New Zealand - Part Three

We crossed from the South Island to the N. Island via the ferry, which leaves from Picton. The only rental car outfit that I know of that still lets you take the rental car on the ferry is Maui. They specialize in Motorhomes for NZ and Australia, but they also rent cars. All the other car rental companies make you drop the car in Picton and pick up another one in Wellington, which is a real pain. You must pack all your luggage again as though going on a plane trip, and you must schlep the luggage onto the ship and off at the other end. Much easier to just leave your stuff in the car and drive off on Wellington. It is well worth the cost of transporting the car.

We spent the night in Wellington (the national capital) at the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, right in the middle of downtown. They use valet parking in the hotel and we were upgraded to a better room. After a very pleasant night, we took in the full breakfast buffet for about $15 NZ each. Pretty standard fare. We had visited the National Museum and the Parliament Building (The Beehive) on our previous visit so did not spend any more time there. We drove north to Napier for the next night. The town is very modern and artsy. It was almost destroyed by an earthquake in the early thirties, and our accommodation was wonderful; third floor overlooking the ocean, with second bedroom, kitchen, hot tub in addition to standard bath and shower, and flat screen TV. The Pebble Beach Motor Inn also has a laundry which is very handy.

We drove north the next day and lunched in Gisborne. My good Kiwi friend, Ron Barlow, who is Sales & Marketing Mgr.-USA for Anzcro-Pacifica, said we had to visit the Gear Meat Pie store in Gisborne, which we dutifully did. Great meat pies and sandwiches. We ate lunch on the beach on the N. side of town. We had a beautiful sunny afternoon, and almost no one on the beach. We spent the rest of the day driving the East cape, which is a lovely drive, but there is very little tourism development in this area. Meaning that motor inns and hotels were almost non-existent. We spent the night near the Oceanside Apts. in Whihau Bay. Don't bother! The place had two rooms, and they referred to a "Kiwi Batch" next door. A real dump of a beachhouse which was misrepresented on their website. I won't bother you with the details, but just never stay there!

The next day we drive to Whakatane, where Ron Barlow's sister lives. The next day we left our accommodation at White Island Rendezvous for the tour out to the only active volcano in New Zealand, White Island. It is about a 2 hour ride out to the island in a 70' boat. You anchor slightly offshore in a wind protected area, and then are taken ashore in a zodiac. You are issued a hard hat and a respirator, because of the volcanic activity and the sulphur fumes you encounter. Guides take you for about a 90 minute tour of the island which is really fascinating and potentially dangerous. Back on the boat for lunch and return to Whakatane. That evening, we were guests of Ron's sister, Leslie and her significant other, Ron, at their home for dinner. Another couple were there who were expats from England. They had lived in S. Africa for a time and we brought a bottle of wine and should have brought a case! They were wonderful hosts and we had a really wonderful evening with them.

The next day we drove to the Coromandel Peninsula which I would recommend to anyone visiting New Zealand. It is simply a lovely and pleasant place to visit for a few days. I would recommend three nights to fully explore the area. We stayed at one of the best B&Bs we have ever visited anywhere in the world: Cotswald Cottage. Google this and you'll see what we mean; a fabulous B&B and Jacqui and Graham are the perfect hosts. We stayed three nights and this is about right to see all the Coramandel has to offer. The accommodations were very nice, and every afternoon when we would stagger back from our forays around the countryside, Jacqui would be there with tea and snacks. The property is just outside the town of Thames, and is quiet and serene yet close to town. They have a solarium which has everything you could think of including a small refrigerator for your wine and some very nice simple touches. A highlight for us was breakfast in the beautiful dining room. They were full all three nights so we had six people for breakfast. We'd go to breakfast at 8 AM and the menu was as extensive as any you would find in a fine restaurant. After breakfast and the dishes were cleared, Jacqui and Graham would join us with their coffee and two mornings we never got up from the table until 10:30! Wonderfully interesting people and fascinating conversation. When we went to depart, Jacqui showed me her kitchen which was commercial quality and very very well done. She and Graham obviously know what they are doing and having come from Britain via Cairo and Thailand to New Zealand, they are fascinating and charming people.

From Cotswald Cottage to Auckland is an easy two hour drive. We turned in the car (the depot was difficult to find and not well signed), and flew home that night.

If you love friendly people, beautiful mountains and scenery, you can't beat New Zealand as a destination.

New Zealand - Part Three

After making it through the Haast Pass, we reached the west coast and went North to Franz Josef. It is a small village about two blocks long, and there are many outdoor activities available. We first took a "quad" ride through the countryside and down the riverbed which drains the Franz Josef glacier and into a rainforest filled with all types of beautiful ferns. He booked a helicopter trip and were delayed for a couple of hours while the weather cleared. The pilot finally said it was clear and off we went, right up the right hand side of the valley to the glacier. At slightly over 5,000' we were on top of the glacier and landed. The pilot kept the engine running and we got out and took several picutres and listened to a short lecture by the pilot. We then turned around and went down the right hand side of the glacial valley and back to Franz Jofef. This was a highlight of our trip. Simply georgeous scenery.

