Edinburgh

June 10th brought another day of sunny skies. From what the locals say, we've had extraordinarily great weather on this trip. Most have said that the best weather of the year has been in the last couple of weeks. We've had only two days of rain, and the only day that rained all day we were in London, and the other day it rained only part of the day. Sunny skies make the sights so much better.

We drove to the village of Carmichael again, this time to walk to the Carmichael house ruins. At the welcome center, they gave us a map to the old house. We walked down paths, across fields, and down drives. It was about 3/4 mile to the house. It was very large, in the thousands of square feet, and three levels plus a partial basement. No roof at all (more on this later), but many walls were still standing. Gary was excited!

Carmichael Ruins

The roof was removed some years ago as a way of avoiding paying taxes on a home. While it cuts the tax rate, it sure makes a mess of a house when it's open to the elements. Penny wise...

Some of Edinburgh Castle

After a bit, we walked back, had a light lunch at the cafe at the welcome center. Gary and Linda bought some memorabilia to carry home. Then on to Edinburgh Castle. The drive there was not too far, but with me driving, it was exciting. Hit a couple of curbs, and had trouble finding the right gear several times. No damage yet.

the GPS led us to the castle. Parking was challenging; we had to use a very expensive e parking deck (£18) for 4 hours. The castle was fabulous. Big, up high on rock outcroppings, overlooking the impressive city. I enjoyed the castle very much. It's pretty old, with parts dating back to the 800s. That's 1,500 years old!

It got to be time to leave the castle, so we walked a short way and had a drink. Then walked to the Hard Rock Cafe to get a tee shirt for one of Gary's daughters.

Edinburgh Castle over City

Then to eat dinner and walk back to the car. We looked for and found a hotel, the Salisbury, where they had room for us. It was nice. Then to bed. A long, but tiring day.

Rental Car

Well, all of the tour members scattered towards home or other adventures. The big truck with 16 bikes left for Munich last night, to be used on the next tour week after next. Most members were heading home, but a few went to other places in the UK for a few days.

Our Car

Gary and I left with the hotel van to pick up our car for the next few days. We got to the rental car place at the airport after winding around many circles for a while. I had no idea where we were or how to get back to the hotel.

Gary had reserved a compact car for 4 days. When he checked rental rates with his phone a couple of days ago, he found that we could get it cheaper for a whole week if reserved for a week. So, last night we decided to change the reservation for the cheaper rate. Alas, when he went back into the website, the rate shown was much higher!

So, I checked with my tablet and got an even lower rate. So, I reserved it and Gary canceled his.

Realizing how bad our sense of direction was in getting to the rental agency, I asked about the cost to rent a GPS to help us find our way. The agent checked and offered a larger car with a built-in GPS for £8 a day more. We took it.

After a cursory demo on how to use the GPS, we took off for the hotel. No problem now in getting back to the hotel.

We picked up Linda and the luggage, found a way to set the GPS for Edinburgh, Scotland. And off we went! With me driving!!!

Speed at Which I was a Safe Driver

Boy, what a shock it was to sit on the wrong side of the car, shift the 5 speed with my left hand, and work the controls otherwise normal. The car feels about 10 feet wide! With the small, narrow roads, it's truly an ordeal for this old man to keep it in my lane. It's a lot harder than I thought. I keep the car too far to the left, resulting in hitting rumble straps frequently, brushing against vegetation on the left side, and hitting an occasional curb! I think Gary and Linda are scared of my driving, but don't want to fuss. Fussing too much might result in me boycotting the driving and making one of them drive! And neither of them wants to drive.

So, I drove the about 200 miles to Manchester to Biggers, Scotland without hitting anything important. It was wild.

The car is a Nissan, mid-sized with a backup camera and a HUGE moonroof. It's a good value and runs ok. Slower is better, and it's pretty slow.

We're in a little village named Biggers. It's a quaint little place near Carmichael, where were returning tomorrow.

