It’s GREAT to be back in Park City – our ‘summer home’ where some things never change!  Lots of golf, hiking and dining with friends.  BUT – in our continuing efforts to have NEW experiences – these activities wound up on our calendar.

A Kids Adventure Day provided our entertainment on Father’s Day as Cash and Tor (two boys we babysat when they WERE babies!) competed in the event – AND each took 2nd in their age group;-)!!

Tor sliding toward the end of the race.

The cheering section..Eli-B, Mom Sarah and Brother Cash.  (Cash was sooooo fast we missed his competition.)

Sunday evenings are danced away in the ‘Dancing Thru the Decades’ dance lessons with friends – –

A LOT of OLDIES (songs, dances AND dancers!).

Hiking continues to be a preferred cardio activity – but, this year we are trying to hit as many new trails as possible.  This day we ventured up Mill Creek Canyon and hit The Pipeline Trail half way up the canyon.  Just can’t beat the views on any of the trails around the area – –

The view toward Cottonwood Canyon and Brighton Ski Area.

Joined by our frequent hiking partner Sally – down the Canyon to SLC.

And, of course, the golf.  Since we have played almost all the courses in close proximity – we just look for new animals – or just a nice day – on the courses we play.

Beautiful day on the golf course at Mountain Dell.

How can one complain in the middle of all this good scenery?!?!?

Lovin’ life – E & G 🙂

There were a couple more wonderful days in Flagstaff – golfing, of course, with new friends Jane & Larry at their course, Forest Highlands.  Beautiful scenery and a fun day.  There was also a great Thai dinner at Pato with drinks before at the historic Monte Vista – again with Jane & Larry and more new friends.

It was now time to move on again – and todays destination was Jacob Lake on the Kaibab Plateau.  Even though we have traveled 89 and 89A many times between Flagstaff and Park City, we continued our efforts of ‘new adventures’ along the way.  Having passed the sign for ‘Lee’s Ferry’ many times – this time we took that right turn to see what was there.  Surprises awaited with more beautiful Arizona scenery in Marble Canyon – –

Big mushroom rocks among the rock formations.

– – – And there we were at Lee’s Ferry on the Colorado River.  This is the only place in hundreds of miles where one can easily access the Colorado River from both sides.  Therefore, it historically served as an important river crossing and starting in the mid-19th century was the site of a ferry operated by John Lee (thus – Lee’s Ferry!).  Boat service continued here for over 60 years until a bridge was built in the early 20th century.  Lee’s Ferry served as a military outpost for 19th century settlements in Utah and today is the boat launching point for those whitewater adventures through the Grand Canyon.   This day it served as our scenic lunch spot (E even took her shoes off and waded in the river!!)  – –

Our lunch stop – Magic along the Colorado River.

Enjoying the river scenery ….

….and watching the Grand Canyon bound river rafters heading down river.

Ahhh;-)  What a refreshing stop!  Now – on to Kaibab CampeRVillage and our new campsite home for a couple or days (another new experience).  Magic had a lovely spot in the pines at Jacob Lake with a one mile trail through the forest that took us to the best soft serve chocolate ice cream cones and homemade cookies at Jacob Lake Inn every afternoon;-)!!!  A little more strenuous hike was the East Rim Viewpoint hike which took us 2 miles in each direction with a 1400 vertical in those 2 miles;-(   This was definitely our cardio for this day – BUT, the reward was beautiful views – –

For some reason we decided we wanted to hike down to the bottom of the canyon…

….from up here to down there. Yikes

There were enjoyable sights along the way.

Including this beauty.

We DID make it out alive – although ‘dead’ the next day;-)

Thankfully the next day was a travel day – so more rest, so to speak.  And there we were – our home away from home – spot E6 at PC RV Park – –

Good to be back to our summer place.

Back in the cool, refreshing air of Park City for a couple of months – ready for golf, dinners, visits and whatever else comes our way;-)

Keeping you posted – E & G from Magic

Off for more new experiences in Northern Arizona.  This time it is a wonderful day trip to Sedona.