On our first trip, we were on the eastern side of the Southern Alps and flew to Mt. Cookm, the highest mountain in New Zealand at 3764 meters, or 12,349'. Mt. Cook and Franz Josef Glacier are pretty close together. There is an airport in the valley below Mt. Cook where the Hermitage Hotel is located. We got into a C-185 equipped with retactable skis. This plane is a high wing model, and the skis fit over the wheels. When we departed from the paved runway, the skis are retracted above the wheels. On our way to the glacier, the pilot lowers the skis so they are at the same level as the bottom of the tires. What a thrill to alnd on the glacier! It is an "arrival" in that it is a firm landing. Being a pilot myself, I asked him how he trained for this and he said the biggest problem was the lack of any references which makees depth perception difficult. The glacier is just a white expanse and it is difficult to determine how high you are above the ground. He said that you just slow the airplane to approach speed, lower the flaps, and wait! I've heard seaplane pilots say they have the same problem when the water is dead calm. After the "arrival", we taxied and did a 180 deg. turn to face downhill and shut the motor off. It is almost like being in church. Quiet and simply awe inspiring.

New Zealand - Part Two

From Te Anau, we drove Route 94 and Rt. 6 back to Queenstown and continuing on to Wanaka. It is about a 5 hour drive and very scenic. Wanaka is probably what Queenstown was like 25 years ago. A small town that is simply lovely; the anitithisis of Queenstown. It sits on Lake Wanaka and we stayed at a motel named The Moorings, 17 Lakeside Road. It sits just across the road from the lake and in a great location. Our unit had a small kitchenette, and a small patio overlooking the lake. It is about one block to the center of the town with a supermarket, restaurants and petrol stations. Wanaka is known for the semi-annual Wings over Wanaka Airshow. In the census of 2006, the town population was 6500, a 50% increase in just a few years. It is a sportsman's paradise with paragliding, mountaineering, hiking, mountain biking to name only some of the activities. We went out to the airport, about 10 minutes from town center, and there were sport parachuting going on while we were there. Air New Zealand services the town with twin turboprop aircraft. We visite the small but very good museum located on the airport in one hanger. They have some very interesting aircraft, including a Gypsy Moth biplane (all 90HP of it!); an several russian airplanes, a non flying but exdellent replica of a British SE-5 of WW I vintage, and the most interesting aircraft, a Hawker Hurricane which they fly at the airshow every two years. This airplane and the beautiful Spitfire saved England in the dark days of 1940 from the Nazis who were planning to invade Britain.

Near the airport is a place where you have the opportunity to shoot skeet or trap. I don't remember the name of the place, but we stopped and for NZ$15, I got a box of 12 ga. shotgun shells (25), the use of an over/under shotgun and had a real blast shooting trap. It has been a long time since I last did that, and it showed in the score. Ugly.

Leaaving Wanaka, we went North on Rt. 6 toward the Haast Pass, and some of the most spectacular alpine scenery anywhere in the world, including Switzerland. (That is another story which I'll write about in the future.) After going through the Haast Pass through the Southern Alps, the road takes you to the west coast. On our first trip the road was closed due to the snow, but this latest trip was in the Fall and it was magnificent.

New Zealand

Approximately 17 years ago, we went to New Zealand for three weeks and had a wonderful time. We had rented a car and covered a great deal of both the North and South Islands. One of our fondest memories was a farmstay on the South Island. The biggest city on the South Island is Christchurch, located on the east coast. To the west is the Canterbury Plain - farming country mostly but also large sheep stations,(what we would call ranches) on which they raise sheep. At that time, we were not travel agents, and arranged our trip with a travel agency specializing in New Zealand and Australia. One of the things highly recommended by the agency was that we do a farmstay. The one we chose was on a sheep station with about 9,000 sheep on the western edge of the Canterbury Plain and it was fabulous. We had directions on how to find the place from the agency and we went down dirt roads for what seemed like forever, but found the place without any trouble. The host and hostess were delightful people. Their home was very comfortable but no central heat, and sheepskin rugs on the floor which felt wonderful on your bare feet. The folks that owned the place were in their fifties and had several grown children, none of them wanting to inherit the sheep station. It was kind of sad in that this property had been this same family for about 4 generations. the hostess put on a grand lamb dinner with good china and silver et. seq. and some very nice NZ wines. The next morning we had the opportunity to take a wee walkabout on the property and enjoyed that very much, despite a light rain. They had a Border Collie that the host said he could not run his station without him. He stayed outside in a doghouse and seemed perfectly content. After our walk we were about to leave and not overstay our welcome when the host came in from outside chores and asked us to stay for tea. Well, one thing led to another and it was noon before we left and headed South to Queenstown. After we had driven about 100 miles, I realized that I had left an expensive Goretex jacket behind. When I reached Queenstown, I called and our hostess said she had the jacket. I said we would stop and pick it up as we returned north to the ferry at Picton. Our plan was to go south on the inland route, and then come up the east coast through Christchurch and continue on up the coast. The hostess said no way did we have to go that far out of our way to return inland and that she would send the jacket on the bus to Queenstown. Two days later the jacket showed up beautifully wrapped at the bus station in Queenstown. That is a small example of the kindness and friendliness we found on our first trip to New Zealand.

