On to Scotland and Edinburgh September 22-23, 2006

September 22
After a leisurely breakfast and a little time on Paul’s newly acquired wireless internet connection we left Bush Nook and headed north toward Scotland. For the first couple of hours we drove on the back roads passing through small villages named Triermain, Kirkambeck, Roadhead, and Darkshaw Ford. This is the English countryside that you see in the movies; the hedgerows and stone walls, sheep grazing on the roadside and the people as friendly as you will meet anywhere. We stopped for a pub lunch at a larger town named Selkirk, and were treated to a conversation with the owner. The pub had been newly renovated but was not very busy at it was a beautiful afternoon and everyone it seemed had takeout food and was sitting outside having their lunch. Takeout restaurants, with no seating, have been a main feature since we left Wales. They seem to outnumber sit down restaurants. Our question is how these places stay in business in the winter.

We reached our destination, the village of Eddleston, and our hotel Barony Castle late in the afternoon. Ok maybe it’s not a castle, but it is a Scottish manor house that was built in 1536. It sits on 25 acres of gardens and forests and is really quite nice. They even offer you a shot of Scotch whisky when you check in. The room is by far the largest we have had while in the UK and the staff is very helpful. After a walk around the grounds and a glass of wine by the trout pond we retired to the room to watch the American Ryder Cup Team get trounced on the first day of the match.

September 23
We drove to Edinburgh today to tour the castle. Edinburgh is a bustling yet charming city with a Victorian façade. One of the most prominent features is the Edinburgh Castle which has a commanding presence perched high on the rock overlooking the city. The rock, Castle Hill, is a long dormant volcano that has been inhabited for almost 5000 years. It has been a fortified location since prehistoric times and is the site of the oldest building in Edinburgh which is St. Margaret’s Chapel built in 1130 AD. The castle was the scene of many battles and changed hands between rival Scottish factions as well as with the English during centuries of conflicts. We again took advantage of the audio tour headphones and were glad we did as there is much history here. The highlight and the longest queue were to see the Scottish Honors and the Crown Jewels which were used in all Scottish coronations until the time of English domination. The Honors include the Stone of Destiny which is the seat upon which Scottish sovereigns were crowned, the last being in 1292 AD. The stone was taken to London in 1296 where Edward I had a coronation chair built that housed the stone as a symbol of English domination over Scotland. The stone was finally returned to Scotland in 1996 after the promise of return that was made in 1328 had been “postponed” for a few centuries.

We wandered around Edinburgh for the rest of the afternoon and even took in a movie; “Night Listener”. One strange movie and another example of Robin Williams’s diversity. Back to the hotel where we were treated to a Scottish wedding reception with the colorful traditional kilts being prominently displayed and merriment continuing on to the wee hours of the morn in the courtyard a scant one floor below our window.

NOTE: We are heading for our week in a Highland cottage and will only have limited access to the internet during that time. Please checl back periodically for new postings.

Black Pool and the Long Drop September 21, 2006

Today we hiked a trail about fifteen miles north of Hadrian’s Wall. The history of the countryside here is about more than just the Romans. The Border Country between England and Scotland was the site of much fighting. The people, called Reivers, who lived along the border conducted raids (called reiving) on other border country families the aim being to replenish their lauders. In these raids, which started in the 13th century, people were killed while livestock and other goods stolen. Henry VIII encouraged the animosity between the people as a way of keeping pressure on the Scots. When the Scots were defeated in 1513 Henry was not able to stop the raiding as men that had made a living raiding and stealing did not want to now walk behind a plow. The reiving continued until the 17th century when clans were imprisoned or moved to Ireland.

Our hike took us well into the country formally occupied by the Reivers. Fortunately for us, today was not only peaceful by a beautiful fall day; warm, clear and sunny with just enough wind to keep things cool. The trail led us through woods across Wark’s Burn (river) and through pastures and gardens of several farmers in the area thanks to the Public Footpaths. We were fortunate to see two Roe Deer as we hiked. They are beautiful animals that are a deep red color and are very shy of humans so we only able to view them for a few seconds before they melted into the brush. Not long into the hike we came upon a cottage ruin named "Holy Well" which refers to a nearby sulphur spring that legend said had curative powers. The cottage was set on the banks of Wark's Burn above what is called "Black Pool" which is said to be bottomless. Looking at the dark still waters it is easy to see how it got its name. The "Black Pool" was written about in the 50s and 60s by an author that called himself Vagabond and wrote stories about rural living and wild life. Toward the end of our walk we also investigated an interesting ruin of a Reiver’s cottage named Lower Rose Bower. One outbuilding or outhouse was the loo and was named” Long Drop” because it was forty feet to the rocks below. We started and finished the hike at the village of Stonehaugh’s picnic area set by Wark’s Burn. An interesting observation that we have made while hiking in this area is that the rivers and streams are as often as not very dark colored which we believe is from the water filtering through the peat. Wark’s Burn is stained this way but never the less the park setting that we rested in at the end of our hike seemed perfect to us.

A Roman History Lesson September 20, 2006

The area we are currently in has numerous historical sites related to the Roman occupation of Britain. Today we visited the Roman Army Museum and Vindolanda a Roman fort which are both located a short distance from Hadrian’s Wall.

The Army Museum is located at the site of a former Roman encampment and contains hundreds of artifacts that have been uncovered since archeological excavations were begun in this area in the 18th century. The best preserved are not only made of stone but surprisingly made of leather. The items include sandals, shoes and boots worn by not only the soldiers but also by the civilian population that would normally live within close proximity to the forts and military installations. The worn out shoes were thrown into the ditches that surrounded the installations where they were covered with water, clay and peat which almost perfectly preserved them. There were also metal tools, nails, weapons and jewelry uncovered along with pottery and animal bones which give the researchers the information that allows them to put together a guess of how the people lived almost two thousand years ago.


We moved to the Vindolanda Fort which is still being excavated and projections are that it will take another one hundred years to complete the study of this site. The dig last from April to August every year and finds are a daily occurrence during that time. Vindolanda was a fort forty years prior to Hadrian’s Wall being built and its timber stockade had been rebuilt five times by the time of the wall’s construction. After the wall was built Vinolanda was again renovated this time of stone. The fort was rebuilt on the old foundations time after time and this in effect created a time capsule for the earlier artifacts. Intense excavation has been carried on here since 1929 and quite a bit of the walls and the accompanying village outside the fort has been uncovered. The most exciting find here was the discovery of wooden tablets that carried ink writing. These tablets were written by a variety of people both military and private citizens with subjects ranging from military records to birthday party invitations. The birthday invitation is thought to be the only surviving writing by a woman during Roman times. They are considered to be one of the most important archeological finds in Britain. One thing that struck me was the familiar way the writer would inquire about the recipient’s family and send their best wishes.

