Month: April 2024

The group I’m touring with is called Back Roads Tours except in North America where it’s called Blue Road Tours. Apparently North America already has a Back Road Tours company and this isn’t that one.

The tour company is from Australia, which explains why most of my travel pals are Aussies. There are two other Canadian couples for a total of 5 Canadians and 13 Aussies. Jack is the other lone male traveller and we often get to sit together.

I haven’t got everyone’s name sorted yet but I’m working on it. This is an extremely friendly and intelligent group of people and they make wonderful travelling companions. It also doesn’t hurt that we have been staying at some fabulous hotels and had some amazing meals. I would say all so far have been 5 star.

Our tour guide Peter is a local fella as is our driver Ray. Peter is also a farmer but has been doing this tour bit for years. He adds a ton of information as we travel along and manages to aim us in the right direction for pubs, restaurants and tourist haunts. Ray is also a local fella and seems to know his way around this country. When they call it Back Road Tours they aren’t kidding. We have, so far, been to the back of beyond and then back on many roads that a bigger bus would not even try. He’s also quite adept at missing the occasional sheep that’s parked on the double yellow line.

Another point I should add is that our other tour guides, those who show us around specific locales, have been not only incredibly knowledgeable but quick to make everyone chuckle. I’m sure there will be more to come along those lines.

And…just a word of thanks to Peter and Gayle who put me on to this group. Very much appreciated.

I should get back on the trail as we are about to head to Derry then further up the North Irish Coast. We are going to return to the Redcastle this evening so we don’t need to pack our bags. Time for a bit of washing and quick drying while we’re on the road.

Londonderry or Derry, depending on you persuasion, has it’s original walls in place running completely around the old part of town. It’s the last city in that part of the world to have the complete city walls. It was these walls that held back the English when they tried to capture Derry.

As the story goes the Apprentice Boys ran out and closed the gates when the city was being attacked by a Jacobite force. This was seen as “rebellion” against James II and resulted in the siege of Derry. Today they celebrate that act of rebellion by having the “Shutting of the Gates” parade and the “Relief of Derry Parade”. As with most Irish stories I’ve heard so far, the history of Derry is very complicated and not a story I can recount in full here.

It was suggested that Derry did not suffer as much during the Troubles and I would suspect it was related to the marching and bonfires, that, while occurring in Belfast, did not occur in Derry. Even the “Shutting the Gates” parade is more about city pride that rubbing the citizens face in it.

Of course no trip to Derry would be worth it if we didn’t mention the “Derry Girls”.

Some time ago I watched the series on Netflix but I’ve managed to find it again and I’m re-acquainting myself with the show. It takes on a different tone and I understand a few more things having been to the city itself.

We’re off again on the road, this time heading North and North-west to the coast.

We’re heading for the Isle of Doagh and a visit to the Famine Village. This is an interpretive centre that explains what life was like for poor catholic families prior to and then during the famine. It was not uncommon for families to be evicted from their home because they didn’t own the land. The police would nail wood across the door the batter a wall down or burn the roof or both in order to evict the family

For families with only a small plot of land, the potato became a major part of their diet. When the crop failed in 1845 these families, who also had no money to purchase other available food, either starved to death or left Ireland. It is estimated that about 1 million died while another 1 million left the country.

The village is a major complex based on an actual village. Our guide at the village had actually lived there and the first stop was the house he grew up in. No question at all about the historical accuracy of the place.

Our tour guide Peter, believes that it was the failure of the government to support people that resulted in such a loss of life and massive immigration. There are several examples of food being exported to other countries, at a time when people were literally dying on the street. There we some make work projects, such as building un-needed walls, that gave people some money and when they had money there was no famine. The famine ended in 1852 and simply added another historical incident that did not speak well of the English and fanned the flame of Irish Independence.

Another site well worth the visit for it’s historical significance but it’s time to head back to Redcastle for a wee break.

