flyin_bayman's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member flyin_bayman on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/flyin_bayman en-us Copyright ©2012 TravelPod.com Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:54:40 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com Dublin - magical weekend - Guinness Also — Dublin, Ireland http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1026773820/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1026773820/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1026773820/tpod.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:54:40 +0000 To Scotland and Ireland.
Dublin, Ireland

Our Dublin Adventures - to follow soon

For now check out the Dublin page on my website.

]]> The Granite City — Aberdeen, United Kingdom http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/984074400/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/984074400/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/984074400/tpod.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:54:16 +0000 To Scotland and Ireland.
Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Aberdeen - 1972/2001/2002

My earliest travels to Scotland occurred when I was a wee lad at the tender age of 2 or 3 (I am not quite sure exactly how old I was. Better to ask my mother) - needless to say I barely remember anything from that experience.

Fast forward some thirty years to 2001 and 2002, when, due to my good fortune of having business in London, I had the opportunity to take a side trip over a weekend to make a visit to my aunt in Aberdeen on the north east coast of Scotland.

2001 Introduction to Aberdeen and the Northeast Coast of Scotland
After my auntie picked me up at the Aberdeen airport, we headed back to her flat (apartment for us non-Brits) for a traditional Scottish supper. She had cooked up some mince n' tatties for me to enjoy.

Boy, was that ever good, especially washed down with a Tennants ale.

My 2001 trip to Aberdeen focused on exploring the 'Granite City' (as Aberdeen is known). Most buildings in the centre of Aberdeen are literally made from big slabs of granite. This is evident on those rare moments when the sun peeps out and the granite buildings come ablaze and sparkle from the reflections on the imbedded millions of tiny granite bits.

No visit to Aberdeen would be complete without exploring the cobbled stone streets of old Aberdeen. Old Aberdeen is the heart of the city with its many old buildings such as St Machars Cathedral, King's College and the university area.

The best of Aberdeen includes its amazing beaches. Just imagine miles and miles of wide, golden colored sandy beaches stretching from the harbour entrance all the way down to mouth of the river Dee (or is it Don?).

My final memorable moment of Aberdeen was a leisurely stroll along the Brig O' Balgonie. For the uneducated, 'Brig' is old Scottish Gaelic for 'Bridge.' In fact many words spoken in Scotland today are a carry-over from the time when Scots spoke their own language - for example 'Aye', 'Bairn', 'Loch' are Gaelic in origin). The Brig O' Balgonie is a wonderful, stone bridge where many natives come to for a relaxing, peaceful stroll.


Scottish Country Drive
On my final day in Aberdeen, we took a drive through the countryside. This gave me an appreciation for the Scottish countryside. I saw highland cattle (a couple of cows munching down on hay and oats), the place where Rob Roy MacGregor jumped (allegedly) a waterfall to escape the English Redcoats, and fields of purple heather in the hillsides on our way to the little town of Banchorie.

After touring around Banchorie for an hour or so we stopped for a cuppa (tea) at a restaurant. I was introduced to an artery clogging, butter laden pastry called the 'Aberdeen Rowie.' They are described as a Scottish croissant but let me tell you that they are not light and fluffy like a croissant but heavy and hearty.

A little shopping was then in order to work off some of the rowie that sank to the bottom of my stomach pit. Here I purchased a 'quaich' which is a friendship drinking cup. Some of the history of this cup has its origins from the druids whom drank blood from it as part of their ceremonies. From Banchorie we drove back along the river Don (or was it Dee?) passing golfers, Shetland ponies, more wooly Highland cows and many farms that unfortunately posted signs stating to stay away due to the hoof and mouth disease that was occurring at that time.



2002 - The Whiskey and Castle Trail
Back in the UK in 2002, I made my way back to Aberdeen for another visit to my aunt. Having previously seen the city, the mission this time was to explore the famous Whiskey and Castle trail.

To be in Scotland without having visited a castle would be a shame indeed. To my pleasure I was able to visit a couple during a car trip from Aberdeen to Royal Deeside, up to Speyside (key on whiskey) and back along the coast to Aberdeen while passing thru towns like Banff, Cullen and Peterhead.

The first stop was at the picturesque seaside town of Stonehaven. Stonehaven is what you would imagine a small Scottish fishing town to be. With a circular shaped harbour protected from the cold North Sea by a large sea wall. Boats enter and leave the sheltered harbour through a small opening into the North Sea.



Stonehaven has all the requisite Scottish charm with its harbourside homes, local pub, restaurant, ice cream shop and few small shops. The only downside was the brisk cold northerly wind that whipped of the North Sea. This ensured a brisk walk around town. Once final fact about Stonehaven is that it even appeared on an episode of The Amazing Race.

Just outside Stonehaven is Dunnotar Castle. To get to the castle involved quite a hike down a steep incline and then up a big hill to where Dunnotar Castle is perched on a rocky hill that cuts into the North Sea. Evidently the steep cliffs provided excellent defense and a great workout to the castle's residents.

