Postings from Germany

Merry Olde England/Britain /Scotland


Weird - I go to England and think I am in a foreign country. Of course, I am, but I can still speak English, can't I? However, my little brain twisted the idea of being in a foreign country into wanting to speak a foreign language, and my foreign language is German and so .... sometimes communication was strange. Add to that the fact that in England the English isn't exactly American style, and so one gets confused.

Besides, the money is different.

And they drive on the WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD! They say it's the left side, but since I had at least 5 heart attacks because I thought I was going to die from oncoming traffic, I'm keeping with the "wrong" part.

Those small differences aside, it was a wonderful trip, and all the more wonderful because the weather suprised us so - it was nice! It was sunny! It was also cold and lots of the time REALLY windy. But windy was small stuff.

Muriel and Tony met us at the airport in Edinburgh (about a 2-hour drive from Whitley Bay, where they live) and we took a leisurely drive home taking the scenic route - so the 2 hours stretched to 4, but who cares? It's vacation. No rush.

Before we left Edinburgh, Tony (an engineer by profession) wanted us to admire the bridges there. And lovely they are. One is a suspension bridge for cars, another a cantilevered iron bridge for rail traffic that was - still is - a modern marvel.



In Whitley Bay , they were justifiably proud to show us St. Mary's Lighthouse. It's in a tidal basin, so there are times you can walk - or drive - to the island. Obviously, this was not one of those times.

There were many highlights. We visited castles and abbeys - both ruined and whole. We had beer and ale, pub food, walked some of Hadrian's Wall (HADRIAN'S WALL! - that's old stuff!), enjoyed lots of converstation and meeting new folks. I even had haggis, the dreaded Scotch sausage - though it was a vegetarian variety. Not a big deal; we have the same thing in Germany only here it's called Pinkel (and I know you all know what Pinkel is!)

Our first walk was along the coast near Newcastle. We drove up to and then trekked a bit by the North Sea to Dunstansburg Castle. It's along a beach and though it's hard to believe, people do swim here in the summer. Or what passes for summer in England.

There are rocks.

And a golf course, of course, Beware of the rough!

The castle is a ruin today, but beautiful all the same.



































We drove to Cragside, the mansion build in the late 1800s by an English Lord who installed the very first hydrolic powered electric system anywhere.

The home is still furnished as when the family lived there and there are miles and miles of walks through wooded landscapes. Amazing since there was only moor when he built the mansion.

And another day we walked along Hadrian's Wall (there are so many places to read about it, but this is one.) Begun in 121 AD and built across the breadth of England (albeit at its narrowest point) it's a wonder to imagine. And behold. There are parts that are practically unchanged and other parts that have disappeared altogether. It's not just a national treasure but for me practically a religious experience. Wow.

What's really neat too is that you wander across private lands. There are stiles across the fences that keep in the sheep and horses of the landowners. Here's a typical stile. Some were crafted of stone set into the walls.



Hey, they have ale there! We had lunch that day at the Twice Brewed Inn. Beer, sausages and mash. Can't get better than that!!!

Then so long to Muriel and Tony and off to Edinburgh. MORE castles. MORE ale. MORE food. MORE surprises. We happened along an old cemetery and strolled through. What did we find? A memorial to Scottish soldiers in the service of the US of A in the Civil War. Mr. Lincoln - he is not to be mistaken - here in Scotland. Wow.

Bagpipe players were easy to find.

And - amusing - a row of golf bags outside a local pub.

And everywhere, the chimneys. It always reminds me of Mary Poppins, all these chimneys.



And if you've got this far, I wonder if you wouldn't like to visit here. We would love to meet you and wouldn't it be easy to visit a place where they speak English and it is foreign and at the same time not so foreign ? And lovely. Let us know. We'll meet you there.