GREAT PHOTOS! GREAT TRIP! - MARK M., Tue, 9 Sep 2003 8:41PM
You guys look so relaxed. Still can't get over the fact that you two think being FRED's is relaxing. I get upset when I have to get off my butt to change TV stations....! Envy the scenery. Too bad we Americans don't have that to offer.... - Barrett, Thu, 2 Jan 2003 7:07PM
Cool site! Wow, I have never seen castles before. That's great. I have always wanted to go to Ireland, n kiss da blarney stone! LOL. Hope you had a great trip and keep safe. - Shaunie, Sat, 23 Nov 2002 9:53PM
Hey Julie, who's the guy with the beard? Does Mark know about him? - Andrew, Tue, 15 Oct 2002 6:50PM
Wonderful pictures. Looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing! - Pam Smith, Tue, 8 Oct 2002 12:16PM
2 Dunstane House B&B in Edinburgh Just flew in, which is probably why Julie's not smiling after traveling for 24 hours w/no sleep.
3 Royal Mile Edinburgh Scotland Royal Mile is the name of the street that stretchs between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace.
4 Bagpiper entertains on the Royal Mile
5 Robert Burns was here
6 Edinburgh
7 View of Castle
8 Edinburgh Castle
9 Edinburgh Castle
10 Princes Street
11 View of Edinburgh
12 Pet Cemetary at Edinburgh Castle
13 Castle Fireworks Jonathan & Lisa attended the Edinburgh International Festival grand finale featuring music and fireworks. Fireworks were shot off from the castle, and if you look closely you can see the shadow of the castle thru the fireworks. (Mark & Julie were already in the Highlands and missed the show...but still having a good time nonetheless!)
14 Castle Fireworks
15 Castle Fireworks
16 Grassmarket Square They used to hang people right around the corner.
17 Holyrood Palace Where the Queen stays when she's in Scotland.
18 Mark in the Abbey at Holyrood Palace
19 Koi at Botanic Garden
20 Botanic Garden
21 Botanic Garden
22 Botanic Garden
23 Mark just passing...time in St. Andrews
24 St. Andrews Cathedral Cemetary
25 Mark at the 18th hole of the Old Course
26 Mark on Swilken Bridge (Only golfers will get the true significance of this.)
27 17th green / 18th hole w/ club house in background
28 St. Andrews Bay
29 St. Andrews
30 Fireweed along the Scotland roads These bright pink flowers are along the highways all over the place. This photo doesn't do them justice.
31 Relaxing along Skye river
32 Skye River, Highlands
33 Trail along Skye River
34 Highland Wildlife Park He was starting to look pissed off and stamping his front left foot so we promptly continued on our way.
35 Highland Wildlife Park
36 Highland Wildlife Park
37 Black Park Highlands Mountain biking in the Highlands. It was incredibly beautiful.
38 Black Park, Highlands
39 Lots of Heather, Black Park Highlands
40 Black Park, Highlands Julie and Jonathan
41 Black Park, Highlands
42 Black Park, Highlands Here comes Julie!
43 Black Park, Highlands Yes, the background is real.
44 Lisa & Jon Black Park, Highlands
45 Black Park, Highlands Mark admires the view and asks, "do I have to go back to work?"
46 Black Park, Highlands
47 Mtn Biking in the Highlands Mark, Lisa & Jonathan
48 Black Park, Highlands Look at that heather!
49 The Loch Ness Markster Lisa shows no fear!
50 Loch Ness The weather is very "rapid" in Scotland, i.e., it changed every 15 minutes. However, we thought it was appropriate that we see Loch Ness looking angry so it could live up to its legend of being the home of the world famous monster, "Nessie."
51 Catapult at Uruquart Castle
52 Wheel of Catapult
53 catapult rope
54 Uruquart Castle along the Loch Ness
55 Uruquart Castle
56 Uruquart Castle
57 Uruquart Castle
58 Ahoy, who goes there
59 Highlands
60 Highlands
61 Tributary of Loch Ness
62 Eilean Donan Castle Lot of movies filmed here "way too cool!" View Comments...
63 Isle of Skye bridge This bridge cost 5.60 lbs to cross each way! That is about $18 American dollars. It is a big controversy in Scotland right now, but we really wanted to check out the Isle of Skye, so we bit the bullet and paid.
64 Isle Of Skye Bridge Jonathan put together this panorama shot.
65 Isle of Skye
66 Isle of Skye
67 Ladies Drinking Tea in an Isle of Skye Pub
68 Gaelic Disillery on the Isle of Skye Julie had tried Highland Park whiskey a week earlier and hated it. But then she tried some Te Bhaig (pron. Chey Vek) whiskey from this tiny distillery and found it to be unbelievably awesome! Can't buy it in the US :-(
P.S. That's Jonathan in the pic, not Julie. ;-)
69 Isle of Skye Rainbow
70 Davaar House Hotel We stayed at this B&B outside of Edinburgh in Dumferline at the last minute. It was a pleasant surprise...best B&B our entire stay abroad. Mark and Julie were in the room w/the bay window on the 2nd floor.
71 Peacock on the loose in Scotland
72 Dumferline Cemetery
73 Where Robert the Bruce was buried Notice the word "KING" at the top of the building. His body was removed later. (Don't ask us where it is now.)
