TRAVELING HOME

Hi All,
It is the end of our trip and it is the beginning of the trip home. It has been a great adventure and we have spent time with family, old friends and made heaps of new ones. Walked lots, and kept up our fitness routine with weights (carrying our bags), cardio (walking and going up flights and flights of stairs). But we have lloved every minute, hope you have en joyed traveling with us through our blog.

Dunkeld train station. This was the last train station where Queen Victoria would get off when going to her castle Balmoral in Scotland. Me on the bridge at Dunkeld station

Alison and I at Dunkeld train station- standing where Queen Victoria probably stood at one time. The station is no longer maned, so the train only stops if people are on the station waiting, and random automatic messages played re not leaving bags unattended and when the train is due

Cider from a cask - not good. Whilst at Edinburgh airport we decide to get a last cider - apparently you can get cider with bubbles (sparkling) and no bubbles. If you are asked always get cider with bubbles.

Alison and I at Edinburgh airport just before we leave

Alison and I at Bangkok airport - yes this is us after traveling for traveling for about 18 hours, since we left Jenny and Dougie's in Scotland. Only 8 more hours to go.

Well only one more post in this series and that is us getting  to our homes
Missed you from all those places.
Karen & Alison



Scotland Day 5 & 6 at Jenny and Dougie's in Dunkeld

Hi All,
Photo taken in Pitlochry of the mountains- told you it snowed last night- see it on the mountains in photo below. Now this was exciting for us (Alison & I) not so much for the locals. One of the band members Pete told me that this meant winter was early not good for them. Politely informed him that it wasn't it about him it was about Alison and I and we wanted to see the snow.

Snow in the mountains near Pitlochry

Alison & I on the bridge in Dunkeld

View from the Dunkeld bridge- beautiful countryside



The cathedral in Dunkeld. It was burnt down in a fight between the catholics and protestant. It has a new church built behind, but there was a funeral on so we couldn't go in and look around.

The last lot of photos are taken in Dunkeld, Jenny and Dougie were very nice and put us up even after 10 days of running and performing at the festival and surrounded by heaps of people.

Dougie, Alison & Jenny at their home in Butterstone

This is outside Jenny and Dougie's house in Butterstone. Amazing house, in fact was the old school where Dougie and his dad went to school. They have done heaps of work and have their office and recording studio with in the buildings.
We had a great time hanging out with them, including helping get cd orders out with Jenny and daughter Jules- we sang songs using the people names who were getting a cd, whilst Dougie was playing tunes on the piano. Now I am sure you all know Alison and I are not singers but they were ok with our slightly off tune singing. Good times

Missed you from there
Karen & Alison

Scotland Day 2,3 & 4 in Pitlochry at the Perthshire Amber Dougie MacLean Festival

Hi All,
We caught the train to Pitlochry and got settled at our bed and breakfast. The town is very cute. Thankfully the walk to the festival theatre was short but we did have to walk across a suspension bridge in the dark- very challenging.

Funny when we got there Jenny took a couple seconds to recognise us. The concert was great. After the concert we were standing outside when Dougie came out for a cig, we waved and he looked at us trying to figure out how he knew us, then the penny dropped. Turns out Jenny hadn't told Dougie we were coming so we were a surprise. Turns out we look different rugged up in coats, hats and scarfs.
Went to the bar at their hotel and drinks with everyone after wards which was a great night.

We got to go to gigs for the next night and the last one at the distillery on the Sunday, drinks with them all each evening. It was as the Irish say a craic.
To have a look at great professional photos there is some up on face book at:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=520928584#!/pages/Perthshire-Amber-The-Dougie-MacLean-Festival/130180963703717

Alison in Pitlochry - not snow just frost. But it did snow in the mountains the next day Have the photos to prove it.

MM Alison and I decided to walk to the distillery on the Sunday morning to check out where the last concert was. After we had walked between 2 signs we remembered it was miles not Kms so stopped walking at this sign - got a cab to the concert



Alison on the suspension bridge we  had to walk across to the festival theatre. Very bouncy

The festival was brilliant and everyone was fantastic it was so much fun. The music was amazing.

Well missed you from there
Karen & Alison

Scotland Hotel

Hi all,
Well we checked into a hotel for the night- 2 main reasons
1. a good nights sleep
2. not to have to lug our bags upstairs
So how did that work out for us- mmmm for some reason neither of us slept well. Maybe we have become to used to sleeping in crappy bunk beds.
Next guess what wasn't working- the bloody lifts. We were on the first floor fortunately the porter turned up and carried them up for us. However we had to carry our own bags down the next day.
At least the hotel was in the centre and close to the shops.

Scotland- Edinburgh Day 1

We are off to Scotland. Freddie from the tour in Ireland is also going for the weekend. Alison and I took the risk and flew Ryan Air again. This time we got a great deal and had printed off our boarding passes (once bitten). We got to Edinburgh with no extra charges- yah us.

Alison, Freddie and Karen on the bus in Edinburgh on our way in to town

Food envy shot- Elephant cafe



Elephant Cafe - where the first Harry Potter was written




Edinburgh Castle- soooo pretty, The very early history is somewhat vague, but in the 11th century Malcolm III and his Saxon queen lived here.

 

That is our first day in Scotland. Edinburgh - it is such a beautiful Gothic city. It is one of the most amazing cities I have ever seen. So have to go back and spend a lot more time there.
Missed you when we were there
Karen & Alison

Day 10- Last day and back to Dublin via the Guiness factory

Hi all,
Well kind of cheating but here are the last of my blogging- so last day in Ireland we stopped at Killkenny at were as the nice people that we are the whole bus chipped in and we got Mark our favourite guide presents for being so great.

And how can we go past what he has told us about over 7 days. We settled on the things closest to his heart- the movie 'The Quiet Man' filmed in Cong Ireland and a cook book with 300 hundred recipes for potatoes - including in chocolate cake.
The book was called 'One Potato, Two Potatoes'- yes it is a real book- below a copy of the front cover of the book for all those who are interested (which is everyone we know especially Scotty).
 



Cook Book for Mark



Quiet Man - Marks favourite movie- filmed in Cong Ireland

Killkenny Hibernian- where we had lunch when in Killkenny OMG it was amazing food- see below

Food envy shot- there was pies (Sheppard's, Guinness) but I see only the drinks seem to be prominent in my photo sorry about that chief.



From left-  Rachel, Kyra, Karen, Katie, Alison, Lyndon at Killkenny pub in front of the open fire (which they put on for us I am sure)





No trip to Ireland is complete unless you have done a trip to the Guinness factory. Karen and Alison at the top of the pint at the Guinness factory - over looking Dublin.

 Well that was the place we visited on our tour of Ireland. And the one place I had planed to buy a particular beanie- which to my devastation they no longer make that kind any more. Went to Ireland for one lousy beanie and all I got was an awkward turtle tee shirt (Awkward turtle what you say at a moment when the conversation has gone quiet following awkward conversation)- From Kyra, Katie and Lyndon thanks guys
Awkward Turtle Moment 
 http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4229414/11363286
 

We are so sad that we have finished. It has been a great tour and we have made lots of new friends.
Thanks guys for all the laughs and giggles (Kyra) over the 10 days.

Okay next blogs are from our time in Scotland which will be coming over the next few days as I add photos and have time to type them.
Miss you from here (even though technically we are now here)
Karen and Alison

Crap I have run out of time

Sorry folks will try if we can find another cafe after we have moved.
Miss you all from here
Karen & Alison