Vacations to Go

Home

Sakura-con and Puget Sound Easter-2012

Holiwood Nights & More-2012

Wow Week at the Beach-2012

Summer Fun-2012

Summer Fun II-2012

Future Trips:

Ireland and the U.K. with a Spot of France-2013

Paris and London Special-2013

British French Invasion-2010

Friends:

Puget Sound Adventure-2012

Ocean, Sand and Sun-2012 Revised

Christmas with Mickey-2013

Twilight in Forks-2011

Optional Trips:
Long Trips:

Big Mountain/ Glacier National Park

Ireland

Maui and Kauai

Oregon
Coast-a-Thon

Oregon Coast Websites for Vacation Rentals

Yellowstone National Park-Long Trip

Yellowstone-Teton Adventure-2011

Short Trips:

Glacier in a Weekend

Yellowstone National
Park-
Short Trip

Puget Sound Adventure

Ireland

Day 1	Wednesday	July 10th
	Depart:	Portland
	Do:	Fly to Dublin

Day 2	Thursday	July 11th
10:00 a.m.	Arrive:	Dublin
	Do:	Rent a car
		Purchase Heritage Card €21 and Heritage Island Explorer Touring Guide €6.99 for buy one, get one's
12:00 p.m.	See:	Trinity College Tour €10/HIE €1 off admission (9:30-5, Sun 9:30-4:30) 30 minute tours of their campus including rundown of the Georgian architecture, peek at student life and ending at the Book of Kells, a 9th-century gospel manuscript famous throughout the world. Take stairway upstairs to Proclamation of Irish Republic. Tours: 10:15, 10:40, 11:05, 11:35, 12:10, 12:45, 14:15, 15:00, 15:40
1:30 p.m.	See:	Dublin Castle - Free HC/€4.50 (Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat & Sun 2-5) Built on the spot of the 1st Viking fortress in 1230 AD at King John's orders, this castle was the seat of English rule for 700 years.
3:00 p.m.	Optional:	National Museum of Ireland- (10-5 Tues-Sat, 2-5 Sun) Free/10% off Shop & Cafe HIE
	Do:	Walking Tour
	See:	Garden of Remembrance -Free (8:30-6) Honoring the victims of the 1916 rising. The bottom of the cross-shaped pool is a mosaic of Celtic weapons, symbolic of how the early Irish would proclaim peace by throwing their weapons into a lake or river.
		(Stroll down O'Connell Street looking at shops and statues.)
		Charles Stewart Parnell Monument- member of Parliament who nearly won Home Rule for Ireland in the late 1800's. The names of the 4 ancient provinces of Ireland and all 32 Irish counties ring the monument.
		Father Matthew Statue-Leader of the temperance movement of the 1830's.
		Millennium Spire- 390 ft stainless steel spire.
		(Turn right on Henry St for two blocks enjoying the shops on the way.)
		Moore Street Market
		(Go back east on Henry to O'Connell.)
		James Larkin Statue- founder of the Irish Trasnport Workers' Union.
		Daniel O'Connell Statue (1775-1847) Liberator for founding the Catholic Ass. and demanding Irish Catholic rights in the British Parliament
		O'Connell Bridge - Look upriver (west) as far upstream as you can see. On the left in the distance, the big concrete building is the city planning commission. Across the river stands the Four Courts, Supreme Court building. It was shelled and burned in 1922, during the tragic civil war. The National Archives was burned, losing all birth records. The closest upstream bridge is Ha' Penny Bridge leading to Temple Bar for nightlife. Turn 180 degrees to see the tall Liberty Hall union headquarters, the tallest building in the Republic.
		Cobblestone Pub-Candlelit walls, covered with photos of honored trad musicians, set the tone with the understated sign: "Listening area, please respect musicians" 5-11:45 p.m.-traditional music sessions, Mon-Wed at 8:30, Thur-Sat at 5, at north end of square 100 yds from chimney tower
		Temple Bar area: Gogarty's Bar-top-notch sessions downstairs daily at 2 p.m. and upstairs nightly from 9 p.m. (corner of Fleet and Anglesea) Brazen Head-Oldest pub in Ireland. Merchant Pub-Traditional music at 8:30 p.m. in the back, enter on Bridge St. Palace Pub-climb upstairs to a cozy room that is a local favorite for traditional music sessions (at east end of Temple Bar where Fleet St. hits Westmoreland St, 21 Fleet St.) Arlington Hotel Pub-free Irish music shows, with Irish Rovers type band singing ballads and a dance troupe from 9-11, 23 Bachelors, walk just of north end of O'Connell Bridge
		Avalon House Hostel 55 Aungier St (dorm bed 14-26, includes breakfast, elevator, free internet, wi-fi)
		Four Courts Hostel 15-17 Merchant's Quay (Dorm bed 13-30, Dbl €68, bunk Dbl €70, small breakfast, non-smoking, elevator, internet and wi-fi, free 10 min. international call, parking 10 day)
	Lodge:	Kinlay House- €24.00 2-12 Lord Edward St Dublin 2 12-30 per dorm bed, 6 person ensuite dorm room (wifi, CB, kitchen, free international calls to land phones) Christchurch Car Park, Werburgh Street, Dublin 2. T: (01) 4549001 This has supervised parking at a cost of €9 overnight from 6pm - 9am. Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-12 a.m. & Sun 10-12 a.m. Hourly €1.80 or daily 24 hours €14.40
		Croke Park View Hostel $75 for 2 triple rooms 186-188 Road Clonliffe Dublin, 3 Ireland 866-539-0036
		Deerpark Lodge €11.49 per person

Day 3	Friday	July 12th
8:00 a.m.	Do:	Breakfast- Chorus Cafe-€4.00-7.00 Mon-Fri 7:30-4:30, Sat 10-4:30 Fishamble St.
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Dublin
		(Go north on N2. Enter N51 going east. Turn right on Knowth Crewbane Rd. It will go left, then turn right on Knowth Newgrange. The road will go left.)
9:45 a.m.	See:	Bru n Boinne Visitor Center - (9-7) 30 minute tours. HC/€11.00 Donore, County Meath, Republic of Ireland Newgrange, Knowth Megalithic Tombs (Free HC/€11.00, which dates to 3200 BC. At Newgrange you will squeeze down a narrow passageway to a cross-shaped central chamber, located under a 20 ft. high igloo-type stone dome. Bones and ashes were place here under 200,000 tons of stone and dirt to wait for a special moment. On Dec. 21st a ray of light would creep slowly down the 60 Ft. long passageway for 17 minutes. Knowth is a necropolis of several grassy mounds around one 85 yd wide grand tomb. The big mound covers 1.5 acres and has 2 passages aligned so that on the spring and fall equinoxes, rays from the rising and setting sun shine down the passageways to the center chamber. Neither is open to the public, but you visit a room cut into the side where you can see a passageway.	29
		Travelers Among You Letterbox
		(Go back to the N51. Turn east. Follow signs.)
1:00 p.m.	See:	Battle of the Boyne (10-6) HC/Adult: €4.00/Sen/Group: €3.00 Oldbridge, Drogheda, Co. Meath. Tearoom The Battle of the Boyne between King William III and his father-in-law, King James II, was fought on 1 July 1690 (11 July according to our modern calendar). Both kings commanded their armies in person, 36,000 on the Williamite side and 25,000 on the Jacobite side - the largest number of troops ever deployed on an Irish battlefield. At stake were the British throne, French dominance in Europe and Religious power in Ireland.
		(Enter N51 going right/east. At the M1 go left/north. Take the Monasterboice exit.)
2:15 p.m.		Monasterboice - (Sunrise-Sunset) Free donation Ruined abbey, but "Celtic" Christian monastery founded by St. Buite before 521 has 2 of the best crosses in Ireland. The Tall Cross (or West Cross) is the tallest high cross in existence, standing at an impressive 21 feet. Unfortunately it has been carved from stone not very resistant to the elements and been left at their mercy too long, the carvings are withered. But just a few yards away you will find Muiredach's Cross - named after its sponsor, commemorated in an inscription (but an elusive figure nonetheless). The 18 feet high cross consists of three parts and is complete, most of its carvings are still well-defined and identifiable. The center of the west face has a crucifixion scene, contrasted by a "last judgement" on the east face. Other panels show scenes from the Old and New Testaments, including the Passion, the Adoration of the Magi, Moses smiting a rock, David smiting Goliath and even the Fall of Man with Eve giving an apple to Adam and Cain slaying Abel. Includes one of Ireland's tallest round towers at 110 Ft.	10
3:00 p.m.	Depart:	Monasterboice
5:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Portaoise	91
6:15 p.m.	Arrive:	Limerick	67
8:15 p.m.	Arrive:	Dingle	95
	Lodge:		(292)

Day 4	Saturday	July 13th
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Dingle
	See:	Dingle Peninsula
		(Starting with your odometer on 0 at Oceanworld go west along the waterfront. On the left are "two up and two down" flats built in 1908 as affordable government housing. Continue on R559.)	km
		8 foot tide, across the Milltown River estuary is the Milltown House B& B where Robert Mitchum stayed for a year while filming Ryan's Daughter. Look for the narrow mouth of this blind harbor (where Fungie frolics), and the Ring of Kerry beyond.	.5
		(At the roundabout turn left over the bridge. The hardware store on the right was a corn-grinding mill in the 18th century.)	.2/.7
		Millstone B&B is named for the stone pillar in its front yard. This may be a prehistoric grave or a boundary marker between two tribes. The stone goes down as far as it sticks up. The peninsula is dotted with more than 2,000 such monuments dating from 4,000 BC. Another stone pillar stands in the field across the street, in the direction of the yellow manor house of Lord Ventry (in the distance) Lord Ventry built the mansion in 1750. It is a boarding school for girls today. As you pass the Ventry estate, you'll pass palms, magnolias, and exotic flora introduced into Dingle by Lord Ventry. It never snows here. The old red-sandstone and slate-roof cottages along the roadside housed Ventry estate workers in the 1840's.	.6/1.3
		Stay off "soft margins" as you enjoy views of Ventry, it's 4 mile long beach and Skellig Michael in the distance. In 1866 the first transatlantic cable was laid from nearby Valentia Island to Canada's Newfoundland. It was used until 1965. Mount Eagle rising from the bay marks the end of Ireland. In the town of Ventry Gaelic is the first language.	3.3/4.6
		The bamboo-like rushes on either side of the road are the kind used to make the local thatched roofs.	.6/5.2
		The Irish football (GAS) star Paidi O Se (Paddy O'Shea) is a household name in Ireland. He won eight all-Ireland football titles for Kerry as a player. He then trained the Kerry team for many years and now runs the pub on the left. There is a tiny grocery store on the right and easy beach access.	3.4/8.6
		The plain blue cottage hiding in the trees 100 yds off the road on the left (view through the white gate, harder to see in summer when foliage is thickest) was kept cozy by Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman during the filming of Far and Away. Just beyond are fine views of the harbor and Dingle's stone tower.	.6/9.2
		Red-colored, two-room schoolhouse on the right that is used to teach Gaelic courses for kids from big cities. Left is a small Celtic and Prehistoric Museum, a private collection of prehistoric artifacts.	1.5/10.7
		The circular elevated hedge/mound on the right is a late-Stone Age ring fort. In 500 BC it was a petty Celtic chieftain's headquarters, a stone and earth stockade filled with little stone houses. Superstition believe them to be fairy forts, so they were not touched.	.4/11.1
		Look ahead up Mount Eagle at the patchwork of stone-fenced fields.	.6/11.7
	Optional:	Dunbeg Fort-€3 (9:30-7) a series of defensive ramparts and ditches around a central clochan, is open to tourists. It's ready to fall into the ocean. Includes a 15 minute video giving a bigger picture of the prehistory of the peninsula in the restaurant across the street. (500 BC-500 AD) Visitor Center	.8/12.5
		Lunch Stone House Restaurant (12:30-3:30, closed Tues.)-good lunches, opposite Dunbeg Fort. Stone-roofed house built to blend in with the landscape and a currach boat dry docked in the parking lot.
		Lunch- Do it here or at Ballyferriter
	Optional:	Kavanaugh cottage €3 (9:30-6) abandoned 150 years ago during the famine. Old artifacts and good descriptions of their simple lifestyle. 50 yds up the hill	.11/12.6
	Optional:	Beehive huts €2 (9:30-3) WC These mysterious stone igloos are clustered together within a circular wall and built in the bronze age. A short walk up the hill.	.8/13.4
		Pull off to the left at the 2nd group of beehive huts. Look downhill at the rocky field-in the movie Far and Away, that's where Lord Ventry evicted/torched peasants from their cottage. Look above at the patches of land slowly made into farmland by the inhabitants of this westernmost piece of Europe. Rocks were cleared and piled into fences. Sand and seaweed were laid on the clay, and in time it was good for grass. The created land, if at all tillable, was generally used for growing potatoes; otherwise it was only good for grazing. Much has fallen out of use now. Look across the bay at the Ring of Kerry in the distance and ahead at the Blasket Islands.	1.5/14.9
		Slea Head-marked by a crucifix, a pullout, and great views of Blasket Islands. It is the western most point of Europe.	1.2/16.1
		Dun Chaoin sign-View Blasket Islands and Dunmore Head (the westernmost point of Europe) and to review the roadside map. About a km down the road on the left, a plaque celebrates the 30th anniversary of the filming of Ryan's Daughter	.8/16.9
		Blasket Island Cemetery - Famous Blascaod storyteller, Peig Sayers (1873-1958) is buried in the center. At the next intersection, drive down the little lane that leads left (100 yds) to a small stone marker (hiking in the grass on the left) commemorating the 1588 shipwreck of the Santa Maria de la Rosa of the Spanish Armada. Below that is the often tempestuous Dunquin Harbor, from the where the Blasket Islands ferry departs. Island farmers, who on a calm day could row across in 30 minutes, would dock here and hike 12 mile into Dingle to sell their produce.	2.4/19.3
		(Back on the main road, follow signs to the Ionad An Blascaod Mor (Great Blasket Centre). You'll pass a village school from 1914 (2 teachers and 6 grades with 18 students. Leave the Slea Head Road left for the Great Blasket Centre, good cafeteria.)	.1/19.4
	See:	Ionad an Bhlascaoid Mhóir - The Blascaod Centre- Free HC/€4.00 (10-6) Blascaod and Gaelic heritage center gives visitors the best look at the language, literature and the way of life of Blasket Islanders. Sacred view of the actual islands. 20 minute video	2.9/22.3
		(Back at the turnoff, head left (sign to Louis Mulcahy Pottery.)	.8/23.1
		Stone-Passing land that was never reclaimed, think of the work it took to pick out the stones, pile them into fences, and bring up sand and seaweed to nourish the clay and make soil for growing potatoes. Look over the water to the island aptly named the "Sleeping Giant"-see his hand resting happily on his beer belly.	1.4/24.5
		Grab the scenic pull-out. The view is spectacular. Ahead, on the right, study the top fields, untouched since the planting of 1845, when the potatoes didn't grow, but rotted in the ground. The faint vertical ridges of the potato beds can still be seen-a reminder of the famine (easier to see a bit later). Before the famine 40,000 people lived on the peninsula. After the famine, the population was so small that there was never again a need to farm so high up. Today only 10,000 live on the peninsula. Coast downhill. The distant hills are crowned by lookout forts built back when Britain expected Napoleon to invade. The lousy farmland on both sides of the straight stretch of road was stripped of 7 ft. of peat in the 19th century. While the land here provided a lot of warmth back then, it provides no food today.	5.4/29.9
		Ballyferriter town- established in Norman 12th century is the largest on this side of Dingle. The pubs serve grub and the old schoolhouse is a museum €2.50 (10-6) The early Christian cross next to the schoolhouse looks real. It's a fiberglass prop from Ryan's Daughter.	5.1/35
		Lunch-O'Cathain's Pub
		(At the t-junction, signs direct you left to An Daingean (Dingle). Go left, via Gallaras (and still following CeannSleibhe/Sea Head Drive. Take a right over the bridge and follow signs to Gallaras. Just beyond the bridge, you'll pass the Tigh Bhric pub and market (great pub grub). 5 yds before the sign to Mainistir Riaise (Reasc Monastery), detour right up the lane. After .3 km (up the unsigned turnout on your right), you'll find the scant remains of the walled Reasc Monastery. )	1.4/36.4
		Mainistir Riaise (Reasc Monastery)-Dating from 6th-12th centuries, free, always open. The inner wall divided the community into sections for prayer and business (cottage industries helped support the monastery). In 1975 only the stone pillar was visible, as the entire site was buried. The stone pillar is Celtic (500 BC) When the Christians arrived in 500 AD, they carved a Maltese-type cross over the Celtic scrollwork. The square building was an oratory. The round buildings would have been clochans-those stone igloo-type dwellings. They operated a double duty kiln. Just outside the wall (opposite the oratory, past the duplex clochan, at the bottom end), find a stone hole with a passage facing the southwest wind. This was the kiln, fanned by the wind, it was used for cooking and drying grain. Locals would bring their grain to be dried and the monks would keep 10% tithe. When the Normans arrived in the 12th century, these communities were replace by big time state and church governments.	.6/37
		(Return to the main road and continue to the right.)	.8/37.8
		(At Smerwick Harbor Hotel turn left following the signs to Gallaras, Gallarus Oratory.)	1.8/39.6
		Brandon Mountain Pilgrimage: The tradition of pilgrimage to Brandon Mountain dates back to the earliest times, before the pagan deity Crom Dubh was reputedly ousted from the mountain by the great St Brendan the Navigator (d. 577 or 583). The medieval Christian pilgrimage was probably adapted by the Church from a pagan celebration. The route follows the Saints’ Road from Ventry Strand to the grotto at the foot of Brandon Mountain and winds its way among the fuchsia-hedged fields between the sea and the mountain. The area is rich in bird and plant life, and heritage sites along the route include the famous Gallarus Oratory, a corbelled structure that may have been built to shelter passing pilgrims. The dry stone oratory, described by Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney as ‘a core of old dark walled up with stone a yard thick’, has remained watertight since its construction at some time between the seventh and twelfth centuries. A little further along the route, there is an Ogham stone beside the Romanesque church at Kilmalkedar. The church is dedicated to the local St Maolcéadair and is surrounded by fascinating historical remnants, including a twelfth-century sundial. A nearby holy well is dedicated to St Brendan, as is a collapsed oratory of the Gallarus type. Lying against a wall on the far side of the main road is a bullaun, a stone with man-made cavities, which was probably designed for use in blessings and healings. Although the traditional pilgrimage extended to the summit of Brandon Mountain, the route now ends at Ballybrack. The mountain is hazardous, has steep cliffs, and is prone to sudden disorientating mists. Walkers proceed to the summit entirely at their own risk.
		At the building with camping sign, go right and follow the sign for the oratory, where you'll find a small tourist center with a coffee shop, WC and a video theatre. €3 for a 17 minute video overview of Dingle Peninsula's historic sights. (9-9) Gallarus Oratory, built about 1300 yrs. ago, is one of Ireland's best-preserved early Christian churches. Shaped like an upturned boat, its finely fitted drystone walls are still waterproof. Notice the holes once used to secure covering at the door, and the fine alternating stonework on the corners. Gallarus Castle- Free Built in 1400's. It's a 4 story tower with a vaulted ceiling on the 4th floor. From the oratory, return to the main road and continue, following the brown Ceann Sleibhe/Slea Head Drive sign.	1/40.6
		(Retrace your steps to the R559. Turn right at the fork in the direction of Murreagh/An Mhuirioch and immediately take a right (at the blue shop sign) at the next fork. Here you leave the Slea Head Drive and head for Dingle, 10 km away.)	2.1/42.7
		Kilmalkedar (Cill Mhaoil-cheadair) -Norman center of worship for this end of the peninsula. It was built when England replaced the old monastic settlements in an attempt to centralize their rule. The 12th century Irish Romanesque church is surrounded by a densely populated graveyard, which has risen noticeably above the surrounding fields over the centuries. In front of the church you will find the oldest medieval tombs, a stately early Christian cross and a much older ogham stone. The stone, which had already stood here 900 years when the church was built, is notched with the mysterious Morse code-type ogham script used from the 3rd to 7th centuries. It marked a grave, indicating this was a pre-Christian holy spot. The hole was drilled though the top of the stone centuries ago, as a place where people would come to seal a deal as they stood on the top of the graves of their ancestors and in front of the house of God. They would "swear to God" by touching thumbs through this stone. You can still use this to renew your marriage vows (free). The church fell into ruin during the Reformation, as Catholic worship went underground until the early 19th century, Kilmalkedar was never rebuilt. Behind the church is the Pilgrim's Way walk to the top of Mt. Brandon. Walk 20 minutes for a great view across Smerwick Harbour. (Do this for trip: http://www.megalithicireland.com/Kilmalkedar.htm )	1.8/44.5
		(Continue uphill, overlooking the water.)
		Ciher Dorgan-Free - Another "fairy fort" on the right, dating back to 1000 BC. Go through the rusty "kissing gate" The bay stretched out below you is Smerwick Harbor. In 1580 a force of 600 Italian and Spanish troops, sent by the pope to aid a rebellion against the Protestant English) surrendered at this bay to the English. All 600 were massacred by the English forces, who included Sir Walter Raleigh.	.7/45.2
		(At the crest of the hill, enjoy a 3 mile long coast back into Dingle.)	1.5/46.7
		Tog Bog E means "take it easy". At the T-junction turn left. Turn right at the roundabout.	4.6/51.3
	Arrive:	Dingle	1.2/52.5
	Do:	Pub Crawl
		(Go west on The Wood/Strand, on the left side.)
		John Benny Moriarty's-Good traditional music sessions, with John joining in on an accordion, when he's not pouring pints. Also traditional Irish food.
		(Continue on The Strand on the left side.)
		Murphy's Pub-Offering ballads and traditional music nightly at 9 p.m.. Good pub grub 12-9 p.m.
		(Continue on Strand onto Holyground, on the right.)
		O'Flaherty's Pub-Owner Fergus O'Flaherty sings and plays a half dozen different instruments during nightly traditional music sessions. Has high ceiling and is dripping in old-time photos and town memorabilia.
		(At the roundbout go left on The Mall up to Main Street. Turn left. On the right side)
		Small Bridge Bar-Music nightly
		(Continue west on Main Street past Dyke Gate. On the right.)
		The Dingle Pub-Jaunty, shanty-type folk singing rather than the churning traditional beat of an Irish folk session.
		(Continue on Main St.)
	Lodge:	http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/bbdingle.html	(84)

