3 Trips in 1 year with a Side of Baseball and Scotland - Updated 10/3 The End

Day 7

This was supposed to be an EPCOT day so I sat on the balcony and waited for Jim to get ready. While I sat there I noticed this little guy above me


Jim finally told me he wasn't going to the park with me. His stomach was acting up and his toe was bleeding again. The stomach issues had been on going and the drs never figured out why he was having issues. The toe is from his diabetes. He gets an ulcer and it isn't pretty. He stayed at the room. I grabbed the scooter, my camera and water and was off.

I skipped the entrance and headed back to see what characters were available. I found Baymax. My one grandson loved him at the time.


Next up we had a FP for Test Track and I didn't want to lose it. When I got there this was the line


It seriously reached Mousegears. Turns out it had broken down by 9:30 in the morning. The good thing was that FP's would be honored at a later time. I wandered and took pictures.
Buzz Lightyear Topiary


PUSH is gone but I found a bubble blowing trashcan


Lightning McQueen and Mater




While I was taking pictures a CM that was handing out Festival Passports asked me if I was from Germany since I had that shirt on. I told her my grandfathers family was and we had a lovely conversation. It turned out she was from the area we believe his family came from. I moved on and found Chip and Dale




Mickey


One of my favorite shots with the monorail


to be continued
 
Moving on I found Minnie and Pluto


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I explored Mexico on the outside and found something new


Anna and Elsa


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Then I was off to the Canadian side of World Showcase as I waited for it to open. Found Bambi, Thumper and Flower





Pooh and Friends, they could be in a better







Look up, it's Peter Pan


And I explored Shakespeare's Garden







Captain Hook


Cinderella and her Prince


Beauty and the Beast




And a view with the fountain


It wasn't time for World Showcase to open so I wandered back to Future World again.

Continued
 
So as I headed back to Future World I found the kids play area and the Fab 5
Pluto


Minnie


Mickey


Donald


Goofy


Wandered further down and found Sorcerer Mickey


A Hippo


And Ostriches



They would have been better with the monorail but after waiting for one to show up I just took pictures. I managed to get all of that and then some in around 2 hours. I called Jim and he was feeling better so he planned to meet me later. I was getting hungry so I was back to WS for some food.

First stop was Florida Fresh and the kale Salad with Dried Cherries, Almonds, Goat Cheese and White Balsamic Vinaigrette - $3.75


I enjoyed this more than I thought I would since I had never had Kale before. The salad had a really nice balance of flavors.

Then it was off to Japan for some Bonsai.


I called this one "Groot"


Checked out the Kawaii Culture




Lady and the Tramp


Grumpy


Lion King




Chinese Dragon


continued
 
Jim had made it to the park and met me in Mexico. We wandered around for a bit
Orchids




We looked at the artifacts on display as you enter the pavilion and reminisced about our cruise and talked of taking another one someday.


We went on the ride there but no pictures and then we headed to Future World for some FP's. I had to stop and take pics of butterflies again. I love them.




And I found a caterpillar




We did go on Test Track and Journey into the Imagination before Jim said he wasn't feeling well again so he headed back to the resort planning on meeting me again later that night. I headed back to WS for more food booths.

Urban Farm Eats for the Watermelon Salad with Pickled Onions, Baby Arugula, Feta and Balsamic Reduction - $3.75


I have enjoyed this in the past but not this time. The watermelon was cut to close to the rind and not ripe. This salad really needs the sweetness from the watermelon to balance the flavors otherwise it is salty and a little bitter.

I also had the Seared Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Ragout, Spring Vegetables and Marbled Potatoes - $6.00


I enjoyed that one. The pork was tender and the flavors balanced well with the vegies.

Next up was the Cider House and Pear Brined Shredded Corned Beef with Braised Cabbage, Pears and Branston Dressing - $5.25


This was just OK. The corned beef was a bit sour but it made sense because the cabbage tasted like sauerkraut.

