FUN-travel: Spectacular Scotland – Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
August 21, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Spectacular Scotland – Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
- More strolling through streets…
…& taking in Fringe festivities……
…with Cinzia & Fabio…
…plus record setting 17,344 steps!
- Evening adventure…
…Edinburgh Castle Esplanade…
…spectacular home of the world-famous…
…69th Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo…
…encompassing 26 military marching bands…
…& dance troops from…Trinidad & Tobago…Tasmania…
…France…China…Canada…Nigeria…New Zealand…Ireland…
… & of course Scotland…with bands of the Scots Guard…
…& The Royal Regiment…
…the Pipers Trail…connecting pipers of the world…
…working alongside the Tattoo Dance Company…
…and Shetland fiddle group Hjaltibonhoga…
…representing the finest in Scotland’s fiddle tradition…
…all from the spiritual home of the fiddle, Shetland.
FUN-fact – The Tattoo got its name from the 17th-century Dutch phrase doe den tap toe (“turn off the tap”) a signal to tavern owners each night, played by a regiment’s Corps of Drums, to turn off the taps of their ale kegs so that the soldiers would retire to their billeted lodgings at a reasonable hour.
More FF – Hjaltibonhoga means ‘Shetland, my spiritual home’.
More FF – Tattoo Dance Company celebrates the cultural tradition in highland dancing & has been developed to promote traditional Scottish art forms, ensuring that these cultural identities are shared internationally.
Saturday includes two shows (we went to the first) and this is what we saw from our “Room With a View” when we got back!
FUN-travel: Spectacular Scotland – Fringe Festival
August 20, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Spectacular Scotland – Fringe Festival
- Spent day strolling “The Royal Mile”…
…Edinburgh Castle sits grandly at the top…
…& The Palace of Holyrood House…
…the Queen’s residence in Edinburgh…
Look ma, no feet!
…sits grandly at the bottom…
And in between The Fringe…was full swing!
- Dubbed the world’s greatest platform for creative freedom…
…inspiring celebration of the best performance…
…& entertainment from every continent of our planet…
…over 200 venues…with more than 3,500 shows…
…& nowhere beats it for spectacle or scale!
- City flooded with art…theatre…comedy…dance…
…circus…cabaret…opera…music & spoken word.
- Whatever the time of day…an acrobat…trapeze artist…
…contortionist or tried-and-tested bagpiping busker…
…will be pleased to entertain you…
…totally dazzled by the greatest show of arts & culture on Earth.
- Late afternoon Cinzia (sister) & Fabio arrived from Trieste, Italy…
…Happy Hour at Greyfriars Bobby…& dinner Tower Restaurant…
…on 5th floor of National Museum of Scotland.
..with Barbara & Alex…whom we met on our…
…“Slow Boat to Singapore” cruise in 2016…
…he’s from Oban & she’s from Edinburgh.
FUN-fact – Lonely Planet published their Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist, with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at number one. The list comprises 500 of the most memorable, beautiful, surprising and compelling experiences to be had across Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, compiled by Lonely Planet’s team of travel experts.
After Dinner Sunset
FUN-Travel: Spectacular Scotland – Edinburgh
August 16, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-Travel: Spectacular Scotland – Edinburgh
- Arrive airport 9:15 am…
…& 10 am to “Room with a View”….
…Apex Grassmarket Hotel perfect location…
…& we get early check in!
- Take nap – 2:30 suns out…
…take nice stroll in search of good wine store…
…turns into a hike to Valvona & Crolla.
- 6 pm – Happy Hour Biddy Mulligan’s Bar & dinner Mussels & Steak.
- 9 pm – Castle Alive with the Sound of Music…
…Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo dress rehearsal!
FUN-fact – Edinburgh is Scotland’s compact, hilly capital. It has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish rulers.
FUN-Travel: Amazing Africa – Trip Recap
August 6, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-Travel: Amazing Africa – Trip Recap
Our international bucket runneth over! After India we said, “No more 3rd world countries.” Then arrive… only to realize… Africa is a 3rd world country… What was I thinking?
- While safaris vary greatly in pricing…from basic to luxurious…
…they are not 3rd world…it’s the getting to and from that is.
Travel “Needs to Know”…that your travel agent should tell you…but ours didn’t!
- Check Departure Times…we booked months ahead…flight #s stayed the same…but times had changed drastically!
- Clean Newer Bills…the crispier the better…for Customs & Immigration…even better yet…get Visas on line…TZ costs $100 pp…KE costs $50 pp
- Yellow Fever Yellow Card…Kenya only…medical record proof doesn’t cut it…and they charged $50 pp.
- Passport Stamped…make sure upon arrival…they don’t give you a receipt…much confusion entering Kenya…mine stamped not Chris…nice ladies at Nairobi Intl let it slide.
- Bush planes – 15kg total weight including hand luggage allowed …means you pack ever so lightly…it is not a fashion show! Laundry service was included at Entim Mara…makes traveling much easier…you don’t have to check anything…and risk getting it stolen…if you want to bring more…than book another seat and get 30kgs…and lock everything not in your sight! Told Nairobi Wilson is strictest airport for departing…TZ only weighed checked bag…not hand carry…ours were only 9 kg each. Bought it bags from Amazon…only weigh 3.8 lbs!
- Guides Sense of Time…one said the airport was 45 minutes when it was 20…other said an hour and a half…when it took almost 2…only need to be there 15 minutes prior.
- Balloon Rides…cost $600 pp in TZ and $450 pp in Kenya. That’s just plain insane! Only saw one sunrise as heavy overcast skies & then rain in Kenya…which totally validated our decision.
FUN-fact – In Arusha, TZ they have the Clock Tower which is halfway between Cairo & Cape Town.
FUN-Travel: The 12 Days of Safari
August 5, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-Travel: The 12 Days of Safari
(sung to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas)
- On the first day of Safari
the Mara gave to me…
…1000’s of Wildebeests Crossing…
…12 Giraffes in Grand Stance…
…11 Elephants a Foraging…
…10 Buffalos a Bounding…
…9 Hippos a Howling…
…8 Impalas a Prancing…
…7 Simbas a Stalking…
…6 Pumbaas a Prowling…
…5 Timons Truckin’…
…4 Cheetahs Chillin’…
…3 Leopards Leering…
…2 Kingfishers Flapping….
…and Reggie the black Rhino!