Historical tour – Page 3 – When the Cat's Away…

October 6, 2019October 6, 2019

3-4 October: The Isle Skye continues to bewitch us

Author: Mrs A

Location: Neist Point Lighthouse, Dunvegan Castle. Portree, and Uig, Isle of Skye, UK

Sunrise on Thursday morning was a pink affair, complete with a seal fishing in the loch just metres from us. It was also about 7 degrees centigrade, so we just admired the wildlife from the warmth of the camper.

Good morning Skye! The two people on the beach in front were watching the seal too

A fine start to the day – red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning…or so they say

We decided to drive out to Neist Point Lighthouse, supposedly spectacular walking and amazing views. The road out there, as we have come to expect on Skye, was single track and rather potholed, with some extremely narrow passing spots, often leaving us teetering on the edge of a steep drop. Mr A used every ounce of strength to overcome his fear of heights (and fear of us toppling down a precipice!) to skilfully guide us to the coast.

Narrow and twisty road, often heavily potholed and always single track, it was slow going but stunning scenery

Once there, we stepped out into gale force icy wind whistling off the sea, and I almost leaped back into Truffy to shelter. A stern look from Mr A told me I needed to at least sight the lighthouse before we drove back along that road! Wearing almost every warm thing we own, we picked our way along the cliff top to admire the spectacular coastline. Steep plunging cliffs, a combination of black rock and green foliage, heading down to a deep turquoise sea, covered in the white caps of rough windswept waves greeted us – just incredible.

Can barely remember how cold my fingers got minus gloves photographing this idyllic scene

Walking in the other direction, we found the views down to the lighthouse, deciding the forego the path that takes you down to its front door. It is absolutely breathtaking, even when viewed through eyes streaming with tears from the chill wind.

The colours are spectacular. Neist Point Lighthouse, full frontal to the wind.

So windy my hood is blowing up…and I appreciate the warmth around my ears!

We didn’t hang around, musing at how an opportunity has been missed here by the community of Skye. Surely a clifftop cafe with nice warm double glazing serving steaming mugs of hot drinks, and selling locally made woollen gloves and beanies would make an absolute killing here? We certainly would have been a couple of willing customers.

We made our way back into Dunvegan and the privately owned Dunvegan Castle and gardens.

Dunvegan Castle – developed piecemeal between the 13th and 19th centuries

This has been home to the chief of the MacLeod Clan on Skye for 800 years. Towers and walls were put up over the centuries on this castle with no thought to the overall look and feel of the place, until the 1800s when the then then chief of the MacLeod Clan decided to ‘bring it all together’ rendering the outside and adding the more ‘castle-like’ features of the building such as drawbridge entranceway and canons pointing out into the Loch.

The current clan chief still lives in the castle, splitting his time between here and a house in London. The upper two floors remain locked and private, but we were able to explore the lower floors, well preserved and containing centuries worth of antiques and relics.

These walls could tell a few stories we’re sure

We were left to our own devices to explore the castle, its various towers and dungeons, the different centuries of rooms and stairwells quite evident.

This is a relic of what was known as the ‘Fairy Flag’ – apparently dated back to somewhere between the 4th and 7th centuries, legend has it this contains magical powers and was often used in battles to help scrape victory when defeat was imminent

I spy a familiar view in one of the rooms, seen in the background of a portrait of the previous MacLeod clan chief who died in 2007

Plenty of colour left in the gardens with an extensive team of workers constantly there

We drove across the island to Portree, where we settled down in a campground for the evening.

The following morning we drove into Portree for a look around, finding it to be a sweet little fishing town. The first port of call was a friendly outdoors shop, and within 15 minutes I was kitted out with a Marino wool neck scarf, a nice warm bobble hat and some windproof and waterproof gloves. Finally I was suitably attired for the Scottish weather!

Nice and warm – makes a huge difference!

The UK and Ireland are taking a battering weather wise with plenty of rain and wind – the remnants of Hurricane Lorenzo, an Italian sounding storm which has been whipping things up off the coast of Africa and moving steadily in our direction. We thought we ought to take advantage of the fine weather and hit the road.

Amazing views up the east coast of Skye towards the ‘Old Man of Storr’ – a pinnacle of rock which can be seen for miles around

We followed the east coast, stopping to admire the spectacular views. An Cailc was an interesting location near where there used to be a diatomite mine (a clay-chalk like substance which goes into making dynamite, paints, polishes and even filtration for beer). Now there are just a few ruins of what was a major industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with the mine closing down in 1960.

The cliffs look like they have been covered in green felt!

Looking inland towards the Quiraing, an area popular with hill walkers

Mr A enjoying the view from the safety of behind the railings

One of three waterfalls plunging their way down to the sea

We took our time enjoying the view but choosing not to take the steep and slippery walk down to the base of the waterfalls, before continuing on our way around the coast.

Again, single track roads with amazing views

Reaching the top of the island, the road hugged the cliff, turquoise waters on our right and rolling greenery on our left. The colours can only be described as delicious and the scenery and road among the most beautiful we have seen.

Must be one of the top coastal drives in the UK

We had decided to investigate staying longer in Scotland’s western isles, having been absolutely bewitched by Skye. We have seen a lot but not everything, and the island has more to offer us in the future. We headed to the little village of Uig, from where we knew we might be able to catch a ferry to the island of Harris.

Our travel route around the Isle of Skye

It was meant to be. I managed to get us on the 14:10 sailing from Uig to Tarbert and we joined the queue.

It was a gentle couple of hours’ cruise over the inner seas off the West Coast of Scotland and time went quickly.

Lovely scenery to keep us occupied on the crossing

Lovely views of the coast of Skye as we depart

Before long we were sighting small islands and rocky outcrops again as we approached the island of Harris, home to Harris Tweed. The story from here will be over to Mr A, which he will share soon…

We really enjoyed our time in Skye, made all the more special by the fabulous weather. We know we were very lucky on this occasion – but please don’t be put off by the potential for cold or wet weather. It is a spectacular part of the world regardless.

