We are just two 40-something teachers from Pennsylvania looking to explore the world. No kids. No money. No worries! There is always something new to experience and see every year. And, whether by plane, train or Harley Davidson...we want to experience and see it all! So we're off again....
Honestly, we were not looking forward to another castle tour today. It has been a long slog through Scotland so far. The west coast was quite scenic, but the misty weather and quite a few long bus rides have dampered our spirits. Fortunately, we begin hitting a few spots on the east coast today towards Edinburgh and hopefully the new scenery will cheer us up!
Welcome to ANOTHER castle....Glamis Castle!
I have yet to tour a castle that I would want to live in.....until today! The outside grounds and landscapes at this place were beautiful. The rooms throughout the castle were stylish and warm (as opposed to the cold, museum-type rooms at most castles). This place even has a MAN CAVE! The only thing preventing me from moving right in....is the fact that Glamis Castle is considered the most haunted castle in Scotland.
One of the more infamous ghosts of Glamis Castle is that of Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford, also known as Earl Beardie. He was supposedly a cruel and twisted man who drank heavily.
Legend goes, he was visiting the castle one Sunday night and upon returning to his room, he was shouting in a drunken rage for someone to come and play cards with him. Nobody wanted to take him up on his offer on a Sabbath, so he finally raged he’d play the Devil himself. Shortly after...there was a knock at the door. It was a tall gentleman in a long dark coat, and he asked if Earl Beardie still needed someone to play cards with. The Earl agreed to play the man, and they retired to a room in the castle, slammed the door shut, and proceeded to play cards into the night.
There was lots of swearing and shouting coming from the room which could be heard throughout the castle. One of the servants apparently looked through the keyhole out of curiosity to see what all the commotion was about, only to be blinded in one eye by a bright beam of light shining through. The Earl heard the servant outside the door and scolded him for spying. When he headed back to the room, the man who was believed to be the Devil had gone, along with the Earl’s soul. He’s said to still be playing cards, apparently in a secret room in the castle. His shouts have been reported throughout the castle to this day.
Another haunted feature of the castle resides in the small 46-seat chapel. One seat in the chapel is always reserved for the "White Lady" (supposedly a ghost which inhabits the castle), thought to be Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis. According to the tour guides, the chapel is still used regularly for family functions, but no one is allowed to sit in that seat.
Two other interesting facts in regards to this castle, 1.) In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth (1603–06), the eponymous character resides at Glamis Castle, and 2.) Of the 95 paintings in the chapel, the most prized is a Jacob de Wet (dated 1688) depicting Jesus Christ wearing a hat in disguise as a gardener. The only other painting of Christ ever wearing a hat is on display at the Vatican.
Can anyone identify where we're at in this picture above? I bet Uncle Gerry could! We are standing in the footsteps of golf greatness! Jack Nicklaus. Arnold Palmer. And, now, Corbett & Jenesa Leonard! This is the Swilcan Bridge at the St. Andrews Links Golf Course. The bridge spans the Swilcan Burn between the first and eighteenth fairways on the Old Course, and has become an important cultural icon in the sport of golf. It is customary for champions of golf to publicly show some sort of homage or respect to the small and unimposing structure.
Because this is a public golf course, we were able to hop over the fence and run out to the bridge for pictures! ESPN would be proud of our efforts. Unfortunately, we did not have lots of time to spend in St. Andrews today....so we had to prioritize our activities in town this afternoon. Our top priority was to visit the golf course since St. Andrews is considered the "Home of Golf."
Next priority on our agenda would be lunch, of course!
We trekked the whole way across town to get to this place! The food (and beer!) were well worth the hike. We each ordered burgers that were stuffed to the gills with extra toppings (egg, chili, beerbq sauce, and bacon). A great way to celebrate our championship photo on the bridge at St. Andrews Golf Course.
With only 30 minutes to spare before meeting our tour bus this afternoon....we raced up to the top of the town to see the the remains of St. Andrews Cathedral, which was Scotland’s largest cathedral and most magnificent church. It fell into disuse and ruin after Catholic mass was outlawed during the 16th-century Scottish Reformation.
***On the way out of town we passed the cafe where Prince William dated Kate Middleton while attending St. Andrews University. Their "hush hush" romance during college was a shock to the British media once Will graduated!
As soon as we arrived in the capital city of Edinburgh....we were scheduled to attend a Scottish evening with a dinner show, haggis, bagpipes and kilts!
If you're wondering what haggis is....you really don't want to know! Haggis is Scotland's national dish made of sheep pluck (heart, liver and lungs); minced with onion, oatmeal, spices and salt. We've been hearing about it while in Scotland....but never tried it.
