Chapter One……Off to Miami Beach, then England, then Ireland 🙂

This was the end of the trip flight, KLM Airlines, Amsterdam to Panama. First Class all the way. 🙂

This adventure started with the idea of returning to Scotland and exploring the Scottish Highlands, something we had not done on our last visit to Scotland. At that time we discussed what other areas might interesting, and my wife Marsha suggested something from her “bucket list”, Scandanivia. I of course said “ if we are going to Scotland, then lets start in Dublin and then to Edinburgh. Why you might ask ?

Guinness on Tap ! And then there is Haggis 🙂

As usual, we flew to Miami Beach from Belize to spend three days before heading to Dublin. We did this because this is hurricane season, and flights could be affected. I booked us in a super hotel, the nostalgic Tony Hotel, with a balcony directly on South Beach to relax.

We also decided to rent a car and drive down the Keys to a nite in Key Largo, then head back the next day to Miami International for our direct flight to London and on to Dublin. We stayed at the Marina Del Mar Hotel in Key Largo, and enjoyed a splendid seafood dinner that evening.

The next morning we jumped back on the road north to the Miami Airport, not rushing as our flight wasn’t until 5 PM on British Airways. As we had upgraded to 1st class, we got to relax in the “Flight Club” where I did find the Champagne 🙂

Our flight to London left Miami at 5:30 PM and we landed at Londons Heathrow at 7:05 am. The seats were pretty frickin great, reclining into beds in a “capsule”, mine right next to wife Marsha’s. There wqas an abundance of Champagne, wine, gin, etc, three meals and movies on the “airline private large screne tv” 🙂

Arriving in Heathrow Airport, London at 7:05 AM for a connecting flight at 10;15 AM proved to be a bit of a “bump in the road” for us. It seams nothing is close, with many terminals, and we just barely made out flight to Dublin.

Our flight was due to arrive in Dublin at 10:15 and I was so looking forward to “Bangers and Mash” with my first Guinness!

The hour and a half flight from London to Dublin was on Air Lingus and in fact was quite nice. We again had upgraded our seats, and “bubbly flowed”.

We took a Taxi from the airport to the Hard Rock Hotel where we were staying in Dublin on Lord Edward Street in the Temple Bar area of town. This hotel had just recently changed owners, however it was all decorated in Hard Rock Memorability throughout. Service was excellent and so was our suite.

I had prepaired a list of some thirty bars in Dublin I wanted to visit, as well as Marsha and I having a list of restaurants serving traditional Irish dishes to visit. Needless to say, we didn’t visit all, but we did put a pretty good dent in our lists.

One thing we did that Marsha had discovered while researching Dublin was a special “Coast Seafood and Beer Tour.” It’s called “The Dublin Coastal Craft Beer and Seafood Trail Tour” in Houth, Ireland. We met with six other people at a place in Dublin where we were picked up in a comfortable van and driven to Houth. This was a walking tour of this seaport, and we tasted beer and seafood at many pubs, and let me say, at the end of the tour, I was quite satisfied.

We only had three days to enjoy Dublin before heading on to Edinburgh, Scotland, where we would spend two full days before leaving on our five day tour up into the Scottish Highlands. As we have spent time on a previous trip in Edinburgh, I wasn’t that excited about this part of our adventure, that is until we attended the “Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo” at the Edinburgh Castle on Monday night. More about that in a bit.

The first night, we booked a suite in the Frasier Suites in Edinburgh, and the second, a night in the Royal Scots Hotel. The reason for two different hotels in two days is simple: when we returned from the five-night Scottish Highland Tour we had to book at the Royal Scots, because we could leave our large luggage there, I couldn’t get consecutive nights at the Frasier Suites. I want to add that the prices for both hotels were extremely high because I found out it was high season and that the Royal Military Tattoo was happening.

Now for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which I discovered was quite a “big deal” to the world. It seems that many countries attend this function each year, and you have to jump on tickets when they first are offered, or you don’t go. For some reason, when wife Marsha found out about this even happening while we were there, she immediately tried to get tickets. She was actually able to get special “Event tickets, seats in a prime lower section” along with a special event prior at “The Scotch Whisky Experience” on the Miricle Mile, just outside the enterence to the castle.

Located just outside Edinburgh Castle

Started with awesome wine, then on to premium Scotch Whisky 🙂

We enjoyed 5 courses

Bagpipes and Scottish Dancers gave us a show

We arrived two hours before the Tattoo, at the “Whisky Experience” building, which by the way you can schedule a tasting experience of the 1000’s of bottles of Scotch on hand. We however were led to an upper floor, and dining room where we were served wines and appetisers, followed by a three premium Scotch Whisky Tasting, with a talk by an expert about what we were tasting. It was awesome.

As we were served a “Five Star- three- course dinner” we were entertained by Scottish Bagpipes and dancers.

This is part of the store with thousands of bottles of Scotch for sale

After dinner we were escorted from the building directly to our seats in the Castle Arena.

We were only seated about a half hour when the event began, and what a start it was. Bagpipes were heard deep inside the Castle walls, and as they exited the archway and formed a parade onto the event grounds, it sent shivers down many spines, including mine. I then realized something was happening at the opposite end of the parade grounds, as a “limo-type vehicle” had entered with guards.

Princess Anne makes a surprise appearance

We were so lucky to be in attendance on the one night Princess Ann would attend the Royal Tattoo. The crowd erupted in applause and cheers as he exited the vehicle, waved, and then headed to a particular section to watch the event.

It is and will be very difficult to present this Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to you, as it is genuinely something that “you just have to be there” to understand. It started at dusk and continued into darkness. Colored lights flooded the grounds, and each country’s bagpipes, drums, band music, singing, and dancing were spectacular and moving.

In the opening fanfare, the “Massed Pipes and Drums” were performed by a group of international men and women. They included The Royal Tank Regiment, Scottish and Northern Irish Yeomanry Pipes and Drums, 1st Batallion Scots Guard, Royal Gurkha, Royal Edinburg Military Tattoo, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Piupes and Drums and Bisbane College Pipes and Drums.

They took your breath away!

The following day, we met Rabbies Scottish Highlands Tour at the bus station and left for five days in the Scottish Highlands.

See you in the next blogpost…..Scottish Highlands 🙂

Gary… The Pirate

Look ! It’s “Nessie”