This past March, we returned to New Zealand for three weeks and rented a car and drove 2400 miles in three weeks in both the N. and S. islands. This time we repeated only a few places and saw most of what we had not seen on the trip 17 years ago. In the intervening years, both my wife and I have retired from our first careers, become travel agents over ten years ago, and had the good fortune to meet a Kiwi in the travel business here in America. I met him almost 10 years ago at an Australian Travel convention called a "Corroboree" held in Los Angeles, CA. He worked for a tour company (and still does) and over a few beers (the Kiwis and the Aussies love their beer) we found our mutual interests were cars, racing and airplanes. Long story short, we have been good mates for years, and again this year I'm flying my airplane from San Diego to Marysville, CA (just N. of Sacramento). He'll pick me up and we'll jump into his Corvette C-6 and head off to Monterey, CA to Laguna Seca Raceway for the annual Monterey Historic Car Races.

For this trip we had the input from my Kiwi mate, a native of Rotorua on the N. Island. He has a sister who lives in Waketane, which I'll tell you about later.

To qualify and maintain your status as a Kiwi Specialist, you must visit the country every three years. We planned this trip in great detail and had a fabulous time. We flew LAX to Auckland (AKL), then switched terminals and flew a domestic flight on Air New Zealand to the Christchurch. There we picked up a rental car for our trip. A note of interest here: we rented from Maui, a company that specializes in motorhome rentals in Australia and New Zealand. We did so because they were the only company that still allows you to put your rental car on the ferry between the N and S. Islands. All the other major companies that we checked required you to turn in your car in Picton (the embarkation port northbound to Wellington), and then pick up another car in Wellington. That is a huge hassle with which we did not want to have imposed. We simply drove the car onto the ferry; parked and locked it with our luggage in the boot, and went upstairs to enjoy the passage to Wellington. On arrival, the pax go back to their respective cars and drive off into the sunset; a much more convenient way to go.

In Christchurch, we stayed at the City Central Apartments which are very centrally located as the name implies. We could walk to the Cathedral in about 10 minutes. We found two wonderful restaurants for breakfast right on our way: Joe's Garage, 194 Hereford Street, and Drexel's Restaurant, 126 Hereford St. Joe's is very different with model cars and trucks all over the place. The food was excellent, and portions were gigantic. We ordered their brand of coffee called Coffee Rescue, and it was really good. Order a "tall black" and its like drinking expresso-very strong but good. Drexel's we simply stumbled upon on our way to the Cathedral. It looked very nice, and a good looking menu and there were lots of folks in the place, always a good sign. We went in and were asked if we had a reservation! I almost fell over, but no worries and we got a nice quiet booth in the back and enjoyed an excellent breakfast.

One of the things to see while in Christchurch is the Cathedral, located on a square in the center of the city. It is a beautiful church. On the square in front, we saw a giant chess board with almost life size pieces - very different. The old tram cars also leave from the square in front of the church. Across the square from the church is an Internet cafe called Blah, Blah, Blah. An appropriate name. We got caught up on our e-mails here and the fees are nominal.

The City Central Motel Apts are quite clean and have a kitchenette and full bathroom. We inquired and found a supermarket about 1/2 mile away and we could do our own lunches or breakfasts if we so desired. They also have laundry facilities on the premises.

We visited the International Antarctic Centre, located at the airport. The US Antarctic operation is also located here, and is the jumping off place for flights to the US base in Antarctica. We spent several hours here and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. You can go into an enclosed room where they simulate a snow storm. It is very cold and realistic. They also have a sanctuary for injured penguins. They invite the public to watch the feeding of them from a viewing area where you can see below the surface of the water and get the opportunity to see how agile they are in the water. They appear to so awkward on land the so graceful in the water. There many static exhibits which are quite educational and they also have a small cafeteria for light snacks and lunch. Well worth a few hours of your time while in Queenstown. We drove out the Christchurch gondola for a ride to the top which gives spectacular views of the Canterbury Plain and the city. Also from the top you can look over the other side of the mountain and view the actual port, Lyttelton Harbor.

