My husband was never much of a hosteller…before he met me, that is. When I first presented him with the idea of hostelling a few years back he reacted with “But people take guitars to youth hostels” and feared that evenings would be spent to the accompaniment of tuneless singing. “Oooh no, don’t be silly” I said and a couple of hostel visits later this stereotype was proven wrong. Not a guitar or other similarly stringed instrument in sight. Or should I say within earshot. “Hostels aren’t like what they used to be” I reiterated.

Until we stayed at Pigeon Point, that is. And what a fine example…

But in honesty, neither of us actually minded that much really. They did indeed sing songs well into the evening (Puff the Magic Dragon was a particular personal highlight *ahem*) but all it did was add to the charm of the place and made for some happy, happy memories. And shhh, don’t tell anyone, but I actually rather like it when people bring along their guitars (sometimes they’re really good…sometimes).

PS keep a little lookout at around 39 seconds for Oliver’s latest little party trick. He’s been doing this for a couple of weeks now and is getting rather good at it, clever little boy xx

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Why do people take guitars to youth hostels?

But yes, this is where we stayed, Pigeon Point Lighthouse! Not in the actual lighthouse tower bit, but in one of the little converted lighthouse keepers’ cottages underneath. But it was lovely. Nice fresh air, beautiful scenery and a welcome little break from it all. We even got to see some seals at the bottom of the cliff which was very special, but not as special as showing my baby boy the proper big oceany ocean for the very first time xx

More photos will probably follow, but right now there are more important things to do like making a little person’s day as happy as it can be…

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Our Trip to Pigeon Point

In the meantime, here’s a quickie self portrait that I snapped this morning when we were standing on a cliff over the Pacific watching the harbour seals below. Ignore the hair, I was a bit windswept. And yes, I’m experimenting with a new hair colour. Experiment being the word…

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Just got back…

I also had to get creative with my carry-on too. Again experience has taught me that the two bag thing is most strictly imposed when going through security, and so long as you can more-or-less tuck bags inside of one another to make *two bags* you can get away with it. So although I had three rather well proportioned bags on this trip (one of which was ALL BLYTHE STUFF, heee hee!), I was able to tuck my brown handbag into the top of the tan one and waltz through with no problem. PHEW! I still had to wear my hat, my heaviest woolly jumper, carry a jacket and wear my rather large Dubarry boots in addition to the three bags, but  the point its THEY LET ME ON THE PLANE because I still only officially had two bags!

And something rather special was waiting for Paige, Fleur and me when we got back…

What a beautiful tableau!

I think they missed us

PS I also arrived home to a phonecall to tell us that our new couch is coming next Friday, EEEEPS! Finally we will *all* have room to sit, squee (this couch is rather small).

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Back in America

*NB they only recommend 72 hours in case there’s a problem- the whole approval process takes 4-10 seconds after you click the submit button and 99.5% of people are approved so technically you could do this at the very last minute and still be ok (they interviewed an official person on the radio this morning about it).

For more information, and to APPLY FOR FREE online please visit the following website at:
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

Beware of phoney websites that require payment: IT DOES NOT COST ANYTHING TO SUBMIT YOUR DETAILS. It also remains valid for multiple trips within a period of two years, or the validity of your passport (whichever is shorter) so once you’ve done it, you can travel as you please until the time comes to renew it again. The whole thing is designed to replace the green I-94 W card that they used to staple in your passport so in some respects it’s a lot less hassley for the tourist. The I-94 is going to be gradually phased out over the next few months.

This, taken straight from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (but it applies to people visiting from other countries too, just contact your local office instead):

Entry requirements
The US Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) allows most British Citizen passport holders to visit the US for up to 90 days. The types of journeys that are permissible under the VWP include general travel/tourism, certain types of business and when transitting to another country.

