Aberdeen to Ireland and back (24-29 Sept)

I've started this blog (draft) on the ferry taking us from Holyhead (Wales) to Dublin (Ireland) on Friday midday. The ferry is designed and made by Austal Ships in WA (Cam - remember we went there one Saturday with the children?). It's huge - with two decks for car, truck and vans to drive on. It's a very streamlined process. The ferry departed at 12noon and we were to arrive an hour before departure. We waited in the car lineup (lines according to car size) and then were eventually directed onto the ferry. Within 10 mins of parking the car we had left the dock.
Anyway, just backtracking a few hours....we started our long drive from Aberdeen to Holyhead (about 8hrs in total) last night (Thurs) at 6pm. The kids were very excited to be sleeping in the car again and got themselves sorted out fairly quickly.
It was dark by about 7pm so the rest of our drive provided nothing to look at except the glaring headlights of oncoming trucks, cars and vans and flashing, warning lights advising road works ahead (presumably the work was all underground as Mase said he saw very few people actually working).
Matt just piped up to say that there are lots of speed cameras along the motorways and he and Sam were always warning Mase they were approaching one. One thing that's quite nifty is the speed signs as you enter small towns on the motorway - they give you warning to reduce speed and then as you approach flash your speed in bright lights - definitely ensures you slow down!
Mase stopped driving around midnight - we'd crossed the border into England and we had a few hours sleep in a hotel room...We were up and on the road before 7am...groan from me
We passed through the green, mountainous country of Wales - saw a large castle on the side of a hill - but didn't get the camera out in time. Took lots of photos of scenery as we passed through. We had our first introduction to signs in Welsh - it seems to work 2 letters in Welsh to one in English!!
We arrived in Holyhead about 10am and went for a bit of a drive around the city - narrow, windy streets, houses all double storey and built close to the road...We went for a walk up the side of a mountain (but only part way as we had to be at the ferry by 11am). The whole pathway was lined with blackberries which we enjoyed eating as we went - some very sweet - some very tart. Sam was good at collecting the plumpest berries and I was the usual recipient - delicious.
On the ferry we saw our first Irishmen with 'coke' - which Mase informed me was actually Guinness - so I'm getting an education in many new things!
Well I'm resuming this blog on Tuesday, 29 September and we're on the ferry returning from Ireland (Eire) to Holyhead, Wales. It's been a busy time, packed with activity and loads of information to take in and digest...
Our trip after leaving the ferry and driving into Dublin to find our hotel was frustrating and lengthy. Just about all their mainroads are undergoing major roadworks - resulting in road closures, part road closures and slow traffic. Our SatNav didn't seem to know about all the new roads and certainly not the roadworks and we circled almost the entire city before trying to venture across the middle of the city - which was a nightmare of turns and holdups! However this meant we 'saw' Dublin city (probably not in the best light - but enough to know we didn't need to see anymore).
Finally we arrived at our hotel in Bray which is about 20km south of Dublin. The kids were eager to try out the pool and so we went down to the reception area to be informed that you had to have a swimming cap - the children were horrified - but nevertheless we purchased a cap (3 euros/cap) for each of them (I had my own). Mase used the steam room and spa while we all swam for a while.
Then we wandered down to the 'beach' (10 min walk from hotel) - we took heaps of photos there. It was beautiful in a different way to Perth's beaches.

