LAST DAY October 23

October 23 was a driving day back to London.  Brian has done an outstanding job of driving us here, there and everywhere and we gave him a card (with poem by Gillian) and cash gift for his efforts.  He certainly added a lot to our enjoyment of the tour.

The day was also very foggy and overcast, like I'd expected England to be all the time (but wasn't).

It seemed to take forever to get there.  We had numerous rest stops and traffic was heavy.  Finally we got to London around 4:00.  No need to wait around for our rooms this time!  Up to the rooms to rest up for tonight's activities.

We discovered that this time our room was smaller and overlooked the train yards.  No worries; we have ear plugs!  And, we used them.

Not everyone attended the Yeoman Warder's Ceremony of the Keys, but those of us who did enjoyed it a lot.  We took a taxi there with Don and Caroline and Laraine - with all our taxis following in a row, since some didn't know exactly where we were headed.

We met at the gate with all the other attendees and a presenter who lives there greeted us and explained the rules.  He had a good strong voice and flair for the dramatic.  In gruesome detail he told of the many beheadings throughout history.  The Tower of London has a very illustrious (and bloody) past.  Many bodies are buried here, there and everywhere - especially in the chapel, which is still in use today for Sunday services.

When we finally got to their pub we were given a buffet dinner and many purchased drinks and bought raffle tickets (no winners in our group, sadly).

The night began with some mist, but was very mild and clear.  Visitors from all over the world were there and much visiting took place.

To get back we hailed a taxi on the main street and went back to the Union Jack for our final night in London (sleep).

We left shortly before 9:00 on Wednesday morning for Heathrow, being picked up by the same taxi driver we had upon our arrival two weeks before.

Our plane ride from Heathrow to SFO was relatively smooth and uneventful, just the way we like it.
I watched 4 movies:  Bucket List, Drop Dead Gorgeous (hilarious tale of small town Minnesota beauty pageant), Mean Girls and the Vow.  Plus a London concert by Adele and countless games of Bedazzled.

When we finally got back to Santa Rosa via Airporter shuttle, the girls were waiting for us.  We had a celebration for Larry's upcoming birthday with wine and German Chocolate Cake and visited as much and fast as we could.  The best part of a trip is coming home to our little darlins!

While we were gone, Roxy had retrieved all our lost Ireland and Scotland pictures from our chips.  I am eternally grateful!

The laundry is now done and I have spent MUCH time getting this blog written - before we take off again.  We have many happy memories and cherish our new friends.  See you down the road.

Day 2 in York

Before I go any further, I should explain just who Graham and Chris are.  We met them on our last cruise (to Panama) in March-April.  We'd asked for a table for 6 during our dinner hour and were seated with Diana and Ron Bray from St. Louis and Chris and Graham Harper from Chester, England.

It's pretty funny now to see the photo we took during our first dinner.  We all look very stiff and unrelaxed.  How things have changed since then.  Diana and Ron came to visit us in Sedalia, MO, last June during our Airstream rally and then again Labor Day weekend when they flew out to see us (and relatives).

We knew we were taking this tour of England and Scotland, but had no idea Graham and Chris would be able to make connections.  But, York wasn't too far from their home, so they drove over to spend the night and next day with us at the same hotel.  It was definitely one of the trip's highlights!

At 8:30 we met in the dining room for breakfast and then took off for a trip using the Hop On and Off bus.  Our first stop was the quilt museum (for me).  It was a one-woman exhibit and her work was quite modern and artistic.  Not the needleturn applique I'm used to.  But, it was interesting to see how she'd evolved over the years in her craft.

Then we checked out the trendy street called Shambles.  Chris remembered it from college, only said it was mostly jewelry stores back then.  I have to stop myself from spelling in the English way.  They add more letters to their words than we do.  I think it's jewellery.

We wanted to see the Jorvik (Viking) museum, but the lines were very long, so we continued on to the RR Museum.  It was huge and quite interesting.  Mid afternoon we had drinks & Larry and I split an apple crumble dessert.

Larry and I did a quick tour of the York Museum.  They have different exhibits from time to time and this one was about the ancient people and architecture.  Many statues and artifacts.

As it was nearing 4:00 (the time Jorvik's crowds were supposed to be diminished) we headed back and were able to walk right in.  They've done an excellent job with reenacting the village and its people back then.  The mannequins were almost lifelike.  When we saw a real human girl playing the lyre, I did a double take to make sure she wasn't a mannequin.

We weren't far from our hotel, so walked back and had our final dinner with Graham and Chris.  Until we meet again!

TO YORK

Edinburgh to York today.  Brian took us the scenic way for part of the journey and we nearly got lost in the country.  But, we weren't too far from the freeway and soon we were on our way again.

As soon as we arrived at Lady Ann Middleton's and got our luggage up to our room, the phone rang.
Graham and Chris were here!  We rushed down to greet them and soon took off walking to see the town.  Chris had gone to college here, but that was over 40 years ago and she said things had changed a bit.

When we found the wall, we began walking all around the town.  It's the longest city wall in the world and quite impressive.  Some parts don't have barriers or railings, so we were sure to watch our steps.

York is also very beautiful in autumn and we took lots and lots of pictures.  Everything looked good!

Back to Lady Ann Middleton's for candy in the Harper's room, just across the way.  Chris also brought a huge plateful of marzipan candies for us - delicious!

We all changed for dinner, as there'd been a cancelation and Chris and Graham were able to fill in.

Gillian was honored for all her efforts and presented with gifts, mostly cat themed.

October 20, Rosslyn Chapel, Glenkinchie Distillery

Rosslyn Chapel was our first destination of the day.  It's claim to fame is that the last 15 minutes or so of The DaVinci Code was filmed here.  It's constructed from sandstone and they're trying to preserve it as best they can.  No photography is allowed inside as it is supposedly a safety hazard.  So, any pictures you see of the chapel were taken from outside.  I took mine through a window and Larry took his through an open door.

From there we went to town at the Roslyn Hotel.  They weren't ready for us, so we moved to the lounge until they were.  After lunch we did some shopping across the street in some of their very charming little shops.  I bought a CD of Scottish music for Larry's birthday present.

Glenkinchie Distillery was next on our list.  It's in a beautiful setting and they do a good job with the tour.  Much of it is self-guided and then we were divided into two groups for the guided part.

Of course we had to sample the Scotch Whiskey at the end of the tour.  I will never like Scotch Whiskey!

Back at the hotel, Larry and I went to an Italian restaurant and split a pizza for our dinner.  Tomorrow we leave for York.

Glamis Castle and Discovery Point Oct. 19

Off to Glamis Castle for a tour and then lunch.  By the way, it's pronounced GLAMZ.  This was the childhood home of the Queen Mother, Elizabeth.  She was one of 10 children and there were many photos of her about.  With blue eyes and dark eyebrows, she was very attractive.

No photos were allowed inside the castle, as it is still occupied by family members.  We had a nice docent-led tour, and ate a great lunch.  Their gift shop was wonderful and Bev and I both bought some jewelry pendants made from Scotch heather vines.

Our second tour of the day was at Discovery Point where we saw the ice-breaking ship of Antarctica.
We went aboard the ship and walked through the museum as well.  This was a very well-done exhibit.
Another lovely gift shop as well.

After we got back to the hotel, I retired with a book and Larry went to dinner at an Italian restaurant with a group.  My nose was dripping by then, so I thought it best to keep it to myself.