The US has announced new measures that require all those travelling under the Visa Waiver Programme to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel this is known as an Electronic Travel System or ESTA.  Although these will be on a voluntary basis as of August 2008, it will become compulsory for all travellers from 12 January 2009. For more information, and to apply online please visit the following website at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. An ESTA once obtained will be valid for a period of two years, or the validity of the travellers passport (whichever is shorter). At present, US authorities do not propose to levy a charge for this service, although they have reserved the right to consider doing so in the future.  If you do not have Internet access a third party, such as a relative or travel agent, may apply for the ESTA for you.  However, you will still be responsible under the law for the questions answered on your behalf. Obtaining an ESTA should not be confused with the separate requirement, which will continue to apply, for you to provide your airline or carrier with details of your passport, country of residence and address of your first night’s accomodation in the US.
More details are available on the VWP and other aspects of US immigration at the following websites:
US Embassy in London
Department of Homeland Security
US Department of State

If you have any doubts about whether you are eligible to enter the US under the VWP, or about visa matters generally, you are strongly advised to contact the US Embassy in London before your travel.  The Visa Information line is 0904 245 0100 (calls are charged at £1.20 per minute).

Please also read the following Questions & Answers:

Do I qualify to travel under the VWP or do I need a visa?

Several million British nationals travel to the US annually under the VWP without any problems. Only people described as a “British Citizen” on the photo page in their passport qualify to enter the US under the VWP. If you are described as a “British Subject”, “British National (Overseas)”, “British Overseas Territories Citizen”, “British Dependent Territories Citizen”, “British Protected Person” or “British Overseas Citizen”, you will need a visa.

You will also probably need a visa if you fall into one of the following categories (Note: this list is not exhaustive).

• You intend to stay longer than 90 days
• You intend to travel to the US for a reason other than business, pleasure or transit
• You are conducting official government business
• You have been arrested (even if not convicted)
• You have a criminal record
• You have a serious, communicable disease (including HIV)
• You have been refused entry to the US on a previous occasion
• You have been deported from the US
• You have overstayed during a previous visit

If you are unsure, or if you think that your situation falls into any of the above categories, you should consult the US Embassy (see above) – you must do this well in advance of any plans to travel.

Does my British passport allow me to travel under the VWP?

To enter under the VWP your passport must contain a machine-readable zone (MRZ).

At the foot of the photo page. The MRZ contains 2 lines of text as letters, numbers and chevrons (>>>).  If the area is blank the passport is not machine-readable and you need to apply for a visa.

The new style passports containing a biometric chip and an MRZ are acceptable for the VWP.

My child is included in my passport is that OK?

No – each person entering under the VWP must have their own MRZ passport.

Can I extend my stay under the VWP?

No – US Immigration does not grant extensions beyond 90 days.  If you would like to stay in the US for longer than 90 days, you will need to apply for a visa before travelling.  For those already in the US hoping to extend beyond 90 days, you will need to depart the US and apply for a visa.

What do I do if my passport is due to expire?

You are advised to check the remaining validity of your passport as soon as you plan to travel overseas.  The US and the UK have an agreement that allows people travelling from one country to the other to enter using a passport with limited validity.  However, you are strongly advised to renew your passport beforehand if it has six months remaining validity or less.  This is in case your departure from the US is delayed for any reason; if you wish to make side visits to other countries; or if you have further travel plans immediately after your visit to the US.

The ability to Transit Without Visa (TWOV) in the US has been suspended.  Those travellers who are passing through the United States ‘in transit’ but are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Programme must obtain a visa prior to travel.

I have a US criminal record – is that a problem?

US Criminal Records are linked to US Immigration databases.  If you have a previous conviction in the US; if you have violated your probation; or if you think you may have a US arrest warrant against you, we strongly advise that you consult the US Embassy in London before travelling.  Failure to do so may result in detention and/or deportation.  Exclusion periods for aliens with previous convictions are as follows:

• 3 years – After being found inadmissible as an arriving alien.
• 10 years – Being ordered removed/excluded.
• 20 years – After being found inadmissible and having previously been excluded, deported or removed (i.e.  illegal re-entry).
• Life – Aggravated Felonies.

Is dual nationality allowed?

Under US law if you or your children are dual UK-US nationals travelling between both countries, you should travel with both passports. US law also requires that dual US nationals use their US passport to enter and exit the country – those who attempt to travel on their foreign passport risk being denied boarding.  Further information can be obtained from the US State Department (see above).

What do I do if I have renounced my US citizenship?

If you have renounced your US citizenship, you should carry a copy of your Certificate of Loss of Nationality when you travel to or from the US.  If you do not, you may not be allowed to board your aircraft.

What will happen on arrival in the US?

