Trafton’s European Tour 2024-2025

Greetings from sunny and beautiful Spain, great weather here in last couple of days! Blue skies and mid 60s, yes that’s freezing to the Spaniards😜

Let’s check in on team C&K who are in Mighty Scotland

Cindy’s talking now!

Halò from Edinburgh, Scotland! We had a lovely stay on the Isle of Skye and our hosts Gloria and Willie were so welcoming. We thoroughly enjoyed our fires! 🔥 

We left yesterday morning under heavy rain and dark clouds to our new destination here in Edinburgh. Arrived safely to our new Airbnb and planned out our next day. 

We are staying out of the downtown area and took a double decker bus into the city center. Always fun!

We arrived into the city and look at the first thing we see…

The Johnnie Walker Experience! Well too early for that so on we went. 

St Cuthbert’s Kirkyard (church and cemetery) with the Edinburgh Castle in the background. We hiked up to the castle and enjoyed the vibe. 

I’ve toured the castle before and Kate said she’s okay without the tour so off we headed down the Royal Mile (also known as the Whisky Mile). Also known as the Royal Mile for ya Tea Toters😜

Yes, I’m beginning to see why they call it the Whisky Mile. They could have also called it the Cashmere Mile. Dozens of shops specializing in Cashmere and Lambs wool apparel. 

We are thoroughly enjoying the sunshine we are having (and don’t mind the wind). We continued our walk down this historic road and came to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This is the official residence of the British Monarch of Scotland, since the 16th century. Still used as a working palace and is used for state occasions, etc. 

The palace is surrounded by Arthur’s Seat which is an ancient extinct volcano, well known for its hiking trails. Stories about this area relate back to King Arthur. 

We decided not to partake, but instead went over and hiked up Calton Hill. Beautiful views and lots of history. (The tour groups were out in full force now.) 

Next up, we headed to the Edinburgh Christmas Market, which is located in the West Princes Street Gardens, right below the castle. A very popular annual event and filled with people on a Wednesday afternoon, one week before Christmas! 

They had a lot of unique gift booths but nothing jumped out at us and said “Buy me!”

Well, we still had time to stop in to a fun little pub right on the Whisky Mile and enjoy a pint. (A little side note, we had a group of men all dressed in their full Scottish regalia next to us. One at a time they would disappear out into the street and 15-20 minutes later would reappear and another one would disappear doing the same. As we left the pub, there one was, out in the street playing the bagpipes for the people passing by. So funny, after each shift they would go and enjoy another pint with their bros! We contributed to their fun! 🤣🍺🎄

That was a full day, so we headed for our bus and back home to get reorganized for tomorrow’s journey. Heading back into jolly old England! 

Slainte (cheers in Gaelic) for now!!

Wow, that’s a full day, TGC reports over 28,000 steps, sure glad I missed that!

Happy to report all is well and looking for to the ladies joining me late Sunday night!

Stay tuned, more to come! From sunny Cadiz,

God save the King,

Adios Amigos

Greetings from beautiful and sunny Cadiz!

We are having a beautiful stretch of weather here but unfortunately the wind is really blowing! So, even though it’s 64 in the afternoon everyone still has the down jackets on!

Ok, let check in with team C&K who were on the move to Scotland last time we talked.

Cindy is talking now,

That’s a tough Cow!

Halò from Isle of Skye, Scotland. The official language of Scotland is Scots Gaelic and this is Hello! This was a very handsome (or pretty, as both male and female have horns) Highland Cattle. 

We left Stirling, Scotland yesterday morning amid some heavy rain and wind that pretty much followed us the whole way. We did see some beautiful sights but difficult to photograph. 

Eilean Donan Castle, originally built in the thirteenth century, destroyed in the early eighteenth century and reconstructed in the 20th century. 

Fire in Scotland ✔️

We arrived to our new home in Broadford, on the Isle of Skye, (or Skye as they call it), and immediately started a fire 🔥! 

Because of the forecast for the next day of rain and wind intermittently we planned an abbreviated tour of the island. 

The Scottish Highlands are very rugged, but so beautiful. We made a stop in Portree, which is very recognizable because it is frequently photographed. 

We made our way north to hopefully see The Old Man of Storr but he was hiding in the low cloud coverage. So here’s a picture (not ours) of what it looks like.

Then, of course, we headed to do a Scottish Whisky tasting at Talisker Distillery. Not our cup of tea, but still a fun experience! Slainte! (That’s Cheers in Scots Gaelic) 

Headed for Edinburgh, Scotland tomorrow for a couple of nights and some great sightseeing. Looking forward to it! 

Mar sin leat (Goodbye) for now!

