From Inverness we headed to Aberdeen, which is on the eastern coast of the country. Along the way we took a minor detour to visit one of the famous distilleries in the area, The Mcallan.
The Mcallan distillery visitor center has been designed by a well-known architect and completely modernized. Though the building itself blends well with the country-side, the walkway seems a bit odd, made out of shiny marble instead of perhaps a nice sandstone to match better. I suppose they we going for the rich look in the end, instead of a more environmental one.
Aberdeen
The town itself is rather unremarkable, being noted for its grey granite appearance, it’s no wonder it mixes well with the cold, damp weather and Scotch whiskey.
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There are exceptions of course, some of the side streets are rather nice to stroll down, although you will never get that quaint, old, medieval look and feel.
Our Hotel – The MarinerThe Mariner Restaurant
We did not venture far to eat, except for lunch, since town was a good fifteen to twenty-minute walk from our hotel. So, we ate our lunches out and each night at the hotel, which offered a good mix of fare. All in all, the accommodations were more than adequate, with only some minor inconveniences (e.g. no elevator, but it was only one floor). They do provide a generous parking lot and free parking.
The Dunnottar Castle
Unfortunately, I have to say, the high point of our trip to Aberdeen was on our departure and visit to the Castle of Dunnottar. Please enjoy the un-captioned slide show below of our visit there.
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I will not say much else about it, other than the views are quite stunning, if you happen to have good weather. You are free to walk the grounds and there are hiking trails nearby and into the town of Stonehaven. The castle itself is worth the 7£ entry fee, since it is quite extensive and very well-kept.
And to top it off, a small video of the tempestuous North Sea.
A three-hour drive from Edinburgh will bring you through the center of Scotland and The Highlands, here at the end of Loch Ness sits Inverness.
Inverness – Ness Bridge
Inverness
The city itself in October has a strange feel about it, reminiscent of an upstate New York town, think Hudson or Catskill. Though statistics say otherwise, one would think it in decline, or an area that perhaps saw better times.
The people on the other hand are very friendly and seem very comfortable with tourists.
Inverness – Our Hotel – The Glenmoriston
Inverness – The River Ness
Inverness – Ness Bridge
Inverness – At Night
Loch Ness
In order to see the Loch Ness from Inverness you have to travel 15 to 30 minutes southwest on the A82. Along this road there are several places to stop and take photographs.
Loch Ness – Erick
A bit further on you will find the lazy hamlet of Drumnadrochit and the CastleUrquhart sitting on the lake.
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To enter the castle grounds it cost us around 10£ per person, with a senior discount (60+). A fair price for the ruins and direct access to the lake. And yes, there be NO monsters here!
Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition
This is an exhibit on the scientific evidence and history around the Loch Ness monster. Well worth the money, I found it informative and fairly well done. You can even read all the newspaper articles about the hoax or in some cases what may be called a misunderstanding of what people think they saw.
We arrived last evening in Scotland, traveling from Winchester through London’s Kings Cross station to Edinburgh’s Waverly station, counting on (according to a well-known phone app) an easy twelve-minute walk to our hotel. And what did we immediately face upon exiting the train station? Steps, hills and a steep ascent!
A Close in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is hilly, very hilly. In fact, one may say almost bizarre in its construction. It is as though the city has two levels, one for the upper crust, one for the lower crust. And they only mix via a series of stairways, inclines and closes (apparently an old Scottish term to small back alleyways with or without stairs that can be closed off or guarded after dark).
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Amazing as this all sounds, Edinburgh does have some interesting things to see and experience. Musicians, for example. I am not sure if they are actual Scots, but they are dressed up in full garb and playing the bagpipes.
One can also say the city is a bit blighted, as one may call it, by the plague of construction and reconstruction going on all over the United Kingdom. It would seem that the government here has seen fit that some things should not fall down. It does happen to mess up one’s attempt at a good photograph though!
More Construction and Reconstruction – Enjoy
The Edinburgh Castle
Built on a rocky precipice, or crag, and overlooking the city is the Edinburgh Castle.
Edinburgh Castle
It is adjoined to the city via the Royal Mile, a street with shops, monuments and other stores that lead back to the ancient city.
Castle Overview – Towards City
The castle is a great thing to see and has many rooms and other historical artifacts that one can enjoy. Notwithstanding, the views of Edinburgh and the harbor are magnificent.
Castle Overview – Toward Harbor
Many of the exhibits displayed in the castle have, of course, a military overtone. Which unfortunately in many cultures, clouds and even colors our view of the past. In some cases making it more romantic than it actually was.
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The above slide show is provided to give some appreciation to the myriad of military displays and exhibits one can find in the castle.
