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: UK & Whisky Festival Trip Recap
June 26, 2017 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: UK & Whisky Festival Trip Recap
Our tasting at the Bowmore House
- I learned a whole lot at “Scotch School”…
…and drank more single malt whisky in 5 days…
…than in my entire life…
…just wee little drams mind you…
…and some just a wee little bit bigger!
- My personal favorites were the ones finished in a sherry cask.
And we were so LUCKY to have gotten a room in Islay at the Bowmore House B&B. The first week of January not a room was to be found. And then by magic…one opened up! Andrew, the owner, made the trip so much more memorable and a totally different experience! We would have never had the 2 special tastings or benefited from the wealth of whisky knowledge he has.
- And while I now have an appreciation for fine whiskies…
…my distilled spirit of choice…
…is still an extra dry Gin martini straight up!
Many people we encountered during our trip said, “I hope you’re having a good time.” To which my response was, “There is no other option. It’s compulsory!” That’s pretty much how I feel about travel. I WILL always have a GOOD TIME!
Ardbeg Fesitval Day
Also many people were concerned that we were traveling to the UK so soon after the Manchester bombing. But we believe it is never safer to travel then when there’s been an incident like that. Everyone was on high alert. Then the London Bridge terror attack happened.
Hairy Coo (as they pronounce them)
We were never anywhere near a big city, let alone a big town, other than Glasgow for a train to plane change. A terror attack can happen anywhere in the world and unfortunately it’s becoming far too common these days. But it will never make us so fearful that we wouldn’t travel.
- That being said…
…it makes us very, very happy we are…
…almost at the end of our bucket list!
FUN-fact – Our Daily UK Weather Report – sunshine mixed with clouds and rain. And that was pretty much it. Only caught a few occasional short sprinkles until the last day when it was pretty wet in Oban. And when we arrived in Paisley before our flight to Islay. It took longer to take a cab then to walk 500 meters to the Ashtree House Hotel. Big thanks to Chris for packing those umbrellas!
FUN-video – The UK & Whisky Festival – Movie Trailer
June 19, 2017 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-video – The UK & Whisky Festival – Movie Trailer
At 16 days, this was the shortest international trip we have taken since Chris retired in 2009. And it was great to travel with only a carry on bag. Enjoy!