Travel to Scotland Part 4

We couldn't leave the beautiful area where we had stayed for two days without one last look at Eilean Donan Castle. It is truly magnificent, and we chose wisely in staying within walking distance of it and the cute little town nearby.

Eilean Donan Castle

Our May 7th travels took us towards Glencoe National Reserve. Along the way we visited the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous as a Hogwarts Express route in the Harry Potter movies.  Built in the late 1890s, it is the longest concrete bridge in Scotland. It contains 21 arches and is 100' above the River Finnan. It was a crowded tourist destination, but worth visiting.

Glenfinnan Viaduct

We drove through the central highlands on our way to the village of Killin, where we would spend the night. The drive to this area of the central highlands was beautiful. 

the central highlands

Killin is located near the western head of Loch Tay and is quite charming. The River Dochart runs through Killin in a series of falls, which are stunning. It was quite by accident that we found lodging there, and it was a nice spot to explore and spend the night.

The next day we had breakfast in town and checked out the historic bridge, mill and waterfalls. There was also an old cemetery behind our cottage that was interesting to walk through.

village of Killin

We then started making our way back to Edinburgh as we had a 9:55 p.m. flight back to Dublin. We wanted to see the Drummond Castle Gardens, located near Crieff, but they did not open until 1:00. That gave us time to have lunch and then visit the Glenturret Distillery, which worked out well.

sights along the road

The Drummond Castle Gardens were definitely worth the wait! The keep itself was built in 1491 by John, 1st Lord Drummond. The Annexe was built in 1630, and this became the living quarters of the family. This portion is still occupied by Drummonds to this day.

You do not get to see much of the keep, but the gardens are open to tour. The formal gardens were first laid out in the 1630s by the second Earl, combining elements of French and Italian styles. The gardens cover about 12 acres, and it was a treat to see (and hear) the peacocks. This stop was a wonderful way to end our tour of Scotland, and was a highlight of the entire trip.

Drummond Castle Gardens

From Drummond we only had about an hour drive to Edinburgh, where we retuned our rental car and headed to the airport. We arrived in plenty of time to check into our flight, and had an uneventful, short trip back to Dublin. We spent the night at an airport hotel as we were flying home the next morning.

leaving Dublin

One nice thing about flying out of Dublin (besides the direct flight) is the fact that you clear US Customs there, which saves time on the other end. Once we arrived in Charlotte we only had to go and meet the party who was picking us up since we did carryon luggage only. It was the icing on the cake of another great adventure with long-time friends.

Travel to Scotland Part 3

I forgot to mention in my Travel to Scotland Part 1 post that when we were walking around Edinburgh May 2nd, we came across a large group of people line dancing by the National Gallery. As it turns out, May 2nd was International Line Dance Flash Mob day. Who knew? So of course I had to jump in and take part in that. I've always wanted to see a flash mob, and now I have not only seen one but also participated in one!

International Line Dance Flash Mob 2026

Anyway, back to Part 3 of the trip. On May 5th after our full Scottish breakfast we headed to the nearby Culloden Battlefield. The famous battle took place on April 16, 1746 and it marked the end of the Jacobite Rising. In less than an hour, the British government army crushed the rebellion of Bonnie Prince Charlie, permanently ending Stuart claims to the throne and devastating traditional Scottish Highland culture.

Culloden Battlefield

From there we drove to Urquhart Castle. Situated on the shores of Loch Ness (where we did not see the Loch Ness monster!), the castle ruins are more than 1,000 years old. Once one of Scotland's largest castles, ownership passed back and forth between England and Scotland. The last of the government troops garrisoned here during the Jacobite Risings blew up the castle when they left.

Urquhart Castle

Our last destination of the day was Ardelve, where we had reservations for two nights at a lovely, small guest house with views of the Eilean Donan Castle. We chose to base here for our exploration of the Isle of Skye. The drive to Ardelve was beautiful, and our walk to a nearby town that evening for dinner took us by peaceful sheep and the castle.

