Food trail…Yattendon

This morning after breakfast we wandered down to Bachelors Acre. The Windsor Festival is on at the moment and we thought that maybe we could spend some time at the Family Fun day. Unfortunately we were too early and things weren’t starting to happen until 11.30am. So we placated James with a quick play at the playground.

Our plan was to take Darren and Gill to one of our favourite places, Goring, on the river Thames between here and Oxford. On the way, we passed a sign to the village of Yattendon. A good friend of Darren and Gill’s grew up here and we took a detour to visit her childhood home. After chatting to the lady in the village shop for a bit we walked across the road to the Royal Oak for lunch. This was no ordinary pub! Highly recommended by several food publications, and noted in the Domesday book, this lovely, traditional old place was steeped in history and we all had a good look around inside and out before settling down to order.

Martin, Darren and Gill all enjoyed the local ale, “Good Old Boys”, while James consumed 3 types of bread – walnut, rosemary and baguette, with olive tapenade. Martin commented that this was the best “pub” meal he’s had. He and Darren ordered the chicken roulade, Gill the French Onion and Bacon Soup, and James and I shared a broccoli risotto. Very filling and most delicious!

Leaving Yattendon we drove through true English countryside to Goring. The weather was a little unpredictable but we were well prepared. James had fallen asleep in the car but we woke him to see the boats entering the lock and the doors closing. After a couple of boatloads through the lock we headed back to the car.

We wanted to get to Greys Court, near Henley on Thames, for afternoon tea. It’s a little cross-country but we soon got there only to find the gates shut and the castle closed. This is the place some of you will remember as one of our stops here in the UK. There are photos in our album of our picnic in the bluebell woods when the weather was a little more summery!

So on down the hill on to Henley. We knew there was a Starbucks so we parked and went there for a coffee. Yay! On the way we passed a fresh produce stall and bought some fruit and veg. Martin, Darren and Gill then walked down to the Thames.

We got home just before 6pm. We cooked the beautiful fresh sweet corn from Henley which was as good as it looked. James loves corn and ate nearly 2 cobs! He is asleep now, no doubt dreaming of more adventures tomorrow…

Photos from Yattendon are here.

Fifteen and Fabulous!

Those of you who know Marty and I well will be familiar with our love of all things Jamie Oliver! Okay, more me, but Marty is always happy with dinners from one of my many Jamie recipe books! Last year we avidly watched the TV series ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’ which followed the establishment of his training restaurant, Fifteen, in London. Back then, I never imagined we would live near London, and even if we did, a table at places like this take months to secure.

Well, we booked last week and reserved a table for Monday night at the Fifteen London restaurant. I spent a lovely afternoon all by myself in Kensington High Street and at KP then made my way by tube and bus to the north-east side of the city to meet Marty after work.

The restaurant is set on two levels – the informal trattoria and bar at street level and the fine dining space downstairs. The restaurant has an open kitchen and there wasn’t too much stress and screaming go on back there! We decided to totally spoil ourselves and opted for the 6 course set menu with wines to match. The staff was young and fun but truly professional, and the food fresh and delicious and beautifully presented. We savoured each bite! The whole atmosphere was cool and funky and we had such a good time!

So good, in fact that we didn’t want to leave. So we headed upstairs to the bar and sat in front of the open trattoria kitchen and oohed and aahed over the mouth-watering dishes coming out of there! The staff was so chatty and friendly and we had to hop it to make sure we caught our tube train to connect with the Windsor line at Waterloo!

It was a late night but we had so much fun and kept pinching ourselves that we were actually there! Then I couldn’t sleep because the dishes were going around in my head. Can’t pick a favourite! To all of you in Melbourne, we highly recommend Fifteen. You might like to join us upon our return!

Greenwich

Today we set out on an adventure to Greenwich in London. We started the day with a wonderful cooked breakfast at our favourite Carluccio's. They didn't let us down with delicious mushrooms, eggs, pancetta, and toast with fig jam.

We finished around 10:45am and headed for the train to Waterloo. Upon arriving at the station we found that the line was closed. Must be some sort of unplanned problem as the operators are usually very good at informing the public when maintenance is upcoming.

So we all returned to Windsor Central to catch the train to Slough and then Paddington. Its after 10:30pm as I write this so I won't go into the nitty gritty of our travels suffice to say we caught four (!) trains to Greenwich with a journey time of over two hours. Of course, there were the same number returning and we did have some hiccups meaning we all fell back into the apartment and a little past 7pm tonight exhausted.

Greenwich is a lovely city with a University, maritime museum, the Cutty Sark, and the Royal Observatory. This is what we came to see. Its where the prime meridian is located and a rich history in the search for a means of determining longitude.

It is a reasonable walk of about 1 km from the station to the observatory which is located in the heart of the Greenwich Park. Dad did will. In fact, at the end of the day we had traveled a lot on foot. I know it was hard for him but he did very well and I know enjoyed himself.

The observatory sits on a hill which provided a panoramic view north past the Maritime Museum, past the Thames, and takes in central London to the west and the millennium Dome to the north east.

Entrance to the observatory is free but still requires a ticket. As soon as you enter the gates you are faced with a stainless steel bar embedded in the payment representing the location of the Prime Meridian. People lined up to have their photos taken with one foot in the western hemisphere and one in the east. Of course we had to oblige! Above this landmark is a red LED clock showing the time in GMT (UTC). Above that again is a green laser that is directed northwards marking the meridian. Apparently it can be seen for 15 kilometres at night!

One of the highlights is Flamsteed House. It was designed by Christopher Wren (architect of St Pauls) and built around 1675. This building was used by Flamsteed, the Astronomer Royal, to make accurate measurements of the Sun, Moon, and stars. It contained a quadrant made by the highly respected London instrument maker James Bird (any relation?). There was also a replica refractor telescope and original timepieces.