Dunnotar Castle is mainly in ruins today but remains an excellent place to explore. The Mel Gibson version of Hamlet was partly filmed here.

Leaving from Dunnotar we headed inland towards Royal Deeside in search of Fyvie Castle. Before hitting Fyvie Castle we stopped at the Brig o Feugh where the salmon run during their annual upstream pilgrimage. There were no salmon at this time of the year but the quick stop was nice none the less.

Upon arriving at the baronial Fyvie Castle we promptly did the castle tour. Fyvie Castle is run by the Scottish Heritage Trust. The Trust takes ownership of castles of Scottish historical importance from families that can no longer maintain these costly buildings.

This was the first real castle (complete with paintings, fighting armor, furnishings etc) I had ever been in and I was not disappointed. Fyvie Castle had all the expected castle regalia such as big axes and swords on the walls next to the shiny metal knight suits, there were lots of paintings/art and many animal heads mounted on the walls. There was even a huge, stuffed polar bear that one of the castle's owners had shot on an arctic hunting expedition.

After a quick tour of the grounds and a few photos, the castle/whiskey trail tour continued to Speyside and a stop in Fachobars at the Baxter site. Baxter's is a well known Scottish food company supplying various food products to the UK - in fact you can even buy Baxter's soups here in Canada. After a tour of the Baxter's site, a snack of waffles smothered in syrup was had to satisfy the hungry appetite that had developed.

The costal drive back to Aberdeen from Speyside was very scenic as we drove through little towns such as Lossiemouth, Cullen, Fraserburgh and Peterhead. The highlights included the arched Romanesque aqueduct in Cullen and the peaceful harbour with an old three masted schooner in Buckie.
]]> London - Home Base again — London, United Kingdom http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1150326120/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1150326120/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1150326120/tpod.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:53:50 +0000 To Scotland and Ireland.
London, United Kingdom

London - home base again in 2002. Much better locale on Half Moon Street across from Green Park. Right in the middle of the action.

Check out my London page on my website.

LONDON 2002



]]> Bath - Roman City of Britain — Bath, United Kingdom http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1024009200/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1024009200/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1024009200/tpod.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:53:08 +0000 To Scotland and Ireland.
Bath, United Kingdom

A day in Roman Bath.

Our early morning started in Paddington Station to catch the train to Bath. After fueling up with some Costa Coffee lattes we jumped on the train for the leisurely drive thru the countryside before arriving in Bath.

Initial impressions revealed a typical English town. We proceeded up past the cathederal to the Roman pumphouse. It was at this point where we came face to face with two thousand year old Roman statues that were guarding the ruins of this old bathhouse.

]]> Trooping the Color — London, United Kingdom http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1024181880/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1024181880/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/scotland/1024181880/tpod.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:52:18 +0000 To Scotland and Ireland.
London, United Kingdom

The Queen's birthday celebrations - annual Trooping the Color parade.

I was fortunate enough to be in London this weekend for two reasons.

First, the 2002 World Cup was happening and I would get to see England and Ireland play in the ambiance of a British and Irish pub.

Secondly, the annual trooping of the color parade was happening.


I got up early to get going in order to get an excellent viewpoint for the parade. I was expecting there to be a huge crowd. After walking from my hotel to Buckingham Palace (via Green Park) I noticed that the crowds were not that large. Then it dawned on me that most English folk were probably staying home for the England-Denmark football match coming on at noon.

The parade is performed to celebrate the Queen's official birthday (her real birthday was actually in May I belive). The parade route starts from Buckingham Palace and proceeds down The Mall to the parade square. I positioned myself about halfway down The Mall on St James Park side.

The parade started with a huge line of soldiers decked out in their red uniforms and black bearskin hats. They must be hot in those things!

Overall, I really enjoyed the parade, especially the Horse Guards and musical performers.

Click here to view pictures of Trooping the Color parade

After all the guards went by the Royalty appeared. First it was a few lesser known royals followed by Prince Andrew and his daughters. Then came Prince Charles and Prince Philip decked out in military regalia and riding their horses in front of a carriage containing Queen Elizabeth. The Queen looked really good as she waved to the crowds.

Then in a blink of an eye, it was over. My exciting morning was over but I had plenty of time to head to the pub for the England maatch.
]]> Vancouver — Vancouver, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/bc-cali-2005/1128616380/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/bc-cali-2005/1128616380/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/bc-cali-2005/1128616380/tpod.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:50:53 +0000 From Vancouver to San Francisco and Wine Country.
Vancouver, Canada

Click here to views the pictures of Vancouver and Whistler


Friday - Day 01 - Welcome to Vancouver

Leading up to the departure date, I was very worried about this leg of the trip as the weather network was forecasting 100% probability of rain in Vancouver and Whistler for each day there. However, leading up to the arrival in Vancouver small signs of hope appeared on the horizon as the P.O.P. went from 100 to 80 to 60 to a respectable 40 percent. Maybe there would even be some sun!