Wow, team C&K braving the elements in Scotland, couple of brave Lassies those two👍

Back in sunny Spain

Yes, parrots live in the wild here, I have a whole flock that lives in a tree outside my balcony. They are so active and man can they make noise!

Yes I’m still on my seafood mission, shrimp, mussels, swordfish and tuna, but i did treat myself to a little chorizo tasting, delicious!

Ok, that’s it today

God save the King and all that!

Adios Amigos

Greetings from sunny and beautiful Cadiz, where Christmas is in full swing!

Yesterday in the Plaza below my balcony, a Christmas Party for kids, fantastic!

Ok, let’s chat with team C&K, I believe they’re on the move to Scotland!

Cindy T talking now,

Hello from Scotland! 

It was our last night in Ambleside and they sent us out with a bang! When we checked in a couple of days ago to our inn they told us that every Friday night they had a live band for entertainment. We said, “oh that’s nice” not realizing our room was immediately above where the band was set up. Needless to say, this inn was built in the 1800’s with minimal insulation. Need I say more? There was no sleep to be had until after 11:00 PM. The highlight was the bands lead singer actually sang well and it was 80’s music!!

We said goodbye to our sweet hostess, Allie, who posed for us behind the bar. It’s the people that you meet on your adventure that really make it special. 

We shared the drive to Stirling, Scotland, our halfway point to the Isle of Skye where we are headed. After checking in (our hotel is right in the heart of the historical area), we did a short walking tour. 

The Church of the Holy Rude, was founded in 1129 during the reign of David the 1st of Scotland. It is one of three churches still in use in Britain that have been the sites of coronations.  

Tomorrow we’re off to the Isle of Skye, where unfortunately, we’ll be greeted with rain. Well, we are in Great Britain in December!!

“ Hae s guid journey “ Scottish for have a safe journey!

Back to Mike

Wow sirs, looks like quite an adventure!

“Bobs your uncle” that’s British for have a good day!

Adios Amigos

Greetings from beautiful but partly cloudy Spain!

We had quite the storm move through Cadiz Wednesday night into Thursday afternoon. It rained over 1 inch with thunder! No problems however,and afterwards, beautiful blue sky!

It’s quite interesting in Cadiz, the weather is vey Mediterranean and usually quite nice, but in the morning it’s in the low 50s. The folks here wear winter gear like they are in Idaho! Wool coats, down 3/4 jackets, wool scarves and knit caps all around! Even gloves!

Team C&K are on the move let’s check in!

Cindy is writing now,

Greetings from the Lake District in England!

We left the Peak District under cloudy skies, but no rain or wind! We enjoyed our stay at the Pack Horse Inn. The owner was lovely and treated us so well. Upon asking if we could have a picture of her and her staff for the blog, she insisted, instead, for us to get behind the bar for a photo! What a hoot!

Our drive to our new home in Ambleside was uneventful. In fact, Katie drove the last 40 miles (her first experience in driving in England). She did great! I have to say it’s just as bizarre being a front seat passenger in an English designed car as it is the driver! 

The Lakes District is famous for all their hiking trails. We had done some research and one of the more popular ones, from Ambleside to Grasmere includes a portion called The Coffin Road. This route is notable as it passes two of the poet, William Wordsworth’s homes. Parts of the route are quite rugged and other parts just plain beautiful. It is also famous for Beatrix Potter, author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She is credited for helping to preserve The Lake District National Park. Our nine mile hike took us just over four hours and we couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces! Just beautiful!

Love these English mail boxes!

Last night here, then we’re off to Scotland. Remember, our ferries got cancelled so we’re doing some revamping of our trip and will get to explore a little more of Scotland and England than originally planned. The people have been so friendly and we just keep pinching ourselves. 

Stay tuned!

Back to Mike,

Wow, I’m not much of a hiker, but that’s beautiful!

Ok, there’s rumors of a Guinness beer shortage in England, Team C&K went on an investigation reconnaissance.

Team C&K in England, and reports of a beer shortage 🤔

Meanwhile, in Cadiz I’m doing my best to keep the the economy moving!

That’s it for now,

God save the King!

Adios Amigos!

And Metty Christmas

Greetings from beautiful if cold, windy and rainy Cadiz! Yes, the weather moved in late yesterday and it’s forecast to rain all day here.

However, the forecast for the next 10 days is beautiful, so push on!

Before we get to team C&Ks adventure, a few words from me on Wales.

The Welsh people are very proud of Wales and while it’s part of England and the UK, don’t ever forget they have a long and prideful history. They have talked of independence a few times as have the Scottish people.

If you are interested, Netflix has a great series on the uniting of England “ The Last Kingdom“ it does a great job explaining how England was unified after purging the Vikings.

