Category Archives: UK June/July 2012 Alex

June 29 2012

Had a great trip South to Cambridge – much more civilised six hour plus drive this time. Down to Castlerigg standing stones near Keswick – no druids – only older people painting watercolours of the stone circle and mountains. Through the beautiful Lakes District with mountains, and picture perfect small English towns. Arrived to a wonderful welcome from Pip and Tony and fell into bed for an almost comatose sleep – yes there is an exhausted theme happening!

Alex kilt searching – The Royal Mile Edinburgh

June 29 2012

Well the classic line of our second full day in Edinburgh was from teenage son .. ‘hmm you know how I am semi Asian do you reckon I could still wear a kilt?’ Spent a great day wandering the streets of Edinburgh. Oh I do love Edinburgh. It really is the most fantastic city. We wandered up and down the cobble stone Royal Mile and soaked in the sound of bagpipes. We visited the Real Mary King Close which was interesting for me the second time and fascinating for Alex the first time. Mary King Close is part of the old city that still exists beneath the newer (still damn old) buildings. Closes are just really tiny streets on a slope and Mary King Close is still pretty well intact, but of course now only inhabited by the ghosts.  We heard the stories of Annie the little girl who is still said to haunt the Close and could almost still smell decay and death from the plague. Hearing about how the sewerage buckets were just thrown down the street and the rats, rats and more rats makes me damn pleased that I am here for a pleasant Scottish weekend in 2012.

We went to the Whisky Experience (a museum about Whisky making) that was all very civilised. Had whisky tasting and heard about the most uncivilised people on Earth (Australians) who mix good Scotch with coke – didn’t admit to being Aussies!

The castle was of course looming over Edinburgh in the ominous way that it does. Wandered some more and had some dinner and braced ourselves for the 10pm ghost tour of Edinburgh. I had been to Greyfriars Kirkyard a few times so we decided to do the aptly titled double dead tour – it took us underground into the old houses under the South bridge (again more plague) and was totally fascinating. Where we walked (down past the cowgate) it looked like they were just really tall old stone buildings. Once pointed out though you could tell it was originally a bridge. The bridge came from the South up to the Royal Mile really high above the ground. As the city grew under the bridge was filled in with the most shocking tenements – walking through them you just can’t imagine what it was like to live in them. The water and 300 year old sewerage was still running down the walls and the rooms with rings in the walls where the animals were tied up gave one a really strong sense of ‘thank god I was born in this time’. It was pretty spooky, especially when all of the lights (torches) were turned out. Off to Greyfriars Kirkyard to hear the gruesome story of McKenzie – even Alex screamed when someone jumped out at us as we stood in the old tomb! It was a very spooky walk home to the much more glamorous new town (still Georgian so I love the title ‘new’).

Alex looking for Nessie

We headed off to find Nessie. I had the great idea to follow the GPS but should have set the damn thing to Fort William region rather than just Loch Ness as had the plan to just drive to the bottom of the Loch. Swung past Stirling Castle and had a fantastic time at the Castle. It had been seriously renovated since I was last there so was great to see it restored to its fantastic splendour. I think Alex really enjoyed it as we spent ages there.

Followed the GPS and realised too late that we were headed for Inverness and would need to go up through the Highlands and then come at Loch Ness from the top. Hmm a long drive but so worth it. Up over the wonderful Highlands past fast flowing Scottish rivers and the gorgeous light that I really think is only found in the Scottish Highlands.

To Inverness – a really lovely city with such a bloody history. Past heaps of William Wallace, Rob Roy and Culloden memorials. Down the left side of Scotland from Loch Ness to the other great lakes. Was just fantastic. Alex was convinced we would see Nessie. Alas no Nessie –  but we did see damn gorgeous Scottish scenery

JUNE 30 2012

We collected a car from Heathrow and headed North to Scotland. Well the best laid plans. All went well until a couple of hours up the road when we stopped to buy coffee. Yep had to empty out the whole car to find my wallet. UHHH an OMG moment. Looking back. Arrived at the car hire company at Heathrow. You can choose whatever car you would like. We packed stuff into the front of a VW. Theory – similar car to home so driving would be easy. Great theory – went to the boot and realised the boot was really tiny and it was petrol rather than diesel. Swapped to a  Hyundai I30 – great choice – absolutely fantastic car to drive – of course when we changed cars my wallet was left in the front pocket – Al thought I grabbed and I thought he had it.

Frenetic phone calls to hire company and they were largely unhelpful. In the end spoke to a really nice young woman at Heathrow who said she would look at the CTV footage – we knew the car had been hired straight after us. Eventually, they worked it out that my wallet had gone as far South as possible and we were far North. A phone call to my great friend Tony who called the man that had my wallet who promised he would send it to Tony BUT  it hasn’t turned up so I assume it probably won’t now. Thank goodness I always carry two credit cards in different wallets.

We eventually got going again. Up the M1 on a Friday night isn’t for the faint hearted. We sat in traffic for about 6 hours and only moved ten miles – I was cheery but Alex not happy as his very uncool mother sang ‘I’ll take the high road and you’ll take the low road and I’ll be in Scotland before thee’ loudly and over and over again.

We arrived in York and decided to stop for dinner at a great Italian restaurant in a beautiful Guild Hall – I had eaten there before and had enjoyed it heaps. Re-stoked we headed further North. Up past the Angel of the North – Alex snored loudly and drowned out my singing!

We finally arrived into Edinburgh at 2.00am (some 12 hours or more after we left – it should take 6 hours plus). Thank goodness I had bought my GPS as it just made it all so so easy. Well we arrived at the totally sublime Chester Residence in the new town in Edinburgh. Gorgeous street,  lined with Georgian manors. The wonderful Mark carried bags and got us settled into our apartment. He was so chirpy at 2.00am in the morning and said we weren’t last in – apparently a family from Hong Kong was also trying to get up the M1.

Well the apartment was indescribably wonderful. We had the whole floor of a Georgian townhouse. It was almost as big as my house. Fantastic huge lounge room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen with state of the art appliances – got to play with the stove etc that Clare has in her new kitchen. Boy we slept soundly.

The streets of Cambridge

JUNE 30 2012

Had a great (but too short to get any decent sleep) flight from Washington to London. Sat beside a man with a small child on his knee. I was fine but the flight attendants didn’t think it was OK. Apparently he wasn’t supposed to have a small child on his knee so they upgraded me as they had a spare seat in business. Again, a bit spoilt with comfort – Milan, London, Hong Kong in economy will be awful I am sure! Yes I do sound like the Queen I know.

Well the corgi was waiting in London and he had a great day and night slumming it in Covent Garden. I think he rather thinks he wouldn’t mind living in London for a while – I just don’t think he has figured out how a poor uni student manages to live in five star oh so posh central London. It was great after 40C plus heat in Washington to be experiencing an English summer.

Alex had done everything the day before so we visited where he hadn’t been – to Spittlefields market, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. The Abbey as wonderful as always – oh I do love Poets Corner.

We met my friend Pip and her friend Fiona at a really nice bar and had dinner and a bottle of wine – all very civilised.

London was in post Jubilee and pre Olympic fever but it wasn’t that crowded. Plenty of signs that the Olympics are coming though. Lots of indications that they are trying to sell it to the locals eg. Free wireless internet at central points such as stations etc for the period of the Olympics.

I think we both crashed. Alex had raced around all day the day before and felt fantastic but of course he hadn’t factored in second day jet lag.