First Hotel After the Tour

We're staying in a hotel/tavern right in the middle of the village. Our room has a double bed for them and a twin for me. Getting to the room is an adventure. You enter the tavern, climb up a set of stairs to a landing. Then up another flight. Then a right turn through one door, down a hall to another turn at another door. Then up a flight of stairs to a small hallway and down a flight of stairs. Finally, through an unmarked door to the end of a short hallway to our door. It's a workout to get to the room.

We were told of a horse parade with a bagpipe group that was going to walk through the
village. We had a drink and then walked outside to watch the parade. Very unique indeed!

I Think She Caught a Whiff of Horse Droppings!

So, this was our first day on our third adventure of this trip. A good day.

Parade

Stay tuned....

Tour Finale

II guess it's true that all good things must come to an end... The tour is done. Not the trip or the adventures, but the tour itself.

The final day brought another day of bright, sunny skies and perfect riding conditions. It could not have been any better. We were very fortunate to have an almost unprecedented 12 consecutive days that were dry, with most being sunny or at least partially sunny.

At Ferry Landing

We did the usual morning drill. Big breakfast, get packed and on the bikes. We stayed in the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. Right on the waterfront of one of the lakes in

Wonderful Accommodations

the lakes region of England. I checked rates on their website, and for a room for two, with breakfast and dinner (which we had), the nightly rate was £509 Pounds! With the exchange rate, that's $750!! It was very nice...

We got on the bikes and took the meandering roads to a ferry that crossed the lake. After about 10 minutes, the ferry pulled into the landing and we loaded. We started to pay the £1.60 fare, and they asked if we were part of the "American Contingency". Not knowing who they were, but knowing we were American, we responded "yes", to which they said the fare was already taken care of. I have no idea who actually paid for us!

Small Ferry

The ride was good, but with some frustration trying to follow the route. The power plug broke on my bike on the second day of the tour, so I had to swap batteries with anyone else I could find several times a day. Mostly that was Gary. If mine ran low, and we kept riding, I'd turn it off to conserve, saving some for an emergency. However, Gary's would intermittently charge the battery or not. We couldn't figure out the problem as to why it would charge and sometimes not.

The GPS routed us to two places we couldn't deal with. One was a VERY steep dirt road that we skipped, and the other was up a very narrow paved

Rob, Where in the World are We?

drive a few hundred yards to a metal gate blocking the road. We declined to go through the gate, not sure what to do. So, that messed up the routing.

After wandering around a while, we backtracked to a larger road and rode south towards Manchester.

After lunch, we decided we had ridden enough of the small roads in the dales and headed towards home for the night.

We made one small side trip, to the hotel we used for the first two nights on the tour. They had my replacement phone.

Then on to our hotel for he night near the airport in Manchester. One note about the last leg of the ride--we got on the interstate equivalent, and it was amazing how fast the miles count down at 70mph. We were flying, compared to most of the riding.

Pretty....

The final group dinner was great. Rob did his usual closing talk and handed out certificates to each participants on the tour. It was a bittersweet ending for a great two weeks. I am so glad I did the trip. More on this later.

Next few days will be riding in a car in Scotland. Until later....

Riding...

This is another threefer . It was late when I got to the room, and I was tired. So, I'll combine the days into one post. Today is Saturday , June 8th . It's our last day of riding their wonderful roads.

I'll try to describe some of the highlights without saying which day it happened.

Words Say it All

Gary and Linda and I rode together alone during these days. One interesting sight started with passing a wagon with a teenaged-looking girl walking the wagon and holding the reins.

Irish Travellers

Within a mile, we spotted a connestoga type wagon being pulled by two horses. The wagon was about 3/4 as large as a Conestoga wagon and was very ornate. It was obvious that it was set up to live in. Then we went by more and more of them, some on the road and moving, but many more stopped on the side of the road, camping. The horses were tethered on the side of the road, feeding on the lush grass. There were hundreds of them.