Day 5	Sunday	July 14th
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Dingle
10:00 a.m.	Arrive:	Killarney	51
10:30 a.m.	Arrive:	Kenmare	21
	Do:	Ring of Kerry	miles/km
		Glacier Lake-	11/17.6
		Parknasilla Hotel-19th century hotel	3.25/5.2
		Sneem- Celtic Weave China Shop-only place other than Tiffany's where you can buy this china. Bridge between North Square and South Square has a waterfall.	2/3.2
		(Turn off to Staigue Ring Fort at Castlecove.)	9/14.4
		Staigue Ring Fort- €1 donation (10-9) Exhibition with tiny museum, fort model and 10 minute film. Built in 500 BC	1.56/2.5
		(Back to Ring of Kerry and turn right.)	1.56/2.5
		Beara Peninsula beyond a ruined hospital with IRA ties by a local English woman sympathetic to the Irish Republican cause. No one will touch the ruins out of fear of "kicking up a beehive."	.69/1.1
		Carroll's Cove-fine beach and grand view of Kenmare Bay	1.25/2
		Derrynane House turnoff	1.81/2.9
		(Just outside the town of Derrynane, pick up a handy free map of the estate from the little T1 inside the brown Wave Crest market and picnic food. One mile after the market, take a left and follow the signs into the ark.)
	See:	Derrynane National Historic Park- Free HC/€3.00 (9-6) Home of Daniel O'Connell, Ireland's most influential pre-independence politician, whose tireless nonviolent agitation gained quality for Catholics 175 years ago.
		Coomikista Pass lookout point-great view in both directions	3.75/6
		Skellig Island views	1.94/3.1
		Ruins of famine villages on both sides of road	1.19/1.9
		Waterville-Sculpture of Charlie Chaplin on the left. Butler Arms offers tea and scones in the Charlie Chaplin room with lots of pictures of him.	2/3.2
		(After rejoining the main road and turning left, cross the small bridge that's locally famous for salmon fly-fishing. Take the 1st left (R567) for the Skellig Ring loop. Follow brown Skellig Ring signs through Ballinskelligs.)	3.38/5.4
		St. Finan's Bay-pleasant little picnic-friendly beach, but no WC. Just before the bay is the small Skelligs Chocolate Factory (free samples and a fun visit)	6.25/10
		Portmagee-Jumping off point for small boats to Skellig Islands. (€40 boat ride) Has a bakery. Read slate memorial to sailors lost at sea. Also a 10 minute walk to see the cliffs.	5/8
		(Across the bridge to Valencia Island.)
	Optional:	Skellig Experience Centre - €5 (10-7) Story of Skellig Island and the monks with an exhibit and 15 minute audiovisual show. Offers – again through artefacts and realistic re-creations - an experience of Skellig lighthouse – its history – its light keepers and its service to mariners since the 1820’s. Gift shop, ‘Fionan’s Kitchen’, our ‘restaurant-with-a-view’, overlooking the waterfront of Portmagee Channel, and seating up to 48 persons, offers teas, coffees, snacks, sandwiches – and larger meals. You can always enjoy the good food and keen shopping at the Skellig Experience Centre even without entering the exhibition area!	.2
		(Return to the main road and go through Knightstown to the tiny ferry.)
	Do:	Ferry €5 per car for a 2 km trip.	6.13/9.8
		(Leave the ferry, rejoin N-70 turning left for Cahersiveen.)
		Cahersiveen	3.13/5
		(Just beyond the town church at the tourist office, turn left, cross the narrow bridge, turn left again, and follow signs for ancient forts.)
		Ballycarbery Castle- Free
		Cahergal Ring Forts- Free parking, 100 yd. walk	1.56/2.5
		Leacanabuaile Ring Forts
		(Return to Cahersiveen at N-70 following signs to Glenbeigh and Killorglin.)	1.56/2.5
	Arrive:	Killorglin	16/25.5
		(Just past town take N72.)
	Arrive:	Killarney	7.5/12
	See:	Muckross House & Gardens HC/ €7 or €12 combo
		Muckross Traditional Farm HC/ €7.50
		Ross Castle HC/€4.00 (9-5:45)
		(Approximately 7 kilometres from Killarney Town and approx 2.5 kilometres from the motor entrance to Muckross House and can be accessed from a car park on the N71 better known as the Killarney – Kenmare road. )
		Torc Waterfall- A short walk of approx 300 metres brings you to the waterfall. From that point steps lead to another viewing point at a higher altitude that provides a view over the Middle Lake. The path is also part of the Kerry Way long distance walking route and a starting point for circular walking routes which are indicated by a map down at the start of the trail beside the car park. The waterfall which is approximately 20 metres high is at its best after heavy rainfall. Across the road from the car park jaunting cars can be hired for a trip to Muckross House within the National Park.
	Lodge:		(163.7)

Day 6	Monday	July 15th
8:00 a.m.	Depart:	Dingle
		(Take N86 east.)
8:40 a.m.	Arrive:	Tralee	31
		(Go east on N21.)
10:00 a.m.	Arrive:	Limerick	64
		(Go south on N24. At Tipperary go east on N74.)
10:45 p.m.	Arrive:	Cashel	37
		Park at foot of the Rock by TI office.)
		The Bakehouse-opposite TI offers a bakery with a cafe upstairs
	See:	Rock of Cashel HC/€6.00(9-7) A spectacular group of Medieval buildings set on an outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale including the 12th century round tower, High Cross and Romanesque Chapel, 13th century Gothic cathedral, 15th century Castle and the restored Hall of the Vicars Choral. Attractions include an audio-visual show and exhibitions.	50
12:45 p.m.	Depart:	Cashel
		(Continue northeast on N8. At Portlaoise take a left on the R423 roundabout. Then take the N80 roundabout left.)
1:45 p.m.	Arrive:	Portlaoise
	See:	Rock of Dunamase (Used in the film "Leap Year") Free Excavations in the 1990s demonstrated that the Rock was first settled in the 9th century when a fort or dun was constructed on the site. In 845 the Vikings of Dublin attacked the site and the abbot of Terryglass was killed there. There is no clear evidence of 10th–11th century occupation. The castle was built in the second half of the 12th century. Who built it is not recorded, but Meyler FitzHenry is the most likely candidate. Strongbow is another possibility, as it was he who controlled Leinster as heir of Dermot McMurrough. With the marriage of Stongbow's daughter and heir, Isabel, the castle passed into the hands of the Marshal family. William Marshal, who later became Regent of England in the minority of Henry III, had five sons, all of whom succeeded him in turn and died without issue. So in 1247 the Marshal lands were divided among William's five daughters. Dunamase fell to Eve Marshal and then to her daughter, Maud, who was married to Roger Mortimer. The castle remained in Mortimer hands until 1330 when another Roger Mortimer was executed for treason. By the time the Mortimer family was rehabilitated the castle seems to have passed out of the area under Norman control. There is no evidence that the castle was taken over and used by the local Irish lords and it seems to have become a ruinous shell by 1350. Nor is there evidence that the castle was reoccupied in the 17th century. It played no part in the Cromwellian wars, except that it was blown up at that time to prevent it being used. In the later 18th century Sir John Parnell started to build a banqueting hall within the ruins and this work incorporated medieval architectural details taken from other sites in the area. It is these features which have led some writers to believe that there was a later medieval rebuild and reoccupation of the castle.
2:30 p.m.	Depart:	Portlaoise
3:30 p.m.	Arrive:	Dublin	52
		Return Rental Car
	Do:	Dinner
6:10 p.m.	Do:	Aer Lingus €63.88/€20 luggage fee
8:55 p.m.	Arrive:	Paris CDG Airport
	Do:	Rent Car
	Lodge:	Premiere Classe 3 Avenue des Trois Fontaines 95000 Cergy, France 01 30 30 13 63	(234)