St. Margarets Church
St. Margarets Church – The Altar
St. Margarets Church
One jewel amongst all this military might is Saint Margaret’s Church. A quaint little abode which eventually fell within the confines of the castle. It is the oldest structure within the surrounding area and is still used today, although it had many uses in the past.
Greyfriars
If you are looking for more churches or cemeteries, there is Greyfriars. Not far from our hotel, it has some lovely grounds on which you can walk, if you are looking for that nice quiet afternoon stroll.
Greyfriars Bobby
Right across the street from Greyfriars, is the bar and restaurant, Greyfriars Bobby. Named after the dog who ostensibly stood over his master’s grave for fourteen years after he died, the restaurant offers typical Scottish fare, as well as food for tourist (e.g. hamburgers, fries, etc.)
Greyfriars Bobby
Greyfriars Bobby – Inside
Greyfriars Bobby – Dessert Menu
Greyfriars Bobby – Heart Attack Dessert – 12 yr. Mcallans Double Cask Gold with Cranachan (Typical Scottish Dessert)
Greyfriars Bobby – Patti
Greyfriars Bobby – Erick
History Walks and Ghost Tours
Mercat Tours
Mercat Tours holds a fairly good tour of the underground caverns, called History Walk and Ghost Tours.
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Though a bit long and having questionable facts, well we are talking ghosts, it was fairly well presented, entertaining and reasonably priced at 13£ per person. And although it was a bit dark down there, we had a good time anyways.
The Real Mary King’s Close Tour
Again, a tour that takes not only below, but above-grounds as well, to show the terrible living conditions in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Unfortunately, this tour does not allow for photographs, its history is a bit more vague, but it does have a more elaborate Close tour layout and exhibits. If I were to pick one, I would probably pick this one, though it definitely has a more obvious touristy quality to it. The ticket will run you around 16 to 20£ per person, children are less.
The Edinburgh City Museum
This museum is free, except for what ever special exhibits they are having at the time. There is a special floor and area for these and the tickets can be purchased on the ground floor.
City Museum – Ground Floor – Â Grand Atrium
We found the first and third floors to be the most informative. Favoring the Life Sciences, Astronomy and Scottish history above the other areas.
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For a rainy afternoon, and there are many in Scotland, a very good choice to learn something and stay dry. It’s actually very good for families since there are numerous hands-on exhibits for children to interact with and learn.
Tomorrow it’s off again, this time to Inverness. We are just hoping for a moderation in the weather for good travels. Till then, later..!
A trip from Winchester to Salisbury, where the Salisbury Cathedral is located, and not much further from there the famous Stonehenge, requires you, if you are taking the train, to go to Southampton first, then back up to Salisbury; a round trip that will cost you a bit over an hour’s time and nearly 19£/round-trip.
Salisbury Cathedral
The cathedral in Salisbury apparently contains a few things of note. First it possesses the tallest spire for any church in England. It is also quite unique in that it also possesses a double transept, which can be seen in the main photograph above.
Secondly, it houses one of the copies of the Magna Carta, a vital historic document important to anyone who believes in democracy.
Hallway to the Magna Carta
Ante Room where the Magna Carta is housed
Church Room of the Magna Carta
Salisbury
Salisbury, pronounced salzbury, is a quaint little city, somewhat larger and a bit busier than its cousin to the east, Winchester. It contains many, what would appear to Americans as typical colonial looking houses and shops. One cannot therefore help to compare places in the New England area of the United States with it.
Tickets for Two!
Hampshire Countryside
Salisbury Train Station
Salisbury
Salisbury – High Street Gate
Salisbury
Salisbury – High Street Gate
Salisbury – Adorned Fence
While visiting, we saw one Roman Gate, the High Street Gate. Originally there were some fives gates around the city, though we only found evidence of the one surviving.
Red Lion Hotel and Bar
Red Lion Hotel and Bar
Since our visit coincided with lunch, we found and ate at the Red Lion Hotel. They have a simple menu and drinks, but enough for one to get full and back out exploring.
Stonehenge
This is my second visit to Stonehenge and the surrounding area remains just as beautiful as I remember it. Though it was still threatening to rain, it was a bit warmer this time. There is not much else to say about the place other than you have to visit it. It’s amazing that neolithic man could have erected something like this, for whatever reasons, with the little technology they had at the time.
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Once you are done photographing and exploring the stones, there is a visitor center where you can learn more and get some refreshments. Though it cost us the good part of a day, it’s definitely worth the trip!
Close to a two-hour bus ride to the west-southwest of London is Winchester, just a mere twenty-minute train ride from the coast and Southampton.