It was a slow morning at Magic – so by the time we ventured thru the Canyon on that beautiful drive down 89A – the stomachs were growling.  After a bit of a search for a patio overlooking Oak Creek, Creekside Cafe was the choice.  AND – a very good choice it was.  A lovely patio, good food AND a great view of some of the Red Rocks.  The small rock in the middle of the ‘indented area’ reminded me of one of the owls we saw at Bearizona – keeping an eye on us while we ate – –

Good views from the restaurant patio at lunch.

With full stomachs and a bit of shopping done, more scenic views were calling.  The Red Rock Loop Road provided stunning views of the various formations in the Sedona valley on the way to Red Rock State Park – –

The red rock formations are always spectacular – –

– -Especially  Cathedral Rock.

Red Rock State Park is a nature preserve and environmental education center – – with more stunning scenery.  Trails throughout the park wind through manzanita and juniper to reach the banks of Oak Creek.  Unfortunately, today was not a hiking day so a return visit will be needed for those adventures.  The 45 minute film on Sedona and a wander around the Visitor Center grounds were on the agenda, though – –

A sampling of matate at the visitors center exhibit.

All in all – a beautiful, relaxing day for E & G

Ah – back to sunny – and HOT – Scottsdale, AZ.  Even though it was only a week to get laundry done, errands run and Magic packed.  Then we were off for ‘cooler climes’.

First stop – Flagstaff.  On the way, though, we ran into one of those pesky – but serious – brush fires.  Fortunately this was a small one and quickly brought under control – –

Smokey the Bear says “only you can prevent forest fires”!  Be aware – PLEASE.

Once into our parking place at J&H, it didn’t take us long to be back into our routine of golfing and hiking.  Continental GC is only about 10 minutes away, is an OB managed course so we get good rates and has beautiful views.

“99 Things to do in Northern Arizona” is providing us with new activities in and around Flagstaff – including new hikes.  So – Sunday morning we ventured into Picture Canyon, a small canyon along the Rio de Flag on the far eastern edge of Flagstaff.  The primary draw of the canyon are the petroglyphs on its walls.

Great petroglyphs..

… more glyphss and colorful lichen..

…and a view of the Rio de Flag (Rio may be a bit of an overstatement).

The Arboretum at Flagstaff was another new adventure.  A research and environmental education center, The Arboretum is home to 2,500 species of plants in greenhouses, gardens and natural habitats.  Our favorite part (besides the great picnic area for lunch) was the Butterfly House.

The butterflies at the Arboretum were as colorful as the flowers.

Next new adventure – – –

Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Honey Bear;-)

Bearizona is a wildlife park featuring North American animals in their natural forested environment.  Visitors get the experience of seeing the animals as they drive a 3 mile scenic drive – –

This bison wanted his seat IN the kitchen.

Who’s looking at Who??

A Sly Fox;-)

AND – Finally the BEARS – –

You All Think You are Going Somewhere?

Could someone turn on the water jets?

After the drive, one can get up close and personal with other animals including Birds of Prey in a free flight show.  One literally feels the breeze as these amazing birds SKIM directly overhead during this incredible show!!

This horned owl made absolutely no sound while in flight.

Awesome barn owl.

A Harris falcon.

And so our first few days in Flagstaff end.

Magic is back on the road with E & G;-)

Six days of golf in nine days – intermixed with pretty taxing travel days – had worn us down a bit.  So – it was great to be energized by meeting up with ‘old friends’, Judy and Tim, for a couple of days touring in and around Dublin.

Judy did a great job of finding us an apartment between the River Liffey and the Grand Canal within walking distance to all the sights, shopping and dining that we could possibly want.  She also fixed us up with Garvan, who shepherded us around the city for a morning filling our heads with all kinds of facts on Irish and English history.

First stop – Dublin Castle, which is the historic core of Dublin City in the Viking/Medieval area.  Viking Defenses were established here as far back as the 10th century and it was the seat of British rule for over 750 years.  It was also the location of the handover to the new Irish State – The Republic of Ireland – in 1922.

Judy, Tim, E and Garvan on our walking tour of Dublin at Dublin Castle

The change in stonework evidences years of additions on the tower structure.

Just around the corner is the City Hall, constructed in 1779, with beautiful ornate decoration and the obligatory statues of prominent citizens from the years.