Adventurer extraordinaire…another day another island…

October 3, 2019October 3, 2019

30 September – 2 October: Walking in my parents’ footsteps

Author: Mr A

Location: Broadford and Dunvegan, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK

Scotland…the part of the British Isles that my parents fell in love with and retuned to for so many years of wonderful holidays, bird spotting, walking the hills when they could. To visit here and see some of the same places they must have gazed at in wonderment, as we are, is quite special.

Being stuck behind this truck carrying wood for several miles gave us a chance to admire the scenery

I’m an only child, no brothers or sisters to help keep memories alive, my daughters help me in that regard, but I’d love to just have one more conversation with my parents and ask all the questions I never asked when I thought they’d be here forever.

On the road over from the central highlands to the west coast we rounded a corner and there was this stunning sight to feast our eyes on.

A view that has remained relatively unchanged for hundreds of years

Skye is certainly showing us her best side with this incredible clear weather

Did my mum and dad see the same? Sadly I will likely never know, although I will be poring though my mum’s diaries when I go back to Australia. It’s a an evocative moment. Eilean Donan Castle is one of the more photogenic places we have set eyes on, almost rivalling the vista across Lake Bled in Slovenia for having all the ingredients that make us go “oooh”. Dating back to the 13th century, it was built to fight off the Viking invaders, then as a superb defensive position for warring Scottish clans. It even saw a group of Spanish soldiers assisting in the Jacobite rebellions use it as a base. It has been lovingly restored after being left in ruins for several hundred years, and now features in selfies from the coach loads of tourists pulling up to admire its beauty.

We arrived on the Isle of Skye via the road bridge that was opened in ‘95, and I could just hear my dad saying “Look Jill, look at that!”, as he nudged her in the ribs, seeing the soaring peaks of the island’s Cuillin range dropping down into the deep blue waters of the surrounding sea.

Our first view of the bridge and the Isle of Skye in the distance

Crossing over the bridge, wondering whether dad drove this exact same path…

We had identified a campsite on the edge of the small town of Broadford, which straddles along a wide bay and river mouth. It was time to pull on the walking shoes and head for the hills. But first of course the flask needed to be filled. I am clearly walking in my father’s footsteps in this regard as well. At one point he was a 15 cups of tea a day man, a little too much caffeine me thinks…we stick to the caffeine-free herbal variety.

Beautiful views out to sea at every turn

The delicate pink of the ever present heather adds a splash of colour to the green

More lovely views as we reach the next bay

Heading inland through a million shades of green

With every cloud the scene changes constantly

Local lady Isabel needed a hand with 15 year old Lucy who decided she wasn’t up for walking any more

The views were out to the mainland and across some small outlying islands, with tiny cottages on them, for fisherfolk I assume. It’s wild and wooly country and we love it. We didn’t strike as lucky though going into town to try and find that stereotype of the welcoming Scottish pub, complete with fiddle player. Instead we found a horrible place with slot machines and widescreen TV showing the football. Ah well…perhaps the next town?

The next day also dawned clear in the morning, apparently its been a very wet late summer, so the locals are finding this showery autumnal weather “quite nice”, wandering round in shirt sleeves when its 10 degrees. Being unused to what feels to us like sub-arctic temperatures we are all rugged up I can tell you. Catherine was busy writing up her notes from the conference she attended, so I grabbed the opportunity to head out on the bike for a ride. And what a ride it was, through scenery that made it one of the more memorable I have ever done.

My little Tinker and the cool but stunning scenery

My iPhone and lack of skill with its camera just dont do it justice, and when returning back to Catherine I was so enthusiastic about what I’d seen we agreed to drive it the following morning. Later in the afternoon we took a stroll around the shore of Broadford, apparently the site of a Neolithic settlement (12,000 – 6,500 years ago) and many burial mounds, several dismantled over the years to use the rocks for houses and walls.

Looking out towards a fishing trawler in the bay

I wonder how many people over the past 12,000 years have admired this view

The clouds provide an ever changing scenery

Tuesday morning we retraced my stunning cycling path along the road from Broadford to the isolated road’s end at Glasnakille, a collection of a few houses, tiny primary school and a boat shed offering tours up the coast.

The blue skies belying the freshness of the morning

The Church of Christ (Cille Chriosd) – built in the early 1500s – it was superseded in 1840 and has since fallen to ruin

The single track road with a passing point ahead

The sheep are grateful for their wooly coats, at 10 degrees, it’s quite a brisk autumn day

The wind whistled across the water as we stood and admired the Cuillin Hills

Looking out to Cuillin Sound as we drive down the hill towards Glasnakille

A lovely Robin followed us on our walk through the tiny village

The little white building on the right is the tiny little school – we saw around 6 students chasing around the playground

Mrs A loving the scenery from behind glass!

The sun peeps out from behind a cloud, highlighting the hills for mere seconds before moving on to another location

There’s a bit of slow moving traffic on the road, you cannot be in a rush here

These end-of-the-world places have a magic feel to them. The road was single track, windy with a few unprotected drops into an icy looking ocean, but I’m a lot more confident driving Truffy knowing what he and I can tackle together.

We wandered up the coast, and ended up at the Talisker distillery. Now I’m a fan of bourbon, but have never managed to acquire a liking for that smoky single malt flavour of whiskey, but I keep persevering.

The oldest distillery on the Isle of Skye, Talisker has been here since 1830

Medicinal purposes only, at £55 a bottle we didn’t purchase

We tried a couple, I’m still not convinced, Catherine was pretty neutral as well, so no purchases made.

It was another drive round the coast until we found a campsite in Dunvegan with a lovely view across a loch. A little amble round the village revealed a few places to eat but nothing that really grabbed us, a pattern that’s emerging in Skye.

