Thistle & Shamrock Tour Photos

I have selected and uploaded to Flickr some photos from our trip to Ireland and Scotland. They can be found here.

I was surprised to find that I took many more photos of Scotland, surprised because Ireland was so strikingly beautiful. If I had been thinking of a photo album at the time I would have taken more and purhaps different shots. It is odd that many of the images I still carry in my head never made it into the camera.

Here is one may daughter liked, the southern part of the island of Hoy, the Orkneys. The sun was just right.

May 1, 1942

Standing at the front gate of Riverview Farm in service to the United States Navy, on the left, my father, on the right, my uncle Pickett.

For My Packer Friends

The photo was taken aboard the Northlinks ferry MV Hamnavoe off the coast of mainland Scotland and Stromness, a port on the Orkney Islands. This was the only time I had opportunity to wear my GB Packer cap as the weather was otherwise too warm.

I will have more photos next week. Between now and then I will travel to Virginia to visit with my mother and attend the funeral of my uncle who passed away this morning.

Steptoe Pickett Edwards (Pickett), was 95. I posted about him last year. More later when I feel a bit less sad.

The Thistle & Shamrock Tour

The Thistle & Shamrock (a.k.a. the Look Right, Drive Left or We've Been Here Before) Tour is over. We returned just before midnight last night, tired but happy.

We had a great time and I have more than enough to blog about for weeks. But first there are clothes to wash, bills to pay, sleep to catch up on. But before I nod off, several observations...

• Ireland was wonderful, just wonderful; but I fell in love with Scotland.
• The food in both countries was much, much better than is traditionally thought.
• Driving on the left is not all that hard; figuring out where you need to turn is the trick.
• Guinness Rocks!
• Saint Andrews is to golf what the Vatican is to Catholicism.
• We were prepared for just about everything but the wonderful weather.
• The place we wish we had scheduled more time was the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland. It is a very special place.