Dark distant mountains, with valleys of green,
Past painted desserts, the sunsets on fire,
As they carry me home to, the Mull of Kintyre.
Mull of Kintyre, Oh mist rolling in from the sea,
My desire, is always to be here, oh Mull of Kintyre."
Paul McCartney when he married Linda had spend the happy years at High Park Farm, the house at the 'Mull of Kintyre'. That song, sang with the local Scottish pipe band was released in 1977 and went on to become the biggest selling single of all time. The song was about the place where he had some most memorable moments of his life. It not only put a magical touch to the barren land, but adds nostalgia whenever it is played.
It was also during those years in the mid 70s that many of my school friends went on to further their studies in the UK. A few like me however could ill afford even the passage and stayed behind to further our education locally. Fast forward to today, most had done well in life. Whilst a few had traveled back to the UK on business or on holidays, the yearning to go back to their old haunt and their alma mater is ever strong. So when three close buddies were talking about going back, I happened to walk in on one of their conversations and got invited. Well, for me, it's a chance to join them in reliving their memories. My three travelling buddies were
1. Woon Chiap Chan, first studied at Dunstable then to Hull University
2. Lim See Leong, first studied at Dunstable and then to Hull University
3. Cheong Chiew Boo, first studied at Coventry and then to Hull University.
I have not been there but end up as organiser for this '
"trip down memory lane". And I got down to the task in an instant. After deciding the length of our trip, I propose a few itineraries and we settled on two weeks in Britain and 6 days in Iceland. A chance promotion came from Oman Air offering a bargain for Business Class and we decided to grab it as we could travel in style. Our Itinerary are broken up over three legs as follows :
Having breakfast in our apartment located at the center of Bath.
Our Mercedes Vito parked just outside our apartment. We are all ready to golf first thing in the morning.
Manor Golf Club also have a nice hotel within the vicinity.
We're the first flight and off we go.
It's not the old British golf club that we wish for, but it is conveniently located half an hour from where we stay.
See Leong is not playing but tag along anyway.
Cheong the best player amongst us, taking his second shot.
He has a technically sound game.
Woon teeing off at this Par 3 with Ronald at the background.
This Par 3 has a big drop of 120 feet, but it is only 134 Yards long.
See Leong is not playing, but the long exposure outdoor gives him the chill.
A group photo at this signature Par 3.
I choose the Pitching Wedge for this daunting hole.
The weather is cool with overcast sky all morning.
The usual antic of Chiap Chan.
At the green deep in the natural forest.
Finally at Hole 18th with the clubhouse at the background.
See Leong having his picture taken at the last hole.
It was a good outing and even though it felt cold initially, we had to take off our warm wear after a few holes of play.
Exploring Castle Combe.
After golf, we head straight for the Castle Combe village for lunch. This village seems to have been frozen in time. It is dubbed as one of the prettiest villages in England. Stepping into the village is like being stepping back in time. The building architecture have remained unchanged since medieval times.
The fork road at the center of the village.
This is one of the most photographed village in England.
See Leong at the lower edge of the village.
It is still a living village as some of the buildings are occupied.
This used to be a thriving sheep and wool trading town.
The buildings are straight off the fairy tales story book.
The restaurants here is the only place with signs of modernity.
This is our restaurant.
If you enjoy the place, everything seems to be good, including the food.
See Leong and Ronald enjoying the village tranquility right in the middle of the road.
Stonehenge.
Bath is near Salisbury, and it is natural for us to visit one of the world's most promoted ancient structure, The Stonehenge.
Chiap Chan have been here before and offered to drive today.
As this is within the AONB, we passed by many light forested meadows.
Upon arrival, we noticed the structure is not enormous.
But the lure is in it's mystery.
Why are the stones laid in this concentric rings in the middle of a plain?
The stones are prehistoric, dated to 5000 years ago. Nobody knows why it was laid this way. It is one of the wonder and was added into the World's Heritage Site in 1986.
Just like the Loch Ness, people are still wondering.
Instead of wondering, we decided to have our own fun.
A simple trick from Apple iphone can create a double image.
This is a simple trick and you need not wonder.
Wells : The smallest City in England.
On our way back to Bath, we turn towards Wells. It's an ancient Cathedral City with only a population of 11,000, making it the smallest city in England.
The Market Square at Wells.
It was evening when we arrive and the sun was setting fast.
At The Conduit, Wells Market Place. This drinking fountain was erected in 1779 at a cost of
GBP 150.00
Cheong with the Cathedral at the background.
The "Wefie" man exhibiting his skill.
The landmark of Wells.
The George Inn at Wadworth.
About 10 miles before Bath, Ronald had insisted on taking us for a drink at The George Inn. The reason, The George Inn is 700 years old and is still serving customers today. According to Ronald, it is also haunted! We took his word for it, but noticed there are guests staying at the Inn. Perhaps, they love to experience the paranormal activity.
In front of the Inn.
At the inner courtyard.
The signage at the door of the pub.
Firewood is still very much in use. It is an ancient structure and does look like a haunted place.
A quick four line history of the place.
The pub was full when we were there.
The building was build as a wool storehouse and to accommodate traders and merchants coming for the annual wool fairs in the late 13th Century.
We ordered a pint each and took our drinks to the back open area to enjoy the openness there.
This is a section of the Circus.
In well known landmark, I love to jump for a shot.
And I had inspired See Leong to do the same.
At the Roman Bath, we continued our double image photography.
Posing at the Bath Abbey.
Across the Pulteney Bridge at Argyle Street.
Back to the Abbey.
A wefie along walkway.
Chiap Chan at the Avon River with the Pulteney Bridge at the background.
Cheong and See Leong at the same spot..
Over at the Argyle Street.
Bath Street near the Roman Bath.
Another angle of the Abbey.
Near the Pulteney Bridge.
Too nice to stand still for a shot.
The weirs at the Avon River was build to control flooding. It leaves a unique view of the river.
Stratford Upon Avon : A town that lives solely on the legacy of one man.
The beautiful weather continued as we drove into Stratford Upon Avon.
On the way to town, we stopped by Anne Hathaway's cottage. This was her family home before she married William Shakesphere.
See Leong strolling around the garden of the cottage.
A wefie is the order of the day.
Our lodging is a townhouse along a narrow road within walking distance to town.
To get the key for self check in, I have to go to the storehouse at back of the building and open the lockbox with a code given to me before arrival.
After checking in, the first thing was to have our clothes taken to the laundry.
We collected it after an hour of drying.