The walk into Dunvegan from our campground

Well, I hope my parents did see this part of Skye, it really is quite stunning. I’m going to tell myself they did and picture them sharing the pleasure we feel in seeing nature at its most scenic.

October 1, 2019

28-29 September: Heading north through the Scottish Highlands

Author: Mrs A

Location: The Hermitage, Dunkeld & Invergarry, Scotland

Let me start by saying a huge thank you for all the many messages of support and appreciation after Mr A’s thoughtful and amazing post yesterday. I’m feeling very warm and loved indeed! I had a great time at the conference in Edinburgh, made lots of new contacts and reconnected with those I have met and chatted to before. There’s much more work to be done in the future – I am helping with a couple of research papers and helping give advice to PhD students in the UK and USA working on research studies with iSGS patients…and another conference to attend and present at next year as well – so definitely keeping myself busy in the downtime.

After all the excitement of the conference in Edinburgh we decided to continue on our way, and Saturday morning saw us pointing our nose towards the Isle of Skye. While theoretically we could have driven there in a day, we decided to see some places on the way. I did a little research and found a National Trust place called The Hermitage.

The Hermitage was created in the early 1800s by a duke who wanted to honour a blind baird. It was part of the designed landscape of Dunkeld extending from the River Tay along the River Braan to Rumbling Bridge, a distance of approximately 1 mile (1.5km). It’s a beautiful woodland area and we read it was accepted for motorhomes to park up here overnight.

We soon leave most of the visitors behind and the path ahead is all ours

We decided to do the 8.5 km circuit walk from the car park. It wound through beautiful woodland of Douglas Fir trees (the tallest trees in the UK) following the River Braan. The river roared alongside us for much of the hike, punctuated by the odd splash which may have been salmon swimming upstream, as they apparently do here at this time of year.

Wonder what the story is with this tree full of money

Beautiful looking fungi…I wonder what is edible

The path crosses through a farm with spectacular views across the green countryside

The Braan circuit was one of the loveliest walks we have done, and highly recommended if you’re heading in this direction.

After a peaceful night’s sleep we headed off on Sunday morning with a similar plan – aiming for another free overnight location beside another river with some more walking.

Dramatic skies at our break for a look at the Commando Memorial near Spean Bridge

In recognition of the services of the commandos who trained in the Scottish Highlands for WWII

This time we headed for a spot beside the River Garry, just down from Loch Garry. It sounds like a comedy name (where are Loch Kevin and Loch Darren we wondered?) but oh so picturesque. This is located just north of Fort William where we stopped for some food shopping on our way.

When in doubt do both walks – they were both lovely!

After parking up we put on the walking shoes again and set off for an explore. We were rewarded with another spectacular circuit walk, 7.5 km of scenery worthy of Lord of the Rings, moss carpeted woodland, the river Garry babbling alongside us for much of the way.

Thick lush moss carpets every surface giving the forest an ethereal feel

Other than a group of wild mushroom pickers(!) at the start of the hike we were by ourselves for the whole walk, a lovely magical experience.

Bridges cross streams lined with dripping ferns

The sound of rushing water accompanies us on much of the walk

A mossy green path scene awaits us around every corner

A huge waterfall plunges over a cliff into the valley below

Steps climb up beside the waterfall, taking us to the next level

We wonder where all the Hobbits are…never seen a landscape quite like this before!

All visitors were gone by 5pm, leaving us to a peaceful night with just the sound of the water for company. Just lovely.

This is surely what makes travelling in the off peak period so appealing – the ability to park up somewhere spectacular, enjoy the scenery and serenity as though it were your own. And having our home with us, this is absolutely possible.

We are often asked whether all this travelling gets tiring. We have to answer no. While there are some downsides (missing our friends, family and fur child) the upsides are many. If we were having to live out of a suitcase and unpack and repack on a regular basis, it would be tiring. But in our case, we have our own comfortable bed, with our own pillows and bedding, our clothes are always on hand, and we can cook, eat and drink whatever we like with our own pots and pans, herbs, spices and ingredients. The main thing that changes is the view outside our window, and that’s just the way we like it.

September 27, 2019

21-23 September: A first taster of the Yorkshire Dales

Author: Mrs A

Location: Jervaulx, Richmond, East Witton and Middleham, Yorkshire, UK

Our accomodation was located beside an old 19th century house, Jervaulx Hall, which has the ruins of an old abbey on its land. Mr A, our friends John and Catriona and I had decided to take advantage of the fine weather to do a long walk, starting at Jervaulx abbey, just around the corner from where we were staying.

Jervaulx Abbey – Cistercian abbey dedicated in 1156 to St Mary

Substantial work has gone into ensuring the ruins are safe for visitors, given the abbey is privately owned and managed. The grounds are well cared for, giving a balance between sculpted lawns and natural wildflowers.

Old doorways frame lovely views across the countryside

The walking team looking fresh and energetic at the beginning of the day

Buddies since the age of 12, John and Mark loving the walk…but don’t mention the chilli-red shorts!

We did a fabulous walk, taking us across bridleways, footpaths, across styles and down quiet country lanes. The scenery changed all the time, ranging from green rolling hills with almost-too-perfect trees dotted throughout, through ancient woodland, across rivers and into little villages and past castles.

We felt so privileged to have such a glorious autumn’s day

Blackberries to sustain us on our journey

A lovely autumnal scent hangs in the air, a mixture of moss and decomposing leaves

We’d walked about 17km before we reached Middleham Castle, a welcome sight given we hadn’t eaten breakfast and it was long past midday!

Middleham Castle – built in 1190 and the childhood home of Richard III

We found a suitable pub in the village which was still serving food, and ordered refreshments. There was a brief discussion about getting a taxi back, but we bravely pushed on.

Mr A shows a burst of energy seeing the pub!

We concluded our walk having clocked up 21km (13 miles) the longest we have hiked in a while, (but paling into insignificance when compared with some friends who are managing upwards of 30km daily). We all felt we deserved dinner at the local pub that evening.

