Alan and Joyce return to Alaska

Alan and Joyce will make a return trip to Seattle and Alaska. this time they are travelling with some of the Dunnuck family: Forst and Louise Dunnuck, Joyce's parents; and Jon, Sandi, Paul, and Sydney Schaeffer, Joyce's sister and family. You can read and see highlights of this trip on the blog that will be largely written by Joyce's nephew and niece. "Dunnuck Clan in Alaska" is the blog and it can be found at http://dswalaska.blogspot.com. Check it out!

We're Back!

We made it back and in one piece (well, four pieces, not counting luggage!), though the day wasn't real pleasant. It was a good trip, but London Heathrow and Cosmos's handling of the last day wasn't a good way to end. We'll finish an update of the blog in the next few days, including a rough crossing of the Irish Sea, visits to Cardiff, Bath, Salisbury, and Stonehenge, and Avenue Q and the West End Theatre District in London.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Today we only had a short distance to travel, so we again were treated to an 8:30 a.m. start. The skies are overcast and it looks like we will get the rain we have been expecting for the last couple days. Our first stop is Blarney at around 10:00 a.m. Here we began with some serious shopping for Irish leaded crystal. Louise has been very much looking forward to this stop. The crystal is very beautiful with many bowls, vases, etc. to choose from. After much looking, Forst & Louise and Alan & Joyce pooled their purchases and were able to qualify for free shipping of our purchases to the U.S. This will assure our crystal arrives in good condition and certainly helps the 50 lb. per bag luggage limit that will be a challenge for Alan and Joyce even without the crystal.

After selecting our purchases, Alan and Joyce left Forst and Louise to make shipping arrangements and headed to the Blarney Castle to kiss the blarney stone. Reaching the blarney stone is a challenge. It is imbedded in the wall at the top of the castle. To get to it you must climb a very tight circular staircase in a tower with a circumference of one person on triangular stairs for several stories. As you climb higher, the steps and tower narrow. To kiss the stone, you lay on your back, grab iron rods on either side of your head and slide back into small gap in the wall. There is a burly Irishman there to help pull you back up. It was a fun experience – we don’t think Joyce needs any more gift of gab….

After Blarney it was on to Waterford and our hotel along the river Suir (pronounced sewer). We arrived early so some our fellow travelers could take an optional musical pub tour. The Dunnucks and Welches decided to tour the Waterford crystal factory. This was no small feat as we needed to walk to a bus stop and catch a bus. With the help of friendly hotel staff and patient bus drivers we arrived and took an enjoyable informative tour where we saw glass blowing, cutting and engraving. We were able to see many large, intricately cut crystal pieces including many trophies from around the world. We plan look at the 1999 Purdue Women’s Basketball national champion trophy on display at Mackey to see if it is Waterford crystal. While it had been drizzling rain on and off all day, it began to rain harder as we walked from the bus stop back to the hotel so we were all pretty wet. We were glad for the hour we had to rest and get dry before our 7 p.m. dinner.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Breakfast in the hotels is beginning to become pretty familiar: scrambled eggs, sausage, white and black pudding (kind of a sausage), tomatoes, a selection of cereals and juices, and whole milk…and of course, hot tea. The morning in Ennis started as most of the rest have started. We’re also beginning to get the hang of having our suitcases in the hallway an hour before we leave. Thankfully, we were out about half an hour later than we’ve normally been leaving. The best part is that we had reached the front seats of the coach in the rotation. Every day we rotate two seats clockwise to give everyone a chance to be up front at some point in the tour. It so happened that today the rotation got both Alan and Joyce and Forst and Louise to front row seats. It was a good day for being in the front!

Our first stop was mostly a “pee break” in a small village called Adare, apparently the place in Ireland to go to get married. There are several thatched cottages and a small cathedral in the town. Back on the bus and off to the next stop outside of Limerick (which it turns out has nothing to do with the little poems) to a store that specialized in hand-crafted jewelry and wool clothing. We also were handed an Irish Coffee as we entered the store. Joyce and Forst thought they were pretty good. The merchandise was very nice, but a little pricey.

We were quickly off on a peninsula out into the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest corner of Ireland. The route around the peninsula has become known as the “Ring of Kerry”. It took about 4 hours to make the circuit through hairpin turns (try that in a 46-passenger motor coach that drives on the left side of the road), narrow roads, and many up and downs. It was well worth the effort as we saw some spectacular views of the island and the ocean. We had a late lunch stop about halfway around the Ring, with one of the most fantastic lunch views we’ve ever had. The tour book was very accurate when it said that we would focus our cameras on “sparkling seascapes, mountains dotted with brightly colored farmhouses, winding lanes bordered with subtropical vegetation.”