Day 7	Tuesday	July 16th
8:00 a.m.	Depart:	Paris

11:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Caen	220/138
	Arrive:	Le Memorial de Caen (pronounced kahn) € 18,50/ € 23,90 with Cafe du Memorial lunch (9-7) Esplanade Général Eisenhower 14000 Caen, France 02 31 06 06 45 Two video presentations: D-Day every 30 min. and Hope shows 3 times a day. Numerous exhibits on the lead-up to WWII, the actual Battle of Normandy, the Cold War and the ongoing fight for peace (Nobel prize Gallery and Peace Gardens, gift shop, Le Cafe du Memorial, Le Restaurant La Terrasse)
3:00 p.m.	Depart:	Caen
		(Go back the way you came on Brillaud de Laujardiere. Go through the roundabout and right on Blvd General Waygand. Enter the E46/N413. At the junction take the N13/E46. Take exit 36 right onto D33. At the roundabout take the 4th right onto D613. At the next roundabout take the 2nd right on D572/Blvd Marechal Montgomery. At the next roundabout take the 2nd right on D6/Blvd Sadl Carnot. At Rue des Bouches turn left. Take the next left. Turn left again on Rue St. Malo. )
3:30 p.m.	Arrive:	Bayeaux	28/18
4:00 p.m.		Bayeux Cathedral (Cathedrale Notre Dame de Bayeux)- Free (8:30-6) 4 rue du General de Dais 14400 Bayeux France Built in 1066. Historians believe the Bayeux tapestry hung here.
		(Walk 2 blocks east on Forest Nesmond.)
5:00 p.m.		Bayeux Tapestry €7.80 (9-7) Centre Guillaume Le Conquérant Rue de Nesmond 14400 Bayeux Tél : + 33 (0)2 31 51 25 50 Listed as a “Memory of the World” by UNESCO, the Bayeux Tapestry (Calvados) is an embroidery, 70 metres long, made in the 11th century. Celebrating the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy, this linen canvas was probably embroidered by monks in the south of England after the Battle of Hastings on October 14^th, 1066. Legendary animals, ships, Vikings, Norman and Saxon cavalries illustrate the exploits of William and his opponent Harold, another pretender to the throne of England.
		(On the other side of Bien. Cuisiniers Rue.)
5:30 p.m.		Lace Conservatory-Free (10-12:30 & 2-6) 6 Rue du Bienvenu 14400 Bayeux Notable for its carved 15th century facade, the Adam and Eve house. Watch workers design and weave intricate lace, just as artisans did in the 1600s.
	Do:	Dinner-L'Assiette Normande-Local dishes in lively rooms with many choices at fair prices. From €15 3 rue des Chanoines
		La Reine Mathilde Patisserie 19 rue St. Martin
		River Walk- promenade along the meandering walking path that follows the little Aure River for about 2.5 miles through town. The path runs both ways from the T1, behind the water wheel behind the T1.
	Lodge:	Logis les Remparts 4 rue Bourbesneur www.bayeux-bandb.com (Dbl €60-70, Tb €70-90 includes breakfast, cash, wi-fi in shop)	(248/156)
		Chambre d'Hote le Petit Matin 2 bis rue de Quincangrogne www.lepetitmatin.com (Db €65-75, Tb €85, includes breakfast, cash)
		Hotel Reine Mathilde 23 rue Larcher (easy parking, brasserie, Db €63,Tb €75, Qb €85)
		Hotel Mogador 20 rue Alain Chartier (Dbl €57, Tb €70, Qb €83, breakfast €6, wi-fi)

Day 8	Wednesday	July 17th
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Bayeux
		(Continue on Rue St. Malo. Turn left on Rue Genas Duhomme/D6 C. At Blvd d'Eindhoven/D613 turn right. Turn left at D516. At Rue Marie Rose Thonnard turn right on D87. Go left on Blvd Gilbert Longuet.)
9:15 a.m.	Arrive:	Arromanches	4/6
	See:	Normandy
		Artificial Harbor-Start at the cliffs above the town. (Drive 2 minutes toward Courseulles-sur-Mer and pay €2 to park, hike 10 minutes uphill from Arromaches; or take the free white train from the museum to the top of the bluff on weekend and summers. To the left is the American sector, with Omaha Beach and then Utah Beach (notice the cliffs); below and to the right lie the British, French, and Canadian sectors (with the more level terrain). Look and ponder how, from makeshift harbor below, the liberation of Europe commenced. On June 7, 1944, 17 old ships crossed the English Channel under their own steam, and were sunk by their crews from bow to stern, forming the first shelter. Then 115 football-field size cement blocks, called Mullberries, were towed across the channel and sunk, creating a four-mile-long breakwater located about a mile and a half off shore. Finally, seven floating steel "pierheads" with extendable legs were set up; they were linked to shore by four mile-long floating roads made of concrete pontoons. Anti-aircraft guns were set up on the pontoons. With-in 6 days of operation, 54,000 vehicles, 326,000 troops, and 110,000 tons of goods had been delivered. An Allied toehold on Normandy was secure.
		Wander the beach among the concrete and rusted litter of the battle, and be thankful that all you hear are birds and surf.
		(Go back south on Blvd Gilbert Longuet. Turn right on D87, then left on D514. At the next junction it will go right on Route du Porte/D514. Drive 10-minutes west of Arromanches on D514. Follow the signs reading Port en Bessin; once in Longues-sur-Mer, follow Batterie signs.)
		Batterie de Longues-sur-mer- 4 €/3,00 € NMP- 4 German bunkers with guns intact. The guns, 300 yds inland, were arranged in a semicircle to maximize the firing range east and west, and are the only original guns remaining in place in the D-Day region. The guns could fire 13 miles at great accuracy and were a major obstacle to the landings at Omaha and Gold beaches. American and British forces were pounded from this site. The lone observation bunker on the cliffs directed the firing. From here you can drive down to the water, by continuing on the small road past the parking lot to see the remains of Port Winston at Arromanches.	3/5
		(Continue on D-514 to Colleville-sur-Mer. Look for signs to the cemetery.)
		WWII Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial (9-6) Free Crowning a bluff just above Omaha Beach and the eye of the D-Day storm, 9,387 brilliant white-marble crosses and Stars of David glow in memory of Americans who gave their lives to free Europe on the beaches below. First, stop at the VC to pick up an English information sheet. Read the 1956 letter from the French president (on the wall above the FP), which eloquently expresses the feeling of gratitude the French still have for the US. Walk past the memorial and the cemetery to the bluff that overlooks the piece of Normandy called "that embittered shore-portal of freedom." Steps lead down to the beautiful beach below. Walk back to the memorial, where you'll see giant reliefs of the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of Europe etched on the walls. Behind that is the semicircular Garden of the missing, with 1,5567 names. Finally wonder among the tombstones.	7/9
		(Drive west on D-514 into St. Laurent, then follow Vierville par la Cote/D517 signs to the beach. A right turn along the water leads to Le Ruquet (where the road ends), a good place to appreciate the Allied soldiers challenge on D-Day.)
		Vierville-sur-Mer - Allows access to Omaha Beach. The small bunker and gun above the parking area protected this easiest access point inland from Omaha Beach. It was from here that the Americans established their first road inland. Find your way out to the beach and stroll to the right below the American Cemetery, to better understand the overwhelming assignment that American forces were handed on June 6. 1200 soldier died on the beach on the first day. As you walk, notice the scattered remains of rusted metal objects, and try to imagine their purpose. 150,000 tons of metal was already removed.	2/3
		(Back in your car, retrace your route along the beach on D517, looking for a worthwhile information boards along the seas and hug the coast, past the flags heading toward the Pointe de la Perce cliff, which from here looks very Pointe du Hoc-like. American Army Rangers mistook this cliff for Pointe du Hoc, costing them time and live. Park near the Hotel Casino.)
	Do:	Dinner- Casino cafe-It was here that the Americans tried to assemble a floating bridge and their own artificial harbor, but the weather and tides did not cooperate. Stroll along the beach toward the jutting Pointe de la Perce (best a low tides). You may see tractors doing double duty pulling boats into and out of the sea.	1
		(As you leave Vierville-sur-Mer, just above the Hotel Casino, to the west on D-514, you'll pass the very pontoon bridge that was to be assembled at the beach. During the fighting, it was moved to Arromanches and used as a second off-loading ramp. It was discovered a few years ago in the junkyard.)
		Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument - Free (9-5) This was the Germans' most heavily fortified position along the coast, thanks to its strategic location. The Allie determined to take out this cliffside German battery, which could punish American forces attempting to land at Utah and Omaha beaches. 300 US Army Rangers attempted a castle style assault of the German-occupied cliffs using grappling hooks and ladders borrowed from the London fire dept. 2/3 of the Rangers died. The German bunkers and the bombed-out landscape remain just as they were found. This was the most heavily bombarded of all on D-Day, receiving more than 10,000 tons of bombs. This is considered a gravesite, so no picnics allowed.	3/5
		(Continue on D514 west. It will go left/south at Grandcamp Maisy on D199/Rue du Doctaur Boutrois. Turn left/east on D613/N13/E46 to the village of LaCambe. Follow signs reading Cimetiere Allemand.)
		German Military Cemetery (8-7) 21,000 Germans are buried here. The site seems appropriately bleak, with two graves per simple marker and dark crosses in groups of five.
		Ste. Mere Eglise On Utah Beach. Where The Longest Day occurred. Two Americans dangled from the town's church while Germans took pot shots at them. A parachute has been reinstalled on the steeple where Private John Steele's was. Today the village greets travelers with 1940s music from street speakers.	5/8
4:00 p.m.	Depart:	Normandy
		(At D113 go left/south. At the junction go right on D5/Quartier de la Mairie. Shortly go left/south on D11. At the junction with Rue de Littry continue south on D6. It will go around St Lo. At the roundabout take the 4th right on N174/E3. Enter A84/E401/E3 going right/west. Take exit 34 right on N175/E401. Exit onto Rue de la St. Come/D80. Take a right/north on D976/Mt. St. Michel.)
6:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Mont St. Michel	78/125
		La Jacotiere www.lajacotiere.fr (Dbl 64, studio 66, extra bed 12, includes tasty breakfast, wi-fi)
		Le Relais du Roy 145.00 € BP 8 Route du Mont St Michel F-50170 Le Mont St Michel 33 (0) 2 33 60 14 25 9.50 € breakfast, 1.20 € per adult,double room and triple room Arrive from 7-9:30 reservation@le-relais-du-roy.com Received email 3/15/10 Emailed reservation on 3/17/10, Gave credit info on 3/20/10	(103)
		Les Vielles Digues 68 route due Mont St. Michel www.bnb-normandy.com (Dbl 70, Tb 90, includes good breakfast, showers, easy parking internet and wi-fi)
		Vent des Greves www.ventdesgreves.com (Dbl 45, Tb 55, Qb 65, includes breakfast

Day 9	Thursday	July 18th
		(2 mile causeway built in 1878, surrounded by mudflat.)
9:00 a.m.	See:	Abbaye du Mont St. Michel- 9€ (9-7) BP 22 50170 Le Mont-Saint-Michel Parking 5 €, Mass 11:30 (be at entrance at 11:15 and 6:30 p.m.) (10-4) Grand Rue road is lined with shops and hotels on the way up. Tour the abbey in a one way route. (Walk to the round lookout at the far end and face the church.) West Terrace- 1776 fire destroyed the west end of the church leaving this grand view terrace. Look at the polder land-famrland reclaimed by Normans in the 19th century with the help of Dutch engineers. (Now head back into the...) Abbey Church-Sit on a pew near the front of the church, under the little statue of the Archangel Michael, with the spear to defeat dragons and evil. Most of the church is Romanesque 11th century, but Gothic apse behind the altar. (Just outside the church, you'll find the...) Cloisters-This was the peaceful zone that connected various rooms where monks could meditate, read the Bible and tend their gardens to grow food and herbs. Look to see what the tide is doing from the view window. Notice the carvings, which feature various plants and heighten the Garden-of-Eden ambience the cloister offered the monks. (Continue on the tour to the....) Refectory- This was the dining hall, where they consumed food in silence. One monk read the Bible in monotone during the meals, pulpit on the right near the far end. The columns are think but very deep, allowing maximum light and solid support. (Stairs lead down to the...) Guests Hall- Guests were wined and dined according to their status. It was once painted like the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. The big double fireplace, kept out of sight by hanging tapestries, served as a kitchen. (Hike the stairs to the...) Hall of the Grand Pillars-Perched on the pointy rock, the huge abbey had 4 sturdy crypts like this to prop it up. You're standing under the Gothic portion of the abbey church. This was the crypt that collapsed in 1421. Notice the immensity of the new columns, 15 ft. (To see what kind of crypt collapsed, walk on to the....) Crypt of St. Martin- 11th century Romanesque vault. (Next, you'll find the...) Ossuary- (identifiable by its big treadwheel) Housed the hospital, morgue and ossuary. Because the abbey graveyard was small, it was routinely emptied, and the bones were stacked here. Ruled by an atheistic government from 1793 to 1863, the abbey was used as an Alcatraz-type prison. 300 priests were its first inmates who refused to renounce their vows. Prisoners powered the treadwheel. Scriptorium Hall- Finish your visit by walking through the Promenade of the monks, under more Gothic vaults. Spiral down to the gift shop, turn right and follow signs to Jardin. The room after the shop holds temporary exhibitions about the history and future of the mont. The Merville- 3 level buildings created in 1220, lower level for lower class, middle floor for VIPS and top floor for clergy. (Stairs lead from here back into village. To avoid the crowds on your descent, veer to the right down the small lane past the Musee Historique or, at the same place, follow chemin des Ramparts to the left and hike down via the....) Ramparts- Mont St. Michel is ringed by a fine example of 15th century fortifications. They were built to defend against cannons. The 5 sided Boucle Tower ( 1481) was crafted with no blind angles, so defenders could protect it and the nearby walls in all directions. At dark, the island is magically floodlit. Views from the ramparts are sublime. Stand on the causeway for the best views. High Tide 8:33 a.m. and 8:48 p.m. www.ot-montsaintmichel.com
3:00 p.m.	Depart:	Mont St. Michal
5:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Alencon	91/145
6:30 p.m.	Arrive:	Dreux	67/107
8:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Paris Porte Maillot (PARX70) Alamo Sncf Building, 82 Avenue De La Grande Armee Paris , 75017 FR	80
	Do:	Return Car
	Lodge:	Cecilia's Guest House 10 rue Denfert-Rochereau Asnieres 92600 ceciliasguesthouse@hotmail.com Studio British (Double with kitchen) and Studio Chasse (Double and Bunkbed with kitchen and patio) (croissants)

