Day 25 – Edinburgh

She had a morning of sightseeing – Edinburgh Castle, along the King’s Mile, St. Giles Cathedral, Holyrood Palace.  She shopped in the afternoon with the DeLongs.  She walked back along George’s Street.  After dinner she played bridge with Lois, Lib, and Mr. Lewis, with the Dr. and Mr.Thomas looking on.  She drank beer.  She gambled with the Beatons.  She had a whiskey so she felt very happy.

KNOX-John1John Knox – Leader of the Scottish Reformation

 

Day 24 – Monday – July 2 – Loch Awe – Stirling – Edinburgh

On the road again.  From Loch Awe they went to Lochearnhead, stopped and walked around.  Libby took photos of Scottish bicyclists wearing kilts.  Drove through Woodsey hilly country.  like the Trossachs.  Saw the edge of Rob Roy country.  Came down to flatter country.  Stopped at Strathyre Hotel for fair lunch.

At Stirling they walked around the castle which had become a barracks.  Pretty little gardens.  Saw the room where Douglas was stabbed, the William Wallace Monument.  Had a good tea at the Golden Lion – sandwiches, scones, cookies, cakes.  Saw Allyn  from the east.  Stopped at the Fprth Bridge – magnificent span.

Arrived Edinburgh.  Walked down Prince’s Street, attractive things in the windows , people good-looking and well dressed.  Sight-seeing King Arthur’s seat. Holyrood, the Castle.  Strolled back to the hotel.  Played bridge and ate candy.

Old Photograph Station Hotel Strathyre Scotland

Old Station Hotel. Strathyre

 

Stirling Castle    Stirling Castle

 

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Forth Bridge

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Day 23 – Loch Awe – Ford – Oban – Loch Feochan – Loch Awe

loch awe hotel  Loch Awe Hotel

loch awe  Loch Awe

Off in the bus again foran editing ride.  They stopped at Ford for lunch.  Weather very pleasant.  She felt lazy.  They had a rather different lunch with fluffy rice pudding with jellying Gorgonzola cheese.

Change of tempo stopping in Oban.  It was more alive after the serenity of the lochs in the Highlands.  People strolling about, sailors.  She had good fruit cake at a nice hotel for tea.

Visited Castle Dunuffinage  ??

Viewed sheep moving along a narrow path high above the black River Awe.

St. Conan’s  Church   LOCHAWE CHURCH

Church of the Campbells – she notes that Mrs. McIntyre who showed them around was darling.  (I can just hear my mother saying this)

She and Lib and Mrs. Duncan walked home – 1/4 mile.  (Home being the Loch Awe Hotel) She saw a double rainbow on the walk home.

Dinner consisted of Scotch broth, fish, haggis, duckling, ice cream.

She went for a walk later and saw motorcycles, bicycles, walkers.  The clouds were like pink lihjys in the sky at 10 o’clock.

 

 

Day 22 – Glasgow and Lochs

(The days were full as they covered a lot of ground)

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Sauchiehall Street Glasgow

They headed north from Glasgow up into the Highlands.

 

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From Glasgow they went north to “Beautiful” Loch Lomond.  They were traveling through wide, narrowing, steep hills – which she likens to the Lake Winnepasake area of New Hampshire.  A stop for lunch and then more riding on the narrow twisting roads. Finally reached Loch Awe at 5 p.m.

She and Lib got the props and rehearsed for a play they were going to present at 9 o’clock.  The play was called appropriately “Mary of Argyle”.  The performance – they couldn’t remember their lines and they laughed too much = (so hard they couldn’t speak!)  Afterward they played charades and other games.  They couldn’t go for a  walk later because the hotel had to be locked.

Day 21 – Keswick to Glasgow

Nice weather today.  Their first stop was in Gretna Green where she “married the blacksmith,”  whom she found very funny.  Beautiful rolling hills, animals – horses, cats, dogs, cows.  Fairly good lunch at Dumfries.  Saw Burns Mausoleum.  Tea at Ayr-Station Hotel  Saw Robert Burns birthplace. Saw Loch Doon.  Found the monument to Burns entirely out of keeping.  Very attractive gardens, more natural than English gardens.  In general the Scotch scenery is more natural than the English and less neat, but the cities and houses look dirtierIn Scotland – and the children appear healthier.

She notes that Glasgow is a large busy city with fine .golf links on the edge. Stayed at the St. Enoch Hotel.  She noted many men hanging about the street corners.  Went window shopping, ate candy, laughed – and people stared at the 3 of them (my mother, Lib, and Lois).

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Ayr-Station Hotel

 

 

 

 

Day 20 – In the Lake District – Grange Over Sands – Windermere – Grassmere – Keswick

Another long day riding in the coach.  She liked riding up front part of ye time. They went to Dove Cottage of Wordsworth and De Quincey, a very pretty garden.  They road around Lake Windermere.  She notes the usual things – boats, islands, beautiful cloud shadows, foxglove, rhododendrons.  They stopped for a cold lunch at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Grassmere.  Afterward she “putted terribly” – (was there a miniature putting green attached to the hotel?}

More riding in the coach to Keswick.  A delicious tea at an “old fashioned” hotel with china all over the walls, big vases, pictures.

She and Lib and Lois went downtown – they got bridge tallies and prizes for the big party planned for later.  They dressed up for their big 6 course dinner.  They played 3 rounds of bridge, then trades and professions.

She, Mr. Thomas, Lib, and Lois walked down to the lake.  Great to get out and walk.  It was very dark – seemed romantic.

img_1012 Grassmere POW Hotel

Prince of Wales Hotel, Grassmere

img_1025 Prince of W Hotel

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Keswick Market Square

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Walking near Keswick

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n.b all images from Google

Following My Mother

In tracing my mother’s trip to Europe in 1934 I am learning more about the geography of England in particular.  For example yesterday I bloggedabout her stopping in Ormskirk for ginger cookies.  I had never heard of Ormskirk before.  Today as I was working on my genealogy project – tracing my ancestors – I find that a 13th Great Grandfather was born in Ormskirk.  Bingo!   Lancashire = not a part of England that I am familiar with.

Ormskirk_Parish_Church  Ormskirk Church

And as I follow her footsteps I also am reminded of my travels and I can “compare and contrast” as examiners love to design exam questions.