Ardelve

May 6th we began our day with another wonderful Scottish breakfast, and our hostess suggested that we take the ferry to the Isle of Skye as opposed to driving across the bridge. Before driving to the ferry, we stopped for a closer look of the Eilean Donan Castle.

Eilean Donan Castle

The Glenelg Skye Ferry is unique in that it is the only remaining turntable ferry in the world. It was built in 1969 and can carry up to six cars and twelve people, though ours was the only car on board for our passage. It was a very unique experience, and I'm glad our hostess made the suggestion.

Glenelg Skye Ferry

The Isle of Skye is just as beautiful as you can imagine. Located off of Scotland's northwest coast, the island is fifty miles long, and the largest of the Inner Hebrides. It is rugged and picturesque with many ruins and coastal stops that beg to be photographed. 

Isle of Skye

We came across our first Highland cows, or hairy coos as they are affectionately called by the locals. They have shaggy, reddish-colored coats, curved horns, and a fringe of bangs over their foreheads.

hairy coos

Along the drive we visited the ruins of Duntulm Castle. During the 17th century it was the seat of the chiefs of Clan McDonald of Sleat. The McDonalds abandoned the castle around 1730 and moved to nearby Monkstadt House and later Armadale Castle in Sleat.

Duntulm Castle

After completing the loop on our agenda for the day we headed back to our inn. We took another walk into the nearby town for dinner, and enjoyed the view of Eilean Donan Castle at dusk.

Eilean A Cheo guest house and Eilean Donan Castle

Travel to Scotland Part 2

On May 4th we picked up our rental car in Edinburgh - a non-diesel, automatic, small SUV. This really helped with lower fuel prices and anxiety as we navigated narrow roads and roundabouts while driving on the opposite side of the road. Our designated stop for the night was Inverness, but we had some wonderful places to stop along the way.

A little over an hour north of Edinburgh we visited Huntingtower Castle. Formerly known as Ruthven Castle, the oldest part is a three-story, 15th-century tower and garret. The second, four-story, tower house was built in the 16th century. Built close to the first structure, the buildings were connected towards the end of the 16th century by a three-story structure containing a staircase.

Huntingtower Castle

A short, 40 minute drive north of Huntingtower Castle is Blair Castle & Gardens. Home to the Atholl family for over 750 years, its origins date back to 1269. It holds the distinction of being one of Scotland's oldest continuously inhabited castles. It is also home to Europe's last remaining private army, the Atholl Highlanders. It was well worth the drive to tour the castle and gardens.

Blair Castle & Gardens

We next drove to see the Clava Cairns, a unique collection of three stone structures. Little is known about who built them, but it is believed they date to the Bronze Age. Rumor has it that the stones were the inspiration for the stone circle where Claire falls through time in the Outlander books. It is very unique, for sure.

Clava Cairns

We finished the day by driving to our lodging in Inverness, where we were able to walk to have dinner and enjoy a little of the sights in town.

Inverness

Travel to Scotland Part 1

flying into Edinburgh

On May 2nd we had an ugly 6:40 AM flight from the Shannon Airport to Edinburgh. While it was hard to get up that early, we landed at 7:55 AM so we had the whole day ahead of us. We took a cab to the area of Old Town Edinburgh where our two bedroom flat was located. Because it was too early to check in, we found a nearby shop that had lockers to store our suitcases.

Since we were out of bed before dawn, the first thing we did was grab breakfast down the street from where we dropped the bags. From there it was an easy walk to Edinburgh Castle. Standing on Castle Rock, there has been a a royal castle on this location since the reign of Malcolm III in the 11th century The castle continued to be a royal residence until 1633. We wandered the area for a bit, but could only get tickets to tour the castle the next day.

Edinburgh Castle

We explored the Royal Mile, the historic district of Old Town, with its cobblestone streets and medieval architecture. It was a beautiful day, and the streets were packed with locals and tourists alike. St. Giles Cathedral, one of three cathedrals in Edinburgh, is incredibly beautiful. Founded in 1124 it was built on the eastern edge of Edinburgh and predates Old Town. There was a lot to see and do in the area.