Also on the site is a comprehensive collection of artefacts relating to time and the search for a means of calculating longitude. I enjoyed seeing the various generations of maritime clocks invented by John Harrison. One of the keys in determining longitude is have a clock that is set to GMT. Clocks based on pendulums are impacted by the motion of ocean vessels. John Harrison eventually solved the problem by devising a timepiece based on the design of pocket watch. Before arriving at this solution he considered intricate designs using dual coupled pendulums. In this design the motion of the vessel is cancelled out as its impact on the pendulums are symmetric. Quite insightful I think. You can read more of John Harrison at wikipedia.

Also on the site is a 28inch refractor telescope. This is the 7th largest in the world. If I recall correctly such designs are difficult to scale and are no longer used in favour of the reflecting telescope and its derivatives. You can see more of the telescope here.

Although feeling weary we enjoyed an ice cream and coffee to rejuvenate. After leaving the Greenwich Park we made our way to view the Cutty Sark. To my surprise its located in a dedicated park and set in a permanent dry dock allowing the visitor to view the hull completely. I was disappointed that there was little information available to tell of its history. Built in 1869 it is the last surviving clipper.

Its now 11:30pm and I'm feeling the effects from our long day of walking and traveling (8 trains)! Off to bed for me!

Photos are here.

Chandler catch up

I'm posting this blog a day late. With Mum & Dad here I guess we've been focusing more on enjoying time together rather than blogging.

Yesterday we spent the day with my cousin and his family near Luton. James loves spending time with his cousins Kayley and Ryan. Last time they visited the first thing he said when we woke up the next morning was "when can I visit them again?"

Andrew is my cousin on my mother's side. As it happens Jenny (Mum's sister - stay with me here!) and Howard are visiting Andrew after their holiday in Scotland. So it was a perfect opportunity to have a big family catch up.

We needed north about 10:15am and arrived in under an hour. Not bad. Its an easy trip up the M25 and on to the M1. We're lucky having them so close. It was good to have everyone together and we spent the morning enjoying good conversation whilst the kids played together. James was particularly impressed with all the toys - especially a fire engine. It seems Andrew and Suzanne have been checking out a number of car boot sales. We've heard of these as a source of bargains - and especially toys. I think we'll be on the lookout for one near us.

About lunch time we jumped in three cars and made our way out of town to the Crooked Chimney pub. Its an historic pub about 15 minutes drive. There we enjoyed some ales and a big lunch. We had intended to make the most of the sunny 24 degree day but the beer garden had the unique feature of the kitchen exhaust fans kicking up a racket and belching smoke. Not exactly ideal. So we ended up inside for the meal.

While waiting for lunch to arrive we took turns playing outside with the kids. Andrew picked dried grass stems for the kids to toss as spears. That was followed up by helicopter rides and races. Poor Kayley must have played in the long grass as she returned inside with some welts from stinging nettles. She handled it very well and used ice from her drink to sooth the itches.

After a good feed we made our way back for more relaxing conversation. James and Kayley played in the back garden transferring water from the bird bath to a well pretending to fill a swimming pool. Kayley always made sure James was looked after!

In the afternoon we took the kids to an adjacent school playground. Kayley is learning to ride a bike. James was content borrowing Ryan's trike. In fact, he was intent to ride the trike on each side of the big playground. He even learnt how to push himself forward with his feet to start himself off before he continued forward peddling. Kayley gained more confidence on her bike with Andrew and Howard on each side supporting her.

As afternoon wore on we decided to stay for dinner. So it was off to the local Indian restaurant for a huge take-out meal.

We returned home about 9:30pm. Of course, James didn't sleep in the car but it didn't take him long to fall asleep once he was in his bed.

Photos here.

Birthday Bennetts

Today was an important day in the Bennett family.

In Australia, Nana, Doug, Richard and April all gathered at Trawool with the rest of the family to celebrate their birthdays. Happy Birthday, everyone! We and the Fleet Bennetts (Peter, Diana, Richard and James) decided to have our own get-together with the addition of Darren and Gill.

The weather today was just perfect. Upon arrival at Fleet James headed straight down the back-yard for the chook house where he checked the hens' food and water. He was only enticed inside with promises of Aunty Diana's carrot and walnut birthday cake!

We were all impressed with Richard and James' efforts in the banner-making for the Birthday Four. Our beautiful and delicious cake had 4 candles on it and there are no prizes for guessing who got to blow them out!

Following afternoon tea we went for a walk down to Fleet pond. Martin and I had been here with the family previously and it was lovely to wander through the woods once again. There is now a boardwalk along some of the path which would be handy in the depths of winter! James was a train for some of the way back but was one tired little boy at the end of his very exciting afternoon.

Thank you Peter, Diana, Richard and James for having us, and Happy Birthday Nana, Doug, Richard and April! Same place next year...?

Some photos posted on flickr here.

A day in East Sussex

Today was forecast to be a pleasant 23 degrees so we all decided to take a day trip. It turned out to be very hazy today with quite limited visibility. I'm not sure what the cause is: pollution, temperature effects, both?

Just before setting out at 9:30am we caught a traffic report on the radio. It suggested congestion between the M4 and M23 junctions. Great. This is exactly the route we needed. I check the internet and it turns out that road works have a lane blocked. So we decided to take the "back roads" and head towards Woking and then eastwards.

It was slow going. On balance I think it would have been better to chance the M25. But we did get to see some of the coutryside. Dad enjoyed the drive however. And as can be expected there were one or two navigation hitches (did I mention I'm looking forward to the satnav!)