The sea was a lovely blue, the beach was just smooth stones (like river stones so I guess these were sea stones) - quite a different feel to sand but at least you don't have sand thru everything after a day at the beach - definitely a bonus - but sunbaking would not be quite so easy. The coastline to the south of us was interrupted by a large hill with steep cliff edges - again we took quite a few photos with this in the background. The next afternoon we managed to squeeze in a quick detour to one of the vantage points on the hill but didn't have time to actually walk to the top.
We had a 'pub' dinner - which is relatively homemade in style and quite reasonably priced for a family. Mase tried Guinness - I watched as he took his first sip and I got the feeling he was surprised. Anyway I decided to have a sip and it was absolutely disgusting - a mixture of what I imagine nicotine and water mixed together would taste like. Mase killed himself laughing at my horrified reaction and so did the children. I can't believe that people actually enjoy drinking such revolting stuff. Anyway I told him he was crazy to drink the rest if he didn't like it but ... men....they have to do the macho thing and finish the hard stuff!
Saturday we ventured back into Dublin to the tourist office (totally missing the sign right outside our hotel that pointed across the road to the local tourist office)....we basically wasted our entire Sat morning in traffic but did see the Dublin Castle and Gardens -not something I'd say anyone should feel obliged to visit but at least we did something in the morning. The name Dublin is made up of two words Dubh Linn meaning 'dark pool'. I'm not quite sure what significance there is to the meaning.
In the afternoon we went on a self drive tour thru the Wicklow area - this incorporated some mountains, Powerscourt Gardens, Glendalough and an introduction to the narrow, windy, blackberry-lined country roads of Ireland (I'll explain more about this later).
At this point I confess to being stumped about what we began our drive with...so much has happened over the last few days that I can't remember which is which. I don't have the photos handy to refer back to...so I'll go on my memory.
To get to the various locations we had to take main roads (but they're not like our main roads). These are one and three quarter car wide lanes on windy, narrow roads lined with berries/shrubs etc and often blind corners. The speed limit was 100km. Mase had a wonderful time - he loved the technical challenge and wound his way in and out much to the children's delight. However I have to say that my heart was in my mouth many times and I'd be pleading with him to slow down. Intellectually I knew he was driving well and that he was comfortable that he was driving safely but being in the front beside him and not being in control myself was really horrible. I mean I get a bit worried in Perth sometimes but here it was one hundred times worse (at this point I need to reassure you that Mase was not doing 100km/hr and that he wasn't being crazy on the roads - so don't panic Mums!!!). The kids of course egged Mase on and got huge satisfaction from my terror. Needless to say Mase got us safely to each destination (by God's grace). I think these roads have been the cause of the first grey hairs I've discovered on my head! I've pulled them out for the moment and will re-examine my head after every hair raising adventure :)
We drove thru the Powerscourt Gardens - including some greenhouse gardens - which we couldn't see from the car and we decided not to pay to view. However the drive through the property was worth it - again lots of photography at this point - nice view of mountains and green forests.
Next we went to the Powerscourt Waterfall (different location) - it costs to view their waterfalls (at least this one) and it provoked lots of discussion with the children about why and who got the money etc.. anyway, it was really worth it. The entry was thru a tree lined drive in the valley of two large mountains and as we approached you couldn't help be impressed with the lush greenery (I know I said that about Wales but this was even moreso) which is a testament to the fact that Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle of (UK or Europe or world? - I can't remember and Mase is sleeping now before he drives the next 8 hour stint back to Aberdeen - so I can't ask him).
In all of this you can't help but think of the beauty of creation - the genius of our God in designing such diversity of beauty and I feel very privileged to be able to see some of His work. We walked to the waterfall and jumped around on the rocks beneath and took plenty of photos, drank the water and then decided to explore the mountain on our own.... With the kids leading the way we followed a gravel track, then a bracken/bush track, then an even less marked track - the children had great fun deciding which way to go and we had a lovely time all by ourselves in the 'forest'. Finally the track we were on led into really muddy ground (the water was literally dripping down the side of the mountain onto our track and made it impassable for us in our light sneakers). We decided to turn back and went a slightly different way which in the last 20m before arriving at the waterfall site took us thru a very muddy watery section where Jo and I got soaked thru to our socks in muddy water - very unpleasant feeling. We washed off and cleaned up at the river and then headed back to the carpark.
We tried out the fantastic kids playground at the spot - there was one for toddlers to 6yrs and one for 6-14yr olds. They had some great equipment - the best of which was a spinner which really tested our strength and balance. Before Mase realised how it worked he gave the kids an enormous spin on it- they were struggling to hang on and both Sam/Matt got off pretty quickly. However Jo loved it and she and Mase then had go on their own - which was when Mase discovered how the thing worked. Basically the centrifugal force increased according to body weight/size. Anyway, Jo eventually went off to other equipment and Mase had a go on his own...finally (for the first time in my life) I had Mason begging for mercy - not quite on his knees but close enough! We were in fits of laughter. Mase had a few turns and ended up with bruises from holding on. Just for the record - I did have a couple of turns but felt too nauseous after it (and dizzy).
Anyway we left this beautiful waterfall and drove on to Glendalough (Glenn da loch) - to the Heritage Centre which we didn't enter but just went on one of the many walk trails that leave from that location. We took a 45 minute walk thru the forest on a pathway which took us past a small chapel built in (can't remember how long ago - hundreds of yrs earlier - but it's among the photos) with a cemetery and tower. Continuing on from the lower lake to the upper lake in the area where again we took some lovely photos of the scene - lake in foreground with green forest in background with small white house in distance - stunning! Children had fun skimming rocks and playing by the water.
Then we started the drive back to Bray (ending up with a quick stop at the mountain with the clifflined coast near our hotel on the beach front. It was a lovely vantage point to view the town of Bray and coastline.
That takes us to Sunday morning - time to pack up and leave the hotel. We left about 10am and again our satnav failed to lead us to the Dublin Ecclesial Flat and so Mase (just as well he's got a good nose) finally got us there. We were met by a UK couple - John and Christine Busford (retired) who, along with many others visit the Dublin Ecclesia for fortnightly, monthly or longer visits, to provide support to the three sisters who live there. Mary & Therese and another sister named Tatiana (we didn't meet her). There's also a sister just over the Northern Ireland border but she has not been able to make meetings at this stage - it would be a big drive for her.
They were a lovely couple and we enjoyed chatting with them before the other sisters arrived. Only two were able to make it that day - Therese and Mary (they are blood sisters as well as sisters in Christ). Mase had been asked to exhort and he spoke about faith - what it is, why we need it and how to grow it. It was a very cosy meeting with just the six of us (the children sat quietly behind our sofa in the only available space left) in the loungeroom. We sang hymns (sitting down) and with only 5 voices it was a little difficult when some of the notes were high d and e - after a few verses I decided to sing alto or nothing at all at those notes! Despite our singing the fellowship with the bre and sisters was very encouraging.
After the memorial we had a really interesting discussion about Ireland and it's involvement in the EU etc. Just to give some background to this - upon entering Dublin we couldn't help noticing the political/party posters that hang on every street post, every traffic signal and every bridge - campaigning for the Irish people to vote yes and others to vote no in the upcoming (2 Oct) vote on whether Ireland should ratify the EU Lisbon Treaty. It is obviously provoking huge discussion in Ireland.
The sisters who live in Dublin were able to fill us in with why it was so important a vote. Basically Ireland is the only country which hasn't voted in favour of the treaty. They have noted once already but the vote came up with a no vote. So this is the second vote they are taking (as the EU won't take no for an answer as they need all nations in favour of the treaty) - now that's democracy for you isn't it?
We got onto the countries that make up the EU and the strength of the Catholic religion in those countries and the possible impact that could have on future EU decisions. Very interesting..
I also learnt a little more geography - Northern Ireland is still part of the UK, but Ireland (south part) is an independent Republic. Northern Ireland as part of the UK still uses pounds and miles, whereas Ireland uses euros and kilometres...
Anyway Mary and Therese weren't staying at the Dublin Mission Flat for lunch so they left and that meant it was only John, Christine and our family for the afternoon.
We had a really nice afternoon - John and Christine were like doting grandparents on the children and they were hugely spoilt in true grandparent fashion....Jo was particularly pleased when Christine said she would ignore what I said and give the kids extra icecream and third helpings of dessert. As we left Jo told me she'd like them to be her parents because they were so nice - way to her heart is thru her stomach that's obvious!
We left about 3pm and began our drive to Galway (directly west across the country) - taking 3hrs if you take the right roads, which we didn't and took a bit longer. The inland of Ireland is very green, has bogs and very flat.
Arrived in Galway about 7pm. Monday morning Mase had a meeting (which was the reason for our visit to Ireland), so the children and I walked to the city centre (about 45min walk) and found the tourist bureau and looked up what we could do for the afternoon. As we walked along the road we saw Cameron's Post Office and took a photo just for the record. We also found the Galway Museum was nearby and walked there but found it was shut for the day to complete 'essential maintenance' - bit disappointing as the info we'd found about it recommended it as a great spot for the children to visit. So we walked back to the hotel and the kids swam while we waited for Mase to return.