Entry lobby in City Hall.

Still in the medieval area, our next stop was Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin’s oldest building.  It is renowned for its breath-taking beauty, magnificent architectural features and stunning floor tiles and was a place of pilgrimage for almost 1,000 years.  It is a protestant church – not catholic – as you might think.

At the historical Christ’s Church the Cathedral…

… is almost dwarfed by the Bishops residence.

The Bishops residence was adjacent to the Cathedral, but across the street – Hells Hole with nefarious activities.  So – a bridge was built so the Bishop could get to the church without having to subject himself to the ‘street activities’!

There are 5 items in Dublin covered by “1,000 Places to See Before You Die”.  We covered 3 of them.  (The 2 not seen/done included a celebration in June and a restaurant that would have broken the bank!)  Trinity College, Dublin is one of those 5 and was next up on our agenda.

Trinity College, founded in 1592,  is Ireland’s oldest university and boasts an impressive roster of alumni including Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilds and Samuel Beckett.  On this day the campus was bustling with students getting ready for exams and the end of the school year.

Entering Trinity College quad.

From another point of view.

Perhaps the most important role of the school today is as custodian for The Book of Kells, an early medieval manuscript – the most important and most beautiful work of art to survive from the early centuries of Celtic Christianity.  Each page is magnificently decorated with elaborate patterns and mythical animals unlike any other in the intricacy and complexity that covers every one of its 680 pages.  Such illumination by the scribes and monks of the monastery of Kells was called “a work not of men, but of angels”.  The Book of Kells is housed in the ground floor of the college’s Old Library built in 1712.  We did get to see both The Book of Kells and the Library.  Unfortunately no pictures were allowed in The Book of Kells exhibit so, the view of this outstanding library will have to do.

This section of the college library is dedicated to the preservation of books and manuscripts.

The Library also houses this Brian Boru Harp – the oldest surviving Irish Harp and the model for the insignia of Ireland.  It is made from willow and oak with 29 brass strings.  Its elaborate designs, silver neck mount and embedded crystal suggest that it belonged to a master musician such as would have played for the nobel households of Gaelic Ireland and Scotland.

Are we in the Musical Instrument Museum?

With so much information packed into our little heads it was time to just wander and enjoy the sunshine.  Ha’penny Bridge – Dublin’s oldest pedestrian crossing over the River Liffey – was on our way to finding afternoon tea.  The bridge was erected in 1816 and acquired its nickname from the halfpenny toll levied on all users up to 1919.

A view of the Ha’Penny Bridge over the River Liffey.

We also wandered through St. Stephen’s Green (Europe’s largest garden square), which was created in 1663.  It is a lovely park in the middle of all the hustle and bustle with this attractive little gazebo calling our name.

A quick turn in the Gazebo in St. Stephen’s Green.

Just across the street from St. Stephen’s Green is Dublin’s favorite old dowager hotel – The Shelbourne.  (Number 2 of The 1,000 Things to See Before You Die.)  Built in 1824 it is the last survivor of Dublin’s great 19th century hotels.  Steeped in tradition, the Shelbourne holds on to much of its historic grandeur as the Irish Constitution was drafted here in 1922.  Nothing historic on our part – just a drink at the bar;-)

We enjoyed a drink in the Shelbourne Hotel Bar.

Another place we had a drink – the first night in town – was the Doheny & Nesbitt Pub, which just happens to be right around the corner from our apartment and Number 3 on the 1,000 Things to See Before You Die list!  The Pub is a mere 130 years old and a handsome Victorian specimen of carved wood and etched glass.  By the time we got there the first night it was standing room only as it was every time we passed by (sorry no pics).

After spending a day in ‘the city’, we took off for more quiet surroundings and headed to the Powerscourt Estate and Gardens via the old military road.  Very different scenery than what we had seen in our travels in the days before.  Brown peat bogs instead of the emerald greens.  But, the sheep still liked it – –

These sheep made us think of our friends Priscilla and Steve and their Soay sheep.