We took an unexpected stop to view the ruins of a ring fort that dates back to somewhere between 1000BC and 500AD. The architecture and construction was amazingly intricate for the time. It was also quite a contrast to much of the architecture that we’ve been seeing. Because of the recently booming economy in Ireland, there is a significant amount of new construction here. There are not nearly as many preserved structures as we saw in England, Scotland, and Wales, largely because the structures that were here a couple hundred years ago were thatched huts that wouldn’t stand the test of time.

Our last stop on the Ring of Kerry was Ladies View over the Lakes of Killarney, and then it was on to the Killarney Court Hotel and a tour dinner in the hotel.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

This morning we left Dublin for a drive through the Irish country side toward Galway. In this part of Ireland there appears to be more cattle than sheep. We saw several dairy and beef cattle. With a mild climate and a lot of rain, animals are left to graze in the fields without shelter. Fields with cattle often have a couple buckets or a trough to collect water. Marvin, our tour guide, informed us sheep don’t need water provided in buckets as they get enough water from the grass they eat.

The houses in rural Ireland are also different from England. Most houses, in the city and country in England are made from stone, with an occasional brick house. Many of the houses in rural Ireland appear to have been built relatively recently and are built from what appears to be cement block that is then covered with stucco. The houses are much larger than in England with large windows and arches. The houses are often painted in vibrant yellows, lime greens and pinks. It makes for colorful scenery.

We stopped in Galway for lunch, a city on the west coast with a seafaring tradition. As with many of the cities, the streets are very narrow, which can be challenging when traveling in a large coach. In the city centre the streets are closed to vehicles and crowded with people walking down the street and on the sidewalks. We walked a short distance and found a small café and ate lunch. After lunch, Alan and Joyce went exploring further down the street. We saw and heard several street musicians. We have been looking at hand knit Aran sweaters which are one of the things Ireland is known for. We came to a shop with many sweaters and discounted prices, a very Alan and Joyce thing to look for. The prices were the best we had seen, and were cheaper if we purchased two, so we now have two Aran sweaters.

From Galway, we headed to The Burren, an area of hilly ground largely made up of naked grey limestone that appears pretty desolate. As we approached the area we noticed many stone fences that seemed to meander up and down the hills. These fences are known as the fences to nowhere. They were built by poor people who needed assistance from the government in years past. It was thought the people should work for the assistance they were given, so they were put to building theses fences.

At the southwestern end of the Burren are the Cliffs of Moher. These giant flagstone cliffs are sheer as they meet the sea. We were able to climb stone steps and paths both on the right and left of the cliffs for breathtaking views of these cliffs that create a truly beautiful sight of grass, flowers, sheer cliffs, blue sea and white waves. As we were walking down, we noticed what looked like the mist of rain in the distance. As we neared the visitor center, it began to rain. Joyce looked back and saw the cliffs couldn’t be seen through the mist and was very glad we had been able to see them.

We drove to our hotel in Ennis for an hour of rest before our evening of traditional Irish food, song and dance. We went to the Folk Art park connected with Bunratty Castle close to Limmerick. The event was held in a “barn” with a thatched roof. Dinner began with mead, a honey wine, and continued with Irish soda bread, salad, potatoes, Irish stew, and apple pie. We were entertained with the singing of traditional Irish songs and ballads and the Irish river dance style of dances. The singers and dancers were quite good and the costumes very colorful. It was an enjoyable evening.

Monday, July 28, 2008

[If you are reading through these posts, you might want to go back and check some of the older posts for pictures. We are working to keep the text as up-to-date as possible, but it takes a bit longer to go through and pick just a few appropriate pictures for the day and get them uploaded.]

Well, I guess you can tell some about the kinds of things we see based on the number of pictures we take in a day. Today was probably a low day for the three cameras that we had with us, with less than 200 pictures between us. That may sound like a lot, and I guess it is, but it is well below the number that we have usually been taking. We’re most thankful for the invention of digital photography!

Today was a day to visit Dublin. The only formal part of the day was a two-hour coach ride round about Dublin. We saw some of the highlights and got out of the coach once in Phoenix Park at the site of Pope John Paul’s mass for a million Irishmen in 1979. There is a large cross on a small hill in the middle of some open space there. The park is quite large and also contains the homes of the Irish President (sort of a ceremonial position) and the home of the US Consulate.

We were dropped off near Trinity College in the middle of Dublin about 11. Alan and Joyce elected to go see the display of the Book of Kells at the Trinity Library, while Forst and Louise met up with Sue, one of our fellow tourers and took in some shopping near our drop-off point and took the early shuttle back to the hotel.

The Book of Kells is probably the earliest written book in Ireland. It was hand transcribed about 1000 years ago and contains the four Gospels. It is intricate, illustrated, and very elaborate. Two of the four books were on display, as well as extensive background about how it was done. This tour ended in the Long Room of the library, which was a long, tall room with thousands of volumes from the 13th to the 19th century lining the shelves. They are all leather bound; many are religious in nature. Several of them were on display as well. The sight and smells of the room were very impressive.