Day 10	Friday	July 19th
9:00 a.m.		Point Zero- You are standing on the center of France, the point from which all distances are measured. Looking two-thirds of the way up to the left tower, you can find Paris' most photographed gargoyle. Propped on his elbows on the balcony rail, he watches all the tourist in line. Look for the following 100 yds from cathedral.)
9:15 a.m.	See:	Notre Dame Cathedral- Free (8-6:45) - 700 year old cathedral Treasury €3 (9:30-6 Mon.-Fri., 9:30-6:30 Sat., 1:30-6:30 Sun.) The Tours de Notre-Dame (Towers of Notre Dame) MP/€8 (10-6:30, Sat & Sun 10-11) are amongst the great delights of Notre Dame and, provided you have the energy for the ascent, they provide a spectacular view over central Paris. The Towers ascend to 422 steps (226 feet) above ground level.
11:00 a.m.		Crypte Archéologique du Parvis de Notre-Dame- MP/€3.80 (Tues-Sun 10-6) The archaeological crypt under Notre-Dame Cathedral Square has been converted into a shelter for relics found in the course of 1965 and later excavations run by the city’s archaeological and architectural history office. These rooms opened in 1980 to show the remainders of the buildings that had stood on that spot from ancient times to the 19th century. Musée Carnavalet operates this site.
		(Behind the cathedral squeeze through the tourist buses, cross the street and enter the iron gate into the park at the tip of the island. Look for the stairs and head down to reach the....)
		Deportation Memorial - Free (10-12 and 2-7)Memorial to the 200,000 French victims of the Nazi concentration camps.
		(From the Deportation Memorial, cross over to the Left Bank and turn right (west). Walk along the river, toward the front end of Notre-Dame. Stairs detour down to the riverbank. This side view of the church from across the river is one of Europe's great sights and is best from river level.)
		Left Bank-window shop among the green book stalls and browse through used books, vintage posters and souvenirs.
		(When you reach the bridge (pont au Double) that crosses over in front of Notre-Dame, veer to the left across the street to a small park (square Viviani-fill your water bottle from the fountain on left) Angle across the square and pass Paris' oldest inhabitant-an acacia tree nicknamed Robinier after the guy who planted it in 1602. Just beyond the tree you'll find the small church.)
		St. Julien-le-Pauvre Church- 1250 Look to the right at the half timbered house. Glance down rue Galande for other old houses built at different angles.
		(Return to the river and turn left on rue de la Bucherie. Go to #37.)
		Shakespeare and Company Bookstore-Sylvia Beach, an American with a passion for free thinking, opened the store for the post WWI Lost Generation who came to Paris to find themselves. American writers flocked here for the cheap rents, fleeing the Prohibition era in the U.S. Ernest Hemingway borrowed books here regularly. James Joyce had his books published here. Struggling writers get free accommodations upstairs in tiny rooms with a view of Notre Dame.
		(Go outside the store.)
		Green water fountains- built in 1900 by an English philanthopist Sir Richard Wallace. The books below the carytids once held metal mugs for drinking the water.
		(Continue west to the rue du Petit-Pont (which becomes rue St. Jacques). This was the Romans' busiest boulevard 2,000 years ago, which chariots racing in and out of the city. Walk away from the river for one block, turn right at the Gothic church and walk into the Latin Quarter.)
		St. Severin-This church took a century longer to build. This is a flame like gothic church. Gargoyles can be seen close up. In a thunderstorm they vomit rain.
		(At #22 rue St. Severin, you'll find the skinniest house in Paris, two windows wide. Rue St. Severin leads right through the Latin Quarter. Keep wandering straight until you come to Boulevard St. Michel)
	Do:	Lunch
		(From place St. Michel look across the river and find the prickly steeple of Sainte Chapelle church. Head toward it. Cross the river on pont St. Michel and continue north along the boulevard due Palais. On your left, you'll see the doorway to the church. You'll need to pass through a strict security checkpoint to get into the complex as the French Supreme Court meets to the right. Skip the lines with your MP and walk in.)
1:30 p.m.	See:	Sainte-Chapelle - Free MP/€8 (9:30-6) Gothic church built between 1242 and 1248 for Louis IX to house the supposed Crown of Thorns. Climb the spiral staircase to the Chapelle Haute. Fill the place with choral music, crank up the sunshine, face the top of the altar, and really believe that the Crown of Thorns is there, and this will become an awesome place. 15 separate panels of stained glass with 2/3 original and 1100 scenes mostly from the Bible.
		(Exit the church and walk around the exterior. Look down at the foundation to take note of how much Paris has risen in 750 years since it was built. Go next door.)
	See:	Palais de Justice - Built in 1776 as the home of France's supreme court.
		(Pass through the big iron gate to the noisy boulevard du Palais. Cross the street to the wide pedestrian-only rue de Lutece and walk about halfway down.)
	See:	Cite "Metropolitain" Stop and Flower Market - Of the original 141 original early 20th century subway entrances, this one is one of the only few survivors-now preserved as a national art treasure. It is art nouveau. The flower and plant market on place Louis Lepine is a pleasant detour. Across the way is the Prefecture de Police, where Inspector Clouseau of Pink Panther fame used to work and where the local resistance fighters took the 1st building from the Nazis in Aug. 1944, leading to teh allied liberation of Paris a week later.
		(Pause here to admire the view. Sainte-Chapelle is a pearl in an ugly architectural oyster. Double back to the Palais de Justice and turn right. Entrance is on the boulevard du Palais.)
		Conciergerie - Free MP/€7.50 (9:30-6) 2, boulevard du Palais 75001 Paris Phone : 33 / (0)1 53 40 60 80 Former prison where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned. Her cell, which houses a collection of her mementos, is open.
		(Back outside, turn left on boulevard du Palais and head toward the river-north. On the corner is the city's oldest public clock. The mechanism of the present clock is from 1334. Turn left onto quai de l'Horloge and walk west along the river, past the round medieval tower called "the babbler." The bridge up ahead is the pont Neuf, where you end the walk. At the first corner, veer left into a sleepy triangular square called place Dauphine. Marvel at how such quaintness could be lodged in the midst of such greatness as you walk through the park to the end of the island. At the equestrian statue of Henry IV, turn right on to the old bridge and take refuge in one of the nooks on the Eiffel Tower side.)
		Pont Neuf - The "new" bridge is now Paris' oldest. Built during Henry IV's reign in about 1600. Its 12 arches span the widest part of the river.
3:00 p.m.	See:	Louvre (Musee du Louvre)- Free MP/€9/6- (9-6 Mon,Th-Sat,Sun, closed Tues., Wed,Fri 9-10) Europe's oldest and biggest museum. Home of the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Western art from the Middle Ages to 1848 (paintings, sculptures, objects d’art and graphic arts) and ancient civilizations (Oriental, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities); Islamic, African, Asian, Oceanic and North and South American arts.
		OR
3:00 p.m.		Cluny Museum (Musee Cluny) MP/€8.50 (9-5:45) except Tues.
		Eiffel Tower - €4.50/1st level, €8.20/2nd level and €13.40/top. (9-12:00 a.m.) Or climb the stairs for €4.50 to levels one and two. Built in 1889 for the Centennial World's Fair. Walk up to the 2nd floor for the best views. Cafeteria and WC. 1st level has exhibits and a post office. The cancellation stamp reads Eiffel Tower. Snack cafe. (Ride the lift to the 2nd level and immediately line up for the lift to the top. Enjoy the views on top, then ride back down to the 2nd. level. Enjoy the view. Then hike down the stairs to the1st level. Eat and explore shops here. Buffets Restaurant €7.50 Pizza, Sandwich, Hot Dog
	Lodge:	Cecilia's Guest House 10 rue Denfert-Rochereau Asnieres 92600 ceciliasguesthouse@hotmail.com Studio British (Double with kitchen) and Studio Chasse (Double and Bunkbed with kitchen and patio) (croissants)
		La Maison Bacana B&B 9 Rue Emilie Zola 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine, France 01 43 91 70 11

Day 11	Saturday	July 20th Celebrate PAUL's Birthday
		(Take the SNCF train from Becon les Bruyeres to La Defense. Take the red/Marna LaValler Chessy. Exit at Charles deGaulle. Take the blue/Nation. Exit at Anvers.)
	Do:	Montmartre Walk
		Elysees Montmartre- Oldest cancan dance hall in Paris.
		(Walk two blocks up rue de Steinkerque, the street to the right of Elysees Montmartre.)
		Funiculaire de Montmartre- Use your RER card. It opened for business in 1900. It originally relied on hydraulic power for the ascent and gravity for the trip downhill; the hydraulic system was replaced by an electric motor in 1930, and the funicular was completely rebuilt in 1991. The current funicular has two 60-passenger cars, which run on parallel tracks that ascend 36 meters or 118 feet between the lower and upper stations. Each car operates independently, like an elevator (and unlike the many funiculars where each car is a counterweight to the other).
		(Find a good viewing spot on the steps.)
		Sacre-Coeur Basilica- Free- (6 a.m.-11 p.m.) Pl. du Parvis-du-Sacré-Coeur, 18e, Built from 1875-1919 with 83 pillars sunk 130 feet deep.
		(Public WC to your left down 50 steps. Go right to the church's dome and crypt.)
	Optional:	Dome and Crypt €5 (9-7) Unobstructed view of Paris up 260 ft. up tight and claustrophobic spiral stairs to the dome. Crypt is empty.
		(Leaving the front of the church, turn right and walk west along the ridge, following tre-lined rue Azais. At rue St. Eleuthere/rue du Mont Cenis turn right and walk uphill a block.)
		Church of St. Pierre-de-Montmartre-Free (8:30-7) 2 rue du Mont-Cenis F-75018 Paris, France Originally built 1147 and founded by Louis VI and his wife Adelaide. Find her tombstone midway down on the left wall. The four gray columns may be from the Roman days as a temple of Mercury.
		(Enter du Tertre square on the left/west and stand on its cusp for the best perspective.)
		Place due Tertre-Bohemian Montmartre-Lined with cafes, acacia trees, artists, hucksters and tourists.
		(Continue west on Norvins and a dozen steps to the intersection with rue des Saules at the La Bonne Franquette.)
		Boulangerie with a View-The venerable boulangerie (bakery) on the left, dating from 1900 is one of the last surviving bits of the old-time community, made famous in a painting by the artist Maurice Utrillo.
		(From here look back up rue Norvins, then backpedal a few steps to catch the classic view of the dome of Sacre-Coeur rising above the rooftops. Follow the rue des Saules downhill/north onto the back side of Montmartre. Continue downhill.)
		Le Maison Rose Restaurant-made famous in a Utrillo painting was once frequented by Utrillo, Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein. Lousy food.
		(Just downhill is Paris' last remaining vineyard.)
		Clos Montmartre Vineyard- Ever since the 12th century the monks and nuns of the large abbey produced wine here. Closed.
		(Continue downhill to the intersection with rue St. Vincent.)
		Au Lapin Agile Cabaret- Picasso, Renoir etc. would gather for "performances" here, poetry, sing-alongs, parodies etc.
	Do:	Paris Churches: Sacre Coeur Letterbox
		(Turn around and walk up rue des Saules and turn right at La Maison Rose, heading west one block on rue de l'Abreuvoir. At the bust of singer Dalida continue straight west along the small walkway called allee des Brouillards. You'll pass another of Renoir's homes. Walk down the steps at the walkway's end, then stroll up through the small, fenced, multilevel park.)
		Square Suzanne Buisson- Stone statue of headless St. Denis. He was sentenced to death by the Romans for spreading Christianity. As they marched him up to the top of Montmartre to be executed, the Roman soldiers got tired and just beheaded him near here. Denis popped right up, picked up his head and carried on another 3 miles north before he finally died.
		(At the top of the park, turn left onto avenue Junot, which turns into rue Norvins. At the boulangerie go downhill/south. Don't curve right on the car-filled rue Lepic; instead go straight down the pedestrian only place J.B. Clement, hugging the buildings on the left. Turn right on rue Ravignan and follow it down to the leafy square with the TIM Hotel. Go to the right of the hotel at 13 place Emile Goudeau.)
		Le Bateau-Lavoir (Picasso's Studio)- It was destroyed and rebuilt in 1970. Picasso moved into it in 1904.
		(Walk back half a block uphill and turn left on rue d'Orchampt. Walk the length of this short street and into a tiny alley, which squirts you out of the other end at the intersection with rue Lepic.)
		Moulin de la Galette- Only two windmills (moulins) remain on the hill that was once dotted with 30 of them. Originally they pressed monk's grapes and farmer's grain or crushed gypsum rocks into a powdery plaster of Paris. In the 1850's the mines closed, so they became ceremonial centerpieces of a popular outdoor dance hall. Renoir's Bal du Moulin de la Galette (in Orsay) shows it in it's heyday.
		(Follow rue Lepic as it winds down the hill. The green-latticed building on the right side was also part of the Moulin de la Galette -the second surviving windmill is just above, through the trees Rounding the bend, look to the right down rue Tourlaque. Go one block.)
		Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's House- Find the building on the SW corner with the tall, brick-framed art studio windows under the heavy mansard roof. Every night, Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) nobleman turned painter, whose legs were deformed in a horse-riding accident during his teen years, would dress up here and then journey down rue Lepic to the Moulin Rouge.
		(Continue down rue Lepic to #54.)
		Vincent van Gogh's House- He lived here with his brother from 1886-1888. During those years he transformed from a gloomy Dutch painter of brown and gray peasant scenes into an inspired visionary with wild ideas and Impressionist colors.
		(Follow rue Lepic downhill as it makes a hard right at #36 and becomes a lively market street. Enjoy the small shops and neighborhood ambience. Go two blocks down to your right at #15.)
		Cafe des Deaux Moulins-(7-12 p.m.) This is the site of pilgrimage for movie buffs worldwide since it was featured in Amelie.
		(Now continue downhill on rue Lepic going through Boulevard de Clicky to Place Blanche.)
		Moulin Rouge- Opened in 1889. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec sketched here. Ginger Rogers, Dalida, Tony Curtis, Jerry Lewis etc. came here. Walk into the open-air entryway or step into the lobby to mull over the photos, show options and prices.
OR
	View:	Opera Garnier 9 € (10-5) 9 Rue Scribe 75009 Paris, France 01 40 01 25 40 Built for Napoleon III and finished in 1875. Seats 2,000. Inspired The Phantom of the Opera as it has an underground lake. The Paris Story and Fragonard Perfume Museum (Free) are nearby.
	Do:	Arc de Triomphe - Free MP/€9.50 Free on 1st Sun. (10-11) - Commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate his victory at the battle of Austerlitz. 284 steps lead to a cute museum about the arch with sweeping panoramas and mesmerizing views of the traffic.
		(Go around to the SW side and head down Avenue Foch.)
		Paris Landmarks: Arc de Triomphe Letterbox
		Musee d'Orsay- MP/8 € (9:30-6, except Mon. Thurs until 9:45 p.m.)–A museum housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. It holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. Best known impressionist and post-impressionist pieces by painters such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh.
	Do:	Dinner: Boulevard St. Michal for Paul's Birthday
	Lodge:	Cecilia's Guest House 10 rue Denfert-Rochereau Asnieres 92600 ceciliasguesthouse@hotmail.com Studio British (Double with kitchen) and Studio Chasse (Double and Bunkbed with kitchen and patio) (croissants)
		La Maison Bacana B&B 9 Rue Emilie Zola 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine, France 01 43 91 70 11

Day 12	Sunday	July 21st
11:13 a.m.	Depart:	Paris
	Do:	Eurostar €76
12:30 p.m.	Arrive:	London
		Travelcard Off Peak zones 1-2 £6.60, Oyster single $2.70 X2,
	Do:	Wash Clothes
		(Go east to the 1st exit off the Central line to Holburn. Take the Piccadilly line south to Knightsbridge. Go southwest on Brompton Rd.)
		Harrod's Department Store (10-8 Mon-Sat, 11:30-6 Sun) Monument to Princess Diane's boyfriend Brompton Road London SW3 1 United Kingdom Tel: +44 20-77301234
	Lodge:	Cherry Court Hotel 23 Hugh Street London, UK SW1V 1QJ (44) 20 7828 2840 www.cherrycourthotel.co.uk £110 3 singles and a double Tea/coffee making, TV, digital phone, garden patio, fruit basket (4 pieces of fruit, packet of biscuits, cereal bar, and cartons of orange juice), basement room with air conditioning, check in 2 p.m., checkout 10 a.m.

Day 13	Monday	July 22nd
		British Heritage Pass 15 day $80.10
9:30 a.m.	See:	London
		(Get off at St. Paul's Station.)
10:30 a.m.	Arrive:	St. Paul's Station
		St. Paul's Cathedral (8:30-4 Mon-Sat) £14.50/£13.50
12:00 p.m.	Do:	Lunch- Mark's and Spencer's Simply Foods
		(Take Victoria Tube to Westminster Station.)
1:00 a.m.		Walking tour of London
	See:	Westminster Bridge
		(Go left on Bridge St/A302. Turn left again on Parliament St.)
		Big Ben-
		Parliament (Dr. Who)-
		Westminister Abbey (Dr. Who)
1:30 p.m.		Jewel Tower BHP or £3.20 (10-5) Westminster - SW1P 3JX Was built c.1365 to house Edward III's treasures. One of only two buildings from the medieval Palace of Westminster to survive the fire of 1834, the tower features a 14th-century ribbed vault. Displaying Parliament Past and Present, a fascinating exhibition about the history of Parliament, it is also the permanent home of the English Heritage Book of Remembrance.
		(Walk across the street towards Parliament. Go to the right into Abingdon Street Gardens. Across the water and to the right is St. Thomas' Hospital (Dr. Who). Now walk back north past Parliament following Parliament St. Go left on King Charles St.)

