That's All, Folks

That's it. It's over. We are back in South Australia and we are ready for a loooooong sleep. In the middle of the day. We got back last night and actually made it to the Lockleys Hotel in time for dinner.

Huge thanks to Brian and Sarah, for instigating this whole thing and organising the itinerary, accommodation, car hire, football tickets, and so much more. Thank you also to Mum, Anne, and John, as well as Brian and Sarah, for coming along and making this, for me, the trip of a lifetime. I really mean that. I will travel to the UK again, and other places, at some time in the future, but there will never be another trip like this one. This was special. We somehow captured lightning in a bottle. I am sad now that it is over, but I am much more happy that we did it together. 

Thank you also to you, dear reader. Without you there is no travelblodge, and yes, I am sticking with that name. I have received nothing but very positive feedback, and for that I am very grateful.

I have more photos that I will post here in the next few days, but for now the journey is over, and it is time to rest.

Wish you'd been there.

And Now, The End Is Near

Here we are in Doha, once again, halfway between London and Adelaide. We were just on our phones, about to book a table at the Lockleys Hotel for dinner, when we were advised that our flight has been delayed. So we shall sit here and wait for another three hours, "unmedicated", because the bars are closed, due to Ramadan.

Wish you were here.

Liverpool? Again? Really?

Yes, really. Liverpool. It was so much fun the last time that my travelling companions wanted to do it again. i was only in Liverpool for one night the last time, so didn't really see much of it, but the others had three nights there and had a blast. This time, we checked into the hotel and then went straight to the Cavern Club, and there we stayed until they closed, just before midnight. It was absolutely fantastic. We somehow managed to score a table near the stage, and on the stage, there was a guy playing a guitar and singing. We spent the whole night singing along to Beatles songs and other classic rock hits while downing quite a lot of Guinness. Enormous fun. 10 out of 10. Would do again.

In the morning we went looking for some Beatles-related landmarks. We found Penny Lane, Strawberry Field, and the grave of Eleanor Rigby. We had lunch at the Salvation Army cafeteria at Strawberry Field, then found a charity shop called Claire House, and I donated the long coat that I bought last week in Clydebank. It was much too big to fit in my suitcase. Then we headed out of Liverpool for the final leg of the drive down to London. We have one more night to go in the UK.

Wish you were here.

The Beginning of the End

Farewell to Bonnie Scotland. The long journey home has begun. We drove out of Glasgow on Tuesday morning after dropping Johnno off at Glasgow airport. It was another sunny but cold day in Scotland and as we drove past snow-covered fields, the phrase "Winter wonderland" kept occurring to me.

We stopped at Durham to have lunch with our cousin, Julia. Julia is a beautiful soul who has been cursed with chronic illness. She couldn't make it to Clydebank for our family meet-and-greet, so we decided to bring the mountain to Mohammed. I would not have felt right leaving the UK if we had not made the effort to see Julia, and I think all of the others felt the same way. It was a brief lunch date, but totally worth it.

Then back on the road, heading straight for London, right?

Right? No? 

Wish you were here.

Dear Old Glasgow Town

I ventured out on my own today. I took a train from Dalmuir, where we are staying, to Glasgow. I spent a few hours walking around and taking photos. I am glad to say that I walked the length of Sauchiehall Street in yet another moment where I had a moment.

Wish you were here.

The Bonnie Bonnie Banks

This morning, we all attended Mass at Our Holy Redeemer's church (OHR), and we were once again joined by Mum's friend, Beatrice. Mum and Dad got married in OHR in 1966, with Beatrice as Mum's bridesmaid, and I was Christened there in 1968. It is a beautiful old church, with many stained-glass windows, statues and gothic-style architecture. After the service, we were standing near the front of the church, chatting and taking photos, when the organist started playing the Australian National Anthem for us on the pipe organ at the back of the church, which was nice.

This afternoon, we drove to Loch Lomond with Beatrice, and we were met there by our cousin, Eddie, and his partner, Gemma. We were hoping that it would snow while we were there, but it only rained. We had a lovely lunch at the Duck Bay Hotel, and we all wore bright pink in honour of our sister, Claire. Claire would have loved all of this. It was yet another surreal moment for me, being there after having sung about Loch Lomond for many years.

Wish you were here.

Aussie Hollands in Clydebank

On Saturday morning we went to a part of Clydebank called Whitecrook. Mum grew up in Whitecrook, and we took her to visit some of the houses and streets from her childhood. We didn't go into any houses of course; we just walked and drove around the streets. We also visited Mum's friend, Beatrice. I think this was a nice walk down memory lane for Mum. We also visited Hamilton Street, where we lived just before leaving for Australia, but the building we lived in was demolished many years ago, and in its place now is a carpark (paging Joni Mitchell).

In the afternoon, one of the local pubs hosted an event for us called Aussie Hollands in Clydebank. Many thanks must go to our cousin, Scott, for organising the event and setting up the room with Australian flags, koalas, kangaroos, and a buffet. We put the word out a few weeks ago, inviting all our relatives to come, meet, and spend the afternoon with us. I don't know how many people turned up, but it was a lot, and I very soon gave up trying to remember how we are all interconnected.

Very special thanks to all who travelled to Clydebank for the event, including some who came from Ireland, and our cousin, Terry, and his daughter, Brooke, who travelled from Montrose and Edinburgh, respectively. It was great to meet/catch up with new and old faces alike.

Wish you were here.