August 30th - September 2nd -- London Took the train from Bath to London. In London we boarded a train on the Underground and arrived at the station near our hotel. The Sheraton Park Lane Hotel is a five minute walk across Green Park to Buckingham Palace. We dropped off our luggage and went on a tour of the palace. David’s camera and pack were taken away prior to the tour as photos are not allowed in the palace. It saved his back, but he didn’t seem to appreciate this. (David’s comment: Took part of my soul away..., it was troublesome...). There is so much to write about for this part of our journey, but I want to make this brief. Some of places we saw were the Tower of London, The Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s ... read more

August 27th -- Day Seven -- Farewell Ireland & Crossing the Irish Sea Left for England today via an overnight ferry from Cork to Swansea. The sea which is often stormy was fair for this crossing. Even so, I had a poor sleep and spent much of it looking out the small portal window watching the waves and seagulls as they were lit up by the ships lights. Of the sleepless nights I’ve spent, this will be one of my most memorable.... read more

August 25th -- Day Five -- Wedding Preparations Now, when most people get married they call a caterer, rent a hall, choose a wedding dress, arrange for flowers and send out the invitations. Our family has never done this. We gravitate to the do-it-yourself event. Perhaps this is a psychological affliction or self punishment. Some members, my sister Terri and Auntie Glenys are especially affected. (I won’t go into details as it would take a small book.) On the first day of our arrival, James and Karen met us at the airport with a small car filled with all manner of wedding paraphernalia -- candles, candle holders, napkins, and bottles and bottles of wine. (Apparently at an Irish wedding, it is customary to have 1.5 bottles per person in addition to beer, liqueurs and of course, ... read more

August 23rd -- Day Three -- Blarney Castle Today, I did one of those bucket list items -- I kissed the Blarney Stone! Not sure if I will be given the gift of eloquence as promised, but it did give my back a great stretch. We toured the grounds and the castle. I especially enjoyed the fairy garden. You can see how stories of leprechauns and fairy-folk came from this land, every step one takes opens up another delight for the eye. Just a magical place!... read more

Finally have some time and a relatively decent internet connection so I can update my travel log. I will post our fabulous week in Ireland and time in England over several posts rather than one long post. I can’t possibly write everything I’ve seen or thought, but I will give some highlights. August 21st -- Day One -- Blackwater Castle Spent the day getting familiar with our surroundings. Patrick, the owner of the castle, is a natural-born story teller. His love and passion for the castle and the history of the area were evident and I wish I had had more time to listen to his tales. ... read more