From Christchurch, we took the whole day drive to Queenstown via Route 7 heading SW to Ashburton, then route 79 to Lake Tekapo, where the Church of the Good Shepard is located. A very small church that will only hold about 25 people. The setting is absolutely magnificent, right on the lake with spectacular views. It is a very popular place for weddings. We continued S. through Twizel and ended the 8 hour drive in Queenstown. We stayed in a new property slightly outside of the main town (you don't want to stay in the middle of town if you want any peace and quiet!) called the Pounamo Apartments @ 110 Frankton Road, Queenstown. This place was fabulous; a two bedroom bi-level apartment. Underground parking, and when you enter from the rear of the building, there is a hallway and on the left is a long counter with computer and printer for your use. On this level are the two bedrooms. Very modern bath, and there are shutters which open up onto the lower living room. A full kitchen, dining area, and a living room area with flat screen TV, a propane fireplace, and the wall facing the street outside has huge floor to ceiling windows which give you a partial view of Lake Wakatipu. The only drawback to this property is it faces and is close to Frankton Road, the main road into town, and there are no lifts. You must schlep your luggage from the underground parking garage up to the level of the apartment. Nothing insurmountable but should be noted. There is a small supermarket right on the corner as you drive down Frankton Road and turn left onto the main street.

Queenstown reminds me of Mammoth, the ski town base in the Ca. mountains. Small and crowded and a tourist mecca for winter sports. You name it and you can do it from the sports standpoint. You can ski, water ski in summer, bungee jump, snowboard, hang glide, parasail, or skydive in this area. In addition to the above, you can take the Shotover jet; a speed boat that holds anywhere from six to 15 people with very large engines and powered by a powerful water jet. They ply the rivers which feed the lake at very high speeds and it is a real thrill. We did a Dart River Safari, which was an all day affair that was just great. They pick you up from your hotel, and you ride about 45 minutes along the shore of the lake to the little village of Glenorchy. There are only about 200 year round residents. From here you board a small 15 passenger 4 wheel drive bus and take about a one hour drive into the boondocks. Beautiful mountains and the guide said that several different movies have been filmed in the valley. Four wheel drive a necessity on dirt roads and through pristine beautiful streams feeding the Dart River, which flows into Lake Wakatipu. When we stopped, there were pit toilets available for those who felt the need, and then we took a leisurely hike through a forest with commentary from the guide. After about 30 min. of this leisurely hike, we stopped on the shore of the the river, and the boats showed up. We all donned life jackets and of course as soon as we got into the boats, the heavens opened. It was worth it as the rainbows were simply awe inspiring. Off we went at about 40 MPH in less than one foot of water down the river toward the lake. Very noisy and bumpy and wet and all well worth it.

On our first trip 17 years ago, we ran into a little restaurant in Queenstown called The Cow. Very small stone building with about 5 booths and bar and a wood burning fireplace. The specialize in pizza and you can bring your own wine or they have full bar with a wide variety of beers. Well, it is still there and they have expanded and have one in Wanaka, which is the next stop on our tour. If in Queenstown or Wanaka, this is a great place for pizza and it has a great atmosphere.

Queenstown has changed a great deal since we were there last. It is bigger then before and is extremely touristy. Lots of young people here for the adventure sports and extremely crowded in town. That said, it is one of the most beautiful locations in New Zealand.

From there, we drove to Te Anau to take the bus tour into Milford Sound. Milford and Doubtful Sounds are located in Fiordland National Park and Te Anau is the place from which most of the tours leave. Some leave from Queenstown, but they all go through Te Anau. Te Anau is a much quieter less crowded and hectic place than Queenstown. We stayed just outside town in the Blue Thistle Cottages, owned by Annette and Peter Gardner. They have four cottages each self contained with a kitchen, living room, bedroom and bath. The property sits on a hill overlooking the highway to Milford Sound. There is only one road into the sound to catch the various ships that cruise the sound. Last time we were here, the road was closed due to an avalanche (we were there in July, the middle of winter - southern hemisphere and seasons reversed and all that!). We lucked out and Mt. Cook Airlines was flying into the small landing strip at the eastern end of the sound where the ships depart from and we jumped on the chance to fly over the Southern Alps. We were in a Cessna 185 and I have some fabulous video of that flight. We crossed the Alps at about 9000 feet, and then proceeded west along the norther side of the sound descending slowly and when at the western end of the sound on the Tasman Sea, did a 180 deg. turn and headed back east on the southern side of the sound to land at the strip on the eastern end. Milford Sound gets over 350 inches of rain per year and the day we were there it was bright blue skies and about 25 deg. F. Unbelievable place.

This time it was more normal; rain all day. We drove into town and got on the big bus with about 45 passengers, and drove to the Sound. The road is very treacherous and you must go through a one way tunnel. They have a traffic light, but once through that then the road gets REALLY interesting. There are some fantastic views on this road and the sound was quite different in the rain. It was insane to go outside with a camera, but there were hundreds of waterfalls, and the narrator said they would mostly dry up within a couple of hours of the rain ceasing to fall. When we got to the Tasman and turned about, the rain was coming down in sheets and the wind was howling. Still an incredible experience and we feel blessed to have been able to see the Sound once, let alone twice under very different circumstances. Next installment; all the new places!