Once we arrived at the Estate – all was green and lush again.  Set in the wild Wicklow countryside, overlooking the Sugarloaf Mountain, Powerscourt Gardens stretch over 47 acres with magnificent views.  The Gardens have 3 themed gardens, a lake, a pond, a tower and a pet cemetery.  They are ranked No. 3 in the world’s top ten gardens according to National Geographic.   The pictures tell the story –  –

Triton Lake looking back at Powerscourt House.

One of Ireland’s largest pet cemeteries.

A view of Sugarloaf Mountain from the rear of the estate.

The Pepperpot Tower modeled on a favorite pepperpot from Lord Powerscourt’s table!

The grounds also included an Italian Garden, a Walled Garden and a Japanese Garden.  The Italian and Walled Gardens were designed in the mid-1800’s with contributions from the collections of the 6th and 7th Lord Powerscourt’s.  The Japanese Garden was created by the 8th Viscount and Viscountess Powerscourt in 1908 and provides a glimpse into a different world.  We had fun there – –

We had a great time in Dublin with our friends Tim and Judy.

Slán (goodbye) Ireland.

And so ends our “Bucket List” trip with –

•  Six days of golf at ‘famed’ courses including the Home of Golf – St. Andrews Old Course, St Andrews Jubilee, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Royal County Down and Partmarnock
• Five wonderful days in St. Andrews
•  Three great days with friends Judy & Tim in Dublin
•  Safe, on-time flights that got us to all destinations on time and in one piece – WITH OUR LUGGAGE
• AND – Unbelievable weather!!

We feel so fortunate to be able to have such an adventure and wish a fantastic “Bucket List” trip to all of you;-)

With Lots of Love – E & G

It is always sad to say goodbye – but, there are always more adventures on the horizon and one must move on to experience them.  And so we said goodbye to St. Andrews and ventured to the Emerald Isle – the land of 40 shades of green.  It took taxis, planes and automobiles to get us there but, the days worth of travel was worth it when we pulled up to our ‘home’ for the next two days!!

The Slieve Donard is an historic old hotel opened in 1897 near the village of Newcastle in Northern Ireland.  It has hosted royalty, presidents and golfing legends.  The bar is even named for Charlie Chaplin – a frequent.

The Grand Old Slieve Donard.

The grounds and views were stunning sitting on the Irish Sea with Newcastle and the Mourne Mountains to the south and east.  The bright blue sky didn’t hurt the scene either!

Such freedom in dancing – with lots of sunshine.

Our room here was wonderful;-)!  A nice size with a heavenly bathroom that Gary could move around in quite nicely – – and a view to kill!!

Royal County Down Golf Course from our hotel room window. Awesome.

Yes – Royal County Down, just adjacent to the hotel and our next 18 holes.

Friday, May 19 – The Royal County Down Golf Club, Championship Links

Opening March 23,1889, Royal County Down is another beautiful old course – originally designed by Old Tom Morris.  The Championship course has hosted various tournaments – most recently the Irish Open in 2015.  In fact, Rory has also been a guest at the hotel – and now E & G!!

It is 10:30 and we are off (notice blue sky and no hair blowing) – –

Here we go again.

Let’s just say that the course had a few undulations – – –

– – – Gorgeous skies – – –

– – – Beautiful views – across the Irish Sea – – –

– – – And the Mourne Mts. – where the forest scenes in Game of Thrones were shot.

There were NOT as many bunkers – especially those HUGE, DEEP ones – on this course, but that doesn’t mean we managed to avoid what was there;-(

E did a much better job….

…getting out of the bunker…

…than G did. ARRRGGGHHH

Despite the bunkers, The Royal County Down was definitely one of our favorites on the trip!!  We would return here in a minute if Scotty could just beam us over.

The stay at Slieve Donard was not nearly long enough but Portmarnock was calling.  So – after a beautiful day of golf, a VERY relaxing massage at the Spa and a lovely ‘room service’ dinner we loaded up the rental car and headed back south to the outskirts of Dublin.  Suddenly the weather decided that it had been all too kind to us and we deserved a wee bit of the REAL Irish weather.  We didn’t mind it so much on this travel day – just kept our fingers crossed that it might improve for our last day of golf.