My expectations for Vancouver were to experience those things I had not previously seen. Catherine and I visited there in 2001 and we had seen most of what there was to offer (Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, Aquarium etc).

My first day in Vancouver started out as any action packed day of touring and walking should. A POWER BREAKFAST at the closest greasy spoon. We went to a place called something Joe's or whatever. The typical breakfast fare was available and wolfed down with west coast java. Perhaps I was extra hungry and really didn't care what I ate since my body was telling me it was lunch time in Ottawa and I had not even had decent coffee or my typical Aitkin's unfriendly morning fare.

Anyway, for some reason (perhaps from looking at the not-to-scale tourist map we had), we decided to walk to Granville Island (over the Granville Bridge). On the map it didn't seem tooooo far.

Well off we went, and about an hour later we made it! But the walk over the bridge was actually quite interesting as the views of downtown Vancouver are pretty neat from the bridge. As good as the walk was though, there would be no hoofing it back - needed to save our legs for the streets of San Francisco and the hills of Whistler (both of which were yet to come).

The visit to Granville Island was as I remembered from my last visit but I am not sure it met up with Bill's expectations as we did the quick pass through the place in about an hour.
Our exit from Granville was less exerting than the entrance. We took a harbour ferry back. Enroute we passed several house boats on the harbour water - a bit more upscale than Relic's house boat in Gibsons - and several large yachts. After a coffee at another of the many coffee houses, a parting occurred. I went off exploring at the Museum of Anthropology while Bill went visiting some of Vancouver's finest stores.

The visit to the Museum of Anthropology was born from my desire to learn more about west coast native history and culture. I was not disappointed as the museum holds a vast, impressive collection of native artifacts such as totem poles, masks and sculptures.

These native Canadian icons were very captivating. Hours could easily be spent looking at the wide variety of expressions and characters portrayed on the masks and totem poles.

As I was ready to leave, I noticed that there were some adjacent hiking. So with an hour to spare before meeting up with Bill, I decided to see what was there.

The trail signage indicated the trail name as Wreck Beach. 'Wreck Beach, isn't that the famous nudist beach?' I thought. Seeing that it was only about 14 degrees Celsius the probability of this natural encounter was unlikely. That being said I decided to walk down the several hundred (ouch!) steps to wreck beach.

The beach itself was not too different that any other seaside beach I had seen growing up in Newfoundland. The attraction I think is its 'remote' location. After all, it isn't getting to the beach that is the problem but rather the huge climb up from the beach to the main road.
There are numerous large logs on the beach that provide the necessary privacy and shelter. Finally, any doubts over Wreck Beach's place in Vancouver were put to rest when I saw the following carved into one of the beach logs.


]]> Wine Country - Napa and Sonoma Valleys — Napa, CA http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/bc-cali-2005/1160499600/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/bc-cali-2005/1160499600/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/bc-cali-2005/1160499600/tpod.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:49:16 +0000 From Vancouver to San Francisco and Wine Country.
Napa, CA

(Sonoma hotels)


Click here to view my San Fran pictures

Monday, September 10 - A new week, a new country. California - Here we come.

After a few days of Canadian fall weather, the prospect of warm Californian sunshine was very appealing. After an early morning departure from Vancouver, we were on American soil by mid-morning ready to pick up our rental car.

During the flight down, Bill had his moment of brilliance for the trip. He suggested renting a convertible. Well, I thought, what an excellent idea. Seeing California in a convertible! And since I would be the driver on this leg of the trip, even better. We checked in at Avis car rental and asked for a convertible, and we were rewarded with a brand spanking new, red Sebring convertible with 5 miles on the odometer. I felt like I had won the lottery - or at least the bingo jackpot. (Note: In the movie 'Sideways' the two fellows drive thru wine country in a red convertible).

From that moment, vacation officially commenced and the real fun began.
The drive from San Francisco to Wine Country took us over the Bay Bridge. It seemed that the journey over the bridge would go on forever. It kept going and going until finally we hit the Oakland side of the bay area.

Finally we arrived in Sonoma (Sonoma County) at the Fairmont Sonoma Spa&Inn. What a luxurious place! Our suite was incredible and included a patio overlooking a water fountain. It was at this point where one of us (I can't remember who exactly) barged thru the patio door and proclaimed loudly that this was quite a 'stately' room. Unfortunately, there was a wedding happening just below at the water fountain. At that point the bridal party looked up (but not too glaringly) as we sheepishly apologized and retreated to the main room.
(Kevin Note: at this point, I officially placed this hotel room in my list of top 3 hotels I have stayed in - after the Dublin Westin and Waldorf Astoria - NYC).

