Glasgow
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We started our tour with a group welcome meeting in our hotel, the Thistle Hotel in
Glasgow. We got to know each other and were full of excitement for the days to come. Many exciting places
were listed on our program and promised a nice tour.
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Glasgow
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The day started early, this became the rule for all the following days of the trip.
After breakfast, the luggage was loaded on the bus and the group was ready to tour Glasgow and head to
Inverness afterwards. While doing a sightseeing tour by bus in Glasgow, we saw the 12th-century cathedral,
part of the university campus, and the elegant Georgian squares and buildings that embellish
the city until today. |
Highland Cattle |
After leaving the city, we drove along the "Bonnie Banks" of Loch
Lomond, passed wild Rannoch Moor, and learned about the moving story of the MacDonald Clan
while traversing Glen Coe. |
Inverness with view accross the River Ness |
The scenery changed at lovely Loch Linnhe and in Fort William near Ben Nevis.
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles at 4,409 ft. We stopped in Fort Augustus located on the Caledonian Canal.
An impressive series of locks creates a water way from Fort Williams, through Loch Ness to Inverness, the capital of the
Highlands. Arriving at Loch Ness, we looked out for signs of the mysterious Loch Ness monster. We spent the night in Inverness. |
Castle in Inverness |
During our visit of Culloden Moor we learned about one of the sad chapters of Scottish
history. It was here on the battlefields, where the Jacobites of Charles Edward Stuart were defeated by English troops
commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. We continued our journey and stopped at a whisky distillery
in the Spay valley. Our guide explained the ancient art of distillation. After the termination of the tour, we had
a 'wee dram' to sample the single malt.
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At the whisky distillery |
Celebrating Tony and Mary's wedding anniversary |
Balmoral Castle |
Then it was on to Balmoral Castle, the Queen's private residence used during the summer vacation period. It was purchased by Queen
Victoria and Prince Albert and has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852. On our way to Edinburgh,
we drove through Braemar and passed Perth. We enjoyed the superb location of our hotel in Edinburgh's New Town where all of our
rooms had a spectacular view to the Old Town and the Castle Hill. Some of us opted for the optional Scottish evening with
Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis and had a great time. Afterwards, we visited the deaf club in
Edinburgh located within walking distance from our hotel. It was a lot of fun to converse with the local deaf people. |
Henry and Barbara with a bagpiper |
Our group at
the Palace of Holyroodhouse |
Edinburgh is a charming city with a lot of history. During a sightseeing tour by bus we learned a lot about the past
of the Scottish capital. We were impressed by the elegance of the New Town. The Old Town has preserved its medieval character. |
The main street in Edinburgh is the Royal Mile connecting the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the
Castle Hill. We visited the inside of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and later the different quarters of Edinburgh Castle. |
Our group at
Edinburgh Castle |
Visit abord HMY Britannia |
Later in the afternoon, most of us went on board Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia, the former Royal Yacht,
now moored at Leith docks. A guided tour provided insight of when the yacht was used by the Royal family. The visit was followed by
dinner in a restaurant in Leith. |
We left the Scottish capital in the morning and traveled through the history-steeped Lowland Hills.
Our first stop was Gretna Green, a village in the south of Scotland famous for runaway weddings. We then left the land of the Scots
and journey into England through the tranquil Lake District. Grasmere, home of poet William Wordsworth was our stop for lunch.
We arrived in Liverpool in the afternoon. We visited the award winning Beatles Story, an atmospheric journey into the life, times,
culture, and music of the 'Fab Four'. Our overnight stay was outside of Gloucester with dinner in the hotel.
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Gretan Green - A perfect place for Ken and Joan to celebrate
their wedding anniversary |
Beautiful Gloucester |
Although not originally scheduled we were lucky with a visit of Gloucester, founded in AD 97 by the Romans. Today,
the visitor will see a town that is dominated by many medieval and Tudor period half-timbered houses. We continued our travel to Wales
with the lovely Betws-y-Coed, then through the incomparable landscapes of Snowdonia National Park and over breathtaking Llanberis Pass.
