End Credits

Thanks to:
New Garmin GPS- for always taking us down Interesting roads we may not have discovered on our own, even if you disagreed with our choice of scenic routes to St. Anthony. Also, thanks for automatically re-routing us around snarly traffic on the way to the airport.

Our Ford S-Max rental car- for the nice ride even on challenging roads and wet conditions. If they made you in the US (with the steering wheel properly on the right) I would consider driving you.

Apartment/cottage rentals - you were cozy AND had washing machines!

Bus number 8 - For allowing us to see more of Edinburgh than our feet were willing to take us.

The folks at Radio 2 - You were brilliant, with your completely random music selections, all request Fridays, and silly quizzes.  Thanks for being very entertaining, even when you weren't playing music. 

Cameras - All four of you for documenting the good times, the beautiful sites and for providing proof that yes...we were there.  Thanks also to the camera phones.

Shawn- for being our designated driver and staying on the left.

Candy- for being an excellent travel companion and for doing all the dishes while we were on Skye. You're awesome!

Things I Will Miss about Britain

Shawn's List

- Sausage and Mustard Crisps (where have you been all my life)

- Hand-pulled Beers

- Fish and Chips

- Paralympics Coverage

- Single Malt Whiskey Fudge

- Diesel Cheaper than Gas

- Cask-conditioned ales cheaper than Budweiser

Best of...

Best brew - Organic Porter from Black Isle Brewing Co. (Inverness)

Best Fish and Chips (also best split peas) - Masons Arms Pub (Warminster)

Best Overall Meal - Red Skye Restaurant and the Claymore (Skye)

Best local experience - watching football at the Heron pub (London)

Best Castle - Edinburgh Castle

Favorite accommodation - Rental cottage on Skye

Favorite Inn - Dalesway Hotel

Favorite Hotel - Breadsall Priory

Most unexpected experience - Seeing memorial to Ianto Jones
Seeing Dr. Who premier in Britain

Most challenging road -....England....

Highlights Candy - Skye and Dr. Who experience, roman baths

Highlights Shawn - hiking old man of Storr, sea glass beach, Bolton Abby

Highlights Sara - hiking the old man of Storr, Chatsworth, Stonehenge

Oldest site - Stonehenge

Favorite livestock experience - herding sheep

Most underwhelming experience - deep sea takeout (Edinburgh)

Best Paralympic show - The Last Leg (channel 4)

Favorite Loch - Loch Lochy

Best radio - BBC 2

Best mode of transportation - London Underground

-- Post From Sara's iPhone

Last Day in Scotland :-(

Sadly we woke today knowing it would be our last full day in Scotland.

Following last minute heroics to save our drying laundry from a surprise shower...we rushed about the house and located the various sundries drying on every hook and doorknob. Then packed up, waved good bye to our amazing rental and left Skye.

We made a quick stop at Dunvegan Castle to stock up on Scotch flavored fudge and made our way to Loch Lomond and The Trussochs. We were rewarded with wonderful views of the Loch and Mountains, but being a bit travel-wary didn't stray far from the car.

We arrived in Glasgow in the late afternoon, checked in to the Marriott. While Mom watched the Tele, Sara and I walked around downtown. Surprisingly we got to pose by the Olympic Rings, something we missed in London, walked the streets in a flood of happy kilt-clad football fans following a victory, and encountered and oddly dressed statue... I was very impressed by Glasgow and Hope to head back again.

We grabbed our final dinner F&C at a local Chippie and watched Dr. Who before settling in to rest up for our morning flight to Newark.

For Auld Lang Syne,
~Shawn


-- Post From Shawn's iPhone

Location:Glasgow, Scotland

High

This morning the sun was out again...mostly. We were all determined to take advantage of it to go hike up to the rock called the Old Man of Storr.

A few years ago, I read an article in a National Geographic Magazine, about the Hebrides. In true NatGeo style, the photos were stunning. There was one in particular, of the Old Man of Storr, that inspired me so much it has been the background on my computer ever since. I never get tired of it. So today, one way or another, I was going up that mountain. Happily, everyone else was up for the challenge as well.

When we got there, the evidence of yesterdays rain was on everyone's shoes. The first part of the trail was a convenient drainage route for the water off the mountain and we were wishing we had wellies with which to slog through the many inches of mud. "But it's just mud", we thought.

A forest restoration project was going on, which is nice, but it meant we had to share this part of the mountain with some heavy equipment. So while we thought we could slug through some mud, we we got to what could only be called a mud river, created by the tacks of the forestry vehicles, we had to take a few minutes to determine the best way of crossing. We WERE crossing. A few logs for crossing and a little mud later, we were over and the trail started to dry out.

The trail went up gradually sometimes, other times, not so much, but there were brilliant views at every turn. It was so nice to be breathing fresh air and getting some exercise after spending so much time driving and touring. I'm so proud of Candy who trooped up that mountain like a pro. We climbed until we got to the tree line and the rocky out crops the call the Old Man, were on display above us.

The trail from this point looked more like a stair way than a trail. Candy decided to enjoy the view from a nice rock near by, while Shawn and I made for the rocks above.

It was such a beautiful day and such a beautiful place. We couldn't resist climbing up all the way to the base of the Old Man, where I could use some of my new rock climbing skills. :)

Once there I looked out and saw the view I had been staring at on my computer for years. The rocks, the cliffs, the green grassy mountainside, leading to the forest...then the ocean. But we could see more. The neighboring Island of Rassay, and even mainland Scotland. There are not words to adequately describe the wonder of it all. But it is if all the beautiful things we have seen all along this trip were only previews of this place.

- Sara

Lazy day

We had a lazy morning at the cottage this morning, which was a nice time to just relax (catch up on blogging) and enjoy the house. After lunch, the wind seemed to let up some, so we ventured out. We stopped by a few shops, one being a yarn shop where I got some beautiful hand dyed mohair! Ok, that will only be exciting to my fellow knitters. :) There were many beautiful yarns there, it was hard to make up my mind.

After some wandering and exploring we headed back to a waterfall we had found yesterday. We had a feeling it would be even more spectacular today because of all the rain.

We were right!

We are now enjoying our evening with a fire in the wood stove...ummm I think hot chocolate may be called for.

~Sara


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Couch

Paralympics

We had hoped to attend a Paralympic event while in Great Britain, but unfortunately the timing was off and we left London a couple of days before the opening ceremonies.  I'm not sure how it is being covered back home, but there are four channels here which are covering the Paralympics events.  I am a huge Olympic sports fan, so this has been a nice cure for my OWS (Olympics Withdrawal Syndrome).  These athletes have trained every bit as hard as their olympic counterparts and the events are just as interesting to watch.  In the Olympics coverage they always have these little vignettes about how some athlete has overcome adversity.  With the Paralympics, you know each and every athlete has overcome obstacles that most people can scarcely imagine.  I really hope that these games are getting the coverage and attention they deserve outside of Britain.

The British people are whole-heartedly supporting the games.  In fact in some events where Team GB is competing the crowd enthusiasm has been a problem.  One rowing event for visually impaired athletes was so loud, that team members said that they couldn't hear the coxswain's calls.  I can't even imagine how they managed to keep their rowing in sync and on course with no sight and no audible indications, but they won the event.  The support really seems to be inspiring the British athletes who are winning medals at an unprecedented pace (as I type they are in second in the medal count with 93). 

~Shawn