In the afternoon we drove along the shores of Galway Bay. Quite different scenery to Wicklow area near Bray, Dublin. Here it was rugged mountains, rocky coastline and green pastures. The kids were desperate to climb a mountain - they knew it would only take about 10 minutes!! So we stopped along a safer section of the narrow coast road and hopped out into the strong, cold wind.

We climbed down the hill as close as we could to the Bay and took photos of the hill we were to climb (314m high). It was rocky and barren as most of the mountains were in the area.

Then we began our climb - Sam up in front and very eager. This photo is the start of our climb. When we reached what looks like the top in this photo we discovered there was another section to climb, and another. 10 mins into our climb Matt said his legs were too tired and like jelly and could we stop, Jo was finding it tough too...but we continued on and 15 mins later arrived at one of the smaller peaks of the hill (Mase reckons about 200m+ up) and stopped. Sam was first to the top and was having a wonderful time looking around at the view of the Bay and exploring the rocks and walls. At various vantage points along the way people have built cairns (a pile of rocks). It's a symbol of your achievement in climbing that high.

The other interesting thing is that along the mountain ranges there were walls made from the top of the mountain to the bottom marking people's property (see photo of Mase with kids). The walls are made with the rocks that abound in the area and are piled on top of each other without cement yet are very strong and have obviously survived for many, many years. The effort and time taken to build these boundaries is hard to imagine but someone sometime must have done it. (This type of wall is also common in Scotland). Below is the view from the peak we reached across Galway Bay towards the ocean.

The other exciting thing we did on Monday was book into a Medieval Banquet at Donguaire Castle in Kinvara (about 20kms out of Galway). We had really wanted to go to a Traditional Irish Entertainment Evening - with dancing, singing and opportunity to join in but it wasn't available that night...so we went with the medieval banquet. Below is Donguaire Castle.

The Banquet began at 5.30pm - we arrived and joined about 30 other people (most from US - the couple we found ourselves beside were from Australia).

We entered the castle and were met by a lady dressed in medieval style dress who handed us each a stone goblet of meade (a traditional wine, produced from an ancient Irish recipe of pure honey, fruit of the vine and natural herbs). The children were given a very sweet fruity cordial. This was to toast the Lord of the Castle for his generosity. I was a bit nervous about drinking the meade as I hadn't eaten anything except an apple since breakfast....but Mase assured me I'd be fine :) so I trusted him.

In this entry hall where we drank the meade they had a harpist playing (also in medieval dress) traditional Irish songs and songs about the local area of Kinvara.

The Butler then directed us to the banquet hall - long wooden tables in a candlelit room which couldn't have seated more than the 30 people present. The castle has been restored to it's former condition (originally built in 1500 something).