I also had the Freshly Baked Lemon Scone with Crème Fraiche anda Mixed berries - $3.75


This was AWESOME!!! The scone had a light lemon flavor that paired well with the berries and crème fraiche. I would have gotten this again easily.


I was getting thirsty so I decided to stop at Florida Fresh for the Fresh Squeezed Watermelon Juice - $3.25


I like watermelon but this was horrible. I threw it away. I headed back down to Living with the Land and took another ride on it. I also wanted to get some Iced Tea and Strawberry Shortcake at Sunshine Seasons.

I headed back up for more food booths this time it was Italy and Mezze Luna Primavera: Eggplant Pasta Stuffed with Ricotta and Spinach in a Creamy Sauce with Spring Vegetables and Pecorino Cheese - $6.00


This was really good and very cheesy. I also got the Cremoso al Pistachio: Pistachio Cream, Strawberries and Mascarpone Cream - $5.00


This was good but could have used more pistachios. I was taking my time at this point just wandering here and there taking pictures. When I reached Japan I decided to stop at Hanami for the Beef Teriyaki Udon: Thin sliced beef, onions and noodles tossed on the grill with soy and ginger - $5.95


This was really good and I was glad I decided to try it. I just parked the scooter at this point and sat and enjoyed the view


Jim called to tell me he was back at the park so we met at Japan because I don't have enough unset pearls. He bought me two oysters and I got three pearls, we had twins. After getting the pearls we headed over to the little spot I had found to set up for Illuminations. I had a new tripod I wanted to try for the fireworks and the spot was perfect. Unfortunately the remote shutter didn't work right so I had to hold the camera anyway. One day I will get it all to work together. I did get a couple of decent test shots


And the spot was perfect




Or was it. Just as the fireworks started a woman came and planted herself right in front of me with a huge I-Pad blocking my view. I asked her several times to move and just got No Habla! When she walked away after blocking most of the display she was having a full conversation in ENGLISH!!! I really hate rude people.

We made our way out of the park slowly and I did take a few pictures but most of them had people getting in my way. Some of them were good though









The bus stop wasn't crowded so taking our time paid off. I was having issues with the ECV as we were leaving with the power dipping way down. When we got to the resort I managed to get off of the bus and to the elevators and then it was dead! I had to push it all the way back to the room. Jim had gone to the car for something so I was on my own.

Once there I started packing up what I could because sadly our trip was coming to an end and we would be going home the next day.
 


Day 8

Sadly our time in Disney and Florida was coming to an end. I packed up what was left and headed down to the lobby to check out bags in with the airline. Then Walker came to get the scooter. I headed back up to the room to get my carry-ons finished. Jim said he wasn't up to the parks again so I tried to get him a little extra time in the room. Unfortunately Spring Break was upon us and he could only stay in it til 11. He was ok with that. I left the bags with him and headed to EPCOT one last time. I skipped the front again and got a Butterfly topiary


Cast members sprucing up the flower displays


Finally got a really good monorail picture


Headed into the Butterfly tent again because you can never have enough butterfly and flower pictures









I moved on and got Bambi and friends


Nice view with the clouds


Found another caterpillar in France


And the Figment Egg


I stopped at Fleur de Lys and had the Tarte a'la Onion Alsacienne: Alsatian Onion Tart with Sauteed Onions, Fresh Thyme and Rosemary on a flaky puff pastry crust - $4.50


I took more pictures of the displays as I wandered around the World Showcase. I go at a very slow pace when I am on foot because my knee won't hold me up otherwise. I got a text from Scott to tell me that he and Vinny were in EPCOT at France and to see where I was. I was around Germany so I told him I would just wait for them to catch up.

