WOW.. what a city to people watch in!!

OMG.. I have seen more studs and hair then anywhere else in this world! I have seen gay guys with arms draped over each other.. walking down the street.. lesbian women rubbing each others necks and..... well .. hmmm I have seen one guy with his hair matted together and it was one foot wide and hung down past his butt.. it was all that dred (?) lock kind look stuff.. ugh.. makes my head itch! Then at the Castle today I saw a guy with more rings in his ears and lips then I have EVER seen.. there WAS no room left in the inn... kinda speak.. his nose, lips and ears and probably everywhere else was pierced! He even had piercings in his cheek.. Anyway.. it was something. If it had all been gold.. he could have retired for life.. he was mid 20s probably. Some of the outfits was pretty well.. unique.. the gal that was all legs with stilettos and the mini.. err ultra mini.. or maybe ultra ULTRA mini.. it barely covered anything.. She got looks.. that is for sure! Then I find around here.. they don't care if they have leopard spots and stripes or stripes and plaids. The brighter the colors the better and ANY color will go with ANY color.. Just slap it on.. Oh.. and the tv .. they have 2 gay stations.. I guess over here.. anything goes...

Now the food.. Well I hear Italy and France have wonderful food.. I can hardly wait to try it in Paris.. We did find a place that had good bread and butter.. ahh the butter.. I think I am gonna get a butt the size of a 58inch screen tv! Oh but it is good.. good, rich, Divine. If you are a butter eater.. You will love it over here (or Ireland) It must be 150% butterfat! Oh.. and I have found they have really good macaroni and cheese over here. So.. that is two things.. Stacy says we HAVE to try the cheese when we get to Shropshire.. or.. the boat! Stacy I will see if I can ship you some to try! :) The nice thing about the boat.. I can cook.. I could cook here in Scotland.. our room does have a kitchen.. but it is more fun.. challenge to find a place to eat.. not to mention.. a place that is GOOD.. doesn't have to be fantastic.. just good.

WE DID find a place last night THE ORCHARD that had very VERY good food! They had fresh good French bread and I had a dish that was like a Beef pot pie.. where the beef melted in your mouth! It was just beef and gravy (made with onions, Bisto and Merlot wine) with a pastry top.. flakey and buttery.. ohhh.. the butter over here is gonna kill me! And instead of fries with it.. I chose mashed potato's. I may not be able to drink the water.. but the butter.. oh it is sinful! (Stacy if you and Virginia make butter like they do over here.. you will have a following to no end!!)

Monday we went to Edinburgh Castle.. It was a walk up cobble stone roads up to the castle.. and once there.. stood in line over 30minutes for tickets... I can tell it was all up hill.. every fiber in the calf of my leg is reminding me of cobble stone and altitude.. It is huge and newer in spots, there is an origional Church that is onsite that is still used. It can hold up to 20 people and still to this date.. many get married in there. It is a pretty awesome Church.

The oldest building within the Edinburgh Castle's walls, St. Margaret's Chapel was constructed by David I in the early 1100s in honor of his mother. Canonized in 1251, by Pope Innocent IV, Margaret was renown for her devotion to the Church and her care of the poor. The building was initially restored in 1853, and then

again between 1929 and 1934.

This is the inside of St. Margaret's Church, Edinburgh Castle.

We also went through a whisky tour.. that was fun and even interesting.. Mel ended up getting a double shot.. mine.. but it smelled good.. It was interesting how each region smelled different.

I still have to go hit Princes Street.. I know there is a t-shirt out there for me somewhere! Oh and I need to get a shot glass for my son that collects them and key chain for a son that collects those.

We did add another day trip to our itinerary though.. Friday the 25th before we leave.. we are going on a day trip to Paris! I am kind of excited about that. We take the Eurostar (189mph!) to Paris have lunch up top Eiffel Tower, get to see the Arch de' Triomph and can go to the Louvre, PLUS a cruise on the River Seine.. then the train back.. We leave London at 6am back to London at 10pm.. will be long trip for Mel. But I will find a place for him to sit and then I will wander. We just take our time.

Wednesday.. which is the day I am finishing this blog.. we are going to jump on a city bus and tour the city! We will get a day pass and hop on hop off when we want. It is an interesting way to see the city and if we REALLY need to get off.. we can.

Thursday we head for Whitchurch and then on Saturday we get our boat. I told Mel if he wasn't we could sit outside the Marina.. there is no hurry to go anywhere. If he feels good.. we'll move a couple miles. We have 2 weeks to do this trip in which can easily be done in a week. So he can rest and snooze all he needs too. And if we find a place we really like.. we'll moor up and hang around there for a bit. It will be very relaxing and slow.

