I've been living in the UK almost 2 years now.. Close enough to say it's home. It's summer again and with all the tripping around I can't really say that I have seen the UK properly! My grandfather always use to say that you shouldn't really travel until you have seen your own country so in Mackenzie tradition I popped over to what some would call 'Gods Own' - Cardiff, Wales. The welsh were nothing short of hospitable and they turned out to be everything they stand for… Rugby, Red and a few leeks thrown in there too! A highlighting trip to the Millennium stadium left me humbled, adding a welsh international onto my to-do life list! Sad to leave but onwards and upwards (or downward is this case) I headed down to the very southern tip of England. The name of the Game: Surf's up, The aim of the game: standing! For a week I participated in what can only be known as Surf Boot camp… 6 hours of surfing everyday that left my body broken but my spirits high ( I LOVE surfing!!!!) And I did get standing…yes I did … eventually that is!! Newquay is infamous for it's nightlife and it probably didn't help that I got adopted by not one but two stag do's!! Some crazy times!!!!
With all that done, what better way to really sink my teeth in and taste some of the UK's delights, but with a summer roady!!!! Me, 3 girls and a rental car for 2 weeks and no itinerary within site! Can you spell TROUBLE!! (in the good sense of course!) Our roady started in London, headed up the west coast as far north as Inverness and then back down south via the east coast. 1st stop Shakespear's home Stratford Apon Avon, culture done and dusted we celebrate with a night-out in Liverpool.. HERE COME THE GIRLS…. Grossly over dressed we discovered as girls in Liverpool actually may as well be in their undies.. And no we weren't just sounding like our
Moms! Beatled out we headed up north to the Scottish highlands… via a quick stop off in Glasgow and short but sweet catch up with my 2 Fav Weggies! Driving into the highlands was like returning to an old childhood memory of that movie 'the land before time' stunning sheer mountain and green rolling hills with beautiful Lochs to offset the rocky balance. Plenty of photo stops along the way … with a slight unplanned detour (no we weren't lost..??!!) we stumbled across the Hogwarts Express. Back on track we arrived in the Ilse of Skye. Porttree home to population 500 and 2 pubs. We got there just in time for their annual highland games. I don't think I have ever been in so fear of my life as watching a grown man lift and throw a log that took 4 other grown men to lift up and put in his hands only 5 meters away from us. The Scots are truly as mad as they say! A couple of true girly nights out on the town that undoubtedly left the once sheltered locals in absolute tatters! (we did play nice.. Promise!)
Old myths busted with a triumph spot of Nessie in Inverness, we decided it was time to up the roady status. We got out hands on some cheap t-shirts and made up some roady T-shirts all in honour of heading down to Edinburgh for the fringe festival. Edinburgh's nightlife is well known and did not disappoint! Stag do adopted again .. Seems there is a theme here?? Lead to brilliant times overall. During the days we managed to get ourselves lost among the cobbled streets filled with street performers and 4 amazing shows later we were well satisfied! A last attempt at some Scottish culture lead us to Stirling with it's castle and historical monument of Robert the Bruce. Heading out a Scotland we stopped off at Hadrian's wall, the 5 foot stone wall that divides England and Scotland … now talk about border control. In a hysterical act I managed to not so gracefully fall off the wall leaving a little damaged done to my left knee.. All in the name of photography! Our last night on the roady was spent in Newcastle. An area I am well familiar with (from living in durham) we did the only thing you can do in Newcastle. A night out on the town with Geordies.. Brilliant!
With sadden hearts we headed down south for our final stop before London. York.. A stunning quaint English town with an abbey that would give Westminster Abby a run for it's money! Back in London, some hard goodbyes with what can only be described as a trip of lifetime completed. Next stop Ireland for me!! Love to all ! xxx