Inveraray Castle or Downton's Duneagle

Front of Inveraray Castle 

As it was a Bank Holiday on the first Monday in May me and my sister took the opportunity to see more of our own Country. I have never been to Inveraray in Argyll, Scotland before and found it's a charming and traditional town. The reason why we decided to take the 926 Citylink Bus from Glasgow to Inveraray was because of Inveraray Castle. The Christmas special of Downton Abbey, Series 3 was filmed in the stunning Inveraray Castle and grounds. In the programme it was referred to as Duneagel Castle where Lord Grantham's, Scottish relative lives. During my visit I could see why the producers of Britian's favourite period drama chose the Castle to film the Christmas special. It is the sort of place that Lord and Lady Grantham would approve of and even Violet. The neo-gothic Castle is the family home of the Dukes of Argyll, established by the 3rd Duke of Argyll in 1745.

Interior of the Castle: one of the rooms

In the 21st century it is open to tourists to see the elegant interior with large paintings of the Argyll family, chandeliers and archaic furniture. Two woman from L.A were in front of us as we went into the Castle, as American's do like their Scottish Castles. After you've seen the inside of the Castle a look around the large grounds are a must. In May a bluebell carpet serves as a bonus feature to the Castle experience. The Castle has a gift shop complete with souvenirs to take back home and a tearoom perfect if you are a Downton Abbey fan - although Carson won't be there to serve you. If you prefer a meal, The George Hotel on Inveraray, Main Street makes a perfect country pub. You can have a bar meal and drinks in a cosy atmosphere as the roaring, logged fire will be sure to warm you up if it's a cold day.  Inveraray is situated next to Loch Fyne so is located with lovely surroundings making it a great Scottish getaway or day trip.

Downton Abbey Photo Collage, hung up on a wall

Cats and Childhood Reminiscing in the Capital

Every year I like to go to Edinburgh for my annual visit to the Capital.
This year I went on February 20th for an overnight stay in The Carlton Hotel after booking a Groupon deal for the City Center hotel. The four-star hotel has a great location, close to the famous Royal Mile, Waverely Station and Princess Street. When me and my sister arrived in the bonny capital we got a bus from Princess Street to Stockbridge as we were heading for Scotland's first cat cafe.The 29 bus takes you from the stop outside Waverley Station and the cat cafe is only three stops away at Hamilton Place. Maison de moggy is the first cafe of its kind in Scotland inspired by cat cafe's in Japan. To go to the cafe you have to pre-book a slot on their website then print off the confirmation e-mail, price is around £6.00. Once there you can have cake and coffee with a side of cats.

White Cat inside Maison de Moggy

You can pet them and watch them play with one another. After we checked into the hotel, we headed out to the shops on Princess Street and took a walk up to The Castle. When in Edinburgh, a visit to The Castle is a must. It sits proudly at the top of The historic and quirky Royal Mile which starts near The Scottish Parliament building then finishing at Edinburgh Castle.
On the Saturday after we checked out our hotel we made our way to The Museum of Childhood on The Royal Mile. This is a little gem as it looks small on the outside but once inside it has floors and sections full of toys and memorabilia from the last few centuries. It offers free admission, has a gift shop in the entrance and has lots of child friendly café’s near it.

Some childhood memorabilia from the 20th Century

100 Years of Flying

Happy New Year to you all -wherever in the World you are - and to celebrate making it into 2015. I have some travel trivia for my loyal readers. This week will be a 100 years since the World’s first commercial flight. Bi-planes where the model of flight a century ago and they did the job well. However, as demand and aviation engineering grew so did plane sizes. Let’s take a look how the success of flying has soared throughout the last century and with some bumps along the road too (pardon the plane puns).

1919 – First Transatlantic Flight. By A lock and Brown who departed from St Johns, Newfoundland and landed in Ireland. They made commercial flights across the Atlantic Ocean possible and given many tourists the opportunity to go to America for their holiday.

Double-winged plane, model of the first commercial flight (Source: Google Images)

1935 – The Flight that changed the World. The Douglas DC-3 plane manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company was the first fixed-wing propeller driven aircraft. Models were used throughout World-War 2 and was acquired by American Airlines with flights between Newark and Chicago.