Tried to get a little artsy with this picture


An Alpine garden


While there Iwent to the food booth in Germany and got the Armer Ritter: Egg battered toast with cherry compote and powdered sugar - $3.75


I liked the toast but that cherry compote was mouth puckering sour. I scraped it off and just ate the toast. I also found the Perry egg


Jungle Book Sand Sculpture


Scott and Vinny were getting the AP holders art print, I already had mine. I did buy a Yoda lawn ornament that I keep in my kitchen garden window. I don't trust the neighborhood kids. We were heading to the exit and Vinny offered a ride back to the resort so I didn't have to wait on the bus. They were leaving anyway so I accepted. Soon I was seeing this for the last time


We said our good-byes and I headed in to find Jim. We decided to get something to eat before we headed to the airport. Jim got a pepperoni flatbread


I got a turkey sandwich


He had the better food by far. That was the WORST sandwich I have ever eaten. It was supposed to be warm and it wasn't. The roll was stale and the cheese was the processed kind that you need to peel the plastic wrap off of the cheese. The fries were cold too. I should have complained but I just had a piece of Jim's flatbread.

We headed to the car and were off. We followed a ME bus to the airport. Good thing as there was a ton of traffic. We returned the car with no problems and were off to find TSA. By this time I was barely able to move my leg and Jim insisted we find a wheelchair for me. They are impossible to find at Orlando's airport. Got through TSA with no issues for once and were at our gate in plenty of time.

We took off on time and landed a little early. Our son was there to pick us up with a nice surprise - our fur baby was with him and very excited to see us. With that our trip came to an end.

Final thoughts - I loved the side trips and hope to do them again, maybe even get in some beach time. I loved having a car so we could visit my aunt. I don't get to see her often and really enjoy her company. Jim has shown me even more that he is NOT a Disney fan. He will go again on trips with the grandkids but beyond that I can go alone.
AKL is a fantastic resort and I am so glad I was able to splurge on the Savanna view. I love the Flower and Garden Festival and plan to do it again.

Thanks for reading along. Stay tuned because Scotland is next and there are a ton of pictures
 
SCOTLAND - July 2016

This trip came about unexpectedly in December of 2015. We have a musician who performs at our church a couple of times a year. I had planned on going to see him but got hit hard with a stomach bug. My mom called me that night and asked me if I was interested in a trip that July - to Scotland. She knew that I have always wanted to go to England and thought this was close enough. There was a tour planned and the man who had just performed at the church was party of the tour. I was very interested but needed to talk to Jim about it. I didn't even get a chance to ask, he heard the conversation and said, "GO!!!"

I called the tour director the next day for more details and asked if there was still availability. There was so he was holding a room for us til I got back to him. The tour was to good to pass up. It would cost $3200 for 7 nights, airfare, breakfast every day, 6 dinners and admissions to most of the attractions we would be visiting. I gave my mom the details and then called back and asked if checks were accepted or did he need a credit card. I was going to SCOTLAND!!!

We talked about the trip over Christmas dinner and my dad threw a monkey wrench into the plans. He said one stipulation - TRAVEL INSURANCE. I told him even if I died I was going. He was adamant, the insurance or my mom was out. I gave in. I understood his reasoning. He was still recuperating from major cancer surgery and he was worried what would happen if he relapsed. He told me that if my mom backed out I did too. I was upset with him because I would have wanted to go anyway. His reasoning - I could be kidnapped and sold into white slavery! I told him they don't like older women, they want young girls. He was serious. I laughed and said I would get the insurance.

The only real worry I had was wondering if I could survive my mom for that amount of time. We butt heads and she still tells me what to do. We planned and replanned. My standard attire in the summer is shorts and Disney tees. Mom flipped out and said no, I was going to dress my age. I had to get some new shirts. It was a compromise because I told her I was wearing jeans or I wasn't going.

A week before we were to leave I got an ear infection. Not unusual for me in the summer. This one was bad and my ear was totally blocked. The doctor put me on heavy antibiotics, steroids and drops. He also flushed my ear a few days before I left so I was able to hear again. Crisis avoided because no one wants an ear infection on a plane. I got mom and I travel pillows for the plane and I had the window seat. I paid to upgrade to that, mom paid to sit next to me.

