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?!"

Mary.....Queen of Scots, Bridges, and The Trossacks

Mary… Queen of Scots

Oh what a beautiful morning! This day started out better than we ever would have expected. The air was brisk, but not freezing, and it was not at all damp. The sun broke through off and on and to top it off, the evening surprised us with an ‘almost’ full moon. It is hard to imagine a day more beautiful on this side of eternity!

After our typical Scottish breakfast, we were once again welcomed by Davey, our driver….the kids have taken to calling him King David….he gets on right nicely with them. Actually he and “Uncle Terry” both have found the group quite delightful and quite unlike many of their American groups which they call, stuffy and flat. These students ask great questions.

Among the things we learned today during our drive through the countryside….

A cow is a coo……………..a horse is a hahse……….but a sheep is a sheep                                    A lake is a Loch………..a Bridge is a Firth………but if you want your hahse to go, then say gigi, not giddy-up.

We headed out of Edinburgh today toward the countryside, hoping to make it up into the snow capped mountains to reach the wool mills and Loch Katrine (Lake Katherine). Because of the extreme rains and up to 100 mph winds that came through last Sunday and Monday, many of the roads were still blocked or underwater. The river (well, the tributaries that ran into the River Forth)…was still swollen and running rapidly because “the river broke its banks” (or flooded).  We passed a ‘car park” (parking lot) which was inaccessible due to the floods and there were so many trees down. It really did look like a hurricane had blown through!

Because we were unlikely to make it to our intended destination, Terry and Davey had a great backup plan, and I think it turned out to be better than watching a sheep dog in the field! We took a little side trip (actually, the long way ‘round to the castle) and got to travel through the cutest little towns….what we had imagined that Scotland living would be like. We saw the step gable architecture on homes…and influence from the Vikings. We followed the River Forth, which is the main shipping line and a big reason for the industry in Scotland. We came to realize how close we were to Scandanavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway) and why the Vikings found this an interesting territory to conquer.

Then, round the bend, we came upon one of the great surprises….at least to me….for I had hoped to see the grand Firth of Forth Bridge…..take yourself back to the time of the installation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris….this is the time period and style of the bridge...and, this bridge is comparable to our own Golden Gate Bridge!  …it is a train bridge and it is still in use today. (We saw two trains cross it!) It was one of the great marvels of its own day. Our group shot has not only the rail bridge but also the car bridge in the photo.

We also saw the oldest post box in Scotland, those round red tubes that we see everywhere. This one was stamped with the seal of Queen Victoria!

After re-grouping and loading the bus to get warm again, we headed off to Stirling Castle. I think I will make that a separate post because it was just an incredible experience as well…….

Let’s skip on past the morning visit to the Stirling Castle and head on down the road to the Woolen Mills Stores. (I will get back to the castle later)

It was interesting to see how they weave the tartans (the scottish plaids)...each is a different color or pattern according to the clan (family name).  Of course we had to have our fair share of plaids and some of the girls can not pass up a direction sign called......CLEARANCE. Oh my! Thank goodness for large suitcases!

We had lunch at the Mills and got some great photos of the beautiful snow covered mountains just ahead of us. Though we wanted to, we could not get into the mountains due to the trees that were still blocking roads. Like ours, the mountain roads are the least important when it comes to getting them cleared.

Loading up again, we saw many sheep in the fields, lots of crops  and plowed fields, and even some Highland cows (coos)....if you ever saw a photo of a very hairy cow...with hair down in their eyes...that is a Highland Cow...they have been in Scotland since the 6th Century and are unique to this area. They do not have an extra layer of fat in the winter, but rather, an extra layer of hair. They also call it Highland Angus....or steak....mmmmm. We have not had any.

Off to Loch Lubnaig in an area called the Trossacks (meaning wild area or woodlands)

The lakes are nothing like we have, but are beautiful anyway. The photo does not show the beautiful snow capped mountain behind the group, but you will see more of those photos when I have a chance to do a download. This group loves their cameras and had a great time....in the freezing cold....doing all kinds of great people shots!

After a quick stop in another little town (Aberfoyle, I think) and some GREAT hot chocolate, we headed back to Edinburgh. It was beautiful coming into the town at night. The castle was beautifully lit and we had an almost full moon. WOW!

We made a quick trip to the Tesco Express....somewhat like our Walmart Neighborhood Store ...to pick up some Brittish candies and other goodies. NICE souvenirs! We also learned that the traditional CADBURY chocoate...an English company, was just bought out by Kraft...and the Brits are anything but happy about it! I don't blame them!

Dinner at Jolly's was fantastic and a jolly good time! It was a neighborhood restaurant around the corner from our hotel and we got to pick what we wanted to eat. What could be better than that?!  Everyone returned to the hotel full and exhausted, ready for showers and bed.

I will post more about Mary, Queen of Scots and Stirling Castle, where she grew up. That was a day in itself! Right now it is morning and we are checking out, checking passports (so we can get home again) and heading out for the Burns museum and the Ferry ride to Northern Ireland!

G'Day!