The meal was served on stone crockery typical of the times. First course was smoked salmon and salad. During this course the harpist and Lady of the castle requested the children (no others were there) to sing a song...they were too scared initially but at her suggestion they ended up singing twinkle twinkle little star with her accompanying them. With all of a mother's bias I was proud of them for actually doing it but must admit that the boys don't have particularly tuneful voices. Anyway the audience comprised mainly of grandparent aged people all applauded and cheered at the end.

During the banquet we were entertained with poems and songs relating to the history of the Kinvara district. The children would have found this rather boring after a while but they also acted out some of the songs and poems as they went.

The male singer (who had just finished a music degree) also performed the butler's duties and steward and waiter duties. The lady of the castle was the second singer, who also waited on us all. So apart from the kitchen staff, there were three people hosting the evening and entertaining us all and they did a great job.

Second course was potato and leek soup served in bowls and to the kids delight - no spoons - so they had to drink from the bowl. Funnily enough Matt still tried to eat the soup with his fork and I thought he'd take full advantage of the opportunity. The soup was delicious. Also served with this was soda bread - a heavy, brown bread - which I liked.

Next was chicken with mushroom sauce, potatoes and vegies - simple but traditional fare of medieval times.

Over the main course the 'butler' explained the tradition of the claddaugh ring - a ring with a heart in the centre, held by two hands either side topped with a crown. This ring was traditionally handed from mother to daughter and was often used for betrothal. However there is an important thing to note - the heart should face towards the wearer's heart if they are 'spoken for' (betrothed) and if they are 'fancy free' it should face outwards.

At each banquet the hosts choose someone to present the ring to as a reminder of the tradition and I was chosen to receive it because I was the mother of the children who sang so beautifully!! The ring is too small for me so in keeping with the claddaugh ring traditions mother has passed it on to daughter...

Dessert was apple pie and cream and then we were invited to remove to the lower entrance hall for tea/coffee.. At this point we decided to head back to Galway as it was getting late.

On Tuesday morning we were up early and began the 3hr drive back to Dublin to catch the ferry.

We stopped at an old town about 1/2 hr drive from Galway called Athenry - it has the most well preserved medieval buildings in the area dating back too many years to remember! You can still see the castle, church, castle gate and much of the outer castle walls. There is a Heritage Centre there which we wanted to visit as the children would be able to dress up in medieval clothing, try archery, watch a film about the times etc and see some of the armour used...but we arrived at 9am and it didn't open until 10am, so we waited until then. The gates opened at 9.50am and we went in only to be told that actually they weren't opening until 11am due to lack of volunteers - we couldn't wait that long, so we headed on our way to Dublin. Here's a photo of the church.
Really that's all there is to tell except that Mase drove the 8hrs back to Aberdeen - on the strength of some chocolate, coke (ugh!) and coffee. Actually one thing more - at about 10.30pm that night as we were nearing Edinburgh we decided to take a 'short cut' to avoid Glasgow - well the road was narrow, windy and not great surface, there was rain, fog and signs saying sheep might be crossing! Mase admitted that was the most difficult driving he's ever done and thank God we are safely home to tell the story. At times we could hardly see more than 5 metres in front of us. However this section of the drive was only for about 1/2 hr before we returned to the motorway, arriving home about 12.30pm.

Kids all slept well and now we're back into the routine of schoolwork (with short breaks to load the washing machine and dryer).
No matter what I've written, words can't describe the experiences we've had and the beauty of the country we've seen...hope you get some idea of what we did.

Love all of us

Dundee Fraternal & Banchory

Last weekend (18/19 Sept) we went to Dundee for the Aberdeen/Dundee Ecclesial fraternal - about an hours drive South. We met with about 80 other bre/sis for two afternoon studies followed by tea together. The studies were on Romans - the Gospel of God and then Be Ye Transformed.
The thing I found most helpful was an underlying theme in Romans - that the gospel of God was to bring the obedience of all nations (Jew/Gentile) by faith - emphasis being on the faith of either Jew or Gentile. But I won't go into it in detail apart from saying it was really good.
They had a break at the end of one study - time to stretch (we met a few people then) and then we began the second study. Tea was immediately afterwards. The kids enjoyed meeting with some other children and played chasey afterwards. They all wanted to go back to that meeting again - however the fraternal was held at a hired hall within the University.

As the fraternal is only the Sat afternoon, we decided to take the coastal drive home which took about 1.5hrs. We saw a bit more of the coast and some small villages and more green, pretty countryside.
On Sunday afternoon it was such a beautiful 'spring' day (don't be deceived by this comment - what I mean by spring is that the sky is blue - it doesn't mean it's toasty warm - it's still cold enough for me to wear a jumper most of the day). After the memorial meeting we decided to drive to one of the towns out of Aberdeen and have lunch at one of the local 'pubs' and get a feel for the type of food they serve. We ended up driving for about 1/2 hour out of Aberdeen - past a few castles and other interesting places - to Banchory. We ate at the Coat of Arms (family friendly) and tried some of the standard menu options.

Mase had bangers and mash. Sam, Matt and I tried Steak and Guinness Pie and Jo had haddock and chips. The pie was very rich but tasty. Jo's haddock was alright (not as fresh as could have been) and Mase's bangers (gourmet sausages) and mash (mashed potatoes with mushroom) was a tiny serve but he was happy.
We then went for a walk along the River Dee to the Feugh Falls - beautiful rocks and waterfall. It's hard to capture the beauty of the scene in words - but I could have stood there just looking for ages. On the other side of the bridge we were on was a graceful blue heron perched on top of a large rock in the water.

