.

When we finally rounded the bend and saw Cairn Ryan Port and the ferry....imagine our surprise........AHHHH!....when Terry showed us our ferry! Unloading and checking in was a breeze. As I write, I am surrounded by students who are sleeping (the dramamine bunch), journaling, eating, talking, and reading. Others are about the ship having a grand old time.

As we left Scotland, the road signs told us....."Haste Ye Back"
or in good old Southern American English....."Y'all come back again real soon now, ya hear?!"