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Date: 28 October 2001 14:29 Dear Cousins: Yes, we had a grand time in Scotland, in Ireland and Ulster. We also had a super trip up to Inverness, the homeland of our MacDonald, Vass and Smith ancestors, but we weren't able to stop in that city. (These ancestors were via my mother's mother, Margaret McCord.) We had some delightful stops along the route to there and then the bus driver had to be back in Edinburgh by a certain hour. Those are union rules. The round-trip was abt eleven hours. Then another day, we went to Loch Ness and we took pictures of the cement image--for my grandson's sake. ;) :) :) Both side trips were great trips and we were able to see so much of the Scotland countryside. It was quite different from ours. We saw a lot of heather and SHEEP and lots, lots of BOG LAND. By the way, Inverness is now a city. They really don't have the population for a city government, but they wanted the governing powers. So, now they have it. It looks like a great place to visit. Hopefully, our next trip will be focused on there. ;) :) We also went on the hop-a-long buses in Edinburgh and Glasgow. We had a great tour of the Edinburgh Castle. I really enjoyed Edinburgh more so than Glasgow. However, I would go back to either one in a minute. Allen and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip there. By the way, the trains are in super condition and very punctual. We traveled them back and forth from Glasgow and Edinburgh. Then, we took it to Troon, but left from a different station. The hills in the cities are challenging, but I made it. :) :) However, when I came home, my knees and my hips were say, "Oh my, I hope it is a while before you challenge me like that again!" (People are extremely helpful and if one was indoubt, it just took some asking.) Mind you, in and around Chicago, the grounds are usually quite FLAT!!! Then, we met Madge and her husband in Troon in order to take the ferry across to Belfast. It was a very comfortable crossing. I heard it could be rough so I bought something for seasickness. However, I didn't have to use it. Lucky me. When we arrived in Belfast, Jerry (Madge's husband) picked up the rental and he started our drive down to Dublin. Along the way, we got off the route that we should have taken and we ended up on a secondary highway which took us to Amagh (sp.?), one of the hot spots to avoid. Well, we arrived in time for one of their protest marches and Jerry ended up just in back of the police car which was riding along with their doors open. Soldiers with rifles along the route. We HAD to follow them to the square where they did their thing and then they went on their way. Thank goodness there wasn't an incident of any sorts. Then, Jerry found the route to Dublin and low and behold, we ran into the Tipperary fans returning home from a Big Game win in Dublin. The highways were crowded and so was the city. Thank goodness for Jerry as he handled the driving quite well for not being a native. We were not impressed with Dublin as a city--but the countryside was awesome. Please note: The tour to the top of the Guiness Brewery is worth the effort. Even if one is not a beer drinker, the large windows of the lounge present awesome viewing of the surrounding areas of Dublin. After two days in Dublin, we headed north to meet with our cousins in Ulster. We got close to his home and called. His son answered the phone and he said that he would come to meet us as it was a little complicated at first. Well we were greeted into their home in a very warm manner and we were making arrangements as to where we should meet them later in the week. We had coffee and chatted. Then it was time for us to get on the road again. Well the son came into the living room and stood not wanting to tell us the news. However, he braved himself and said that he had something very sad to tell us. After he announced that the World Trade Center had been crashed into not only once, but we then saw via the television that another plane crashed into the second tower. We all were totally shocked. It sure did put us into a damp frame of mind at that time. We sadly left them for a few days. Over the course of our trip in Ulster, words of sympathy and compassion were spoken over and over by the people. There response to our pain, plus the 300 Brits who were lost was so moving to see. Really a kinfolk response, but in an international way. Knowing we still had six more days to spend in Ulster, we left our cousins and went to Nutts Landing with the hope of getting a B & B at a recommended place. Well, it wasn't opened so Madge got out the B & B booklet to find the name of the one that we had hoped to use on the night before our return to the States. We went there and they were filled. However, he recommended another spot and we went there. It was a delightful place to stay. We stayed there three nights and traveled back and forth to the various sites of interest. Then we stayed the last three nights back near the airport. Between Allen's assistance and Jerry's driving, the fellows did a very good job of showing us the beauty of Ulster. We even went southwest again to Donegal. That is a great place to visit. Yes, I would love to go back again---many times. I will encourage more of my nieces and nephews to go once things settle down. By the way, we stayed at the Glasgow University and the room was very comfortable. They also provide laundry facilities and a kitchen to prepare meals, if needed. We walked and we walked in that city!!!! ;) :) The food was great everywhere we went--too much so. When we returned to the cousins it was like we had known them for years. Our cousin, wife, and dau. took us to where our g-grandfather, James McCord and grown up. A small place called Killygullib. We got to see where his ancestor lived in a small cabin of the mid 1850-1880 period. It was quite a treat. Then we found a great country club for lunch and the food was super. Another day, they took us to the Silent Valley which would be similar to a forest preserve. Within the area is a huge dam and the climb to the top was a challenge for all, but so worth it. The view was spectacular. I can't think of the coastal town that was so pretty, but it was a very special day. When we left them, it hurt to think that we were so far away from each other. They will always be special cousins--a very nice feeling. Madge feels the same way. And yes, we had to leave Belfast a few hours earlier as the British Air rep said that our time in-between flights was too short to meet the new demands of the Heathrow security regiment. When we arrived at Heathrow, we couldn't go in the terminal as the terminal was too crowded. They had set up a make-shift tent outside for us. However, it looked crowded and the fellows sent me to scout out the situation. I reported back that it was much too crowded and that we should stay where we were presently standing. We had found a niche right near the British Air staff who were directing people in and out of the terminal. They said that we could stay there and then when it was time for our lot to go inside the terminal, they directed us to that doorway. When on board, we had an uneventful, but tense flight to Boston. When enroute, I was figuring out in my mind what I would do if a hi-jacker was on board. Thank goodness, I wasn't challenged. Arriving in Boston, we once again had to wait for an hour before we could go into the terminal. The immigration checkers were too crowded with previous arrivals and they didn't want us to get mixed up with them. It was understandable and everyone had patience to wait it out. Better safe than sorry. Well folks, I have given you some insight into our trip. Some of the paragraphing might be out of place, but it was typed as I thought of it. We just had a joyous trip, one that we will never forget. Take care of yourself and stay safe in these troubled times. It is so very sad to see such eveilness in our world. May God keep all of you safe....Ruth |
Webmaster's note: Family Historian Ruth lives in Florida, and has contributed much valuable information in the building of this site.