After taking a rest, we walked to town to explore.
The Bard image is even used at the HSBC Bank in town.
The Bard insignia is prominently displayed, instead of the King Edward VI.
The King Edward VI School where Shakesphere is thought to have studied there.
A contemporary sketch of the house where Shakesphere resides until his death in 1616.
Even Hathaway's tea drinking place is commercialised.
Shakesphere's house at Henley Street where he was born.
It is fortunate that this house is preserved unlike his new house that was demolished. For a man that brought much fame, not only to this town, but to England as a whole, more should be done to preserve his legacy.
There are not many people around as tourists usually do day trips.
It is not hard to notice that the architecture are mostly Tudor, synonymous with the Shakespherean times.
These are modern buildings with Tudor design to blend in with the town.
The Hakka boys decided to have a picture taken at Shakesphere's house.
Morning golf at Welford-On-Avon Golf Course.
The good thing about golf is you can always have a round first in the morning when most of the retail establishments are still not open, including the touristy places. That's what Cheong and I did when we drove over to Welford Golf Course to tee off at 7.30 am. Chiap Chan was feeling a bit under the weather and decided to give it a miss. We met two locals at the club who invited us to join them to make it a foursome. That's the great thing about golf, you get to meet locals and after a round of golf together, we are like long lost friends.
This club is a family run pay and play golf club since 2001.
It's an 18 Hole Golf Course and the green fee is only GBP18.00
Cheong teeing off at the course.
Bob and Trevor, the two retiree who invited us to play with them were good company. They were intrigued that we came from so far to play in a small town country club.
Welford is blessed with beautiful scenery that surrounds the golf course. This is the view of a typical English countryside.
The generous fairway makes playing here easy.
Waiting for the front flight to clear.
Cheong is cruising along at this course..
Even when his ball overshot, he still gets up and down.
Like this one, he is still able to escape with a bogie.
The green has average speed of about 8 feet.
It's a beautiful morning for golf. We played only nine holes and bid goodbye to Bob and Trevor who continued playing at the other nine.
The weather stayed beautiful all day.
When we got back to our lodging, See Leong and Chiap Chan already had their morning walk to town.
The nice breakfast was prepared by both of them.
Look who helped to clean up the plates after breakfast?
The CEO of Singapore's largest multinational cleaning company! It's a privilege to have him serve us.
We took a stroll along the Avon river.
The beautiful river in the heart of town.
We had time to linger a bit longer.
At the park just outside The Shakesphere Royal Theatre.
The Holy Trinity Church, a very well patronised parish church.
It existed in the 9th Century and was rebuilt in 1210. Herein lies the body of Shakesphere and a Register that records his birth and death dates.
All visitors are assured of a warm welcome as we are.
We were invited for a half an hour Concert of James Druce.
Everyone was gripped by the masterful performance except us! Classical music is certainly not what we are brought up with.
Stopover at Coventry
Coventry is just half an hour away from Stratford Upon Avon and we stopped by because Cheong used to study here before moving to Hull.
The Coventry City Council building is a Tudor styled building was built in the early 20th century.
This beautiful building is conveniently located near the Cathedral and city center.
Directly opposite is the Coventry University. The University has campus all around the city within walking range. It used to be Coventry Polytechnic until 1992 when it obtain University Status. This was where Cheong studied in the 70s when it was known as Lancester Polytechnic.
Much of the city have changed and Cheong struggle to find his old haunt.
British taxis very much an attractive object.
At the city center is a modern mall.
There is also another Holy Trinity Church around the corner.
Overnight stop at Birmingham.
Birmingham was an overnight stop in our plan. It was cloudy, and drizzles all day when we drove into the city.
It was evening when we arrive at Birmingham.
The weather remain cold throughout the day.
At Temple Street junction near to where we stay.
Birmingham is a busy cosmopolitan city. There are people of Indian, Pakistani, African and other races here.
Temple Street is very central, near the Birmingham train station, Bullring and Grand Central.
We parked our car further up at the corner where it is less busy.
That's our apartment. It is situated on upper level on Temple Street.
It is an overnight stay, so no massive unpacking.
See Leong our chef preparing dinner.
Chiap Chan and I explore the Chinese Quarter and noticed a very Malaysian establishment. Where there are Chinese, there are casinos.
Liverpool - In search of a long lost friend.
Before coming here, one of our agenda was to locate a school friend, Jay Chew who came here to study and never returned. Even his family had lost touched with him. All we had was an outdated address at Liverpool where he no longer stays. Most have not seen him since and that is at least 40 years already.
Our plan was to keep daily driving distance short. The stop at Birmingham in line with that plan..
It rained all the way from Birmingham to Liverpool. But on the way, we had a big break. Tow Fong, the brother in law of Jay had managed to find out from his relative the Restaurant where Jay is operating. He even googled for the address and forward us the information. We receive it in time, while on the road to Liverpool.
As we were approaching the city, we passed by Old Swan neighbourhood. It struck me that Lady Jade, the restaurant operate is situated in this area. We decided to drive there but upon arrival saw that it only served dinner. It was raining and from the car window, the name Lady Jade is visible. The name is familiar to all of us as this was the name of the first Pub in Segamat back in the 70s. We know we had located our long lost friend.
There are not many places we can go in the rain.
We had seen a pub around the corner and decided to go there for lunch.
The first one called Old Swan did not serve lunch, just drinks.
But this one will do. It's called Mason's Arms and is just located further down the road.
The friendly owner says we look too young to be seniors but give us the deal anyway.
It's a nice traditional English Pub that caters to their regulars in the vicinity. The Fish and Chip is great here.
After checking into Marriot Hotel, it was still raining and we could not go anywhere. The best thing to do is to continue drinking at the Lobby Bar.
I had asked the reception to reserve a dinner table at The Lady Jade Restaurant. After that, I text my friend, James Loke back home. He had given me two address and phone contact of Jay before coming here, but both were outdated. Together with Jay, we were all a bunch of mischievous teenagers during school days. We had a strong bond during that time.
Below was my excited email exchange with James on the prospect of locating our friend.
Come evening, we took a cab to the restaurant.
We had made earlier reservation for a table of four.
The signage at the door.
Inside, we read all the notices on the wall.
Thumbs up for a hygienic restaurant.
All the notices indicates this restaurant is well received.
Chiap Chan decided to pass a note to him through the lady Manager. We only know later that lady is Lynda, Jay's wife.
Jay came out immediately upon reading the note. He walked straight towards me and surprised me when he greets me in my house name, Ah Han.
