Wake up 6am breaky 7:15 Leavee 8:15am We went for alittle walk through the main street to fill in time and found a little bit of heather. When we walked past one of the houses, I saw a bunny hop very fast out of a vegetable patch. It was Peter Rabbit, for sure! As we headed out of Newtonmore, we stopped at a Loch and took some heather photos. We stopped at the most beautiful spot where the battles of the highlands took place. It was the most beautiful 360 degree view of lush green mountains and water courses. It was a great spot to stand in and just be. We stopped off in a little town called Fort William. I bought a “sponge roll” for 50p that was a little like a hidden treasure. I ... read more

Monday 31 August Bags and Breaky 7am Leave 8am Today I was REALLY sick of breakfast. Bleaugh. We left the hotel and headed off the Chester. The black and white buildings were lovely. Some of them dated back to 1622. Very hard to imagine.The commercial signs ruined the buildings, but are really a sign of the times. So many red brick buildings everywhere. We had a hot chocolate at a café and a walk around town. We drove on and crossed the border into Wales. We stopped at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch… the town in Wales with the longest name. Apparently there is a place in New Zealand with a longer name. It was bedlam and filled with pensioners. We didn’t get anything to drink or eat here as we knew we’d have 4 hours on the ferry. We ... read more

Thursday 3 September This morning we were excited to go on the Ring Of Kerry excursion. We were lucky that the rain looked like it was stopping! Perfect timing. We drove off on some very narrow and dangerous roads. At one time, there was a near accident, when some idiot overtook us, nearly hitting oncoming traffic. The coach driver rang his licence plate into the police. The views were finally what I expected of Ireland. Beautiful coastlines and inlets. Many green mountains… although they did not compare to those in Scotland. Not even close. It was a lovely day though and the highlight in Ireland. We stopped at a tearoom for lunch that was intimate and lovely. We had delicious sandwiches and homemade scones. It was a lovely stop. I had a walk through the town ... read more

Friday 4 September We headed off this morning towards Blarney, gearing up to kiss the stone. The castle is really lovely and relaxing. A peaceful stop, but then again, we had just beaten bus loads of tourists. The climb up the tower is through a quite narrow spiral staircase. There were tiney rooms coming off the staircase. Certainly a modest castle! When we reached the top, there was only a very small line up. The story is that a prince saved a drowning witch from a river and she returned the favour by telling him there was a magic rock at his castle. One that would give a person the eloquence of speech. Hoping it works. A man helps you to lie on your back, and you reach over your head to hold onto two steel ... read more

Saturday Wake up 5:30am bags and breaky 6:15am Leave 7am We had an early start today, to make the ferry to Wales. This time the seas were calm thankfully. The ferry left at 8:45am and this time we paid for the club lounge. 14 pound and it was worth every cent. There was all you could drink tea, coffee, soft drink and wine, plus cheese and crackers, and all sorts of nibblies. No screaming children, just a relaxing trip with a comfy seat. This was a longer trip on the ferry, so I was glad it was calm. No real sea sickness this time. The first glimpse of the port area of Wales told us that it was quite a poor town. It took about 2 hours to drive to Cardiff. We stopped to have a ... read more