Australian Midwives singing "Waltzing Matilda"
Our holiday to date:
The conference is now finished and our long overdue holiday starts. It is amazing how long it takes me to switch off from work, and then do you really switch off. I know I find it extremely difficult as I am always thinking of things to do and to make midwifery better for all. The mistake that I make at times is to check my email that is some times a cardinal sin.
My husband Ian keeps me on track and soon tells me its time to switch off.
So now it’s off to see the rest of Glasgow. We hire a car; buy a map and the arguments begin. I am navigating, Ian is driving – like a typical male he thinks he can do it all, navigate and drive and hence the arguments begin. Our trip begins with Ian’s choices; going to Falkirk to see the Falkirk wheel, being a water man he is into these things. The Falkirk Wheel is more than just the World’s first rotating boatlift. It is a symbol heralding the dawn of Britain’s new canal age. Its architecture has been likened to double headed Celtic axes, or vast propeller symbolic of Glasgow’s shipbuilding era. Yet whatever your imagination sees. The Falkirk Wheel is already Scotland’s most recognisable Monument to the future.
As the wheel turns, water and boats contained in its two large gondolas are transferred between an aqueduct linked to the upper Union canal and a basin feeding to the adjacent Forth & Clyde Canal, 25 metres below.
Then it was off to St Andrews – the home of golf for the élite. You need to book a year in advance to play on the old course – so poor Ian did not get a game, oh I forgot it cost £130.00 pounds for 18 holes. So we did the next best thing that was to go to the driving range and hit 100 balls. Ian was delighted he was like a kid, over the moon, smiling from ear to ear – it was great to see, we had so much fun. Then it was off to the pro shop, and it was hats, pins, balls for all the family – bearing in mind weight – our suitcases thank God for that otherwise it would have been a new set of golf clubs no less from St Andrews.
St Andrews is such a quaint town, beautiful, historical and the country side is just remarkable, so green, fresh, and peaceful with an air of elitism. We had a posh sandwich, a beer and watched the ladies and gentleman play golf and for a short while we imagined we were the gentry of the time.
It was hard to get Ian to leave he would of stayed if we were not on such a short time frame.
The teddy bears were very nice but to expensive and I would rather have my Harrods bear so the next best thing was a photo!
The Harry Potter Castle
It was now off to Edinburgh we did not stay there long it was enough time for Ian to see the Castle have dinner and a beer.
We decided to go on to Berwick Upon Tweed a coastal town near Newcastle and find a bed and breakfast, that was not as easy as it sounds. Berwick Upon Tweed is such a beautiful place an old fashioned town so picturesque. It was 11pm when we finally found accommodation unfortunately for us there was a wedding in the town and all the beds were taken.
We stayed at a fantastic Bed & Breakfast; they were an English couple who have lived there for 32 years.
The scenic drive from Berwick Upon Tweed to Leeds was littered with castles, fields of green, sheep and hedged country roads until the A1.
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Meeting the family, Ian's sisters, Beatrice, Liz, Norma. A great day, good Yorkshire hospitality, warm, friendly and down to earth. The weather was unbelievable sunny,even hot, Harry got sunburned.
Off to London for the weekend, then Italy on Monday.................watch this space.
Next instalment Ireland North & South