After this eventful hello we started our wine touring. We first decided to go to Francis Ford Copolla's winery. This involved driving from Sonoma Valley to Napa Valley over the mountains on an extremely curvy/twisty road. I thought the drive to Whistler was twisty and windy. This drive was even more extreme with some turns involving near complete u turns while going up the mountain.

(Kevin Note: The first lesson from this trip was the fact that Napa Valley is not where all the wine in California is made. There are many wine making regions in California and to state that this is just 'Napa' is both incorrect and insulting to the local folk.)

Enroute to Coppola's winery we stopped at the Oakville Grocery to have some lunch. The Oakville Grocery, while highly rated, was rather disappointing. My lunch was over-powering to the taste buds. All I could taste was pesto and nothing else. It was funny to see how things were marketed at the Oakville Grocery, for example they were selling 250 mL bottles of 'Local Artisan Jams' for over $12 US. I tasted some of the jam samples and could not comprehend how this local and artisan style of jam commanded such prices. It's amazing what price can be charged when the combination of Local + Artisan is used to market your products.

(Kevin Commentary: The Oakville Grocery is an example of Napa's move to over-commercialization and just over-doing it. The Oakville Grocery concept is to provide gourmet home made foods. However, the result is over-priced and very pretentious.)

The next stop was the Coppola-Neibaum winery. Francis Ford Coppola (the Godfather fellow) is the current owner of this winery. Upon arriving, one could see that it was very popular as the parking lot near capacity. However, it became apparent that most people were drawn by the winery's namesake not the fact that good wine is actually produced here (more on that later).

We decided to do the over-priced, historical tour of the winery with a tasting to follow. This proved interesting as our guide explained how FF Coppola formed his winery. The short of the story is that after the first Godfather movie, Coppola was loaded with cash and bought part of the estate to get away from Hollywood. Later, after making Bram Stoker's Dracula, he had lots more money and bought up the rest of the original Neibaum estate (Captain Neibaum was a Norwegian sailing captain who created the original winery estate). FF Coppola later built a building (called a chateau) next to the roadside where everyday tons of tourist types come in and pay lots of cash for tours, wine trinkets and wine with his name on it.

The final part of the tour was in the tasting room where we sat down for a selection of wines (see list at end) accompanied by old American cheese and bread. The tasting room ambiance was really cool enhanced by the old, dusty bottles of wine in the cabinets.
Speaking of the wines the selection that we tasted was excellent.

The wines were presented from the 'calmer' varieties up to the bolder ones such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. In fact when the first of the Zinfandel hit my taste buds I immediately sensed flavours consisting of a little citrus, maybe some strawberry...passion fruit and the faintest sous sol of asparagus with the flutter of a nutty Edam cheese. (Ok, I actually didn't sense this...but doesn't it sound like someone who knows what they are talking about? Actually this quote was from Miles in the movie 'Sideways'). But I did enjoy the Zinfandel and on exiting I purchased a bottle to bring home.

My final comment on this tour relates around Coppola's daughter Sofia. Dear old Francis decided to dedicate a wine in her honour. But his one requirement was that the wine be bottled in small, petite bottles shaped like the larger wine bottles. Unfortunately for Francis this was not technically possible and in reply Francis said to just put the wine in a can. And voila, the soda can version of the Sofia wine was born and apparently it sells very well.
Our only other stop for the day was at Beringer Brothers. This winery was recommended to Bill by a colleague. It was here that Bill decided that he was going to buy his first bottle of California wine. I fully expected that he would draw upon his acquired wine knowledge here.
Upon entering the gift shop/wine room we glanced upon a series of wines that ranged from the $20/bottle up to the exclusive private reserves that hovered at $100 US and above. It was this later group that seemed to catch Bill's interest. I quietly asked him if he knew what he was looking for from these high end wines. After a vague response I recommended that if he was interested he had better ask someone for advice.

I think this was the moment where the wine touring/tasting experience descended down that slippery slope. One of the Beringer 'wine experts' came by and asked if we needed some assistance. Bill responded that 'he was looking to buy some wine' (I thought that this might have been obvious but hey that is me). After the 'expert' asked what Bill was interested in, the following response emitted from Bill's mouth (and I repeat basically word for word) "...well I really don't like wine....but I am looking for something that will provide good value."
Our so called wine expert quickly went silent. I don't know if it was from shock or what but Bill eloquently broke the ice again by saying "yes...I would like something with lots of points (i.e., the Wine Spectator magazine rating scale) for the dollar. So how about this $100 bottle here.... Is it good?"

At this point I muttered to Bill that I was going outside to visit the estate gardens. I did not want to be party to the purchasing process that would follow. So I left....for 20 minutes....after which I returned expecting to see Bill exiting with a case of Beringer's 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve.