Later, we asked Rob about them, and he told us that they were Irish Travellers and were having a get together, and that there would be maybe 10 thousand of them. Sounds like a big party brewing...

We also stopped at a Birds of Prey center along he way. They do daily feedings and allow the visitors to view and participate. Owls, hawks, eagles, and other varieties were there. I'd guess maybe 30 birds. They feed them bits of raw meat, mostly venison. The two handlers

Gary and Owl

would stand a few yards apart and the birds would fly back and forth to eat the meat scraps. They also let the viewers participate by wearing the heavy leather glove and letting the bird fly to your hand. Pretty neat. The bird I fed was a large owl that actually weighed almost nothing. The main handler narrated as it was happening, telling the small crowd about the birds. One interesting fact--they buy all the birds because it is not legal to breed them. It was a good stop.

Along the way, we stopped for bathroom stops and lunch. Most of the time we'd stop at a tavern and have local fare, usually very good. The food on this trip has been very good with only a couple exceptions. Much better than my earlier tour. I will have to work on my weight gain when I get home. It has been very good.

Think I'll stop for now but try to add more when I have more time.

Linda and Gretchen Showing their Ass

These tours, the way we do them, allow very little down time. It's a blur of getting out of bed, getting cleaned up, going to breakfast, packing up our mess, riding, lunch, riding, stopping for the night, checking into the hotel, rushing down for a beer before dinner, eating, and then trying to blog if it's not too late. Very busy..

Not Much Room to Spare...

Check in later for more meat as I have time.

Most of this time period was spent in Scotland. It didn't seem to be much different from England, but the brough in their accents. I couldn't understand them most of the time. Linda served well as our interpreter.

We went to Carmichael home of Gary's ancestors, for a brief stop. It was neat to be in a place where his family had roots. We're going back during the car tour later.

Leaving the Isle

It's Tuesday, June 4th and it's the last of the Isle. Mother nature saved her best weather for the last day. About 75 degrees, blue skies with wispy clouds and a gentle breeze. It's a good day for doing anything outside.

Beautiful Roads

I got up, packed the backpack and had breakfast with Rod. Their pastries are sooo good! I'll pay for this indulgence later...

Checked out of the hotel and headed into Douglas to get gas. I wasn't sure if I had enough left to get me to a gas station, but it did. Filled it up and went riding,

Horse Drawn Trolley in Downtown Douglas

alone. I rode about 100 miles over the next few hours. I took pics along the way and stopped where I wanted. I tried every single-track road I could find. I went down one several miles and it ended in a pasture! Traffic was very light, so the riding was good.

The ferry leaves at 7:40pm,so I had to ride and kill time until about 6pm,when it is time to line up for the ferry. If everything goes according to schedule, we'll get off at 11:45pm and ride the t miles back to Morecambe and our hotel. I hope to nap along the way.

Dead-End Single Track Road

The Isle was all I wanted it to be, plus more. I've described it as well as I can, so I won't repeat myself. I'm so glad I came.

Well I'm officially off the Isle. We're on the ferry headed back to Hey shame and then Morecambe. This ferry is almost empty of passengers--only 41 aboard. They did load many large semi-trailers, but the ship is not at all full. The ferry coming over was packed to the gills. I plan to eat a bite and take a nap if I can.

I'll try to publish this on Wednesday morning.

Last full Day on the Isle

Well, our visit to the Isle is almost over. Sad in a way, because I'm sure I'll never see it again. It's a magical place, brimming with raw beauty, populated by hardworking friendly people and crazy fast motorcycle racing. I am so glad I told Gary and Linda about it and pushed Gary to go. Linda took no pushing. It is a very expensive trip, but we'll worth it.

Flying Through the Air

I guess the memories that will stay with me include the beauty, the racing conditions, and the monkeys in the sidecar. Unbelievable in all three areas.

