So this is actually going to be the three weeks we spent with Mum and Katie - part of which was in Scotland.

They arrived in London on the 18th - of course we were still in bed, sick and getting over Ireland. We spent a few days in London and did some touristy things - Camden Markets (which we'd already been to but are awesome), London Dungeons (I was too chicken, Jess and Kate went, Katie loved it), Madame Tussauds (Gary Barlow, Ant and Dec), changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace (Mum trying to chat up a policeman on a horse), a Jack the Ripper tour (very cool - gory photos) and stuff.

Then we picked up a car and off to Brighton for the day, we saw the pier and walked around a bit, then drove to our accommodation in Lymington near Southampton and got really, reeeeeally lost. What was supposed to be a one or two hour drive took five hours and ended up with us all hysterically laughing and scared on a road in the middle of nowhere with donkeys trying to get in the car. We survived it with 5ive. Straight up funk in ya ear. As a reward, we got to stay in a country club ala Dirty Dancing - very swanky. We stayed in Southampton a couple of nights and Mum, Kate and I vistied family while Jess was sick in bed and doing our washing. And eating country club burgers. Which apparently, was awesome. Not the washing part.

Then it was off to Liverpool, via Winchester and Stonehenge. We saw Winchester Cathedral where Jane Austen is buried, and then drove up to Stonehenge which was very cool. We got to Liverpool latish so just went to bed, I think... then the next day went out to explore a bit, did our ferry across the Mersey, which was pretty crappy. I was sick. THEN we did the Magical Mystery Tour, which was awesome. They took us to Penny Lane and Strawberry Field and all of their childhood houses and where they met and Katie and I won posters. That ended at the Cavern Club, which was pretty divey, but very cool anyway. Then we went out for a pre-birthday dinner for Jess and I. Mexican. Yum. Oh, we stole a candle. A big one. And gave it to Katie as a gift.

The next day was my birthday, and we went in search of the Elenor Rigby grave that we drove past but didn't stop at the night before. When we got there bumped into this old man who showed us where it was and turned out to have grown up with John Lennon and was there on the day that John and Paul met. So he took us on this really cool personal tour of all the places and let us stand in the exact spot where they met. AND gave us a copy of the program from that day (because John's first band were playing). It was very, very cool. Then we went to the Beatles Story museum-y thingy, then off to Ayre in Scotland.

We stayed in Scotland for a few nights, and got around quite a bit. We visited some of my Mum's family, which was nice. We drove up to Loch Ness, which was the longest drive in the history of driving, but we got there. Kate and I had a dance to summon Nessie. We explored Urquhart Castle while we were there. Oooooh yes, on the way to Loch Ness we stopped in a little town to use the internet and bought tickets to see PAUL MCCARTNEY in Liverpool the next week. Phwooar! Which required us rearranging the rest of the holiday, but it was worth it. What else did we do? We went to Doune Castle, where they filmed the Holy Grail, and yelled insults at people off the battlements. We saw Edinburgh for a couple of hours, and Glasgow. We saw Sex and the City, the Movie. Oh yes.

After leaving Scotland it was down to Blackpool for a couple of nights, where we saw more piers and went on a couple of rides (my Mum went on a scary ride and it was the funniest thing ever). It was a bit seedy. The B&B we stayed at had a really cute dog, his name was Bob. And Jess went to the doctors which turned out to be a nurse.

Then we drove to Manchester for the night (and watched the Britains Got Talent finale), and saw where my Mum grew up. I think she was a little disappointed, but I liked seeing it. Then the next day back to Liverpool for PAUL DAY, YAAARGH! Didn't really do much else that day, we got there earlyish and saw the Zutons (Jess says "Yay! I quite enjoyed them. I like the Zutons. Whoop whoop!"). Then the Kaiser Chiefs, who I like but went for too long. Then Paul. Awesome. He did C Moon and oh how we danced.

The next day it was an early start and to Dover via London for a quick visit to the Greenwich Meridian line, Maritime Museum and Aunt Shirley. We stayed in Dover that night and the next morning it was up early for the ferry to France....