On the road again

One last look at Holyrood. This is a view of the ruins of Holyrood Abbey, another victim of the reformation, so sad.

Driving through the Scottish countryside. On our way to Wales. My roomate Sally and I had our turn riding in the fromt seat of the bus. great views but scary.  All these cars and trucks kept rushing past us on the "wrong" side' roundabouts were especially exciting.

On the way, we stopped in Gretna Green. Readers of romance fiction will recognize this as the town, just across the border in Scotland, where young English couples eloped to. Back in the 1600's England passed a law that you had to be 21 years old or have your parents' consent to get married. Young couples who couldn't wait would cross the boarder into Scotland where the marriage laws were much more relaxed. The little blacksmith shop in Gretna Green was only a half mile from the boarder and became a popular wedding destination. After the blacksmith/pastor married the couple they were directed to a cnvenient little room where they could consumate the marriage - just in case mom and dad were in hot pursuit. We enjoyed a mock ceremony, see picture above, in which the groom vowed to give his bride all his money and and the bride promised to keep him supplied with several liters of wiskey per week and also rub his feet every night.

We had breakfast in Scotland, lunch in England and made it to Wales in time for a lovely dinner. We stayed at Ruthin Castle (pronounced Rithin) which is now run as a hotel. We were told that this is the only castle in Wales where you can stay because none of the others have roofs. This picture shows the tub in our bedroom, and it was in the bedroom. There was a more ordinary shower in the bathroom'

The 18th century part of the castle, which had been updated to contain the hotel, was surrounded by ruins dating back to the 1100's'

The peacocks roaming the grounds were obviously not intimidated by us. Peacocks were kept, in the early days, because they would screech and warn of intruders. If times got tough they could also be eaten. The castle was, of course, haunted, and one of the men in our group swore that there were mysterious noises in his room that night.