In remembrance

When at school, I once took part in the remembrance service at St Andrews war memorial. It was a freezing morning, and I was playing the snare drum. No gloves! 

This year, we went to the short ceremony in Bannockburn, where the wreath-laying was in the pouring rain.

 

The sights and smells of Cologne

Every year, the education system in Scotland stops for a brief week (two for the fifers) so that teachers can jet off to warm and sunny destinations. 

We like being the exceptions - if it means that we can take the luxury caravan back to Germany for a few days.

I am unsure what the cow was doing.  

 

Mr and Mrs Mozart were shopping.

 Earlier we had spotted them handing out chocolates to sell the overnight rail trip to Vienna. I spat mine out - it had hidden marzipan poison in it.

Swinging in the trains

Trains run on tracks. Have done for years. That's how it works.  Everyone knows this - except in Wuppertal.

There, the train runs under the tracks, and swings as it scoots along over the river.

I will update this page when I can find my camera pictures.

We are sailing (please don't call this a cruise)

The romance of the seas was sadly lacking as we travelled from Newcastle to Holland.  Our cheap cabin was lower than the freight traffic, and hotter than a swedish sauna. The aim was to shortcut the route to Tonisforst in Germany - rather than heading to Hull and crossing to Rotterdam, why not save 150 miles and cross locally.  

Next time, I'm going to Hull!  

The generation gap

The second child is considering a future in the world of academia, and to further this goal we travelled to Scotland's capital in an attempt to compare the magnificent university of Edinburgh with the last one we visited, up in the frozen north-east.  Still, I am not biased.

We stopped for coffee in the former "Nelson Mandela" dome. I wonder what happened to him? And where did these tables come from?

And then we suffered a couple of lectures in the George Square Theatre, where I used to enjoy accounts lectures at 9am, three days a week.   

Once finished, we had a quiet lunch in a world buffet. I now cannot see my toes.

By yon bonny banks of Oban

 Down by the sea. Early one morning.

 Chocolaty delights - Not for me - I rarely touch the stuff

You shall have a fishy on the little dishy, when the vote comes in.

 Dining al fresco. Nothing beats a bacon breakfast outside the caravan. Al Fresco liked it too.

Macro focus still working

And finally, we think this is the best chippy for miles around. 

Heave-ho! no more.

Just spending some of our hard-earned cash on a little luxury - or is is an essential for us?

Quite a dull picture - but it does show that I need to get some extra pipe to move the waste water outlet away from the mover.

A family day out.

My family dont like getting into the pictures, so when we nipped out to visit the Kelpies, they stayed away from the camera, but the results weren't too bad.