1947 – The Kangaroo Route. The name given to the first Qantas flight from the UK and Australia over the Eastern Hemisphere. By 2003, 20 of the World’s airlines used the route.

Qantas airplane (Source: Google Images)

1969– The First Flight of Concorde.  The now defunct supersonic passenger airliner ran commercial flights for 27 years. At the time the slime line, pointy nosed jet was a marvel of the aviation world.  Its redeeming feature was its speed, which could fly twice as fast as a regular plane.

British Airways Concorde (en.wikipedia.org) 

1970 – The Jumbo Jet.In January 1970, Pan American World Airways introduced the first Boeing 747 nicknamed the “Jumbo Jet” a wide body plane usually with two decks and four engines. These are usually used for long haul flights to Australia and America etc….

1977 - First Plane Collision.  Known as the Tenerife Disaster, a KLM plane collided with a PAN AM flight as they left Los Rodeos Airport.

1988 – Dream Plane. The– 255 Mriya is the World’s largest plane with a take-off weight of 640 tonnes. Mriya, means Dream and it was s a dream come true for the aviation industry.

2014 – World’s Longest Flight. Qantas Airlines launched its ambitious 15 hour non-stop flight between Sydney and Dallas. The route covers a total of 13,804 km and can be travelled in style with a First-Class service.

London in 24 Hours

The UK Capital is one busy and exciting city with lots to see do which can be done in a DAY.
Whether you love sightseeing, shopping or going to historic landmarks, London has it all.
Just take yourself, an oyster card and your smartphone and you're good to go!

7.00am - Start your day off with a hearty breakfast. From a full English available from most Cafe's and Pubs or grab a coffee and croissant from Starbucks - you will find many within London.

8.00 am - Top up and Tube. Head to your nearest tube station and top up your Oyster Card (or get one from the ticket desk if you haven't got one) £8.20 is the price of an all day pass for red buses and tube networks around the city.

8.30am - Go explore the urban jungle.  A good place to start is Oxford Circus so jump of the tube or bus there and you will find Regent Street, Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus nearby. Once there you can shop til you drop and take photo's of the iconic advertising screen in Piccadilly Circus. Big Ben and Westminster Parliament building is around a 15 minute walk from Piccadilly and on the way you will see the London Eye. If you're not scared of heights then it's worth a trip up the eye as you will gain an impressive view of the City. Plus you can tick a lot off your 'must do list' within the first few hours.

Regent Street at Christmas Time

10.00 am - Museum musings  London isn't lacking in museums so make your way to the Westminster underground and jump on a tube to get to one. If you want to visit the famous, British Museum then get off at Russell Square, then walk to Great Russell Street (15 minute walk) where you will find the Museum. It offers free admission and an extra bonus, it open's late at weekends til 8.30 pm. It houses 8 Million historic and cultural objects, which includes the largest collection of Egyptian writing (hydrophilic's) and artefacts - so you will be there for a few hours. However, there is a cafe inside which will cater for your food and drink needs and a gift shop so you can take a souvenir back home with you.

The British Museum  

1.00pm - Lunch in London. Refuel by visiting either a cafe, pub or restaurant which in London there is not shortage off.  In the Bloomsbury area of London near Russell Square you will find restaurants offering international cuisine from: Italian, Chinese, Indian and even Vietnamese. If you're on a budget, head back on the tubes to the stop for Leicester Square, one of London's popular hubs, where you find cheap chique pubs such as The Moon Under Water from the JD Weatherspoon group.

2.00pm - Leicester Square. The place known for the famous Odeon Cinema where the film premiers are held. If you're an m&m's chocolate fan then you must visit, M&M world home to souvenir's of the American chocolate brand and a sweetie factory with ever colour imaginable and different tastes of m&m's.

3.00pm - Trafalgar Square. You can't go to London without paying a visit to this popular meeting point. If you're an art lover, then head no further as its where you will find The National Gallery - the iconic art museum. Inside you can marvel at the impressive art collection with over 2,300 paintings to see.

Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square 

5.00pm - Cosmopolitan Cuisine You will have worked up an appetite after all the gallery gandering so no better time to experience the cuisine of one the world's most cosmopolitan cities. Whatever your taste and budget London can accommodate. The city prides itself on offering British pub grub as well as high end restaurants which sell upmarket food. Shaftesbury Avenue, in London's West End is the ideal place to go for dinner if you've got tickets for a show. Sophie's Steakhouse near Covent Garden is a swanky eating place that offers a great pre-theatre meal with choice of steak and cheesecake.

7.00pm - Show Time. London's West End is nicknamed, Theatre Land as it's where the latest shows or musical's are held. The new musical, Made in Dagenham has came to the Aldephi Feature. It's worth checking out if you like the idea of protesting woman on strike at the Henry Ford Factory when working class Britain was it is height.


10.30pm - Into the Night. If you're staying in a hotel, you can spend the last few hours of your full day in London by going out for some cocktails. In the West End you will find restaurants and bars that do affordable cocktails. 
  
12.00pm - Bed Time. After you're long but exciting day in London Town you will be in desperate need of some sleep. There are many three and four star hotels in central London, look out Groupon for deals or check out Tripadvisor.

7.00 am - Home Time. However you travel home you will be sure to take away with you, some memories and photographs of a jam packed day in London.

How to get there 

* Mega Bus or National Express buses operate a daily service or a nightly service to London with the sleeper, Mega Bus Gold. Tickets are available from their websites and are not that expensive for a journey between 7 and 8 hours long.
Or if you feel that's too long, British Airways and Easyjet offer flights from Glasgow Airport and UK wide airports, with prices around £64.00. Much cheaper if you book last minute using sky-scanner or their website.

Break Bad with a visit to Albuquerque

Heisenberg (Walt White) in New Mexico Desert with RV in the background 

I don't usually write blog posts on places that i have never actually been too. However, i am making an exception as now a dire hard, Breaking Bad fan - better late than never. I have been addicted to my netflix for the past month now as life as a graduate has given me some free time to catch up on shows i missed, whilst i was in the midst of dissertation deadlines and final assessments. The thick blue skies, and desert like terrain and vegetation shown in the cult show has made me wonder about where its set. So after doing some research i discovered that the show's location is Albuquerque in New Mexico. A place with a high - desert climate as Albuquerque is in the northern tip of the Chilhuahuan desert therefore resulting in 310 days of sunshine per year. Noticed how in the show both Walt White's home and his sister law Marie's house have pools and barbecues to cater for the sunny weather. The New Mexico desert also features in the programme especially in the iconic scene at the beginning where Walt crashes his RV and comes out with a gun wearing just a shirt and his pants.
An american show, set in America wouldn't be complete without a motor home and a suburban chemistry teacher turned 'cook'.
However, there is more to Albuquerque than being the setting of one of the most watched TV series of the modern day.

Balloon Capital of the World

With its vast blue skies and relentless days of sunshine it has served as the Ballooning capital of the world. Infact it has just held the 43rd International Balloon Fiesta in October, the hot air balloon festival is thought to be one of the most photographed events in the world.

Breaking Bad Tours 

Another aspect that features in the hit show and typical of American culture is the fried chicken food chain - Los Pollos Hermanos. The name of the fast-food restaurants ran by Gus Fring is called Twisters in reality (a wee bit of trivia for breaking bad fans).
There are Breaking Bad RV tours available for $65.00 which will allow you  to see some of the shows locations including the Twisters restaurant and the Octopus car wash - which is the car wash, Walt and Skyler owned
More information on the tours can be found on this web link: http://www.visitalbuquerque.org/listings/Breaking-Bad-RV-Tours/8279/

Getting There

Getting to New Mexico from a Scottish airport is not as straight forward as i thought, it will take you two stops and three flights via London and Dallas. http://www.skyscanner.net/transport/flights/gla/abq/141101/141115/airfares-from-glasgow-international-to-albuquerque-in-november-2014.html?rtn=1
But don't let that put you off as, i found by using Skyscanner,that British Airways do a return fare for around £600. And not only will you experience Breaking Bad for real, you can tour New Mexico with Santa Fe, the oldest capital of the US -an hour away.