After the history lesson we drove to Newcastle for a late lunch and a look around. The pizza lunch was good, but the city left us a little cold as it appeared to us to be just another industrial city that did not hold much charm. Certainly an exception to what we have seen in the UK.

The weather was windy, cloudy and warmer in the afternoon with a forecast for clearing tomorrow. We’re planning another hike and will keep our fingers crossed.

A Walk along Hadrian's Wall and Beyond September 19, 2006

We were given the royal treatment by Paul and Judith this morning at breakfast. First there was a myriad of cereals to choose from to be followed by items that we chose off their menu and ordered ala-carte. After breakfast Paul gave us some advice on a hike and lent us his Ordinance Map to use for the day.

We drove east to a place called “Once Brewed” to start the hike. There is a pub named “Twice Brewed” there and we decided we had to find out the story behind the names. It seems that Prince Charley had his men building a road through this area and the men would go to the inn for a bite and a drink. They said that the ale was so weak that it had only been brewed once. The inn keeper started to serve a stronger brew and changed the name of the inn to “Twice Brewed”. Later a boy’s school was built here and the head master said that the tea served would only be brewed once so that was called “Once Brewed”.

There is now a visitor’s center there that dispenses information about Hadrian’s Wall and Northumberland National Park. A nice lady behind the counter recommended a slightly different hike for us to try today. Paul’s route had included visiting two Roman forts along the wall and the counter lady suggested the same stretch of the wall but turning north before we reached Vercovicivm (now called Housesteads Fort). This route has us utilizing the Pennine Way, a national trail, and then finishing the hike on a Public Footpath back to the car park where we started. We chose this route.

Hadrian’s Wall was built after the Roman Emperor Hadrian visited Britain in 122AD. It took professional soldiers and legionaries six years to build the 83 mile long wall that separates England from Scotland. It is generally accepted today that the purpose of the wall was to mark the northern boundary of the empire. Troops were stationed along the length of the wall to help protect the boundary against attack by the Picts from the north in Caledonia, what is now Scotland.

We started our hike at the Steel Rigg parking lot which is adjacent to the wall. The wall through this part of the country is built along a ridge line that can be up to 1100 feet high. The wall and trail that parallels it roller coasters up and down as it follows the ridge from gaps to crags. On both sides are now pasture land that are lined with the now familiar stone fences. The only crop that can be grown in these fields is grass which is used to feed the stock now and will also be mown and stored for fodder during the winter. The views are beautiful on this sunny morning with a few clouds and a twenty mile an hour wind adding a dramatic touch to the scene. We saw several ruins of Roman buildings as we hiked and stopped to read about each one in the book that we had bought at the visitor’s center. At one point the trail had eroded so badly in a steep descent that we detoured to avoid it. Several hundred yards later we rejoined the trail and continued on to find ourselves at Housesteads Fort, or to put it another way past the point where we should have turned off the wall trail. We consulted the map and decided the detour was where the Pennine Trail crossed the wall trail. We backtracked and found the crossing and continued on. Prior to this we had seen a lot of people along the trail. Walking and history are passions here and on this fine fall Tuesday the people were exercising those passions. The Pennine trail was different as we almost had it to ourselves. As a matter of fact there was only one other couple on this trail with us. We took turns passing each other as either couple stopped for a rest or lunch etc. The trail led us across marshy land and beside Greenlee Lough (Lake) Nature Reserve. Unfortunately the only kind of “wildlife” we saw was sheep, cattle, horses and one calico cat that was looking to be adopted or maybe just for a hand out. The cat followed us for about half a mile and when we stopped for a snack the begging began in earnest. We held off until we finished and then left the kitty a piece of our locally made oatmeal cakes that we had bought at the visitor’s center. It worked as the cat stopped following us and concentrated on the decidedly non-cat food we had offered. We finished the 10 mile hike with a long gradual climb back to the ridge and the car. A great hike and the weather gods had once again smiled on us.

The next thing on our agenda was food. It was now about 4:30 and all we had eaten since breakfast was a banana and the small oatmeal cake, or at least what the cat hadn’t eaten. As we found earlier, restaurants and pubs stop serving around 2 or 3 PM. Our plan was to get on the largest highway here which is A69 and drive toward Newcastle but hopefully find something long before we had to go that far. Luck was with us and we found a Little Chef which is like a Denny’s or Shoney’s. Not the best but after five and a half hours of hiking it filled the void.

Back to Bush Nook, a shower and planning for tomorrow. The weather is starting to catch up with us and the question is will the rain come tomorrow or the next day. We watched the weather tonight and the wind and cooler temperatures are blowing in from Ireland and we’re right on the edge. We’re going to get wet.

Leaving the Lakes September 18, 2006

Leaving the Lakes September 18, 2006

We went down for Christine’s BreakFest at 8 AM and got 100% of her attention since we were the only guest last night. We decided we were going to take a little walk after breakfast and we would walk from the farm so we asked her for her advice on which path to take.


In England they have what is called ”right of way” which allows individuals to cross private land marked as having public footpaths (walkers only) or bridleways (also includes horses and bicyclist) as long as they stay to the route. This allows millions of British people to don their boots and get a little fresh air and exercise every weekend. Unlike Scandinavia the British access law does not allow camping on private lands without permission. New legislation now allows walkers to leave the “right of way” in some open areas such as mountains or moors and wander about. With most land being privately owned, including national park land, “right of way” is a big part of access to the outdoors in England.