2:30 p.m.		Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms (9:30-6) £15.95/£12.80 senior over 60 A museum in London and one of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum. The museum comprises the Cabinet War Rooms, a historic underground complex that housed a British government command centre throughout the Second World War, and the Churchill Museum, a biographical museum exploring the life of British statesman Winston Churchill. Construction of the Cabinet War Rooms, located beneath the Treasury building in the Whitehall area of Westminster, began in 1938. They became operational in August 1939, shortly before the outbreak of war in Europe. They remained in operation throughout the Second World War, before being abandoned in August 1945 after the surrender of Japan. After the war the historic value of the Cabinet War Rooms was recognised.
		(Go back on Parliament St and turn left. Look left at Downing St.)
		#10 Downing Street-The historic home and office of Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister. It is actually the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, but in modern times this post has always been held simultaneously with the office of Prime Minister. Stop at the barricaded and guarded home to see the British “White House”. Break the bobby’s boredom and ask him a question.
		The Banqueting Hall-England’s first Renaissance building was designed by Inigo Jones around 1620. It’s one of the few London landmarks spared by the 1698 fire and the only surviving part of the original Palace of Whitehall.
		Horse Guard- a mounted guard is ceremonially changed here twice a day
		Trafalgar Square-is a square in central London that commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars. The original name was to have been "King William the Fourth's Square", but George Ledwell Taylor suggested the name "Trafalgar Square. Completed in 1845. Trafalgar Square Festival called India Now is on August 2-9. (Dr. Who)
O'Russa
4:00 p.m.		National Gallery- (10-6 Daily, except Fri 10-9) Free- was founded in 1824 and houses a rich collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900^. Child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci is one of them. Guided tours 11:30, 12:30, 2:30, 3:30 *Follow Rick Steve's map The National Gallery Dining Room (10-5 Sun) The National Cafe (10-6 Sun)
	Optional:	Play Her Majesty's Theatre (Mon-Sat 7:30, Tues & Sat 2:30) 57 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4QL, United Kingdom 020 7240 0880 Stalls: £62.50, £50.00, £25.75* Royal Circle: £62.50, £50.00, £38.25, £25.75* Grand Circle: £40.75, £35.75, £25.75, £20.75* Balcony: £25.75, £20.75*
		Dinner-Loco Mexicano
	Lodge:	Cherry Court Hotel £110- 3 T & 1 D 23 Hugh Street, LONDON SW1V 1QJ. Three Single & One Double Bed in basement, All the rooms have heating and tea/coffee-making facilities, colour televisions and Digital telephone system with facility of wake up call and voice mail. We provide a fruit basket for breakfast consisting of three or four pieces of fresh fruit, a small packet of biscuits, a cereal bar and a carton of orange juice. Reservation # 8687 Emailed 12/20, 3/5 for date change

Day 14	Tuesday	July 23rd
9:30 a.m.	Depart:	Victoria Station
		(From Victoria Station take the Victoria line. Exit at Oxford Circus. Take the Central line to Tottenheim Court Rd. Continue east on Oxford St. Go left on Bloomsday St. Turn right on Great Russell St. )
10:00 a.m.		British Museum (10-5:30) Free Court Restaurant-(12-5 p.m.) Upper floor Great Court Top quality cuisine from around the world Gallery Cafe-(10-5) Ground floor, next to Room 12 with hearty meals, pasta, sandwiches, snacks, soups, salads, desserts, cakes, and hot and cold drinks, all in a family-friendly atmosphere. Court Cafés (9-5:30) Great Court with a large selection of freshly made sandwiches and snacks, salads, desserts, cakes, and hot and cold drinks. Bookshop- (9:30-6) specialises in ancient history, archaeology and art history reflecting the Museum collection. Souvenir and Guide Shop (9:30-6) Souvenirs reflecting the Museum collection including guides, postcards, camera films, stationery and inexpensive gifts. Grenville Shop (9:30-6) Luxury items including replica sculptures, jewellery, silk scarves and ties as well as a wide selection of gifts for friends and family
O'Russa's
		(Leave Tottenham Court back to Oxford Circus. Exit at Kings Cross/Pancras Station.)
1:00 p.m.	Arrive:	King's Cross Station
		Harry Potter 9 3/4 Station
		(Go right/west out of the station on Euston Rd.)
		British Library- (9:30-6 Mon Wed Thurs Fri, 9:30-8 Tues, 9:30-5 Sat, 11-5 Sun) St Pancras 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB In a gallery called Treasures of the British Library are displayed Jane Austen’s small writing desk (like a forerunner of the laptop computer) also a letter to Cassandra and a notebook of Jane’s very early writings. Included here are the Magna Carta, Lindisfarne Gospels, Leonardo da Vinci's Notebook and 310,000 manuscript volumes: from Jane Austen to James Joyce; Handel to the Beatles.
		(From Kings Cross take the Victoria line back to Green Park. Walk through the park south to the palace.)
		Buckingham Palace The Queen's Gallery (10-5:30), The Royal Mews (10-5) Combined Ticket Adult £15.75/Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £14.50
		Turn right/SW on Buckingham Palace Rd. Turn left on either Eccleston or Elizabeth Bridge. )
	Do:	Change clothes at hotel
		(Take the Victoria line north to the Oxford Circus station. Turn right on Oxford St and right again on Argyll.)
7:30 p.m.		Play Stalls £62.50, £55.00, £45.00, £37.50, £25.00 Royal Circle £62.50 Upper Circle £37.50, £32.00, £25.00 Boxes £55.00, £37.50, £32.00, £25.00 The London Palladium Argyll St London W1F 7TF. Argyll St runs between Oxford Street and Great Marlborough Street.
Rory & Zelda
		(Take Tottenham Court Central line to Bank. Walk to the District line. From Monument get off at Tower Hill.)
1:00 p.m.	Do:	Tower of London £16.00 (Sun, Mon 10-5:30) £19.80 /£17.05 60+ Your ticket includes access to the Tower, plus Yeoman Warder guided tour and talk, live historical re-enactments, White Tower tour, children's activity trails, entry to the Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill exhibition and Prisoners of the Tower exhibition and much more! Yeoman Warder Tour-Free-Every 30 minutes for an hour. Find out what it’s like to be a Yeoman Warder, as our world famous ‘Beefeaters’ share their personal stories with you at the Lanthorn Tower. New Armouries Restaurant-(10-5) provides a wide range of refreshments from morning coffee, salads, sandwiches and hot meals to afternoon tea. A children's menu is also available. All food is home-made daily on site. Drinks from £1.25, hot food from £6.80, sandwiches from £2.85, salads from £4.25. Tower Cafe and Kiosk-(9.00-17.00) provides hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, cakes and pastries. Drinks from £1.25, hot food from £2.95, sandwiches from £2.75, salads from £2.95. Paul' Kiosk-(8.00-6:00) Situated on the Wharf, outside the grounds of the Tower, Paul is a traditional French company providing sandwiches, savory and sweet tarts as well as drinks to take away. Cakes from £2.25, drinks from £1.30, hot food from £2.95, sandwiches from £3.50. The Tower Shop-The shop at the entrance to the Tower showcases an extensive range of souvenirs as well as gifts, jewelry and a large collection of books on the first floor. The Jewel House Shop-is located in the Lower Martin Tower where the Crown Jewels were displayed for 200 years from the mid-17th to the mid-19th century. It has a wide selection of costume jewelry as well as sterling silver and 9, 14 and 18 carat gold. All the jewelry is inspired by the Crown Jewels, including the Armills range (left), and is exclusive to the Jewel House Shop at the Tower of London. The White Tower Shop-As visitors leave the White Tower they will discover this atmospheric shop located in the basement of the building. As the White Tower is the historical home of the Royal Armouries' collection of arms and armour, the shop takes up the theme with a wide selection of replica armour as well as other special treats for kids of all ages. The Medieval Palace Shop-offers a range of medieval-style gifts including tapestries, cushions and stone gargoyles. The Beefeater Shop-The best-known members of the Tower of London's community are the Yeoman Warders, more popularly known as 'Beefeaters'. It has a delightful assortment of gifts all centered around the Yeoman Warder theme. There is something for everyone, from an exclusive range of china to soft toys including a cuddly raven! You are free to take photographs within most of the Tower of London but we regret that photography and filming is not permitted inside the Jewel House, White Tower or in the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula.
		(From the District line at Tower Hill exit at Westminster station.)
		Westminister Abbey (Dr. Who) £15.00 (9:30-4:30 Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, 9:30-7 Wed., 9:30-2:30 Sat. Closed Sunday) The present church, begun by Henry III in 1245, is one of the most important Gothic buildings in the country, with the medieval shrine of an Anglo-Saxon saint still at its heart.
	Lodge:

Day 15	Wednesday	July 24th
7:30 a.m.	Depart:
		(Go back left on Hughes. Turn right on Elizabeth Bridge/St. George Dr. Turn left on Buckingham Palace Road. Turn right on Semley Place.)
	Do:	Rent car National Rental Car 12 Semley Place Alamo Rental Car $539.56 (Standard car) 12 Semley Place Victora (adjnct To Coach Statn) London , SW1W 9QL (44) 207-2-59-16-00 7:30-7:30 daily
8:30 a.m.	Depart:	London
		(
10:00 a.m.	Arrive:	Battle	75
	See:	1066 Battle of Hastings Battle Sight- (10-6) BHP/£7.00 A fascinating exhibition featuring CGI film and interactive displays tells the story of the great battle and paints a picture of England at the time of the conquest. The audio tour of the battlefield itself brings the momentous day to life. Explore the atmospheric abbey ruins and stand on the very spot where King Harold is said to have died. Café: fully accessible serving light lunches, refreshments and homemade cakes. Shop-locally sourced products and English Heritage souvenirs
		Lunch
11:30 a.m.	Depart:	Battle
1:30 p.m.	Arrive:	Portsmouth	95
		Portsmouth Historic Dockyard- BHP/£19.90 (10-6) All Inclusive are valid for Action Stations, Mary Rose Ship Hall and Museum, HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860, Royal Naval Museum, Harbour Tour and The Dockyard Apprentice. Also valid for entry to the Trafalgar Sail (subject to availability). / £11.50 HMS Victory single ticket will also include a visit to the Trafalgar Sail display and Royal Naval Museum (subject to availability). HMS Victory-Standing proud in her home of No. 2 dry dock, HMS Victory is one of the most famous warships ever built. Built between 1759-1765, Victory was a first-rate, ship-of-the-line. 200 years ago this year, Vice Admiral Lord Nelson on board his flagship, HMS Victory, led 27 British ships into battle off Cape Trafalgar against a much larger combined French and Spanish fleet HMS Warrior-When HMS Warrior 1860 made her triumphant return to Portsmouth in 1987, she was fully restored to her Victorian glory and changed the panorama of the City, sitting proudly in the Harbour. When she was originally built she was, quite simply, bigger, faster and more heavily armed than any other warship afloat. Warrior was the world’s first iron-hulled, armoured warship powered by steam as well as sail and constructed of wrought iron. She was the ultimate deterrent. She never once fired a shot in anger. Her strength was her ability to keep the peace. She represents Pax Britannica at its zenith. However within a decade she was obsolete, her technology surpassed. The only surviving member of Queen Victoria's Black Battle Fleet, Warrior was used for 50 years as an oil jetty at Milford Haven before being restored to her former glory. Mary Rose-The only surviving 16th century warship on display anywhere in the world, the Mary Rose was one of the earliest ships to carry heavy guns. A favourite of King Henry VIII, she sank off Portsmouth in 1545 during an engagement with a French invasion fleet, in full view of the King, the screams of the men onboard, ringing in his ears. The rediscovery of the Mary Rose during the 1970s and her raising in 1982 were seminal events in the history of nautical archaeology, watched by a worldwide audience of over 60 million people and remembered by a generation. The hull of the Mary Rose, which is currently undergoing an active conservation process to preserve her for all time, can be viewed by the visiting public. Thousands of personal, domestic and military objects were recovered, many of which are on display in the Mary Rose Museum, a truly unique and fascinating insight into Tudor times. Mary Rose Shop-Contains an impressive range of replica artefacts from the Tudor period, combined with a diverse selection of book, prints, giftware and souvenirs. Royal Naval Museum-Founded in 1911, the Royal Naval Museum is one of country’s leading maritime museums and is the only museum devoted to the ships of the Royal Navy and the men and women who served in them. Visitors can see, touch, hear and even smell the history of the Royal Navy through a rich collection of artefacts and award-winning permanent exhibitions. The Trafalgar Experience brings the Battle of Trafalgar vividly to life and The Nelson Gallery features one of the best collections of Nelson material in the world. The galleries devoted to the 20th century Navy focus on the changing face of the senior service from the launch of the Dreadnought to the Falklands War. Royal Naval Museum Shop-Offering a fine selection of HMS Victory and Royal Navy souvenirs, the Royal Naval Museum Shop is located in Storehouse 10 and now incorporates the highly regarded Bosun's Bookshop and the well respected Wright and Logan photographic archive. The Royal Naval Museum Shop is a non-profit making organisation, with all proceeds donated to HMS Victory and the Royal Naval Museum. Minghella Cafe-The finest home-cooked food with a touch of Italian flair. Treat yourself to a hearty pasta dish or refreshing salad and their pièce de résistance - a Minghella ice cream sundae Boathouse No. 7-With a choice of freshly filled traditional and speciality bread sandwiches, hot savouries, snacks and desserts, as well as a daily changing menu of traditional favourites such as sausage and mash and fish and chips or enjoy a drink at the fully licensed bar. Nauticalia Shop-The marine traditionalists offering gift ideas for all the family. Genuine oak and copper salvages from HMS Victory and miniature models, including steam and Stirling engines. Tribute ships also on display.
		(Follow Queen when it ends, go left on The Hard. It will become Ordinance Row, then Park rd. Turn on St. George's Rd.)
		Gunwharf Quays Shopping Centre-Dinner (10-6) aspex - contemporary art gallery Cafe Giardino Caffé Nero Madisons Deli Nandos Starbucks The Carvery Bowlplex Café Rouge Creperie Madisons House Presto Subway The Soup Bar Azzurro Bar Risa Burger King Café Rouge Frankie & Benny's Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen La Tasca Madisons Deli Pizza Express Strada Tiger Tiger Water Margin Bar 38 Bowlplex Cafe Giardino Charbar Grosvenor Casino Indian Palace Loch Fyne Nandos Santa Fe The Old Customs House Tootsies Zizzi
	Lodge:	Southsea Lodge 27 Victoria Road North Portsmouth Hampshire United Kingdom PO5 1PL (+44) 07719 219926 All bedrooms have private or en suite bathrooms, along with TVs and tea/coffee making facilities. A tasty breakfast is available every day. Free wifi	(170)