James must have been tired as he spent about two hours of the journey asleep. We awoke just before we arrived in Wilmington at about 1pm. We were headed for the "Long Man" but stopped of at the Giants Rest pub for lunch. Merrilyn and I had been there previously although not for a meal. Food was great. Probably restaurant quality. I had a tasty rack of lamb. Everyone else had a ploughmans. By the looks I got I think I chose the best! I'm still trying to convince Dad of the local ales. He doesn't particularly like the slight warm beer and I think he finds the taste a little weak. Oh well - I enjoyed the local ale - Harvey's Best.

After lunch we walked the village. Most homes are old. Some circa 1500. So its a pleasant stroll. We visited the "Long Man" and managed to walk about a 1/4 the way to its base. Not too shabby.

From there Mum was keen to see the white chalk cliffs at Eastbourne so we made our way to Beachy Head. Again - its a place Merrilyn and I had been before (photo). Both Mum and Dad enjoyed the walk on the cliff top and the view of the lighthouse in the water. The haze continued to limit the visibility which I think was disappointing.

We loopback back home via the A/M23, M25 and M4. We were all tired on return. James just wanted to eat a banana and ended up in the naughty corner (poor little one!). Mum and Dad have bought kilos of the things given their ridiculous price in Australia. I think Dad has had about a half dozen in the past two days.

All today's photos were taken on Mum's camera. She didn't bring the cable so I have nothing to show for today. Sorry!

Scotland photos posted

Well - thanks to our broadband finally up and running I've posted all photos from Scotland and Lakes District onto flickr. There are 130 of them.

You can see the album here. Or if you prefer you can see the Lakes District photos here and the Scotland ones here.

Enjoy!

Mum & Dad arrive

Its 10pm and everyone has finally gone to bed following a very exciting day.

At 12:15pm this afternoon my parents arrived from Australia to spend the next three weeks with us. They spent the afternoon touring Windsor and seeing some of James' favourite places such as: the water fountain park (he got soaked showing how he could jump over the water), the boom gates and bollards, the Long Walk and Castle, and of course the soldiers.

There was even time to have a Chunky Monkey ice cream and Ben & Jerrys (I'm sure this will not be the last!).

I arrived home from work tonight to find James in a whirlwind of excitement. He is certainly enjoying seeing his Granny and Papa again. And to their delight James hasn't forgotten them!

We've had an enjoyable evening talking and catching up after four months of being apart. Tomorrow there are plans to see the guards marching from the Victoria Barracks to the Castle.

Scotland - Day 11 Home

I'm writing this blog from home. James is in the bath. And we have kit from our holiday strewn half across the house. Most of that is for tomorrow to sort out.

We awoke this morning in York to another sunny day. (It was 31 degrees here in Windsor). We had originally planned to get on the road straight away. But last night we discovered a charming and historic city in York. So it was an easy decision to postpone the drive home and spend the morning exploring.

Merrilyn was keen to tour Yorkminster. And James just wanted to get back to the playground opposite the B&B. I, on the other hand, wanted to walk the historic Roman city walls to get a unique view of the town. So straight after our breakfast we decided to split and meet at 10:30am outside Yorkminster.

As I'm writing this blog tonight you'll get my perspective of the morning.

It is possible to walk on the old city walls that ring perhaps 50% of the centre of York. Most of the walls are about 4 metres in height and most have earthern ramparts on the interior. From this height you get a good perspective of the minster and other buildings - not to mention some wonderful back yards!

The walk starts at Bootham Bar - the North Gate. There has been a gate here for over 2000 years. Roman legions marched through this gate northwards into present day Scotland. I climbed about 15 steps and started off. The morning was still and quiet so it was very enjoyable to walk past the Minster and on to about 6 other gates in the walls. Along the way I saw an ancient ice storage locker (looked like a brick igloo). Apparently ice was collected in the winter and stored for later use. Most of the locker is under ground and what emerges are thick walls and a domed roof.

I finished my morning walk off at Clifford's Tower. This is a quatrefoil keep (four round towers that are grouped together) and located on a raised earth mound. I understand the castle was built in the late 13th century.

I circled back and met Merrilyn and James outside Yorkminster. We enjoyed coffee and shared a scone in the park before walking back to the B&B and leaving about 11:30am.

Making our way south we basically had a long drive back. Nothing is ever easy on the motorways and we had to detour off the M1 due to a closure today. We made an early detour to avoid the bottleneck of traffic and the long tailbacks. So our journey was a little longer and more circuitous than planned.

But we're home. And James - I know - has had enough of cars. He complained today that he didn't want to get in the car again. I know how he feels! Tonight we dined at a favourite local Japanese restaurant. James was supposed to give us his good manners but was a little naughty; climbing under the tables and banging and crashing the table. I think its good to be home.

Tomorrow - its back to work for me. Merrilyn will no doubt spend time cleaning up and getting ready for the arrival of my folks from Melbourne in a few days.

Scotland - Day 10 York

Today we picked up where we left off yesterday with a return to Sterling Castle. It was another lovely warm day but very still. There was a fair amount of haze around that restricted visibility somewhat.

We arrived at the castle about 9:30 and spent two hours touring this impressive site. Its located on a volcanic plug at the most strategic point in the river representing the only reliable crossing point between England and Scotland. The oldest remaining part of the Castle is the North Gate which was built 1381.

The castle itself has undergone many modifications and fortifications and now sports several defenses including multiple curtain walls, and canon placements. James of course was thrilled with the canon and we pretended to shoot across to the Sterling Bridge where Wallace had his first encounter with the Edward I English army. Of course, the bridge itself has been rebuilt.

Of particular interest were the Royal chambers. Extensive archeological research is underway and the ceiling, walls, and floors have been stripped to better understand the construction and other details. It is intended that shortly these chambers be reconstructed, including furnishings and tapestries. Having the building stripped down, as it were, allowed us to see some of the 16th century timbers that form the ceiling. Amazing to think of the age of the tree from whence they came.