Scotland - April 2009 Continued

Our next stop was the Loch Garten Osprey Centre in Invernesshire. While this was interesting, it was by far not the most exciting thing on this trip. It is a site which has nests of Ospreys which return each year (usually) from as far south as Africa. The nest is about 1/2 mile away and they have remote cameras mounted near the nest, and from what amounts to a large blind, they have binoculars and such to watch the birds. This is an out of the way destination and I would not recommend this stop on a trip to Scotland for first time visitors.

The next stop was the Explorers Garden located on a hill overlooking the Pitlochry Festival theatre in Perthshire. Pitlochery is famous for its theatre. We have sent other clients to the theatre and it is very popular. The garden is no doubt very pretty in the summer, but we were there in early April and it was too early for anything to bloom. Visiting this place would depend on the time of year. Pitlochry itself is a charming little town and worth a stop.

The next day we drove to Glasgow after spending the night in the Holiday Inn Express in Perth. If you are coming this way, be sure to stop and see the one of the greatest castles in all of Europe: Stirling Castle. You go right by it on the way to Glasgow, and strategically the most important castle in the history of Scotland. You want to get a tour and learn about the fabulous history associated with this castle with its re-built Great Hall. On arrival in Glasgow, we checked into the Thistle Hotel. Over the years, we have stayed in several different Thistle hotels and been consistently disappointed in them all. There are many better options in most cities. Our room was simply shabby and in need of renovation. The carpet was worn and torn; the fabric on the chairs was faded from the sun, and we had trouble with the lights and one morning the shower head just simply shut off in the middle of the shower! It got ugly after that. I would not recommend this hotel for a stay in Glasgow. The only positive thing I'll say is that the location is excellent, right in the central city and close to anything you need in central Glasgow.

We attended a reception in the Museum of Transport, which is a must see in Glasgow if you have any interest in trains and cars. It is really a very good museum. The venue for the trade show is located on the waterfront in an exhibition center called the SECC, or warmly known as " The Armadillo". It is huge and in addition to the Expo there were several other events going on simultaneously.

After two days of Expo, we took a bus to the airport (which is 30 min. W of downtown) and rented a small car for our separate little extension of our trip. We rented a small Ford 4 door sedan which was powered by a small turbo diesel engine and a 5 speed transmission. Great little car which got 46 MPG! This is a good thing as petrol prices in the UK are outrageous. When we were there, it was about $7.00/US gallon. They sell it by the liter; there are 3.78 liters to the US gallon, and you can convert the volume and then convert price from British Pounds to US dollars. A small tip for those of you driving in the UK. The UK, and particularly London is the most surveilled society in the world. Cameras are everywhere! Either law enforcement of private cameras are watching. If you are in public, you are on camera somewhere and ditto if you go into almost any store. Of course no sane person drives in central London, and no car is needed and there is a surcharge to drive in central London. Taxis and the Tube are the way to go in London. In Scotland and the English roads, there are speed cameras everywhere and you simply must be careful. On the roads, they tell you where the cameras are, and you can see them and the road has stripes painted perpendicular to your route of travel. The camera takes a photo or film and by measuring the time to cross the stripes they can compute your speed. Also, another cute trick is cameras that talk to each other. if you pass a certain point, a camera takes a picture and notes the time. If you break the speed limit and continue down the road, another camera takes your picture and compares the time. If the time is shorter than the time needed to travel at the speed limit; bingo, they have you. Pretty sad in my book, but that is just my opinion.

From Glasgow we visited some really interesting places on the outskirts for which you need a car and which we had not visited in all our other trips to Glasgow. Just to the South, Greenbank Gardens are open and which we enjoyed very much despite an overcast and drizzly day. This place has approximately 447 different varieties of Daffodils. I had no idea there were anywhere near that many different types. We also stopped at Pollack House which is also just south of Glasgow and near the famous Burrell Collection. We have seen the Burrell Collection on a previous trip and opted to try Pollack House. The docent was simply a wonderful guy and very helpful. This home and others are run and maintained by the National Trust For Scotland.

We also visited the Musuem of Agriculture, which was really fascinating. It covers the history of agriculture in Scotland from the very early days, and they have a fascinating collection of farm tools and implements which covers hundreds of years of technology. They also have a working farm about 1/2 mile from the museum. We walked there (there is a tractor which pulls a tram up the hill; times vary by season and demand). We got an interesting tour of the by a docent who wanted to show us every piece of furniture and knickknack in each room of the house. Guide overkill again. There was very little going on in terms of seeing farm animals working et. seq.