All arrivals under the VWP are subject to US-VISIT. This means that all travellers aged between 14 and 79 are finger-scanned and digitally photographed on arrival. Special arrangements are in place for travellers with disabilities.

In 2002, the US authorities introduced the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System.  This requires nationals or citizens of certain countries – including those who also have British passports – to register on arrival and departure from the US, and in some cases, to register again with US authorities in-country.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to replace the current two-fingerprint scanners with new 10 fingerprint scanners at all U.S. ports of entry over the next year.

On November 29, 2007, Homeland Security began the initial transition at Washington Dulles International Airport. During 2008, nine other U.S. airports will also collect additional fingerprints from international visitors. They include:

• Boston Logan International Airport (Boston, Mass.)
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (Chicago, Ill.)
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (Detroit, Mich.)
• Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Atlanta, Ga.)
• George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport (Houston, Texas)
• Miami International Airport (Miami, Fla.)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York, N.Y.)
• Orlando International Airport (Orlando, Fla.)
• San Francisco International Airport. (San Francisco, Calif.)

The Department of State currently uses 10 fingerprint scanners at all of its visa issuing posts worldwide.

Are there special considerations for lone parents travelling with children?

Lone parents travelling with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing them travel.  For further information on rules for the US please contact the US Embassy in London (see above.)

How do I apply for a visa?

Most applicants for US visas are required to attend an interview at a US Embassy or Consulate prior to issue.  The waiting time for an interview varies.  The US Embassy in London finger-scans visa applicants.

If you are in the United States and hold either a C, E, H, I, L, O or P visa, you are obliged to leave the country if you wish to renew or change your visa status.  For further information, we recommend that you visit the State Department website (see above) for more details or consult an attorney specialising in immigration law.

What can I do if I had a problem entering the US?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched the DHS Traveller Redress Inquiry Programme (DHS TRIP). This is a single point of contact for individuals who have inquiries or seek resolution regarding difficulties they experienced during their entry into the United States.  For further information, we recommend that you visit the US Department of Homeland Security website.

(information above was correct as of: 23 December 2008)

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Important information for anyone planning to travel to the US

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as See you in England!

2) My laptop is now back from the Apple hospital where for a flat fee of 310 whole american dollars it came back almost like new. It’s been VERY poorly for the past couple of weeks (actually months, but the past few weeks especially), so we thought it would be a good idea to get it seen to. I now have a fully functioning ‘s’ key (a whole new keyboard in fact), a latch that keeps the lid shut, a whole new fascia on the keyboard part *including* a whole new mousepad, ALL the fans now work which means I don’t have to sit it on cooler packs from the freezer to keep it from overheating, the DC-in plug now works so that the power doesn’t keep cutting out AND they gave me a new battery. They also appear to have WIPED MY HARD DRIVE CLEAN OF EVERYTHING and restored all the factory default applications. Fortunately I backed up all my files and *most* of the other major things so that I can get them back (I’ve been a backup queen since the days of my PhD), but I’m sure there’ll be those useful little programs that I use all of the time that I will have to hunt down again. Buh. But I have a shiny ‘new’ computer again so I’m not too upset. I’m sure it’ll be back to how it was before after a day or two of file transfers. And I can’t believe that all of that out of warranty service only cost $310 – another reason why I love Apple so much, the aftercare is intensely good.

3) I’m in a better mood.

4) This wasn’t really very brief.

5) I’m going home to England in just three weeks, yay!

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as In brief….

Southern California was a lot of fun, but it’s nice to be able to sleep in my own bed again. Pics and details to follow shortly….. that aforementioned bed is calling my name *yawn*. It was a long drive and I spent the entire day doing laundry.

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Back home again

Tomorrow we’re jumping in the car again and heading north to Los Angeles to stay with some favourite friends of ours and I can’t wait.

PS Happy Birthday Mummy! I hope you had a lovely day in London and sorry I couldn’t hear you very well on the phone earlier xxx

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Poolside relaxation (Day 204)

Actually the only thing that’s missing from this lovely little ‘holiday’ is an Internet connection so I can upload some pictures (I’m phoning this one in) but rumour has it that there’s free wireless in the poster display area so I might see if I can do some investigating (gatecrashing) tomorrow, tee hee! If not, there’ll just be wordy posts until we’re back in the Bay Area next weekend.

