St Andrews and the family 13, 14, 15 July

We stayed a few nights in St Andrews with cousin Ian.

The ruins of St Andrews castle, dating in part from the 13th century.

Bill and cousin Ian in the castle grounds.

We crawled down the underground 16th-century siege mine and counter-mine. Here, the attackers started digging tunnels to get under the walls and the defenders thwarted them by digging a counter mine.

 

Joy and Ian on the pier.

Bill and Ian on the pier.

View of the pier with the ruins St Andrews Cathedral, built in 1158, in the background.

We climbed St Rule's tower located in the Cathedral grounds.

The view from the top is magnificent.

Part of the Cathedral in the foreground, then the town and in the distance, the Royal and Ancient St Andrews Golf Course.

This is the private school, St Leonard's, initially established in 1877, and later attended by Zoe's grandmother, Bunty.

 

Looking down the nave of the Cathedral.

This is William looking out for Kate, as this is where Will and Kate met frequently for coffee.

St Andrews University is the third oldest in the English speaking world. It's most famous graduate is Grace Roberts aka mum, mother-law and grandmother. This is Saint Salvatore's College, attended by Prince William.

St Salvatore's Chapel.

The altar of Saint Salvatore.

At Uncle George's house. Ian, Joy, Bill, Steve, Alastair, Irene, Eleanor and Uncle George.

 

The cousins together. It was great to see Alastair over from America for his annual visit.

Kellie Castle, an interesting National Trust restored baronial castle not far from St Andrews.

The Victorian walled gardens where lovely.

Ian in the gardens.

 

 

 

Edinburgh 11, 12 July

Getting to Edinburgh from Strasbourg was a bit of an ordeal, involving a train, two bus rides and two plane rides.

First thing we did in Edinburg was catch a tourist bus to get a bit of an overview. Great choice, as they have an informative and charming guide on each bus.  We had lovely sunny weather.

 

The Scott memorial, or Gothic Rocket as it is known.

 

View of Edinburgh Castle.

 

The Scottish National Gallery.

 

 

Another view of the castle.

Our hotel.

Walking down The Royal Mile, which runs from Edinbough Castle to Holyrood Palace, and was just around the corner from the hotel.

Saint Giles Cathedral, a Church of Scotland, is called the High Kirk of Edinburgh. The present church dates from the late 14th century, though it was extensively restored in the 19th century.

John Knox, Scottish clergyman, writer and a leader of the Protestant Reformation, is considered the founder of the Presbyterian denomination in Scotland

Saint Giles is beautiful inside.

The Thistle Chapel.

All along the Royal Miles are street performers. In this photo, you can see Star Wars characters, an artist and, of course, a piper.

 

Little alleyways like this lead off the Royal Mile.

  

The Scottish National Trust Gladstone Museum, a good example of a typical merchants house.

 

View towards the Scott Memorial.

 

We visited the Palace of Holyrood House, the Queen's official residence in Scotland.

Detail of the fountain.

The courtyard inside.

The ruins of Hollyrood Palace Abbey, founded by King David in 1128. 

Another view of the Abbey.

Inside the new and very busy looking Scottish Parliament building.

They had a marvellous tapestry on Scottish history on display in the Parliament building. There are about 160 panels. This one is Mary Queen of Scots who lived in the Palace of Holyrood House before being imprisoned in the Tower of London and later beheaded by Elizabeth 1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Riding around Strasbourg, the cathedral and museums.

We bought a Strasbourg Pass which included one day bike hire. It is a fantastic city to ride in, as there are dedicated bike paths everywhere.

First stop was the 17th century Orangery Park with it's lovely gardens.

 

Riding through an arbour.

Flamingoes in the mini zoo at the Orangery Park.

The European Parliament building, completed in 1998

The European Court of Human Rights building.

 

The red sandstone gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame is a huge and magnificent. It was begun in 1176.

The beautiful Gothic interior.

 

Inside there is also an Astronomical Clock, built between 1547 and1574 and restored in 1883. At 12.30 each day it gives a fine display of allegorical figures moving around and about. Lesser displays happen every quarter hour.

 

 

Each night there is a sound and light show on the front of the cathedral.

These roses are impressive.

The front portal, with the rose window.

 

These brick-vaulted caves, or wine cellars, were founded in 1395 deep below a hospice, now the Strasbuorg Hospital. All seven varieties of Alsace wines are stored here.

 

The Alsatian Museum, spread across three typical houses from the 1500s and 1600s, displays Alsation life and folk art over the centuries. This room showed how the timber framed houses were built.

 

 

A merchants house.

 

 

The museum courtyard.

 

Various Alsatian costumes.

 

Mum's German doll?

 

The Palais Rohan now contains three museums, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Archaeological Museum.

 

The rococo interior of the Decorative Arts Museum.

 

Hannong ceramics - love all the ceramic food.

 

More rather gross Hannong work.

 

A Pre-raphaelite painting in the Fine Arts Museum.

 

The Archaeological Museum takes you from prehistory to the early Middle Ages. This is a 3rd century Gallo-Roman funeral headstone owned by a farming couple.

 

We had our last meal in Strasbourg at this traditional winstub, Chez Yvonne, which has been operating since 1873.

 

Traditional food includes Baeckeoffe,(pork, beef , lamb, vegetable and potato stew, marinated in reisling and slow cooked in a ceramic dish), Choucroute Garnie (sauerkraut with bacon, ham hock and sausage) and Flammekueche (thin crust pizza dough topped with creme fraiche, onions and ham). All huge serves!