James didn't get to bed until after 10pmlast night was was pretty tired this morning. He tripped a few times and added a bumped head and grazed hands to his bruised knee from the other day. I guess they are his little reminders of his adventures.

We left the castle about midday and tracked back to Edinburgh to join the A1. Today was ostensibly a travel day so we spent the remainder of the afternoon on the motorway. They are a great way to commute but of course you get no sense of the country you're traveling through.

We arrived in York about 5:30pm. Given our experiences of the past few nights we were well prepared today. We had full directions from google on all the intersections leading to our B&B. So we had no trouble finding it. It is well located - about 10 minutes walk from Yorkminster.

Soon after we arrived James spotted a playgound over the road. He was so good today (played with his screws in the back seat almost the whole journey - even slept with them tucked under his arm) that we spent some time on the slide and swings. We then walked into the town centre and caught the amazing sight of Yorkminster close to sunset. The orange light lit up the main west facing facade. Lots of photos taken

We walked around the church and were surprised to find that there is a very rich Roman heritage here. For example, the medieval walls surrounding the old city were built by the Romans. Constantine became Emperor here in AD306. Then York was known as Eboracum. Walking the town there is much evidence of the old Roman buildings. There is even a Roman column that originated from the Headquarters building of the Fortress of the 6th Legion.

We had a meal in a pub very in the centre of the town. James had Yorkshire pudding (why not!). We met a couple from Arizona sitting in the table next to us. Turns out the lady has a brother that works for RMIT as a marketing lecturer. And Merrilyn did all his travel! Small world. So we chatted about Scotland and York until 8:30pm when we had to set off back to the B&B.

Tomorrow Merrilyn will visit Yorkminster and I plan to walk the Roman walls.

Scotland - Day 9 Edinburgh

This entry may be a little shorter. Its 9:15pm and we've all just got in from a hectic end to an otherwise enjoyable day. Once again we've be hopelessly lost in the centre of Edinburgh trying to find our B&B. We arrived late into town (about 6pm) and after mucking around we called our hosts but they could only advise to leave the city and head for the ring road; approaching again from the east. We pretty much circumnavigated Edinburgh before we finally arrived about 7pm. Both Merrilyn and I are a little over all this city navigation (at one stage we turned down a one-way street to be faced with oncoming traffic!) and I look forward to the new car with inbuilt satellite navigation.

However, the day started quite differently. Again it was a gloriously sunny day of about 22 degrees Celsius. Rather than head straight down the motorway to Edinburgh (still some 4.5 hrs travel) we decided to venture south east of Inverness and visit Kildrummy Castle. Its about a two hour detour but we have all enjoyed piecing together the Scottish history. This castle was built in the 13th Century and is related to William Wallace and ultimately the battle of Stirling.

We arrived at the castle about 10:30 and walked up a mound to be confronted by the ruins of this majestic castle. I was immediately struck by the thickness of the walls. The outer round towers consisted of stonework some 2 metres thick. Parts of the castle are well enough preserved to get a sense of the layout and of the architectural detail. We walked amongst the Chapel (with tall arching windows), the Great Hall (with stone benches still intact), the Warden's Tower (with prison and latrine!), and the Snow Tower (with the main accommodation). James particularly loves these "broken" castles. This time as we walked between rooms he slid imaginary doors open for us and closed and locked them when we walked through.

The potted history of this castle is that Robert the Bruce declared open rebellion against the English King Edward I (Longshanks). This was at the time that William Wallace had defeated the English invasion of Scotland at Stirling Bridge. He Robert left the castle in the keeping of his brother Sir Neil Bruce. That summer the English besieged the castle which was defended. In the end, the castle fell to treachery, when Osbourne, the castle's blacksmith set fire to grain stored in the Great Hall. The fire spread throughout the castle, forcing the garrison to surrender.

From the castle we made our way towards Balmoral Castle. We knew that with the royal family in residence we wouldn't get to see it but we wanted to get an appreciation for its surroundings. So we headed south on the A93 stopping in Ballater for lunch.

This is a picturesque town that has, as a feature, the Royal Station. Apparently Queen Victoria made her way to Balmoral by train stopping in Ballater. We enjoyed our sandwiches in the park opposite a church enjoying the sunshine.

From Ballater we paused briefly in Crathie Tourist Information Centre to confirm that we couldn't get within cooee of the castle. Nonetheless we enjoyed the drive through the forest of Scottish pines and gorgeous winding stream that flowed around rock filled bends.

On our journey south we drove though a number of ski fields. We enjoyed the expanse of mountains and sky and the drive was very pleasant. At times we raced over undulating roads that gave everyone's tummy a flip. James loved it. Merrilyn didn't!

We headed for Stirling to see the Wallace Monument and the Castle. As it turned out time limited us to seeing the Monument only. We'll visit the castle first thing tomorrow morning.

The monument was erected in 1869 and stands 220 feet high on the Abbey Craig at Bridge Of Allan. It is located at the spot where, in 1297, William Wallace watched the English Army approach across Stirling Bridge before leading the Scots to victory.

As we arrived at its base we were entertained by a commentary provided by a man in costume that told the story of the battle from a first person perspective. It was very entertaining.

Entering the monument we climbed to five different levels. James had no problem climbing these stone winding steps. The first floor was in celebration of William Wallace and its centerpiece is his actual broadsword. Its over two metres long and apparently would require a man over 6 foot 6 to wield it. Maybe a case of giant worship ?!?

From the top of the monument we could see where both the Stirling Bridge and Falkirk battles were waged.

We left Stirling headed for Edinburgh about 5pm. As you've read, we got lost again but did manage to sight the Castle (in fact we drove around it).

Scotland - Day 8 Loch Ness

We were up early to a morning of glorious sunshine. And it was to remain crystal clear all day long. By far the best day we've had.