After our briefing by Christine, Holly and I walked into Hesket Newmarket found the “Public Footpath” sign where it pointed the way across the stonewall surrounding a pasture and within moments we were enjoying the privilege of “right of way” Reality reared its ugly head all too soon as we found no path on the other side of the wall. Out came the map and the compass and back to orienteering. The last few years we have walked trails or had guides as we hiked so it took a few minutes to get back into the swing, but we soon established a heading and off we went. We crossed numerous pastures and fields and had a standoff with a large cow but forty five minutes or so later we reached our first waypoint which was a house and barn only missing it by about 100 yards. (a waypoint is an intermediate destination when you are navigating toward a final destination) We changed directions and started off again and within ten or fifteen minutes we came to a large pasture that contained several hundred sheep. Not wanting to stampede the herd we detoured to a more open area and around the large pasture. This took us across land that was boggy and harder to walk on but there was no livestock to deal with. We were heading toward a wood that appeared to be close to our next waypoint but my rusty orienteering skills failed us and we ended up missing the next mark by several hundred yards. When we did reach the waypoint we had a country lane to lead us back to Hesket Newmarket. The walk had been about two and a half hours but hopefully gave us a little practice as we expect the walking in Scotland to be a little more on the wild side.

We drove to Keswick after cleaning up and saying good-bye to Christine and took advantage of a laundry-matt in town and did some internet work followed by a pub lunch. We are becoming quite fond of pub food and we continue to be surprised by the variety. It’s not just “bar food’ as we Americans would think of it.

We left Keswick (by the way the w is silent) and drove the 60 miles to Bush Nook a B&B about 20 miles east of Carlisle. We met Paul and Judith, who are our hosts and a lovely couple and settled in for a four night stay. Woo-hoo! We came to Bush Nook because it is located about a mile from Hadrian’s Wall. This is another one from my long time list and we will hike a section or two of the wall as well as touring a couple of the Roman Forts and visiting the nearby Roman Army Museum. More tomorrow on Hadrian’s Wall.

The Davises get Lazy September 17, 2006

Today was called on the count of weather. Holly and I went into Keswick did a little planning work at the internet café above the post office before having lunch at a small local café. Sensible Holly had a baked chicken breast with salad. I had steak and kidney pie. It tastes just like chicken….no not really. It tastes like a beef pot pie with just a hint of liver. Hmmmm good!

After our lazy afternoon in town we drove back to the Howbeck Lodge with just one slight detour. We spied a road on the map that ran up a valley toward the high country. The narrow country lane gently climbed toward the ridge at the head of the valley passing pastures on the left that were walled in by the steep mountain side on the right. The lane soon paralleled a fast flowing stream and the picture was complete. We stopped and enjoyed the scene for a while but a wind that bordered on cold had picked up and a drizzling rain began to fall. Back in the car we headed home.

A Walk in the Lake District September 16, 2006

Our host at the Howbeck Lodge is named Christine and I believe that her mission in life is to make sure that anyone staying with her gains weight with her breakfast alone. She is a very nice lady and even offered to do our laundry. That may qualify her for angel status.

We drove from the B&B to Keswick on a one lane farm road that meandered across the rolling hedgerow country and just to the east of two significant mountains. This land is a checkerboard with lines of hedges and stone walls accented by thousands of sheep. The grass on the hill sides is Green which offsets the grey-brown of the mountains. We were told that last month the heather was in bloom and the lavender color covered the mountain sides. It must have been quite a sight.

After finding an internet connection in Keswick, the Howbeck doesn’t have broadband, we found the makings of a picnic lunch in preparation for the days hike. Keswick is one of tourist centers for the Northern Lake District and on this beautiful Saturday the town was crowded with people looking for their place in the great outdoors. An open air market was set up in the town square and the stalls were loaded with everything from clothes to fruit, but we were anxious to get started on our hike and our metered parking was running out so we made our way back to the car and headed out of town.

There are literally hundreds of trails within an hour drive of Keswick but Holly had picked the Walla Crag and Ashness Bridge hike which is right outside of town. The nine kilometer, four hour hike filled our afternoon and exercised our car lazy bodies. This was a circular route that included an hour or so along the lake shore and then a climb to Castle Head followed by a longer climb to Walla Crag. Both of these points offered great views of the Lake Derwent Water and the surrounding valley including Keswick. The climbs were warm as the temperature reached about 23ﾟC, 74ﾟF, and most of the trail was open and exposed to the sun. After Walla Crag the trail descended toward Ashenss Bridge and our car. Ashness Bridge is a storybook spot with a single arch stone bridge set between a wood and a mountain pasture.

Today is Saturday, our treat day, so to reward ourselves on a hike well done we stopped in Keswick for ice cream before heading back to the farm. When we arrived Christine had folded our laundry and laid it on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed. She has my vote for Queen of England.

King Edwards White Elephant September 15, 2006

This morning we visited the Caernarfon Castle in the town of Caernarfon. Which, you guessed it, is a listed UNESCO site. The castle was started in 1283 by King Edward I after subduing the Welsh and putting the head of the Welsh King on a pole at the Tower of London. It seems Edward angered quickly and would deal with “the fly” buzzing around his head both immediately and harshly. This is the same Edward Long Shanks that started the war with the Scots when they did not obey all his royal edicts. If you saw the movie “Braveheart” Edward was the bad guy.

The castle, based on the design of the Byzantine palace in Constantinople, was built to be a military fortress, a royal palace, a seat of government and a symbol of his power and dominance. In order to solidify England’s rule over Wales he named his son, Edward II, the first Prince of Wales a tradition that continues to this day with Prince Charles holding the title. (As a note when the 1969 investiture ceremony of Prince Charles was transferred to Caernarfon Castle the still un-subdued, after 700 years, locals tried unsuccessfully to blow up his train. Also over 80% of the citizenry still use Welsh as their first language. It does not seem that Edward’s subjugation strategy worked.) The structure was built to hold one thousand soldiers, but the largest permanent garrison ever based here consisted of twelve men which acted as the town’s police force. The building of the castle also managed to bankrupt Edward even though this was only the first, albeit the largest, of thirteen castles he built in Northern Wales.

The castle itself is in good shape after restoration work was completed in the early 20th century and is quite impressive to see. We were lucky that a guided tour was starting just as we arrived so we latched on and were treated to a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide that also had a sense of humor. He explained the political history, technical construction and workings all in one hour. Caernarfon stands guarding the River Seiont on the Menai Strait and below the Snowdonia Mountains and offers some exceptional views which were enhanced by a bright cloudless day.

After our castle experience we drove north about 200 miles to the Lake District. For the next three nights we will be staying at a B&B named the Howbeck Lodge, a working farm just down the road from the village of Hesket Newmarket. After we arrived at the lodge this evening we walked the half mile or so to the village for a quick look. A post office, general store, pub, a free church and a couple of dozen cottages make up the village. From our second story window we overlook pastures which hold chickens, goats, cows, horses and of course sheep. We have arrived in the English countryside.