Not only the weather was a BIG change for us!  Portmarnock is a suburb of Dublin, The Republic of Ireland – and a ‘beach town’ to boot.  So we were immediately thrust back into the city rat race from the idyllic ‘rolling hills, country’ settings.  Perhaps a little walk along the Irish Sea to get some dinner would clear our heads and get us in the right frame of mind – –

Found some rain along with some wonderful rainbows.

Sunday, May 21 – Portmarnock Golf Club

Portmarnock Golf Club is built on a peninsula about 2 miles long jutting into the Irish Sea (think wind and rain!!).  It opened in 1894 and was the venue for the first Irish Open in 1927.

All our ‘good weather luck’ ran out on this Sunday – –

The wind at Portmarnock was about 30 to 40 mph. G could hardly keep his hat on…and it was designed for use in heavy rain and wind.

Beautiful course..

…but we retreated to the clubhouse for lunch after 9 holes. The wind won.

And so ended the golfing portion of our ‘Bucket List’ trip;-)  Our fortunes were great – in that every other day we had outstanding weather to play FIVE fabulous, historic courses and walk in the footsteps of legends of the game!!  Each of the pictures carries a long story that will be a part of our memories (for as long as we have our memory).  Many emotions came up while writing these blog posts – as we reviewed and sorted thru the pictures and came up with the words to describe them.

Now – it is time to tuck those memories away and head to Dublin to meet up with friends.

REALLY HAPPY to have done this trip – Lots of Love, E & G

Tuesday, May 16 – The Jubilee Course St. Andrews Links 1897

The days have arrived for us to play the St. Andrews Links beginning with The Jubilee Course.  Jubilee is the third of the St. Andrews Links – preceded by The Old Course and The New Course (1895).  It was officially opened on June 22, 1897 when Mary Macgregor, the wife of St. Andrews Provost, struck the first drive.  On a day of national festivities to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne, Mary’s club, specially designed in the workshop of Old Tom Morris, was festooned with blue, white and red ribbons.

Although the Old and the New courses have changed little, the Jubilee is in its fourth incarnation.  It began as a pitch and putt course for ladies until its prime location between the New Course and the sea made it perfect to convert to a championship 18 hole course.  Today Jubilee is considered to be the most challenging course on the famous Links!

To mark the course’s centenary, the Jubilee Fountain, the insignia of the course, was installed beside the first tee – moved from its original location at the side of the first fairway of the Old Course.

Opened in 1897 in honor of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

Bring on the Jubilee Links.

It’s just about 10:32 and time to hit that first ball on another beautiful day – –

Jubilee 1st tee with the clubhouse and the Old Course Hotel in the background

So..how many pot bunkers are out there that I can’t see from here?

Did you notice in the prior picture my hair is laying nicely over my headband?  Well – what happened here – – –

Wind picked up today to about 35 mph. E had to hold herself steady with her putter while the wind provided her Trumpian hairdo.

Don’t you just love it when the skies are predominately blue with puffy clouds and it looks wonderful?!?!?  But that gale force wind is buffeting you all over the place.  Fortunately the wind didn’t pick up until part way through the back nine – so, we survived.  But – that back nine sure was interesting!!

Jubilee was a good warm up for Wednesday.  A nice dinner and evening at Playfair, which turned out to be excellent and one of our favorites, and we were ready for The Old Course;-)

Wednesday, May 17 – The Old Course St. Andrews Links

At the heart of The Links is The Old Course – the Home of Golf where the game was first played 600 years ago.  To prepare ourselves we had lunch at the clubhouse and enjoyed one more Sticky Toffee Pudding – –

Scottish Energy Bar?

And then we were off.  There is not much more to say about this course – it is just awesome and we were given yet another beautiful day.

Our turn on the home of golf.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club sets behind the 1st tee.

Please don’t muff this one. Just keep your friggin head down.

Lots of spectators. Old Tom Morris’s historic shop in the background.

Oh thank goodness, we both made it off the tee and got to the green without landing in the Swilcan Burn (creek)

More gorse….

More deep bunkers…

OH NO – we both managed to end up in this big mutha.

And just like that we were at the Road Hole – #17.  Gary decided NOT to cut the corner and go over the hotel –

– – But – first lost ball of the day in the hotel grounds.