Stand down

I’m not quite sure how to describe our morning tour of Belfast. It was both stunning and disturbing to be walking the streets where so many people hated and feared each other enough to go on a killing spree for 30 years. By the time the peace agreement was signed in 1998 there were 3,532 dead and over 47,500 injured.

For this excursion we had 3 vehicles and 3 drivers, all of whom had lived through “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland and Belfast in particular. We visited some of the primary sites of “action”, Shankill Road, Bombay Street and the gates and walls “of Peace” that dot the city.

I won’t try to explain the history that led to the August 1969 riots, burnings and killings and the beginning of “The Troubles” but, if you do venture to learn more I’d suggest going back much farther in time, because a lot of it starts with the victory of King William III, of Orange, a protestant, over King James II of England, a catholic.

As one of our tour guides said, how would you like it if, after loosing a football match to your dreaded rivals, the winning team held huge marches and bonfires, all over the country for the next 300 years. All just to remind you who the winners and losers were.

There is a lot of graffiti on walls and buildings around the city but this is organized and done by professional artists. Of prominence of late are murals in support of the Palestinians in Gaza, but you can also find all sorts of images supporting all sorts of things.

Over time, walls and gates have sprung up to keep the unionists and the loyalists away from each other and even after the “Good Friday Agreement” of 1998, some of the gates are regularly shut at night. All 3 of our drivers agreed that things were immensely better and continue to get better as time passes. When asked when they thought the longest section of wall would come down, one of the drivers said when a teenager can no longer get good wi-fi reception…that’s about it.

After this most interesting visit to parts of Belfast, we were dropped off at the town centre and allowed to roam around a bit.

It’s a modern “English” city, still using the “pound sterling” after Brexit and looking much like any other English town of the same size. I was amazed at the size of the City Hall, which is probably 3 times bigger than the one at home.

We headed north from Belfast along the Causeway Coastal Route, hugging the shore for miles. We stopped at Carnlough to grab a sandwhich and something to drink. We had a chance to stretch our legs and I discovered this wee stairway into the harbour which was apparently used as one of the settings for Game of Thrones.

We also stopped at the Portaneevy Viewpoint to see the Carrick a Rede rope bridge that connects the wee island to the mainland.

This other shot is looking out from the viewpoint to Rathlin Island and Scotland beyond hidden in the mists.

I tried to capture some of the stunning coastal scenery as we were whizzing along in our bus, but it didn’t always work out. You can see the trees whizzing by in this interpretation.

The trip up to the Giant’s Causeway from Belfast was long but definitely worth it. I’d seen the other end of the causeway on the Isle of Staffa off the west coast of Scotland but this was more impressive, even if more crowded. It was a long walk down from the interpretive centre but even that offered impressive views.

The causeway itself was festooned with people and I didn’t feel comfortable stepping from stone to stone so I just hung back and enjoyed the view.

Heading back up I did take advantage of the shuttle bus that went up and down the cliff-side and that was a “pound” well spent. Our day was winding down as we zipped through Derry and up the west coast of the lough to the Redcastle Inn. It’s not really a castle and it’s not red but it is very fine accommodation and the meal we were treated to was first class.

More about accommodations and my travel pals in the next instalment.

Stand down.

A bit of a correction before we proceed. Cat has advised that the app to find more and/or cheaper flights in the UK is called “Skyscanner”…not whatever I called it. Don’t forget to send your corrections along folks….I need all the help I can get.

Monday, April 22nd, and we’re up and on the road by 08:00 heading from Dublin to the site of the Battle of the Boyne, near Drogheda. I’d read a bit about the battle itself but I didn’t know that much about the reasons for the battle and the implications for English and Irish history. While the battle was successful for the English under William III, the war raged on for some time before James II ran off to France. William, being protestant and James being catholic, this set the stage for clashes between the two religions that still go on.

In the north, celebrating King Billy and the use of “orange” by the protestants, all reflect the impact William’s victory has had on Northern Irish history.