A Roman Bath September 14, 2006

We had a nice breakfast at the hotel this morning before starting out on a journey farther back in time than we have been on this trip. This morning we visited the Roman Baths in the city of Bath.

Bath is a UNESCO site and architectural student’s dream. While we are not knowledgeable enough to understand the technical aspect of the buildings we did appreciate their beauty and endurance. The town was founded by King Bladud, the father of King Lear, some 2800 years ago because according to legend he was cured of leprosy when he bathed in the muddy swamps here. The Romans established the town of Aqua Sulis on the site in AD 44 and built the extensive baths as well as a temple to the goddess Sulis-Minerva.

The Anglo-Saxons founded a monastery here, on the site of the present Abbey in 944. The town saw much activity through the middle ages, and in the early 18th century it became a favored site for fashionable society when the Roman baths were rediscovered and developed by a gentleman named Allen. This put Bath back in the limelight for a while but with the advent of sea bathing its popularity waned.

The Roman’s built their bath complex around a hot spring which is the only one found in Britain. As most things in the height of the Roman Empire, the architecture and engineering are amazing. They created a pool for the spring and the water was then diverted to bathing pools as the spring itself was sacred and off limits. They also built a dry sauna with a floor that was heated by a furnace room, cool pools and massage detox rooms. A temple completed this complex and after the proper offering or sacrifice the pilgrim would take the plunge in hopes of healing or relief from their particular suffering. The baths have been restored to a large degree and are well worth a visit. It’s easy to spend a couple of hours going through the site while listening to the audio tour that is included in the price of admission.

We left Bath and drove toward Wales which is in the west of the island, southwest of Manchester and west-northwest of London. After bypassing Newport our six lane motorway dwindled to a two lane highway as we turned into the mountains of Brecon Beacons National Park. We stopped at Merthyr Tydfil for lunch at a KFC of all places. We wanted something quick as we had quite a distance still to drive. While eating Holly noticed a poster in the restaurant with the familiar Colonel logo superimposed over a map of the state of Kentucky. The only problem was that the map was both upside down and reversed east to west. Being a proud Kentuckian Holly sought out the manager, who turned out to be the district manager, and told him of the mistake. He grinned and apologized saying that not only should the company have caught this but he had a degree in geography and should have realized the error.

Our speed dropped dramatically but the drizzled landscape more than made up for it. We passed through numerous quaint villages and a few castles as we made our way north. A long tiring drive, but enjoyable all the same. We reached our destination Llanberis which is near Caernarfon around 7 PM. We are again staying in an older hotel this one built in 1834. Originally called the Royal Victoria it is now named the Quality Hotel Snowdonia and is situated on the edge of Snowdonia National Park. This is the area of the highest mountains in Wales. Caernarfon Castle, which we hope to tour tomorrow, as well as the Roman fort Segontium are both near here and enrich the history of the area.

Exploring the English Countryside September 13, 2006

We had to find breakfast for ourselves this morning as after a week of cereal and toast we were ready for a hot morning meal. The front desk at the hotel directed us to a small café close to the city center where we had eggs, the first in about a month, bacon, potatoes, a slice of toast and Holly also had baked beans, a nice change and as it turned out this would have to last us until 5PM.

We loaded the car and started driving northwest toward the town of Salisbury. When we arrived and after finding a place to park we set out on foot looking for a travel agent so that we could buy a Europass for the trains in Continental Europe when we go there in October. The agent we found was no help so we went looking for the Salisbury Cathedral. In route we stumbled upon an outdoor store. I was looking for replacement shoes as the sole on mine had started to separate and is being held in place with Super Glue. Holly was looking for a fleece pull over as we expect it to start getting cooler during the next few weeks. We both found what we needed and treasures in hand we moved on to the cathedral.

The Salisbury Cathedral was built between 1228 and 1254 and has the tallest spire in England at 123 meters (approximately 400’). The cathedral was originally designed in the gothic style and all additions in the years that followed the kept same design. It is a beautiful building and even with tourist milling about commands a reverence from those that enter. As was the custom numerous well known local people are interred there including lords, ladies and bishops. The crowning feature of our stop here was being able to view one of four surviving copies of the original Magna Charta. This is said to be the best preserved and most legible of these documents that were given the seal of King John in 1215 AD. The document lays out basic individual freedoms and responsibilities of the law and the monarchy. It is one of the primary documents used in creating a number of current governing outlines including the US.

We moved on from Salisbury and found our way to Stonehenge. I was a little under whelmed by our visit while Holly was impressed with the mystery and what is known about the structure as well as what is not known. The fact is the structure was built and rebuilt over a couple of thousand years with a purpose in mind yet no one alive today knows for sure what it was for. It does have an alignment with both the equinox and solstice but we don’t know if it was used for an observatory, as a temple or merely a symbol of power for the rulers of the time. Whatever the purpose it took a tremendous amount of work, engineering skill and logistical knowledge to put the monoliths where they rest today.

We drove the 30 miles from Stonehenge to the Limpley Stoke Hotel which is a few miles outside of Bath. The hotel is situated on a hillside overlooking the valley that is our ideal of the English countryside. The adjoining hillsides are dotted with farms and have sheep grazing in small pastures that are bordered by trees which are on the verge of changing color. The hotel itself is a 400 year old country house having been built during the reign of King James I, and was converted to a hotel after WWII. The vine covered stone walls are a welcome respite from the hustle bustle and concrete of London.

After checking in we took a short drive across to the next valley in search of Bradford on Avon and a very late lunch. What we found was one of the most picturesque places we have ever seen with narrow winding lanes stone cottages and pubs set on the Avon River, but no lunch. Being around 4:30 all the pubs and cafes we checked had stopped serving lunch and would not start dinner for another hour and a half. After wandering around the village we found a small specialty grocer and feasted on tomato and cheese sandwiches followed by fruit. A meal even Henry the VIII would have enjoyed if he would have been in our circumstance.

NOTE: We are unsure of internet availability for the next few weeks but will publish as often as we can. We will try and check emails at internet cafes when we can, so if you need to reach us please be patient.