Royal Mile

St. Giles Cathedral

We had grabbed some provisions at a small grocery store near our flat so that we could eat breakfast in the next morning. We had early tickets to tour the castle. The day was overcast with a light rain, so that kept some of the crowds away. The castle grounds contain over 20 buildings on about 9 acres, so we spent a couple hours looking around.

Edinburgh Castle tour

Following lunch we did the underground walking tour, which had been highly recommended to us. The below-street level experience allows you to explore a series of vaults constructed in the 1780s. They initially served as workspaces and storage, but the damp environment was not conducive to those activities. The vaults by the 1820s became densely populated slums, and were eventually sealed off. They are now a tourist attraction reportedly haunted by ghosts. We thought the tour was overrated, but perhaps it was just our guide.

Old Town sights

This was our last day in Edinburgh, so we had a nice dinner before packing our things once again. 

Travel to Ireland Part 3

Shetland pony

On May 1 we said goodbye to the animals of Ballyseede Castle and made our way to Limerick. We were hoping to see White House Bar, established in 1812. It is not only the oldest bar in town but also one with a storied literary heritage. Unfortunately it did not open until later in the day, so we just drove by for a quick photo of the outside.

We stopped by St. Mary's Cathedral, founded in 1168. It is the oldest continuously operated building in Limerick. It is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland, and is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Mary's Cathedral

We also visited nearby King John's Castle. The castle construction on the River Shannon was overseen by King John, brother of Richard the Lionhearted, between 1200 and 1210. He wanted to secure British power in Ireland. It's a little hard to get a sense of the castle as they have turned the main outdoor area into a performance center, but the views from the top were definitely worth seeing.

King John's Castle

Our last stop of the day was a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. This is always on the bucket list for anyone traveling to Ireland. When I first went with my husband nearly 30 years ago, we renamed it the Cliffs of Less as it was so foggy you couldn't even see the cliffs. My sister and I visited 20 years ago and had a wonderful, if very windy, weather day. On this trip it was overcast, but still very pretty.  My observation is that Ireland has taken what was once a scenic, natural experience and turned it into a tourist trap. The huge, paid parking lot is quite a hike to get to the now-paved trails you must take to get to the viewing areas. That was somewhat disappointing to me.

Cliffs of Moher

After our visit we checked into our airport hotel and returned the rental car as we had an extremely early flight out of the Shannon Airport to Edinburgh the next morning.

 

Travel to Ireland Part 2

On April 29th, after another lovely Irish breakfast, we hailed an Uber for a ride to the location where we would pick up our rental car. Heading west, we made a stop in Athlone to see Sean's Bar. It is officially recognized by Guinness Book of Records as the oldest pub in Ireland, and widely recognized as the oldest continually operating bar in the world. Sean's was founded in 900 AD, and remains a tourist attraction to this day.

Sean's Bar

Our next stop along the road was the Rock of Cashel. This is a group of medieval buildings on a limestone outcropping in County Tipperary. There is a round tower, a 13th century Gothic cathedral, and a Romanesque Cormac's Chapel. 

Rock of Cashel

The day ended with our arrival at the Killarney Lodge, which would be our base for a night as we explored the Ring of Kerry. It was a lovely place to stay, with an included breakfast. A true bonus after driving all day was the location - walking distance to the town. We had a lovely dinner at a restaurant in town following our arrival to the area.

The next morning we loaded up the car to begin our drive of the Ring of Kerry, a beautiful 111-mile route around the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry. The roads are narrow and crowded, so it is not a quick drive. We did not cover the entire area, instead choosing to enjoy Killarney National Park. Within the park we visited historic Muckross House and Gardens as well.

Killarney National Park

Muckross House and Gardens

A highlight of the trip was our lodging on April 30th. We were able to stay at Ballyseede Castle, a four-star luxury hotel set on 30 acres in Tralee, County Kerry. The roots of the castle date back to the 16th century, followed by a 400 year residency of the Blennerhassett family. It was converted to a hotel in 1966. It was an incredible place to spend the night, and we enjoyed touring the grounds of the castle as well as the meals we had there.