My re-entry to Bill's wine buying world (also referred to as The Matrix) left me wishing I had taken the blue pill (again reference to the Matrix). A sense of déjà vu occurred as Bill was still pondering over which $100 bottle to buy. It was then that I suggested that perhaps he should first sample the wine at the tasting area to see if he even liked the wine. With my words heeded, we proceeded to the tasting area where after some glass swirling, swishing and spitting Bill decided to make the wine connoisseur plunge for the Beringer 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve.

That evening was rather low key after a very busy travel and wine day; we ate excellent California style food for supper at the Fairmont Santé restaurant. I had west coast salmon with local vegetables; it was quite delicious. Bill had steak I believe.

One footnote here, Bill asked the sommelier why no Beringer wines were on the wine list. The response was that he (and the wine buyer) did not feel that Beringer gave the best wine experience for the cost. After receiving this independent opinion, I have to admit that Bill played it pretty cool. I certainly would not have been pleased to hear a third party tell me that my wine did not provide great value (if that is what I valued in a wine). I guess a wine with 98 points out of 100 is not always good enough for supper according to some people. I hope this didn't cause any indigestion or second thoughts on the wine purchase - I guess Bill can mull over that as he drinks his $100 bottle of Cabernet.

California Day 02 - Tuesday Sept. 11 - Hitting the Wineries

Tuesday began by exploring downtown Sonoma. Sonoma city centre is your typical American town square with all the local amenities such as restaurants, wine stores, arts stores, sheriff's office and the local coffee shop.

From there we hit two local Sonoma wineries Buena Vista and Sebastini before heading back along to Napa Valley. The first winery, Sebastini, was offering free tastings when we arrived. Unfortunately, I was still drinking my latté from the coffee shop and it was rather early (10am). After a few swigs of water to cleanse my palette I started on a C******nay, ending on a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Now, I don't know if it was the residual caffeine aftertaste or the early morning hour, but this tasting experience didn't leave me with the urge to purchase any Sebastini vintages. On the other hand perhaps it wasn't me but rather their wines were just ****. Either way, I didn't I didn't savour the experience.

Next on the winery list was Buena Vista. The night before these guys had a tasting at the Fairmont Sonoma lobby where I tried their Zinfandel and picked up a free tasting pass. The Buena Vista winery is reputedly the oldest modern winery in California. What I really think this means is that they were the first winery that was not run by a bunch of wino monks that made wine by squishing grapes with their pious feet and letting it ferment in the monastery basement.

From Buena Vista we proceeded up the road to Chateau St. Jean. What was most impressive here, were the beautiful gardens that included several rows of grapes. This enabled a close inspection of the grape varieties grown on the estate and provided a good perspective on the various sizes and styles of grapes that exist. Of note, while I was touring the gardens, Bill was inside at the private wine reserve scoping out what wines to buy. After a half hour we left Chateau St. Jean - without any wine purchases.

We then proceeded further up the Sonoma Valley and cut across into Napa Valley at Calistoga. Our plan was to hit the Sterling Winery. It was a glorious day with the warm Californian wind and sun that came with having the top down on the car.

While driving through Calistoga we came upon a wine store called the Wine Garage. We stopped and went inside where Bill immediately chatted up Gary the Mechanic. Gary was not your normal grease monkey. Instead of 10w30 and a lube job, he was offering up Pinot Noir at $19.95. The wine discussion between Bill and Gary focused on Gary providing recommendations based on Bill's criteria (value and points). Gary must have pulled out and flashed about 30 different bottles. It was information overload for me but Bill picked out two bottles - one that was made from grapes that came from Robin Williams' vineyards (nanu nanu) and a second that was served at an Academy Awards party last year.
From here we made way to the Sterling Winery. The cool thing here was the gondola tram ride up to the winery on top of a hill overlooking the immediate vineyards that supply the winery.

After a self guided wine production tour (covering seeing the grapes delivered, the fermenting tanks and finally the private reserve cask room) we sat down on the patio for our wine tasting. This was truly a wine tasting experience. We tasted several wines (LIST) while relaxing and enjoying the amazing views across and down in Napa Valley.
After four wineries, we were ready for supper. We stopped at Yountville and were lucky enough to get a table at the Bouchon restaurant in Yountville. After a tasty meal we headed down to Pentaluna for the evening.
]]> Edinburgh - Whiskey and Kilts Anyone. — Edinburgh, United Kingdom http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/castles_beer-06/1146339000/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/castles_beer-06/1146339000/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/castles_beer-06/1146339000/tpod.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:45:54 +0000 HRADY A PIVO! __________________________ CASTLES AND BEER!! Adventures in Edinburgh and Prague with England tossed-in for a balanced beer diet.
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

(Bradford hotels)


EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

Click here to View my Pics of Edinburgh

The plane touchdown at Edinburgh airport was nice as the plane flew over the barren Scottish lowlands, passing a series of windmill farms on the hill tops before finally flying by the the huge Firth of Forth bridge in full display (the bridge has been hailed by the Scots as a Wonder of the World - Therefore it must be!).


.