My husband had planned to take a weeks vacation so he could watch TV all day - baseball - without me complaining and then right before I was to leave all vacations were canceled. All I asked was can he get us to the airport. The Democratic National Convention was going to be in Philly and he was on mandatory duty. He wasn't happy. Finally we were set.

DAY 1 - Travel Day
This was actually our travel day. We had a 7:25 PM flight. We needed to be at the airport around 5 PM. Mom insisted on 4. We had to pick her up at 3 for what is normally a 20 minute ride and on a Saturday there shouldn't be any traffic. For once mom's obsessive need to be early paid off. The police were already starting to shut down lanes on I-95 creating traffic delays. We got to the airport about 4:15. I was prechecked by TSA so I breezed through. Then I had to wait for mom. I told her I was special.

We found our gate and I was starving. Mom was already making friends. I headed off to look for food. I had a little American money or my credit card. I found a place that made quesadillas and ordered a chicken and onion quesadilla and a bottle of water with a side of sour cream.


The total only came to $11.85 so not that bad and it was huge. I shared some of it with my mom. Mom had made a ton of friends already. I ate and waited. Finally at around 6:25 PM we were boarded. I took a picture


An hour later this was my view


We were still at the gate. My claustrophobia was starting to kick in slightly. We were delayed about 90 minutes because of storms along the East coast.
We finally took off and mom was worried we would miss our bus in Glasgow. I laughed and told her that most of the tour was on this plane, they would wait. We had dinner around 10 PM, I was really glad I ate something at the airport.


I opted for salad with a creamy olive oil dressing, cracker and cheese, roll and butter, chicken in a sundried tomato sauce with orzo and vegetables, a brownie and water. I also asked for a Dr. Pepper. The plane food was amazingly good. I saved the brownie and water for later. After we ate I tried to sleep. The travel pillow wound up being a cushion for my back which was screaming ouch! I managed a couple of hours sleep. It wasn't long and was seeing this out of the window


Scotland was below us. We did get a muffin and beverage before we landed. Our adventure was about to begin.
 
Day 2

This was our first full day in Scotland. Even though we took off late we must have had a great tail wind because we were only an hour late arriving in Glasgow. Our first views
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We got our luggage and breezed through customs. We found the tour bus and I got a window seat. Mom didn't mind because she thought she recognized a name on the master list and it turned out to be friends of hers. She chatted and I took pictures.

Leaving Glasgow


The ride and the countryside




I loved this little house
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Our first stop of the day was Luss and Loch Lomond.




Mom walking ahead with her friends




WWI and WWII memorial


By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond.
Where me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.





Our entertainers for the trip: Charlie Zahm on guitar and Tad marks on the violin







I loved the different flowers


And how I made this part of Disney. If you look closely in the garden you will see 7 Dwarfs figurines


A touch of home - a Butterfly Bush. I have one on my front yard


Even with the rain and cooler temps I was in love with the area. The pictures barely give it justice. We finished our visit at Luss and were off again.
 


Sorry I have been MIA. Jim had surgery on his foot in April. The following day he had a stroke. He was in the hospital for a week and then rehab for 3 weeks. He was home for 2 days and had a second stroke in late May. I have been dealing with him, tons of drs. appointments, grandkids and planning a HUGE trip after Thanksgiving.

Really sorry to hear that Jim has been so unwell. Wishing him a good recovery and hope that you are not too exhausted.

Scotland was below us.
My house may have been below you. We have on occasion spotted our house on the descent.

We got our luggage and breezed through customs.
Much better than Orlando isn't it?

Leaving Glasgow
Crossing the Erskine Bridge.

By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond.
Where me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

Unfortunately the sun rarely shines bright on Loch Lomond but it is a nice sentiment. Alan proposed to me on the banks of Loch Lomond - he had been watching the weather forecast for the first day it wasn't raining.
 
Really sorry to hear that Jim has been so unwell. Wishing him a good recovery and hope that you are not too exhausted.

We are taking things one day at a time. The foot is healing just need to work on the other issues. It is tiring but I am coping and may be planning to come to Scotland again next year.