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Greetings from San Diego!

After five happy days in the French Capital we were due to return to England on Friday but obviously that didn’t happen and we ended up having to extend our trip. Damn shame, eh? I mean of all the places to be stuck

Anyway, we’re safely back now and actually managed to return on the first Eurostar out of Gare du Nord this morning. All praise to Eurostar at the French end- the whole operation was super efficient, we were extremely well informed throughout and we even got a free breakfast before we boarded. And we had absolutely no trouble getting refunds on the emergency train tickets to Calais and the Sea France ferry to Dover that we’d booked the day before (and making those alternative arrangements was super easy too). Even getting the new Eurostar tickets was a cinch- we turned up at the station this morning and within minutes had new boarding cards in our hands for a train that was due to depart 20 minutes after that. That’s even faster than a regular day!

The journey back took a little longer than scheduled- there was a 30 minute wait on the tracks to enter the tunnel at Calais and the train went through it at half speed through- and there was a smell of burning and chemicals when we entered the tunnel, but that was kind of to be expected and made the journey all the more interesting. Apart from that it was business as usual.

So what did we do with ourselves on our extra day? Well, we got to see the Pope which doesn’t happen every day. Like I said, there were a lot worse things that could have happened….

And Amélie Chocolat got to see him too

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as There are worse things that could happen…

I am fairly discerning though as there are actually various degrees of bridge that will turn me into various degrees of child. Usually it’s the bigger the better, and the fancier the better (plus a great location scores it bonus points) and where one lacks in one respect it has to make up for it with the others. So I suppose it’s really a scale of “Impressibility”.

When I lived in Massachusetts back in the Spring of 2002, I used to make a point of going down to Manhattan every other weekend, and each time I would make a special excursion to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. It was my little routine- grab a latte, start walking across, sit down on one of the benches in the middle and drink my latte which was by this time the perfect temperature. And as I did this I would look up and gawp at the incredible piece of engineering that was suspending me across the chilly waters of the East River. It was this little hour (sometimes longer if there was good people watching fodder) that would define each of my trips to New York City. With its size, engineering and location, the Brooklyn Bridge was definitely highly ranking in the scale of Impressibility. It’s always been one of my favourites.

England has its fair share of bridges, but in general these are usually all fairly small (but then most things over here tend to be small scale as that’s how we are). We do have a couple of big suspension bridges but their rather bland looks and middle-of-the-motorway locations mean they score rather poorly despite their size. We do however have what is undeniably one of *the* *best* bridges in the world.

Tower Bridge in London. It may be small, but it’s oh so perfectly formed, and oh so perfectly Impressive. (By the way it’s not to be confused with London Bridge which is further up the river, smaller, plainer, has no towers, is not a drawbridge, and is actually not the original as an American businessman bought the first one thinking it was Tower Bridge [doh!] and it’s now in Arizona…I think at Lake Havasu but don’t quote me on that).

Tower Bridge was the one that started it all off for me. I can’t even explain how thrilled it makes me each time I see it. It was also the very first impressive bridge that I drove over by myself. As with all of London, it looks particularly impressive in the winter when it’s cold and damp and there’s a mist in the air that makes it glow magnificently. I took these pictures three days after Christmas in 2006 and it’s just reminded me that I haven’t been back since so I will definitely need to pay Tower Bridge a visit before The Big Move.

Speaking of which, one of the things that excites me THE VERY VERY VERY MOST is that as of this September I am once again going to have not one, but TWO SIMPLY AMAZINGLY *INCREDIBLE* bridges practically ON MY DOORSTEP! They’re big, they’re hard-core engineered, they’re rocking ironwork, they make me so excited that just thinking about them makes me want to squeal out load, and clap my hands, and bounce up and down, and squeal some more, and dance round the room….EEEEEEEPS!!!! I’m going to be near The Golden Gate!

Gosh it’s so beautiful it makes me all teary eyed just looking at this picture (I haven’t looked at many pictures of SF since moving back (UK) home in fear of what my emotions might do). All those trips flying back and forth across the Atlantic it would be the moment when I would see The Golden Gate from the window on the aeroplane that I knew that I was very almost (US) home. I’ve missed this bridge so much. The Golden Gate connects the urban peninsula of San Francisco with much more rural Marin County to the north which is filled with mountains and coastal redwood trees. We were driving down toward San Francisco in the photo above, I took it out of the sunroof on our way back from a winetasting trip to Napa Valley (about 1.5 hours to the north).