Will write later.. time to go eat breakfast.. I hate to say this.. I am getting use to drinking instant coffee.. I need to find a French Press!

You all have a great day!
Keri

We're in SCOTLAND..

This morning we left from Kings Cross rail station. For thouse of you that watch "Harry Potter" movies, that is the train station he "leaves from" to go to Hogwarts.

The train ride was just awesome! We decided after about 20 minute.. we wanted to upgrade to the first class. Which we did and actually had leg room! (I have to admit.. the women here are not shy about anything.. the big style here is thongs, and very low jeans so you can see the top of the thong.. amazing....) And it was a great train trip except for the kid that got on half way.. and he LOVED eating the sugar out of the little sugar packs! Mom let him.. she did finally stop him when he wanted to get up and stand on the table. I think that was after he cleared off like 3 tables and tore up 2 books.. his name was Brian.. I know.. I heard it enough..

When we left London this morning.. it was blue sky and beautiful.. last nights wind had stopped.

When we got to Edinburgh.. it was a repeat of yesterday.. overcast.. sprinkles and wind... They say it is remants of Hurricane Dan.. But.. it is to get better.

Tomorrow we go on a tour of "Loch Lomond, the Trossachs and Stirling Castle. It will be fun.. Monday is a holiday here.. So not sure what happens on Monday.. But I know we will probably take the bus tour of the town. It is always interesting and I hear tell the weather is supposed to be nice!

The train station at Edinburgh.. well it is busy! took up like 5 minutes for the taxi to get out of the station. And Princes Street is very VERY busy... it is the old shopping district and by the castle. Another day we will go tour that area.

Dinner well.... dinner was okay. We had Italian and for some reason.. they don't use spice very often. TV, well avid tv watchers.. would have to spend big $$$ to get a cable that had good stuff to watch..

Our room is pretty nice. I thought it was a larger bed.. but we are use to a double bed. I don't know what I would do over here if I actually had like a queen.. our last 2 hotel rooms have Kings in them.. or so I hear!

We are also planning a day trip to Paris.. I am pretty excited about that! We will be taking the Eurostar train.. it goes like 186mph.. and will take us 2 hours and 15 minutes. And.. we go through the Channel tunnel.. lunch at the Eiffel tower and a river cruise on the the Seine. So looking forward to that our last week also.

So for now.. I will stop here and will write more tomorrow or the next day after the Loch Lomond trip..

Ya all take care..

Keri

London

We made it to London.. was a long flight and again i did not sleep. mel is resting now.. I figure I had better not or I wont sleep tonight. I am hungry so he better have enjoyed his snooze. Already his feet are hurting.. well I had told him.. wear them a few days before we go and see how you do.. but did he listen???? Must be a man thing!
Tomorrow it is on to Scotland.. and it is a BIT*H lugging the suit cases up and down the stupid stairs at the tube stations! Well next time I am on line.. I will add photos. We flew over Greenland and Ireland and touched Scotland before coming down.. it was cool... then.. it rained when we walked out of the tube.
Have to run now almost out of time..
hugs to you all.. you know who you are..
later.. keri
Oh yes.. forgot to tell ya Charlie and Molly got out of the fence just as we were leaving.. DA*(^^%$^* dogs! Jaxe had stayed .. but it was her fault the other two ran.. she ran out and Mel was trying to get her back in ...when out they ran.. it was unbelievable.. they ran around the block.. turned and came right back to the yard.. my jaw dropped.. They don't do this.. in the 13 (11) years I have had them NEVER have they actually come back.. I was floored.. dang dogs.. they are my babies ya know.. I would have been horrified had they not returned.. and cried till I heard they were 1. found 2 been hit.. then I would have cried harder and more.. and been miffed.

The Day!!

Well FINALLY packed.. and things are done around here. Just kind of waiting now.. Jax-e is getting nervous.. still no puppy bag to pack.. and SHE DOES know her bag! She is laying by the bag in attempt to get me to sit hers up here also.. hmm not going to work.
We fly into Seattle have about 2 hours before we fly out of Seattle. Our flight takes us up north and over.. When the sun starts to come up, I can see like Nova Scotia and then perhaps Greenland.. Before we then fly over Ireland (and I hope it is clear out!) to London. I believe it takes about 9 hours fly time. We will be getting into London at noon. We leave Seattle at 6:50pm.. Mel will sleep.. me.. I will watch movies or read or??? Wish I could sleep like that guy.
I guess I ought to get busy and get a few more things done.
Next blog will be from London.. or Scotland.. :)
Take care..

Tomorrow is the day...