From there, Alan and Joyce walked quite a ways to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We walked through one of the streets set aside for pedestrian shoppers, picked up some lunch, and went to St. Patrick’s Park to eat. A woman in a wheel chair who was obviously deaf asked for some help, and we finally sorted out that she wanted a bag from the back of her wheel chair. Alan got it for her and she immediately started throwing scraps to the pigeons that were there. Shortly, we were also surrounded by several sea gulls. She rolled back over to us and said that when the sea gulls come, they eat everything. She was right!

St. Patrick’s was another awesome cathedral. Not as large as some that we’ve been in on this trip, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that this is a place that has been in use as a church for more than 700 years. Jonathan Swift was a Dean of the Cathedral, and is buried there. One of the more interesting components of the building was the tiled floor, which was quite different than the stone slab floors we’ve seen most other places.

From there we walked back toward Trinity by way of the Christ Church Cathedral, the oldest building in Dublin, dating back to the 11th century, but elected to not tour it. Likewise, we walked around Dublin Castle, a mish-matched set of buildings, without touring. We made our way back to the pick-up point via several small shops, making some plans for a major shopping excursion in a few days.

We had a quick lay down before dinner (aren’t we beginning to sound so British?), and then met Forst and Louise in the hotel pub for a nice time of food and conversation (no Guinness yet, even though we did go by the main plant a couple of times today.) Alan and Joyce tried to get to the ocean, but all the closer we could get was a wildlife area a few blocks from the hotel.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Today we spent a lot of time on the coach and a ship, so there isn’t a through Northern Wales after leaving Wrexham. As we drove deeper into the hills, the road signs got longer and longer as the people were more and more likely to speak Welsh. We took a lunch break at lot to describe. We did see some amazing scenery as we drove Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (no, I didn’t just fall asleep on the keyboard…this is the name of the town, which means “The Church of Mary in the hollow of the white hazel near the fierce whirlpool and the church of Tyslid by the red cave”. This is pretty indicative of the Welsh language, though thankfully most of the words aren’t near that long.

Before we got to PG (what our guide Marvin called the long-named town), we drove through some beautiful wooded hill country for a couple of hours. We took a rest break in a small town called Betwys y Coed. Alan and Joyce looked at some Love Spoons, a popular Northern Wales craft. The spoons are carved from a single piece of wood, and were introduced by Methodists several hundred years ago because they felt that the local Welsh people were living a life that had too many vices. Among these vices was that young couples began living together upon engagement, so it was believed that giving the young men something else to occupy their time might postpone some of those “premature” childbirths!

From there, the scenery only got more amazing as we drove through the Snowdenian region, which includes Mount Snowden. There were lots of other people out on the roads on this beautiful Sunday morning, so we didn’t get to stop, but the road was narrow enough that we had a good amount of time to take in the broad vistas. This is also a region that has produced a fair amount of high quality slate, so we learned about that trade as well. Alan found this part of the trip interesting because his great-great grandparents on his father’s side likely have Welsh roots. It was interesting to see some similarities between the Welsh countryside and the West Virginia countryside where those grandparents lived their lives.

After the wonderful vistas we came to the long-named town, and then took the final miles to the ferry, which was nearly a full-sized cruise ship. The coach drove right on to the ship, as did several other coaches, lorries (semis to you on the State-side), and many cars. We didn’t have nearly as much space as on a cruise ship, but it made the 4 ½ hour trip bearable. We were all a little disappointed that we didn’t get to do any customs processes coming into Ireland, after Marvin built up the possibilities. It was a quick trip to the Tara Towers hotel in Dublin, several miles from the city center. We are fortunate to have a room with a view of the ocean front. We had some fish and chips in the hotel pub for supper.

Alan and Joyce have come down with summer colds, so we took a quick hike up the street to the local Tesco for drugs, arriving just before closing time. The pharmacy was already closed, but there were some things that we’ll try to use to get us back on top of things.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

We began the day leaving Edinburgh for Gretna Green, about a two hour drive. Gretna Green is on the Scottish / English border and is a traditional place for young couples from England to get married in Scotland without parental consent. The tradition is that the village blacksmith served as justice of the peace. Today it continues to be a popular place for weddings. We stopped for a quick look at the buildings, statues, and tourist shops.

From Gretna Green we drove through the Lake district, on the north western side of England. It was a truly beautiful area with rolling hills, stone fences bordering small fields with numerous sheep. As we drove the hills became larger, the valleys deeper with small water falls cascading down the valleys. We passed several beautiful lakes including Windmere on our way to Grasmere, where Wordsworth lived and is buried. We stopped in Grasmere for lunch and their famous gingerbread and mint cake.

