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8 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2022 By Pam Grider, Resident Karla and Rick Allen, Ralph and Pam I landed at Heathrow on a sparkling morning, ready for adventure. With ancestral ties to all three countries, we were looking forward to this trip. First stop - Harrods department store, with fish and chips for lunch. Then we took a London cab back to our hotel in Kensington to meet our travel group. The next morning, Karla and Rick went to St. Paul's Cathedral and the British Museum. Ralph and I chose Windsor Castle, and the delightful town of Windsor. Our next day was Stonehenge and Oxford, with an emphasis on Harry Potter, and some of us were thrilled. Next day, we boarded the Flying Scotsman through station 9 ¾ at Kings Cross to Edinburg, Scotland. In Edinburg, a delightful historic city, we visited the castle and took a tour around the old town. That night we did a ghost walk of Mary Kings Close. We were fearless. Early the next day we headed for Stirling Castle, the base of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Lunch was fun In the bowels of the castle. An excursion to Melrose Abbey, and Abbotsford House, the home of Sir Walter Scott was also a highlight. Heading out for the Highlands, we experienced the statues of the Kelpies, and the Falkirk Wheel. We traveled north to Ben Nevis, (the tallest mountain in the UK) where we toured the Ben Nevis Whiskey Distillery. Samples for all were appreciated and enjoyed. On to The Well of the Seven Heads, then Loch Ness. Rick thought he spotted Nessie! Heading back to Loch Lomond and a Viking grave, coupled with a delightful town, we settled at the base of The Three Sisters, the site of The Glencoe Massacre, where the endless feud with the Campbell clan started. It was magical and historic. None of us have ties to the Campbells fortunately. The next morning, we lived through an attack of the Midgies, with Ralph looking like he had measles for days. Then it was on to Glasgow, with a tour of that city, then Ireland. Leaving from Cairnryan by ferry toward Belfast, we said goodbye to much loved Scotland. That afternoon we learned that Queen Elizabeth II had died at Balmoral, 15 miles away from us at the time. A tour of the Titanic Museum and shipyards was next. Driving north to The Giants Causeway, and The Dark Hedges, (the Kings highway from The Game of Thrones) was thrilling. We then set off for Galway, by way of Kells (where the Book of Kells was hidden to keep it from Sir Walter Cromwell). That night we had a fantastic seafood dinner at the Hookers Pub. Our next stop was Connemara and Kylemore Abbey. The countryside was stunning, as was the castle, built as a gift from the heart for the lord's beloved wife. The next day we walked the cliffs of Moher, before heading to Killarney by way of Limerick. We stayed at the picturesque Randles Hotel, taking a horse drawn carriage to the castle there. On to the Dingle Peninsula, stopping at Inch Beach for a toe dip in the Atlantic. In the tiny town of Dingle, Rick and Karla enjoyed the best seafood dinner. We drove over a one-way carriage lane along the cliffs of Dingle to see Skellig Michael (where Star Wars was filmed) and the Beehive houses and Ring Forts built over two thousand years ago. Then on to Gallarus Oratory, a small building thought to be a church, water and wind tight, constructed of cut stone with no mortar. So far, they are unable to date it. Back to Killarney for another night, then off to the Blarney Castle, where some kissed the famed stone. They also have fantastic gardens, one being a poison garden. On to Dublin by way of Tipperary and Cashel (St. Patrick's Rock). After a tour of Dublin, we stopped at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and saw the Guinness Brewery. The last day we toured Trinity college seeing the Book of Kells, along with its fabulous library. We then nipped into Gogarty's Pub for another fabulous lunch, (Rick feasted on a giant pot of steamed mussels) and live music. No need to say this was truly a "bucket list" trip for all of us. England, Scotland, & Ireland

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