74 1st day getting ready to cycle in Ireland Mark is sporting the "beg, borrow and steal" look after the airline lost his luggage. Quite the "fred."
75 Muckross House in Killarney, Ireland
76 Muckross House
77 It really is a small world Ran into John, our guide in France 2 years ago, in Ireland!
78 Ladies View, Ireland
79 Stone Circle in Ireland There are 100 small stone circles in Ireland (Stone Henge-ettes)
80 Mark w/no clothes of his own :-( Look at this FRED! (bike term for dorky cyclist.) Mark's wearing Julie's cycling clothes (his bag was lost by British Airways).
81 Cycling in Ireland
82 Just on the side of the road
83 Kenmare
84 Kenmare
85 Lisa & an Irish admirer
86 Looking Lost (but not really) Mark finally has real clothes!
87 Cycling in Ireland
88 Taking a break
89 Mark & Jon flirting with 2 Backroads girls
90 Lisa
91 Getting organized!
92 Pub Break!
93 More tea for me please!
94 No rest for the weary But at least there's Guiness (look at Mark's Nali jersey)
95 Mark This picture under "relaxed" in Websters.
96 yeah, we're riding!
97 Julie figuring out directions
98 OK, she knows where we are.
99 Ireland ahhhhhh....
100 Beware of the Bull How appropriate!
101 Ireland
102 Beara Peninsula
103 Beara Peninsula
104 Beara Peninsula We rode down that road, then up, up, up.
105 Killer Climb Mark's making his way up this ridiculously steep hill. (Look to the left.)
106 Killer Climb Mark's the dot in the sun.
107 Killer climb on 50+ mile day Julie made Mark go back down a ways so she could take a picture of him climbing the crest. Yes, she knows, she's evil!!! But Mark willingly obliged.
108 Killer Climb
109 Ireland
110 Cycling Stud Mark
111 Now where are we going?
112 We brake for pubs!
113 McCarthy's Bar in Castletownbere The #1 best seller book in Ireland right now is about this bar. (Written by Pete McCarthy who doesn't own it but is a regular and may be having an affair w/the owner (according to our guide.) Julie & Jon bought copies of the book if you want to borrow it.
114 AGHHH! Which way?
115 Cycling in the Rain
116 Coming in for a landing!
117 Now it's Mark's turn.
118 Ferry We took a ferry to Garnish Island (no, this is not where they grow garnishes!)
119 weary cyclists on a rocking ferry!
120 Garden on Garnish Island Lisa braved the elements to snap these photos while Jon, Mark and Julie hung out in a dry restaurant.
121 Garden on Garnish Island
122 Garden on Garnish Island
123 Garden on Garnish Island
124 Garden on Garnish Island
125 Garden on Garnish Island
126 Garden on Garnish Island
127 view of seals from the ferry
128 Rest day in Schull
129 Schull Harbor
130 Dinner in Schull
131 Lisa & Mark supervising Jon fixing a flat
132 hmmmm....
133 Beautiful Bantry Bay
134 Beautiful Bantry Bay
135 Bantry House Babes
136 Bantry House
137 Bantry House
138 Bantry House This time w/no water coming out of the top of Julie's head!
139 Bantry House
140 Bantry House Butterfly
141 Bantry House Garden
142 Hangin' at Bantry House
143 Still Hangin' at Bantry House
144 Bantry House Stable
145 Bantry House Stable
146 Bantry House
147 View from Bantry House
148 Bantry House
149 Bantry House Check out the croquet set up on the lawn.
150 Jon in Bantry House
151 Bantry House This is the view after climbing 100 steps above the garden. The owner still lives there and we saw him walking around.
152 Anonymous Bridge along the cycling route
153 Anonymous old structure along the road
154 Creedons Pub At 1500ft elevation, this is the highest pub in Ireland.
155 Creedons Pub
156 Mark wants to go to work even while on vacation.
157 Gougane Barra Our hotel was right on this lake (or loch I should say).
158 Hangin' at the Gougane Barra pub
159 Gougane Barra
160 Gougane Barra Pub
161 Gougane Barra
162 Gougane Barra
163 Gougane Barra
164 Gougane Barra Having dinner w/the cycling group.
165 Gougane Barra Dinner
166 Gougane Barra Swan
167 View from M&J's room check out the guy with the big horns in the back
168 Getting ready to leave Gougane Barra
169 Gougane Barra
170 Gougane Barra
171 Last day of cycling and Jon finally got his clothes (lost by Aer Lingus -- Mark's were lost by British Airways)
172 the twins They were so happy that Jon finally got his clothes so they could match!
173 cycling
174 taking a break
175 Yo, Lisa & her crew
176 the cycling group 1 Austrian, 2 Germans, 2 Canadians, 2 English, 7 Americans, 1 Irish
177 Mark making chocolate sandwiches at the airport at 6AM
178 M&J waiting for Bill at SB airport (after not sleeping for 24+ hours!!)
179 101-0124 IMG The remaining pics are from places Lisa & Jon visited in Scotland. After Mark & Julie saw these pics we were very jealous. Enjoy!
180 101-0130 IMG
181 101-0132 IMG
182 101-0136 IMG I think this may be Stonehaven? (In Scotland)