My house may have been below you. We have on occasion spotted our house on the descent.

That is cool. I could never find mine coming into Philadelphia. The houses in Scotland are so interesting. Some of them were so pretty.

Much better than Orlando isn't it?

I despise Orlando. I have more issues with TSA there and I'm staying in the country. Jim HATED flying out of there with work.

Crossing the Erskine Bridge.

Thank you. It's nice to have a name for it.

Unfortunately the sun rarely shines bright on Loch Lomond but it is a nice sentiment. Alan proposed to me on the banks of Loch Lomond - he had been watching the weather forecast for the first day it wasn't raining.

That is such a pretty spot rain or not. I can only imagine how pretty it is with the sun shining down. I really hope to take the trip again next year and we stop there. The serenade of the song was nice to hear in the background as I took my pictures. I fell in love with your country and we are waiting to hear if their may not be a bit of Scot in my background. My dad just took a DNA test.
 
I can only imagine how pretty it is with the sun shining down.

We all can only imagine what that would look like. It hasn't stopped raining all summer. I tell a lie it didn't rain last Monday.:umbrella:

I really hope to take the trip again next year and we stop there.

Keep me posted on your plans.

The serenade of the song was nice to hear in the background as I took my pictures.

Like most Scots' songs it's a bit melancholy.The song is referring to the Scots who had been involved in the Scottish rebellions being put on trial in London. The story goes that their families walked down to London. Of course all the men were found guilty and executed. After the executions ,in order to be an example to everyone, parts of their bodies such as their heads were exhibited in the towns between London and Glasgow. So the 'I'll tak the High Road' meant the bodies of the men returning by coach on the most important road in the country would 'be in Scotland afore ye'. While their poor families trudged north by the low road that the ordinary working people used.

I fell in love with your country and we are waiting to hear if their may not be a bit of Scot in my background. My dad just took a DNA test.

I'm curious to know how this works - unless it detects the 'ginger' gene (although to be fair plenty Irish folk have the ginger gene). Anyway you are very welcome to come back to Scotland whether you have any Scots heritage or not.
 
We all can only imagine what that would look like. It hasn't stopped raining all summer. I tell a lie it didn't rain last Monday.:umbrella:

The tour I went on last year is in Scotland right now and the first stop was Loch Lomond. I laughed at some pictures posted that it looked exactly the same - cloudy and wet.

Keep me posted on your plans.

I will. Of course part of the decision is can I try and survive my mother for another week alone. She's mad at me again over something I didn't do in her mind. Having a big party for my daughter's graduation from nursing school. I told my mom over a month ago. She swears I didn't and is mad at me. I can't win.

Like most Scots' songs it's a bit melancholy.The song is referring to the Scots who had been involved in the Scottish rebellions being put on trial in London. The story goes that their families walked down to London. Of course all the men were found guilty and executed. After the executions ,in order to be an example to everyone, parts of their bodies such as their heads were exhibited in the towns between London and Glasgow. So the 'I'll tak the High Road' meant the bodies of the men returning by coach on the most important road in the country would 'be in Scotland afore ye'. While their poor families trudged north by the low road that the ordinary working people used.

Thanks for that. I didn't realize the meaning behind it was so melancholy. It is a beautiful song though sad.


I'm curious to know how this works - unless it detects the 'ginger' gene (although to be fair plenty Irish folk have the ginger gene). Anyway you are very welcome to come back to Scotland whether you have any Scots heritage or not.

I was saying the same thing to a friend the other day. I know my grandfather was from Ireland and he was a big burly redheaded Irishman so definitely had the ginger gene. My grandmother told me that there were rumors that he had some Scot in him also and Ireland and Scotland are very close to each other at one point, as I learned last year.

And thank you I fell in love with Scotland last year and the trip next year goes to Hadrians Wall which is a dream spot for me. I majored in Medieval Literature and History with a lot of King Arthur so the Wall came up quite a bit in my studies.
 