He could remember both Chiap Chan and See Leong when the names were mentioned. He was totally surprised by the fact that out of the blues, three friends from long time ago appeared at his restaurant, in the middle of the night!
We had a good chat and talked about all our friends from the school days. He was happy to see us and even invited us to his house which we had to turn down as it was a long day.
This is his "office" where he churns out the dishes that keeps his customers coming back.
His wife Lynda is a warm lady and she was the person we passed the note to not knowing then she is Jay's wife. It was an incredible good feeling to catch up with Jay after so long. We are glad that he is doing well and with god blessing, we hope he remains in good health.
We had sent the photos back to all our friends and Jay's family and everyone is happy that Jay is found! His sister we were told had shed tears of joy on seeing the photos.
The next day, Lynda text to me to let me have her personal contact so that we can remain in contact with Jay as he does not carry a handphone. It was thoughtful of her.
A little bit of Beatles, a little bit of Anfield.
Liverpool although a working class city is world renown for some of it's famous sons. The Beatles who took the world by storm back in the 60s till the 70s are perhaps the best known Liverpool export. Our original idea was to hit the Beatles trail but the persistent rain put paid our plans. The songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney centers around the working class neighbourhood where they grew up. Songs like Penny Lane, Strawberryfield, Eleanor Rigby, Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club reflects real places and people and where John, Paul and Ringo grew up and are within stone throw distances of one another.
The weather was cold outside when the wind blows.
Our first stop in the morning was The Cavern Pub.
This was where the Beatles were performing regularly before they shot to fame.
Situated opposite The Cavern is Sgt Peppers "Lonely Heart Club", popularised in one of the many hit song of the Beatles.
It was during one of the lunchtime performance where Brian Epstein was there to watch and was thoroughly impressed by the energy and type of music, the rock and roll.
He went on to become the Manager of the Beatles and the rest is history.
The Cavern Club today is a rebuilt version of the original which was sadly demolished in 1973 without thought to one of Liverpool's legacy.
The fame is worldwide and until today, the demand for Beatle's tour is going strong.
The statue of the Fab Four was only installed in December, 2015. Although long time in coming, it is better late than never.
The Beatles are a legacy in Liverpool. The statue is one of the most photographed spot for all tourists.
It is located at the Mersey pier a stone throw from the Royal Liver Building.
It was not the city that put up the statue, but The Cavern Club that funded it.
View of the Royal Liver Building from the statues.
The Mersey River was also popularised in the song " Ferry Cross the Mersey". This song was written and sang by another Liverpool's son, Gerry Marsden and hit the top chart when it was released in 1964. Gerry Marsden manager is Brain Epstein as well.
During the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989, "Ferry cross the Mersey" hit the number one chart when the song was re-recorded by The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney and Gerry to raise fund for the families of the 96 Liverpool football fan that died during that tragic day.
The unmistakable sign that we are at the right place.
The layout of the stadium indicating where all the entry/exit gates are.
Proud club with a football legacy of 126 years by now.
The Club where legends are made.
These guys may not be legend, but the trip here is legendary.
To feel the hallowed ground is good enough for us.
One more for the album.
The road leading to Anfield Stadium.
Kingston upon Hull, Region of Yorkshire and Humber.
The main objective of this trip for my friends Chiap Chan, See Leong and Cheong was to revisit their old haunt when they studied here 40 years ago. The three of them graduated from University of Hull and that's our destination after leaving Liverpool. For them, their excitement grew as we near the place and I can see that in them when we were walking around the university campus and their place of stay, they were transported back in time to the carefree days as a student.
It's a drive from West coast to East coast that took us close to three hours.
At the entrance of the University.
Reliving the memories of this place.
The excitement for them is just beginning.
As proud as he is of his Alma Mater, Hull University should be very proud of him being a successful CEO of a multi national corporation.
See Leong and Chiap Chan are childhood friends and they met Cheong at this university and have remain good friends ever since.
The campus layout
Most buildings remain the same, but some are upgraded.
Feeling very much at home.
It's a public research university founded in 1927.
A walk down memory lane for these three.
That's the lecture hall over there where I used to skip!
Last time, don't have that many photos, now can take every corner that holds memory.
It was mentioned in Wikipedia that poet Philip Larkin used this as his workplace and served as a Head Librarian here thirty over years ago. My three friends were here 40 years ago!
We passed by the registration office. Today is the registration for the new semester that starts this week.
The hockey field used to be there.
No, I think it was over that side!
The body is here, the mind have drifted 40 years back.
At the Wilberforce block where they had their tutorial classes.
Cheong surveying the place where some changes had took place.
I was at this place when Joanne my colleague at Zurich Ins, who had also studied here before, text me saying her hostel is just beside Wilberforce block.
She says that's her hostel and she stayed at the upper floor.
After spending more than an hour here, we walked to the residential area just outside the campus ground.
These houses are largely to cater for the University students, both international and local.
And yes, this unit was where Chiap Chan stayed.
It's deserted now as the semester has yet to start.
The place is neat and convenient as is within walking distance to the University.
Cheong and See Leong also located the unit where both of them stayed before.
Including Chiap Chan, the three of them were staying together for a year or so.
A poster giving you an idea the cost of lodging in this area currently.
During the three years here, they have stayed in a few different houses.
This is another one where they had stayed before.
And for Cheong, it feels good to be back again.
Following them around, I have an insight of how life was in a foreign land those days.
Along the main street just outside the University, there are some retail shops.
It is not big, but sufficient to cater to students needs. Town is a bus ride away.
Green Hammerton Village.
Green Hammerton is a civil parish at Harrogate within the District of North Yorkshire.
After dinner at York, we left for Green Hammerton Village where we had booked a night stay. It was dark, but we found our accommodation which was mentioned as above the Post Office.
Although deserted at this hour, we saw across the road an Inn which was filled with people.
As in most cases, the key code combination was mailed to me a week before arrival.
The key is inside for us to do the self check in. Such convenience.
This cute little place has a kitchen and living room tastefully laid out.
There are two rooms with twin beds with a nice shower room.
While the other two wanted a rest, See Leong and I prefer to check out the pub across the road.
As in many parts of England, there are history everywhere, towns, buildings, cathedrals, monuments etc. The signage tells little bit of history of this Inn.
The next morning, right below us is the Post Office van and right across, we could now see clearly the Bay Horse Inn.
Our accommodation is upstairs above this unassuming building which has a Post Office at ground level.
View from across the road.