After Grasmere we began the over two hour drive to Chester, a historic country town on the River Dee. In Grasmere we visited the ruins of a Roman amphitheater from approximately 80-100 A.D. The circular amphitheater originally seated 7000 people. Some of the walls, altar and north entrance remain. We also walked around the town, which contains many black and white buildings build in the Tudor style. Alan and Joyce walked along the top of the city wall for a good look at the city from above. They also explored the outside of another cathedral, which every city seams to have. On the way back to the coach, they walked through a farmer’s market, which was closing. We ended the day in Wrexham (or Wrecsam in Welsh), Wales at a very nice Ramada Inn.

It has been a challenge to deal with laundry. We the baggage limitations we were given, we had to keep the clothes we brought to a minimum. The hotels do not have coin laundries and laundry mats are scarce and no where near our hotels. The hotels offer laundry service, but at more than $8 US for only pair on pants, we will not be doing that!! While in Edinburgh, Alan and Joyce washed out some underwear and socks in the bathtub, giving the clothes two days to dry. The problem is how to deal with the jeans, shirts and blouses. We have been told there is possibly a laundry mat close enough to walk to in Dublin. Today we found some Febreze for fabrics. Hopefully, at least we won’t smell! J

Friday, July 25, 2008

It was great to sleep in this morning an extra half hour and to be able to keep the suitcases in the room and stay somewhere two nights.

First up on our tour was a trip into New town and Old town in Edinburgh. A local Scottish guide boarded our bus to point out the various sights in Edinburgh. He had a definite Scottish brogue and a pun-ish (a word?) sense of humor – who knows if that was him or the Scottish sense of humor.

We made our way slowly through the crowded traffic toward Edinburgh Castle, which was built on an extinct volcano above the city in the 12th century. We saw the Scottish crown jewels, toured a small chapel and the sword room. We learned about the conflict with Mary Queen of Scots and her son who was King of both England and Scotland. We also saw the Scottish war memorial for those who died in World War I & II. The view of the city from the castle was beautiful. I took a picture of a cannon and the cannon balls for Paul.

After Edinburgh Castle, we toured the city seeing the homes of Alexander Graham Bell – yes he’s from Scotland and the man who invented chloroform and the forceps used to deliver babies and some others I can’t remember. Our guide was a proud Scot and citizen of Edinburgh and wanted us to know the accomplishments of the Scottish people. While Scotland and England have been part of the United Kingdom since the 1700’s, you can detect the rivalry. Maybe it is similar to Purdue and IU J.

After touring Edinburgh, we toured the park on the volcano in the middle of the city. It is a very large park with great views of the city and the volcano.

Forst and Louise stayed in the city centre while Alan and Joyce took a tour of Rossyln Chapel, in the Pentland Hills outside of Edinburgh. Rossyln Chapel was built in the 15th century by William Sinclair. He built is at a catholic church, and has also been used as a burial ground for the Sinclair family. It is a small stone church and ornately carved. Many bible stories and truths are portrayed in the carvings. In order to preserve the chapel and the carved stone roof, they built a metal canopy over it to keep it dry. The scaffolding allows visitors to climb stairs to see the carvings on the outside up close. Rossyln Chapel was used in the filming of The DaVinci Code.

After about an hour on exploration along Princess Street in the centre on Edinburgh, Alan and Joyce went back to the hotel to rest before our evening of a traditional Scottish dinner and dance. The room was very crowded and hot. The meal was good. Getting something to drink was a little more of a challenge. Red and white wine was served and small pitchers of water with little ice, though Joyce was very grateful to have the little ice there was. As for soft drinks, the only diet drink was Coke and there was no iced tea. Often the experiences in a foreign country are small ones. After dinner we listened to traditional Scottish songs and dance including a bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace. The dancers wore traditional Scottish dress including kilts. Toward the end of the evening they brought in the haggis on a bed of tartan cloth on a pair on antlers. Haggis is a traditional dish made of lamb organ meat, oatmeal and spices. We were all given a taste. Alan and Joyce though it was good, Forst thought it was too spicy. We videotaped some of the singing and dancing so we will share it when we get home.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

The day began a full breakfast at Scotch Corner. We boarded the bus and began a day on roads that clearly weren’t designed for coaches the size of the one we were riding in, let alone one that drives on the left side of the road! Nevertheless, Steve, our bus driver, was masterful at navigating the many turns and dips in the roads we were on throughout the morning and afternoon.

Our first stop was at Hadrian’s Wall. The wall was built across northern England by the Romans beginning in 120 AD, and was used for more than 300 years to mark the north-western-most reaches of the Roman Empire. It was remarkable to be able to stand on top of a section of the wall that still stands. We drove along side the wall for several miles, sometimes over where the wall once stood and sometimes over the road that the Romans built so many years ago. We watched the landscape change as we drove into the English moors. Broad, green hills without trees were dotted with cattle and sheep.

