Our last stop was the spectacular Orkney Islands. Le Boreal docked at Kirwall, where we were met by our buses and wonderful tour guide, Pat. Our first stop was the magnificent and ancient Ring of Brodgar, an ancient series of standing stones of Scandinavian (Orkney was largely ruled and influenced by Norway as opposed to [...]

A short, smooth sailing trip and quick tender ride took us to Portree, on the Isle of Skye, the largest of the Inner Hebrides.  Another gorgeous, colorful example of a Scottish port village awaited us and the day dawned clear and warm.  A scenic bus ride took us through the Cuillin Mountains and we arrived at lovely [...]

A cool and choppy arrival in Scotland today. We had to travel by tender to the Isle of Iona, which was an interesting experience! Iona was the first place in Scotland to convert to Christianity around the 6th c., under the Irish Saint Columba (Colum Cille). It became a scholarly site, notable for its illuminated [...]

By morning on Wednesday, May 11, we were snugly docked in Holyhead, Wales. We set off by bus through Anglesey, home of Prince William’s air rescue unit (and where the royal couple had just finished hooneymooning) to visit the amazing Bodnant Garden in Conwy. Bodnant is home to the spectacular labernum arch: a more than [...]

As a native of Ireland, this port of call obviously held a fond spot in my heart. While my fellow travelers embarked by bus to a morning visit at Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, an 8th c. illuminated manuscript retelling of the gospels, as well as Trinity’s amazing ‘Long Library’ collection of [...]