A Childhood Dream come True September 12, 2006

We leave London today for the sunny south of England and Portsmouth. Portsmouth is the principal port for the Royal Navy. For the yacheties among you this is where the term “the hard” comes from. That is when you move a boat to dry land for maintenance or storage it is said to be “on the hard”. The road that runs by the old docks here is named “The Hard” and to have one’s ship in the dry dock for repairs is to have one’s ship on “The Hard”. One of hundreds of terms we still use today that came from the Royal Navy. Phrases like “three squares a day” come from the shape of the seaman’s dishes. ‘Not enough room to swing a cat” refers to floggings and swinging a “Cat-o-Nine Tails”. Sailing is rich with history and vocabulary and this is true no where more than the Royal Navy.

We made our way on the Tube and then the airport express train to the airport and then with the aid of a shuttle bus to the Europcar office to pick up our rental car. The plan is to do an abbreviated driving tour through England, Wales and Scotland over the next three weeks. The tour will include historic castles, walks in the Lake District, bicycling along Hadrian’s Wall and a week in a self catering cottage in the Scottish Highlands. If anyone has any suggestions for things to see or places to stop please email us.

The reason we are in Portsmouth is to see the HMS Victory which is something I have wanted to see since I built a model of the famous ship when I was ten years old. The Victory is the oldest commissioned warship in the world and was the Flagship of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. Trafalgar was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars as Nelson and the British Fleet defeated the combined Franco Spanish forces. Nelson was killed in this action and elevated to the status of sainthood in the eyes of 19th century Britain. (As a side note; Nelson’s body was transported by to England as one of his last sentence’s to the ship’s surgeon was ”not over the side” referring to the common way of burial at sea. The surgeon placed the body in a cask and filled it with brandy. Six weeks later when they reached England they found the body perfectly preserved. Nelson was given a state funeral, the first man outside of royalty to receive this honor.)

The HMS Victory was launched in 1765 and remained in active service until 1922. The Victory has been “on the hard” here since then but remains a commissioned Royal Navy ship and today serves as the flagship for the Second Lord of the Navy. She has a captain and crew but is open for tours. The tours are guided and take you through several interesting parts of the ship from the main deck to the grand magazine which is the deck above the bilge. The highlight being the “Orlop” or surgery where Nelson actually died after being struck by a musket ball while directing the battle from the main deck. This spot is also marked with a brass plaque. I don’t believe I can give an unbiased opinion, but the tour was very well conducted with a good balance of information, humor and areas of the ship explored. Holly also professed to having enjoyed the tour of the Victory and this sounded genuine, not just an indulgence of my long time desires.

We stopped in the museum on the docks, although we did not have much time before closing, and saw the Top Foresail that was flown during the battle and it is itself the only sail to still survive from the battle and at approximately 3500’ SFT it is the largest textile artifact in the world. The reason it is still with us is that it was severely damaged in the battle with 90+ holes and was hauled down immediately after the battle and stored for years before being rediscovered in the Portsmouth Navy Gymnasium.

Having reveled in my childhood fantasies and fulfilled a dream we walked back to the hotel and called it a day. With only about five hours of sleep last night I expect to sleep well tonight while dreaming of ships, cannon fire and Victory.

Off Day in London September 11, 2006

We took a day off from touring today. Holly had lunch in Piccadilly with Debra and Helen, two friends that she had made in Hong Kong. I, on the other hand, spent most of the day researching accommodations for the next week, but did manage to take a walk around Bayswater and take in a few of the sights.

The downside of the day came at the end when a group of people gathered on the stoop right outside of our room, we are in the basement of the London House, and laughed and talked until 1:45 AM. Oh the joys of cheap, I mean, price advantageous accommodations.

We have enjoyed our time in London and were amazed at how easy it was to get around and see all the things we wanted to see. We were also amazed at the mix of people. We found a large part of the population have immigrated here. This may be well known to a lot of people but it surprised us. The city has a lot to offer in the way of sites, history and entertainment and Holly and I would both highly recommend this as a vacation destination as it has something to offer everyone. The downside is the price even our bargain basement hostel style hotel cost about US$100 a night, so save up and come see one of the world’s great cities.

The British Museum September 10, 2006

This morning we caught the Central Tube Line at Notting Hill that took us to within a few blocks of the museum. This section of town was very busy with heavy pedestrian traffic as it has many shops and restaurants.

The museum lives up to its reputation of one of the finest in the world. With galleries dedicated to Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek, Oriental and Roman that would take days if not weeks to fully appreciate. The oldest pieces we saw today dated from around 4000 B.C. Without getting into the philosophical or moral aspects of acquisition the museum is a collection of world history and I for one am happy to see that people in the past and present have had the forethought to preserve a piece of world heritage.

The museum was founded in 1749 as a “cabinet of curiosities” and was carried forward to become one of the world’s foremost collections. I’m not sure what else to say except, if you find yourself in London please make sure that you take a day to visit the main building of the museum to see some of the worlds greatest historical treasures. It will be time more than well spent.

After the museum we had a quick lunch at a Subway Sandwich Shop and then headed toward the hotel battling the ongoing Tube renovation projects. We spent the rest of the day planning our next leg and lining up accommodations on the internet.

Of Time and Tide September 9, 2006

We had the chance to try a different rail line in route to Greenwich in the form of the DLR (Docklands Light Rail). The DLR is an extension of the metro system but with much nicer cars and seats. We found our way and stepped off the train in Greenwich about 10:30 AM. We came to this London burb in order to see two things that have been on my list for a long time; the British National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory. We got a bonus when we found out that the clipper ship Cutty Sark is also here and open for tours.

Greenwich is somewhat village-like and is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. (We’re thinking of renaming the Davis East West Expedition the UNESCO Tour.) The town is filled with architecture from most of the greats of the Enlightenment mainly due to royal patronage and is a great place to just stroll and look.

The National Maritime Museum is the collection that explains the phrase “Britannia Rules the Waves”. It covers everything from explorers to merchantman to liners to war ships and then throws in fun stuff about royal launches and yachts as well as record setting boats and people. My favorite section was The Lord Nelson exhibit, one of history’s figures that I admire. These rooms contained information on The HMS Victory, navy life of the period and even the tunic and other clothing that Nelson was wearing when he was shot during the Battle of Trafalgar. The section covering explorers was also very interesting. It focused on polar exploration and matched nicely with what we had seen in the museums in Oslo.