Ok TGC is now in control!

Greetings from the Peak District of England. 

We enjoyed our stay in Wales. It was so unique to see the Welsh language on all the signs.

After our ferries to Dublin had been cancelled, we put our heads together to come up with a new game plan. We decided to reverse our trip and leave Wales and head back into England and head north. 

We’ve arrived in New Mills, to our new inn, The Pack Horse Inn which is SW of Manchester. 

It is close to numerous pretty villages and beautiful scenery but we decided to take a tour of the Chatsworth House and Gardens. It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire. Construction began in 1687. For those Pride and Prejudice movie fans you will recognize the pictures from the movie. It was all decorated for Christmas and was incredibly beautiful. We kept pinching ourselves!

England has these wonderful Farm shops, fantastic shops !

Tomorrow we head for the Lake District for a couple of days of sightseeing and laundry!! 

Driving continues to be very adventurous and at times stressful, for both driver and navigator!

While we had no sunshine, we were without rain and wind. 👏🏻 

That’s it from team C&K for today! Looks like they’re having a great time.

You know me, just kind of hanging out😜

That’s it for now, got my rain jacket out and ready to carry on !

Until later, God save the King

Adios AmigoS

Greetings from beautiful and warm Cadiz, Spain.

Beautiful winter weather here, lows 50s,, highs 60s and lots of sunshine.

Unfortunately for team C&K things have not been going as smoothly. Remember they were scheduled to take the ferry across to Ireland.

I’ll let TGC ( Tour Guide Cindy) take over

Greetings from Beaumaris, Wales. Let’s get you caught up on our topsy turvy adventure. As you may remember, we had a massive storm that hit the UK while we were in Bath. Well, unfortunately  that storm affected all the ferry crossings to Ireland. We had planned a one night stay here in Beaumaris, Wales in an absolutely lovely Inn, with an early ferry crossing to Dublin on the morning of the 9th. 

On our way here we received an email stating all the ferries were cancelled. 😫 The next scheduled ferry would have been this evening, the 10th. So we added an extra night and spent the day enjoying Beaumaris and visited the “Greatest Castle Never Built” a block away. It was begun by King Edward I in 1295 and after about five years he ran out of money as he was having a war in Scotland!😧 It was amazing and interesting. That evening we spoke with some locals in our pub (right here in our inn..pinch us!) and they recommended a great hike into the Cwm Idwl National Nature Reserve a half hour away. Well, as we had plenty of time to kill, this morning we got some things done then headed for our hike. Beautiful sunny morning, we had just begun our hike when we received an email (thank goodness we had reception 😁) that our ferry for Tuesday evening was cancelled. The next ferry would be the next night (Wednesday). We turned around, and headed for the Inn to figure out our plan of action!😆 

Well, we’d now lost two of our three nights in Dublin, and not knowing if, or when, we’d get there, would we get stuck over there with our rental car?? So, being disappointed, but realizing we have many options, we pivoted, cancelled our trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland and rerouted our trip up through England and Scotland! 

So, stay tuned…

Cwm Idwl National Nature Reserve 

Ok, big changes for team C&K, but being professionals they’ll overcome!

I’m enjoying my favorite City and making the most of the seafood!

That’s it for now, God save the King and all that

Adios Amigo 😎

Greetings from beautiful Cadiz, Spain

Lovely weather here in Spain, 67 and partly sunny! Unfortunately, team C&K were not so lucky in England! A huge storm Darragh moved across England with wind and rain close to 100 mph!

Thousands lost power and downed trees closed roads. Let’s check in with the team.

Cindy’s writing now!

We had a terrible wind and rain storm that started last night and continued throughout today. We decided to cut our tour down by a couple of hours and glad we did. Debris and downed trees were everywhere causing many delays and rerouting!😟 

So, first stop Bibury, crazy busy by 11:00. The weather didn’t stop the tourists that’s for sure. 

Ok, on to Clarkson’s Farm

Any “Clarkson Farm” fans out there? We stopped at “The Diddly Squat Farm Shop” which is featured on Prime Video. It had a huge line so unfortunately not enough time to stand in line. Found a parking spot and took a few photos. Made us smile. 

We drove through some other beautiful little villages but unfortunately the crowds were huge and no parking. So our last stop was Bourton-on-the-Water. Michael and I had been there once before but in the summer. Found a parking spot and took in some sights. Beautiful!

We headed for home and that’s when it got a little crazy with down trees and road closers, as I mentioned before. But we made it home safely. 

Tomorrow we drive to Wales for an overnighter and then a ferry to Dublin! Cheerio for now!

PS December 7 is Pearl Harbor day🙏🏻

That looks a bit nasty didn’t it😬

What’s a guy supposed to do in Spain! Well!