From here, we drove southwest along the coast past Turnberry golf links and Troon. Just north of there is Culzean Castle, which well worth a stop if in the area. While pricey, you can stay at the Eisenhower Apartments. These are essentially hotel rooms in the castle which were converted from the apartment which the British gave to General Eisenhower for his service in WW II. Just across the road from the entrance to Troon, is the ancestral home of Johnny Walker (of Johnny Walker Scotch fame), which is now a hotel. I stayed here several years ago and it is a very comfortable old hotel. We continued south on the A77 to Stranraer for the night. Ellie found a very nice B&B right on the water on the main street; the Lakeview Guest House. We had a very nice room on what we would call the second floor (in the UK and Europe and Australia and New Zealand, the "first floor" is our second floor. What we call the "first floor" is the Ground Floor. We spent a very pleasant evening there, and were off the next morning for Ardwell Gardens. There we met a young woman who worked the gardens and a vegetable garden and had a very pleasant chat with her and took a hike through the property. We continued South to the southernmost tip of Scotland, to the Mull of Galloway and the lighthouse there. Getting there is half the fun as you end up on a single track road for the last couple of miles. Periodically, there are "laybys" where oncoming traffic "lays by" until you pass. These types of road are common on the Isle of Mull also and you find these in the very northern parts of Scotland. From there we drove to to Kirkcudbright and stayed at a 5 star guesthouse called Fludha Guesthouse. It was guesthouse of the year for 2008 for Scotland and the only 5 star in Dumfries and Galloway. It sits up on a hill overlooking the river and is like a couple of other guesthouses and B&Bs in that an old manor home has been essentially gutted and all modern plumbing and bathrooms and flat screen TVs installed. New windows, and very modern kitchen, all of which makes for a very lovely stay. The only other guests at breakfast was a Scottish couple on holiday and we had a very enjoyable chat with them over a wonderfully prepared breakfast. We then spent the next day mainly in Threave Gardens near the town of Castle Douglas. The grounds here are magnificent and Ellie got some really great macro close up shots of some of the flowers. Also had lunch here, and they have a very nice small cafeteria. After lunch we drove to the little village of New Abbey, 5 miles S. of Dumfries. The purpose was to visit the Corn Mill there. It is one of the few existing mills from medievial times. The mill was usually owned by the Lord, who had serfs working the land. As rent, the Lord took a percentage of the crop. Of course the wheat, corn or whatever had to be milled and for the service of milling the serf's crop, they paid an additional percentage of their crop to cover this expense. This mill was small, and very, very old. We had a comprehensive tour, and it was explained that this mill was used into the early part of the 20th century. And much to my surprise, the best milling stones come from France. The whole thing is powered by water flow which of course has to be controlled; not too much from heavy rainfall runoff, and enough for dry times and reduced water flow to run the mill.

After a second night at Fludha, we drove most of the day up to Glasgow Airport, turned in the rental car, and walked to the Holiday Inn Express right at the airport. A couple of years ago we showed my brother and his wife around Scotland and put them up here on their last night. A very clean, functional place with a restaurant and a bar. Early AM continental breakfast and we were off to the Terminal in the rain. There is a covered walkway from right across the street from the hotel to the terminal. We went through security at GLA, flew BA to LHR, then transfered to Terminal 3 to catch American airlines to JFK, and then connecting on a non-stop to SAN. We spent our waiting time in the Admirals Club, which is a nice one in London and they are building a new and bigger one there as well. On the 777, and push back. As soon as we are on the taxiway , we return to the gate. El Supremo (the captain) comes on the PA and says that an ill passenger insisted on getting off. Of course this means her bags must be removed also - bomb worries and all that. So we get out of LHR too late to make our connection in JFK. After clearing immigration and customs, we check with AA and they say then can send us to ORD, and we only get home an hour later than planned. We get new luggage tags and re-check the bags and get on the flight to ORD. From ORD to SAN no problem until try to get luggage in SAN. Ellie's bag shows up, mine does not despite my checking mine at the same time she checks hers. Go figure! Mystery solved next day when my bag is delivered by AA. I open same to unpack and there is a notice from the TSA that they opened and inspected my bag. While Ellie's bag made the flight mine did not because of the bag check.

Overall, the trip was fabulous and we found new places for our clients that we had not seen before. The downside was the airlines and the delays and the lost luggage. Moral of the story on luggage; ALWAYS bring a carry-on with a change of clothes for at least one day and some toiletries. If you can travel light enough to bring just a carry-on, all the better. If you do that, be prepared to do your laundry every night of the trip, which gets very old very quick, and hotel charges for laundry amount to extortion; I don't to have buy my clothes back, just pay to have them laundered! I also pack a Leatherman multi tool device which has a knife blade which I could not get on the plane and a small pocket knife which I can't put on a carry-on

Next blog; New Zealand - We did three weeks earlier in the year and 2400 miles around both the N. and S. Island. God's country!