The interpretive centre is quite nice and the laser depiction of the battle is very unique and puts the whole event in perspective. There are also life size displays of uniforms and weapons and rather unique presentation by the tour guide of certain “implements” used to care for the wounded.

There is also a very nice wee café that overlooks the large garden area and we took advantage of that before loading up on the bus and heading to Belfast.

We arrive on the outskirts of Belfast at the dock area, and the actual site where Titanic was built, to see the incredible building that is the Titanic Museum. The four corners of the building are shaped like the prow of the Titanic and are the same height. It’s a stunning first sight.

As you wend your way through the museum you go from the planning and design stages, to the construction of the ship, it’s launching (which was a major event in Dublin and around the world), then on to the voyage, the disaster that happened (including a wall with the name of every survivor and those lost) and finally you end up with the story of the finding of the remains. There is a “ride” that takes you through the shipyards as the ship is being built and exhibits which display what the ship looked like on the inside. Quite a memorable experience and well worth the visit.

We are staying in Dublin for the night at the Malone Hotel. Our ever resource full tour guide, Peter, has offered to show us the way to his favourite Belfast pub, The Crown. It’s a bit of a walk, essentially through the campus of Queen’s University at Belfast, down to the town centre. The Crown is an amazing place, recently refurbished and totally packed with Belfastians. Just as we’re ordering a few pints of Belfast Black, a group exits the “snug” next to us and we all pile in. Not all as we’ve lost a few due to the treck and the possibility of a good nights sleep.

The Belfast Black is a stout and only available in Belfast. It is one of the smoothest drinking pints I’ve ever had and the group of us demolish quite a bit of it. This is actually where the neglect of the blog gets it’s start as, by the time we get back to the Malone, I’m knackered and head to bed.

Perhaps I’ll catch up tomorrow.

It was just getting light at 05:00 when Cat and I got up to head to Heathrow. I had to be at the airport for an 08:00 flight, which was too bad as Cat pointed out other flights that left later in the day…why didn’t I find one of those…she asked? She also suggested that next time I should use Skytrax which is better than Expedia for flights, in the UK anyway. Oh well, not a lot of traffic so we arrived with plenty of time and I was able to get a nice breakfast after getting through security and the inevitable extra scan.

The flight itself was short and sweet, we actually made it in just over an hour. At the Dublin airport I figured out which bus to get and that too was relatively short and sweet and I was dropped off a Heuston Station in the city centre, which is just across the river from the Ashling Hotel, where I’ll be staying for the night. The Ashling is located via what3words at ///myself.sock.liner.

I was able to check my carry-on at the hotel but my room wasn’t ready so it was time for a walkabout. I should point out that the weather is quite unbelievable, sunny and relatively warm. The big advantage is that there is no biting wind like there was in Dorking. I had really not expected this kind of weather and I sorely wish I could remember what I did with my sunglasses.

I walked east along the river, the Liffey, and took a couple of snaps, especially of this weird shaped building on the other side with strange lettering…Guinness…not quite sure what that stands for but I’m sure I’ll find out shortly.

It was getting past repast time but I couldn’t see anything resembling a restaurant or a pub. A block north of the R148 I spotted a corner shop that had a large group of young people standing around outside. It was worth a look so I headed that way. The place was called “Wuff” and it was hard to say what it was as it had a tiny door at the corner and essentially bars on all the windows. It turned out to be a very nice wee restaurant full of very young people, but with a table and chair just right for Moi.

Lunch was a ham and cheese sandwich, with double fried chips, and a pint of….you guessed it…Guinness. What a treat the pint was and the food was quite nice too. It was a bit pricey, especially when the transaction machine decided to tell me what it was in Canadian dollars…whince…whince…but what the heck…I’m on holiday.

I was getting a bit knackered, probably that magic brew, so I headed back to the Ashling, got my room and had a lie down until 17:00. The tour group was meeting at 18:00 so after a refreshing shower I went down and joined them.