Tonight it was our appetizer!
Don't worry....I don't think this will EVER make it on any of our Firepit Friday menu's. This is something you try only once and then drink a full glass of water to wash it all down!
The dinner show featured Scottish songs, dances, and bagpipes! I managed to record a snippet of one of the best parts of the show....which featured everyone singing and dancing to an oldie but a goodie!
Can you spot those sexy Leonard's? This is our touring group of 37! Our last two days in Scotland would be spent in the city capital -- Edinburgh. Pictured behind us is the Edinburgh Castle. Today we would enjoy some nice views from high above the city at the castle. If you look at the picture below you can see how the castle dominates the city skyline.
The castle is Scotland's most-visited paid tourist attraction. It is located at the top of the Royal Mile, at the west end of Edinburgh's Old Town. The volcanic Castle Rock offers a naturally defended position, with sheer cliffs to north and south, and a steep ascent from the west. The only easy approach is from the town to the east, and the castle's defenses are situated accordingly, with a series of gates protecting the route to the summit of the Castle Rock.
On the first floor of the Royal Palace (building on the right, above) is the vaulted Crown Room, built in 1615 to house the Jewels of Scotland: the crown, the sceptre and the sword of state. The Stone of Scone, upon which the monarchs of Scotland were traditionally crowned, has also been kept in the Crown Room since its return to Scotland in 1996.
At this time of year the castle is getting ready for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. A series of performances takes place on the Esplanade each year during August. The purpose of each performance is a parade of the massed pipes and drums of the Scottish regiments. The climax of the evening is the lone piper on the castle battlements, playing a pibroch in memory of dead comrades-in-arms, followed by massed bands joining in a medley of traditional Scottish tunes.
Today was probably the warmest day on the trip. Jenesa has been a real trooper and has managed to keep up with her husband....me! We did a lot of walking all over Edinburgh today. Every chance I get I try to reward her with a beer! It seems to work every time! :)
If you look closely at the map above you will see the Royal Mile extend from the Castle all the way down to the Holyrood Palace (the Queen's official residence in Scotland) through the Old Town of the city. The Royal Mile is the busiest tourist street in the Old Town, rivaled only by Princes Street in the New Town.After being dropped off to tour the castle with our CIE group this morning....the rest of the day was ours to explore Edinburgh. Our hotel just happened to be at the bottom of the Royal Mile beside the Palace. Eventually we would have to end up there later this evening.... eventually! There's quite a few pubs, shops, more pubs, and more shops along this mile that needed our attention this afternoon. Not to mention some landmarks that we wanted to see that were off the beaten path!
We started by visiting a cafe that wasn't actually on the Royal Mile....but only a few blocks away. If any of you are Harry Potter fans....the Elephant House has some historical significance (and some great shortbread)! This small cafe is where J.K. Rowling sat writing much of her early novels. It is said she sat in the back of this place by the window with views of the castle...which became the inspiration for Hogwarts. I had to disturb two people by the window to get this "window view" photo. Not sure I would be inspired to write a billion-dollar best seller from this view (castle sits looming on the hill in the background).
Next stop would be lunch...and I already knew where I wanted to eat! Down the street from the Elephant Room sat the Greyfriars Bobby Pub. During our city tour this morning we passed by this place and heard one of the saddest stories ever! Grab a few tissues....because I'm going to post the story below.
Over 150 years ago, a wee Skye Terrier was about to become the most famous dog in Scotland’s history. When Constable John Gray of the Edinburgh Police passed away, he was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. Soon after, the church gardener found the deceased man's Skye Terrier sitting on the grave. The gardener drove the dog away, because dogs were forbidden in the churchyard.
But the small dog named Bobby refused to go and continued to sneak back in and lay by his owners grave every day. The gardener finally relented and allowed him to stay at Greyfriars. Bobby spent much of the next 14 years on vigil over his owner's grave. He was also befriended by many of the locals and well looked after by them. It's said that at 1pm each day, when the famous cannon was fired from Edinburgh Castle, Bobby was said to have headed for Traill's Coffee House on Greyfriars Place for a hot lunch. The faithful dog died in 1872. His story is still known throughout the world, and visitors continue to visit his statue, tomb and fountain monument, which were erected in his honor a year after his death. The tombstone erected to Bobby reads, "Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all".
Lunch consisted of a large order of fish and chips.....and Scottish eggs! This was the first time we've seen those eggs on the menu. And from past experience, we love them! For those of you who have never had Scottish eggs it's simply an egg inside a sausage ball. Delicious!