Scotland - April 2009

We went back to Scotland again this year for our ninth trip and it was a stunner. Of course both my wife and I are of Scottish heritage and so we always enjoy going back. The purpose was to attend the annual Scottish Expo Trade Show usually held in Glasgow. If you have not already guessed, my wife and I are travel agents (our second careers), and are certified "Scotsmasters", experts in travel to Scotland. Each year the Expo is held to connect the travel agent community with the providers of travel that originate in Scotland. this year they had agents from all over the world, with the majority of them from Canada and the USA. Approximately 15 million Americans claim Scottish heritage, and the USA is a big market for the Scots.

In addition to attending the Expo, we took a trip around the Northeast of the country before the Expo, and then another three days to the Southwest of the country on our own. We left San Diego (SAN) directly to New York (JFK) on American Airlines non-stop, and then over night to London Heathrow (LHR). After leaving Terminal 3, we transferred to the new Terminal 5, which is used exclusively by British Airways (BA) for their domestic and international flights. We cleared Immigration and Customs and after a three hour layover, boarded a BA flight to Glasgow (GLA). We then took a bus from downtown to Edinburgh (EDI), which took about an hour. We booked the flight to GLA because that was the location for the EXPO. Only after this was done did we get the word from VisitScotland that we would be departing on our NE tour from EDI. This is not a problem as the two major cities of Scotland are very close together, only about 50 miles and connections by Motorway (the M8), the trains and the buses are excellent. The train arrives in Waverly Station right in the middle of downtown on Princes Street, and the bus only a few blocks from there. We were able to walk to the George Hotel, on George Street which parallels Princes Street. Princes Street is the main street which runs below the famous Edinburgh Castle high on the hill overlooking the entire city. They are currently building a light rail system on Princes and it is blocked to traffic which has been diverted to George Street. The hotel is an old building which dates back to 1775 when the "new town" was built. It first opened as a hotel in 1881 and a 7 story extension to the rear was added in 1967. It was very clean, with modern bath facilities and flat screen TV and all the amenities you would expect in an upscale hotel.

Once again, BA dropped the ball on the luggage. Two years ago, we were on the Isle of Tweed (of the fabric fame) and on a flight back to GLA, the luggage did not make the flight and we could not attend a social function that evening because our clothes were in the bag and we got them delivered late in the evening. This time, our bags were not transferred from American to BA despite the 3 hour layover in Heathrow. A very long story, but it took almost two days for the bags to reach us in EDI. This despite being assured in GLA that the bags would be on the next flight in and we would have them later in the afternoon at the hotel in Edinburgh. Hogwash! The alleged procedure is that they give you a claim number and a sheet which is an 800 ph. number and a website so you can track you luggage. It doesn't work worth a damn. You try to call and always get a message that they are busy and to call again later. Try the website and it doesn't recognize the claim number. The problem is it takes two days to get into the system and by then you usually have your luggage. Same story on this trip as two years ago. The BA staff are all very nice and apologetic (did you ever notice that about the Scots and the Brits?), but after two years still had not solved the problem. It was all could do to keep from telling them enough apologies; just fix the problem! The hotel staff was very helpful and kept calling on our behalf. When it was determined that the bags were now at their depot at EDI airport, I said I'd go out there and get them myself. The hotel manager assured me she knew the courier company and that they were reliable, and called them and told them we had to have the luggage as we were leaving in the morning. They arrived late afternoon.

We joined about 13 other travel agents from Canada and the US for our trip in a 15 passenger Mercedes bus. The driver was great, the guide not. In the UK, the best of the best in the guide world are the "Blue Badge" guides. They all are very knowledgeable and we have had wonderful experiences with them in the past. This time we had a guide who was an ex-pat American from Wisconsin. She had met and married a Scot quite a few years ago and lives in Scotland and only visits the US occasionally. While very knowledgeable, she woman was vaccinated with a phonograph needle - (am I dating myself here or what!). She talked incessantly and included the relevant and the irrelevant and the inane non-stop. She alienated the entire group very quickly. The sound was quite loud from her microphone and she said she could not turn it down. I realized that the speaker directly overhead had an on/off button. I conspired with my fellow travelers that on my count of three (using my fingers held up high) we would all turn of our speakers simultaneously. What a riot! She was clueless; momentarily confused and then she and the driver re-cycled the system and she was back in business. With the exception of the guide, the rest of the trip was great.

We headed north out of Edinburgh and over the Firth Bridge to our first stop, Loclievan Castle in Kinross. The castle ruin sits on an island in the middle of the lake, and was visited by Robert the Bruce and it was here in 1567 that Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned and forced to abdicate her throne before her dramatic escape one year later.

Our next stop was Falkland Palace which was the country residence of the Stewart monarchs when they hunted deer and wild boar in the forests of Fife. Today it is probably most famous for the oldest tennis court in the UK. The docents were in character and period costume and were very helpful with the history of this location.