Sunday was more of the Yorkshire weather we had expected, the clouds hanging low and grey. After a fine full English breakfast we all drove over to the nearby town of Richmond.

Strolling the streets, still displaying the flowers of summer

Richmond was founded in 1071 by the Normans who built a castle in the town – there are castles all the way up England built by William the Conqueror’s people – this within five years of the Battle of Hastings. The town built up around the castle and looks like it has changed little in that time…other than the cars – the town centre full on this Sunday afternoon. We wandered down to the river.

It’s been a while between cat photos – this little chap was begging for strokes from everyone

The waterfalls tinted with the tannins of autumn leaves

It doesn’t take long for the rain to start again

After the rain started we found shelter in a tea shop before a fun evening back at the apartment.

The sun returned for Monday, our final morning in Yorkshire. Catriona found a walk a short drive away in the village of Wensley.

The entranceway to Bolton Hall, a grand driveway with gatehouse

Bolton Hall – built in the late 17th centrury

A beautiful wizened oak tree beside the River Ure

More autumnal colour – rose hips and acorns

It was just a 6.5km walk this time, a chance for some fresh air and to stretch the legs before we bid each other farewell and went our separate ways, John and Catriona going back to Nottinghamshire while we went further north into County Durham.

It was a fantastic three days in North Yorkshire, giving us a taster of the beautiful walks and scenery there. We loved the villages, the culture and endless miles of hiking options. This is one area we will definitely be back to visit.

September 22, 2019

18-20 September: Exploring northern England

Author: Mrs A

Location: Harby & Newark-on-Trent – Nottinghamshire, & Ripon -Yorkshire, UK

Wednesday: We left Milton Keynes early and by 9am were in Newark in Nottinghamshire dropping Truffy off at our dealer for some warranty work. One of the reasons we love Fuller Leisure is that they’re a small, friendly family business, and they don’t hesitate to loan us a little runabout for the period of the service. We took the opportunity to drive into Newark-on-Trent, just a 20 minute drive from the dealer.

The castle has stood here for over 900 years

We knew nothing about the town as we drove in, but almost immediately saw Newark Castle ruins alongside the River Trent. It’s extremely picturesque, and given it has free entry we couldn’t resist an explore.

The castle was partly destroyed in 1646 at the end of the English CIvil War

Mr A wondering at all the people who looked out from this window before him

Leaving the castle we wandered into Newark’s market place, delighted to find it bustling with market day activity. We picked up some fruit and vegetables before exploring the rest of the town. We just love to buy produce fresh from the local farmers, appreciating the fresh taste as well as the opportunity to support local suppliers rather than supermarkets wherever possible.

Newark Market Place being used as it should be

After some shopping we returned to the car and drove up to our friends’ house in Harby for the night. There we had a delicious meal and shared some of our wine purchases from across Europe….enjoyed post a glass of the 1066 Hastings gin we gifted to Catriona.

Sunset across the countryside as seen from John and Catriona’s back garden

Thursday: My cousin’s daughter Hannah has just started a law degree at Lincoln University, just a half hour’s drive from our friends in Harby. Mark and I decided to drive up there to buy her breakfast and ensure she’s settling in alright. Lincoln is a small and friendly city, reminding me of Chester where I spent my university days.

The view from Hannah’s student room, uninterrupted up to Lincoln Castle and across the canal, walking distance into the centre of town.

Lincoln is a busy buzzing city on this Thursday morning

After farewelling Hannah off to a lecture, we drove back to Newark to pick up Truffy.

Dave debriefing on all the work they’ve completed

Happy customers with Dave ‘Always a pleasure, Fuller Leisure’…

We were amazed how much the team had completed in a relatively short period of time, consistently good. By 3pm we were on our way again.

When you grow up in the far south of England, anything past Watford Junction seems a long way away. Yorkshire, for example always appeared to be a mysterious place with lots of green on the map where people talk with the most intelligent sounding accent in the UK.

Nearly 300 miles (500km) apart – Sussex where I grew up and Yorkshire

So when our Nottinghamshire friends agreed to a weekend away in an AirBnB together in Yorkshire we were quite excited. Mark, Truffy and I skipped our way up the country, arriving in the city of Ripon on Thursday evening. There’s a carpark right in the middle of the city near the cathedral and Sainsbury’s that allows free overnight parking for motorhomes, and £2 for parking all day. It suited us perfectly and we settled in.

After a peaceful night’s sleep, we decided to stick around the next morning and explore Ripon. Ripon is the oldest city in England and the smallest city in Yorkshire.

Mr A does a little ‘Black Sheep’ shopping for the weekend (locally brewed ales)

Ripon Cathedral was originally founded in the 660s by Scottish monks and tweaked and adjusted over the years.

Today it is still a living and active space, with lots of activity and full of people. Despite being an autumnal Thursday morning outside of the school holidays it was busy and bustling with an art and sculpture exhibition. I couldn’t resist a look.

Arches and stairwell to the sculpture exhibition

Many tours around the cathedral going on concurrently. A fabulous space with lots of light for the exhibition

Dating to 1789 a building beside the cathedral is now used as a hotel

Not far from the cathedral is a river and canal, so Mr A and I decided to stroll down. The canal was originally opened in the 1700s and restored in 1996. Today it’s clean with a walkway alongside it with several bird hides looking out towards wetlands.

Mr A crossing over the canal on our circuit walk

We had a great afternoon’s walk around the waterways before returning to Truffy. We drove off to our AirBnB near Jervalaux Abbey to check in and await the arrival of John and Catriona as the sun set. A great first day in Yorkshire. We will be back!

September 16, 2019

13-15 September: Royal palaces and sunshine

Author: Mrs A

Location: Brighton and London, UK

Sunshine is never guaranteed in the UK, particularly during September, but we were very fortunate to get a glorious weekend served up. Despite having a bad reputation, Friday the 13th dawned bright and sunny and mum and I left Hastings and drove over to my sister’s home in Brighton.