Then we were at the 18th – ready to walk down the fairway in the footsteps of golfing legends and cross the Swilcan Bridge.

What a beautiful sight from the 18th tee.

This was very moving and great fun to cross this piece of golfing history.

Never expected to see our shadows on this trip – so couldn’t resist.

E contemplating her shot over the Valley of Sin to the 18th green. No problem;-)

And then – we were done;-(  It was an awesome day to be celebrated for years to come, I’m sure.  We had only one problem – in our excitement to get to the course via the shuttle we forgot to ask how late it ran.   Turns out – not late enough!  Fortunately that great room with the little bathroom was only little more than a block away.

This caddie carries TWO bags;-)

An incredible stay in St. Andrews.  The town was lovely, the room was extremely handy and the golf was AWESOME!

But – there is more to come so don’t go too far.

E & G – we’ll be back

St. Andrews – often the first thought is “The Home of Golf”.   Indeed, it IS thanks to St. Andrews that the game as we know it exists today.  AND, it’s here that one finds the jewel in the crown and spirit home of the game – the Old Course.  Famed worldwide, the Old Course is confirmed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest golf course in the world.

King David I of Scotland granted the Links land to the people of St. Andrews in 1123.  From that time to this, the people of St. Andrews have had the right to use the Links.  When golf began to be played on the Links is not known for certain, but it was well enough established by 1457 that it was banned by King James II, who worried it was distracting his men from archery practice at the time of invasions from England!  Although both James the III and IV continued the ban, James IV eventually gave in and had golf clubs made for himself in 1502 (wouldn’t you like to see those babies??).

The Old and New (1895!) courses that we see and play today were created by ‘Old’ Tom Morris who is celebrated for his pioneering work in course architecture.  He was also a fantastic golfer – setting the Open record as the oldest champion, 46, in 1867 at Prestwick.

St. Andrews first hosted The Open in 1873, and the championship returned to the Old Course for the 29th time in 2015 as it now returns every five years.  For many years St. Andrews players dominated the championship, as their local knowledge gave them an edge.  But this changed following the victory of Bobby Jones in 1927.

Today film stars, sports celebrities, presidents and prime ministers come to St. Andrews eager to take their place on the first tee.  Playing the Old Course is a privilege, but in the true Scottish tradition of the game this privilege is not the preserve of a few.  St. Andrews Links remains public land allowing thousands of ordinary golfers (E & G) the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong ambition and to follow in the footsteps of golfing heroes.

As public land – the Old Course is closed to play on Sunday so that the residents (and visitors) can walk the course.  This gave us the perfect opportunity to leisurely get wonderful pictures of the first and 18th fairways with the British Golf Museum, the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse and the Monument to the Martyrs of the Reformation in the background.

The view from the championship tees on 18th hole with the R&A Clubhouse on the left and the Swilcan Bridge on the right.

Amongst this wonderful history are the humps and bumps of the Himalayas 18 hole putting course adjacent to the second tee of the Old Course.  This is for children and adults alike – –

The Himalayas is a challenge.

Next stop – the British Golf Museum to learn all about the evolution of golf and the opportunity to putt with period clubs and old ‘feather’ balls.  Lots of education – and lots of laughs if you read some of the quotes – –

It was hard to putt we were laughing so hard;-)

St. Andrews is rich in history beyond golf – and we were off to find some of it.

St. Andrews Cathedral was (and still is even in its ruinous state) Scotland’s largest and most magnificent medieval church.  When consecrated in 1318 it was the largest building in the country and dominated not just St. Andrews but the whole of Scottish religious life.

Then – the Protestant Reformation and dissatisfaction with the established church led to unrest.  In 1559 John Knox gave such a fiery sermon in nearby Holy Trinity Church that the congregation was roused to rip down the rich trappings of the cathedral.  By 1600 the cathedral looked much as it does today.  Materials from the cathedral were utilized in other buildings around the village until finally protected.

St. Andrews Cathedral.

The cathedral was built over a period of years from the front to the rear.  One can see that at one point in time the architecture changed and even new window shapes were utilized – from a more pointed top with inset supports to a more rounded arched type frame.