Ok that’s it for now, adios Amigos!

Greetings from beautiful Cadiz, Spain.

We are doing something a little different this year, Cindy and Kate wanted to tour England, Ireland and Scotland. I’ve been there before, so I headed to my favorite city, Cadiz , Spain

So, I’m writing the Blog from Spain, with Team C&K in England, meaning it will be different, especially with my terrible spelling and punctuation!

Bear with us as we move on, stiff upper lip and all!

Ok, Cindy’s writing this about here’s and Kates tour.

Beautiful December morning in Bath, England. Bath is the only city in the UK that is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We are staying right in the heart of Bath, so we began our lovely walking tour beginning with the Royal Baths (we didn’t partake ourselves) but admired the beautiful architecture. Of course it was the Romans who discovered the thermal waters which are still enjoyed today. 

Then on to Bath Abbey, again so beautiful. Bath is well known for its Christmas Markets and it’s in full swing! All the streets are lined with different and unique booths. 

Some of the other sites we saw were the Pulteney Bridge and the very famous No. 1 Royal Cresent with its lovely sloping park. Again we were blessed with great weather. 

Driving on the British side😜

For those Jane Austin lovers we had to stop by the museum gift shop just to check it out. Found a beautiful little produce stand, then it was off to lunch. Delicious! 

After lunch we headed back to our apartment to change clothes and go for a very popular hike called the Bath Skyline trail. We enjoyed the hike and the views were awesome. Along the way we discovered that Bath has numerous canals surrounding it. Many are lined with barges that people live in. 

Enjoyed our day very much. Off tomorrow for a driving trip through the Cotswolds. The weather turned rainy this afternoon with more to come tomorrow. Oh well…we are in jolly old England!

Ok, that’s it for today, Jolly good and that!

Adios Amigos

Greetings from cold, but mostly dry London.

Day two of the adventure continues with another walking tour of London.

We love London and have visited here before but love returning. I think one of the reasons why is that we use the underground extensively.

The underground is safe, reasonably priced and can take you anywhere.

Traffic in London is relatively light as everyone uses the Tubes to get around .

Ok, before we go anywhere, a Full English Breakfast. The baked beans cause quite a stir, but they’re delicious!

First stop Buckingham Palace,

Ok, walking through the park now.

A short walk takes you to Westminster Abbey

You need to take a tour here, so Cindy and Kate went in while I people watched.

Beautiful, beautiful place and unbelievable history. You could easily spend the whole day here.

But we must walk!

The giants of the UK have statues in the park next to Westminster.

Walking down to parliament. It’s been restored and it’s beautiful.

In 1940, an incredible battle was waged over the skies of London! It’s was a battle to save freedom from Nazi Germany.

People from around the UK came and participated in the battle. The Germans were relentless in bombing London, thousands died!

This monument stands in thanks to all who helped to save the world from fascism.

Walking through Soho now. Quite the happening spot.

On to Covent Garden. Quite the busy place with the holidays.

Ok, that’s it from London!

We’re heading to Stansted Airport, where I’m flying to Spain and Cindy and Kate are picking up a rental car and touring England, Ireland and Scotland.

P.S. Another 12 mile day…that’s 25 miles in two days! So much for a slow start!

Cheerio from London Town

Greetings from beautiful London Town, busy England.

Quite a long trip over, with flight delays and layovers, but after a hectic 24 hour odyssey, we made it to our Airbnb in the Notting Hill neighborhood of London. Kate had already made it to our Airbnb in London, so it was an easy check in.

We checked out the local pub, The Cow. It was fantastic. Ok, time for a little dinner!

Ok, up bright and early as we have a full day ahead! First stop, the local diner for the Full English Breakfast. Yes, those are Baked Beans, tomatoes and mushrooms, standard English breakfast fare…delicious!

First stop, Brought Market. More of a food court style market and very popular.

Walking across the River Thames now, nice weather. A bit cold but no rain!

The Tower of London was a fortress, a Royal Palace and an infamous Prison.

Cindy and I have toured the Tower before, but Kate hadn’t, so she and Cindy had a fantastic tour.

The retired Beefeaters take you on the tour. They are quite humorous and very knowledgeable.

The Tour is very fun, but they are really limiting photography, so not so many pictures.

During their tour, Cindy and Kate saw the King of Qatar who was in town to talk trade with Charles. They gave him a cannon salute. That was fun.

Ok, Tube over to Harrods, man it was PACKED with holiday shoppers.

Harrods is very, very high end and crazy busy, so we made the visit short and made it back home.

Ok, 27,000 steps and over a dozen Tube changes, I’m exhausted!

More tomorrow, I’m sure!