28th April 2018, Hi, Following on from our six day stay in Tokyo, on Monday 16th April we headed for a four day visit to Kyoto and Hiroshima. Visitors from outside Japan are allowed to purchase a JR Rail Pass which is available for a variety of time periods. We had bought a seven day pass prior to leaving which cost £192. The pass makes it very easy to get around the country and can also be used on local JR trains within cities but not on the subway or priv...

Thursday 19th April 2018 Hi, Last summer (June 2017), whilst in Italy for brother Donald's birthday, I sat down with my nephew Edward and we agreed that the following year I would travel to Japan to visit him and see another new country which has been on my list for some time. Ed has been in Japan studying and working for a period of seven years and it made sense to undertake this adventure when I had family to visit and especially one who could give so much...

Hi, I have just posted the photos of Kathleen and Hugh's Wedding and this blog is just a brief accompanyment. The wedding was held at Glasgow RP Church in Partick, just a twenty minute walk from my flat and was conducted by Rev. Kenneth Stewart. The reception was at Crutherland House Hotel in East Kilbride. My connections with the Gillies family are many. I am distantly related to Iain (father of the groom ) through Raasay connections and can go back to the 19...

20th July 2017 Hi, I flew out from Manchester on Thursday 7th July with Donald for my first visit to Portugal. Exciting to be visiting a new country. The flight to Porto takes about two and a half hours from Manchester. The temperature was in the low twenties when we arrived on Thursday night. It was overcast and that was not to change until the middl...

July 6th 2017 Hi, Some of you will already have seen the photos of Venice and Donald's 60th birthday celebrations. I am a bit behind with getting the blog out to accompany them. Sorry about that. We had already taken some group photos at the Cinque Torre above Cortina as Cazz had come up with some great group t shirts, which added to the group bonding, if we ever needed it. I have started the photo album with these as they tie in with the whole birthday ev...