Completed in 1272.

Of course we had to climb St. Rule’s Tower, built around 1130 – all 108 ft – for great views of the town of St. Andrews, the coastline, our next stop the Castle and the  golf courses in the distance.

We climbed the very narrow circular stairway of this tower..

…to take advantage of the views.

The cemetery on the grounds of the cathedral contain the graves of Old Tom Morris – the creator of the Old and New courses – his son Tommy Morris (who died at the age of 24 after winning the Open 3 times) and the rest of the family.

Most of Old Tom Morris’s family is buried in this spot.

Just down the road from the cathedral is St. Andrews castle, which played the roles of bishop’s palace, fortress and state prison during its 450 year life.  It’s bottle dungeon was one of medieval Britain’s most infamous castle prisons and really – NOT a nice place to be;-(  But, the location was advantageous and the views now are beautiful.

The Bishops Castle.

St. Andrews is also home to Scotland’s oldest university which envelopes the entire town.  It is most notable in recent history as where Prince William and Catherine met – now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge;-)  Today there seems to be a bit of an initiation going on below the castle walls – –

These lads stood there for a very long time while numerous things were poured over them.

A full days worth of wandering in the village.  Now we must get our rest as golf is calling again tomorrow.

We finished up the day with a final pass of the R&A clubhouse.

The sun is setting – the lights are on at the R&A – and we look forward to another day.

E & G ready for St. Andrews;-)

Friday, May 12 – It is time to head to St. Andrews through the Kingdom of Fife – an enchanting region of gorgeous coastal towns, ancient royal palaces and the spiritual home of golf!  The countryside along the way was just as we had envisioned – green, lush, colorful and beautiful!  The grape seed plants were in full bloom creating wonderful yellow ‘blankets’ in the fields – –

The bright yellow accenting the ‘kelly’ green fields was stunning!

The drive from Edinburgh to St. Andrews was only 1 1/2 hours – but, we had the entire afternoon for the trek.  So – why not take the scenic road and see the coast in the famous East Neuk of Fife?!?  Here the little fishing villages dot the coast like pearls on a chain – Elie, St Monans, Pettenweem and Anstruther.  The lunch destination was a recommendation – the BEST fish restaurant in the Kingdom of Fife in the adorable fishing village of Anstruther – –

The marina in Anstruther.

A warning was attached to the recommendation – ‘don’t let any appearances scare you off – it is the BEST’ (and very SMALL)!  We were lucky to get a seat;-)

The fish and chips were yummy.

While the countryside was as envisioned – the roads were even narrower than anticipated, resulting in very interesting ‘warnings’ – –

Funny sign…but VERY accurate.

The Annandale House – just 2 blocks from The Old Course – was to be our home for the next 5 days.  It really was a charming place run by wonderful people – Fiona and Paul – who took very good care of us.  The room was huge (by European standards) with three beds and a lovely bay window looking out to the North Sea.  A bit of remodeling had been done to this very old building to make it livable by todays standards – including bathrooms in all the guest rooms – although a wee bit small – –

Much smaller than Magic – not much room for Gary’s knees!!

Saturday, May 13 – FINALLY!  Time to get out on a course and play golf.  First stop just over the Firth of Tay – the Championship Course at Carnoustie Golf Links;-)

Carnoustie – a new sign for a VERY old course.

The game of golf has been played in Carnoustie for well over four centuries.  The first indication that the game was being played in the Angus town can be found in the Parish Records of 1560 when the game of ‘gowff’ was mentioned.

The Championship Course has hosted seven Open Championships, one Ladies Open and one Seniors Open – AND will host the Open Championship again in 2018!!  It is generally regarded as the toughest of the Open venues with the toughest closing stretch of holes anywhere – especially the last four holes (remember this when I tell you about the wind!!).  Open Championship winners on this course include Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Padraig Harrington – – followed closely by EAB and GCD;-)  (For E’s golfing buddies – the course has a slope and rating for women of 77/140 – YIKES!!!)

Let’s get started –

A HAPPY couple – who managed to avoid the plentiful gorse…..

….the yellow flowered bushes with nasty thorns.