After a little shopping, mum and I met Helen and niece Isabel for lunch in a local pizza restaurant, Fatto A Mano. Named as one of The Guardian’s top independent pizza restaurants in 2015, they are well known in Brighton and Hove for their light pizza bases and delicious toppings. They even had three choices of vegan pizza meaning I could join in with a flavoursome meal!

Scooting and strolling through North Laine

Mum and I head home via the Brighton Pavillion

We had a lovely afternoon around the shops in Brighton and North Laine, after which mum drove back to Hastings.

Saturday morning, Helen and I said goodbye to Stu and the kids and went up to Brighton Station to catch a train to London for a sister escape. Helen and Stu both work so hard with their children and work life, and H really deserved a break. For me, selfishly perhaps, I adore my sister’s company and over the past two decades have not enjoyed it enough, and so wanted just one night for the two of us to chat, enjoy and just be together.

Our intention was to whizz up to London, leave our luggage at our hotel and explore. Unfortunately the trains had other ideas, and what should have been an hour journey took around three hours and three trains! It seems Friday the 13th’s reputation has transferred to Saturday the 14th.

Finally we did make it to our hotel near Earl’s Court, and St James’s Park was our next destination. We have memories of visiting this area as children on day trips with our mum, feeding the sparrows with pots of seed bought from little old men, now long gone. The weather was spectacular, and perfect for walking through the gardens.

St James’s Park is the oldest of the royal parks and is surrounded by three palaces – Buckingham Palace is the most famous, St James’s Palace, built for Henry the 8th in 1532, and the Palace of Westminster (dating back to the 11th century) – better known these days as the Houses of Parliament (which has been held there since the 1300s).

Looking towards Westminster with Churchill’s underground war rooms on the right hand side

Horse Guard’s Parade remains part of the park, created during the 18th century, and too are the golden ornate gateways dedicated to the dominions – Australia, South Africa and Canada.

The left Australia gate post has a cherub with a sheep

The other Australia gatepost has a kangaroo with the cherub

Outside Buckingham Palace is the Queen Victoria Memorial, which celebrates the days of the British Empire. The memorial includes the marble statue of Victoria and the glittering figures of Victory, Courage and Constancy.

Buckingham Palace – the Royal Standard flag is raised meaning the Queen is home (if she’s away it would be the Union Jack). Helen came here to the annual garden party a few years ago, invited as part of the charity she worked for at the time. We didn’t get an invite this afternoon though.

The Royal Standard used in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and in overseas territories

Cheesy sister photo in front of the palace

From here, we crossed into the cool shadiness of Green Park and made our way over to the Canada Memorial for a sit down, watching as wood pigeons flew down for a drink.

Unveiled in 1994, the Canada Memorial recognises the one million Canadians who fought alongside the British during the two world wars. It’s a lovely peaceful spot to sit and relax a moment in the shade, the water gently rippling over the granite and across brass maple leaves.

After all this exploring we went back to the hotel for showers and to get ready for our night out.

We had an early dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant near Earl’s Court Station (Siam Secret – definitely recommend for authentic Thai food) before catching the train to Piccadilly Circus and the Princes Theatre for our evening’s entertainment – The Book of Mormon. This show is one of the most successful musicals of all time, and the 14th longest running show on Broadway (as of July this year).

Brilliant seats with a fabulous view of the stage

We really enjoyed the show, packed full of laughter. Maybe don’t go along if you’re sensitive to the odd swear word, a Mormon or not open to thinking slightly differently about religion (apparently 10-15 people walk out of the show each night)) but for entertainment value it was fabulous.

We exited the show on an absolute high, wishing the show could have continued for another hour, and strolled around to Leicester Square, Chinatown and Covent Garden, just people watching and lapping up the atmosphere of a Saturday night in London.

Who knew there was a whole shop dedicated to M&Ms? Helen persuaded me to go in and I had to do some shopping

Strolling through Chinatown, enjoying the buzz

Sunday: Our night in the hotel included breakfast, so we feasted to get our money’s worth before rolling out of the door on Sunday morning for a stroll. We had no plan as to where to go, but explored the streets of Earls Court and Kensington, deciding it would be an area that would suit us quite nicely, if anyone out there would be willing to donate us a house or apartment!

We wound our way through the streets to Kensington Palace, which has been in the royal family since the 17th century. Presently it is the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Catherine) among others, but like the Queen, they didn’t invite us in.

The royal apartments are in the background behind Helen’s head

24 May 2019 was the celebration of 200 years since the birth of Queen Victoria – she spent her formative years at Kensington Palace

Wandering around Kensington Palace gardens, free to the public

Beautiful formal gardens, being prepared for the next plantings

Views across the gardens to the Round Pond

We enjoyed strolling through Kensington Gardens and through into Hyde Park, finding ice creams on our way through. We stopped at the Princess Diana memorial fountain, a circular water feature made from Cornish granite, full of children playing and visitors cooling their feet. We of course had to join in.

A fine way to spend half an hour – I think Princess Diana would be very pleased!

The Serpentine Bridge, built in 1730, marks the boundary between Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens

The boating lake is popular on this warm Sunday afternoon

As our afternoon led to a close we were sad to head back to the hotel and collect our luggage, and make our way in separate directions home.

Helen attempted to take time-travel back home, but sadly the door was locked
(If you don’t understand, Google ‘Dr Who?’ & ‘Tardis’)

It was a fantastic weekend – so special spending time with my mum and sister, every moment and memory treasured. Helen headed back to Brighton, while I travelled north to meet up with Mark and his daughters in Milton Keynes.