Day 2 continues

After Loch Lomond we were off for a bite to eat at the Drovers Inn. The inn was established in 1705 and is located at the top of Loch Lomond in the Highlands. It was used as a stop as the Highlanders brought their cattle down to sell at market. It's also one of Scotland's most haunted pubs. The entrance has a huge stuffed bear and there are quite a few stuffed things in there.

For lunch we had sandwiches, soup and for me the most important thing COFFEE!!! The sandwiches were on the order of finger sandwiches. I had cheese and jam, egg salad and ham & cheese. They were all excellent. The soup was vegetable and OK. It had a ton of celery in it and I am not a fan. After we ate we were able to explore for a bit.
Drovers Inn





The view as we ate


The Drovers Inn Bear


view from the hotel area


outside of the inn


I did check out the haunted bedroom but I think the ghosts were asleep as I didn't get to see any. I was actually a little disappointed.

After the Drovers Inn we were back on the coach and off to Green Welly Stop. I can only compare it to South of the Border. It had a lot of shops, restaurants and a petrol station. It was an interesting little place and the views were great.






We explored a bit and mom told me to wait before I bought any souvenirs. I just got a couple of postcards because she said the pictures are better. I should have saved my money as I got great pictures of my own.

We were back on the coach and off again. Some pictures from the drive








And we arrived at our next destination, or did we? Turns out we had a bit of a hike to get there. I was glad I wore my hiking boots.
On the way






Almost there



Some thistle


Finally there, or close to it anyway


Up next Kilchurn Castle
 
Kilchurn Castle

It was a hike to get there but wow, it was worth it. Kilchurn Castle was built around 1450 by Sir Colin Campbell. It started out as a 5 story tower house with a courtyard defended by an outer wall. By around 1500 an additional hall and range were added to the South side with more buildings added in the 1500's and 1600's. Sir John Campbell of Glenorchy spent the 1690's converting it into a modern barracks. A 3 story L shaped block was added to the North side. During the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745 it was used as a government garrison. In 1740 the family left the buildings and in 1760 it was badly damaged by lightning and abandoned. Just a little background and now pictures with a commentary here and there.




The tower that was tumbled by a lightning strike. My mom is in the background




Another view of the tower


Mom






View from the castle






Through a window










The road we hiked


What the toppled tower looked like on the wall


The hike back






Mom yelled at me to get away from this flower. There were a ton of bees on it and we are both allergic. I couldn't resist the picture


https://flic.kr/p/SdmLTE
There were at least 10 bees on there and a bunch more buzzing around. We made it back to the coach and I was glad I had the water bottle from the plane because I was thirsty. I loved the castle and the views were spectacular. The castle, even in ruins, was so impressive. The toppled tower was HUGE!!! When you see it on the ground and then look up to see the ones that are still attached to the walls it was just WOW!!! I couldn't even begin to imagine the force of the storm to do that kind of damage.

We were then off to our final stop of the day.
 
Found This TR the other day and have spent the last few days reading when I have time, still have to read the Scotland update but wanted to get my reply in as I really am supposed to be doing work notes :rolleyes1:surfweb:

Sounds like you have had a couple of nice trips. Can't wait to hear more.

Too many things to comment on but Your baseball pics are good, you really did have some great seats. Love the Phillie Phanatic!! He is so cute and funny.

So sorry about Jim's broken foot and then strokes, glad to hear he seems to be coming along, hope you get some answers about his sight.
 
And we were off to our final stop of the day - St. Conan's Kirk (Church). The Kirk is on a crop high above the water. St. Conan's was established as a church of ease by the Campbell's of Innis Chonan. It is known for having a fragment of bone that is rumored to be from Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland. The church was built from 1881-1886. The heavy oak beams in the cloister are believed to have come from the wooden ships HMS Caledoni and HMS Duke of Wellington. The church has an eclectic blend of styles from Ancient Roman to Norman.



