England

England was wonderful with so much to see.We saw London Bridge, The British Library, double decker busses, The British Museum, Westminster Abbey,The Royal Palace, The Crown Jewels, Runnymede along the River Thames, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespear's home and the pub where he and CS Lewis got together to discuss their works.  The Eagle and the Child was that pub and we went inside and ate fish and chips. In all, it was quite wonderful.

Church History

We were able to see some church history sites in England where Wilford Woodruff baptized over 600 in the Benbow Pond at John Benbow's Farm in Herefordshire England.  He baptized over 1800 over the period of 8 months.

France

Our French guide was very cute as he spoke English with a French accent.  The French accent the wrong syllables in words with two or more syllables.  It was fun to listen to them.  We bought French pastries at a bus stop and our guide made it all very real on the beach as he detailed the invasion.  His name was Mattieu.

Normandy

We enterred the port of Le Havre , France and traveled to Normandy, where we saw Omaha Beach and stood on the shores of that horrific event which liberated France.  The Germans were ready as they built many bunkers along the shore and where craters still are visible where bombs landed.Some of  the bunkers are still there to see.   The American Cemetery was a reality check of the over 9000 lives that were lost in a matter of hours.The port suffered catastrophic damage during the second World War. It culminated with the Battle of Normandy in the summer of 1944. The allied forces were successful in liberating the French from the German occupation. On June 6, 1944, the allied forces, over 160,000 landed with over 5,000 ships. The beaches were Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword with cliffs at Utah beach.

 

Scotland

Belfast in northern Ireland still displays the remnants of the civil war in that city.  There is a peace wall that still exists and at 7:00 each night, the gates to separate the two parts of the city, close and are locked.  No one can get in or out after that or risk the violence that still occurs.
There was an opportunity to see the Giant's Causeway.  It is a natural wonder and the result of a giant volcanic eruption.

Scotland was truly beautiful and just as I had imagined it.  The fog rolled in as we approached the docks and it was cloudy and rainy.  It was so green , though, and very beautiful.  Scotland is the home of kilts, bagpipes, clans, and GOLF. I managed to get golf towels for the boys from St. Andrews.

One of the most beautiful parts of Scotland is the highlands and Loch Ness.  Here three lakes come together for a spectacular view.

Ireland

 I hiked up to the top of the tower at the Blarney Castle and to "Kiss the Blarney Stone" you have to lay across a space between the floor and the wall and hold onto some poles and tip upside down. I did it . I wasn't going to hike up there and not do it!!

In Ireland we saw the Blarney Castle, Ancient Christian Monasteries in Dublin and Trinity College where the Book of Kells is kept as well as the Trinity Library which houses many ancient books and manuscripts.  There are rows and rows of books and many encased in glass to see.  When you walk in, it smells like BOOKS!!!!  We weren't allowed to take any pictures and these books are not to be checked out!

Guernsey Island

We took a tender boat which is one of the life boats, ashore to Guernsey Island, England.  This is where the Guernsey cow originated.  It is one of the English Channel islands and was occupied by the Germans from 1940 - 1945.  The Germans cut the island off by putting up barbed wire fences.  Those people of the island were allowed to leave but some stayed.  Some mothers and infants were allowed to leave together, but other children had to leave their families alone or with their school groups.  Those left behind were at the mercy of the German army.

The Princess Ship

The ship was really fun.  It was huge!  We had a balcony which made coming to each port every morning so much fun.  We got to see it all.  Those little tug boats that would push the ship along and the tender boats that took us ashore!  The food was great and the entertainment each night was awesome.  There was a different show every night.  We ate everything from baked alaska to lobster and everything in between. One morning Sandy woke me up at 5:00 am to see the sunrise as we entered the port in Ireland.  It was all very beautiful.