September 12, 2019

12 September: Scotney Castle

Author: Mrs A

Location: Scotney Castle, nr Lamberhurst, Kent, UK

The earliest records of a building at the location of Scotney Castle date back to 1137 with the current ‘old castle’ dating back to the late 1300s. These days there are two castles on site – Scotney Castle is the newer building, built in the early 1800s for the Hussey family from Worcestershire who made their money in the early industrial revolution. They had originally moved into the old castle, which became too cold, damp and drafty.

Scotney Castle – the ‘new’ house built in 1835

Mum and I came to visit this National Trust location about 10 years ago, so were due another visit. It was a mostly overcast morning, but not too cold for autumn. Last time we came it was July, and I remember the flowers being incredible. This time it is definitely the beginning of autumn, with plants seeding and drying out, leaves starting to fall and the colour palette decidedly more subdued.

The view down across the gardens to the old castle

Over the garden wall, lovely countryside as far as the eye can see. Plenty of walks around here

The new Scotney Castle was first opened to the public in 2007 after the death of the Betty Hussey. Her husband Christopher had died in 1970, bequeathing the house, castle and estate to the National Trust. Since mum and I visited in 2009 the whole house has been preserved and opened up to the public as well as the old castle.

Tenants of apartments on the estate include Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who rented the Belfry flat for a time during the 1970s and 1980s to escape Westminster.

The gardens are considered prime examples of the Picturesque style of landscape design – basically gardens which were designed specifically to be painted. As such, the old castle was partially dismantled to create a ‘ruin’ as a centrepiece to the garden, surrounded by a water lily filled moat and viewed from the ‘new’ Scotney Castle.

The moat makes for some lovely reflections

The National Trust has plenty of paid gardeners and volunteers working on the grounds, using old papers, paintings and photographs to restore the gardens to their former glory and adding planting which fit in with the original plan.

We toured the gardens, admiring the views in all directions.

Some fabulous splashes of colour still to be found

‘The hop pickers’ – for many years hop pickers have come from London to harvest the crops here. There are still hops grown at Scotney Castle – the only National Trust hop farm. They’re used by several local brewerys to create Scotney Ale

Big gardens means you can have big plants with big leaves!

We were given a 15 minute slot during which to explore the house, but took 40, it was so interesting. It has the feeling of a living home rather than a museum, with lots of quirky details from the most recent residents sitting alongside the old furniture and 19th century interior design.

A pen and watercolour artwork in the house, looking across at the old castle

The volunteers in the house were passionate and excited to share their learnings too, pointing out a bookcase which is really a secret door, and a Dutch masterpiece above the dining room fireplace bought from a local pub for the princely sum of £30 in the early 1900s (even then it would have been far more valuable)…the Tate Gallery in London is apparently keen to get hold of it! How the local pub ended up with a Dutch masterpiece is a story we didn’t learn, but I bet there’s an interesting tale there too!

Beuckelaer, Joachim; A Maid in a Kitchen and Christ with Martha and Mary in the Background; National Trust, Scotney Castle; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/a-maid-in-a-kitchen-and-christ-with-martha-and-mary-in-the-background-220742

Fake bookcase hiding a door into the next room

Scotney Castle is definitely worth a visit if you are in the East Sussex/west Kent area – just a 40 minute drive from Hastings.

September 11, 2019September 11, 2019

10-11 September: Off to 1066 country…

Author: Mrs A

Location: Hastings, East Sussex, UK

Tuesday: We arrived in Hastings mid morning and Mark was off into town right away on his bike for an eye pressure test…the first since before we headed to Europe in May. Thankfully the results were great – his eyes stable and healthy – such a relief. Meanwhile, I got busy tackling the washing mountain, pleased to be able to hang it out in warm sunshine and a gentle breeze.

After a light lunch with mum, Mark and I jumped on the bikes and rode into town, taking a flask of herbal tea with us. We called into Waterfalls, a local tea room and gift shop with a fabulous home cooked menu to pick up cakes (they always have a dairy and gluten free options available along with their ‘normal’ ones) and continued our ride.

My sister and I used to always take our bikes out along Hastings seafront, loving the exhilaration of riding in the fresh salty air, the promenade offering a safe haven from the cars. These days it is a designated cycle-pedestrian shared path, so we don’t have to feel guilty for riding along. We headed to Hastings’ Old Town. This area of Hastings was mostly built prior to the 1760s (before bathing in the sea and drinking sea water(!) was made popular for health reasons).

Looking along the coast – the sunshine hitting the cliffs in the distance

Hastings has been home to fishermen (fisherpeople?) for more than a thousand years. These days there are 25 fishing boats at The Stade, making it the largest land-based fleet in the UK…needless to say the seafood in Hastings is deliciously fresh, and there’s a wide variety to choose from.

Looking geeky as we eat our cake and drink tea from a flask!

We rode to the extent of the seafront, an area called Rock-a-Nore. Here we could see right along the coast looking towards Dungeness in the distance, albeit with a chilly autumn breeze off the sea. There we enjoyed our tea and cake before heading deeper into the Old Town. Hastings Old Town is split almost in two, with All Saints Street (being headed by All Saints Church) being traditionally the home of the poorer residents, the fishermen’s cottages and workers in the fishing industry, and the St Clement’s Church area being the better off, wealthy area of Old Hastings. These days both have their charm, with the older housing on All Saints Street being in different states of repair, and many houses dating back to the early 1500s.

St Clements Church – rebuilt in 1377 after a raid from the French had destroyed an original church on the same site

Renovator’s delight ripe for investment on All Saints Street…house dating back to 1450

Like many of the French towns and villages we have visited, Hastings Old Town used to have a wall as defence against attack from the French. It fell into disrepair and was pretty much all gone by the 1800s. There are still several pubs in the old town, many of which have interesting historical takes linked with them. One of the pubs on All Saints Street (The Stag Inn) has a tunnel linking its cellars to a cave in the cliffs, where smuggled spirits were brought in from France (or pirated from ships attacked in the English Channel).

Ye Olde Pump House on George Street – favoured drinking establishment of my student days (photo taken especially for Jo!). Looks really old but was actually built in 1956 and made to look like some of the original old town pubs and houses.