We next moved into a region called The Borders that was the scene of many battles between England and Scotland. This came to a head in the early 16th century when Henry VIII mounted a major campaign, the “Rough Wooing” that was a result of a failed attempt to get a marriage contract between Henry’s son and the infant Mary, Queen of Scotts. Several large, significant abbeys were destroyed in the raids. We visited two of them, neither of which have been rebuilt, but the skeletons of the buildings are still standing. Jedburgh Abbey was the first, with was also the site of an early lunch and some quick shopping. We were able to identify the plaids likely associated with the Dunnuck family (Dunnachie-Roberson) and Kelly family (MacDonald) in the stores there. The second was Melrose Abbey. We found a grave, by chance, in the cemetery surrounding the church that may indicate that some branch of the Dunnuck family may have been in the area in the 1700’s.

We twisted and turned our way from Melrose to Edinburgh for a two-day’s stay at the Best Western Edinburgh Capital. After settling in (and with Alan and Joyce washing out a few clothing items, we boarded the coach again for another side tour to the Britannia Yacht.

The Britannia was retired in 1997 after 44 years as the Royal Yacht for Queen Elizabeth and her family. It is now permanently established on the Edinburgh waterfront (the Firth of Forth) as a tourist attraction after being donated to a charitable trust. We had a chance to see all parts of the ship, including the quarters of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillips when they were on board. While the ship is clearly a wonderful and amazing facility, it was surprising to Alan that there was a decent amount of restraint shown in the size and decorations of the boat.

We re-boarded the coach and went to an upscale restaurant, also on the waterfront, for an arranged three-course dinner and some wonderful conversation. After returning to the hotel, Forst checked in with daughter Sandi back home, looked at some of the nearly 1400 pictures that we’ve all taken so far, and, of course, checked the current White Sox scores and standings!

Wednesday, July 23

Today we were allowed to sleep in and our leave time was 8:30 a.m., a half hour later. We began the day in Coventry’s center at St. Michael’s Cathedral, which was bombed by the Germans in 1940. During 11 hours of bombing the windows where blown out and the roof completely destroyed. The walls are mostly standing, but since they were burnt, with not support a roof. Standing inside the cathedral was a moving and sobering experience. Being there brought back childhood memories World War II for Louise. Particularly moving were a wooden cross made from burnt roof timbers on an alter with the words “Father Forgive Them” and a reconciliation statue. A short walk from the cathedral was a statue of Lady Godiva.

After Coventry, we drove approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, passing Sherwood Forest, the home of the legendary Robin Hood, on our way to York, England’s most complete medieval city. Forst and Louise to a bus tour around the city with the ability to get on and off the bus as they wished. They got off to walk a couple streets and have lunch. Alan and Joyce toured York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral north of the Alps. Several cathedrals have been built on or near the site with the first in 627. The present minster was begun in 1220. The cathedral is massive, with incredible detail in painted glass windows, stained glass windows, intricate wood and stone carvings. It is truly incredible to think of how difficult it was at that time to build something so massive and tall. Alan and Joyce wanted to climb the 297 steps to the top of the tower, but timing of the guided tours did work out. They then walked the narrow, curving streets teaming with small shops and tourists marveling at the cobblestone streets and age of the building. Before getting back on the tour bus, Alan and Joyce walked a section of the medieval city wall.

From York it was on to Scotch Corner Hotel, an old ivy covered hotel pretty much in the middle of nowhere. After a dinner of pork roast, salmon, potatoes, veggies, pie and cheese cake, Alan and Joyce had to opportunity to sit in a hot tub to end the day.

Tuesday, July 22

We started our tour today by getting our luggage out in the hallway by 6:30. It takes a while to get used to having everything ready to go so early. After breakfast we boarded the coach and found seats. Our guide, Marvin, entertained us with almost non-stop commentary and orientation to our tour. He seems to have a pretty easy-going attitude, and Joyce began collecting phrases that she found amusing.

Our first stop was Hampton Court Palace, a spare palace that presently does not have any royals in residence. We only had a short time, so we didn’t tour the castle. We strolled the three of the gardens. The British really love flowers and gardens. There are numerous hanging baskets and floral plantings everywhere. The first garden was a rose garden with three statues and many benches to sit and enjoy the flowers and quiet. The second garden was mostly annuals – geraniums, marigolds, petunias, salvia, etc. The third garden was Joyce’s favorite containing taller sun loving perennials she doesn’t have the space or sunny areas these plants need. Fire pokers, clematis, thistles, and several purple/blue flowers she didn’t recognize.

We got back on the bus and drove past the meadow at Runneymede where King John sealed the Magna Carta in 1215, the basis for modern democracy. Runneymede is near Windsor Castle, which we were able to view on two sides from a distance. We continued on our way to Oxford, where most of the 36 colleges that make up the university were founded between the 13th and 16th centuries. Alan and Joyce toured the Sheldonian Theatre, designed by Christopher Wren. The theatre was undergoing renovation, so they climbed a narrow stairway to the cupola, but a great view many of the buildings. They also looked around in the Bodleian Library, founded in 1320. By this time, they were pretty hungry and decided to try a Cornish pasty, which is vegetables and meat in a pastry shaped sort of like a calzone, with the seam on the top. It was surprisingly tasty! They continued to explore the town and came on a market and found large juicy red raspberries they could resist. Alan and Joyce met up with Forst and Louise just before boarding the bus. Forst and Louise had toured the Museum of Oxford, where Louise especially enjoyed the Egyptian pottery and jewelry exhibits.

