Edinburgh - Day 5

May 3, 2015

Quiet can be defined in many ways. Coach B on the train to Edinburgh was labeled as a "quiet car" In general that was true. The one exception was the two ladies seated just behind us. Their Scottish brogue filled the space with constant chatter. I mean non stop! How can you have that much to say!

Our eavesdropping was balanced with a beautiful countryside of bright yellow blooming stuff and green hills extending to the horizons. As we drew closer to Edinburgh even the sea shore occasionally came into view. The European train is a great way to travel!

I (Tim) have been wanting to ride in one of the classic Taxis, and found my opportunity on our move from the train to our Edinburgh home. These little cars seem to be made solely for the purpose of being a cab. We arrived without delay at the Priestville Guest House. There was no question that we had found Scotland as we were greeted by Colin dressed in the traditional kilt and leggings. He is quite an interesting character with a passion for food. Trina, his wife, whispered that he is a trained chef! Our breakfast this morning proved her point. We enjoyed smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and a sample of haggis. To hear the ingredient list for the traditional Scottish dish of haggis is not for the faint of stomach. The taste, however, is rich and flavorful. Another morning and I will try a full portion.

With a good nights rest and our tummies full, we set out for Church. The Edinburgh Community Church meets in a beautiful stone building. It is always a treasure to worship in a different county from our own. We were blessed by great charismatic worship and excellent teaching.  

Today's walk leads us up the "Royal Mile" to the Edinburgh Castle in the heart of downtown. Rain was our constant walking companion today, but did not deter our adventures. This mighty rock fortress and royal residence houses the crown jewels and the Stone of Scone. It includes military memorials and chronicles the many Scottish wars. Leaving nothing out, even a pet cemetery honored those faithful friends who were a treasure to their owners. 

Our return walk home included a stop at a Scottish Tartan shop to see how Kathy might look dressed in the Tartan of her clan. It seems that there are several to choose from for a particular family group. One might be for dress and another for hunting. I don't see Kathy, with rifle in hand, stalking wild prey deep in the woods of Scotland or Oregon. However it is the McPherson hunting tartan colors that she likes the best. We will just have to see how that works out!  

Tim and Kathy

London` - Day 4

May 1, 2015

Sometimes there is more to the city than just the city! A short tube ride and a delightful walk across the classic art deco Hammersmith bridge brought us to The London Wetlands  known for it's population of local and imported birds. The weather was cool but no rain, allowing us to enjoy a leisurely walk around a well developed wetland conservation area. Most of the waterfowl we discovered were new to us, since these little creatures don't get around much like we do!

The UK Robin is smaller and has less reddish colors than our American version. It is such a kick to explore God's amazing creations. The developed area included a number of protective shelters to get out of any weather and out of sight of the skittish birds. We spent most of the morning and early afternoon exploring and making new friends with local birders. 

A few tube stops and a short walk and we moved from the natural world to the literary. The British library houses quite a collection of historical writing and even maps. We explored such sacred texts as the Gutenberg Bible, the first book printed in Europe, and a number of old original manuscripts. The display also included original writings from the Koran and 

Buddhist teachings. Many of the first books were illustrated with intricate and colorful artwork.

Beyond the sacred writings we found, Leonardo DaVinci, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and even the original hand written lyrics from the Beatles.  There was a section of music scores and the first documents establishing government as we know it today.

After a coffee break we continued our history lessons at the British Museum. This amazing time machine transported us back to the early eras of the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Greeks. It is challenging to grasp how these massive stone sculptures were created without the machinery we know today. Unimaginable resources were expended for the personal pleasure and control for those in power.

A discovery in the Egyptian desert in 1799 greatly expanded our historical knowledge. The rosetta stone contained a single inscription repeated in three languages. This provided an invaluable tool to understand the ancient hieroglyphics. This amazing rock stood before us in the center of the exhibit.  Another amazing exhibit were the original marble sculptures that were on the Parthenon in Athens.