Before heading back to the Royal Mile we headed down to the "gallows". TheLast Drop pub is where men sentenced to hang for horrible crimes were taken to have their last meal while they prepared the gallows across the street. Just before leaving the pub they were given a last whiskey, 'one for the road' as it was called. The owner has the pub walls decorated with pictures of the gallows and several nooses. We chose to skip the whiskey....but enjoyed 2 "drops" of beer!
Returning to the Royal Mile....we came upon quite the talented street performer. This is one act we have never seen before. Take a guy, his twin puppet, and a violin. Put them all together and you have some great entertainment in Edinburgh! This guy's "puppet" played the violin quite well!
St Giles' Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Its distinctive crown steeple is a prominent feature of the city skyline, at about a third of the way down the Royal Mile. If you plan to visit any European city you are definitely going to suffer from castle and cathedral overload.
Hello? Paxton, are you home yet? We have had some drama back home with one of our cats. The little guy popped out the back porch screen window and has been MIA for the past several days! Our friends have been working hard to get him back inside. We are anxiously waiting by the phone for some good news!
Jenesa managed to reach the bottom of the Royal Mile without breaking a sweat....of course, it was all down hill! Located two blocks from our hotel sits the Queen's Scottish residence -- the Holyrood Palace. There are no public tours available so we had to settle for a picture from outside the gates of this estate! Tada!
We've tried to stick to eating traditional foods from Scotland over the last 8 days....but this BBQ place was calling out my name every time I walked by! So tonight we stopped for dinner....and it's time to put Scotland's BBQ to the ultimate test! After traveling across the North Carolina BBQ Trail a few months ago.....we certainly know what good BBQ is supposed to taste like. Reekie's Smokehouse earns 4+ stars....pulled pork, pulled brisket, and seasoned chips!
Leonard is so obsessed with BBQ that he keeps track of all his grilling adventures back home @ Lenny's BBQ Blog.
It's finally time to cross the pond and head to Ireland. Today we left Edinburgh and made our way down through Ayrshire and along the coast to the ferry in Cairnryan. Along the way we passed the Prestwick Airport....the only place in the United Kingdom where Elvis Presley was known to have set foot on his way home from the army in 1960. And we caught a glimpse of the Trump Turnberry Golf Course on the west coast of Scotland. I'm kinda having Trump withdrawal over here while I'm away....I haven't read a newspaper in 10 days!!! :(
After arriving in Belfast, Ireland....we had the opportunity to visit the Titanic Museum and learn about the famous ship that was built right here in the local docks. In March 1909, work began in the massive Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast on the Titanic and continued nonstop for two years. In May 1911, Titanic’s immense hull – the largest movable manmade object in the world at the time – made its way down the slipways and into the River Lagan in Belfast.
More than 100,000 people attended the launching, which took just over a minute and went off without a hitch. The hull was immediately towed to a mammoth fitting-out dock where thousands of workers would spend most of the next year building the ship’s decks, constructing her lavish interiors and installing the 29 giant boilers that would power her two main steam engines.
The rest is history....
From this point we were headed to Dublin! The night was still young....and then it wasn't! We left Belfast at 3:00 and didn't reach our hotel in Dublin until 8:00. By this time our entire tour group was exhausted and damn near starving! Our hotel was located outside center city and required us to catch a taxi to take us into town. Jenesa and I were certainly ready for the pubs!
Our first stop for dinner was at Oliver St. John Gogarty's Traditional Irish Pub! This place had several different floors with live Irish music and it was hoppin' with tourists! We were each given a customary Irish straw hat that we proudly wore throughout the evening. Dinner consisted of seafood chowder and a large pot of mussels....delicious!
For the rest of the evening we hung out with Clark and Nancy from our tour group. They like to call us "the kids" because we're the youngest people in the group.....by about 20+ years! Before the night was over we hit the Temple Bar, the Auld Dubliner, and the Horseman. The live Irish music and Mardi Gras atmosphere around here is fun to see and hear! It's definitely past our bedtime here in Ireland...but it's only 7pm back home! :)
It's not as easy as it looks....just ask my wife! Today we visited the Guinness Storehouse located at St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin. The Storehouse covers seven floors surrounding a glass atrium shaped in the form of a pint of Guinness. The Guinness Storehouse explains the history of Beer. The story is told through various interactive exhibition areas including ingredients, brewing, transport, cooperage, advertising and sponsorship.
Guinness is synonymous with Ireland and no visit to Dublin is complete without a trip to the Home of Guinness. As we made our way through the impressive storehouse, we discovered the age-old art of brewing that makes Guinness so distinctive. It seems they have a little something special in their water over here.