The bus went on some pretty narrow roads through the Cotswald Hills. We saw (well some of us saw, others were taking in the scenery by osmosis) rolling hills, small fields of pasture and barley, lots of cows and sheep, and several villages with stone houses and stone roofs. There was the occasional thatch roof, which we had surprisingly learned are still being used and replaced about every 15 years.

The next stop was Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon. We stopped for a group picture at Anne Hathaway’s cottage. Anne Hathaway was Shakespeare’s wife. Then it was into town. Forst and Louise walked around the town and stopped for an ice cream cone. Alan and Joyce took off for the far side of town for Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare and his wife are buried. On their way back to the central part of town they passed by Shakespeare’s daughter’s home where Shakespeare was living when he dies. Beside the house, was a small tea room advertising cream tea, which they decided to try. Cream tea is a round scone cut in half with jam and coddled cream sandwiched in the middle. It is service with a cup of tea. It was quite tasty and we now understand what Mary Poppin’s meant when she sang about “tea, a drink with jam and bread”. We really felt English, when we added milk to our tea, for the first time. That was good also!

We left Stratford-upon-Avon and traveled approximately 45 minutes to the Ramada Inn in Coventry, our stop for the evening. We were greeted by a large, cool more American looking room and had about an hour to relax before dinner.

It was mentioned earlier, Joyce is enjoying listening to our tour guides way of speaking and though we both speak English the interesting differences in our languages. Here are a few she particularly enjoyed: Did you know a car has a boot (trunk), and bonnet (hood) and a wind screen (wind shield). We were cautioned to keep an eye on our belongings in public areas, so no one would “Nip our bits”. We heard numerous stories about “chaps” and several “jolly good” experiences. We heard about “ghastly” things to avoid and the “bedlam” that can be created by children and other circumstances. We were encouraged to “give it a go” as we came into a new town and were told about the various things we could do. Joyce will continue to listen and may have more phrases to share later.

Monday, July 21

On Monday morning, Joyce and Alan elected to go on a different way from Forst and Louise.

Alan and Joyce started with a walk through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. Along the way we saw Kensington Palace, which is where Princess Di resided, a playground for children, dedicated to Princess Di, and the Prince Albert Monument and Royal Albert concert hall.

We then got on the Tube and rode to Westminster Abbey. The famous cathedral was begun in the 11th century and has been added on to for years. Every King/Queen of England since 1066 has been crowned there, and we even saw the throne that has been used for every coronation. The history and majesty of the facility was amazing. The remains of many, many famous people are interred in the building (and e

ven more people who we had never heard of). It was strange to be walking around and find yourself standing on someone’s tombstone. Westminster Abbey is someplace that we have seen often on TV, and to be there was a great treat.

Forst and Louise took advantage of the tour line’s Tour of London. It was a bus tour that went past many of the major attractions in London, including St. Paul’s Cathedral and the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

Monday afternoon we stepped away from our Cosmos tour and London to go and visit Ken and Dawn Houghton in Milton Keynes, about an hour’s train ride north of London. The Houghton’s are church planters that Forst and Louise have supported for more nearly 20 years. It was more time of new adventures. We started off with Alan collecting lunch from a London grocery store for a picnic on the train. The overground train station at Euston was in a different part of London tan we had been, so we tried out some new underground lines to Euston.

The train ride was very smooth and our lunch on the train was very pleasant, which allowed the ride to fly by very quickly. Ken met us at the station and quickly gave us a tour of Milton Keynes, which has only really been in existence for about 30 years. The city now has a population of about 250,000, and Ken described it as the most American English city.

We went to Ken and Dawn’s home for some light refreshments and a quick tour of their home base. Forst and Louise got to catch up with more recent events in each families lives, and Alan and Joyce got a chance to learn more about the ministry, the climate for spiritual issues in England, and other things about living in England.
Ken loaded us back into his car and gave us a quick tour of the area around Milton Keyes, including the villages of Stony Stratford and Buckingham, where the church that they are serving is located. We also had a chance to see the royal summer palace in Buckingham, Stowe, which is now an exclusive boarding school.

We got back to the train late in the afternoon, boarded, and took a more leisurely trip back to London. After going a different direction from the Tube stop, we went to the local grocery store, which also had a several stations to collect your meal, much like the new food courts at Purdue. We had yet another very full day, quite ready to fall into bed for another good night’s sleep.