NationalExpress Bus 032 – Winchester, England
Though we attempted to take a train to this marvelous little town, we ended up scheduling a bus ride through NationalExpress, which provided a more direct albeit one more subject to the vagaries of traffic.
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral – The Impressive Front Entrance
Just behind our hotel, the Mecure, stands Winchester Cathedral. Because it is no longer funded by the government, there is usually an entrance fee of 9£. But, if you go on a Sunday evening, when it is open for mass you may be lucky enough to enter for free.
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
As made famous by Frank Sinatra and other pop artist of the 60’s and 70’s, everyone my age probably knows the song “Winchester Cathedral”. Well here is the real thing and an impressive structure it is, along with its history.
Above one can see some additional photographs as we took them walking through this lovely little town.
Winchester City Museum
The City Museum
A free and very informative little museum sits almost directly in the middle of town, just a stone’s throw from The Eclipse Inn, called the City Museum.
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There are numerous exhibits which starts on the top floor with the Roman Period of Winchester, formerly known to the Romans as Venta Belgarum around 70 A.D. This is followed on second floor (that would be the first floor for Europeans) with an entire section on the Norman Period. And finally on the ground floor with contemporary history.
The Great Hall
The Great Hall – Entrance
The Great Hall is a large 13th century hall that features King Arthur’s Round Table. It is the only building remaining of the Winchester Castle that used to reside here and has been turned into a museum.
The Great Hall
The Great Hall – King Arthur’s Round Table
The Great Hall – Stained Glass Added At A Later Date
The Great Hall
The City Mill
The Winchester City Mill is a restored and fully working water-mill that sits over the river Itchen.
Winchester City Mill – Water Coming Out of the Front of the Mill
It costs 6£ to enter and has audio-visual as well as hands-on displays for children. It is a one floor museum with access to the lower section in order to see the actual mill-wheel and transfer gears.
The museum also has a nice little park area where you can sit and enjoy the day, if it’s not raining!
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If you actually watch the entire video presentation you will find it most informative, since it goes into the mill itself, along with its historic ups and downs. The building was even used at one time as a hostel for cyclists and hikers!
Another day in London and more to see. Before we left, our daughter Meagan purchased the 3-day London Pass. The pass is a bit pricey, but gets you into loads of Museums, Memorials, Churches and many other places. This includes, the Churchill War Rooms, HMS Belfast, the Shard, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and many others. So we thought it might be a good buy.
Churchill War Rooms
If you have any interest at all how the British and their Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, survived and ultimately helped win the war, then you have to see his war rooms.
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As can be imagined, London itself is teaming with memorials from all of its wars. This one however is amazing, because it impresses upon the visited some of the effort, at the highest levels, it took to fight a war on a global scale.
The Pin Map of Europe
One of several Southeast Asian Maps
England was not only fighting the Germans, but also the Japanese, who invaded their southeast Asian colonies as well.
Churchill’s Direct Line with the White House
During those times both England and America saw the need for direct communications and arrange a phone system to stretch completely across the Atlantic Ocean. A feat we take for granted today.
The War Rooms are full of interactive venues where you can take your time to read, explore and learn about the man who took England through one of the most dangerous and dark times in its history.
The HMS Belfast
HMS Belfast
As promised in my earlier post, we did indeed have the occasion to board the HMS Belfast. Again, it’s part of the London Pass and allows you to roam a WWII era British Cruiser.
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Since we have already discussed the ship in Part One, we give you a slide show of the ship as you can explore and see it.
And if you are looking for enemies, well I imagine this baby can still find ’em..! [Joke: it’s only a prop]
Eating
If you are ever in London and looking for a place to eat, there are of course as you can imagine, thousands to choose from. We have eaten at the following restaurants and can recommend them all highly.
The Wolseley
We had a brunch here and the atmosphere, perhaps a take on old empire England with Oriental panels, was unique.
The food was everything, from the usual simple English breakfast fare, to the more exotic dishes with fish, animal organs, etc. However, they have bacon and eggs and their egg omelets are great too!
Meagan and Jason
Patti and Erick
The Hawksmoor Seven Dials
I have no idea how they derived this name, so do not ask. However, if you are looking for a good steak, this is the place to go, a carnivores heaven.
The food prices here are, as expected, a bit on the high side, but not as high as some of the wine. There are only a few entries in the wine list under 50£. For example, the Chateau de Beaucastel above, went for 165£. So bring your plastic, or plenty of cash.
The Ivy
This is perhaps my favorite. A cozy place that serves several different and interesting kinds of fare, backed up by a reasonably priced wine list.
