Author Archives: maysestomp

July 6, Sunday We didn’t have any plans for today, aside from driving to our next rental house in Devon.  We just headed out in the morning and started looking for interesting road signs.  It turned out to be one … Continue reading →

July 4, Friday As usual, this morning Adam got up with the sun.  By the time everyone else wakes up at a decent hour (like 6:15 a.m.) he is itching to get on with his day.  These photos are from … Continue reading →

July 2, Wednesday This morning Isabella’s ankle was not much better than it was yesterday, so she elected to stay home and give it one more day of rest.  We loaded her up with food, an ace bandage, and fully-charged … Continue reading →

June 30, Monday The house we’ve rented in Wirksworth is only OK, but has a couple of really great perks.  The first is a park with big playground directly across the street, which is fantastic for the kids and for us. … Continue reading →

June 27, Friday Some photos of the converted barn duplex we’re renting.  The right side is the one rented out; the owner lives on the left. View of back yard. It’s right in the middle of farm land. View out … Continue reading →

June 25, Wednesday Adam and I took another early morning walk around Glasgow while the kids were getting ready to go out.  This building is part of the University of Glasgow. More buildings of classrooms.  They are all gorgeous.   … Continue reading →

June 23, Monday Today was pretty much a wasted travel day.  We caught the ferry from Islay over to the mainland at noon, and spent the remainder of the afternoon driving to Glasgow.  Before we left the island, we had … Continue reading →

June 21, Saturday Today’s post (mostly) by Adam: Today we visited the island of Jura – home of Red Deer, a quirky whisky distillery and very, very little else. Jura is almost 6 1/2 times the size of Manhattan Island, … Continue reading →

June 19, Thursday We’re headed to the Hebridean island of Islay.  (It’s the spot where the red line ends above Derry in Northern Ireland.) For watchers of Parks and Recreation, this is the island Ron Swanson called “one place in … Continue reading →

June 17, Tuesday This morning we woke up to a glorious day.  Tea in hand, I went out on the deck to enjoy the majesty of the setting.  Grieg’s “Morning Mood” was playing in my head.  Ahhh, what a life! … Continue reading →

June 15, Sunday Leaving Nethy Bridge this morning had us pass by House of Bruar for the third time, so we stopped to get the makings of another Skyrim dinner. In front of the grocery store they have a small … Continue reading →

June 12, Thursday On the road back to Nethy Bridge from Edinburgh this morning, we stopped at the The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve.  It’s not really for tourists but rather a scientific research station that allows … Continue reading →

June 10, Tuesday One of the things Adam and John wanted to do most in Scotland is visit some whisky distilleries.  Yesterday’s Glenfiddich tour was family friendly, but most of the whisky tours are 18+ only.  I needed to dye … Continue reading →

June 8, Sunday Early this morning, Adam, Elaine, John and Josie got up early and went for a walk around Inverness.  Here are a couple photos: Loch Ness was our first official stop, and about a 30 minute drive from … Continue reading →

June 7, Saturday Our Scotland trip so far, for those of you who like maps to orient yourselves: Here is our B&B, Ardgarry, the one with the white door and the red awning.  The houses have names here.  Adam’s Land … Continue reading →

June 5, Thursday First thing in the morning, we headed over to Holyrood Palace since we ran out of time to see it yesterday.  It’s another castle-like museum/palace full of old treasures.  The Queen of England spends one week a … Continue reading →

June 3 This morning John and Elaine are arriving, so Adam and Josie headed to the airport to pick them up.  That left Isabella, Holden and me on our own until lunchtime. Yesterday the weather was quite nice and we … Continue reading →

June 1, 2014 — Northumberland, England Near the northern border of England, we visited The Holy Island and Lindisfarne Castle. Lindisfarne is on a tidal island, only accessible at certain times of the day. For about half of the day, … Continue reading →

(Adam’s write-up):  We first visited Alnwick Castle in Northumbria (NE66 1NQ) This castle is now most famous as the site (both exterior shots and interior) for the Hogwarts School of Harry Potter fame. Alnwick Castle is the home of the … Continue reading →

May 29, 2014 We finally have possession again of Adam’s finished Land Rover!  This has been an almost three-year-in-the-making project. We’ve realized after years of experimentation that staying in houses is much nicer than staying in hotels, and often a … Continue reading →