As we walked back we picked the blackberries along the path - the bushes are a pest here - but we enjoyed picking and eating (as Lindens seem to do).
We also climbed down the side of the riverbank to the river Dee itself and the children threw in river rocks (the smooth type we have to buy in Perth) but were in abundance here. Jo and Mase also went for a dip in the River - Mase said his feet were freezing.
It was a very relaxing afternoon and we enjoyed the chance to see the area.

Edinburgh - Sat 12 Sept

As many of you know we planned to visit Edinburgh on Saturday and so headed off about 8am..

Mase and I enjoyed the countryside - saw our first thick mist (the 'har') hovering at the base of some hills, along with green paddocks, brown fields just ploughed, the coast, castles and forest..

We stopped off along the way to take a photo of us all beneath the sign that said "welcome to Perth".

We arrived at Edinburgh around 11am and headed for the street where the city tour buses depart from. While Mase booked us tickets the kids and I went to look at the Walter Scott Memorial – a huge stone monument set up to memorialize the Scottish poet. If you wish to climb to the top for a 360 degree view of the city then it’s a 287 step climb…we were keen to try it but for 15 pound we decided to give it a miss…we were planning to go the Edinburgh Castle and the same view would be available there.

So off we went around the city – seeing the Parliament buildings – they have 129 ‘thinking pods’ on the side of the buildings for the politicians and our tour guide was most derisive of the amount of money they cost the taxpayers and various other aspects of the parliamentarians…quite amusing

One of the first things you notice on the east side of the city was the long extinct volcano and mountains alongside…you could see many people climbing the mountain – it has a road leading round it to the top and we’re all keen to do it sometime while we’re here.

The tour bus took us past the Palace of Holyrood House (where the royals reside when they visit), along the Royal Mile and many other places (most of which were interesting to hear about at the time but I don’t remember anything about them now).

The city is divided into New Town, Old Town (including Ed Castle) and West End. The old buildings are all very similar – some ornate sculpture, intricate details and the dour grey of stonework but the newer buildings haven’t followed this style.

We hopped off the tour bus at Ed Castle and made our way thru the courtyard entrance some of which is cobbled and some bitumised. It’s an impressive site – built on the top of a rock formation and elevated way above the rest of the city. It has a commanding view of the city and country beyond – fit for the residence of royalty!

The three ‘boys’ enjoyed climbing over the cannons and looking out over the city – they didn’t want to look thru another castle – whereas Jo and I were keen to look over it.

We did all go and view the Honours of Scotland (comprised of the royal crown, scepter and sheathed sword). They were very impressive – the pearls on the crown were really large and the diamond in the sceptre must have been about 8-10cm in diameter – worth a fortune.

We also saw a Scotsman in full dress (kilt, gun, dirk, sword, hat etc) retell some of the history of the castle – the children sat on the stone floor entranced by his dynamics and some of the bloodthirsty events.

After this Mase and the boys went off to the cannons and Jo and I explored the underground Prisoner of War rooms. They were damp and musty, with hammocks and beds for the men (mostly sailors) captured during the war – they were treated ‘well’ – with a small amount of food each day (including cheese and butter twice a week). They had could move about in their dormitories and play games and make things – such as a ship which was on display. They had some great sound effects and lighting, shadow characters acting out scenes of the past and some interesting guides to explain whatever you wanted to know about.

We saw the Great Hall and the swords displayed around the perimeter of the room, the massive fireplace and high ceilings – I could have spent ages there but we had to resume our bus tour and get home at a reasonable hour that night…so with some regrets Jo and I rejoined the others.

The other thing we did that day was listen to a presentation of the Loch Ness Monster by a scientist who’s been chasing the elusive beast for many many years.

Basically he went thru the eyewitness evidence (which would stand up in a court of law), showed the research he and other teams had collected over the years – searching the actual Loch with rows of boats with drag nets and recording ‘hits’ where large objects were discovered.

He also explained the food chain in the loch – from krill to large trout - basically there wouldn’t be sufficient food for an animal the size of the presumed Loch Ness Monster…

His team have also tracked the weather and supposed sightings of the monster – some of the sightings coincided with the wake of boats and can be explained away – others can’t be.

All the sightings have occurred on calm, flat days on the loch and this has come to be termed ‘Nessie weather’.

So in all his team’s “Nessie watching” over long periods of time there was no conclusive evidence of a Monster. It was a really interesting presentation.

That really sums up our day in Edinburgh – nothing startling or fantastic – but we got an impression of the city.

Botanical News

Tuesday 15 September (today) was a lovely day in Aberdeen – blue sky, warm – bit like Perth spring weather – though I believe it’s warmer in Aberdeen today than it is in Perth….I’m sure that will change soon enough.

Today was a little different to our usual homeschooling day…the children had done extra work on Sunday and Monday to allow for time on Tuesday to visit Duthie Park. So schoolwork being over by 10.30am (Sam had been up and working since 6.30am!) we walked to Duthie Park – about 15-20mins away.