Sidecar and "Monkey"

Changing gears and following up on issues--My replacement phone is in the hotel we stayed in the first two nights of the tour, Alderly Edge Hotel. They are holding it for me to pick up on the way to our final group night in Manchester. Hopefully it will work ok. And my tooth started being sensitive again yesterday. So, the antibiotic that knocked down the infection just before the trip began has worn off, allowing the access to start up again. So, I'm on the antibiotic again. Now, I'll have a messed up stomach and likely diarrhea. Yea!

I'm shutting down for the night now with my posts up to date. See you back in England.

Racing

This is a threefer post. I'll combine yesterday's the day before, but yesterday's and today's activities into this post, covering May 31 thru June 2nd. Each day was great. We've now watched some TT practice, some TT races, toured a castle, gone to the northernmost point on the Isle, and some other stuff.

I'll describe the track first. It is a 37 mile track, beginning and ending in Douglas, the country's largest city. It runs through city streets, avenues, and county roads (our equivalent to each). So, there are the usual things along the way. Potholes, sewer manhole covers, and patched bumpy surfaces along the way. There are painted lane lines and buildings coming right out to the road.

Practice in Downtown Douglas

There are telephone poles, fire hydrants and other things within a fer feel of the road. And very little padding or safety features to protect the riders.

Speed. They go crazy fast! I mean insane fast. Almost 200mph in places. The fast bikes AVERAGE over 130 mph over the 37 mile course. I used to think the superbike racers were fast. Now, they seem like rookies compared to these guys. When you consider the insane speeds, the road conditions and the hazards along the way, these guys are probably the best motorcycle racers in the world. If you're ever flipping through the TV channels and happen to come upon the Isle of Man races, take 5 minutes to watch a little. You'll be amazed. Or do a search on YouTube.

The machines. The majority of the racers and races are motorcycles. However, they also have sidecar racing, where there is a driver and a passenger (aka monkey). The monkey's job is to serve as ballast to make the best weight distribution as he throws his body from side to side.

Sidecar and Monkey

Imagine hanging your butt out, only inches from the road surface and curbs and buildings at speeds up to 150mph. They average 113mph each lap.. Those monkeys have no sense or fear. Crazy insane.

It's late and the morn I'll be here before I know it. So, rather than delay another day, I'm going to publish this tonight (unfinished) and either append to this one later or add to the next post.

Sorry, but there's just not enough time to do it all...


We went to Peele Castle. It's located on a very small island connected to the Isle by a causeway. It's now in ruins, but is still impressive looming high above the ocean. We did a self-guided tour using handheld playback devices that told us about things inside the castle walls. Parts of the complex go back to the eighth century. Most of the work was done in the 15th and 16th century,

Peele Castle

with some done in between and after. There were no "complete" buildings, but there were quite a number of different structures partially standing. To me, it's hard to see how a fortress like this could be breached by invaders, but I'm sure it happened. It was neat to see it.

We also went to the northern most point on the Isle, a community named Bride. There's a lighthouse about a mile north of there.

Me at Top of Isle at Beach

We didn't go all the way to the lighthouse because the road said no entry. But it was a pretty place. We did walk out to the beach in one place. I put my hand in the water just as I always do. Not as cold as I expected. Leaving there, we traveled south and stopped in Laxey, where there is the largest water wheel in the world. It was huge.

Then we tried to find a place to eat dinner. We stopped in 4 different places to get some dinner. The first one served no beer. The other 3 served no food! Plenty of beer, but no food. It was getting late, so we went back to the hotel and ate in the bar. We later found that many English eat only 2 meals on Sundays, and the taverns serve no food after 6pm. Wish we had known of that custom.

Since the races are over for us, I'll judge them as very good racing. However, because of the length of the course, and the nature of the races, there's a ton of dead time between races and between the racers. In most viewing areas, you actually see a given racer for maybe 3 seconds, and then they are gone. We viewed them at one spot where they were visible for probably a mile. That's about 20 seconds! But in reality, it's about the experience more than the racing.

There's probably more to tell, but I'll stop for now.