On the double-decker bus ride from the airport to the centre of Edinburgh, the first big sight I see is Edinburgh Castle perched on the cliff. It seems to be watching guard over Edinburgh. I decide that this is the first area that needs to be explored!



The weather is very sunny and dry, but there is a cool, fresh wind coming up the Royal Mile from the North Sea. The wind is refreshing and helps to keep me going as the caffine intake effect is starting to wear off. After checking into my room (near the Royal Botanical Gardens) I refuel with more coffee and hit the bricks, with map in hand towards Princes Street and the area at the base of Edinburgh Castle.

I walk along the park at the foot of Edinburgh Castle where the locals are running, playing football and drinking beer. Yes, it doesn't seem to be an issue to go to Marks and Spencers, pick up a few beers and sit in the park and drink. Ahhh, what a civilized country!

With the colorful tulips and daffodils in full bloom I pass my first point of interest.

It is a totally golden fountain in a park containing some Greek or Roman looking ladies playing harps. I think it is more Greek as the person at the top of the fountain is butt-naked. (And I mean a big butt too....).



The remainder of my first day involves walking around central Edingurgh, looking at the graveyards and churches with their many a Celtic cross. I decide just to take it easy, have a pint of Caledonian at the local pub as tomorrow will be busy with exploring.

April 30 - Sunday
After a hearty, full Scottish breakfast (consisting of sausages, rashers of bacon, fried mushroom and tomoatos, beans, toast, juice and coffee - I said it was 'full') I head next door to the Royal Botanical Gardens before heading to the city centre.

The gardens are magnificant and in full spring bloom, especially the Rhodendrums. I have never seen these plants blooming before, let alone the hundreds of sizes and colors on display here. The final interesting point was the large greenhouse that housed tropical plants and palm trees - a temporary oasis from the cool Scottish morning.


I take a hop-on/hop-off bus tour to get me oriented to the main Edinburgh sights. It helped me know exactly where everything was in the new town and old town parts of Edinburgh - also affectionately known as Auld Reekie.

After jumping off at Palace Holyrood and the Scottish Parliament I viewed a stream of people climbing up the big hill behind the Scottish Parliament. I could see the peak - called Arthurs Seat - and said to myself that there was no way I was making it up there today! But urged on by the locals - actually it was when two old grannies started to walk up the trail I knew that I could not back out - I started my hike up the hill known as Salisbury Crags.

About halfway up the trail to Arthurs Seat, I understood that I had chosen wisely as I had magnificant views of Edinburgh - looking towards Calton Hill - and eastward? towards the firth. These travel moments, doing what the locals do, often provide the best moments - not necessarilty what the travel guide books tell you should do.



It was also at this point I realized that only the fool-hearty would actually continue the climb to the peak of Arthurs Seat. Also at this point, the remains of my Scottish breakfast were wearing off and I needed a pint of Caledonian Scottish ale! So I trudged down to find myself a pub and some grub.

After lunch I headed to Calton Hill and the Nelson monument (dedicated to Lord Horatio Nelson for his victory over the French at Trafalgar). Edinburgh is blessed with several fine hillside parks and Calton Hill (along with Edinburgh Castle and Arthurs Seat) provide breathtaking views of the city and the ocean.

The big thing on the at Calton Hill today was the preparations for a large pagan druid-like celebration (known as Beltane fire festival) that was happening that evening with large bonfires, naked dancing and human sacrifices (alright maybe not the last two items - but it did happen a few millenium ago!). Huge fire pits were being prepared and pagan icons were placed on the large Greek acropolis building atop Calton Hill.

On a related note, I later learned that on May 01, the locals hike to the top of Arthurs Seat for the sun-rise to celebrate the coming solstice. At the hill peak, they drink the morning dew from the grass. It is supposed to give them extra strength or something. I actually think they really just had too much Scotch whiskey from the previous night!

Hmmm, I wonder.


Clart and McBrain battle of wits on the Literary Pub Tour.
The evening highlight was the Literary Pub Tour that I signed up for. After trudging to a pub called the Beehive Inn (at one time a coaching inn - I guess it was a beehive of activity) from which the tour began. Of interest was a pub a few doors down called "The Last Drop." I would later learn that this was once the gallows for hanging - hence the name.

The pub tour started with a chap named Clart who enjoyed describing the sordid tales of drinking and womanizing by literary rogues such as Sir Walter Scott, Rabbie Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson. You need to imagine Clart speaking in a strong Scottish brogue describing the escapades of these famous writers. It was at this point that a proper looking fellow called McBrain, Clart's counter-balance for the evening, jumped up and started reciting the fine virtues of these men - he even started to recite poetry to demonstrate the refinement of these gentlemen.

The to-and-from verbal exchange between Clart and McBrain formed the basis of a humourous and enjoyable tour through several of Edinburgh's finest pubs. They recited many tales - for example the story behind Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (pronounced Jeeeek-eel not Jeckel as by Hollywood) as we wound through the alleyways and closes of Auld Reekie (the affectionate nickname of Edinburgh which basically means Old Smoky).