Ballyseede Castle

Travel to Ireland Part 1

In April we traveled to Ireland to meet up with some friends from college. We had been planning this trip for over a year, with the intent to spend a week in Ireland and a week in Scotland. It was a trip with many moving parts, and challenging because we made all the arrangements ourselves.

Both couples left the U.S. on April 26th and arrived in Dublin on the 27th. We flew on American, and had one of the crappiest planes we have been on in a long time. It had the 3/5/3 seat configuration, but the overhead storage bins were so small that our small carryons had to be put in sideways. That meant only one suitcase could fit in each bin. The entertainment units were built into the headrests, with the remotes attached to a cable. The units used only plug-in headphones that were provided by the airline. Even though we were in supposedly larger seats with more legroom, the seats were incredibly uncomfortable for a 7 1/2 hour flight.

We stayed at the Kilronan House Bed & Breakfast. where Jim and I had stayed our first time in Dublin in 1997, and I again stayed with my sister when we went in 2005. Their location is easy walking distance to the attractions we wanted to see, so we didn't need to pick up our rental car for a couple of days.

We were able to drop our luggage off at the B & B, and then began to tour Dublin. We walked to St. Stephen's Green which has 3-acre lake with numerous waterfowl, flower gardens and sculptures. We found a pub for lunch, and just enjoyed trying to walk off our jet lag.

Dublin Day 1

When we got back to the B & B it was to find that our room was located on the top floor. LOTS of stairs and no elevator. That was not fun at all, but it did help get our legs in shape for the rest of the trip - ha!

Irish breakfast

The next day we had a lovely, full Irish breakfast before heading out again. We began at St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was founded in 1191. It is said to be located on the site where the patron saint baptized converts in the 5th century. The current Gothic structure was constructed between 1120 and 1260. It serves as the National Cathedral for the Church of Ireland. It has switched back and forth from Catholicism to Anglican faith.

Our next stop was a tour of Dublin Castle. Originally built in 1204 as a medieval fortress for King John of England, it served as the seat of British rule until 1922. Today it is a major Irish government complex.

We then visited the Irish Whisky Museum. We had a wonderful docent, and enjoyed tasting three whiskeys. From there we headed to historic Temple Bar for lunch. It was named for Sir William Temple, who built a house there in the 1600s. The bar was established in 1840 and is known for having the largest collection of whiskeys in Ireland and the largest selection of pub sandwiches in the world. We enjoyed both the sandwiches and traditional Irish music being played while we were there.

We finished the afternoon with a walk around Trinity College. We especially enjoyed seeing the library, which is the largest in Ireland. It opened in 1592 and is quite beautiful. The Book of Kells exhibit is very informative, and of course seeing the book itself is amazing.

After a little rest later in the afternoon, we went to an Italian restaurant recommended by our B & B host. It was delicious, and a fitting final supper for our time in Dublin.

sites around Dublin

Milestone Birthday Pickleball

St. Lucia

Earlier this month my husband joined me in crossing into a new decade of life. As I thought about how I would like to celebrate him on this occasion, I began to look at pickleball vacations. We have done several of these in the past, so I was looking for something that would be different from the other experiences. I came across one that was headed to St. Lucia, and I was immediately interested in it. At this point in our lives we are trying to go to destinations where we haven't traveled before, and St. Lucia fit the bill. The fact that it was being held at a Sandals with ten dedicated pickleball courts had me looking further into the details.

Elite Pickleball Retreats was offering three plus days of pickleball, with the instruction being done by three professional coaches. Their curriculum was combining skill training with drills, coached game play, film review, yoga, instruction on mastering your mindset, tips from a senior pro pickleball player, and game strategy. It was the most comprehensive pickleball training series that I have come across.