After another hearty breakfast (James tucked in to cereal, croissant, fruit, yoghurt, some cold cuts, and cheese!) we were on the road following River Ness out of Inverness on the way to Castle Urquhart.

Its only about a 20 minute drive so we stopped of at Lochend - the first town at the start (end?) of the Loch. We decended a short distance from the car park to the water's edge. Everyone had their eyes peeled for monsters (we told James is a dinosaur). No sign yet!

Dipping my hand into the water it was cool - but not cold. Now had the sun not been out or if you'd jump in I'm sure the opinion would change.

The views of Loch Ness and the steep ravines either side are amazing. I've read that there is more water in this Loch and in all of England and Wales combined. The Loch itself is located on a major fault line and has been further carved and deepened by glaciers.

Just as we were turning to leave we heard a rumble. Looking up we saw a Tornado (British fighter bomber a little similar to our F-111) making its way down the Loch at low altitude. It turned, climbed and disappeared over the moutains. I certainly got a thrill. And to boot, it was one of three we saw today!

Back in the car we continued our way to Urquhart Castle. We arrived about 10:30am and decided to do the tour. It turned out to be excellent value. The visit starts with an introductory movie presentation that summarises the history of the Castle from around AD580 to its demise in 1692. And at the end of the presentation a set of curtains withdraw to reveal the castle against the backdrop of the Loch.

The first documented evidence of the site was in AD580 when St Columba, who founded the monastery on Iona in Argyllshireand on a misison to bring Christianity to the Picts, came across a Pict tribal leader on the site. However, the first castle was not build until the early 13th century when King Alexander II granted the lordship of Urquhart to the powerful Durward family.

The castle also served as home to nobles and over the years was expanded and improved. It included a Great Hall, kitchens, smithy, cellars, and various rooms used as lodging.

The castle met its demise in 1692 at a time when many nobles were deserting their castles for more comfortable residences. Following a raid where looting robbed the castle of most of its contents its resident noble - Lady Mary Grant - left. Whilst soldiers remained, they eventually marched out following the Jacobite's final defeat. Upon leaving, they packed the castle with kegs of dynamite and blew it up; making certain it would not be used again.

Ok - enough with the history. We certainly enjoyed walking the castle grounds. James seemed to revel in the freedom and ran around and around. We climbed up the Grant Tower for more spectacular views. James particularly enjoyed climbing the walls and sitting on the carved stone balls used by the catapult on display.

We finished up about 12pm and had a relaxing lunch in the sunshine at the cafe. Although not really hungry after our large breakfast we did enjoy the view as we sat overlooking the castle. Merrilyn ducked inside and bought a few little items. I had seen a Loch Ness children's book I wanted to get for James. But after the hordes of tourists descended at about lunch time it had sold out. James was happy anyway. He loves those displays at the information centres where there is a model with lights. You press a button and it lights light. You know the ones. With lots of buttons. And lights... Need I say more :)

After lunch we followed a tip by Angela - our hostess - and headed for a beach at Rosemarkie on Black Isle just north of Inverness. To our surprise we found our first sand beach. We had borrowed some buckets and a spade and presented these to James to his delight. So there we were, on the beach, with lovely warm sun beating down, digging in the sand, in Scotland! We were in no hurry to leave and spent maybe an hour and a half.

When it was time to leave Merrilyn took James to the water's edge to wash his feet and hands. And of course the buckets. As she was busy with James a wave came ashore and the buckets got sucked in. Fortunately they didn't go too far and Merrilyn was able to quickly rescue them. Well - almost all of them. One was a little too far out. Luckily a little boy had just received a net on a long handle as a present and was "fishing" next to her. Borrowing the net Merrilyn was able to scoop out the last bucket.

From there we looped to the north of the Black Isle to Cromarty Forth. This is a natural deep water harbour. We left the car for a walk hoping to find another sand beach. Not to be. As we drove back out we saw an oil rig floating in the Forth. Apparently these are a common site as this is where maintenance is performed. Well - you don't often see these in Port Phillip Bay!

We arrived back at the B&B at 4pm. James is happily playing with Angela's two other children. Both boys. Matthew is three and James was very keen to play with him today. On the way home we said he'd very much like to play back at the hotel. After posting this blog we'll be out for dinner.

Scotland - Day 7 Inverness

We woke to a pesky seagull screeching outside our window and the sounds of a harbour coming to life. Before breakfast we took a short walk along the waterfront and chose new ‘favourite’ boats for the day. After breakfast we left Portree and our pink hotel and headed north to the Trotternish peninsula.

Along the way we were amazed at the spectacular scenery at every turn. Every other car was doing the same as us – drive for a bit, stop and take photos, get back in and drive a little more. We passed the Old Man of Storr, a tall, imposing rock on the side of the mountain, Storr. There were plenty of walking tracks and lots of people setting out to explore. James was excited when we told him we were going to a waterfall, at Kilt Rock. This magnificent rock rose from the sea as part of the cliff and we could clearly see the volcanic strata. The waterfall fell from the top of the cliff all the way down to the sea below. James said “it’s huuuuge” as he wriggled to see it and I clung to him for dear life!

Further along we took a B-road west to cut off part of the peninsula and this took us through the amazing Quairaig. Martin did an admirable job watching the single track ahead and the mountains looming above.

Our next stop was Dunvegan Castle, the ancestral home of the Macleod clan. It was a 13th century building rebuilt in the 19th century. Inside were many family possessions and photographs and paintings. And a dungeon that I was not keen on. Not really our idea of an adventure, but interesting all the same. We had lunch here and kept going.

Kept going until we saw the sign for the Talisker Distillery and we detoured to buy a bottle of true Scotch whisky. When in Scotland...

We left the beautiful Skye and headed for Inverness via Wester Ross. This scenery was as impressive as the rest. Again, a narrow winding, sometimes bumpy road but lots of fun. We made up a song about beeping sheep on the road. We used it a lot!