May 01 - Monday

Another glorious day. Again it's sunny with a few clouds but that cool breeze is still persists from the North. Oh by the way, today is my birthday! I was asked after my trip by several people what special thing I did on my birthday. Well my response was "what else would you want me to do?" I thought a 2 week trip was pretty special. Maybe I would be able to find those deep fried Mars bars or Haggis today.

At breakfast I decided to go for the traditonal Scottish, stick to your ribs breakfast. Yes that's right, I had porridge! And was it good - extremely rich with the added cream - but damn good indeed! And it did seem to stick to my ribs!

The big adventure for this morning was to explore Edinburgh Castle and a few museums. I got to Edinburgh Castle in time for opening where I was greeted by a chap named Michael Brown (pronounced Brooon) in his Scottish tartan kilt and wee jimmy hat who gave a group tour of Edinburgh Castle and its history. My main impression from this tour was the immense pride and sense of identity that the Scottish people have - especially after several hundred years of oppression by the English monarchy. For example I did not know that it was illegal for a long time for Scots to wear kilts! For goodness sake, what is a Scotsman without their kilt?

The Scottish crown jewels are held here in Edinburgh Castle. These were once secretly taken away during Oliver Cromwell's time to Castle Donnotar near Aberdeen - my mother's birthplace (see my story on Aberdeen). Also in the castle is the Stone of Destiny - it is as you would expect from its name, a stone - upon which the Kings/Queens of Scotland were crowned. Again, the English being the spoil-sports they were, took the stone and placed it under the coronation chair in Westminister Abbey where it remained for some 700 years before the Queen Elizabeth II gave it back.


On exiting Edinburgh Castle, I felt up to date on Scottish history. So I figured it was time to indulge in some Scottish culture. And what better means than to experience the water of life ("uisge beatha" in Scottish Gaelic), or as translated and better known as Scotch Whiskey. I had planned to goto the Scotch Whiskey Heritage Centre to be educated on the finer points of scotch - but then I saw a sign that all people of Scottish descent would appreciate - Free Scotch Tasting Today. Making a sharp left hand turn, I headed in the store where a distillery representative was handing out free samples. I tried several tastings ranging from gentle Speyside single malts to the rough, peaty flavoured ones from the Western islands.

Who really needs a boring tour really narrated by a Sean Connery imitator when free scotch could be had? So again in true Scottish tradition (note that Scots are notouriously known as being cheap) I took the alloted entrance fee to the Scotch Whiskey Heritage Centre and put it towards a bottle of single malt Scotch. Oh by the way, can you tell that I am of Scottish heritage (second generation)!

Being very pleased with my tasting, purchase and most of all cost savings I headed down the hill from Edinburgh Castle where I came upon the Ensign Ewarts pub. Hmmmm, I was getting hungry plus I knew they served a special stout beer from the Orkney Islands. In I went for a pit stop.

For some reason, still unknown to me, I decided to explore Leith. I had wanted to see the Leith Links golf course - reputed to be older than St Andrews - but I got lost on the bus route and ended up in the backyard of Trainspotting. Trainspotting is that Ewan MacGregor/Robert Caryle movie about heroin drug addicts - and it was filmed partly in Leith. I can see why they chose here to depict the squalor of crack houses. So I booted it quickly out of there and did the following -> caught another bus -> quickly headed to a shopping centre -> saw the Royal Yaucht Brittania -> fogot to take a picture of it -> hiked along the Leith Waterway back to my B&B for a break before heading out to supper.


Just prior to supper I toured around Old Town and came upon the statue of Greyfriars Bobby. The story of Bobby (a dog) is that he was a loyal police dog to a police constable but after the constable died Bobby remained on duty (at the place of the statue) for 13 years (I think) until his own death. Bobby's grave is just around the corner in a prominant spot at the church.



After supper at a place called Howies (that served shoe leather for steak), I headed across the street to Calton Hill Cemetry. This cemetry contains a number of famous people such as David Hume and an impressive monument to Scotmen whom fought in the American Civil War.





The air was starting to get cool at this point so I decided to head for a couple night-caps at some of Edinburgh's finest pubs.

My first stop was at a bar dedicated to the Caledonian Brewey. From there I headed to the Oxford Bar for a Deuchars IPA (a sister brew of Caledonian 80).



The Oxford Bar is the favourite watering hole of the fictious DI Rebus (of Ian Rainkin novel fame). To say that this pub has character is an understatement. The front entrance room (where beer is served) has room for half a dozen patrons and the barman whom was currently entralled in the game of snooker on the telly. The pub extends to a smokey side room containing about eight tables in close quarters around a small fireplace. The type of character that would frequent such an establishment is certainly coming for the company and drinks - not for the decor. In spite of this, it has a certain charm that one does not find in any other pub. I won't even dare describe the mens facilities - except to say that it contains a single galvanized trough that doesn't look like it was cleaned since the early 80's. I do believe that at last I have found the true Auld Reekie!