When I registered the two of us to attend, I made it clear that this was a surprise for my husband's birthday. I requested that all correspondence come only to me, and I was assured that would be the case. Jim only knew that he was going on a trip that would require his passport, and to pack for warm weather. I knew once we got to the airport he would see that we were going to St. Lucia, but he wouldn't know we were going to a Sandals or that a pickleball event was involved. Since I knew the resort had pickleball courts, I would have told him to pack his pickleball gear.

Well, a week before the event an email from the organizer went to Jim, and not to me. So much for my surprise! I guess he was surprised, just earlier than I anticipated. As it ends up, he has followed the YouTube channel of one of the coaches for several years, so he was excited to get to meet him in person.

When I booked the trip in January there was no shortage of TSA agents. Nor was there a war going on that involved the United States. So we weren't quite sure what to expect as we traveled outside the U.S. Our flight out was at 6:15 in the morning. We had an Uber pick us up at 4:00 and we were at the airport and through TSA by 4:25. Everything went smoothly at both the Charlotte airport as well as the one in Miami, where we had a connecting flight to St. Lucia. We were the only flight in at that time, so going through customs there was a breeze. We had a short wait in the Sandals lounge before taking their shuttle to the resort. Our shuttle contained only people who would be in our pickleball group, which was fun.

view from our room

There are actually three Sandals Resorts on St. Lucia, and we stayed at the Regency La Toc. It took a little over an hour to get from the airport to this resort. The roads were okay, but there was traffic to be dealt with by the driver. Once there, check in took a little longer than expected, but our room was ready. We were on the 7th floor of a seven story building, and had a wonderful ocean view. The room was huge, airy, and most importantly did not smell like mildew. The air conditioner worked very well.

The first night we all got together for a welcome dinner, and it was nice to get to know some of the participants before we began with the clinic the next morning. As it turned out, all of the other participants were from New Jersey, where the coaches have pickleball facilities. We were the only ones who learned of the retreat online. That was a little off-putting at first, but we were able to work around it. I would say most of the attendees were in their 30s-40s. There were maybe 3 couples in their 50s-60s, but Jim and I were definitely the only ones who were 70. But we didn't let that slow us down!

We learned a lot over three full days of the retreat. I tried to write down as many of the drills and tips that I could remember. But pickleball, like many things in life, is something that you have to do over and over again to commit it to your muscle memory. I hope I can put at least a few of the things I learned into practice.

I added two extra nights to our trip so that we would have some time to actually experience the resort. On Sunday we took a shuttle bus to one of the other Sandals resorts, the Grande. It is situated on a narrow strand of land that has the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, which makes it quite unique. We enjoyed being able to see what that resort has to offer.

Monday we stayed at our resort and finally were able to lounge by the pool and also walked the beach and stuck our feet into the ocean for the first time. It was chilly! We had dinner at the Italian restaurant, which is at the top of a hill and offers beautiful sunset views. It was a fantastic way to spend our last night on St. Lucia.

Tuesday morning we had breakfast before putting our luggage out at 9:00. We had to be out of our room by 10:00, and got the airport shuttle at 10:30. Getting through customs and security at the airport was easy, and our flight to Miami went off without a hitch. The Miami airport was quite busy, and there was no TSA pre-check lane due to the shortage of TSA agents right now. That ate up quite a bit of our 1 1/2 hour layover, but we had just enough time to grab a quick bite in the American lounge before boarding our flight back to Charlotte. We got back to our house around 11:30 p.m. It was another long day of travel, and a reminder to try and take vacations where we can get a direct flight out of Charlotte.

The vacation was great, and Jim was very appreciative of his "surprise" present, but it is really wonderful to be home!

Peru & Ecuador - Part 9

Friday, December 5th was our last full day at Kuyana Lodge. The options for excursions that morning included a hike through the jungle, which the guide said would be much longer and harder than any we had done so far, or a hike through a cave. In light of the described difficulty, my family opted to do the cave trip.

I have no fascination with caves in general, but once he said that the water would be chest-high in places, my decision was made. Chest-high water on most people equates to being over my head. I also did not relish the thought of slogging through water in knee-high boots, which would immediately be filled at that depth. While I brought water shoes for the Galapagos portion of the trip, the sand had rubbed the tops of my toes raw on the last expedition we did there. All that combined made it easy for me to say that I would remain at the resort. 