It’s one of the three large parks/open spaces in Aberdeen – it has a water fountain feature, ‘pool’ where people hire canoes, two large slides, playground, large grassed areas and huge glass houses.

The children had a play on the equipment for a while and then we went to wander through the glasshouses (something that one of the older brothers at the Ecclesia recommended we do)…

As you enter you can choose which ‘area’ to view first – we went thru the tropical section – which was the typical steamy/humid environment with luscious green plants and some lovely flowers - I knew the names of some of these plants.

Next was the ‘arid’ display – we saw a huge variety of cacti – some very thorny, some spiky and some hairy…again the children got a good idea of what sort of plants you’d find in a hot, dry, desert area.

There was a Japanese garden – with a miniature temple, large wood sculpture, bamboo and other plants…

The display which caught our eye or noses particularly was the ‘scented corridor’…as we stood at the crossroads between the outdoor garden and two other areas we could smell this warm honey scent…so we headed that way. I have no idea what the plants were called but each leaf we touched/rubbed our fingers on had a different smell –from lemon, rosemary, mint, apple, vomit (so the kids thought) and so on…we had great fun smelling the different plants.

Then we passed thru the ‘victorian corridor’ – pretty flowering hanging and potted plants – not really my favourites to be honest. I should know the names of some of them but they didn’t and still don’t come to mind.

There was a 2m x 1m display of venus fly trap plants – I didn’t realize there were so many types of plants that ‘attracted’ insects only to ensnare them once inside. We saw a few plants with dead insects inside and we watched with bated breath as two flies crawled all around the outside of the plant, then ventured into the actual plant but not enough to trigger the trapdoor – we were very disappointed but are planning to go back another day and photograph the plants.

On our return walk (about 2 1/2hrs later) we discovered blackberries growing along the side of the path and having been assured they were not sprayed the kids and I helped ourselves…they weren’t overly sweet but the odd delicious one here or there kept us going back for more…Jo wants to go back with a basket ‘lined with leaves’ she told me to collect more. Sam/Matt also discovered we have blackberries in our garden at ‘home’ but not with the same amount of fruit. Consequently they’ve had slightly purple/blue lips and fingers today.

Also on our walk back we saw an old man working in his veggie patch and stopped to say hello and ask what he was harvesting…we had a great chat and he enjoyed telling us about his produce… He was saying that he grew onions for the country produce competition – his best onion was 20 inches circumference but he only came third – the winning onion size was 23 inches round….not bad..

He generously gave us some carrots (massive compared to the ones we’ve grown back home in the garden patch) and some beetroot – both were very sweet and we really enjoyed eating them.

The other plant we’ve discovered is the stinging nettle. We had gone for a walk by the River Dee on Sunday afternoon and Jo was picking up the soccer ball when she got stung - she had no idea what had happened – she thought she’d been bitten by an ant, then Matt, then Mase who realized it was nettle. The sting marks do look rather like ant bites – white, raised marks with the skin a pale red surrounding the marks…I was curious to know how bad they were and found out today….I was stung around 10.30am and they were still stinging at 8pm. The sting isn’t hugely painful but it’s definitely there in the background.

Our last piece of botanical news is that Jo spotted a lovely garden near our place with a ‘patchwork’ (her description) of flowering plants. The plants look like diosmas with a tiny flower at the end of each stem. Colours of pink, orange, purple, yellow etc – looked really nice.

So that’s all the news for today…we all really enjoyed the change to our routine and I think it’s motivated the children to work ahead of their timetable to make sure we have more days like it….

Visit to Glamis Castle

Well on Sat, 5 Sept we visited Glamis Castle (pronounced Glams Castle). We were told there was the annual country festival that weekend and it seemed a great opportunity visit a castle and see some of the country workmanship/activities too... so off we went.

It was about an hours drive south from Aberdeen - the countryside was an interesting patchwork of brown fields, green paddocks, fields with lines from ploughing and forest...we also had the coast in view for a while and saw what must have been whales surfacing in the ocean - nice.

We arrived at the castle and the gates are impressive to begin with - not surprising as the Queen Mother used to reside there and Princess Margaret was the only member of the royal family to have been born there - so it has an important history. The castle was given to the Lyons family in 1372 (they added to the original buildings over the years) but some parts of it are still original and have the musty/damp smell that you read about.

We actually went to the fair first and that was a mistake because the grounds were wet and muddy - so muddy that at times my shoes (far from suitable for the situation) remained in the mud when I lifted my feet...I nearly feel over (the family would have loved that) but managed to balance using one hand in the mud!

The first stall we went to had wellington boots for sale and we debated about buying some but by that time our shoes were already well and truly covered.

We watched some terrier racing - any of the public at the fair who brought their dog could enter the races (free) and it was a very friendly atmosphere...the kids really enjoyed watching the dogs chasing the 'rabbit' on a string...a couple of the terriers wouldn't let go of the 'rabbit' and the chap picked them up by the scruff of the neck and carried them off.

After that we went for a wander around the whole fair (there were over 150 stalls)...the kids saw some small quad bikes and were desperate to have a go...so they had a go and loved it - they really enjoyed taking the corners and trying to overtake each other...there are a few photos to show their smiles.