Saturday/Sunday, July 19/20

The Great Britain adventure is on! Forst and Louise met us in Lafayette and we drove an easy drive to Chicago O’Hare, in spite of an unexpected detour. Check in was simple, and, as suspected, we were at the gate with plenty of time to get something to eat and relax before boarding. By the time we got to our seats, we were all excited, but pretty calm.

The flight was smooth, but none of us were upset to leave the relatively cramped conditions to get off…in London! It’s still strange to get on a plane in Chicago, sleep (a little bit) and then get off half-way around the world. We walked quite a ways through the airport before meeting tour people who got us to a mini-bus that took us to the Kensington Close Hotel. Our rooms were small, but functional, relatively near each other on the 7th floor.

While we were tired, it was just noon, London time, so we elected to take an optional tour to the Tower of London. We had a chance to see some of London, including some pretty narrow streets (at least for the size of the bus we were on), while we picked up fellow tourers from other hotels around town.

The Tower of London is a World Heritage site. It was first constructed by William the Conqueror in the late 11th century as a place to demonstrate his power and intimidate the resident people. The Tower has a long and varied history, from a home for Royals to a prison, to a military outpost, sometimes all at the same time. It was pretty amazing to be in a place with so much history. One of the poignant spots of the tour was the location of several of the executions at the Tower, including two of Henry VIII’s wives. We also got to see the Crown Jewels.

We elected to stay in the Tower area rather than go with the Tour, because we had 6 pm tickets for the London Eye. The Eye is a 433-ft high wheel on the River Thames across from Parliament and Big Ben. We had our first adventure on the Tube, the London Underground transportation system. It really was very easy to work out where to go and when to be there. We had a bit of walking to do to get up to the first station, and there was a decent amount of stairs up and down to get to the trains. The cost was £4 (about $8) for one trip, or about £5 for a day pass, so it was clear that the day pass was the way to go. From then, and for the next day and a half, the Tube was our best friend to get around.

When we walked out of the first Tube station, we immediately saw Big Ben. We really were in another country! We took a leisurely walk across the Thames to the Eye. A relatively short queue had us walking into the capsule as the wheel kept spinning. Each capsule was completely enclosed and had about 20 people on it. Over the next 30 minutes, we got an amazing view of downtown London.

We walked back to a different tube station over a pedestrian bridge and made our way back to the hotel. We had dinner at the Muffin Man restaurant just up the street. Believe me; we were all very ready for a good night’s sleep.

Great Britain Trip

In April 2008, Forst Dunnuck, Joyce's dad, surprised us by asking "Would you want to go to England with us?" After we confirmed that a bridge hadn't been built recently, we learned that Forst and Louise (OK, really Forst!) were interested in taking their first commercial flight to visit some missionaries they had supported for many years in England. So we went to work on creating an itinerary.

After talking about what our little group wanted to see, we decided on a group tour that would take us from London, up to Scotland, over to Ireland, and back to Wales and England over a two week period. The itinerary is listed below:

July 19: Indiana to Chicago to London!:
American Airlines Flight 46: 8:15 pm Chicago to 10:00 am London

July 20: Free Day in London:
Will ride on the London Eye in the evening
Kensington Close
Wright Lane
London GB- W8.5SP
44 8707 511110

July 21: London:
Morning tours; afternoon train trip to visit the Houghton's in Milton Keynes

July 22: London to Stratford to Coventry:
Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and depart at 8 a.m. for a memorable day’s sightseeing: a photo opportunity at Hampton Court Palace; Runnymede, where King John sealed the Magna Carta; Oxford, where a walking tour takes in the colleges where Britain’s elite receive their outstanding education; and through the lovely Cotswold Hills. At Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon take your pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and explore the town at your own pace. Finally, at Coventry, whose center had to be rebuilt after the devastation of World War II bombings, hear the tale of Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom, and admire the splendid modern cathedral. (B,D)


July 23: Coventry to York to Scotch Corner:
Leave the Midlands passing the once-mighty Sherwood Forest, home of the legendary Robin Hood, and head north to York, England’s most complete medieval city. Stand in front of the great structure of York Minster, then follow your Tour Director through a maze of quaint streets, including the narrow Shambles. Stop for the night near Richmond, gateway to the Yorkshire Dales made famous by James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small.

July 24: Scotch Corner to Edinburgh:
Inspect a section of Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman coast-to-coast defense against marauding northern tribes, then motor through wild Northumberland National Park to the Scottish border. Stop for photos at Jedburgh, with glimpses of the house of Mary, Queen of Scots, and then Melrose with its 12th-century abbey ruins and connections with Robert the Bruce. Afternoon arrival at Edinburgh. For departure numbers 0729 through 0819, tickets are included for tonight’s performance of the world-renowned Military Tattoo.