We arrived into Inverness and promptly got lost as we didn’t have the exact google address for our B&B. After much mucking around and calling our host we have arrived and are settled here for 2 nights. We walked down the hill into the town for dinner and James was still full of beans (being a horsey, uphill) when we got back. There are 2 boys who live here and they have made friends already so tomorrow we will make some time just for James to play.

Scotland - Day 6 Skye

This morning we woke to bright skies and a lovely view of the mountains from the breakfast room window. We said goodbye to our hosts and Ollie the collie and took a short drive through Glen Coe. We had only skirted around the Glen previously. The mountains were immense and Martin stopped the car every mile or so to jump out and capture the beauty on camera. We were so fortunate to see the Glen in sunshine.

From here we drove north through Fort William and out onto the Inverness Road. I had read about the Gondola on the Nevis Range so we decided to bite the bullet and take a ride. James stood at the entrance and begged to be able to go on it! What could we say?! I’m so glad we did because the views of Fort William and the Great Glen were terrific and the sun still shining although with lots of high patchy cloud. We went really high to the next station up the mountain and from there we hiked to a higher point. Apparently you can see the ranges of Skye on a clear day. We looked but it wasn’t that clear! It was very cold and windy up there so we hiked back down and were pleased to get back into a relatively warm gondola car. James was excited to be soaring over all the waterfalls instead of just passing them in the car or having to walk uphill to one!

The road turned west and we set off for Skye. I sang the ‘Skye Boat Song’ to James and he laughed a lot but did keep asking me to sing it! The scenery was grand but not really spectacular until we got to the Glen Shiel. These mountains soared over us and were almost straight up! Massive. We stopped at least a dozen times along this road for Martin to take photos and video! James was asleep so I mostly stayed in the car with him. Much warmer with my heated seat!

Along the way we stopped at Eilean Donan castle, a building ruined in 1719 and rebuilt in the 1930’s. Quite interesting from the outside but we didn’t go in. A man in a kilt was playing the bagpipes which was great.
We arrived into Portree, the largest village on Skye, at about 4pm. We arranged to meet Martin’s uncle and aunt, Howard and Jenny and their friends for dinner at a village hotel. We enjoyed the meal and James was fairly good, despite being extremely tired and wriggly, and therefore rewarded with sticky toffee pudding for "pudding". He had had a big day but was still able to polish that off very quickly!

We are staying at The Pink Guest House right on the harbour wall in Quay Street for the night. Thankfully not as pink as I had begun to fear! Our room is at the very top under the roof and Martin has cracked his head on the sloping ceiling a few times now. The view from the window of the little harbour is really sweet with all different coloured boats on the water. James claims the green one as his favourite.

I hope both my boys are fast asleep now. We have another day full of adventures and new things lined up for tomorrow.

Scotland - Day 5 Waterfalls

Today was another wet day with light rain falling constantly. So today's headline of "waterfalls" I think is quite appropriate. We started out about 9:30am and decided that we'd take smaller walks and tour in between. So rather than head off into the heart of Glencoe we set out to circle Loch Leven. The B863 follows the Loch contours so provides a good view. With the rain comes the low lying clouds so most of the Fells and Paps were partially obscured. However, you can still appreciate the steep valley walls that were carved by glaciers.

The circuit complete we rejoined the A82 and headed north about 5 miles until we hit a small hamlet called Inchree. Located there is an impressive waterfall. Its not signposted (we find that a lot here in the UK) but our B&B hosts Mike and Chris had given us a tip together with a walking book. Parking the car we all donned out wet weather kit. James included.

We've got in the habit of using the stroller most places we go. So James of course lets us know he's not altogether happy when he has to walk. We've decided that we have to be a little more encouraging of his walking so for this walk we all set off on foot. It starts of a little steep carving through a Scottish Pine forest. The path the heads up a ridge towards the falls. At this point James wanted a ride so it was up on my shoulders. There is naturally a lot of run-off in the highlands and as we walked we past numerous waterfalls cascading down the side of the path. There they were routed underneath to re-emerge to continue their downward journey.

Continuing on about 30 minutes we came to the Inchree Falls. These falls drop over 8 rocky steps and empties into Loch Lynnhe.

Returning James was now fascinated with falls. When we passed a small trickle over rocks by the side of the road he sat down and wanted them to be "turned on". We explained that they were already on but he wasn't convinced. Not more than 50 metres along was another waterfall; this one with much more water. "Look", he said, "the mountain has turned it on". We had fun playing hide & seek on the way back to the car.

We headed north to Fort William for lunch and then stopped by Neptune's Staircase near by. This is a series of locks (I think I counted about 8 of them). Thinking of how James was fascinated with the locks at Goring we thought this would be fun. Of course, it was still raining but nonetheless we walked to the top lock to see whether there were any boats at all. Getting to the top we found that it wasn't operating.

Continuing west we passed Loch Shiel. Unfortunately the mist and low clouds obscured most of the view. But we still got a sense of the grandeur of this part of the world. I've never seen so many waterfalls. Some faces had half a dozen. And they are flowing with large volumes of water.

We continued along the A861 which becomes a single lane road. There are many points that have a built out shoulder that allow cars to pass. And the traffic was very light so it was enjoyable. Particularly with the relaxing Jazz playing on the CD.

Passing through Ardnamurchan we skirted along Loch Sunart and yet more waterfalls. As there was virtually no traffic we frequently pulled over with the hazards flashing and let James enjoy them. Some came were so close that we all got splashed when we opened the car windows!

At about 4:30pm we caught a ferry that makes the short trip from Ardgour to Corran that cuts out about 1.5hrs driving.

We arrived back at our B&B and have now made ourselves home in the guest lounge. James is busy playing with new toys and we're chatting to our hosts about Scottish castles, clans, and history.