Next we returned to the main arena to watch a group of riders called 'The Devil's Horsemen" - they are some of Europe's best stunt riders on horseback - featuring in films such as Braveheart (and I can't remember the other 6/7 films)...anyway they were very impressive...galloping along and falling back in the saddle as if shot, falling sideways in the saddle, jumping off to one side and then back over to the other, running/swinging along beside the horse as it galloped - you can imagine how it would be used in films...one of the guys was able to ride two horses standing up - one foot on each horse saddle. There was a couple of girls and four men..

Later in the day the same group performed some choreographed medieval jousting and the it was pretty well done - obviously very safe and carefully performed - but they still managed to use their stuntriding to good effect with people 'falling' back in their saddle as the lance hit them and other similar things - they played up to the kids with a 'Black Knight' who didn't follow the usual knight chivalry...Jo really got into the booing at this point.

We tried some Scottish fare - stovies (mashed potato and steak mixed together onion and oatmeal) served with an oat biscuit. The choice of food was pretty ordinary - chips, chips and gravy, chips and ketchup, jacket potatoes, tatties (potatoes) and mince, fish and chips, beef burgers (roll, onion and sauce - no salad) and chips...you can imagine I was wondering where some real food was...there wasn't :)

Later on we found a fruit and yoghurt smoothie stall and we had a really nice berry smoothie there.

While Mase and the children went to look at the kids rides, I snuck off to the jams, preserves, cheese, wine and homebaked foods marquee...I tried all manner of interesting things - delicious curry bases (bought a red curry), some cakes (mine are nicer to be honest), different cheeses, bought a mixed game pie (wild venison, pork, pheasant, bacon) with a warning that 'there could be shot' in the pie, also tried gooseberry pie (pastry was awful and filling was way to sparse and sweet)...tried some spring oakleaf wine and strawberry wine (both very tempting), jams and preserves.

Mase tried clay pigeon shooting and was quite pleased with himself as he got 5 of his 6 shots on target...I've never been up so close to rifle fire before and now appreciate why they wear earmuffs...

We also saw (and heard very clearly) a Scottish pipe band and some girls peforming various Scottish dances. Jo was entranced and would have spent all day watching the girls.

They had some Angus cows on display - which are very hairy (obviously well suited to cold conditions here). When we toured the castle they told the story about a brown bear cub that one of the young Lyon's boys had cared for and was tame. Apparently it would shake visitors hands if they visited the castle. Anyway, one day the bear went too close to the cows and they stabbed it (fatally). The bear was taxidermied and is on display in the castle. Along with heaps of other animals which were hunted - including a huge variety of birds such as turkeys, spoonbills, wading birds, ducks, also deer, stags, stoat.

After lunch we went over to the castle and toured the section of the castle that's open to the public (about 1/3). The Lyon family (became Lyon-Bowes) who were originally given the castle in 1372 still own the castle and the current living Lady Lyon now resides in a small residence on the castle grounds and is quite active around the castle on a daily basis.

When the Lyons family renovated the castle they had a lion engraved, sculpted into every room of the castle (except for the chapel - which is a place meant for all people to share, not belonging to their own family)....the lion was a symbol of their family surname...the ceilings are amazing works of art.

The other interesting feature of the castle is the intertwining of the Rose of England flower with the Scottish Thistle which symbolised the joining of the Lyons family (Scottish) with the Bowes family (English)...the royal family fit in this picture too as the Queen Mother is a descendant of the Lyon-Bowes family...the Queen Mother's bedroom (and her husband's) are open to the public. The quilt on her bed was embroidered by the Queen Mother's mother and also features the Rose of England and Scottish Thistle - it's a beautiful piece of work. Her room and sitting room have been left as she last used them (by her request).

Another room which impressed me had tapestry curtains which took one of the Lyon Ladies 14 years to make...they didn't just sit around drinking tea and ordering the servants about I guess.

In the crypt we saw some pieces of iron armour, a full knight's armour and other weapons...including some very, very long knives behind bars..

We weren't allowed to take photos inside the castle but you can easily view some on websites if you google 'Glamis Castle' (if you're interested).

Sam and Jo really enjoyed the tour - they were given a brochure with hints of things to look out for and questions to answer and they had lots of fun...Matt was very quiet (but as we found out that night, he was coming down with an ear infection).

We didn't look around the gardens/walks of the castle but the pictures on brochures make them sound really impressive.

Well that's about all I can remember from Saturday - I hope I've managed to capture and convey some of the interesting parts of our experience...

Sunday we met with the Aberdeen Ecc and listened to a really powerful exhort based on the greatest gift we've been given - life. The analogy was made to a person awaiting a heart transplant donation and the relief, gratitude and appreciation for one when it does arrive...we all need a heart transplant in spiritual terms - we need to become a new creature in Christ with a heart/mind loyal to God. Do we appreciate what we've been given? Do we live each day aware of the change in our lives, making full use of the benefits of that new life? Ps 116 says 'how can I render unto God thanks for all the benefits He gives me?'...the answer is to 'take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord'....we need to accept the gift and call upon God in our lives.