By know we have been on our feet all day, so it was time to head home with dinner at an Indian restaurant near our apartment. We seem to be well acclimated to the time zones now and firmly established in "travel mode".

Following a good nights sleep we bid farewell to our B and B hosts and hopped a train to Edinburgh. We really enjoyed our stay with Angie and Oliver. They have just remodeled there flat so everything was brand new. They only "let" out one room so it feels very much like we were staying with friends. We recommend them to any fellow travelers headed to London. Keep in mind, however, that your bed is at the end of four flights of stairs.

Tim and Kathy 

London - Day 3

April 30, 2015

It is interesting to me how strongly connected the Church of England is with the Ruling government. In the United States we seem to be going in just the opposite direction. As we marveled over the intricate architecture of the beautiful Westminster Abby, we also found ourselves in front of the coronation chair where Kings and Queens are crowned. This gothic building masterpiece is also an amazing mausoleum! Buried there are past royalty along with poets, writers, and scientists like Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. The great Christian statesman William Wilberforce was resting peacefully along with many others. We returned later in the afternoon to enjoy Evensong, a liturgical service with the choir and big pipe organ. Dignitaries from South Africa were in town and provided some of the scripture readings.

A short walk from Westminster Abby brought us and several thousand other tourists to Buckingham palace. We arrived in time to watch the changing guard ceremony with all of it's pomp and circumstance. Wedged in with us was a delightful lady from Bavaria whom we enjoyed visiting with. By now we were ready for a break and the beautiful St James Park provided just the perfect mix of green grass, sunshine, and birds.

As we left the park to explore around a little, we happened upon a marching band of Gurkha soldiers  from Nepal. They were marching to celebrate their 200 years in service to the Crown.  It was interesting to see the Nepalese soldiers wearing Scottish tartans and playing bagpipes!

On our walk back to Westminster Abby we stopped in at the Winston Churchill War Rooms. This underground bunker was the command center for Britain during World War II. As a museum it chronicled the life of Winston Churchill. Very interesting!

Thank you for listening to our adventures!

London - Day 2

April 29, 2015

Tonight I fear that my dreams will be filled with prison cells, fighting in full armor and having my head cut off!! Oh, the stories that the walls of the Tower of London could tell! The following picture is some of the artwork carved into the prison tower walls. I don't know who Thomas was, but he had plenty of time to learn to sculpt!

We both woke up feeling very rested and ready for new England adventures. After a great breakfast while chatting with our B & B hosts, we were off to the Underground. It is getting easier to navigate the public transit systems and we got a good start on the day at the Tower of London.

Many hundreds of years of English history is wrapped up in the Tower of London which is a large castle complex that has gone through several transitions through the years. It's role now is primarily to record the history and provide a means for the common man to enjoy such treasures as the Crown Jewels and military armor. What would it feel like to experience the weight and sparkling beauty of the crown as it was gently placed on your head. Or what might be your thoughts as you are helped into your heavy armor, pick up your weapons and hope you return after the upcoming battle. You own head could rest on the chopping block if things don't go well! The future of England and who is in power could easily rest in your actions!

Another center of power is the Church of England.  Following our castle adventures we made our way to  St Paul's Cathedral where the spiritual leaders held the same power as the Kings and Queens. The cathedral is the work of Christopher Wren who was also involved in the design of many churches and buildings after the fire of 1666 that devastated the city of London. St Paul's is home to the tombs of numerous notable characters in the story of England and this beautiful cathedral remains vital to the English culture, even today.  Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married within the hallowed walls.

After grabbing a quick lunch we explored the surrounding area of the original city of London and returned home with very tired feet! It rained some today, but mostly while we were inside buildings. By afternoon, the weather was better and the views from the bridges were spectacular.

Another evening meal in a small local pub and we are good till morning. 

Tim and Kathy

London - Day 1

April 29, 2015

Thank you for checking in on our travel adventures! I am sitting on the bed in a great little B&B in London. We are in the second bedroom of a delightful couple, Colin and Angela, who are just completing a full renovation of the flat. We are their first guests since the redo. A bonus is that we get good exercise since we are on the fourth floor! 