A brief ride down George Street, still decked out in rainbow flags from the fourth Hastings Pride (25 August) and we headed back home for the evening.

Wednesday morning looked very wintry in comparison to Tuesday, with heavy grey skies and drizzle. It would have been easy to stay indoors and do not much but instead mum, Mark and I headed back to the Old Town by car for more of an explore on foot. It was very cold and windy there so we didn’t linger on the seafront, instead ducking off down High Street, long been the hub of the town (originally known as Market Street). Today it is still full of little interesting shops, old antiques alongside gift stores and delis.

I follow the Hastings Old Town Appreciation Group on Facebook and a few weeks ago I had seen my friend Emma mentioning a 1066 Hastings Gin sold in Penbuckles Delicatessen where she works part time. We decided to call in. What a great deli! This is the type of location we dream of finding, packed full of produce from local farms and businesses, ranging from cheeses, wines, milk, jams, pickles, sauces, cakes and savouries. They have a real focus on the environment, minimising waste and utilising biodegradable products where possible.

A wide variety of wines on sale – from across the world as well as local drops

It was a cappuccino for mum, a 70% dairy free hot chocolate for me and a white hot chocolate for Mr A, accompanied by a vegan pastry roll and a St Leonards Pasty. All delicious. And we mustn’t forget the gin tasting – we tried samples of the 1066 Hastings Gin and also the award winning Haswell Gin. Both very tasty with and without tonic. We bought a bottle as a gift for friends…hopefully they’ll let us taste a drop!

We bought some cockles (boiled molluscs in vinegar) from the fish market on our way back to the car and headed home for the afternoon.

Mr A tempted buy almost everything in the fish market…lobster tails anyone?

Mr A waved goodbye and headed off for the first time driving Truffy without his co-pilot. He’s off to catch up with some old friends from Australia who have moved back to the UK, before heading off on biking adventures with some more friends this coming weekend…I’m sure he’ll be back soon to share more about that!

September 11, 2019September 11, 2019

6-9 September: A busy birthday weekend in Brighton and London

Author: Mrs A

Location: Brighton, East Sussex, and London, UK

Friday: We farewelled mainland Europe and after a four hour cruise from Dieppe to Newhaven were soon pulling up at the campground in Brighton, now very familiar being our third visit in Truffy.

My sister Helen soon arrived with our niece and nephew for a visit, and presents were exchanged – a birthday gift for Elliot and a little something from Slovenia for Isabel. Our next stop was one of the many fish and chip shops along Brighton seafront, where a feast was purchased and taken to the Hilton Hotel. There we joined Mark’s daughter Hayley and her children Luke and James who’d travelled down to join us for the weekend. We munched on our goodies before helping put the kids to bed for the night.

Mr A excited to see Hayley as well as the ‘proper’ chip shop menu! ‘Mmm, curry sauce, pickled eggs, pickled gherkin, mushy peas….’

Brighton Pier looking vibrant on our walk back to camp

Mark and I strolled the 4km back to camp along the seafront, welcoming the chance to walk off the fish and chips and stretch our legs after a big day of travelling. We’ve gone back an hour on our journey across the English Channel too, and are feeling the jet lag!

Saturday morning we were off back to catch up with the family in Brighton.

Mark joined Hayley, Luke and James on an open top bus tour, then I met them at Brighton Pier, soon to be joined by Helen, her fiancé Stu, and their kids. Officially I think we worked out these are step-second-cousins, but we decided to just call them cousins. They all got along just fine given it’s their first visit. We hope it isn’t the last.

Mr 8 is joined by Miss 5, Mr 7 and Mr 3 on the kids’ table

The English Channel looks almost tempting when the sun comes out

We had a lovely morning with them, and in the afternoon Mr A and I both had hair cuts to make ourselves more presentable!

All this family action has not only been to welcome us back to old Blighty, but also to help celebrate Mr A’s birthday. We concluded our Saturday with a celebratory delicious curry and some fine wine with Helen and Stu.

Celebrating Mr A entering his 64th year (Helen had run out of number 3s!)

Sunday morning dawned clear and crisp, and Mr A was soon back on another open top bus with Hayley and the kids doing another tour of Brighton. I joined them later for a spot of lunch on the beach.

A fresh Autumnal morning near the old West Pier

It was great seeing the boys enjoying their time on the seafront. Having grown up near the beach just along the coast, I was able to share all the games and adventures Helen and I had enjoyed in our childhood, and soon had Luke and James hunting for sea glass amongst the pebbles.

Before long it was time for us all to catch the train up to London. Hayley, James and Luke were heading home to Milton Keynes, while Mr A and I had booked a hotel for the night and were meeting Zoe, Mark’s oldest daughter for a birthday eve dinner in Chinatown. We ate a delicious Vietnamese meal at VietFood, coupled with a bottle of French red. It was great to spend some time with Zoe minus children, lovely as they are.

It always amazes me how the streets of London are never quiet, even on a Sunday night. Especially around Leicester Square there were street artists, break dancers, buskers and many visitors, all vibrant and exciting. By the time we farewelled Zoe, however, we were exhausted and ready to go back to the hotel and crash.

Monday morning was Mr A’s birthday officially, and we were at the location of his chosen birthday gift bright and early. He’d chosen a Tudor watch – the sister company of Rolex. He’d been wanting a watch since his 60th birthday but it has taken until now to select the right one. The chosen option looks fabulous and makes for a very happy Mr A.

Hard to stop looking at your wrist when there’s something new there!

There followed a little browsing around the shops before meeting up with ‘best man’ Martin for a spot of lunch…

Pie, peas and mash times two please…Martin and Mark slip easily back into their old banter

Mark and I have not had cold weather for around four years, so do not own any suitable clothing for the dropping temperatures. We decided that wearing all our clothes at once was getting a little tiring and that we ought to invest in warmer coats. The streets around Carnaby Street helped us out there.