I head home to pack my bags for the next mornings train journey.
]]> York - The Walled City — York, United Kingdom http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/castles_beer-06/1146589200/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/castles_beer-06/1146589200/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/castles_beer-06/1146589200/tpod.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:45:11 +0000 HRADY A PIVO! __________________________ CASTLES AND BEER!! Adventures in Edinburgh and Prague with England tossed-in for a balanced beer diet.
York, United Kingdom

Side trip to York - A City of Deep History
Click here to view my Pics from York

I arrive at York after a scenic train journey from Edinburgh along the Scottish seacoast and across the Scottish/English borderlands. The Scottish seacoast is an endless series of green, rolling meadows running parallel to the North Sea and dotted with hundreds of sheep. Only the occasional seaside town and lighthouse broke up my counting of sheep!

Exiting the York train station, I faced a huge fortress type wall that appeared to run forever to either side. My immediate concern was to get to the other side and inside York. I walked right along the wall until reaching an entrance called Mickelgate Bar. It is here that I climbed up and walked along the wide and thick walls towards York Minster and the city centre. These walls are, I estimate, about 15 feet or more thick and 30 feet high. It is easy to see how they would keep the undesirables out (or in - depending on your perspective!).

At York Minster, I arranged to go on a guided tour. However, I arrive 10 minutes late into the tour where a tour group is already listening to a stereotypical English looking chap with large eyebrows in dire need of trimming, a quivering yet stiff looking upper lip and wearing a tweed jacket (but without the elbow patches). He was explaining the long history of York and York Minster. From this point, the tour guide proceeded to give a detailed historical chronology for the next 30 minutes. You need to understand that the seating in this church is centuries old and was not designed for the comfort and relaxation of its users. So the 30 minutes seemed like (certainly felt like) an eternity. At this point, I excused myself from the remainder of the guided tour to explore the church on my own (after all I had a train to catch in several hours!).




In spite of the comprehensive history lesson, the York Minster itself was immense and truly amazing. I had never seen such a large church before; in fact, it is the largest in all of Great Britain. In addition to the several hundred foot high stained glass windows, altars, tombs, etc, there were a few oddities. For example, at the very top on the inside of the church (say 300 feet or more high) there are rows of statues of Catholic saints with no heads. The reason being is that Oliver Cromwell (in the 1600s) and his mates during the reformation took exception to the status quo and attempted to destroy all Catholic icons. So they knocked the heads off these statues. What is hard to imagine is how someone actually got all the way up there - it must have been a long ladder!

Another impact of the Reformation movement was the destruction of abbeys and monasterys across Britain. The following ruins of an old Abbey exist in York show what this may have been like:




York's long history has included visits from the Romans and Vikings. The Romans, during their occupation of Britain, founded York and used it as a base of operation for their Legions. The high point in Roman York history occurred when Constantine, while visiting York, was ordained as Emperor of the Roman Empire.

Signs of Roman York are visible today although mainly buried deep beneath the current city street level. Like most major British cities, different civilizations built their cities and streets one atop the other. These ancient civilizations are often discovered during construction of the current city, as was the case for the Roman Bathouse I visited. The pub currently above the Bathouse was performing renovations a few decades ago and during the basement escavation, they found the ruins of this bathouse. Therefore, instead of a basement pub they created a museum showing the rooms and artifacts of the bathouse.



The Vikings also had their kick at York (after sacking and plundering it). York is derived from the Norse name Jorvic and was so important to the Vikings that they established it as the Norse capital of Britain. Reminders of the Viking rule include current streetnames (most streets in York end in 'gate', which is Norse for street) and a cheesy tourist trap called Jorvik where 'vikings' with red hair and long beards run around screaming and waving Viking axes and shields.

Before catching my train, I head to the York Brewery where I order a tasting tray containing the five beers currently in season. The best of the lot was one called Centurion's Ghost Ale - obviously paying hommage to York's Roman past.

After drinking my beer, it is time to get back to the train station. I am off again. Although I have spent only 6 hours here, I was able to experience a millenuim of history and beer.
]]> Hike in English Countryside — Castle Donnington, United Kingdom http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/castles_beer-06/1146672540/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/castles_beer-06/1146672540/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flyin_bayman/castles_beer-06/1146672540/tpod.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:44:32 +0000 HRADY A PIVO! __________________________ CASTLES AND BEER!! Adventures in Edinburgh and Prague with England tossed-in for a balanced beer diet.
Castle Donnington, United Kingdom

Click here to view my pics from Derbyshire and the Peak District


It was a glorious sunny day, so I decided to start out on an afternoon walk from Castle Donnington to a couple of the nearby villages. Starting out with a rough idea of where I was going I made way up the hill to ...........
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