Day 16	Thursday	July 25th
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Portsmouth
10:15 a.m.	Arrive:	Highclere	60
	See:	Highclere Castle BHP/£15.00 (11-4:30 Sun-Thurs) Castle and Egyptian Exhibition The 1,000 acre estate country house in high Elizabethan style, with park designed by Capability Brown.
1:00 p.m.	Depart:	Highclere
2:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Stonehenge	40
	See:	Stonehenge (9-7) BHP (Dr. Who 2010)
3:00 p.m.	Depart:	Stonehenge
4:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Glastonbury	50
		Glastonbury Abbey (9-9) £6.00 Outdoor Summer Cafe and Gift Shop The Norman betterment of the Abbey was extensive. In 1086, when the Domesday Book was commissioned to provide records and a census of life in England, Glastonbury Abbey was the richest monastery in the country. The great Norman structures were consumed by fire in 1184 when many of the ancient treasures were destroyed. One story goes, that in order to raise extra funds from pilgrims to rebuild the abbey the monks, in 1191, dug to find King Arthur and his Queen Guinevere; and bones from two bodies were raised from a deep grave in, the cemetery on the south side of the Lady Chapel. These bones were reburied, much later, in 1278 within the Abbey Church, in a black marble tomb, in the presence of King Edward I. The monks reconsecrated the a newly built Great Church and began services there on Christmas Day, 1213, most likely before it was entirely completed. In the 14th century, as the head of the second wealthiest Abbey in Britain (behind Westminster Abbey), the Abbot of Glastonbury lived in considerable splendour and wielded tremendous power. The main surviving example of this power and wealth is to be found in the Abbey kitchen - part of the magnificent Abbot's house begun by John de Breynton (1334-42). By 1541 King Henry VIII destroyed the abbey. Then 2000 years ago Joseph of Arimathea (Christs uncle) is supposed to have brought the young Jesus here. On Joseph's second visit, after Christs death, he built the first Christian church, at Glastonbury Abbey, appointing twelve Christian hermits to look after it. St Patrick and St David are said to have come here too and later still King Arthur; who is reputedly buried here. Arthur was the legendary English King - 'Arthur of the Britons', before Saxon times. He was born out of wedlock and raised by wizard Merlin. When only a boy, after many men had tried and failed, Arthur gained the throne by withdrawing the magic sword Excalibur from a stone. The nearby Cadbury Castle, at North Cadbury supposedly became his 'Camelot'. After his many exploits and stories concerning his Knights, the Round Table and the Holy Grail, he was wounded by Mordred at the battle of Camlan. This was around the year 542 and he was then taken across the water to the Isle of Avalon for his wounds to be healed. Glastonbury would indeed still have been an island at that time, so it was quite possible for a boat to bring him to the only place where any medical attention was available, which would have been at a monastery - Glastonbury Abbey. Arthur was mortally wounded however and it is said he was buried in the cemetery on the south side of the Lady Chapel, at Glastonbury Abbey. He was buried between two stone pyramids and at great depth. Centuries later (in 1191) prompted by hints and rumours, the monks excavated this same spot in the cemetery and they dug down sixteen feet, to find an oaken coffin. At a depth of seven feet they found a stone beneath which was a leaden cross with an inscription His iacet inclitus Arturius in insula Avalonia - variously interpreted to read 'Here lies King Arthur buried in Avalon'! The coffin contained two bodies - a great man and a woman, whose golden hair was still intact, until touched, when it crumbled away. The bodies were explained as Arthurs and Guineveres. A century later in 1278 the bones were placed in caskets and transferred during a state visit by King Edward 1, to a black marble tomb before the High Altar in the great Abbey Church. There they remained until the Abbey was vandalised after the dissolution in 1539. No one has seen, or heard anything of them since.
6:00 p.m.	Depart:	Glastonbury
6:45 p.m.	Arrive:	Bradford-upon-Avon	33
	Do:	Dinner at A Bunch of Grapes (6-9:30 p.m.) Silver Street Bradford on Avon Wiltshire BA15 1Jy
8:00 p.m.	Depart:	Bradford-upon-Avon
8:10 p.m.	Arrive:	Winsley	4
	Lodge:	Serendipity 19 Bradford Road, Winsley, Bath, Somerset, BA15 2HW Telephone: 01225 722380 Fax: 01225 723415 £80-4 adults All rooms are en-suite with colour television coffee and tea making facilities, full English breakfast Double en-suite, twin en-suite, family en-suite and double en-suite (with a private patio). All rooms have king sized beds and are well equipped with a colour TV and tea and coffee making facilities. Serendipity 19 Bradford Road, Winsley, Bath, Somerset, BA15 2HW Telephone: 01225 722380 Fax: 01225 723415 £80-4 adults All rooms are en-suite with colour television coffee and tea making facilities, full English breakfast Double en-suite, twin en-suite, family en-suite and double en-suite (with a private patio). All rooms have king sized beds and are well equipped with a colour TV and tea and coffee making facilities. Call on 3/10/07 to reserve with a man	(185)

Day 17	Friday	July 26th
8:45 a.m.	Depart:	Winsley
9:00 a.m.	Arrive:	Bath	5
		Bath Abbey (1 star) (9-6 Mon-Sat)£5-Tower An Anglo-Saxon Abbey Church dating from 757, pulled down by the Norman conquerors of England soon after 1066. A massive Norman cathedral begun about 1090. It was larger than the monastery could afford to maintain and by the end of the 15th century was in ruins. The present Abbey church founded in 1499, ruined after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 by order of Henry VIII, was completed in 1611.
		Roman Baths (3 star) BHP/£15.50 combined with Fashion Museum (9-9) - Archaeological evidence shows that the site of the Roman Baths' main spring was treated as a shrine by the Celts,and was dedicated to the goddess Sulis, whom the Romans identified with Minerva; however, the name Sulis continued to be used after the Roman invasion, leading to the town's Roman name of Aquae Sulis (literally, "the waters of Sulis").Messages to her scratched onto metal, known as curse tablets, have been recovered from the Sacred Spring by archaeologists.These curse tablets were written in Latin, and usually laid curses on people by whom the writer felt they had been wronged. For example, if a citizen had his clothes stolen at the baths, he would write a curse, naming the suspects, on a tablet to be read by the Goddess Sulis Minerva. The temple was constructed in 60–70 AD and the bathing complex was gradually built up over the next 300 years.
Other Options:
		Fashion Museum (3 star) (10:30-5) See price above- One of Europe's great museums. 400 years of fashion, one frilly decade at a time, is housed within Bath's Assembly Rooms.
		Museum of Bath at Work £5.00 (10:30-5)- (3 star) this is the official title for Mr. Bowler's Business, a 1900s engineer's shop, brass foundry, and fizzy-drink factory with a Dickensian office. It's just a pile of meaningless old gadgets until a volunteer guide lovingly resurrects Mr. Bowler's creative genius. Also featured are various Bath creations through the years, including a 1914 car and the versatile plasticine (proto Play Doh). Don't miss the "Story of Bath Stone" in the basement. Live tour is the best.
		Georgian House at No. 1 Crescent £6.50 (10:30-5)(2 stars) - Offers your best look into a period house. Volunteers fill you in on the fascinating details of Georgian life, such as how high-class women shaved their eyebrows and pasted on carefully trimmed strips of furry mouse skin in their place. On the bedroom dresser sits a bowl of black beauty marks and a head scratcher from those pre-shampoo days.
		Jane Austen Centre £7.45 (9:45-5:30)- Focuses on Jane Austen's tumultuous, sometimes troubled five years in Bath, circa 1800 during which time her father died. You'll walk through a Georgian townhouse, she didn't live in. She lived at 25 Gay St. The museum describes various places from two novels set in Bath, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. After a live intro (15 minutes) explaining how this romantic, but down to earth woman dealt with the silly, shallow and arrogant aristocrats' world where "the doing of nothings all day prevents one from doing anything", you see a 15 minute video and wonder though the rest of the exhibit. Jane Austen themed walking tours of the city begin across from the Roman Baths and end at the Centre. There is a Jane-themed cafe on the top floor for light lunches, snacks and desserts with names like Darcy's Chocolate Delight and Wetherby's Hot Cross Buns.
		West Cornwall Pasty Co. 4/4a Burton St Bath, Avon BA1 1BN
2:00 p.m.	Depart:	Bath
3:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Cardiff	44
	See:	Dr. Who Sights:
		Wales Millenium Center (2010) Bute Place Cardiff CF10 5AL, UK
		Cardiff Royal Infirmary (2004, 2005) Newport Road City Centre, Cardiff CF24 0SZ, United Kingdo
		House of Fraser Department Store (2004) 14/18 Heol Eglwys Fair Cardiff CF10 1TT, United Kingdom
		St. David's Centre (was St. David's Market) Yr Aes and Bute Terrace/A470
		Welsh National Temple of Peace and Health (2004) Cathays Park
		The Parish of St. Paul's (2004) Llanmaes Street, Cardiff, South Glamorgan CF11 7LR, United Kingdom
		Glamorgan Building (Cardiff University) (2010) King Edward VII Avenue Castle, Cardiff CF10 3, United Kingdom
		National Museum of Wales (2010) Museum Avenue Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP
		Crystal (2010) 41 St Mary's Road Cardiff CF10 1AD
		Victoria Park (2010) Cardiff
		Bute Dock Hotel (2010) West Bute Street, Cardiff CF10 5LJ
	Do:	Dinner
	Lodge:		(49/76)

Day 18	Saturday	July 27th
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Cardiff
11:30 a.m.	Arrive:	Oxford	109
	Do:	Oxford Walking Tour
		(Continue past the Chapter House and take the first turning on your left, following the path between a stone wall and some low iron railings. To your right, you will see the tower of Magdalen college in the distance. At the end of the path, you will have to squeeze yourself through a tortuous wrought iron gate, cunningly designed to prevent cycles being brought into the meadows! You will now be rewarded with a stunning view of Merton College tower, rising majestically above the trees on your right. Pass through yet another set of iron gates at the end of the path and you will emerge into Merton Street - 'an architectural treasure house, one of the densest assemblages of historic buildings in the world' in the words of Bill Bryson, the travel writer. You may now want to visit Merton College before continuing with the tour.)
		Magdalen College- (12-6:30 Mon-Sun)Adults £4.50; seniors, children, students £3.50 C.S. Lewis taught here from 1925-1954. The Old Kitchen is open from 12 noon to 5.30pm daily for light lunches and afternoon teas from Sunday 4 July to Friday 1 October inclusive and offers a range of light lunches and snacks. B& B rooms to rent-£62.00 2 Twins no breakfast, shared bath
		Merton College (10-4) £2 (2-5 Mon-Fri, 10-5 Sat, Sun) Founded by Walter de Merton in 1264, Merton is one of the three oldest colleges in Oxford. The central quad (Mob Quad) contains the oldest library in the country, which houses a selection of precious medieval manuscripts - so precious, in fact, that they are chained to the walls! Walter de Merton's conception of a self-governing community of scholars, with its own statutes and endowment, residing in buildings laid out in staircases and quadrangles, created a model and precedent for Oxford and Cambridge colleges founded in the succeeding centuries. Picturesque Merton Street was home to many of the 11th Century Academic Houses that existed before the colleges came into existence. Today it boasts some of Oxford's most beautiful architecture, including the colleges Merton and Corpus Christi and the grand Canterbury Gate entrance to Christ Church. JRR Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, was Merton Professor of English Language and Literature from 1945 to 1959.
		(Emerging from the gate onto Merton Street, turn left towards Christ Church's Canterbury Gate, passing Corpus Christi College on your left. Corpus is Oxford's smallest college. Legend has it that the benefactor, who sadly went blind before the college was completed, was lead around the front quad three times to give the impression that the college was much larger than it is. You may not have time to visit, but it is worth peering in through the lodge to catch a glimpse of the unusual sundial. Follow the road round to the right into the colourful Oriel Square. The college on the right of the square is Oriel College, famous for rowing and rugby and for being the last Oxford college to admit women. Continue past Oriel and, keeping to the right hand side of the square, take Oriel Street eventually emerging onto the High Street opposite St Mary's Church.)
		The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin (9-6) The Tower £2.50 The University Church has been in existence since the late 13th century. In the early days of the University, the Church was a centre of administration and teaching, with the side chapels acting as lecture theatres where students studied mainly Theology. In 1556, it hosted the trial of the protestant Bishops Ridley, Cranmer and Latimer. The 'Oxford Martyrs' where subsequently burnt at the stake for heresy by the Catholic Queen of England, Bloody Mary. The Church is open every day and visitors can climb up the 127 stairs to the top of the spire to get another classic aerial view of Radcliffe Square and the spires of Oxford. Entrance to the church and spire is via Radcliffe Square. The Church Guide Book indicates the major buildings to be seen. Gift Shop
		(Turn right, and cross the High Street at the pedestrian crossing. Walk down Catte Street and you will soon emerge into the magnificent Radcliffe Square. To your right, on the East side of the square, is the exclusive All Souls college. Peer through the imposing iron gates at the front quad with its elegant twin towers, designed by the architect Nicholas Hawksmoor in the 18th century. Facing the square from these gates you will see the University Church to your left, the Bodleian library to your right and Brasenose college on the opposite side. But the crowning glory of the square is undoubtedly the domed Radcliffe Camera at the centre.)
		Radcliffe Square and the Radcliffe Camera- (9-10 p.m. M-F, Sat 10-4, Sun 11-5)The circular dome and drum of the Radcliffe Camera is one of the most distinctive landmarks in a city full of distinctive buildings. The camera (the word means simply "room") was built 1737-1749 with £40,000 bequeathed by Dr John Radcliffe, the royal physician. The Radcliffe Camera was intended to house a new library, and designs were called for from several leading architects, including Nicholas Hawksmoor (responsible for much of All Soul's College) and James Gibbs. It was Gibbs who won the competition, with his elegant Palladian design, though his final plans drew heavily on earlier work by Hawksmoor. Gibbs was also responsible for the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, in Trafalgar Square, London. Originally the library in the Radcliffe Camera held both scientific and general books, but those collections were gradually moved to other University libraries, so that today the Camera functions as the main reading room of the Bodleian Library. The finished building holds some 600,000 books in underground rooms beneath Radcliffe Square. Sadly, the Radcliffe Camera is not open to the public.
		(The entrance to the Old Schools Quadrangle is on the north side of the square, directly opposite St Mary's Church. You can stroll through the two quadrangles when the library is open (most weekdays and Saturday morning). At other times, you will have to continue along Catte Street and rejoin the tour at the junction of Catte Street and New College Lane. )
		The Old Schools Quadrangle -The Bodleian Library was founded by Thomas Bodley in 1598. Today the collection comprises 6.5 million documents occupying 169Km (105 miles) of shelving space in 10 buildings located throughout Oxford. Much of the collection is kept in a network of tunnels running under Broad Street. The Old Schools Quadrangle is the oldest part of the library and the names of the original faculties are written above the doors in gold lettering (and, of course, in Latin). The Tower of Five Orders is so named because it is ornamented with columns of each of the five orders of classical architecture - Doric, Tuscan, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite. The Divinity School and Duke Humphry Reading Room are open to the public. The entrance is found next to the statue of the Earl of Pembroke in the second quad. The Duke Humphry Reading Room housed the University's first great collection, founded in 1310 but sadly dispersed by 1556. Mini-Tour: Monday to Saturday: 16:00, Sunday: 12:30, 13:30, 15:30 £4.50 30 minutes Explore the Divinity School, built in 1488 for the teaching of theology. With its elaborately vaulted ceiling and its 455 carved bosses, it is a masterpiece of English Gothic architecture. Visit Duke Humfrey's mediaeval library,still in use today, but where generations of famous scholars have studied through the ages. These former readers, or users of the Library, include five kings, 40 Nobel Prize winners, 25 British Prime Ministers and writers such as Oscar Wilde, C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien.
	See:	Christ Church College-£8.00/HP tour £2 (9-5 p.m. Mon-Sat, 2-5 Sun) Harry Potter scenes-Christ Church was originally founded by Cardinal Wolsey as Cardinal's College in 1524 and re-endowed in 1546 by King Henry VIII. The famous ‘Tom Tower’ was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and houses the 7 ton ‘Great Tom’ bell, taken from the 12^th century Osney Abbey. The bell tolls 101 times every night at 9:05 (9 p.m. Oxford local time), originally to sound curfew for college members. The college and cathedral are open to visitors every day. The Memorial Gardens are surrounded by Christ Church Meadow, running down to the rivers Thames to the South and Cherwell to the East. Entry to the gardens and meadows is free. £1.00-brochure Visit the hidden Christ Church. With access to private gardens, our 'Behind the scenes tours' allow visitors unique access to the College's history, its architecture, student life, scenes associated with the world of Lewis Carroll and of course, the Harry Potter films. To guarantee a guide, please make an advance booking. Prices: £2 per head in addition to the standard admission charge, with a minimum charge of £25 per tour. To find out more or to make an advance booking telephone the Head Custodian on 01865 276492 or email: tourism@chch.ox.ac.uk Cathedral Shop (10-5)
	Do:	Dinner Cornish Pastie Co 5 Cornmarket St Oxford, OX1 3HL
	Options:	Alice's Shop- (On St Aldates just south of Christ Church, across the street) Drawn by Sir John Tenniel as "the old sheep shop" in 'Alice Through the Looking Glass'
2:00 p.m.	Depart:	Oxford
2:45 a.m.	Arrive:	Stow-on-the-Wold	35
		(Hike up Sheep Street. You’ll pass a boutique-filled former brewery yard, Fleece Alley (just wide enough for a single file of sheep to walk on-easier to count them on market days.), and a fine antique bookstore. Turn right on Church Street, which leads past the best coffee shop in town (The Coffee House) and find the church.)
	Do:	Stow on the Wold ( 2 stars) - See the stocks on the Market Square where people were publically ridiculed. In 1107 people came from Italy for the wool fleeces. A Market Cross has stood for 500 years honoring the Lord of the Manor who donated money to his tenants to get running water in 1878. The church has two yew trees in back, thought to be the door into Moria in "Fellowship of the Rings" by Tolkien. Includes shops and antique stores.
3:30 p.m.	Depart:	Stow-on-the-Wold
4:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Stratford-upon-Avon	21
	See:	Nutcracker Christmas Shop - (10-6) Step into Christmas at The Nutcracker Christmas Shop, where you’ll find beautiful, Christmas gift ideas. As well as German wooden nutcrackers from Steinbach and Ulbricht, and traditional carved smoking men, you’ll find exquisite wooden nativity figures in little wooden nativity stables. We have a huge range of santas, Christmas stockings, table decorations, hanging decorations for your Christmas tree, even Christmas-themed room fragrances.
	Optional:	Shakespeare's Birthplace and Visitor Centre BHP/ £12.50 (9-5 daily) Built in 1556 and Shakespeare was born here in 1564. 5 Houses £19.50 (Shakespeare's Birthplace, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Mary Arden's Farm, Nash House, New Place Hall's Croft)
	Optional:	Anne Hathaway's Cottage BHP/£7.50 (9-5 daily) Childhood home of Shakespeare's home
	Do:	Lunch
5:00 p.m.	Depart:	Stratford-upon-Avon
6:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Iron Bridge	54
	See:	Iron Bridge
6:30 p.m.	Depart:	Iron Bridge
7:30 p.m.	Arrive:	Llangollen	52
		The Old Tailor's Chocolate Shop (9-5) 39 Castle St Come and choose from a vast selection of continental chocolates either loose or pre-packed.Whatever the occasion we have chocolates to suit. Traditional confectionery, Ice Creams and Jelly Beans all on offer. (Corner of A5/Berwyn and Heoly Castell Rd/A539.) It was built by Morris Roberts, ‘Builder of Llangollen’, whilst the architect was Hill and Son of Oswestry. Mr. Roberts bought the land at auction on 23rd December 1858. The building was finished in the 1860’s and by the 1870’s was used by a printer and stationer. In 1891 it was recorded as being an ironmongers and by 1897 was occupied by a tailor. Although suits ceased to be made in the rear workshops during the 1930’s a succession of tailors occupied the building until 2001.
		3-Llangollen Bridge- Built in 1345 by John Trevor I, Bishop of St Asaph. The bridge was rebuilt in Elizabethan times and that structure remains to this day unaltered on the lower side and perfectly copied on the upper side when it was widened in 1873.
	Lodge:

Day 19	Sunday	July 28th
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Llangollen
10:15 a.m.	Arrive:	Conwy	50
	See:	Conwy Castle BHP £4.75 (9:30-6) Constructed by the English monarch Edward I between 1283 and 1289 as one of the key fortresses in his 'iron ring' of castles to contain the Welsh, was built to prompt such a humbling reaction. The views from the battlements are breathtaking looking out across mountains and sea and down to the roofless shell of the castles 125ft Great Hall. It is from these battlements that visitors can best appreciate Conwy's other great glory, its ring of town wall. From the quay, visitors may walk around the outside of the walls for the entire circuit, except at the south-western corner where they should re-enter by the Upper Gate; walk down Rosemary Lane and take the footpath beside the Catholic church to the site of Llywelyn's Hall and Tower 16; leave by the station and go through the Mill Gate. The Mill Gate led down to the king's mill on the river Gyffin, a corn mill previously belonging to the abbey. The gate is unusual in that its towers contain domestic accommodation. This part of the town, with the lodgings of the major officials and their record offices was burnt in the Owain Glyndwr revolt of 1401. It is possible to walk along the top of the north wall; access points are at Tower 5 and the Upper Gate. Originally there were no openings in the north wall. Even now, pierced by two roads, it is still one of the finest stretches of medieval town wall in Britain.
		Smallest House in Britain-75p (10-9) the red painted dwelling consists of two rooms linked by a staircase and was said to have been built in the town walls to avoid paying taxes. The house's last inhabitant was said to be a fisherman.
12:00 p.m.	Depart:	Conway
2:45 p.m.	Arrive:	Chatsworth	130
	OR
10:15 a.m.	Depart:	Conway
10:45 a.m.	Arrive:	Caernarfon	25
	See:	Caernarfon Castle BHP/£4.95 (9:30-5) - Begun in 1283 as the definitive chapter in King Edward's conquest of Wales. Caernarfon was constructed not only as a military stronghold but also as a seat of government and royal palace. It was finished in 1330. Birthplace to the first English Prince of Wales, the tradition continues to this day, with the castle acting as the setting to the Investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales in 1969. Shop and toilet
12:30 am.	Depart:	Caernarfon
3:30 p.m.	Arrive:	Chatsworth	141
	See:	Chatsworth (11-5:30, 4:30 last admission) BHP/£16.00/£2 per car. Farmyard (10:30-5:30) Garden (11-6), Parking £2.00 Chatsworth Bakewell Derbyshire DE45 1PP Farm shop (bakery, butchery, dairy, fruit, veg, deli) Gift shops Carriage House Restaurant (self-service restaurant, offering a wide variety of home made food and drink), Cavendish Rooms (full waitress service and a sophisticated menu designed around the art of Afternoon tea), Farm Shop Restaurant (delicious seasonal recipes using as much local produce from the farm shop as possible), Farmyard Cafe (sandwiches, cakes and a range of pasties), Flora's Temple Tea Shop (sandwiches and freshly made pasties, sausage rolls, and soup) Park Shop (hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and baguettes, and soups and homemade cakes), Mr. Darcy's house in Pride and Prejudice.
5:30 p.m.	Depart:	Chatsworth
7:00 p.m.	Arrive:	York	85
	Lodge:	Old Grey Mare £200 Clifton Green York YO30 6LH 01904 654485 Fax: 01904 679703 Email: daly663@btinternet.com www.oldgreymare.com (1 room with 5 twin beds, full continental breakfast (cereals, toast, croissants, ham, cheese, yoghurt and fruit, ensuite) Reserved online on 3/06	(251)

Day 20	Monday	July 29th
	See:	York
	Optional:	York Minster Abbey (Mon-Sat 9-5:30, Sun 12-3:45) £9.00 Ogleforth York YO1 7JN Includes entry to the Undercroft, Treasury & Crypt (includes free audio tour) Entry to the Tower £5.50 Lunch 12-2:30 Evensong 5:15 Church bell practice 7:30-9:30 p.m. You have arrived just in time for a short tour of the Minster. Tower: Climbing the 275 steps to the top of the central tower is an exhilarating experience. You will pass the Minster's medieval pinnacles and gargoyles and see over its rooftops. At the top you will have the best view of the city's ancient streets. From the highest point in the city you can see far over the surrounding countryside, from the White Horse at Kilburn to the Yorkshire Wolds. Undercroft: Descending into the Undercroft is like stepping back in time. When the Central Tower was in serious risk of collapse in the late 1960s work was done to shore up its foundations. Workers found the remains of buildings that once existed on this site. You can see the ancient remains discovered beneath the present Minster when archaeologists worked on one of the most important sites in England. Café: Situated within the splendour of St William's College, our 80 seat licensed restaurant offers a wide selection of home-made dishes, prepared daily from fresh ingredients. With pavement and courtyard seating during the summer months, enjoy a freshly ground coffee, light snack or full meal amongst these magnificent surroundings with the Minster towering above. We are open from 10.00am to 5.00pm and in the evening from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. Explore the undercroft where buildings that once existed on the site can be seen. Guided tour 9-4 are free and last l l/2 hours online Built between the 1220s and the 1470s
		York Shambles- The way that fifteenth century buildings lean into the middle of the cobbled street means that the roofs almost touch in the middle. Mentioned in the Domesday book (making it date over 900 years), we know Shambles to be York 's oldest street, and Europe's best preserved Medieval street. It really is a very special place. The word Shambles originates from the Medieval word Shamel, which meant booth or bench. It was once also referred to as Flesshammel, a word with meaning around flesh; this is because Shambles was historically a street of butchers shops and houses. Records state that in1872 there were 26 butchers on the street. The last butcher to trade on Shambles was at number 27 of the name Dewhurst. Livestock was slaughtered on Shambles also, the meat was served over what are now the shop window bottoms, and these were originally the Shamels. It is also interesting to notice the way the pavements on either side of the street are raised up, this was done to create a channel which the butchers would wash away their waste through; offal and blood would gush down Shambles twice weekly.
		West Cornwall Pasty Co. 38 Parliament St. York, YO1 8RU
		St. Mary's Abbey-The original building here was a Norman church whose foundation stone was laid by King William II in 1088. The ruins you see here today are mainly those of a rebuilding program which began around 1271, finishing in 1294. These ruins include a major part of the South Transept and West End. Smaller parts of the North Transept and East End are also still visible. Not much remains of the other building that once stood here. These were a Chapter House and it's Vestibule, the Slype, Cloister, Warming House, Dormitory and of course a lavatory. However, in 1987 - 88 the Chapter House entrance was re-constructed and can be seen today. Other remains are on display in the Yorkshire Museum.
		Multiangular Tower - In the Museum Gardens is the best remaining section of the Roman walls of old York, or 'Eboracum' as it was then known. This first settlement, centred on where the Minster now stands, had a much smaller circuit wall than the later medieval defences and the Multangualr Tower was a polygonal bastion added to the western corner around AD 300.
		Clifford's Tower BHP £3.90 (10-6) York YO1 9 Around 1068 to 1069, William the Conqueror built two motte's and bailey castles in York to strengthen his military hold on the north. Clifford's Tower, an unusual four-lobed keep built in the 13th century atop the mound of William's larger fortress, is now the principal surviving stonework remnant of York's medieval castle. The sweeping views of the city from the tower still show why it played such an important part in controlling northern England. Most of the tower that visitors can see today date from the 13th century, with some 17th century additions. Spiral staircases lead to the walls, and those who make the climb are rewarded by superb views of the city.
Optional:		Jorvik Viking Centre £8.95 (10-5) on the site of one of the most famous and astounding discoveries of modern archaeology. Between the years 1976-81, archaeologists from York Archaeological Trust revealed the houses, workshops and backyards of the Viking-Age city of Jorvik, as it stood 1,000 years ago. These incredible findings enabled them to build the JORVIK Viking Centre on the very site where the excavations had taken place, creating a groundbreaking visitor experience that enabled you to experience life in Viking-Age York.
	Lodge:	Old Grey Mare £200 Clifton Green York YO30 6LH 01904 654485 Fax: 01904 679703 Email: daly663@btinternet.com www.oldgreymare.com (1 room with 5 twin beds, full continental breakfast (cereals, toast, croissants, ham, cheese, yoghurt and fruit, ensuite) Reserved online on 3/06

Day 21	Tuesday	July 30th
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	York
11:00 a.m.	Arrive:	Kendal	88
	Do:	Windermere Ferry £4-7 (runs until 9:50 p.m.)
11:20 a.m.	Arrive:	Ambleside	13
		(At Ambleside go left on A593. At Clappersgate take a left on B5286. House is near Sawrey.)
11:45 p.m.		Hill Top Farm BHP/£6.50 (9:45-5) Closed Thurs. Fri Hawkshead, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0LF Telephone: 015394 36269 The house appears as if Beatrix Potter had just stepped out for a walk. Every room contains a reference to a picture in a 'tale'. The lovely cottage garden is a haphazard mix of flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables. Hill Top is a small house and a timed-ticket system is in operation to avoid overcrowding and to protect the interior. Hill Top can be very busy and visitors may sometimes have to wait to enter the house.
	Optional:	Dove Cottage & Wordsworth Museum & Art Gallery £7.50 (9:30-5) Dove Cottage was the home of William Wordsworth from December 1799 to May 1808, the years of his supreme work as a poet. This is where he got married, had kids and wrote his poetry. 30 minute cottage tour w/l/2 hour and hour departures.
		Rydal Mount BHP/£6.00 (9:30-5)- Wordsworth's final, higher-class home with a lovely garden and view, but lacks the Dove Cottage charm. He lived here 37 years. The house, which now belongs to descendants of Wordsworth, retains a lived-in, family atmosphere. The dining room, part of the old Tudor cottage, with its original flagged floor and oak beams, contrasts pleasingly with the larger proportions of the drawing room and library, added in 1750. Also to be seen are the family bedrooms and Wordsworth's attic study which he used when he was Poet Laureate. The house contains portraits, personal possessions and first editions of the poet's work.
	Arrive:	Castlerigg	17
	Do:	Lake District
	See:	Castlerigg Stone Circle- Free (Open all the time) 5,000 yrs old, has 38 stones and is one of the best.
		(Head west on Cockermouth Rd/A66. Take the 2nd Newlands Valley exit through Braithwaite/B5292 and follow signs up the Majestic Newlands Valley by turning left in Braithwaite. See the 500 yr old family owned farms. After Newlands Pass descend to Buttermere.)
	Do:	Buttermere Hike It is a 4.5 to 5 mile easy hike that takes 2 - 3 hours. Start out by finding a place to park in Buttermere (this may be the most difficult part of the adventure) and walking behind the Fish Hotel (stop to learn a little about this hotel's interesting history) to find the broad path that takes you to Buttermere Lake. Just past the east end of the lake you will find an old stone arch bridge over a small stream. Cross the bridge after taking a picture or two and veer to the left (another path heads to the right away from Buttermere Lake). This will put you on the path around the lake. As you walk along the north end of the lake you will have a choice of staying down by the lakeside or walking higher up along the fells. We chose lakeside. Your hike will go on pretty much unobstructed until you reach the tunnel at Hasness, which is below in my pictures. The tunnel was blasted through the rocky hillside to aid in traveling around the lake and it serves much enjoyment for children and adults as well for that matter. There is no better way to end your hike than with a stop at Syke Farm Cafe for their authentic Buttermere Ayrshires ice cream.
		(Go left/south on B5289. Continue over Honister Pass with views of glacial debris, remnants from old slate mines and Swaledale sheep, looking more like goats with their curly horns. Look high on the hillsides for hanging valleys, small glacial-shaped scoops cut off by the huge flow of the biggest glacier, which swept down the main valley.)
	Optional:	Honister Slate Mine £9.75 (9-5) Tour the mines, gift shop, restaurant (paninis, soup, milkshakes) http://www.honister-slate-mine.co.uk/honister_slate_mine.asp
		Bowder Stone- 2,000 pound stone you can climb
		(Continue on B5289 going north. Watch for a sign "Ashness Bridge, Watendlath" on the right. Drive l/2 mile to bridge and another l/2 mile to surprise view. Then go back to B5289, turning right/north to Keswick.)
	Arrive:	Keswick	25
	Arrive:	Carlisle	40
	Lodge:		(185)

Day 22	Wednesday	July 31st
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Carlisle
		(Take A69
10:00 a.m.	Arrive:	Chollersford	40
	See:	Chester's Roman Fort BHP/£5.00 (10-6) It was built in AD 123 to guard the Roman bridge which carried Hadrian’s Wall over the River North Tyne. It has the best preserved remains of a cavalry fort in Britain. Explore the foundations of the headquarters building and amble through the well-preserved commandant’s house. Discover the complex of rooms in the bath house which offered customers hot, cold or steam baths. Restored to its Victorian glory, the highly distinctive on-site museum displays an amazing collection of Roman finds retrieved by the local antiquarian John Clayton. These include important early archaeological discoveries relating to the central section of the Wall.
11:15 a.m.	Depart:	Chollerford
		(Go back west on B6318.)
11:35 a.m.	Arrive:	Once Brewed	13
11:53 a.m.	Do:	Bus AD122 £1.00
11:59 a.m.	Arrive:	Housesteads Car Park
12:00 p.m.	See:	Housesteads Roman Fort BHP/£5.00 (10-6) Northumberland - NE47 6NN Tea Room, parking, toilet and bus stop. The most complete surviving Roman Fort in Britain built in 124AD. It has 800 men with a thriving civil community. Includes granaries, barracks, a hospital and even a multi-seated latrine. There is also a museum, which shows how Housesteads once looked.	10
	Do:	Lunch
12:30 p.m.		Hadrian's Wall Walk
		Housesteads to Once Brewed Walk on Hadrian's Wall - 3 miles
3:30 p.m.	See:	Once Brewed National Park Centre- (9:30-5) Military Road, Bardon Mill, Hexham, NE47 7AN Food, toilet, parking and bus stop. The Centre features exhibitions, a video theatre, souvenirs, books, maps and a comprehensive information service. Once Brewed is set near some of the best sections of Hadrian's Wall, and is an ideal base for exploring on foot	3
4:00 p.m.	Depart:	Once Brewed
		(Go north on A74.)
6:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Glasgow	102
	Lodge:		(168)