The Post Office is actually a small Grocery Store that also handles postage.
Just beside our building, there are a few more Post vans parked behind.
At the corner is a telephone booth which is still functional and a general notice board for the villagers.
This is the bar area in the Inn.
Have you seen anyone so happy while waiting for their breakfast ?
This is what we came in for, English breakfast with toast.
All pubs in Britain are smoke free, and most served good home prepared meal.
The owner is happy to take a photo for us for memory.
This is the drawing of the Inn
This is the Inn.
After breakfast, it's time to check out and continue our tour of York.
Old City of York.
In the States, there is New York, here in England, there is old York. A walk through the town is like being teleported back to old England.
A day earlier, we took a stroll at the newer part of town.
Out of the blues, we saw some very old motor inventions driving pass.
It's nice to see it on the road especially at York.
The old Fire truck also zoomed pass us with the siren bell.
You can see the modern and the vintage vehicles the road.
It is a great idea to have it coming out on the road every now and then rather than on static display at the museum.
It's a joy walking around in cool weather and enjoying the building of old English architecture.
It's sunny but the weather is a cool 9°.
The first historical structure we looked for is the York Minster.
The York Minster is one of the most magnificent cathedrals in the world. It was built in the 7th Century and have been destroyed in fires and wars over time being rebuilt.
It is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment work.
The great Constantine was proclaimed Emperor here. He ruled Europe from East to West. Byzantium was renamed Constantinople ( Istanbul today ) when it was made the capital of the Roman Empire. .
The Shambles is an old street where most of the buildings are old timber framed.
If the name of the shop is familiar to you, you have seen it in Diagon Alley in one of Harry Porters movie.
Walking along the Shambles, you would feel that you are in Diagon Alley.
The Yorkers here feels that this street gives inspiration to the creation of Diagon Alley in Harry Porter movie.
Some would have thought that the movie was shot here.
You might be forgiven if you think so as it does have the same kind of period setting.
Even tour companies are just happy to link it to Diagon Alley for their marketing purposes.
At the end of the Shambles is a small market.
The fruits looks juicy enough
And the vegetables are fresh looking.
The old street adjacent to The Shambles.
This shop seems to be popular with tourist. We decided to give it a try.
The York Roast Pork with Yorkshire pudding is the signature dish. After trying it, I would say it's an acquired taste.
Trying to post the picture online before digging in.
And after a while, we finish eating the two sets.
The York Dungeon shows are popular with tourists. It's a cinema live shows about dungeons.
It's already half past twelve and we should be leaving anytime soon for our next destination.
Our selfie king.
It does feels like Diagon Alley.
This guy uses a pedal power jigsaw and create letters forming words with free hand.
Chiap Chan ordered a cut out words bearing " York2018" from him for souvenir and pose a shot for remembrance.
On the way out, we saw this castle.
York Castle looks imposing on picture but is is a small castle at the edge of the city.
The Lake District.
The Lake District remains a popular destination for many tourists. The place has numerous lakes, forest, hills and vales and a typical English countryside. For me, I came to know of this place through the early years when studying Literature during college back home. We read a lot about William Wordsworth and this place is the source of his inspiration in poems. Among the many poems, we remembered "The Daffodils" which were made to recite, appreciate, critique or comment by our lecturer!
In readiness for the long drive ahead, we left York soon after lunch.
Windermere.
In old English, mere is a lake and Windermere is the largest lake in England.
It's more than 200 km drive to the Lake District from York.
The weather remains cool all day.
We arrive Windermere and See Leong is already feeling the cold.
Taking in the sights at Windermere.
This Restaurant is fully booked when we tried to book for lunch there.
We continued strolling around.
The charming buildings.
We can never get enough of it.
The town is small enough for us to cover on foot.
It's relaxing even when on pavements in between streets.
Bowness on Windermere.
Bowness on Windermere is another parish town just 2 kilometer from Windermere.
The lake is a huge part of both towns.
Bowness grew from a fishing village to a town that is now dependent on tourist revenue.
The lake is a tourist draw with water activities.
Sailing is an ideal activity here.
The view of Wnidermere from Bowness.
We ended up having lunch at this Indian restaurant.
On the way out from Bowness.
We left Windermere after dinner and by that time, it was dark. The GPS took us through the shortest route, which is away from the main road. That road is narrow and cuts through a hilly terrain which we only realise when on the winding road. Because of the dark unfamiliar setting, we were careful to drive slowly all the way.
This was the junction where our lodging is located, in the middle of nowhere.
This is our accommodation. It has a history dating back to the 18th century when it was a Coaching Inn.
It was cold when we arrive late in the night.
Just like the Bay Horse Inn, there is a bar with local brew.
The bar is full with patrons but we must have our drinks before we call it a night.
A way to let you know the hotels guests are internationals.
I decided to have a walk before breakfast in the morning.
See Leong came and joined me for the walk.
Opposite the Inn across the road is this lake call Ullswater.
It is the second largest lake in the district, after Windermere.
And like all the lakes, sailing is the main activity.
When we got back, we saw two very happy faces.
Cheong and I relaxing outside for a while.
Keswick town center.
The town is filled with traditional charming old buildings like this.
Many notable people lived here in the past.
Lake poets like Wordsworth, Coleridge and others took up residence here because of the lake beauty.
Hotels like this fetch premium price and are full in peak seasons.
The Moot Hall. It is dark as the sun was behind the building when we took the photo.
Ronald strongly recommends this place, Old Keswickian, for fish and chips.
And we are ready for an early lunch.
The view of the Moot Hall from inside the eatery is much better.
Here we are, Old Keswickian fish and chips.
We left Keswick after lunch.
Chiap Chan is again on the wheel for the long drive.
It's another 200km drive which will take us more than 2 hours.
The landscape on the road to Scotland is visibly more open, flat with large farmland including areas of natural beauty.
From the google map, there are not many large cities of towns along the way.
We finally arrive at our apartment at Bridge of Allan in the evening. It's an old school building converted to eight large apartments. Ours is a three bedroom apartment on the top left hand corner with a large kitchen, dining and living hall. We'll be here for four nights. For a price of GBP 100 per day, it is value for money. That's the benefit of staying in a small town.
It was a mere 45 mins easy drive but we went only as far as Balloch.
The Balloch pier is not the place to come to if you want to sightsee.
It's a place to do kayaking, cruise or any boating activity.
We drove over to the Loch Lommond Shores, and hang around a little while and decided that there is not much for us to see.