The atmosphere here is just great, since the architecture of the building is a triangle; there are stained glass windows all around you. The bar is the centerpiece and very well done, surrounded by tables with small lamps on them, reminiscent of something out of a by-gone era. Highly recommended!
About an hour’s journey north of London, if one uses England’s excellent rail service, is the city of Watford. An unassuming place except for the fact that it is the home of Warner Brother Studios in England, which was responsible for bringing the Harry Potter series of books to life.
Once you leave the Watford Junction train station, you hop on a bus to travel the rest of the way to the studio.
Hogwarts Castle
A main part of the entire first building set, is all about Hogwarts; including the Main Hall, the Student Rooms and many other sets that changed from one movie to another.
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The main hall is pretty much as you see it in the movies. It even has a real stone floor, necessary since this prop apparently had to be used for the entire series of movies. I purposely did not caption any images for brevity and most who are familiar with the movies will probably understand what they are looking at. The tour itself is broken up into several parts, since the tour spans two whole set buildings.
Harry’s Under The Stairs Room – The Dursley’s
Harry’s Hogwarts Room
Harry’s Hogwarts Room
Harry’s Hogwarts Room
Of course, like the other Hogwart’s children, Harry had two homes. One with the Dursley’s and the other at Hogwarts Castle.
Near the end of the tour, there are massive models of the castle.
The Hogwarts Train
There is another set all about the train and one can tour the inside of the cars that were used during shooting. Each carriage enclosure is cast for each one of the movies, eight in total.
The Dursley’s House
As part of the outside set, you can find the house that was created for the Dursley home.
The set is complete with Harry’s numerous invitations to Hogwarts, a very well done treat.
Hagrid’s House And More
A favorite of everyone’s, is probably Hagrid’s House, that small, stone, iconic little shack where three friends and Hagrid used to talk about the suspicious goings-ons at Hogwarts.
The Dark Forest where the spiders live, is a real thrill where kids can participate in pressing buttons to cause lightning, thunder and the descent of the giant spiders.
Gringott’s Bank
The bank teller stations and set remain also as they did in the movies. There is a very good explanation on how they mimicked the goblins, marble and glass chandeliers that you see.
Other Sets
There are many other sets, almost too many to put in one blog. Here is a virtual tour of other sets and things you can see while there.
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We therefore recommend, if you ever are in London and have time to get to Watford, go see the Experience; it is well worth the 2 to 3 hours you will have to spend there just to get through it!
This being our second day in London, it was time to meet up with our daughter Meagan and her husband Jason and do some real sight-seeing. Though just having flown in from New York City would slow us down a little bit.
London Bridge and the Borough Market
Our first order of business, after having some time to catch-up and then take “The Tube“, was to walk across the real London Bridge from Monument Station. Not to be confused with the Tower Bridge which we will discuss later.
London Bridge – Is NOT Falling Down
London Bridge – Public Works Building
The Borough Market is the quintessential small town market on steroids for a big city like London. It has a myriad of trendy shops and market kiosks, along with traditional farm products from all over Europe being represented with their quality meats and cheeses. Of course, I wanted to purchase some Alpine Cheese or Tyrolese Sausage, but time and fear of having it taken from my luggage on the trip back to Italy, prevented me from doing so.
Borough Market
Borough Market – The Produce Section
Borough Market – More Streets, More Fun
This walk took us in the general direction of the new “The Shard“, a triangular spire of a building reminiscent of the “One World Trade Center“. After having a very unremarkable lunch at the Horniman at Hays, we ascended The Shard for a view of the city.
The Shard
As one can imagine, on a good day like ours, you can see the entire city from this height.
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HMS Belfast
The HMS Belfast is a Town-class British 6 inch gun light cruiser of World War II vintage. Similar in age to the U.S.S. North Carolina in Wilmington, North Carolina, this ship has real class and some very nice lines. If time permits I hope to go back and have a peak inside.
H.M.S. Belfast – From The Shard
H.M.S. Belfast – From the Docks
The Tower Bridge and Tower of London
When London comes to mind for me, I think of the BBC and the river Thames flowing under the Tower Bridge as a preamble to TV shows I frequently watched on PBS.
The Tower Bridge – An Iconic London Landmark
Since I last saw it, years ago, the bridge appears to be woefully in need of a paint job, though nonetheless it is still graceful in appearance.
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As some may already know, the Tower Bridge is most likely named after the Tower of London, that well-known ancient prison and current repository for the Crown Jewels.
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The grounds to the Tower of London are rather large, and there is quite a lot to see here. There are several museums to visit, all of which appear to have been done in very good detail.