I think for the first time ever I was more excited to POUR my beer than drink it! Why? Because according to Guinness there are six steps to master to pour the perfect pint. I'm always up for a challenge! We spent some time learning the intricate science behind the pour. The two distinctly different layers in Guinness are made of the same substance; the white, foamy head has been whipped up by the escape of bubbles on leaving the keg, leaving the clear dark stout.
If you look at Step #4 above....you will notice the beer must "settle" and it's important to wait for the bubbles to surge down the sides of the glass and up the centre to form the head. This settling step is reputed to take exactly 119.53 seconds. Not two minutes. Not 119 seconds. 119.53 seconds. During this time, many bubbles rise up, creating the two distinct layers of the perfect pint!
Can we look any dorkier? These two dorks are now certified as crafting a PERFECT PINT OF GUINNESS in Dublin, Ireland! Now it's time to perfect the art of DRINKING that pint of Guinness. Cheers!
The first sip must be taken horizontally, in order to consume the lighter head with its delicate flavor compounds evaporating off.....alongside a gulp of the bittersweet, malty drink. The two together create a perfect balance of flavors which Guinness argues that you would not experience if a pint was poured without such attention to detail. It sure tastes good to us!!!
Dublin has lots of things to see and do....unfortunately, our schedule severely limited us around the city today. After our tour at Guinness in the morning...we were supposed to meet our CIE group at 2pm for a tour of the Dublin Castle....and then we had an evening Irish dinner show scheduled for 5pm. That left us with only a few free hours to explore Dublin.
It's no secret that we booked this trip to Ireland to hang out at lots of pubs and drink, drink, drink! We don't have to drive anywhere on this trip....and we're off school for another two months to recover from our hangovers! With that comes the responsibility of finding all the great places to sit and have a pint! Dublin simplifies this obstacle for you by providing three pubs down every city block! After Guinness, we planned to visit the only WORKING distillery in Dublin.
Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world, though a long period of decline from the late 19th century onwards greatly damaged the industry. So much so that although Ireland boasted over 30 distilleries in the 1890s, a century later, this number had fallen to just three. There has been a resurgence lately and Teeling Distillery, located in Dublin, is part of the new breed.
The big difference(s) between Scotch whiskey and Irish Whiskey is the fact that Scotch whiskey is distilled twice while Irish whiskey undergoes triple distillation. Scotch whiskey also has a smoky flavor because they use peat-smoked, wholly malted barley while Irish whiskey uses kiln-dried, raw and malted barley resulting in a smoother spirit. I'm becoming quite the whiskey connoisseur this summer!
After meeting our tour group in the afternoon to see the Dublin Castle....I can honestly say I never want to see another castle in my life! Never. Not one. None! The only reason Jenesa and I even came back across town for this tour was because it would be the first time to meet our new Irish tour guide....and we needed to know when to meet for our evening dinner show. The only picture-worthy part of this castle was the courtyard (pictured above). Get me out of here!
Tonight we visited the Merry Ploughboy Pub for an Irish dinner show. The band own and manage this traditional Irish pub and have entertained visitors for over 25 years. The show features the band and a group of Irish dancers (think Riverdance!) throughout the night. While watching the show we feasted on a 3-course meal and Irish coffee after dessert!
*** Luckily, we will be returning to Dublin at the end of this tour for another full day to explore more things around the city. Today we felt rushed and didn't have a lot of extra time to see and do as many things as we had hoped.
Remember when I said I didn't want to see another castle? Well, I kinda lied. We've both been looking forward to this experience in Ireland. I wouldn't really consider the Blarney Castle a typical castle. It's actually a partial ruin with some accessible rooms and battlements. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone.
What do you do when you get to the top of Blarney Castle? You kiss the Blarney Stone! The Stone itself is still set in the wall below the battlements. To kiss it, one has to lean backwards (holding on to an iron railing) from the parapet walk. The prize is a real one as once kissed the stone bestows the "gift of gab".
It seemed EVERYBODY wanted to kiss the Blarney Stone today! We stood in line for almost two hours and climbed a total of 127 steps to get to the top of the castle. Of the 30+ people in our tour group only six of us were willing to pucker up and kiss that stone!
Once upon a time, visitors had to be held by the ankles and lowered head first over the battlements. Today, they are rather more cautious of the safety of all the visitors. Someone sits beside you and holds you by the waist as you lean backwards for the kiss. I have to admit....I had to work for that kiss! The Stone is further away from you than you think...and you really have to hold on to those bars and lower your body backwards to reach the Stone.
Of course, after waiting in line for two hours....once you reach the Stone it's all over in a matter of 3 seconds! I prayed to God Jenesa got a good picture of me. This would be the first time I ever kissed a STONE! I don't like to kiss and tell, but....