As it was approaching noon, we drove over to this cowboy looking restaurant at Balloch called The Stables.
This was recommended in Yikes
Inside, the restaurant was empty. But that's because we were early and customers only began strolling in as we were eating.
The Stables steak sizzler which is one of their popular offerings is really good.
Chiap Chan and I toasting to a good meal.
This we have to stop and pay a visit.
The familiar name.
At the Visitors entrance.
Mr. Woon getting comfortable here.
We took the tour which was educational for us and informative.
At the fermentation tanks.
Auchentosen practice triple distillation, which differentiates them from other Scottish whiskey.
Going through the barrels section.
Auchentosen is the oldest whiskey Distillery in the Lowlands.
It was built in 1800 and had since changed hands multiple times.
Most whiskeys are distilled in two copper stills. Auchentosen added a third copper still to gives added spirit strength.
According to the tour guide, Scotland has about 120 active distilleries.
They are spread all over Scotland.
The five Whiskey producing regions are Highland, Lowland, Cambeltown, Islay and Speyside.
Half of the Distilleries are found at Speyside.
Where a whiskey is made have a huge bearing on it's flavour from water source to presence of peat soil of the local area.
According to this guide, Speyside has the most distilleries simply because the of early days to avoid the taxman. Speyside in mountainous North discourage the tax collectors from Glasgow from pursuing them because of the terrain difficulties.
This would obviously be disputed by Speyside Distillers which produces light, smooth, grassy, caramel and fruity flavours, and they credit it to the local water and peat soil.
The popular brands of Speyside are Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and Macallan.
Lowlands has about 18 Distillers of which Glenkinchie is the most popular and Auchentosen is the oldest.
Glasgow is a port city in Scotland lowland.
It's prosperity from 18th to 20th century is from trade and shipbuilding.
It's famed for it's Victorian architecture a legacy of it's 18th to 20th century prosperity.
The George Square is the place to go to see all the Victorian buildings.
Today, it's the national cultural hub, home to institutions, including the Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet.
George Square is the place where tourist congregate.
Adjacent to it is Buchanan Street where the entire street is closed to traffic.
Glasgow at 600,000 is the most populous city in Scotland.
Hard Rock Cafe is situated at Buchanan Street.
It's also a place that offers many gastronomical delights.
We decided on a Chinese Restaurant just next to Buchanan Street.
It was nightfall when we return to Bridge of Allen having satisfy ourselves of the days objective.
It is colder the next morning.
Woon, Cheong and I headed to a local club early to have a round of 18 hole at the local club. See Leong decided to explore the towns nearby and will meet us later for lunch.
The weather is perfect for golf.
The view of the Stirling Castle is visible from most of the fairways.
We enjoy the morning golf in cool weather which we never have it back home,.
I in particular, prefer walking all the 18 holes.
Only three of us played while See Leong is contend to take a train and explore the town himself.
As expected, Cheong play well in this course.
Chiap Chan likes to clown a bit when playing.
I try to fit in golf games every where I go.
It provides an additional activity in travelling. Usually, morning is slow in most countries and the places are only abuzz late morning. A good way to start the day is a round of early morning golf when all other activity have yet to begin.
We were the first flight and is keeping a brisk pace as there are only three of us.
Walking is cool weather does not make you tired..
Every golf club have their own unique way of displaying the yardage in each hole.
Glad to be playing with Cheong who is a strong player capable of playing to single handicap.
This course is built on ancient volcanic slopes.
The backdrop from the course is stunning, Scotland hills and castles are clearly visible.
It's great to tee off in such fantastic vista.
I walked while Chong and Woon utilise the buggy..
Chiap Chan at the 18th fairway.
The picture tells it all. A passionate golfer like Cheong cherish playing in different courses. .
We were supposed to have lunch and then take a drive to Edinburgh.
But, this is a pub and the drinks came out first before any food was ordered.
Where we came from, many Malaysians will pronounced the name as " Edinburg". English pronounced it as "Edinborough". The Scottish pronounced it as "Eh-din-bra", with the rolling R. That's how it should be called, the Scottish way.
Edinburgh is an old city and the place to be is the Old Town.
As you walk along the long stretch of road along the old town called Royal Mile, you will not missed this gothic style architecture. St Giles Cathedral was built in the 14th Century is a focal point of the city.
The legendary Jedi Master, Yoda on a street show.
Touristy shops along the Royal Mile.
Buskers are common sight all over UK.
Cheong and I at the Royal Mile just before the Castle.
Nice tourist taxis.
High Street.
Tourist double decker bus.
Away from the old town, there is a big mosque in a Christian country. Other religious faiths are free to practice here.
A typical street away from the old town
There are always street people even in a rich country.
Solitary Scottish pipe piper like part of the building structure in a bid to preserve Scottish culture.
The club patrons are having a jolly time with these two chinks from Malaysia.
It's like a celebration going on.
I joined them at the height of the merriment. Chiap Chan stomach has bloated to the size of a beer barrel!
The guys at the pubs are already fast friends.
Even old regulars alike.
Truly happy having spend the whole day in this watering hole.
The bartender showing off his tattoo.
Right below the bar, is a cellar where all the beers were stored. Chiap Chan and See Leong were allowed the honor to go down and have a look. This underground cellar is quite common in UK pubs.
Blair the bartender says no customer in Westerton Arms had ever consume 15 pints of beer in a round at his pub. He has a written note for Chiap Chan as a badge of honour.
The locals were given a little peep into how the mad Malaysians drink.
We adjourned to the section adjacent to the pub for dinner. You can see Chiap Chan's barrel here.
The after effect of drinking 7 hours straight.
Our plan was to put in the ballot for the next day if unsuccessful. We only have time to put in three times over three days.
As it turn out, we were thrice unlucky and our fall back plan was to then play at one of the seven courses managed by St Andrews. Our choice was the New Course and we were advised to show up as advance booking for the New Course is not allowed.
The weather was fantastic when we set out, sunny and cooling.
The 80 Km journey took us an hour and half.
We have to pass by a stretch of country road to reach St Andrews.
To reach the New Course, you have to drive pass the Old Course. And that's the famous Swilcan Bridge of St Andrews. We could see tourist walking over there to have their photo taken at that bridge in between play by golfers.
The signage that list down the seven courses managed by St Andrew Links. The New Course built in 1896 is the oldest new course in the world.
View from The New Course towards the St Andrews town.
One for the album.
Not to be missed, Cheong too wants a photo taken before the tee off.
I prefer mine to be taken in action.