Wow.. I ought to be excited.. but right now..I am not. I have been working on a power point that no matter WHAT I did.. it would not come together! So done trying to get it to work. I have finally packed and I think..I THINK I have everything ready to go. I think.. Jax-e is watching me like "Where is my bag?" I hate to tell her.. maybe she won't know.

So.. I will write in a few days from Scotland.. I know once I get to Seattle.. hit the place with the AWESOME brownies and head to the gate.. I will be excited :)
Night all..

Me

(Cindi.. love you and wish you were with us)

Had to experiment with a photo

Priest lake Idaho, week of August 3-9, 2009

(photo1:Priest Lake at sunset)

(Photo2: Priest River at Priest Lake)

We had to come up here and fix the plastic PVC pipes that broke.. actually shattered this past winter. When we would get one pipe fixed, turn the water on then another pipe would shatter. SO! We replaced them all with copper pipes. And learned a valuable lesson! Come up and winterize...

We have a small little trailer in COOLIN (http://www.priestlake.org/) but what makes it so valuable.. it has beach property.. with no hill to climb down! And the plus is.. it is only about a half block from the Leonard Paul Store (http://theleonardpaulstore.com/) just don't believe the weather forecast.. it is warmer then that here!

Well actually this blog is kind of a test to make sure I can add a photo's and do it right. That way I can play around with them and figure this all out BEFORE I am away, so I don't have to try to figure it all out :) then.

I love doing sunrises and sunsets. We have a fire north of us in Canada and the smoke is down over the lake. Unless we have a nice breeze or a storm like we did the other night! But for the most part.. Priest Lake is a beautiful lake with few houses around the lake and upper lake has no houses.. a camp ground, but no houses allowed. Besides no power or any services on the upper lake.

Well I guess I have learned I could do this.. Still trying to figure out how to delete words and NOT my photo.. but hey.. I'll get it down..

Gee wasn't hard to do at all.. the wait for photos to download was the hardest..

Take care guys..

Getting ready for England

AUGUST 26th, 2009 through September 29th, 2009..

Time is getting closer and well I HOPE that I have not made any mistakes in getting our trip all layed out. One time I set up a trip and had to cancel the best part because I had forgotten the airfare there and back. I try NOT to do that any more!

One thing about this is when we look at history there.. it isn't like 1770s.. it is like 750s.. I mean it is history. The feelings that one gets walking among the old ruins or Stonehenge or Bath.. are incredible. And it is something to see how for hundreds of years.. they are still standing!

So I have the airfare to London (British Airways, www.britishairways.com/ ) from Spokane , our overnight in London I have the hotel . I have the tickets for the train from London to Scotland. The Hotel (http://www.inverleithhotel.co.uk/) in Scotland. There I will set up a couple tours of the area. I kind of want to see the Falkirk Wheel (http://www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk/) and hopefully do the boat tour through it. I would also like to see the huge Edinburgh Castle (http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/). Of coarse no visit to Edinburgh would be complete without hitting the "Royal Mile" (http://www.edinburgh-royalmile.com/).

Then we take the train down to a small village (Whitchurch, Shropshire County) near the Wales boarder. I have a B&B in Whitchurch booked, (http://www.milebankfarmbandb.co.uk/) So we have a place to stay before and after we are on the boat (http://www.viking-afloat.com/). We are doing "Four Counties Ring", picking up the boat at Whitchurch, (http://www.shropshiretourism.co.uk/whitchurch/).

After our 2 weeks on the boat to rest and relax, we then take a train back to London for our last week of holiday, where we then check into the CITY INN HOTEL (http://www.cityinn.com/london/london-hotels.htm). The one thing we do really plan to do is spend a day at Greenwich (http://wwp.greenwichengland.com/). And we would like to go see another play.. I am leaning towards JERSEY BOYS or my favorite MAMMA MIA. It will probably be Jersey Boys.

One of the greatest things about London is the "TUBE", (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx). It is great and we can go just about anywhere on it. During rush hour.. man it is stuffed. But people are nice.. at least the week we spent there they were and it was pretty cramped at times. We also like to take the "Big Red Bus", around town never knowing where it will go or where we end up (http://www.bigbustours.com/eng/london/custompage.aspx?id=the_big_bus_tour_overview). And last trip to London we went by Petticoat Lane (http://golondon.about.com/od/shopping/fr/petticoatlane.htm).. So depending on the poor tourist feet.. (ours mainly!) we hope to go check it all out this trip.


Well I hope that my family, friends and all that read this, enjoy hearing about our travels.
I will also try to post photos as we go along. But :) I still have that to figure out, oh I will though.

Thanks again and "Wish you were here".

Meantime .. for my family..know I love you.. and I am happy and well!