I didn’t meet all of them in any detail but most of them are from Australia while there are two couples from Canada, so a friendly group. After handshakes all around we headed to the dining room which allowed for a bit more intimate chatting with seated neighbours. I sat across from Peter the tour guide, who in his spare time runs a cattle farm in Ireland. He’s been doing the tour bit for about 20 years so I think we are going to be in good hands.

Irish stew for dinner and it was really quite good…even the carrots. I didn’t have another Guinness as it was getting on and I was hoping for a good nights sleep to start the trip well refreshed. So..after instructions from Peter about breakfast and the departure routine for the morning, it was off to bed at 20:00. Tomorrow we head off to refight the Battle of the Boyne and then head to Belfast to the Titanic Museum. Sounds good.

Stand down

The trip to the old sod was uneventful but a bit uncomfortable in some ways. A city bus to the intercity bus and some wonderful views from the top of the double decker Megabus on the way to Toronto. It’s amazing what you can see along the 401 when you have the height.

Security and check-in at Pearson was easy but I had a bit of a wait as I arrived several hours before the flight. It was enough time to grab a bite and a pint and read a couple of chapters. I highly recommend “Horse” by Geraldine Brooks. An enjoyable and fascinating mix of pre-US civil war slavery, horse racing, art, horology and osteology.

The flight itself was quite uncomfortable. I had hoped to doze a bit but I couldn’t seem to settle in. The young lady beside me had her earphones on with wave lapping sounds, she put on an eye shade and that was it…she woke up in London/Gatwick. I didn’t watch any movies as nothing appealed but I read a bit and played solitaire….oh I also made googly eyes at a 6 month old across the aisle. I got him laughing a couple of times before he too took the hint and fell asleep. Not sure whether I hastened that or not.

Some of you know about “what3words” so here’s where I am while in Dorking., ///limp.strong.holds.

Thursday was a wipe out as I was tired and for some reason got chilled. Cat and Neil decided to celebrate my birthday so after a wee afternoon snooze on the couch, we walked around the corner to the “Queen’s Head”. I enjoyed a traditional fish and chip dinner and a pint of Fuller’s London Pride. That just about did me in and when we got back to The Highlands it wasn’t long before I headed to bed and had a very fine sleep.

I got up at 07:00 on Friday to a lovely view of the back garden. Since Cat and Neil are re-doing the guest rooms I got the luxury of using their room. The room has double windows facing the back yard and the sun was shining and it looked gorgeous out. That didn’t stop me from snuggling under the duvet for another few minutes.

In the afternoon I went walkabout in Dorking. I stopped at the model shop and had a nice chat with Andrew about model making and stuff. He asked why I was interested in the 25 pdr gun with quad tractor and limber so I told him about Dad and Italy. He replied that his Dad had also been in Italy with a British armoured unit. As it turned out he was captured near the Gothic Line when his tank lost a track in front of 2 Panthers. I gave him my blog address and he said he would enjoy the reminiscence.

I then ambled along the High Street to “Arto” a nice little café that I discovered on my last trip. Pancakes, with bacon and bananas and cappuccino for lunch. It rained a bit but I had on all my clothes so I wasn’t worried about getting wet. I also ventured into the local butcher and managed to find a scotch egg which I intended to have for lunch on Saturday.

Later in the day Cat and Neil took me to Leith Hill. It’s not far away and they both often run there or take their bikes. There are lots of trails for bikers, hikers and horseback riders, although we only saw the former two. From the car park we climbed up to the tower. Leith Hill is the highest “peak” in southern England and if it wasn’t for the hills to the south, you would be able to see the English Channel. Neil called me over to the north facing side and I was stunned to see London in the distance. It seemed a bit fogged in but the Shard and other buildings were clearly there. Neil said that was about the clearest it was going to get so I had to settle for the foggy view.