As you can see from the pictures – we had clouds, patches of blue sky, a bit of a mist which led to a few raindrops, beautiful sights and views of the North Sea.

The North Sea looking east from Carnoustie.

Beautiful patches of blue sky on the way back in with the hotel in the background.

The weather was quite kind to us.  Even though we “experienced all four seasons during the day” (as they love to say) – there was almost no rain and the wind did not really come up until THE LAST FOUR HOLES!!!  (Remember what I said above about those holes?!?!)

An incredible day and we lived to write about it;-)

Sunday, May 14 – Kingsbarns (because it is where the Kings barns housing his livestock were located).

A mere 15 minutes from The Old Course of St. Andrews sits a newer model of the traditional Scottish seaside links golf course that offers scenic sea views from every hole as one plays along almost two miles of North Sea coastline in the town of Kingsbarns.

This course is consistently recognized in the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World and will host the Women’s British Open Championship this August (2017).  (Sadly – EAB will not be playing in that tournament;-( )  This course is also consistently rated the ‘Favorite’ by all of our friends who have played golf in and around this area.  It reminded us very much of the Bandon Dunes courses in Oregon.

Again – as you can see from the pictures – the weather was unbelievable, blue skies and all – and the views were stunning.  G especially enjoyed the day as he had a harem – we were paired with 2 lovely young French women (who were REALLY good golfers).

Kingsbarns Clubhouse. Beautiful course, layout, setting AND weather!

The views distract from the golf;-)

Lots of bunkers up there. Some you could see before you landed in them.

G & E both had caddies for all the rounds of golf played.  There was only one problem here at Kingsbarns – E’s caddie was too tall and kept pointing out ‘targets’ or ‘landmarks’ that E could not see because she wasn’t tall enough.  At one point he said to aim at a particular bunker – nowhere to be found by E, who told him to get down to her level and find something she could see – –

He tried to be E’s height;-).

Par 3. Lots of bunkers, lots of gorse.

Spectacular views and weather all day long (notice the sweater is gone).

Really – for those of you who have played over here – these pictures are NOT photoshopped.  The weather was that beautiful!!  As was the course.

The days/rounds at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns were each enjoyed for their own personalities and histories.  The Open in 2018 at Carnoustie and the Women’s Open in August at Kingsbarns will each be watched with great anticipation as we see the pros walk those hallowed steps and play each hole that gave us such fits and pleasure;-)

E & G looking forward to the St. Andrews courses

Here comes the “Bucket List” trip – a golfing adventure to Scotland and Ireland.  The reality of this long planned trip begins to sink in when the clubs are packed and shipped —

Once the clubs are on their way, it is our turn.  After a mere 24 hours, we arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland for a couple of nights to get our body clocks adjusted.

In our one FULL day to wander Edinburgh we walked the ‘Royal mile’ – with all its shops – on our way to Edinburgh Castle, taking in the beautiful sights along the way —

Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline of the city today and has probably done so for almost 2,000 years.  Recorded inhabitants were on the hill in 100 AD, due to its strategic position.  Buildings were erected and modified for hundreds of years as the Scottish royalty made this their home.  The complex includes housing for the queens and kings, dungeons, a chapel, battlements (complete with canons) and anything else a royal palace needs.

Queen Mary of Guise, champion of the Catholic faith against the Protestant Reformation died here in 1560.  Her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, gave birth to James VI here in 1566 (he later followed Queen Elizabeth I to the throne as King James I in 1603 and united Scotland and England).

The Castle today houses the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny (no pictures allowed😔).  Also, the ‘parade grounds’ in front of the castle are the site today of the famous Tatoo.  Another tradition dating back to 1861 still followed today is the firing of the ‘One O’clock Gun’!  This was done historically to allow ships in the Firth of Forth to set their maritime clocks before setting sail.  Today,  it is just fun for all the tourists to see —

By now we were ready for afternoon tea.  So – off to The Balmoral for a wonderful, relaxing, delicious afternoon☺🍾👏 — yes, that is the Balmoral in the background —

And, the tea was ‘lovely’ and ‘scrumptious’!!

Now – E & G on to St. Andrews and GOLF⛳🏌️‍♀️🏌️👏👏