The travel has gone very well and we are just headed to bed after being up almost 24 hours. I just about fell asleep today at the National Gallery!. I was standing there and caught myself as my legs started to give way.  We enjoyed great artwork of Renoir, Caravaggio, Monet, Botticelli and more. 

In addition to the National Gallery we explored the National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square, our first glimpses of Big Bend and Westminster Abbey. We will return to explore them further another day.  The weather was great which was really nice but It looks like rain tomorrow. We enjoyed a great little supper tonight at a small English Pub near our B & B.

Well, I will keep this brief since I continue to drift off.

Tim

A travel tip from Kathy:  It is very, very helpful to have a credit card with a chip in it for travel in Europe.  We had one and just before we left the USA, it had a fraudulent charge and the bank reissued a new card and sent it overnight mail, but it didn't arrive before we left.  As a consequence we were unable to ride the bus or buy "tube" tickets from the machines.  Luckily there was an attendant at the tube station that could sell us tickets. We are set for the rest of our London stay as we picked up our pre-purchased Oyster travel card and London Pass yesterday.

Getting things done

It feels good to get things done!

     Don't you love that feeling of accomplishment when you have met your goals! Today was that sort of day. ATT showed up promptly, the wireless hookup was quick and everything seems to be working! Kathy finally succeeded in setting a dental appointment for her dad. She was also hoping to have a conference with the caregivers and that is done! We still had time to go for a walk to the bay with Nicole and a brief nap dropped into the schedule very nicely.

     As much as I thrive on projects and their completion, the more important issue is how I act and think during the process. I pray that personal integrity, encouragement of others, and an attitude of peace and hope be a part of who I am every day. 

"May the God of hope fill you all with joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

Romans 15:13

- Tim -

Can you see what your looking at?

This week, Kathy and I are enjoying sunshine and 65 degrees in the San Francisco Bay area. Six hours with a book on tape and we were suddenly here! We are looking forward to spendingii time with Kathy's family. One of our missions while visiting Kathy's parents, is to get their Kindle Fire usable again. Today's goal was to learn more about the Kindle operating system.

Syd has some Macular Degeneration going on and the Kindle can be a real tool to improve his access to reading material and communication with family. 

Prior to our afternoon chores, we enjoyed lunch out with Curtis, Philip, and Nicole. Curtis suggested a nice Asian lunch spot very close to Casa Sandoval where Syd and Marguerite live. We tried out a new portable wheel chair with Nicole that worked quite well. Easy to breakdown and load. 

While Syd, Phillip, and Kathy were taking care of a doctor's appointment, Nicole and I visited with Marguerite and worked on the Kindle. We are scheduled to have a wireless system installed tomorrow which should complete the project.

After a little research, I learned that how information is displayed on an electronic device can help us see more clearly. For many who suffer with eyesight concerns I learned that a light letter on a dark background can make a big difference in being able to read text for those with MD. With that discovery it was very easy to configure the Kindle book reader to perform accordingly.

Sometimes in life we can look at situations and find we don't have a clue to what we are seeing. Then something happens to how the situation is displayed and we get it! Maybe it is a conversation with a friend, a quote from something you are reading or thoughtful consideration of a biblical truth. In an instant we see things clearly, without fear or anxiety. We relax in the calm of God's peace as we begin to see life from a heavenly perspective.

Now I need to find a way to configure the Kindle web browser to display with white on black. As for this blog, you are now seeing the display changes including a larger font. We are hoping Syd will be able to easily read along as we post to this blog in May when wee will be traveling to Scotland and exploring Syd's family roots.

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"The best news of the Christian gospel is that the supremely glorious Creator of the universe has acted in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection to remove every obstacle between us and himself so that we may find everlasting Joy in Seeing and Savoring His infinite beauty." - John Piper