What a nice sequence taken by Chiap Chan.
Cheong at the tee off.
Chiap Chan at the tee off.
And off we go.
Getting a feel of the course.
A taste of what is to come.
The wind was blowing strongly all day and our ball kept veering off the fairway.
The first hold ended in a bogie for me which is an achievement.
By now, we are sufficiently well acquainted with the course but still struggling with the wind.
Chiap Chan surveying the terrain.
St Andrews New Course is just alongside the Old Course.
You can see, our ball ended up in the rough more often than not.
Chiap Chan putting from off the green.
We were advised by the Marshall to follow the signage. If not careful, we might just walk into the old course without knowing.
That's how integrated those two courses are.
We were told, the New Course is more challenging than the Old Course as it's fairways are tighter.
The weather is cool but very windy out here.
The golf cars is a simple contraception, light and easy.
Between the old and the new course, side by side at Hole 9.
The course is full but you don't have flights blocking you in front not back flights right after your back. I guess everybody is struggling with the wind.
I don't remember seeing many OB demarcation on the course which makes if friendly in that sense.
Cheong taking aim at the green.
At the hole crisscrossing another fairway.
One of the rare times the ball is on the fairway.
That's not too bad a place to be.
The rough patch is a GUR, friendly enough.
Nice portrait for memories.
At a long Par Three that requires me to use my Utility cub.
You can see the distance to the green from here, 200 yards.
My ball landed right at the edge of the bunker.
I am not sure how I can get it out from here.
But out it did and on the green to my delight.
Raking the bunker after a good shot out of it.
Relaxing at the Par Three waiting for the front flight to clear the green.
It had been a decent game so far.
Cheong and I heading to the tee box to play the next hole.
That's the typical link course, by the seaside.
Cheong readying to putt.
The green speed is about 9 feet, not too difficult.
Taking aim at the green.
Having a good day at golf.
Chiap Chan too is having a good time here.
He would not walk 18 holes at home.
But over here, the weather does not make you feel fatigue.
Approaching the finishing hole at 18th.
The dream of playing at the mecca of golf is partly fulfilled.
One final shot at the 18th green.
We arrive at 4.00 pm and they promptly help us packed the bags properly.
The charges is by weight and dimension.
We stuff some of our clothing in as well.
They actually have a carton box meant for gold bags if you do not have a golf cover to protect the clubs. We paid a reasonable charge to be sent to See Leong's sister at Kent.
Outside Mail Box shop where we sent our golf bags.
This is Stirling, a city where Siang Tsao, another friend of ours stayed and studied in the 70s.
It is a small city but is the ideal place for us to spend a few days holiday.
Since we are are done, we decided to have early dinner.
There's a Hong Kong Restaurant nearby and we decided to try out that one.
The restaurant is just around the bend from Baker Street.
We have been here for four days and have yet to visit Stirling Castle which is the city's most prominent structure atop the hill.
We could see it at every fairway when we played gold at Stirling Golf Club a couple days earlier.
Like all Castle, it is always on high ground for the vantage position.
The castle dates back to the 12th Century and had been besieged many times.
The statue in honor of Robert the Bruce who was King of Scott.
The layout of the Castle.
The view of Stirling from the Castle. The prominent structure by the hill is The Wallace Monument.
The Castle as seen from the front.
Another angle of the Castle as seen from where we were.
The view of the lowland from the castle.
Goodbye Scotland; the Land of Scotch.
We left Allan of Bridge early morning at about 7.30 am and had a last look at Stirling Castle on the way out.
The Kelpies monument along M9. It is a mythical creature found in the waterways across Scotland.
Within the hour, we are almost at the airport which is 55 km away from where we stay.
We returned our car at the Thrifty car return compound which is adjacent to the airport terminal.
A simple 5 mins walk with our luggage in tow to the terminal.
The checking in process is efficient, but the checking of hand carry items is very thorough.
When all was done, we had a lot of time and proceed to the duty free whiskey section to browse around.
We have to see the array of Scotch that came out from the world's biggest whiskey producing country.
The counter sales lady was introducing to Chiap Chan the limited edition of some rare whiskey.
Whiskeys from Speyside, the region with the most number of distilleries in all of Scotland.
Highland whiskeys have popular brands like Glenmorangie, Singleton, Aberfelfy and many more.
Islays whiskey are less popular with us in Malaysia, but the ones we are familiar with are probably Lagavulin and Laphroaig.
I can't help but notice the price tag of some of the limited edition on display. This one goes for a cool RM85,000 !
To convert pound to Ringgit, just multiply it by 5.3 X.
So this Gelmorangie will cost us RM 25,000.00 !
This is a "cheaper" one at RM 10,600.
This is still cheaper of the lot.
The rest is for your eyes only.
At the end, tasting the sample set is good enough.
The first leg of 11 days was all Britain.
We did not want to travel the entire Ring Road of Iceland but opted to go far enough to Jokulsarlon in our second leg.
The third leg was all London and nearby Kent.
As for lodging, the choice was Airbnb, but we also booked to stay at three hotels. To move around, we hire a car and self drive. All the accommodation was booked and paid for in advance except the car rentals where advance payment is not essential. A list of detailed itinerary was drawn up for what we would do at each stop and aside from going back to the old Alma Maters, we added in golfing activities with St Andrews Old Course as the main golfing target. We also looked forward to meeting up with Ronald who had stayed back and settled in London after completing his studies. The other person was Jay Chew whom all of us lost touch since he went there as a student in the 70s.
A Jolt at the Airport.
Come the day, we were all at the airport early and excited.
Checking in was a breeze being in the business class.
This was not the face I wear earlier. I had made the silliest mistake of not checking my Passport beforehand and found out at the Immigration that I am a few days short of six months. The immigration officer was nice but he says they sent back foreign travelers who have less than six months validity in their passport. He can allow me through but I risked being sent back upon arrival in London! We contacted Ronald in London to inquire and after a quick check online, he says London does not enforce the minimum six months. It is valid as long as the passport is valid during the period of travel.
I googled online myself and found that many travelers in the forum shared similar experiences at London immigration without problem. Iceland enforce minimum of three months. And so with this information, I make the decision to go proceed as planned. However, I would like to caution every traveler not to commit the same error as it causes a lot of anxiety.
Happiness was able to enjoy the Golden Lounge at last.
The joy of being in business class.
Woon a seasoned traveler is used to this privilege in most of his travels.
See Leong and I obviously enjoying the comfort of the seat.
Fine dining meal all the way.