As no other guests had arrived at the lodge yet, I again had the place to myself. We had been told that more people were coming that night, and it was obvious from the staff activity that more guests were expected. I took the time to rearrange all my belongings in the suitcase and backpack for the next morning's departure before strolling around the resort snapping photos. Then I parked myself at the pool until my husband and daughter returned. They both agreed that I had made the correct choice in staying behind as the cave hike was dark, cold, and strenuous.

around the resort

The rest of my family returned in time for lunch. We then spent time at the pool. An afternoon rain shower came in, so I entertained myself by taking pictures of the rain drops on the pool water surface.

rain on the pool

For our last dinner there was a marked difference in the dining area. Now that other guests had arrived, there were different place mats, the napkins were folded all fancy, and there were candles on the tables, along with a large leaf with the guest's name on it. Those things actually made us feel pretty insignificant since we didn't have them for the other meals while we were there. Ramona was also brought out of her living quarters for the meal. From other reviews that I have read, I think this is a frequent occurrence while guests are there. She was not previously brought out to dine with us, only to join us on the one hike.

last dinner

Following dinner we returned to our cabin. We had to pack for the next morning's departure and get through one last tepid shower. In the morning we enjoyed one final delicious meal before the prearranged car arrived to pick us up for the three and a half hour drive back to Quito.

last breakfast

sunset out the hotel room window

We elected to stay at a hotel near the airport as we had a fairly early flight out the next morning. Luckily the restaurant for the included breakfast opened at 5:30 so we were able to eat before heading out on the airport shuttle. Everything went smoothly at the airport, and we left on time to Miami, where we would catch the plane for the last leg of our journey. Our daughter was on the same flight to Miami, so it was nice to have some final time with her on the plane and in the American Airlines lounge in Miami.

We all made it home safe and sound. It was an amazing adventure, and one that we will be talking about for years to come. Super big bonus was that none of us got sick, either on the trip or after we got home. That is always a concern with travel, especially in cold and flu season. Now - where to next?

Peru & Ecuador - Part 2

November 24th we had a 4:00 a.m. wake up call. We were able to pick up a to-go breakfast box at 4:30 and then our buses took us to the Ollantaytambo train station, which was about three hours away. Our train left the station at 8:48, headed to Aguas Calientes which was an hour and fifteen minutes away. Once you depart the train you take a 30 minute public shuttle to Machu Picchu, which sits at an elevation of 7,970 feet.

Our tour began at 10:00. While the area was socked in with low clouds, they made an interesting shroud of the mountains. Unfortunately it began to rain (pretty much the only steady rain we had on the trip), but luckily we had rain coats with us. It did quit after a bit, so we were able to enjoy the experience a little more. We only had a little over two hours to explore, so much of our day was spent in transportation. We took the shuttle back to town where we had lunch with a little time left over to check out the buildings in the area.

Then it was a reverse of the trip, and we did not get back to the hotel until nearly 8:00. We had a late dinner at the hotel before heading off to bed.

Machu Picchu

The next morning we had an early breakfast at the hotel because our buses were taking us to the Cusco airport at 7:20. We had to fly from Cusco to Lima, where we met with different representatives from the tour company who would get us onto our connecting flight to Quito, Ecuador.

Quito Airport

We arrived at the JW Marriott in the late afternoon. Dinner was included at the hotel, so we ate there and turned in somewhat early as the next day included an all day tour of historic Quito and the Middle of the World. In the city center we visited churches, saw the Presidential Palace, and toured a chocolate factory (very small and family-operated.) After that we headed out of town for lunch up in the mountains in a gorgeous setting.

Quito tour

Following lunch we drove outside of Quito to the Middle of the World, which marks the Equator. This is the point that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The site includes a monument, museum, shops and interesting artwork. 

Middle of the World

Once back at the hotel we had dinner and then it was off to bed. The next day included a 4:30 wakeup call in preparation for an early flight to our next destination.