After a few hours we moved to the observatory so that we could hear a narrative about the site. The talk covered the reason the observatory was built, to map stars for navigational purposes, the astronomer’s that manned the observatory, the most famous being Edmund Halley of comet fame, and what the Prime Meridian means to us. The Observatory sits on a hill overlooking the Maritime Museum and the Thames. Minutes after we arrived we were treated to a tradition that has been around for hundreds of years. At 12:58 every day there is a red ball, mounted atop the original observatory building, which is raised to the top of a rod. At 1PM EXACTLY it is dropped to the bottom of the rod. This was done so that all the ships on the Thames could set their clocks. It is still dropped every day. This observatory is also the birthplace and the home of the Prime Meridian, the imaginary line of longitude that runs north and south around the earth, or the opposite of the equator. This is the basis for worldwide standardized time and allows us to co-ordinate everything from airline and shipping schedules to phone calls and TV programming. This was all done to try and solve the problem of ships determining their longitude at sea, a simple problem with a complex answer. While the observatory was built to map the stars the real answer came with accurate time keeping. (The difference in the time from where you are to the Prime Meridian will tell you how far away you are and allow you to locate your east/west position.) Parliament offered a prize of ￡20,000 (about US$12 million in today’s dollars) to anyone that could solve the problem of longitudinal location in a way that could be used by ships at sea. John Harrison was a Yorkshire carpenter that had the ability to reason out problems backed up with a lot of tenacity. Mr. Harrison labored for forty years to develop a mechanical watch that would accurately keep time during sea voyages. The requirement for the prize was accuracy to within two seconds a month. Mr. Harrison’s fifth prototype was ten times more accurate than required and literally changed the way time was kept. Many of his designs are still used in the finest automatic watches today. All five of his original timepieces are on display at the observatory. The first four are larger, about the size of a bedside table, while H5 was a watch design and about the size of a saucer.

We walked down the hill and toward the river where the Cutty Sark is in dry dock. The ship was launched in 1869 and set several run records between England / India and between England / Australia. Not only was she fast but was built to carry 1.3 million pounds of cargo. She first was in the tea trade and when the Suez Canal made her uncompetitive she was used for the wool trade. She ended her sailing life being used as a training ship between 1938 and 1953. She is the only surviving extreme clipper ship and the only tea clipper left. It was a pleasure to be able to walk her decks and imagine her motion with a full compliment of sail bent on. The Cutty Sark is currently undergoing efforts to keep her from deteriorating further.

After the Cutty Sark we caught a Thames Ferry to Westminster, A nice ride with one of the crew giving historical and interesting facts as we moved up the river. At Westminster we were able to catch the Tube back to Bayswater and a very late lunch of fajitas at a neighborhood restaurant.

Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London September 8, 2006

This morning we took the Tube to Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery is here along with the Lord Nelson Monument. It is a busy place with traffic buzzing around constantly on this Friday morning, but it was another beautiful day with blue skies and temperatures in the 70s.

From there we walked down the Mall to Buckingham Palace to watch what every visitor to London must see, the changing of the guard. We arrived at 10:40 AM to see hordes of people already lining the high wrought iron fence that surrounds the palace. The guide books tell you to be there early or all you will see is the “backs of heads” and any later and that would have been our view. We squeezed in on one side and waited for the event to begin at 11:30. With much pomp and ceremony not to mention horses and brass bands the change came off without a hitch and the Queen was safe for another shift. It is quite the spectacle.

We left the Palace and meandered through St. James Park toward the Tube station of the same name but decided to stop for lunch as Holly spied a pub that was not yet inundated with midday diners. Holly ordered fish and chips while I the sausage and mash. We shared the plates so we could both get a taste of authentic London cuisine and I’m happy to report that we were not disappointed in the “Old Star Pub”.

We reached the Tower of London after a short Tube ride and bought our tickets to another of London’s “must see” sights. The Tower is a listed UNESCO site and houses some of Britain’s most sordid history.

The original tower, the White Tower, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 after the battle of Hastings as both a palace fortress and a message to the people of England that he was now the man. By 1285 two walls with towers and a moat had been added but very little alteration of these medieval defenses have been made since that time. The complex has been used as a residence, an armory, a repository for the Crown Jewels, a barracks, a prison and a place of execution. The likes of Sir Walter Raleigh and Ann Boleyn were executed here just to mention a few. One of the legends of the Tower is that the future Richard III ordered the murder of his nephews 12 year old Edward V and his younger brother in order to gain the crown. The White Tower now houses a massive collection of arms and armor while the Waterloo Barracks, now known as the Jewel Tower, contains the Crown Jewels. Both are well worth seeing. Another legend concerns the ravens that are on the grounds of the Tower. It is said that if they leave the Tower will collapse. The clever keepers have clipped their wings to prevent this from happening. I would recommend either taking the guided “Beef Eater” tour or renting an audio tour head set. Both will give you the background you need to understand the significance of this place.

Just outside the walls of the Tower is the Tower Bridge. A Thames River walkway gave us an excellent view and a kindly Londoner agreed to take our picture with the bridge in the background.

After the tour we headed back to the Tower Hill Tube Station. Tower Hill is where the less well connected were publicly executed. As we waited on the platform an announcement was made that there were delays on the Circle Line, our line of course, and the trains would be moving slow this afternoon. The trip back to Bayswater where our hotel is located took about an hour or twice what it should have. The joys of big city touring.

Something Old, Something New September 7, 2006

The breakfast area at the hotel this morning looked like a refugee soup kitchen. There were people of all ages, genders and colors packed in to the small room. The breakfast offering was comprised of corn flakes, pre-made toast, un-toasted bread, coffee and juice. Fortunately our room is right across the hall from the “banquet hall” so we scooped up our helping of each dish and moved back to our room. Holly had bought some fruit at grocery so we supplemented the hotel fare and ended up with a decent breakfast.

Our stay in London will be all about being tourist. We want to see all the things that we have heard about all our lives plus a few we haven’t. We caught the “tube” (London Underground or subway) and rode to the Waterloo stop and then walked to the London Eye, the cities newest hot ticket. We were fortunate today to have clear weather and enjoyed outstanding views of London during our thirty minute ride. The eye is set on the Thames across from Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace etc. The glass bubbles hold about 25 people each but allows plenty of room for moving around and viewing. When you reach the apex the gondola is about 135 meters or almost 450 feet in the air. It may not be fast but it’s quite a ride.