Monday/tuesday took us back into the realms of home schooling....we're going along alright - not easy at times but it certainly brings some great opportunities. Matt had his first day of being well today and he really enjoyed doing his school work and took great pride in charting a graph and colouring it in - I was impressed with his work and enthusiasm..

The other thing I've been meaning to say is that when we first arrived at the house and looked around we were absolutely amazed to find a PIANO - the last thing we expected to find (it certainly wasn't listed on the website) so Jo and I'll be able to play now and then...

By the way, I'm sitting in the kitchen using the ironing board for my desk to get an internet connection on our mobile broadband (which drops out now and then) and I'm in short sleeves - that's the first time since we've been here that I've been that warm at night.

The other thing we've done since we've arrived is to join a family gym nearby - this means the children are able to join in some supervised soccer/basketball/multi-sport activities with other children everyday for an hour or more. It also means Mase and I get to do some exercise..the place has a pool, along with running machines and lots of other things...I've never really been into the gym thing but it's certainly meeting a need for the children at the moment and I'm appreciating the chance to keep up with some exercise...

Anyway, it's time to close...take care all of you...we think and pray for you all often and trust that by God's grace we'll see you soon....love all of us

First days in Aberdeen

Well we're finally in Aberdeen (as of Fri afternoon) after a long delay sitting in the plane due to rain...

So Friday we unpacked, got things sorted around the house...well the house is the usual two storey granite fronted house, with bay windows and common wall with our neighbours (who have been very helpful).

One of the older couples from the Ecc that Mason knew brought around a meal for us that night and it was so nice to eat something simple and homecooked - spag bol and salad...

We needed to hire a car to get around for the first few days but now have a car from someone who Mason works with (which they generously offered us).

Sam has his own large room with a study desk looking out over the street and Jo & Matt are in a bunk bedroom together. Mase and I sleep upstairs and we thought it would be a nice retreat and sleep-in opportunity but the second the kid's feet hit the floor we can hear them - so we're in for early mornings!

The backyard is long and quite narrow but enough for the kids to run around and play a bit. So all in all things are pretty good.

Since we've arrived Matt's been battling a temperature (which at times leaves his cold and other times sweating like crazy) and lots of aches and pains...but he's had a bit more energy today and eaten some of his meals.

Saturday morning we went for a walk along an old railway line (now pathway) which is about 30 miles long - we walked for about 15 mins to a large park (Duthie Pk) where the kids played on the equipment and Mase and I went for a jog...

In the afternoon we went food shopping - it's a strange thing to be stocking up on the basics for the kitchen - I forgot some really obvious things - like salt/pepper/butter...anyway we're doing fine now.

The shops have heaps more organic options and at quite reasonable prices, they also have a much larger range of foods available (but I haven't been able to find a pumpkin yet) - there are so many foods that look interesting - I can't wait to try a few....

Sunday we went to the Aberdeen Ecc (kids were very excited)...the bre/sis gave us a very warm welcome and it will be really nice to get to know them all. The room they hire for meetings is part of a recreational centre.

There was one family there with three children (Matthew, 16, Sarah, 14, Jamie 12) and they took our kids off to play the drums and percussion instruments in another area of the centre - they had a great time.

There was also a brother who lives about and hour and a half away (his wife died recently from breast cancer) and he has a 6 1/2 yr old daughter (Zoe).

The rest of the ecclesia is made up of a sister (in her 40's), about 5 older brethren and one older couple (Joe & Lydia Coutts - who someone from Perth told me they knew but I can't remember who said it).

One of the older brethren (Jack - in his late 70's) offered to be a guide for the children and I if we needed his services. So as you can see we've been looked after and feel very welcome.

Sunday for me was when the tiredness really hit - to be honest I just felt like curling up in a ball and going away from the world - but Mase (kindly or maybe gladly) left me to sleep and the world was a better place after that...

Sun night Matt was still unwell with temps..so only Mase went to the lecture (20 min 'talk' then discussion group). They had three visitors attend (they'd come along the week before) and they were from the church group who meets at the same centre just before the Aberdeen Ecc lecture time slot. So that's exciting for the bre/sis here.

I stayed home and got organised for our first day of 'school in Scotland'.

Monday began bright and early for our first home schooling day - with a mixture of highs and lows. The kids were eager to get started (at 8am) and worked really solidly until 10.30am. We had some tough moments when I had three kids wanting me to help and all talking at once and I nearly lost it - but having discussed what they normally do at school I think they're learning (very slowly) to wait their turn. I'm working on my patience even more than before :)

Monday afternoon Mase got home about 5pm and we went printer/scanner shopping. We also had been told we'd have no phone/internet connection until next week - so Mase picked up some mobile broadband gear and now we have email (well I can receive emails but can't send anything) and internet...I never thought I'd be so excited about having some IT stuff but I was.

Thanks to everyone who has posted comments on the children's blogs - they have been very excited to read people's messages.

Tuesday (today) - homeschooling day went pretty well...we played some soccer and walked to the local library and joined up...it was sooo nice to have some books in the house - so we've had a real readathon this afternoon.

Anyway, that's it for now...take care all of you - love the Lindens