Scotland and Europe's Hotel Alternative

Stay in a Parisian apartment, like above, with letting websites

HOTELS and B&B's  have been the staple accommodation for tourists and holidaymakers for centuries.However there is now a new way to stay abroad, thanks to modern advances such as the internet. Websites such as Air B&B (https://www.airbnb.co.uk/) and Casamundo (http://www.casamundo.co.uk/) give tourists the opportunity to stay in accommodation alternative to hotels.
Air B&B is an american found website for people to rent out lodgings such as apartments in European destinations like Paris. Flats in Montmartre, Paris can be rented out for £64 per night self catering, that is cheaper than a hotel room stay in the same area where costs start from £66. Once you create your Air B&B profile you can then browse listings in over 192 countries. Casamundo is a similar website however offers self catering stays in villa's and houses in Europe for families and pets. It also provides listings for apartments in Europe for those looking to have a city break.
Holiday letting websites have become popular as they offer people authentic stays in cities so they can live like the locals do.
There is a website in Scotland that has got in on the act, offering Self Catering Cottages: http://www.cottages-in-scotland.com/. The website offers cosy cottage stays from the highlands such as in the Isle of Skye to the capital - Edinburgh. Depending on where and when you to decide to stay, prices can start from as low as £290 per week and go up to £650. Some of the cottages can sleep up to seven people, ideal for trips for the whole family or a group of friends. Scotland is the perfect place to take an Autumn break,weather wise, its not that cold and you can take crisp country walks and admire the spectacular scenery. Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in Stirlingshire is a great place for Autumn walks and nature lovers as it has: forests and woodlands, where you can marvel at the changing leaf colours.
There are cottages for let in Stirlingshire, which sleep up to a party of seven with wifi available which would suit any teens or young adults staying. Throntree Barn in Arinprior in Strilingshire (see picture below) is a good example of a self catering cottage stay in Scotland: http://www.cottages-in-scotland.com/cottage/Thorntree%20Barn-Arnprior-Stirlingshire

So look to book, and spend a few autumn nights in a warm, idyllic Scottish cottage or venture out to Europe with a city chique apartment stay. The choice is yours!

Throntree Barn, Arnprior, Strlingshire

Hydro Hosts Return of Still Game

 Isa dancing on Stage, Still Game Live

SCOTLAND's favourite double act, Jack and Victor returned to the Hydro in Glasgow last night to the laughter of giddy Scots.
The boys were back in town, which the song played as the audience made there way to their seats.
Then the curtain fell to reveal the Clansman set with a solo act from Boaby which kicked of the long awaited show.
The news of Still Game's return in a stage format was announced to fans last October. The Hit TV series written by Ford Keirnan and Greg Hemphill, who play the pensioner duo, came to Scottish screens in 2002. Still Game started off on stage before it was made popular on BBC one, so you could say the show has went back to its live roots. It will appear at the SSE Hydro until October 21st.
Audience participation became a big feature of the night where Jack and Victor welcomed all their fans who bought tickets to see them.
Navid, the popular Craiglang shop keeper ended up in the audience several times as he tried to flog hotdogs to the audience.
The show carried on with a brand new script which brought new gags, jokes and references to the TV series. The characters are still the same and not much has changed in Craiglang with the exception of Boaby who has got all high tech with an I-pad he won in a competition. As the TV show ended in 2007, the World has become more technology advanced since then. So it was clever that Ford and Greg factored this into the story as Jack and Victor try and get to grips with new technology and call Boaby's tablet, the fudge. It's like a teenager making fun of their own grandparents as they attempt to use their technology, which went down well with the audience. Then they were treated to something spectacular- in the second half- as Isa and Navid got the audience into an eruption of laughter with a Bollywood dance - with professional Bollywood dancers.
Then with the help of Jack, Victor, Tam and Winston they turned it into their favourite dance - the slosh. The night began for many fans when they got off the train at the SECC station which featured gimmicks from the show including a Weclome door matt, mobility buggy with a Tam registration plate and signs with Scottish slang like 'Way Oot' and 'Up the toon'. Scotrail transformed the station into a welcome reception for the Still Game live shows as they partnered up with the Hydro. This is something I've never seen done before in Glasgow, for any show, so its clear by its opening night  - Still Game mania is in the city.

Still Game  Saying Signs in SECC station, Glasgow