Day 23	Thursday	August 1st
		Scottish Heritage Pass £38/£30.00 60 years +
9:00 a.m.	Arrive:	Glasgow
		(Take A725 and A726 around the town. Take A82 northwest.
11:00 a.m.	Arrive:	Glencoe	89
		Glencoe Visitor Centre (9:30-5:30) BHP/£6 PH49 4HX Cafe and Shop ‘Living on The Edge’ explores the landscape, wildlife and history of Glencoe. Find out what it feels like to climb on ice, discover how the glen was formed, and try your hand at problem solving the conservation issues faced by The Trust. Follow the history of the famous massacre of Glencoe with a 15 minute video presentation. Additional audio historical information in 6 languages, another two video presentations, plus a free activity book for children is all part of a fun visit! Massacre of Glencoe took place here in 1692. Our self-service café offers a range of homemade soup and sandwiches – all made daily. Enjoy some superb home baking with a range of cakes, tray bakes and our very own secret recipe shortbread, which melts in the mouth. Try our locally produced venison burgers or our popular bacon ciabatta. Good range of vegeterian food. With a growing range of local products, our shop offers quality products, with something for everyone. Good range of children’s gifts, games and pocket money toys. Food & confectionery, toiletries, books, CD’s, DVD’s. and much much more.
12:00 p.m.	Depart:	Glencoe
		(Continue northwest on A82.)
12:30 p.m.	Arrive:	Fort Williams	16
		(On leaving Fort William in a northerly direction, take the left turn at the small roundabout opposite the Nevis Bank Hotel. Carry on over the traffic lights and past the Ben Nevis Hotel on the left. Shortly before the Esso petrol station on the right there is a left hand turning, Follow the road round for about 100 metres, and then turn right over the small bridge. There is a small amount of parking available there.)
	See:	Inverlochy Castle (Free) Originally dating back to the 13th century, Inverlochy Castle last played a part in Scottish and English history during the Civil Wars of the 1640's. In 1645 the royalist Earl of Montrose routed the roundhead forces of the Campbell Chief Duke of Argyll at the second Battle of Inverlochy.
		(Go back to A82 and go left/A830.
1:15 p.m.	Arrive:	Banavie	2
	See:	Neptune's Staircase
		Ben Nevis-At 4406ft or 1344m, Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the country. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's probably also the most popular. And simply in terms of people lifted or carried off, it is also probably the most dangerous.
		(Continue on A830.)
2:15 p.m.	Arrive:	Glenfinnian	14
		Glenfinnan Monument & Viaduct- BHP/£3.00 - Glenfinnan is the monument site to where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised the Jacobite standard and headed south in an effort to take over take over the British throne. Train bridge in Harry Potter movies.
2:45 p.m.	Depart:	Glenfinnian
		(Go back east on A830.)
3:15 p.m.	Arrive:	Fort Williams	14
		(Continue on A82. After Loch Lochy cross the Caledonian Canal. Loch Oich will be on your right. As the road eventually goes left, so right towards Glengarry Hotel. Continue straight ahead to a small parking lot.
4:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Invergarry	25
		Invergarry Castle (Free) PH35 4HW Built by the MacDonells (or MacDonalds) of Glengarry in the early 1600s, it was not long after burnt to the ground by Cromwellian forces in 1654. Later re-fortified, this L-plan tower of 5 or 6 storeys was visited twice by Bonnie Prince Charlie and subsequently blown up by his enemy, the Duke of Cumberland.
		(Continue on A82.
5:15 p.m.	Arrive:	Fort Augustus	14
	Lodge:
	See:	Shops
		Glen Albyn Gifts & Collectables-Various gifts and souvenirs with postcards and various Nessie memorabilia.
	Do:	Great Glen Trading Center-The Trading Centre houses a petrol station, Londis shop, gift shop, hardware and two clothing outlets. Scottish foods, quality gifts, Nessie souvenir gifts, outdoor clothing and Calor gas seller.
		The Imray Shop-A small crafts and gifts shop which has a wide selection of traditional Scottish gifts. There are hip flasks and Celtic jewellery as well as various clan related gifts such as books and shot glasses.
		The Laura Connection-If you want something different, we have it. Local art & craft, antiques, collectables, gifts, jewelery, exclusive products from Scottish and International artists and designers AND the only professional Magician in the Great Glen. We're sure to have something you want to take home, so come and see us soon!
		The Mill Shop-In our converted church beside the Caledonian Canal we stock a selection of gifts, clothes, jewellery, shortbread and sweets. Our clothes range from childrens' kilts to ladies and gents t-shirts, knitwear and jackets. We also stock Cashmere scarves as well as tartan accessories and traditional Aran knitwear for all ages.
	Do:	2011 Ceilidh Dances-Presented by FAGBI every Wednesday evening throughout June, July & August. Live music and dance tuition from 8pm - 10pm in Fort Augustus Village Hall. Admission £4.00 (£3.00 concessions). All Welcome. http://www.waterscape.com/media/documents/23441.pdf
	Lodge:		(174)

Day 24	Friday	August 2nd
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Ft. Augustus
9:30 a.m.	Arrive:	Lewiston	20
		Urquhart Castle £7.20 (9:30-6) 13th century, the Centre features an outstanding array of medieval artifacts found at the castle. Visitors can relax in the café and visit the shop with its local crafts. The visitor centre contains retail, interpretation area, audio-visual presentation and tearoom and toilets on one level. Stunning views of the loch can be obtained from visitor centre veranda.
		Nessie Letterbox
11:00 a.m.	Arrive:	Drumnadrochit	2
		The Clansman Gift Company (9:30-4:30) The Green Drumnadrochit Inverness IV63 6TX Tel: +44 (0)1456 450695 Fine quality gifts from the shores of Loch Ness in The Highlands of Scotland. We have sourced only the best suppliers from all over Scotland to enable us to offer you traditional Scottish and Nessie themed gifts and keepsakes or that special gift for any occasion.
	See:	Loch Ness Exhibition Centre- £6.50 (9-6:00) Drumnadrochit Loch Ness Inverness-shire IV63 6TU Tel +44 (0) 1456 450573 A hi-tech multi-media presentation leads you through 7 themed areas and through 500 million years of history. Using a highly effective mix of lasers, digital projection and special effects Loch Ness charts the history of the monster by exploring Scotland's geological past, its folklore and the various research projects carried out on the loch. It also reveals the discoveries of some of that research including the environmental fingerprints left in the loch's layers by both nature and mankind.
		The Drumnadrochit Hotel-Loch Ness Cafe includes lunch to go
	See:	Loch Ness Nessie Shop	7
1:00 p.m.	Depart:	Drumnadrochit
1:30 p.m.	Arrive:	Inverness	16
1:45 p.m.	Arrive:	Culloden	4
		Culloden Battlefield BHP/£10 (9-6) Culloden Moor, Inverness, Highland IV2 5EU 44 (0) 844 493 2159 Visitor Center with 16 min. film, wander through a furnished old cottage and the battlegrounds -The Battle of Culloden (April 16, 1746) was the final clash between the French-supported Jacobites and the Hanoverian British Government in the 1745 Jacobite Rising. It was the last battle to be fought on mainland Britain. Culloden brought the Jacobite cause—to restore the House of Stuart to the throne of the Kingdom of Great Britain—to a decisive defeat. The Jacobites — the majority of them Highland Scots, although containing significant numbers of Lowland forces — supported the claim of James Francis Edward Stuart (aka "The Old Pretender") to the throne; the government army, under the Duke of Cumberland, younger son of the Hanoverian sovereign, King George II, supported his father's cause. It too included significant numbers of Highland Scots, as well as Scottish Lowlanders and some English troops. The aftermath of the battle was brutal and earned the victorious general the name "Butcher" Cumberland. Charles Edward Stuart eventually left Britain and went to Rome, never to attempt to take the throne again. Civil penalties were also severe. New laws attacked the Highlanders' clan system, and Highland dress was outlawed.
3:30 p.m.	Depart:	Culloden
4:30 p.m.	Arrive:	Edinburgh	50
	Lodge:	St. Regis/Braveheart Guest House £100 57/26 Gilmore Place Edinburgh EH3 9N Tel.: (+44) (0) 131 229 4057 (Szilvia booked room on 05/15/10, Full Scottish breakfast, double bed, 1 single bed and a bunk bed) Park near annex	(202)


Day 25	Saturday	August 3rd
9:30 a.m.	See:	Edinburgh Castle £15.00 (9:30-6) Around 1130 David I builds a formidable royal castle on the rock. It includes a chapel dedicated to his mother Queen Margaret, which still stands. Impressive buildings were constructed, including the 12th-century St Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest building in Edinburgh, David’s Tower, built for David II, Robert the Bruce’s son, in the 1370s, and the monumental great hall of James IV, opened in 1511. But the long and bitter Wars of Independence with the ‘auld enemy’, England, took their toll, and the castle endured siege upon siege; Edward I, Edward III and Henry VIII all did their utmost to batter down the walls. In 1566 Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI in the royal palace within the castle. The tiny bed-closet still survives, a room that has a special significance for Great Britain, for in 1603 James VI became also James I of England - the ‘Union of the Crowns’. The departure of the Scottish court for London saw much of the royal ‘glitter’ go from the castle. Thereafter the stronghold became little more than a garrison fortress and arsenal. The last sovereign to sleep there was Charles I in 1633, prior to his coronation as king of Scots. Queen Anne Cafe 11:30-3 £4.50-£11.00 Redcoat Cafe 12-3 £3.95-£7.95
9:30 a.m.		Palace of Holyroodhouse £14.85 (9:30-6) The Royal Apartments reflect the changing tastes of successive monarchs and are renowned for their fine plasterwork ceilings and magnificent furnishings, particularly the unrivalled collection of Brussels tapestries. One of the most famous rooms in the Palace is the Great Gallery, hung with Jacob de Wet's portraits of the real and legendary kings of Scotland. Included on the tour, a display focuses on the Order of the Thistle, the highest honour in Scotland. The Order honours Scottish men and women who have held public office or who have contributed in a particular way to national life. Shown alongside historic insignia is an example of the mantle worn at the Thistle ceremony at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, which The Queen attends during her visit to the Palace in July. From 1 April to 31 October the gardens, which are today used for garden parties, can be included as part of a visit to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Visitors to the gardens must keep to the paths, which are about 400 yards long. Café at the Palace-In the historic setting of the Palace's Mews Courtyard, the Café at the Palace offers simple home-made dishes made from fresh, locally sourced produce. Choose from a selection of soups, two hot main courses and a range of delicious salads, sandwiches, specialty breads and home-baked cakes.
12:00 p.m.	Do:	Lunch
		Royal Mile-approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle Rock down to Holyrood Abbey. There souvenir shops and restaurants.
		The Big Ness Mess Letterbox Canongate Kirk 153 Canongate
4:00 p.m.	Depart:	Edinburgh
		(Go up Gilmore Place. Turn right on A702/Leaven St. At Hillend exit onto A702. At the Milton Bridge roundabout take the first left on Penicuik Pl. In Roslin go right on Chapel Loan.)
4:15 a.m.	Arrive:	Roslin	10
4:30 p.m.	Arrive:	Rosslyn Chapel £7.70 (9:30-6 Mon-Sat, 12-4:45 Sun.) Dedicated in 1450 as the Collegiate Chapel of St. Matthew. 2004 The DaVinci Code was filmed here.
6:00 p.m.	Depart:	Roslin
6:25 p.m.	Arrive:	Edinburgh	15
	Do:	Dinner-Thai Food
Everyone:
9:00 p.m.	Do:	Military Tattoo - €20 to €47 (Mon-Fri 9 p.m., Sat 7:30 and 10:30 w/fireworks)
	Lodge:	St. Regis/Braveheart Guest House £100 57/26 Gilmore Place Edinburgh EH3 9N Tel.: (+44) (0) 131 229 4057 (Full Scottish breakfast, double bed, 1 single bed and a bunk bed) Park near annex	(25)

Day 26	Sunday	August 4th
	Depart:	Edinburgh
		Cornish Pasty Co. Landslide Food Ct. 1st Floor Edinburgh Airpot
	Arrive:	Spokane

Travelers Among You

Author:	Reidling Trinity
Location:	Drogheda Slane, MEA (Ireland)
Clue Last Updated:	May 5, 2007

Status:	active (Last found: Sep 29, 2007)

The Dowth passage cairn is not open to the public, though you can see it from the outside. From the N51 west from Drogheda, take the first left after the turn for the site of the Battle of the Boyne. It is on the left just after Dowth castle (under renovation at the time of planting), and just before the Glebe House B&B (my favorite in all of Ireland, if you stay there be sure to tell Elizabeth Kisma sent you!)

The cairn shows damage from early excavations and 19th century stone quarrying. It has fallen victim to treasure-hunters over the eyars, including the Vikings. The mound is about 275 feet across and nearly 50 feet high.

Nearby is the famous Newgrange & Knowth cairns which can be visited via a tour. Like Knowth, Dowth has two passages opposite each other: a north passage about 27 feet long and a shorter south passage about 11 feet long which faces towards Newgrange. The sun rises to illuminate the Newgrange chamber at winter solstice and at the end of the day it enters the south passage of the Dowth cairn at sunset. Though the passage and chamber are much smaller here than at Newgrange, the beam of light is much bigger. This chamber has one recess on the right. The stone forming the right side of this recess is decorated with circular symbols, and it is this stone that is illuminated at winter solstice sunset by the sunbeam.

The back stone of the main chamber and the stones either side of it are also decorated. In the days before and after the solistce, the beam of light at sunset travels across these symbols lighting them in turn. The entrance stone has a large circular hollow, which marks the position of the setting sun.

Dowth's alignment with the setting sun at the winter solstice is at the end of the sun cycle and the beginning of the longest night of the year, the darkest point of the year. Its mythology reflects this. It is said to have been built by the Druid Bresal who wanted to build a tower that would reach the sky, but due to complications, the tower was never finished, and it was given the name Dubhaigh meaning "darkness."

CLUE: Once you find the 'Dowth' signpost, park on the side of the road (the N51 from Drogheda to Slane). Climb through the double "V" cattle guard gate and continue up the gravel walkway. A stone wall runs to your right, a field to your left, the mound before you. From the double "V" gate, take 22 paces, which will bring you to a turn style gate. With your back to the gate pole, face the stone wall. Compass bearing is 38-40. Three paces should bring you to the stone wall. Directly on the other side is an ivy garnished tree with another tree directly behind it, giving the appearance that it is one tree with four large branches springing up from the trunk. The box is in between these two trees in a crevice-like opening, close to the ground. You'll have to climb over the fence to retrieve the box, but the wall is only waist high and easy to do so. There are no worries about being yelled at for trespassing, though the box has been planted in secret. Please be sure to seal the box before replanting to be sure no wetness gets inside. Thanks!

We hope you enjoy the seven boxes we planted in Ireland (The North Star, Congrats!You Found It!, the 4-box Animal Power Series!, and Travelers Among you.)

Vacations to Go....