Tower of London – Changing of the Guard
One can also see a similar “Changing of the Guard” that you can witness at Buckingham Palace. Just behind the guards above, is the entrance to the Crown Jewels.
The Crown Jewels
As had been alluded to before, there are several other towers that one can visit, all of which have different histories. One of the better ones, and which also involves Sir Walter Raleigh, of North Carolina fame, is the Bloody Tower.
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From 1603 until 1616, Sir Walter Raleigh was held prisoner here. Though he was afforded amenities not many other prisoners were given, including gardening to make herbal remedies and other concoctions, his internment still must have been very unpleasant.
Some time ago, probably during the hot days of Summer, we decided it might be a good idea to visit Londonpre-Brexit. Not so much to say that we remember when London was part of the European Union (EU), but more that we expect with the forthcoming travel restrictions it will become so what more difficult to enter and exit, and also expect prices for commodities there, like real Scotch Whiskey, to become more expensive over time.
Train Tickets for Two
Victoria Station – London, England
Our Hotel
We are staying at the Conrad, ostensibly a five-star Hilton Hotel. However, I must say, after being here for less than a day I would say it’s more of a 4.5 star hotel (it’s the little things you know).
Eating
For our first night, we naively walked into the Colosseo Italian Restaurant figuring we would get something small, like a soup and salad, or something similar. I know, we just got off the plane from Turin and we went to an Italian restaurant! Oh well, that reminds me I have a longing for Chinese food too. But I digress.
The Colosseo Restaurant – Italian Dining at its Best
For our night stroll, we chose to head down to Big Ben, even though we know it’s still shrouded, due to the renovations going on. For now we leave you with some photographs of our leisurely walk.
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We will be in England for some time, so please look forward to many more posts! Until then, CHEERS!
This is our final post about Nice, which we must say was very enjoyable and at times interesting. There are no doubts there are better places to go for a lazy or leisurely holiday. But few can offer the night-life, culture and coastal pleasures than the Côte d’Azur and Nice can. If we were to come back, it would be during the beginning of Summer, so that we could enjoy the beaches a bit more, though probably not in Nice, since they are quite rocky here.
Asian Restaurants
There are several good Asian restaurants in and around the vicinity of the railway station. Though we did not have time to try them all, two of our favorites were Restaurant China for simple Chinese and Thai fair, and Les Baguettes d’Argent for Vietnamese. On one of our last nights in Nice, we visited the latter and were very happy with all of our meals.
The Beef and Vegetable Stirfry
Ericka – “All Done, Where’s My Dessert!?”
Nice At Night
There is nothing like strolling a boardwalk along a beach. With its throng of people from all over the world and businesses, it can be a very enjoyable experience during a vacation or holiday. This is definitely the case in Nice, which has an extraordinarily long boardwalk in the shape of a large crescent.
A Full Moon Over Cap de Nice
Here are some additional parting photographs from our walk along the beach. We were especially lucky to have a full moon greet us as we walked, as well as perfect evening temperatures.
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Conclusion
A very nice place to vacation. Depending on what your plans are, the area offers a variety of things you can do. It is no doubt a gambler’s paradise, so if you are a gambler, drinker and eater, here is a prime spot. The area also has a fairly high number of hotels, so depending on your budget you should be able to, more or less, pick what you want; but I would book in advance since while we were here the Ironman Championship was being held and rooms were scarce.
The people we encountered were very nice and helpful. Even the hotel and restaurant staff, we found to be very attentive. We infrequently ran into any language barrier. Most people in the area seem to have some knowledge of English, most likely due to the high influx of tourists to the area. But, have your smart phone at the ready just in case.
On Another Note
Antibes – One Solution – The Poop Patrol
We did however find the city itself a bit dirty, not in the normal sense of a city, but dirty (think N.Y.C. in the 1960’s), even if you overlook the dog excrement all over. For a tourist area, this is unfortunate and even though we do not live here, we do not like to see it either.
The French love their dogs and apparently their dog excrement as well, since they do not appear to do much about it. I guess it’s a societal issue. I always thought that the main reason in developed societies for installing plumbing was to remove the excrement from the streets to prevent disease, etc.; I guess I may be wrong(?) I did however see one municipality trying a solution, the Poop Patrol. Apparently Antibes is trying a motorcycle outfitted with a vacuum attachment to suck up any dastardly dog remains. The container on the rear (see above photograph) even has Bio-Hazard warnings on it. I found it funny, a bit ridiculous, but all-in-all probably necessary. I don’t think the French are going to change their habits about dogs anytime soon.
With that, we leave you for now until next time when we will be exploring London and Scotland. Until then…