As a postscript we were talking about the weather as we hung our wet kit in the drying room. Apparently, our hosts said pointing to Beinn Bhan hat towers above the B&B, that if you can't see it it must be raining. And if you can, its about to rain!

Scotland - Day 4 Ballachulish

We woke this morning to glorious sunshine and mostly blue sky. After porridge for breakfast we left Sheildiag Farm B&B and headed to the nearest beaches on the map. These turned out to be along the shores of Port Glasgow on Firth Clyde so weren't very picturesque.

We drove northwest through Helensburgh to the absolutely stunning Argyll Forest Park. The peaks and valleys were immense and the light which played on the rock faces was breathtaking. Poor Martin had to keep his eyes on the road!

We took a detour into the heart of the forest to Carrick Castle on Loch Goil. Unfortunately a relatively uninteresting small decrepit building so we didn't hand around.

We retraced our steps back through the Forest and along the shores of Loch Fyne to Inverary. Along the way James was excited by waterfalls cascading down the mountains. Inverary was our lunch stop and we enjoyed half and hour on the waterfront in the sun.

Taking the A82 south we drove to Lochgilphead for some info on Kilmartin Glen. I had read about the many neolithic and bronze age stone and cains in the Glen and we weren't disappointed. Some of the standing stones date from 3000BC.

The sheep in the surrounding weren't very impressed but we were! James and Martin even climbed down in to one of the burial caines - what an adventure!

Just up the road and a 10 minute walk up a track was Carnasserie Castle - a 16th century building in terrific condition. We took the spiral stone stairs up a turret to the very top for a lovely view of Kilmartin Glen. The kitchen was still recongisable by the large fireplace on the outer wall.

Scotland - Day 3 Loch Lomond

Today was ostensibly a travel day but turned into so much more. Its wonderful to experience a new country where almost everything we do is so different to our life back in Australia. And James to experience it with James makes it all the more rich.

After another cooked breakfast we left our hosts Linda and Chris at Keswick and headed north to Carlisle. We were on the road just after 9am which we knew would give us plenty of time for adventures.

Merrilyn and I had longed to visit Hadrian's wall. So at Carlisle we veered east for about 15 miles and visited one of the better preserved sites maintained by English Heritage. It is site of a large Roman fort that literally abuts the wall. The wall itself was built around AD122 and was believed to be about 4 metres high. Towers were placed about every mile with commanding views over the barbarians (Scots!). Soldiers not only occupied the towers but also walked the walls.

These forts were used to house the soldiers and seem to have been dense encampments. Each fort had the same layout so that visiting soldiers would be familiar with the facilities no matter where they were. Each had a central command building (under which was a vault containing the soldier's pay). Also on site were store houses and, in the case of this site, a training hall affording all weather training.

When we arrived it was wet so we donned our kit and were happy enough. Unfortunately there were about 15 volunteers that had built a replica camp and had donned costume. I think they were going to show us mock battles but the weather didn't co-operate.

Instead, we gathered indoors and the showed us a number of weapons and tactics. Although not limited to the timeframe of Emperor Hadrian I was most impressed with the Rapier and the various techniques for "sticking" the enemy.

James loved scrambling on the wall. He walked along calling himself Hadrian. We called him our little Roman. So all day today, if we wanted him to come, we'd say "come on Roman"!

We were on the road again about 11:30am and crossed the border into Scotland soon after. No signposts - just a set of Scottish flags on churchs and the odd building.

After a quick lunch we continued north through Glasgow and on to Loch Lomond. We arrived at our B&B about 3:30pm and basically dropped some kit off and headed east to Balloch. There is new Tourist centre there offering a good overview of interesting places. We tried to grab a boat for a quick tour of the Loch but were a little late. Instead we walked the shores but it was raining fairly consistently so decided to head back to the car.

On impulse we headed north up the eastern edge of the Loch. And what a treat! Its a little used road that winds right up against the Loch. The rain was whisked away and in its place were breaks of sunshine. The hills were ablaze with the light and the purple heather was a magnificent contrast against the dark patchy sky. Lots of photos - just have to wait to put them up.

We found a lovely pub called the Oak Tree Inn. It is set on a harbour with boats set against the backdrop of these dramatic hills and craggs. We had a god meal and, with out appetite for adventure still not sated, headed still further north to Rowardennan.

On the way we saw so many gorgeous spots. We stopped the car on small pebble beaches and James enjoyed running around picking up small pebbles and handing them to us as gifts.

Arriving at Rowardennan we walked to the end of a jetty. Standing there in the rising wind you could turn around and feel like you're in the middle of the Loch. Plunging hills all around with flowing stream forming waterfalls. There was also a wonderfully fresh smell to the air. My first thoughts were of Tasmania.

We walked along the shores a little way passing a camping ground. There was a small party setting up three tents. With the sun setting and the dark clouds and wind rolling in I didn't envy them. But then again - waking the morning to this vista is probably worth it.

Back to the car at 7:45pm we witness the sun set the clouds on fire and then back to the B&B. I'm writing this in the breakfast area because James, by now, should be in bed.

I'm lucky to be here. And lucky to be able to share this with my family. Can't wait till tomorrow.

Scotland - Day 2 Derwentwater

We began this morning with a delicious Cumbrian breakfast, although James did ask for croissants! Our B&B offered us a packed lunch and thermos which we accepted and packed for our day of adventures.

I’m not going to talk about the weather any more, but just to let you know it rained all day and didn’t let up and we got soaked. Hmmm…

Leaving our hotel at 9am we walked down to the shores of Derwentwater and the Jetty. Our lovely wooden boat, the Lady Derwentwater departed at 10am and James was very proud to sit up in the driver’s seat for a few minutes before we left. The boat runs around the lake stopping at 6 jetties but we planned to get off at one of the further ones and do some walking.