Get ready to sparkle in Carnaby Street London

After a successful afternoon’s shopping, we travelled back to Brighton, bidding farewell to Helen, Stu and the kids on our way back to Truffy.

September 7, 2019

5-6 September: And so back to the UK!

Author: Mr (and Mrs) A

Location: Dieppe to Newhaven ferry, English Channel, Europe

And so after just over 4 months touring Europe (we find ourselves already distinguishing that from the UK!) and we are on our way back to the UK. A time to reflect on our experiences.

We started Europe on a high, with a few days with friends (new and old) Champagne tasting

110 of those nights were spent camping, in all sorts of places from car parks in the middle of towns, ‘fancy’ (often not) campsites charging more than a hotel, vineyards, oyster farms, beside crumbling castle ruins…and so the list goes on. What those places had in common was a respect for other campers. Even when crowded together a metre apart, not once were we were disturbed by thoughtless noise from our fellow campers or passers by. In Australia, as our camping friends know, you’re lucky to go a couple of nights without some booze ot drug fuelled hoons running your serenity. A very different culture here, both on campsites and on the roads. We’ve loved that.

Magical sight of Assisi complete with friendly cats

Seafront views complete with oysters in Brittany

What we’ve missed is the ability to just chat to people easily because we share a language. This morning my trip to the boulangerie went particularly smoothly, even ending up with what I thought I ordered, a rarity I have to say. There was a real sense of achievement in that, given my very sad state of linguistic ability. I spent French lessons at school being mostly slapped with a ruler by a very uninspiring educator. I will though miss being challenged to learn at least the basics to show courtesy to our local country hosts. But our UK friends and family beware, we are incoming with A LOT TO SAY!

Plenty of English spoken with friends in La Marche, Italy

Old connections reestablished in Germany…

We have loved the variety of scenery and culture that Europe offers. You drive a few miles down the road and everything you see changes so fast. The landscape, the architecture, the farming, the signs (despite the EU’s best efforts), it’s a constant assault on the senses and we have loved it. The variety in the food as well, stacked up in supermarkets groaning with options. And please explain why you travel 20km down the road and go from one “country” to another and the food is completely different. How did that come to pass? Well I’m glad it did anyway. For us, Italy was an absolute standout winner on the dining-out front, quality, price, service, ambience…all just brilliantly executed. And on dining in, well we found great fresh produce everywhere, and the very talented Mrs A turned that into awesome lunch and dinners in our little Truffy.

In the driving department (there’s only me working in that one), it was a little stressful to start with getting used to the dimensions of our Fiat truck, with its the manual gear box changed with the right hand (it is left hand drive), plus everything happening on the other side of the road. But…OK…settled into it. A few hairy moments, like driving into a tunnel in Italy having roadworks performed, which clearly didn’t involve fixing the tunnel lights, and seeing massive lorries thundering towards me in the other lane, usually reserved for traffic going the same way!! But I have to say while on the subject of Italy, the drivers there were some of the most courteous we encountered, overtaking in places I wouldn’t, but understanding of my constraints in Truffy. We had one horn honked at us in 4 months, I was a little cautious after the tunnel nightmare of every dark yawning hole that I approached…a little too carefully it would seem.

Finding somewhere to park for the night, even in the middle of the high season, never presented a problem. We didn’t always like the prices or the facilities, but there was always somewhere. France the clear winner here. Their network of places to pull up, refill with water, empty your grey and black water, is just fantastic, and many of these are free. We always tried to make sure we went into the town though wherever they were and spent some money, only fair. Many of these places were no more than scruffy car parks with a bit of kit in the corner that allowed for the emptying and filling, with various degrees of success and cleanliness. Mrs A was also an absolute wiz at researching all of these stopovers, allowing me to focus on getting us there in one piece. What a team!

Our bikes that took us for literally hundreds of kilometres

Our packrafts allowed us to get away from the crowds and see some wildlife

So what would we have done differently? I asked Catherine this yesterday and we both agreed…very little. Splashed out on an awning for Truffy to keep us cooler, that’s about it. We also knew we had a great team in our dealer’s workshop to talk to if something went wrong with Truffy, which it rarely did. We loved the layout of the van, but more of that in a separate post. Having almost constant internet thanks to our 4G signal booster on the roof and a super plan from Vodafail…connectivity and therefore information was almost always on hand…well except in Germany where they seem to be strangely lagging in the internet department given their usual level of efficiency! Even the amount of time on the road felt right, if we hadn’t have had our stopovers “drive surfing” through France and Italy we think it would have been more challenging. As it was we got to stretch ourselves out every so often and move our elbows while having a shower…luxury.

A bit of drive surfing to celebrate a big birthday in Italy

And another big birthday celebrated in Croatia, island hopping by boat and cycling

So…friends-and-family time next and we are both really excited to be doing that. One thing we have noticed about writing this blog, our friends don’t feel they need to check in and share what they’re up to (or maybe it’s the excuse they’ve been looking for all along!?).) We have so much catching up to do.

Then at the end October its back to Australia, our fur child and Aussie based friends. That also is something to look forward to. Retirement…the holiday that never ends. Or sorry I should say “career break” for Catherine. She gets a bit touchy if I say “we’re retired”. She’s clearly too young for that, and spends a chunk of her time volunteer-working on her role as admin for the health support group she runs along with research with doctors across the world. Much to admire in my wife…

Category: Historical tour

3-4 October: The Isle Skye continues to bewitch us

30 September – 2 October: Walking in my parents’ footsteps

28-29 September: Heading north through the Scottish Highlands

21-23 September: A first taster of the Yorkshire Dales

18-20 September: Exploring northern England

13-15 September: Royal palaces and sunshine

12 September: Scotney Castle

10-11 September: Off to 1066 country…

6-9 September: A busy birthday weekend in Brighton and London

5-6 September: And so back to the UK!

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