Just to prove I was really there a picture of mom and I


I love stained glass






View from inside the church. I know I wouldn't pay attention with a view like that


Robert the Bruce


Box holding his bone fragment


More stained glass







Another view


Walter Campbell, founder of the Kirk




As we were walking around I got very excited and turned to my mom and said, "Look a Hidden Mickey!" She thought I was insane or seriously jet lagged. But if you look closely there are Hidden Mickey's, once again bringing Disney into my trip


One last look


We were back on the coach and on our way to the hotel for our first two nights in Oban.
 
We were off to Oban. On the road


This is I believe the salt water rapids. It is formed by the salt water hitting the fresh water. Some days they are better than others as far as rapids go.I was on the wrong side of the bus every single time we passed them


Loved the sheep everywhere. Reminded me of Lancaster in my area


Coming into Oban


We were finally at our first hotel. We were staying at the Hotel Caledonian right across the street from the water. Our room


And of course the front of the hotel had a beautiful waterfront view, we had this




And this gull staring in at us


The room was quaint. There were two single beds and a fan for air conditioning. I slept next to the window for a little extra air. After we settled in mom and I went exploring.

Our hotel


The little shopping area across the street on the waterfront, they claimed to be the seafood capital of Scotland




There was an ice cream stand and I was really hungry so I wanted a chocolate cone. I wound up with a vanilla cone with chocolate sauce and some peanuts sprinkled on it. It was different but good. Mom wanted to walk around so we were off. As we crossed the street a man appeared to be following us. My mom freaked so we took off fast. We turned a corner and he stopped at that point but it was a little weird for a minute. I wasn't scared by it but I was concerned. It was starting to rain anyway so we went back to the hotel. I did manage a few pictures






From the hotel doorway


Dinner was going to be served soon so I ran my jacket back up to the room. We were allowed to choose our seats so mom wanted to sit with her friends. I found out that Ernest was actuallyh from Scotland and would be visiting his family when we got to Edinburgh. Of course what kind of Diser would I be without food pics. They got used to that real fast and even offered to hold their food up at meals.

Anyway mom got a terrine with oat cakes as an appetizer. I had one of the oat cakes and it was good. She enjoyed her terrine


I had vegetable soup. It was more of a puree but really very good


My main course was the Chargrilled Chicken with Mushroom & Leek Cream Sauce. The chicken was ok, I mean how bad can you mess up chicken? The sauce was awesome. There was also a potato on the plate. it was a little mushy but really good.


Mom thought I was weird taking pictures of food and stopped me. She had fish so who cared. For dessert I had Chocolate Fudge Cake. It was really good and moist but really sweet. It would have been better with coffee but this hotel only served water as a beverage. I could get coffee in the lobby somewhere but I never did find it.




I was surprised at how light it still was. We headed back to the room, mom was ready for bed. I was texting my son to see how my grandsons game was going but we were 7 hours ahead of them and I couldn't stay awake. In 2 days I had about 4 hours sleep. I found out that I didn't miss much as Jay never got into the game and his team lost. It was the playoffs so one more and they are done. I woke up with my right ear clogging up really badly. It was a lot like the week before. I did have more drops and used them but it was annoying. The big question is would it continue?
 
Found This TR the other day and have spent the last few days reading when I have time, still have to read the Scotland update but wanted to get my reply in as I really am supposed to be doing work notes :rolleyes1:surfweb:

Thanks for joining in.

Sounds like you have had a couple of nice trips. Can't wait to hear more.

I will be posting at a decent rate right now. Swimming is done for the season so I have a little more time and a huge trip to plan

Too many things to comment on but Your baseball pics are good, you really did have some great seats. Love the Phillie Phanatic!! He is so cute and funny.

I understand that. Thanks so much about the baseball pics. I have been taking them of my grandson playing for years and I have become okay at them. The Phanatic is a real fan favorite around here.

So sorry about Jim's broken foot and then strokes, glad to hear he seems to be coming along, hope you get some answers about his sight.

Thanks, the foot is healing. The strokes have done some damage, the worst being some personality changes. Hopefully they are temporary as he heals. The sight we did get answers, and my suspicions have been pretty much confirmed that they are permanent. He most likely will not be allowed to drive again as his vision is bad and most likely will not improve much. It doesn't help with his personality issues.
 