After a stop at Caernarvon, we crossed Britannia Bridge to the Isle of Anglesey for a photo stop at tongue-twisting Llanfairpwllgwyngyll.
At Holyhead, we boarded the ferry and crossed the Irish Sea to Dublin. Our home for the next two nights was the beautiful
Royal Marine Hotel. |
Caernarvon's mighty castle |
Our Irish Girls Picture: Sara Harris |
We spent the morning with a sightseeing tour of Dublin. The Irish capital impresses the
visitor with its statue-lined O'Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Some of us visited
Trinity College with the famous 1,200-year-old Book of Kells and the magnificent Old Library. The afternoon was at leisure.
Later in the evening, some of us went to the Guinness Brewery. |
Another unscheduled stop was of the Deaf Village in Dublin. After five years of planning and a huge amount of
consultation with the Dublin Deaf community, the first and most important phase is now open for business. Located on the same
campus as the deaf schools in Cabra, Dublin, it features a state of the art sports center and swimming pool, conference facilities,
meeting rooms, several offices, classrooms, a chapel, a social lounge and a cafe. We would like to thank Amanda for the guided tour
and her assistance to make this visit happen. |
Deaf Village Ireland |
Guided Tour at the Deaf Village |
Blarney Castle
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Jaunting Car Ride
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This morning, we paid tribute to the Horse racing country and visited Kildare. Driving across the Curragh
we arrived at the Irish National Stud at Kildare, whose thoroughbreds command respect on racecourses around world.
We stopped in Blarney for lunch and an optional visit of the castle. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with
the gift of great eloquence or skill at flattery. Quite a few of us dared to climb up the narrow stairs to the stone for the
magical kiss. A 'Jaunting Car Ride' awaited us upon our arrival in Killarney. We discovered the beauty of the National Park while
riding in a horse drawn car with a stop at ancient Ross Castle. |
Another day with beautiful weather made our travel along the Ring of Kerry special. A spectacular 100 mile panoramic
drive around the island's southwestern tip offered great views. In the afternoon, we continued via quaint Adare to Limerick, where an
orientation drive featured St. Mary's Cathedral, King John's Castle, and the stone where the Treaty of Limerick was signed in 1691. A
very special night out was at the medieval banquet at Knappogue Castle. Richard did a great job representing our group as King. |
Coffee stop along the Ring of Kerry |
Richard, our King at Knappogue Castle
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The Cliffs of Moher |
The Cliffs of Moher, rising 668 feet above the Atlantic present the visitor with a spectacular view. We traveled via
Galway and Knock and arrived at our hotel in Sligo. Before dinner, most of us joined a scenic drive to a traditional inn where we had
a great time while enjoying a good chat over some traditional drinks like a Guinness or an Irish Coffee. |
Jim telling about his job as an actor while we were at an Irish pub |
Our group at the Giant's Causeway |
The grave of native son and poet W. B. Yeats in Drumcliff was our first stop in the morning. At the
border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, we stopped at the place where Belleek Pottery is made,
renowned for its exquisite cream-colored Parian china. After our arrival in Derry, we learned more about the city during
a city tour by bus. After lunch, we drove to the awe-inspiring Giant's Causeway. We stayed in Belfast overnight, Northern
Ireland's seat of government. |
During a morning city tour we learned many interesting facts about Belfast where the Titanic was
built. We crossed the North Channel via ferry and arrived in Cairnryan on the west coast of Scotland. Back in Glasgow, we enjoyed
a farewell dinner at our hotel. |
Louise and Eileen
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Lola and Janice
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Trisha, Sara, Rick and Mack
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John & Mary Ann
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Ken and Joan
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Elaine, Doug, Gayle, Frank
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Jason, Charlene, Jim
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Mary, Tony, Margie, Harold
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Hanni, Tim, Nancy, Roger
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Daniel and Kerstin |
Harold and Rosalie |
Joel and Lillian |
Ray and Rachel
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