The toll booths on this bridge are especially pleasing to me, I don’t know why, I think it’s because they’re so retro/deco or whatever. You only pay a toll going *into* the city, not out. It’s the same for the other oh-so-insanely-fabulous bridge that I’ll be right near…

The Bay Bridge! This connects the city of San Francisco with the city of Oakland to the east. It’s also the bridge that had a portion collapse during the Loma Preata earthquake of 1989. Above is another ‘through the sunroof’ shot as we drove across one of one of my very favourite parts. It’s so industrial-feeling and iron-girdery, and the roar of the car engines echoes and bellows to a constant deafening boom. I’m in bridge heaven when I drive across this one. It’s actually a double decker, with the upper level flowing into the city (SF), and the lower level flowing out of it toward Oakland. Of any bridge I’ve ever crossed, this is my VERY favourite. Unfortunately they’re in the process of building a new bit of bridge to replace this rigid old favourite part of mine which isn’t thought to be earthquake proof enough. The new bit is going to be a rather plain suspension bridge and it may well be in place when I’m back there in a few weeks. I hope not but then at the same time should the earth shake violently when I’m on the new bit, I’ll be glad that they built it, hehe.

We were ever so lucky the other week as on our trip to Scotland, we got to see another of the world’s great bridges…

We didn’t drive across this one as it’s only for trains, it’s the Forth Railway Bridge, just outside of Edinburgh providing a key link between the capital and the Kingdom of Fife. It can only be described as an engineering marvel, and they’re even considering nominating it for a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it’s *that* special. We made a detour to get off the main road (leading to the road bridge on the left) especially to see it up close.

For some reason, this sort of engineering makes me proud to be British. It’s truly spectacular. And it’s British. OK, it’s in Scotland, but seeing as that’s part of the United Kingdom I can therefore claim ownership over it, hehe.

A few years ago I was up in Edinburgh for a geology conference and treated myself to a trainride over the top. It was fun and I almost burst with excitment as we went across. The view from below is much, much better though. That’s the best way to appreciate a bridge like this. Back then when this was one of the first big superstructures that I’d seen, I thought this bridge was HUGE, but really it’s not that big compared to the ones I’m now used to in San Francisco… which I’ll be living near in a matter of weeks!!! I can’t begin tell you how excited I’m beginning to get about moving back out there again.

I suppose I’m lucky in that I’ve now seen and been across all but one of what I think are the most impressive bridges in the world. The last one left for me to see is the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I hear it’s a lot smaller than what is to be expected, but its location must surely make up for it. Hopefully one day I will get to judge that for myself. In the meantime I’ll just have to content myself with seeing the San Francisco bridges on an almost daily basis

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Bridges

Anyway, next on the agenda was starting to deal with the administrative aspects of my emigration to satisfy the British government. There are lots of various forms to be filled in notifying various government sectors of my forthcoming non-participatory intentions. This is essential so that they don’t expect me to pay tax or National Insurance contributions (this funds our public healthcare and education systems). Once registered as an ex-pat, I’ll only be allowed to enter the country for a maximum of 183 days in any one year, but not averaging more than 90 days each year over four years. I suppose in a way I’ll be entering into a form of Tax Exile which sounds ever so glamorous and exciting. All of this should be fairly straightforward…assuming one is able to get the relevant forms to download properly.

I also started to think about the shipping of all my worldly goods halfway around the world and it was at this point when anxiety began to set in. Even though the shipping company will send people to the house to pack everything up and load it all for me and thus supposedly make the whole thing easy and stress-free, for me this makes everything stress-FUL as I was hoping to gradually pack and sort over a couple of weeks, clearing things away as I go. But now everything will be packed all at once which means I have to sort through everything first, extract my immediate necessities and store them *somewhere*, whilst at the same time categorising everything else ready to be sea-shipped, but putting that all *somewhere* too. Except there is no *somewhere* available, AND there’s no point buying boxes to pack it all into ready to go as I have to use the boxes that they will supply on the day because of insurance purposes. So basically I’m going to be unpacking everything out of my room to sort it, packing everything back into place again, only to have the men come and unpack it all over again into their special boxes. Even though I’ve been attepting to sort the odd few things every now and again over the past nine months or so, there is a LOT of stuff still to sort. And you know what it’s going to be like as you’ve all seen my room.

