http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Maria--Dave--Jack---Michael-Blog-2008/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Maria Dave Jack Michael Blog 2008 en-us Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:05:56 +0000 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:05:56 +0000 After our narrow gauge train ride with views of the Sound of Mull and a brief respite in the Torosay Castle gardens near Craignure pop. 200 we headed south to Bunessan pop. 150 and our BB Ardtun House. The drive is only about 31 miles in distance but you might be surprised how much time it takes to travel on single track roads even in such a remote area. Oncoming local cars pop up sheeps http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Isle-of-Mull/blog-420797.html This year we attended the first round of the British Open at Turnberry on the Ayrshire coast southwest of Glasgow. The officials do not let spectators bring phones or cameras onto the course so we had to reenact the key moments on the pitch and putt course near our Edinburgh flat.It was a lot of fun. Thursday was a lovely sunny day and the course was beautiful. We camped at the par 3 6 a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Ayr/blog-421011.html On Thursday we took a ferry from Oban to a town called Craignure on the island of Mull. In Craignure we went to take a train to Torosay Castle and Gardens. So at the station we got the tickets and went to the platform and expected to get on a regular train but no The train was like a one at an amusement park it was small and was very slow. Mom forgot to mention that it was a narrow gauge. We g http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Isle-of-Mull/blog-421009.html Our plan was to overnight in Oban take the car ferry to the Isle of Mull and in two 12 days drive south and take short boat trips to Iona and Staffa and then drive north to Tobermory and see everything else on Mull. Ambitious yes Driving a manual shift on the motorway while seated in the passenger side of the car heading in the opposite direction from 'usual' was going to be a challenge b http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Oban/blog-420709.html Here are some sights around Edinburgh... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-415896.html These are pictures of some cars we saw during our travels in Scotland. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-418070.html A mostly wordforword note from DogBoysMariaIzzy's been doing well. She's been eating fine and having fun in playgroup with some good adult role models. She went on the hike yesterday and did very well. All the dogs have been coming in late morning around 11 am or so to cool down in the kennel in the air conditioning. In the afternoons there are either arts and crafts activities or small g http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-415894.html Today Dave and I walked to Haymarket Rail Station while Jack and Michael figured out the bus route there. We all took the train to Leuchars and then the short bus ride to St. Andrew's city center. Had a yummy lunch at an outdoor cafe and then split up. Maria walked the streets and looked at the shops found the cathedral and castle ruins. The men went to the Himalayas course which is a natural g http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/blog-414779.html We arrived at Manchester airport on Saturday and took the train north to rainy cool and damp Edinburgh. Our Bruntsfield apartment is really lovely and spacious and is located next to many shops and restaurants. After taking care of the essentials bus passes and groceries we had time for golf at one of the several nearby parks one with a pitch and putt golf course is just 5 minutes walk away. O http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-414750.html After packing Izzy off to DogBoys Dog Ranch for her summer camp we flew from Austin into Atlanta where Grandpa John greeted us and drove us back to Savannah Lakes McCormick SC. He and Grandma Mary live in a lovely house in a very peaceful setting of lob lolly pines on a quiet lake. We watched tiny hummingbirds colorful goldfinches and a large woodpecker eat from the many feeders outside on th http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Carolina/blog-414734.html Well it is almost time for us to leave Barca and make our way back to Texas. The last day or so Dave and Michael have been under the weather with some kind of minor bug. They are resting in our lovely apartment trying to ignore the nonstop construction going on in the apt building right next door. Jack is taking good care of them by venturing alone to the mercado where he used his knowledg http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-325439.html Today we finally got some of that legendary Spanish summer heat. We decided to take a trip to Parc Guell a wooded and hilly 30 acre park in the north of Barcelona that was intended to be a gated community a century ago. The Parc features a number of structures designed by Antonio Gaudi.Antonio Gaudi was a engineer architect artist who lived in Barcelona in the late 19th and early 20th cent http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-302124.html On Sunday the boys and I left Dave in Edinburgh to finish up his teaching gig we flew to Girona Spain in Catalonia North East which is not too far from the Pyrenees in France.We stayed at a new Express Holiday Inn in Salt a town on the outskirts of Girona. When we visited the nearby mall in search of dinner 730pm we were surprised to find all the shops closed. We inquired at the hotel de http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Girona/blog-300862.html Yesterday we went to Camp Nou home of FC Barcelona one of the world's biggest and most popular football clubs. It was packed with visitors from all over the world. And Bruce Springsteen fans hovered outside the grounds awaiting a concert by Springsteen that evening.Barcelona is the club for which Ronaldinho played until a few days ago. The stadium seats almost 100000 people and they offe http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-301718.html This year in Spain we stayed in Barcelona and there was a chocolate muesem. They had really sweet chocolate sculptures like horses pulling carriages and the FC Barcelona logo. We got to see people make the sculptures. There was also a Barcelona stadium made out of chocolate.By michelpence http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-301363.html We did a lot of walking around our first couple of days here in Barcelona almost all of it intentional. Our very nice apartment is located not too far from the Placa de Catalunya a large central square that divides old and new Barcelona. We took a walk on Las Ramblas which runs south toward the harbor. It used to be a medieval drainage ditch along the outside of the walls of the old town Ba http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-301312.html I am going to continue on my car blog. I have got a few more pictures I would like you to see. Most of these pictures I took on top of double decker buses so they are slightly from above. The silver car is a souped up MG convertible they donrsquot have MG in the u s a . The black convertible is a Porsche boxter the black BMW is a m6 coupe. The smallish black one is a smart for fun.my favorite http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Girona/blog-300861.html On the boys' last day in Edinburgh we decided to attempt to ldquosummitrdquo Arthur's Seat a forbidding mountain that looms menacingly over Edinburgh. Maria declined to go citing shopping fever and calling our attempt sheer madness.1113 am We depart base camp catching the 27 bus downtown and switching to the 35 to Holyrood after securing provisions. We opt not to bring oxygen http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-298840.html Here are some videos from street performers on the royal mile and some videos from Camera Obscura. The street performer was an American magician. The second one put a sword next to my neck shook my hand patted me on the head and saluted me. Camera Obscura is a place with lots of optical illusions. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-298108.html Enjoy a short video of some Highland Dancers performing at the Royal Museum of Scotland. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-296894.html