We walked along the Thames to Lambeth Bridge which is about a kilometer from the Eye and the point of the more familiar view of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. We crossed the Thames and found lunch in a small local restaurant. We were going for a pub lunch but the business crowd had beaten us to it. That’s OK because Selmo’s chili smothered baked potato, while maybe not traditional English fare, fueled us for an afternoon of intense sight seeing.

Westminster Abbey was next on the list. This is a place that I had never given much thought to except for the occasional mention in a novel or history book, but it will move you. Home to royal coronations, marriages, christenings and funerals, burial place for kings, queens, poets and scientist. This is the last 1000 years of English history encapsulated in a building. Every English monarch, with the exception of two, since William the Conquerer in 1066 have been crowned here and most of them were buried here when their time came. This is a place that you have to experience for yourself to truly even begin to understand how Britian became the world power that it is.

After the Abbey we made our way back to the hotel and took advantage of a cinema that is located around the corner. Please remember the next time you go to a movie that in London the tickets are US$16.50 each and the popcorn and drink were US$8 each, but even at half that price we still would have paid too much to see “You, Me and Dupree”.

The Big Hop Septemer 6, 2006

Today is the big day. We move from Copenhagen to London. We had decided a couple of weeks back to tour the UK after finishing up Scandinavia in Copenhagen to try and make the most of the weather. The plan is to go back to France, Germany and Italy after the UK tour.

We will spend about a month between England, Scotland and Ireland. Most of this time will be spent driving the countryside in a rental car without a lot of preplanning, but we do have a week planned in London and another week in a cottage in the Scottish Highlands. More about that later.

It was raining when we got up this morning which will be a problem as we need to get the train station in order to get to the airport. Holly did a quick tour of the National Museum, which is one block from the Danmark, and came back raving about it. Maybe next time we’ll spend a day there. We stayed at the hotel until noon and although the rain didn’t stop it did ease to a light mist in time for our departure. This meant we put rain covers over all four packs and donned rain jackets for ourselves. Twenty minutes later we were at the rain station. First thing was a stop at the Poste (post office) to mail a couple of packages. In our unofficial “European Postal Rating System” (1-10) we give the Copenhagen Poste an 8. After the Poste we combined our immense brain power were able, after several minutes, to comprehend the straight forward directions to buy a train ticket from a machine and were soon on our way to the airport.

The Copenhagen Airport is large, clean and modern with all sorts of shops and conveniences. Again by applying both our computer like minds we determined how to use the self check in machines then checked our large packs for a sense of freedom only a weary traveler can know. Lunch was next followed by a short wait for our 3:45 PM flight.

We arrived in London on time; cleared customs had a short wait at the luggage carousel and then moved on to find our way to central London. We chose the Express that while more expensive at ￡14.50 (US28.50) only took 15 minutes as compared to an hour for the underground. While waiting on the platform a lady that appeared to be in her late fifties suddenly had a seizure. Holly and I did all that we could to comfort the lady while a man went to get train officials. The lady got worse and was incoherent with full dilated pupils when the train officers arrived. They immediately called for paramedics. We laid the lady on the floor as her spasms had become more violent and she was slipping from her chair. More train officers arrived and took over her care. Our train pulled up to the platform and we were torn as to what to do but finally decided we should go as there was nothing more that we were trained to do and could be of no further help. We wish her well.

We reached Paddington Station and had to transfer to the Circle / Wimbledon Line to reach our stop at Bayswater. A five minute walk from the station is the London House Hotel which is really hostel style accommodation with some private rooms. We have a family room, one double and two twin beds, with more space than we have had in a while. Oddly enough the sparsely furnished room, no chairs or table, has a 21” flat screen TV. The big bonus is a laundry room with washer and dryer!

The London House is situated in what appears to be a quite, nice inner city neighborhood with a grocery and a mall only a block away. This looks like it will be a nice place from which to base our London tour.

A Birthday in Copenhagen September 5, 2006

Our thought this morning was to rent a bicycle and tour several of the cities museums, but the weather again showed that this is real life with a threat of rain and the wind blowing around 20 MPH. We decided to forgo the bikes and walk to selected museums instead.

A thirty minute walk, part of which was along the waterfront, brought us to the Resistance Museum. The museum is all about WWII in Denmark. The Danish government decided on a path of co-operation with the Nazis because of the relative size of the Danish military force and Denmark’s geographic location to Germany. Denmark did not declare war on Nazi Germany even after German troops occupied the country in 1940. Instead a protest was filed and then an agreement was reached with Berlin whereas Denmark would retain its independence and Germany would maintain troops in the country. This lead to a resistance movement that was initiated by school aged citizenry but spread to more of the population as general freedoms were restricted.

This is the stuff of spy novels. Secret codes, sabotage, shoot outs and night air drops were all part of the Danish resistance. Most of all brave dedicated people determined to see their country returned to freedom. The pictures, artifacts and text that are contained in the museum are guaranteed to involve you in their struggle and leave you with a deep respect for those that gave their youth and lives for their cause.

We spent much more time in the Resistance Museum than originally planned so when our museum visit was complete we started looking for lunch as it was around 2PM. We strolled through town taking in the sites of this old and historic city, walking along the canals among buildings that can be 600-700 years old and are still in use today. Around 3 we finally decided on a place to eat.

After lunch / dinner we decided it was too late for any more museums so wandered back to the hotel, but we did stop along the way so that I could get a brownie from a bakery and a small container of ice cream (Ben and Jerry’s Caramel Chocolate something or other) as my birthday treat. Back at the hotel the treats finished off we watched the US Open. Our only problem with the Danmark Hotel is with no air conditioning we needed to leave the windows open which exposed our fourth floor room to the street noise below and the street was noisy. We managed to overcome this obstacle though and we were soon asleep.

Copenhagen, the Windy City September 4, 2006

We woke to squally weather this morning and since it was Monday most of Copenhagen’s museums are closed. We decided to go for a bus tour. This is something we haven’t done on this trip. This is your standard run of the mill Gray Line type tour that shows you the highlights of the city and more importantly keeps you dry while it’s doing it. This was followed by a canal boat tour that started in an open boat but transferred to a glass topped boat as it rained on and off all day.