So after applying for a couple of shipping quotations, panicking at the thought of what lies ahead, and a second unsucessful attempt to download various forms, I decided to stop thinking about it for the rest of the night and go back to ploughing through all my Scotland photos. Expect to see some more of those soon

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Getting Ready

Anyway……Scotland, Scotland. We had such a lovely time, but as usual it all went rather too quickly. Work was paying for the bulk of this trip though, so I shan’t complain; it was very nice of them to give him the time off and funds to attend a conference in Edinburgh which is ‘only’ about a seven hour drive away from my parents’ house.

Although the conference didn’t kick off until the day after DrMrNin arrived (evening reception), we decided to go straight from the airport so that we could both sleep in the following morning after the drive. So as soon as we’d finished our coffee and I’d been given some rather lovely gifts (having a long distance marriage CERTAINLY has its perks), we headed straight to the rental car place and the holiday began. Our little Peugeot 308 got us all the way to the Scottish border (~500 miles) on just 1/2 tank of diesel, I was so impressed!

This was our first hotel- the Marriott Dalmahoy Country Club.

It was a big old converted manor house set in huge grounds with a big golf course, and each day they made nice beds for our toothbrushes.

We were meant to be there the whole time, but the travel agent where DrMrNin works booked the wrong Marriott, so we turned up at 11pm to find that they didn’t have a reservation! Luckily they were able to squeeze us in for two nights, but then we had to switch to the other one for the remaining three. That one was more like an airport hotel, muh.

Anyway, the first day I hung out at the conference to watch the big presentation and get a free lunch.

The new girl took great interest in looking at the poster presentations. I think we might have a budding scientist on our hands.

In the evening, we got a free meal from one of the conference sponsers. The restaurant was housed underneath the arches of one of Edinburgh’s bridges, it was all rather spooky, but rather fun. We sat on ruined stone walls and ate by candlelight.

The next day I met up with my Scottish Norwegian friend (ArcticScot) who was visiting home for the week.

We had a lovely day visiting Linlithgow and catching up on all the news over tea and cake.

This is the palace where Mary Queen of Scots was born (very interesting). It had a VOMITARIUM off to the side of the banquet hall *bleurgh* (I won’t go into specifics unless I’m specifically asked to do so, but you’re probably thinking along the right lines already).

And that evening  it was time for Conference Dinner #2 at The Stables at The Prestonfield Hotel, Edinburgh.

Complete with piper (the one that made me giggle and dance, hee!)

It also involved a rather cringe worthy Scottish show, but the pendulous bosoms of a rather well-endowed Scottish dancer more than made it worth watching *giggles*. I’ve a video of it somewhere, but Peachy Hollow is a family place so here’s a photo instead

Shortly after there was a costume change to minikilts and little leather jackets….it was all a bit borderline

The next day was SIGHTSEEING! DrMrNin wanted to look at whisky.

I found a special one

Lunch:

But then jetlag hit….and was partly cured by Starbucks.

After that we went to Edinburgh Castle.

Eliza created quite a stir. We both had to pose for photos with American and Australian tourists. Eliza even posed *on her own* with a group of Americans. She found it all a little bit embarrassing I think, but she was very polite and obliging. Clearly I have raised her well

She MUCH preferred posing with the Guard (although was a little bit reluctant to get too close as he kept giving her funny looks). His sergeant was rather taken with her (unlike his subordinates, he was allowed to chat), he asked lots of questions about her but sadly wasn’t allowed to hold her for a photograph, boo.

And then before we knew  it, evening came…

And it was time to grab dinner and catch the bus back to the hotel. Here’s DrMrNin at the bus stop. He tends to pull a grumpy face almost every time I try to take a picture of him. This is something I hope to work on and improve on over the next few years, hehee!

Anway, the next day we left Edinburgh and civilisation and drove north to the relative emptiness of the Scottish Highlands which were GORGEOUS!

Photos to come in due course…I think I got a little snap happy on this trip

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as And now time for some holiday snaps

© Originally published by Nin for |••• PeachyHollow •••| as Edinburgh