Cheong enjoying the meal, two appetisers, one main, two desserts and endless flow of drinks.
Our seasoned first class traveler feeling very much at home.
Tour starts with Ronald.
We had hoped Ronald would join us for the entire tour, but he could only spare a couple of days with us at Bath and then rejoin us when we come back to London for our last leg.
Happiness is seeing an old "kampung" friend in a big city. Ronald had asked us to meet him at M40 Beaconsfield Service area. That's what we did with our rented car from Heathrow. After a missed turn, we finally arrived at the rendezvous where Ronald was waiting.
Our route and where we meet up with Ronald.
We noticed immediately that he had a personalised car plate, Liow Tong Kiew.
Our first stop was at Oxford town. Being a weekend, the street is rather quiet.
It is a University town with many colleges dotting all over Oxford town.
So this was the place where our "Oxford" pencil box picture came from during our Primary School years.
This was the coffee house where we choose to have our brunch.
And that's the reason why we choose at this particular shop.
Ronald proclaiming himself as a Brit...ish citizen.
The wall where it's brief history of coffee was written.
Cheong and See Leong warming up to our Brit...ish companion.
We have coffee and sampled some local delights.
Our first of the many group photos to come.
Hakka buddies, Cheong and Woon, self declared their brain is tucked somewhere below the waistline.
Before leaving Oxford, we had another picture at the famous town.
Our plan was to pass through Cotswold villages on the way to Bath. Cotswold AOND ( area of natural beauty) is a place where you could spend days or weeks enjoying the British countryside. The map shows many choices villages for us to see.
We had a big comfortable car, a 7 Seater Mercedes Vito to drive around with.
The roads were not busy with only few cars on the road.
The countryside scene.
Some areas are vast open plains.
The ancient towns and villages we passed by, like going through a time tunnel.
We decided to stop at this one.
The name Bourton is Saxon language for village by the fort. I guess the water refers to this river that runs through the entire town.
The smiling faces when on holiday with longtime friends.
This town has a history that dates back to Roman times.
It is certainly a nice charming place to come to.
Cheong and See Leong at the bridge of the main river.
At the junction of an old restaurant that serves food and drinks.
We decided this place have the best ambience.
And it serves the drinks that we sought for.
One more "wefie" before we reluctantly leave this beautiful village.
Golfing at Manor House Golf Club, Castle Combe.
Britain have so many Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ( AONB ) and to enjoy it, one can either track or simply take a leisurely stroll to enjoy the environment. For us, we prefer golfing and Manor House Golf Club where we booked to play is within the Cotswold AONB.
Tour starts with Ronald.
We had hoped Ronald would join us for the entire tour, but he could only spare a couple of days with us at Bath and then rejoin us when we come back to London for our last leg.
Passing through the residential areas upon leaving Oxford.
Golfing at Manor House Golf Club, Castle Combe.
Britain have so many Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ( AONB ) and to enjoy it, one can either track or simply take a leisurely stroll to enjoy the environment. For us, we prefer golfing and Manor House Golf Club where we booked to play is within the Cotswold AONB.
Exploring Castle Combe.
After golf, we head straight for the Castle Combe village for lunch. This village seems to have been frozen in time. It is dubbed as one of the prettiest villages in England. Stepping into the village is like being stepping back in time. The building architecture have remained unchanged since medieval times.
Few other village can match Castle Combe in it's ancient feel.
Stonehenge.
Bath is near Salisbury, and it is natural for us to visit one of the world's most promoted ancient structure, The Stonehenge.
Just like the Loch Ness, people are still wondering.
Wells : The smallest City in England.
On our way back to Bath, we turn towards Wells. It's an ancient Cathedral City with only a population of 11,000, making it the smallest city in England.
GBP 150.00
The George Inn at Wadworth.
About 10 miles before Bath, Ronald had insisted on taking us for a drink at The George Inn. The reason, The George Inn is 700 years old and is still serving customers today. According to Ronald, it is also haunted! We took his word for it, but noticed there are guests staying at the Inn. Perhaps, they love to experience the paranormal activity.
We drank while watching the sun set from here.
After a long day, we had a quick simple dinner before calling it a day..
Bath, a World Heritage City.
Even though we stayed for two nights, we have not had a chance to really explore Bath. Though it's a small city, it certainly has it's charms. So before leaving, we took a stroll around the city. Our first stop was at The Circus, less than 10 mins walk from our apartment.
The Circus is a historic townhouse of Georgian architecture forming a circle with three entrances. It was built in the 18th century. The architecture was inspired by The Stonehenge and had even mimic the the diameter of 97 meters. Strangely, we did not feel Stonehenge was this big when we were there yesterday. The aerial view was a google image download.
Cheong follow suit without much prompting.
Back at the Avon River.
Stratford Upon Avon : A town that lives solely on the legacy of one man.
Undoubtedly, if one were to take William Shakesphere out of the equation, Stratford Upon Avon would be just another quaint English town competing with many others for attention.
That's our next destination when we left Bath.
The site of Shakephere new house no longer exist. But the site is preserved.
Morning golf at Welford-On-Avon Golf Course.
The good thing about golf is you can always have a round first in the morning when most of the retail establishments are still not open, including the touristy places. That's what Cheong and I did when we drove over to Welford Golf Course to tee off at 7.30 am. Chiap Chan was feeling a bit under the weather and decided to give it a miss. We met two locals at the club who invited us to join them to make it a foursome. That's the great thing about golf, you get to meet locals and after a round of golf together, we are like long lost friends.
When we got back to our lodging, See Leong and Chiap Chan already had their morning walk to town.
Stopover at Coventry
Coventry is just half an hour away from Stratford Upon Avon and we stopped by because Cheong used to study here before moving to Hull.
The Coventry Cathedral is an old structure constructed in the 14th century.
Overnight stop at Birmingham.
Birmingham was an overnight stop in our plan. It was cloudy, and drizzles all day when we drove into the city.
Liverpool - In search of a long lost friend.
Before coming here, one of our agenda was to locate a school friend, Jay Chew who came here to study and never returned. Even his family had lost touched with him. All we had was an outdated address at Liverpool where he no longer stays. Most have not seen him since and that is at least 40 years already.
Below was my excited email exchange with James on the prospect of locating our friend.
It's a small restaurant but, tastefully decorated. The restaurant was full by 8.00 pm but by about 9.30 pm, most of the guest have left. We called the waiter over and complemented on the food and inquire about the chef. He says the chef is from Malaysia and I said I am from there too and I might know him. My request to meet him was turned down by the waiter. Apparently, Jay rarely comes out to meet the customers.