The scenery was just beautiful and the mist and clouds cleared a little to reveal the majestic peaks of Skiddaw and Black Craig. We took the opportunity to stand out on the front of the boat for a while and pointed out interesting landmarks along the way. The water was pouring off the mountains in great rivers. I would have loved to been able to explore one of the many islands we passed, but these were only accessible by row boat. Anther time maybe…

The boat stopped for us at High Brandelbrow and we took the path right along the edge of the lake. James was in his stroller and the going was pretty easy. It was hard to watch where one was going and not tip him into the lake, but take in the view at the same time!

After about 2 hours we came to the marina at Nichol End. There is a small but popular café there so we decided to seek refuge and get lunch. James was asleep but we woke him up and he was immediately awake when he saw steaming cups of coffee and huge fruit scones! We asked nicely and were allowed to eat our packed lunch there.

With a few minutes to spare we finished up and went out onto the jetty to catch the boat back to Keswick. Apparently as we didn’t have our toes on the very end of the jetty the boat kept going and didn’t pick us up. Chugged off into the distance, it did! We were dismayed but what can you do? Well, we walked and after another hour arrived back into Keswick. We stopped at one of the many outdoor stores and bought a Gore-tex jacket for me and overpants for us both. The next adventure will be a little drier for all of us!

We came back to the hotel, warmed and changed and drove to the Standing Stones at Castlerigg. These are a circle of large stones just east of Keswick in a paddock on a hill surrounded by sheep. I think they were just beautiful and only wish to imagine how spectacular it would be at sunrise. Just imagine, mind you!

Our hosts had done an interesting map for us to drive around Derwent water as we wanted to see some famous Cumbrian bridges. I always loved Derwent pencils and was romanced by the picture of the stone bridge on the lid of the tin! Well, today we saw 3 and they were every bit as lovely as I thought. The water rushing under them was torrential and quite dramatic. James fell asleep in the car and we got home just before 6pm. Off to the pub for dinner where James made friends with two dogs, Georgie and Robbie (not Robbie Williams, unfortunately!) Dad bought him a squirrel badge. That’s all for today, more adventures and SCOTLAND tomorrow.

[Footnote from Martin. I'm posting this blog at 7:15am sitting in a Laundromat. We all got a little wet yesterday and some things haven't dried overnight. So my first chore this morning was to get down here and pop them in the dryer...]

Scotland - Day 1 Keswick

Today we set out on our tour of Scotland. To break the long trek north we have stopped over in Keswick located in the north of the Lakes District. In fact, I'm entering this blog sitting in our B&B whilst Merrilyn reads James a story. We've had an exciting day and its taking some effort to settle James enough so that he'll be ready for sleep shortly. He just loves these adventures.

We started the day at about 9:30am heading pretty much due north on the M40/M6. Its a straight forward trip made all the easier with the route we printed from the AA (sort of like RACV) site. Great for reducing stress until the GPS satnav arrives!

We stopped at Stafford just north of Birmingham for a relaxing lunch at a cafe. James was entertained by a digger that was working right next to us. Fortunately he left - presumably for lunch - just after we sat down.

Continuing north we ran in to some congestion around Manchester. But as we had plenty of time it didn't cause us any stress.

Just out of Lancaster we say a C130 (Hercules) banking low to the ground. I guess there might have been an airfield near by.

As we approached the Lakes District we saw the first of the rocky mountains loom. Another distinctive feature of this area are the stone walls used to mark the fields. I think this stone is slate. Its used extensively on buildings as well.

We took the A591 that takes you through the Lakes District from the south. And we're glad we did. Its a wonderfully picturesque drive. We passed through fields dotted with sheep and flanked by rising mountains. Streams ran down the sides (some flowing with much volume). We even drove through gorges filled with firs and descending mist.

[Its now 8:45 and I'm typing this is near darkness. James is struggling to sleep so we've just had a talk and he's back in bed. To help we've turned off the lamps. Hopefully when he's asleep we can put one or two back on...]

I guess its a pity that with so many beautiful places to see there are so few opportunities to pull the car over. Merrilyn took to taking photos through her window or even through the sunroof!

We did stop for a break in Waterhead at the northern reach of Lake Windermere. We took a stroll by the lake and on a few of the jetties. James loved to see the swans diving to feed on the lake bed. He finds it amusing when they stick their bottoms in the air!

We also found a small park that had a sort of shelter/rotunda made from stone and located right over the lake. James and Merrilyn walked down a set of stone steps to the lake edge. A moment later a large wave splashed over them and poor James was a little wet. He thought it was fun.

At about 4:30pm we set off for the final 15 miles in to Keswick. The road follows Lake Windermere closely and is very beautiful. I guess its easy to get engrossed in the view and not watch the road. This may explain the poor chap we came across with his car on its roof and facing the wrong way on the opposite side of the road. We arrived just as another car was pulling up for assistance. The driver was out of the car and seemed unhurt. The car was crushed. I could see from the tyre marks on the road that he was headed in the same direction we were but veered off the road to the left and then swerved to the right. Within minutes we saw a parade of fire engines, ambulance, and police cars heading towards the scene. A salient reminder.

We arrived at our B&B at about 5:00pm and got settled in. We are located not more than 5 minutes walk from the town centre in a lovely three storey cottage. We're on the second floor with a view past some houses to the mountains (hills?) beyond.

Tonight we walked into town and had a meal at a pub called "Ye Olde Golden Lion Inn". Matt (a good friend) and I ate here about 6 years ago when we visited whilst here for a working trip.

Tomorrow we stay in the Lakes and plan to spend some time cruising on a steam boat and perhaps doing some walking.

I'm on a very slow internet connection so photos will have to wait until I either get a faster connection or until I get home.