Another treat was in store as we drove back thru Coldharbour and visited “The Plough”, a lovely little pub with some very fine food. This time I had a Dorking Brewery Best Bitter and I hate to say it but it was better than the London Pride. It’s a good thing Cat agreed to drive home as the second pint put Neil and I in a deliciously warm frame of mind.

Saturday, April 20th, has been quite relaxing although the temperature has taken awhile to get up to 10 C. At 07:00 it was 3 C but sunny. Cat ran over to the Denbigh Winery to participate in the Saturday Park Run, while Neil and I drove over with Millie to cheer her on. It’s a 5 km run around the vineyards, quite hilly and there were tons of people out as this was the first dry day in quite a while. Cat was 3 seconds slower than her best time which is not bad given how cold and windy it was.

In the afternoon Neil and I had the option of going to the Dorking Wanderers football game or staying home by the fire and watching York play Solihull. York is Neil’s team and was facing relegation so it was an important game for them….also….it was still cool and windy out so we opted to stay home. The game was a bit of a bore as, according to the standings, a draw would have satisfied both teams. In the end Solihull scored with 4 minutes to go…after which York just passed the ball back and forth until the game ended.

The good news is that I got to eat my scotch egg for lunch.

The three of us are sitting in the living room with the fire blazing and we are not expecting to go anywhere else today. Cat is talking to her sister on the phone and Neil is getting ready to leave for a long bike ride. I plan on going to bed early as we will have to get up at 05:00 to travel to Heathrow for my early flight to Dublin.

Feel free to stand down.

Welcome back folks to another travel adventure. It’s been some time since I’ve written about my adventures although I have posted some videos on my YouTube channel so you might check some of them out.

Today I start my 78th trip around the sun, which in itself is something to celebrate. On Wednesday the 17th of April, only two days away, I’m heading off for a 6 week adventure to Ireland, Scotland and England. The first leg of this trip will involve a 2 week trip around Ireland, both the Republic and Northern Ireland, with Blue Road Tours. I’ve heard some good things about them and this will be my first organized tour with a group. In this case its a relatively small group of 18 people, with a small travel coach and excellent accommodations…at least that’s what they said in the brochure. There’s a good chance that some, if not most of them, will be Aussies as the tour company is Australian.

I’ll be leaving from Toronto and heading for Gatwick airport, south of London, then on to Dorking to stay with Cat and Neil for a couple of days. I have an early flight from Heathrow on the 21st to Dublin where the tour starts. It’s essentially a tour around the perimeter of Ireland, north and south, with a number of the stops being 2 day layovers so lots of time for rambling and photos. I’ll post more on that as the trip progresses. The tour is over on the 2nd of May and I hope to stay over in Dublin for a few more days as I’ve been advised that it’s worth the visit.

I’ll be flying from Dublin to Aberdeen, Scotland and taking the overnight ferry to Lerwick in Shetland. I’ve got accommodations’ booked in Scalloway and I’m hoping to spend 4 days there then off to Kirkwall in Orkney for another 4 days. After experiencing a bit of North Atlantic weather, I’ll head back to Aberdeen by ferry and take the train to Edinburgh. I’m not sure whether I’ll spend any time in Edinburgh as I do have plans to head south to visit my cousins, Colin and Moira, who live in Clovenfords, which is not far from Galashiels in the Borders Region.

After Scotland I’m heading by train to London for at least 4 days. I’ve got a room booked at the Victory Services Club and I’ve got a list of neighbourhoods I want to visit and photograph. If I can find another fun thing to search for in London, like the Deep Level Air Raid Shelters, I’ll do that as well.

The trip will eventually end in Dorking in the Surrey Hills where Cat, Neil, Carrot and Millie live. The latter two are new additions…meow and bark in that order.

Keep an eye on this blog for more rambling, photography and the occasional wee dram of Irish whiskey and single malts.

Wish me luck.

Ken