For a change of pace, we stopped later at the Scottish Deer Centre which is on about 65 acres of land where they have over 140 different deer from all over Europe. They also have four wolves and we were there in time to watch them get fed and listen to a short discussion of wolves in Scotland. After watching them eat, you want to steer clear of them in the wild unless appropriately armed to protect yourself. they also had a collection of various birds of prey, including several owls. The keeper was a young lady who really knew her birds very well. Both Ellie and I had the chance to put on the heavy leather glove and have the most beautiful owl I have ever seen sit on our arm. We got some fabulous pictures and you can really see the detail in the feathers.

We ended the day in St. Andrews on the coast, home of golf and a fabulous castle. We had to divide the group into two different accommodations: the St. Andrews Golf Hotel and Brooksby House, a 5 star B&B. We were very lucky and stayed in the Nicklaus Room at Brooksby House. There are a total of 5 rooms, each named after a winner of the British Open at St. Andrews. This was a highlight of the trip for us. The best accommodations we had on this trip. Caryn and Chris are the owners and they invited the four of us who stayed there into the living room and offered us drinks and light snacks. When they offered a wee dram ( Scotch whisky in a distinctly shaped shot glass) I willingly accepted. Chris poured a dram of 18 yr. old McCallan, which is an excellent scotch. They were two of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. Our room was wonderful, with flat screen TV and all modern amenities despite the home being at least 100 years old. Fresh fruit in the room, sherry and chocolates. Simply a fabulous place which I cannot recommend enough. If any of you are planning a trip to St. Andrews, check out brooksbyhouse.com. (And no, I receive nothing from any place I recommend). Brooksby House has a well deserved 5 star rating from VisitScotland. The breakfast the next morning in the large dining room was delicious, with many different options beyond the standard Scottish breakfast. This was simply the best with wonderful owners who made you feel at home immediately.

The next morning we did a walking tour of St. Andrews, and the weather cooperated beautifully. We visited St. Andrews Castle, once the administrative centre of the Scottish Church. A real treat was St. Andrews University, where the future King of England attended, and the chapel. It dates back to the 14th century, and there is a pulpit in front from which John Knox used to preach. Amazing stuff. In the balcony is a massive old pipe organ, and as it was Sunday, the choir members were arriving in their very colorful robes as we were outside. Once inside, they began rehearsing for the service which was to take place shortly. An old powerful organ and choir; a very pleasant sound to enjoy.

We also toured the grounds of St. Andrews cathedral, which amazes everyone who visits. It sits on the shore facing the North sea, and was huge. It must have looked like St. Patrick's cathedral in New York or Westminster Abbey in London; simply a magnificent structure. If this type of thing interests you, I would HIGHLY recommend a great book: "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. It is about 20 years old, but a fabulous read. It is fictionalized history about an English stone mason as the main character and his life and Follett develops some wonderful characters. It also is pretty accurate as to how the law was structured in the 12th Century, how they ate, their commerce, how they farmed and the different trades and how they built these massive cathedrals. Follett also released a follow-on sequel entitled "World Without End" that picks up the story of the fictional town about 100 years after the end of the first book. Many masons made one project their life's work. Simply fascinating to read about and to visit some of these cathedrals.

From St. Andrews, we drove to Discovery Point in Dundee to visit the "Discovery", the ship on which Capt. Scott and Ernest Shackleton sailed to Antarctica and spent two long harsh winters frozen in the ice. There are multiple media presentations regarding the project and building the ship and the voyage. This was followed by a tour of the ship by a tour guide was simply delightful. An old codger who had a wonderful sense of humor. Great fun.

After lunch, on to Arbroath Abbey. This is a significant location as the place is where the Declaration of Arbroath, in which Scotland's nobles swore their independence from England. this massive Abbey was founded in 1178 and is important in Scottish history.

Of course not trip to Scotland would be complete without a visit to a Scottish distillery. After spending a pleasant night at the Lord Kinord Hotel near Ballater in Royal Deeside, we headed north into the Whisky Trail ( The Scots spell their national drink without the "e". i.e., whisky instead of whiskey. In America you ask for whiskey and you'll get bourbon; in Scotland, you ask for whisky and you get Scotch.) We were fortunate to visit the Glenlivet Estate, which is in a beautiful setting in the highlands in Banffshire. While we were there, they were in the process of constructing a large addition to the distillery which will double their capacity! The guide emphasized the key to good whisky is the water which in the case of the Glenlivet comes from a spring on the property.

While we did not visit Dufftown on this trip, it is not far away and we have visited there before. There is liquor shop in the center of Dufftown not to be missed. When there, a Scot introduce us to Heather Cream. If you like Bailey's Irish Cream, you will love Heather Cream. It is made with Scotch not Irish whiskey and is very, very, smooth. Unfortunately, it is not exported to the USA, so you now have an excuse to visit the Highlands!

Next installment: Glasgow and the Southwest.