The bus tour included the “Changing of the Guard” at the Royal Palace, a quick photo opp at the Little Mermaid Statue and a general tour of town with rapid fire down load from the recorded tour highlights that you get through the headphones. The thing that you come away with is that Christian IV built this city. Like Peter the Great in Russia he was a man with a vision and the where-with-all to make it happen. And, he did all of this while his treasury was being drained by the multiple conflicts that were taking place with Sweden. We were told that Christian IV started his reign as one of the richest monarchs on earth and ended it as one of the poorest, but the man built his country’s infrastructure and retained it’s sovereignty in the process.

The canal tour was interesting and gave a different physical perspective but was cut short because of a very high tide kept us from going under several low bridges (as in 6-7’ off the water. That was OK because with the strong winds we had to keep the boats windows closed even when it wasn’t raining.

After the tour Holly and I grabbed a quick lunch and walked around the center of town for a short while. We soon tired of fighting the wind which would literally push you backwards if you were not careful and returned to the hotel late in the afternoon. We’ll hope for better weather tomorrow as we plan on renting bikes and taking the grand museum tour tomorrow.

Good-Bye Sweden September 3, 2006

We moved today from Malmo, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark. This was a short 30 minute train ride that took us across the Oresund (The Sound) which separates the two cities and the two countries. Everything ran smoothly with the only question being the weather. It is beginning to feel like autumn here with a front moving in last night bringing cooler temperatures and on / off showers.

We had a fifteen minute walk to the Danmark Hotel because of having to walk around the Trivoli Gardens which is Copenhagen’s long standing amusement park and happens to be right outside the central train station. Once checked in we dropped our bags and went out for a little lunch and a little look around. The city was alive with people on this Sunday afternoon and we look forward to exploring it during the next few days.

Mucking Around Malmo September 2, 2006

Our main attraction to Malmo is a Viking Village just south of town named Foteviken. This is no ordinary historical recreation, no sir! A group of people have dedicated themselves to living the 800-1000AD Viking lifestyle. According to everything we have read this means they shun all modern conveniences in favor of this more basic way of living. We read about this a month or so ago and decided to make this stop.

We took a bus to the village of Hollviken, thirty minutes away, and then walked another fifteen minutes or so to find ourselves looking at a sign saying closed on weekends after August 31. It is September 2. With all the constant planning we missed this one. The good news was that the sign also said visitors were welcome to wander around at their leisure even when the “museum” was closed. We walked through the gates and immediately came upon a group of people dressed in rough woolen and animal skins having a meal on the ground in front of a very basic dwelling. Only one of the six people looked up as we passed and he gave no expression. We made the loop, stopped to read a few explanatory boards and found ourselves back at the entrance. This is why we stopped at Malmo?

Back in Malmo Holly had found a Mexican restaurant for lunch. It has been a while and although it is not what we were used to the food was good and a bargain at about US$20 even with three entrées, one, calamari, we had as an appetizer. The restaurant sat across the street from St. Peter’s Church which was built in the early 14th century. This is a very large and ornate church which speaks to the prosperity of Malmo during that time. As a bonus a local wedding was just ending and we got to see the bride and groom depart. Five minutes after we left the restaurant we happened upon a small park that was hosting a motor scooter rally. Kinda neat to see all the old scooters. Vespa was very well represented as well as some other brands. (See photo site)

A fifteen minute walk had us in the Malmo Museum which is inside the old castle. The displays I’m sure were interesting but there were no printed guides in English and all placards were only in Swedish. We moved on to the Technical Museum which had exhibits about cars, planes, machines and boats. They have the U-3 which is a Swedish submarine that was built in 1941 and decommissioned in 1967 as well as some great antique cars, motorcycles and airplanes. The Technical Museum has English translation and is very interesting. One of the best we have toured.

We had a thirty minute walk back to the hotel where we started the never ending research for the UK leg although I’m happy to report we are getting close to finalizing the itinerary.

We ended the day at a local movie house by seeing “Cars” which they showed in English. Quite funny and a good popcorn movie.

Oslo to Malmo, Sweden September 1, 2006

We had a train to catch at 1PM as we head south today for the Swedish city of Malmo. We spent the morning packing and researching the UK leg before starting our walk to the station. We took our breakfast ham and cheese sandwiches that the hotel had provided as breakfast for a ready made lunch on the train. Holly had picked up some jalapeño potato chips to spice them up a little so we were set. We caught our train, had lunch and settled back to enjoy the trip.

This was the fastest train we have been on and it appeared to reach speeds of around 150km (90 MPH), but the tracks were in good shape and the ride was smooth. The routing today had us stopping in Goteborg and then switching to a Swedish train and continuing on to Malmo. Everything was moving along nicely until three minutes out of Goteborg station our train stopped and an announcement was made in Swedish. (We have found this to be a somewhat common theme wherever we have traveled; when it’s good news translate it, when it’s bad news make it short and sweet and only in the local language.) Holly found out later that a train in front of us had caught fire and had to be dealt with. We were delayed about 45 minutes. We reached Malmo around 9PM and with the information office closed and the hotel phone number not answering, we had no idea how to find our hotel. It was also dark so we caved and took a taxi. Five minute ride, PRICELESS, or at least they must think so as it cost us about US$30. We later walked the same route in less than fifteen minutes. Knowledge can be very valuable!

Our time in Norway has been both eye and wallet opening. Norway has some of the most amazing scenery we have yet seen but you definitely pay for the privilege. I would like to come back again, staying away from the cities and enjoying the outdoors backpacking or kayaking. The people here while not unfriendly are a little more distant than the people we met in Sweden. They are helpful when you ask for information but we found the questions must be detailed and pointed.

(Holly here with my brief comments on Norway: they have bad coffee but make up for it with delicious sweet treats. The pecan pie pastry is to die for and they also serve lots of Daim Cake (from Sweden). You can get Daim Cake from Ikea if you are fortunate enough to live near one. There are beatifully tended flower gardens that soften and contrast the ruggedness of the mountains and fjords. Since there are so many mountains in the path of roads, there are many, many tunnels. The Scandinavians in general have the queue system completely under control. Every service counter you need, you simply pull a number from the ticket machine and patiently sit on a bench and wait for your number to be called. No need to jockey in line, tapping your foot, thinking someone might get the jump on you. A very civilized process that many countries could adopt. We spent the majority of our time in Scandinavia in Norway for good reason. Photographers and artists flock to Norway, as well as outdoor enthusiasts who come in summer and winter alike. You must see it to believe it.)