Day 3

I was up at 6 AM Scotland time. I got a full nights sleep but it wasn't the best sleep I have ever had. The bed was really soft and I have back issues so not overly comfortable. My mom had already been up for at least an hour and was already showered and dressed. She normally gets up at 5 AM at home so not that unusual for her. I got my stuff together and took my shower and then fell OUT of the bathtub. It was really very deceptive. When standing in it the tub seemed to be of normal height however it was on a platform and therefore higher when stepping out. I banged my knee which is never good since I have had a few surgeries on them and twisted my bad ankle. That was really not good. I forgot my ankle brace and the knee brace was the wrong one. I took a couple of Aleve and hoped for the best and thankfully that worked. Unfortunately my right ear was now completely blocked and even with the ear meds I couldn't hear anything on that side.

I packed up my backpack for the day and realized I brought the wrong spare battery for my camera. Thankfully I still had one extra battery so I should be good and I had the point and shoot as a back up. Mom and I decided to head out and look around and of course I took more pictures. Mom swore this was a church, it wasn't. It's a monument to Queen Victoria according to our tour guide






I wouldn't have minded going to see the seals


This interesting looking structure is McCaig's Folly. Evidently it was started by a banker named John McCaig for 2 reasons - to put locals to work and to create a monument for his family. It took about 5 years and 5,000 pounds to get it to this point. McCaig died in 1902 but left a provision in his will for 1,000 pounds a year to complete the structure. His will was contested and all that was built was the outer wall



It was an interesting looking wall anyway. We headed back in for breakfast. As soon as I sat down the waiter came over with a pot of coffee and put it on the table for me. He was the same waiter from the night before and remembered I like my coffee. The breakfast layout was amazing. We had a choice of juices. There was various fruits, porridge with different toppings and assorted cereals. Cheeses and cold meats, yogurt and assorted bakery items and this was just the starter. We also had a choice of a full Scottish breakfast or any part of it and breads. I opted for bacon and sausage, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, baked beans and potato scones.


I did have some fruit and a Danish also along with OJ and a LOT of coffee. The sausage was different and I didn't eat it all but I am not a huge fan of sausage anyway. The bacon was not like American bacon but it was good.

After breakfast we headed out to the coach and were off. A couple of pics from the ride




And we arrived at our destination - Dunstaffnage Castle


 
Dunstaffnage Castle is partially ruined and dates back to the 13th century. It was built by the MacDougalls but taken over by the Cambells in the 15th century. There is a hereditary Captain of Dustaffnage to this day. In 1470 it was granted to Colin Campbell the First Earl of Argyll. The earl appoints a captain to keep the castle in the ready. The castle saw some action in 1644 during the Civil War. Flora MacDonald who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from prison was briefly imprisoned here. The castle was gutted by a fire in 1810 and the Captain's stopped living here. In 1912 the courts decided that the Duke of Argyll maintained ownership but the Captain had right of residence. In 1958 the 21st Captain and the Duke of Argyll handed the castle over to state care.

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The castle sits on a bed of lava rock


Mom and our tour guide










The view was amazing






There is also the ruins of a chapel. The walk






And we were back on the coach and off to our next stop


The ruins were amazing. The views were spectacular. I could almost feel what it was like in it's splendor.
 
Next stop was Fort William. Of course some pics from the ride to there








I loved the elderly people crossing sign










I just loved the tide and the scenery everywhere we went. Fort William was just a little town but we had time to explore.

This was a memorial to the Great War (WWI) and WWII


Then I found this cute little church and it was Anglican, my denomination so I had to explore it AFTER I found my wandering mother


And a pretty rose in the garden just because




Some more Stained Glass


I really enjoyed the visit to the church. Then we explored the town some more.




It wasn't a very big town. Mom didn't find anything she was looking for and I wasn't really looking here. We were back on the bus again and off to our next destination.
 

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