Day 11 (Sunday) We left Karen today and started heading North. First stop was in Wales at Tintern Abbey. It is ruined however is still in good condition. Gav took so many photo’s it will be months by the time any make it online.
I had to drag him kicking and screaming back to the car!! We then drove to Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds, http://www.bourtoninfo.com/.
Looks nothing like the pictures on the website, it was packed with tourists and there was a million kids in the water, which is only about 20cm deep and bloody cold!!! We walked past this lovely B&B;, The Dial (http://www.dialhousehotel.com).
As we did not have anywhere to stay the night we thought we would see if they had a room. They did!!! Day 12 (Monday) Today we headed off to Gav’s aunt and uncles in Sale, Manchester.
On the way we went to the Cotswold Falconry centre and was lucky enough to see their flying show. I was told Gav needs a faster lens!! We saw on of their owls, I have forgotten which one it was.
Two Kites, but not native, American I think, and a vulture that was adverse to flying, gee I should take notes!!! However, I do remember the Turkey Vultures and the American red Eagle,… I think. You all can just look at the photos when Gav puts them up and figure it out yourself.
We then drove up to Manchester. Day 13 (Tuesday) We went for a day trip to Liverpool, what a hole!!! The drive through was just boarded up house and business after another! We jumped on the tour bus when we got in and did the circuit of the sites in 40 minutes.
We got off at x Wharf and had some lunch We then jumped back on the bus and went to the Liverpool Cathedral. It is a stunning building.
We paid to go up the tower which involved, catching a lift up to the 4th floor, climbing a flight of stairs to the 5th floor, catch the second lift to the 10th floor and finally climbing 4 flights of stairs in the bell tower to the viewing platform at the top of the tallest spire.
We then headed back to the car after being Beatles out and headed home. Day 14 (Wednesday) After a frantic past 2 weeks we decided to have a partial day off, So we slept in and took it easy for the morning.
Gav’s Uncle John took us into Manchester, we had a brief visit to the Manchester Museum of Industry, the Air and Space Museum, along with a brief walk around the area. We then headed back to Sale for lunch in a pub by the canal.
I had a great yorshire pudding wrap with roast lamb inside, yummy!!! We then had a nice relaxing afternoon. Day 15 (Thursday) Today we went with Ann and John to visit Gav’s Great Aunty Bea in North Wales.
We had a lovely lunch before heading over to Conwy town for a walk around and a bit of shopping. Did not go up in the castle or walk the town wall, as we had a 96 year old and a pregnant woman!!
On the way back home we visited the city of Chester, which is an old Roman settlement. The fort wall is mainly still intact and you can walk along most of it. The town also has a large number of old Tudor buildings.
We headed back to the pub for dinner before getting a good nights sleep for our big drive to Glasgow. Day 16 (Friday) Today we headed off to Glasgow after Gav fell down the stairs and sprained his ankle!! Lucky Ann is a nurse.
This meant that I had to drive; he could have just asked nicely if he was sick of driving!! As it was a big day of driving we planned to drive straight through. We hit a bit of rain on the way thought, which is kind of mandatory for Scotland I think.
As we drove through the Lakes District the scenery definitely changed to rolling mountains. We were keeping an eye out for the welcome to Scotland sign, but next thing we knew we were in Glasgow, must have been small!!
On the way Gav decided to try an application on the iPhone where you speak the query and it googles the answer to find the hotel, the Glasgow Pond Hotel. After several goes the iPhone application misheard him several times and gave him pages of black gay porn.
It was bucketing down in Glasgow so we decided to head straight to the hotel, plus it was a long drive for a pregnant woman!! So we decided to catch up on some of the travel diary and Gav is only adding to the photo’s.
So we had a nice snooze before heading to the bar for a drink and to contemplate dinner. Day 17 (Saturday) We left Glasgow to continue our trip North, we were booked in to stay at a hotel in Kilmelford (just south of Oban) – food: average, accommodation: below average - keep driving.
We spent the rest of the day going for a walk in the (very small) village and enjoying a few drinks at the pub (fortunately they had free wifi – I am amazed at how many open wirelesss networks there are in the UK …).
Cut the trip in half but in hindsight, we probably should have pushed on. Day 18 (Sunday) We continued north today to the Isle of Skye, I am amazed we even made it after all the stops to take photos (more photo’s for the album).
We did not book any accommodation before hand so plodded along with our fingers crossed. The drive was beautiful, although death defying at times. Most of the roads on the idle are single lane with passing places, complicated by sheep grazing on or by the road!!
On the way into Portree, the main town of the isle, we stopped at a few places to see if they had rooms available. The only room we could find was one with the shower right next to the bed. At the Information Centre I picked a leaflet for a lovely B&B; just outside of town.
We tried calling but no answer. We decided to keep going north to see what we could find. After driving for about 20 minutes and all we saw were huge mountains and lots of sheep, although the signs said cows!!
We tried the B&B; one more time and just as luck would have it they had just received a cancellation. So we headed back to Portree. The B&B; is in an old farm house with our room overlooking the sea back to Portree, http://www.peinmorehouse.co.uk/b_and_b.htm.
Our room in the bottom on the right, with a picture of the bathroom just to the left of that, we did not want to leave and considered living there!! Day 19 (Monday) We both shed a little tear as we left Peinmore House and headed south to the otter sanctuary.
The drive was 7 miles on single lane road with a cliff off to one side!! We almost got bogged as Gav pulled to far over to let another car pass. All that was going through my mind was gee Gav is going to have to push.
All that was going through Gav’s mind was gee Jo is going to have to push. There is equal opportunity for you!!! At the sanctuary we saw a lot of seals swimming and sunning, well trying on the beach.
We then headed down and caught the ferry over to the mainland; all of a stones throw away!! We then headed inland to Loch Ness and stayed in Foyers at a B&B; with a room that overlooks the loch. We spent the afternoon in the sitting room overlooking the loch enjoying a beverage.
I also got to see a fight jet flying past, keeping Nessy under control I think. Day 20 (Tuesday) Pre-emptive post - we leave for Ediburgh tomorrow. We start heading south now as this is our last week in the UK, my how the time has flown!!
We are off to Edinburgh today, about 3 hours away from Loch Ness.