Oban-Ferry and Glasglow

Sept 14, 2007 (Friday) Oban

It rained at night and had showers in the morning, afternoon was sunny, then cloudy again in evening. We went for a walk into town and had hot chocolate and some chocolates at a shop that makes chocolates and it was very good. As we were looking at the shops it started to pour rain so we went into one shop and when we came out a few minutes later the sun was out.

McCaig’s Tower is unfinished “colosseum” done as a make work project by a 1900 tycoon

We took the ferry to the island of Mull. It is a 45 scenic ferry ride, especially passing Castle Duvet. Since there is nothing within walking distance of the ferry and it was too late for the bus tours of the island we stayed on the ferry and took it back to Oban.


Castle Duvet

Scenes from ferry

Sept 15, 2007 (Saturday) Oban-Glasgow
We left early in the morning and took the train for 3 hours to Glasgow. We took a taxi to Ibis hotel. The weather cloudy and rainy. We walked around a pedestrian shopping area and had pizza for lunch and it was very thin and was like cardboard and Ches had pasta with no flavour. We bought some food at Marks & Spencer’s. It rained at night.

Scene from the train

Ice bucket-usually when you ask for ice you get a few ice cubes in a cup, here they gave us a huge ice bucket

Glasgow-Penrith-Keswick

Sept 16, 2007 (Sunday) Glasgow-Penrith-Keswick

It was rainy and cloudy with a few sunny periods. We took a 2 hour train ride to Penrith, the country was interesting but the train was packed and we were glad we had reservations. We had some lunch at McDonald’s and had to wait for almost 2 hours for a 30 minute bus ride to Keswick in the lake district. We walked for 15 minutes to Brundholme Guest House, this is a very nice B & B with a spectacular view. Ches enjoyed watching the golf course and farms from the window of our room. After a rest we walked to the town and it was so quaint it looked like it should be a movie set. We had a mediocre meal in a restaurant.

Old church in Penrith

B & B

View from B & B

Town of Keswick

Sept 17, 2007 (Monday) Keswick
It was rainy and cloudy but we walked around the shops anyway and had a nice lunch in a teashop. We had a table with a nice view of the street and enjoyed watching the all the people going by many with dogs (like the Westminster dog show) all different kinds of dogs. I had a sore throat and we rested in afternoon until the next day.

Pencil Museum
Graphite was discovered in Keswick centuries ago. In the 15th century chunks of graphite was used for marking sheep. In 1832 the first crude pencil factory and is still going 150 years later (can not tour actual pencil factory, but get to see “The Humble Pencil” a movie of history). There were “war pencils” made for WWII bomber crews with tiny maps and compasses in them.

We bought colored pencils for my granddaughter with her name engraved on it.

Keswick Sept 18, 2007 (Tuesday)

It was a cool, but beautiful sunny day and we went on a fascinating 30 minute bus ride out in the country. The bus goes around Derwentwater lake, over Honister Pass, past Buttermere and through Whinlatter valley. The scenery kept changing constantly during the bus ride. First there were views of Derwentwater lake and past beautiful farms with sheep. We were going to go on a boat ride after lunch but the weather turned rainy so we went on another bus ride for 60 minute. It was interesting but like a regular bus ride and not as scenic as the other bus ride and the rain did not help.

I didn’t know sheep came in so many colors:
White
Black
white with black faces
black with white faces
white and black that look like pinto color
even orange ones

We wound up Honister Pass and had spectacular views of the valley and farms, rivers, waterfalls, and lake. Then through the tiny village of Buttermere (a few houses and 2 pubs) where the streets were so narrow the bus could hardly get past the buildings. The road was narrow the whole way and we often had to stop to let cars to pass. The bus went so fast that you had to hang on and it was like a ride. We went past a mine.

Keswick-Moreton-in-Marsh

We got up early and ate bagels in our room and caught bus for 30 minute ride to Penrith to catch the train. Weather was cloudy and rainy. We took the train for 3 hours to Birmingham, then a 1 hour train ride to Oxford and then 30 minute train ride to Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds. The owner of the B & B Warwick House came and picked us up from the train station. This B & B was not that nice but not too many stairs. This is another small town with few buses and almost no taxis. We walked downtown and had lunch in a restaurant (it was the wrong time for pubs, too late for lunch and early for supper). The meal was not very good. We went to a grocery store (no Marks & Spencer’s here) and got snacks to eat for later. We were very tired after the long day of travelling.

B & B