July 25: Edinburgh:
A full day to enjoy this “Prince of Cities.” Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town” and famous scientists, inventors, and novelists. In the “Old Town,” drive up the narrow Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels. Afternoon at leisure. A suggestion for this evening: a traditional Scottish night out with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and, of course, the Ceremony of the Haggis. (FB)

July 26: Edinburgh to Chester, England to Wrexham, Wales:
South through the historysteeped Lowland Hills and a visit to Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. Drive through beautiful scenery in the Lake District, considered to be the finest of England’s National Parks. Visit Wordsworth’s Grasmere, then follow the shores of Lake Windermere. In Chester, the historic county town on the River Dee, your walking tour takes in the Roman remains, black and white half-timbered buildings, and the two-tiered shopping arcades called the “Rows.”

July 27: Wrexham to Dublin:
A scenic North Wales drive via Llangollen, home of an annual national competition for poets and musicians, and through the incomparable landscapes of Snowdonia National Park. Pause at lovely Betws-y-Coed before heading over spectacular Llanberis Pass and finally cross Britannia Bridge to the Isle of Anglesey. Take your photos at tongue-twisting Llanfair... and at Holyhead board the ferry for the Irish Sea crossing to Dublin.

July 28: Dublin:
A day in the “Fair City” starts off with an orientation drive through Eire’s capital and includes statue-lined O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy Dublin at leisure. Take your Tour Director’s dining recommendation for this evening. (FB)

July 29: Dublin to Ennis:
Head for dairy farm country in the center of the “Emerald Isle.” In Galway, a vibrant city on the west coast with a great seafaring tradition, hear about the infamous Lynch Stone commemorating the day Mayor James Lynch Fitzstephen hanged his son for murder. Cross the limestone plateau of The Burren to visit the spectacular 668-foot Cliffs of Moher before heading for Ennis, county town of Clare. Tonight’s optional opportunity: a traditional Irish evening in the setting of a village barn with dinner, wine, and entertainment.

July 30: Ennis to Killarney:
Stop for photos in Adare, a village known for its prize-winning thatched cottages and monastic ruins. In County Kerry join the road known as the “Ring of Kerry” for a 100-mile coastal panoramic drive. Focus your camera on sparkling seascapes, mountains dotted with brightly colored farmhouses, winding lanes bordered with subtropical vegetation, and views of the Lakes of Killarney from Ladies View. Later, in Killarney, discover why this is such a popular resort. (FB,D)

July 31: Killarney to Waterford:
Across the Kerry Mountains and through County Cork to Blarney, famous for its magical Stone of Eloquence. Time to see the castle and shop for Irish crafts and handmade crystal. After lunch drive past Cork, the country’s second-largest city, and via Dungarvan to Waterford. Tonight, maybe an optional pub tour before dinner at your hotel.

August 1: Waterford to Cardiff, Wales:
An early start for the short drive to the ferry port at Rosslare. In just under four hours you cross St. George’s Channel to South Wales. Continue through rich dairy farmland to Cardiff, where an orientation drive introduces you to the capital’s major attractions: Cardiff Castle, Cathays Park, Millennium Stadium, and the stately civic buildings. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for an evening of Welsh entertainment. (FB)

August 2: Cardiff to Bath to London:
A day packed with highlights begins as you cross the spectacular Severn Bridge into England. Stop in the elegant Georgian city of Bath, famous for its Roman relics, before continuing via Stonehenge, still an intriguing mystery, to Salisbury, the “City of the Soaring Spire.” After returning to London around 4 p.m., how about celebrating the success of your tour with a night out on the town?

August 3: London to Chicago to Indiana!:
Travel on AA-67 12:15 pm London time to 2:50 pm Chicago time.

We're back to Indiana! As expected, we have a lot of pictures, but here's one of us at the Waimea Canyon on Maui.
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Hawai Cruise Itinerary

July 14, 2006
7:57 am - 8:06 am Indianapolis to Chicago (UA7731)
10:00 am - 1:47 pm Chicago to Kahului (Maui) (UA 3)
after 1:00 pm Board Pride of Aloha

July 15, 1006
Tour Maui
9:30 pm Depart Maui

July 16, 2006
7:00 am Arrive Honolulu (Oahu)
8:00 pm Depart Honolulu (Oahu)

July 17, 2006
7:00 am Arrive Nawiliwili (Kauai)
Tour Kauai

July 18, 2006
Tour Kauai
1:00 pm Depart Kauai
Evening Cruise by Mt. Kilauea

July 19, 2006
9:00 am Arrive Hilo (Big Island)
6:00 pm Depart Hilo

July 20, 2006
7:00 am Arrive Kona (Big Island)
6:00 pm Depart Kona

July 21, 2006
7:00 am Arrive Kahului (Maui)
1:30 pm - 2:02 pm Kahalului to Honolulu (AQ 277)
4:15 pm - 5:15 am Honolulu to Chicago (UA 2)
8:10 am - 10:12 am Chicago to Indianapolis (UA 7586)