We had sent the photos back to all our friends and Jay's family and everyone is happy that Jay is found! His sister we were told had shed tears of joy on seeing the photos.
A little bit of Beatles, a little bit of Anfield.
Liverpool although a working class city is world renown for some of it's famous sons. The Beatles who took the world by storm back in the 60s till the 70s are perhaps the best known Liverpool export. Our original idea was to hit the Beatles trail but the persistent rain put paid our plans. The songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney centers around the working class neighbourhood where they grew up. Songs like Penny Lane, Strawberryfield, Eleanor Rigby, Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club reflects real places and people and where John, Paul and Ringo grew up and are within stone throw distances of one another.
"Ferry cross the Mersey" is synonymous with Liverpool and the song is as good as a Liverpool anthem.
Gerry Marsden wrote another masterpiece, "You'll never walk alone". That song became the Liverpool FC anthem.
We were driving towards Anfield and missed a turn and ended up heading the opposite direction on Kingsway tunnel. At the exit booth, we asked the kind gentleman manning the booth,
"Sir, can you tell us which way to Anfield Stadium ?"
"Anfield! it's behind you. You have to drive ahead and take a U turn and back to this tunnel, I will radio the other side to let you through. I'll open up this barrier for you to pass. You have a good day!"
This guy just let us use the tunnel both ways without paying simply because we missed our way to their all time favourite hallowed ground of Anfield. I love Liverpool.
Kingston upon Hull, Region of Yorkshire and Humber.
The main objective of this trip for my friends Chiap Chan, See Leong and Cheong was to revisit their old haunt when they studied here 40 years ago. The three of them graduated from University of Hull and that's our destination after leaving Liverpool. For them, their excitement grew as we near the place and I can see that in them when we were walking around the university campus and their place of stay, they were transported back in time to the carefree days as a student.
Green Hammerton Village.
Green Hammerton is a civil parish at Harrogate within the District of North Yorkshire.
After dinner at York, we left for Green Hammerton Village where we had booked a night stay. It was dark, but we found our accommodation which was mentioned as above the Post Office.
Old City of York.
In the States, there is New York, here in England, there is old York. A walk through the town is like being teleported back to old England.
It is a great idea to have it coming out on the road every now and then rather than on static display at the museum.
The Lake District.
The Lake District remains a popular destination for many tourists. The place has numerous lakes, forest, hills and vales and a typical English countryside. For me, I came to know of this place through the early years when studying Literature during college back home. We read a lot about William Wordsworth and this place is the source of his inspiration in poems. Among the many poems, we remembered "The Daffodils" which were made to recite, appreciate, critique or comment by our lecturer!
Windermere.
In old English, mere is a lake and Windermere is the largest lake in England.
Bowness on Windermere.
Passing through another charming village of Ambleside.
Brackenrigg Inn, Watermillock, Penrith.
A nice old lodging like this is preferable to those busy hotels downtown.
Keswick
There are many charming towns and villages around the Lake District, but for the time that we have, we could only see one more and Keswick came highly recommended.
On the way out, we stopped at some of the beautiful rolling countryside to take some photos.
Scotland
We're headed towards Scotland after leaving Keswick. Unlike England, Scotland is small enough for us to stay in one place and use that as a base to do day trips. The most strategically located town is Stirling, where it is about an hour drive to Glasgow, Edinburgh and a little over an hour to St. Andrews. These are our target cities and we actually stayed in a small town called Bridge of Allan, 6 km from Stirling.
The temperature at night is below 10 all the way.
Loch Lommond
The next morning, we decided to take a drive to Loch Lommond to check out the area.
We drove over to the Loch Lommond Shores, and hang around a little while and decided that there is not much for us to see.
See Leong and Cheong outside the country design restaurant.
Glasgow.
After leaving Balloch, we drive towards Glasgow, when a familiar signage caught our attention,
The Auchentosan Distellery Center.
The one hour tour is indeed educational. Now I know about Auchentosen triple Distillery and a little bit of Scotch history.
We continue our journey towards Glasgow.
It was nightfall when we return to Bridge of Allen having satisfy ourselves of the days objective.
Golfing at Stirling Golf Club.
The green speed averages 8 feet which is pretty good for a very old club.
The Club will be celebrating their 150th Anniversary next year. Am blessed to have grace the sacred ground in this small local club far away from home.
After the game, See Leong had text us that he is waiting at Westerton Arms for lunch.
But the drinks continued pouring to the enjoyment of See Leong and Chiap Chan that they decided to skip Edinburgh. Cheong and I decided we will stick to the plan and drive to Edinburgh to do our sightseeing.
Edinburgh.
Edinburgh is just a short drive of 70 Km from Bridge of Allan. The journey took us only an hour on easy driving.
Edinburgh Castle is the most visible structure in the city. It sits on top a tall rock and is certainly strategic in the early days for high ground vantage.
Cheong and I explored the old part of the city and was glad to have come here. We left after dinner and drove back to Bridge of Allan. Chiap Chan and See Leong are still at Westerton Arms.
When we arrive, the two of them had literally taken over the small town pub. The servers are like their long lost friends.
Our accommodation is just 500 meters away, but we have a nice car where I drove them home.
What an eventful day. We had a lot of fun in one day.
Golfing at St Andrews.
One of the reason for staying at Bridge of Allan for four says was because of the pending results of Balloting to play at St Andrews Old Course. Each day, you send in your ballot in two days ahead and it will be published online by 5.00 pm on the same day.
We proceeded to the New Course Hole 1 after given the tee time by the registrar after paying a Green Fee of GBP 80.00
I prefer mine to be taken in action.
It has been a wonderful day at St Andrews. But this being our final day at Scotland, we had to courier our clubs to a friend in London as we are not carrying it with us to our next leg of journey, to Iceland. And so, we had to leave St Andrews immediately and reach the courier office at Stirling before they close shop for the day.
Goodbye Scotland; the Land of Scotch.
Another "cheaper" one at RM 6,300.
Our Wow flight is already here and we boarded for our next adventure in Iceland.
Twelve days came and go within a blink of an eye. Since the day we landed at Heathrow, we had lived in seven cities, visited many more other cities, towns and villages and enjoyed the different sights and sounds of each unique place. It was also good to follow my friends to their alma mater and see where they studied and lived, but most satisfying of all was to be able to reconnect with a long lost friend in Liverpool. It is an experience that will last a long while.
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