Given I am the golfer in the family, Sarah is sitting out this blog. So let’s start with a couple of typical “lies” (positions) that I might experience during a round of golf, at the birthplace of golf; The Old Course – St Andrews.

Correct, not your typical fairway photo but the dreaded Hell bunker on hole 14 and some nasty spikey shrub surrounding most fairways. This is where my shots normally end up these days🤣. The Old Course at St Andrews has 112 bunkers and each one is named, like the Coffin on hole 13 for it’s small size and sharp inclined faces.

St Andrews is considered the home of golf, as the game commenced here in the high middle ages, around 1504. The Dutch dispute this claim with references to golf from 1297, however, the Scott’s regulated the game with a thing called “rules”, so they own the title. There is actually 6x 18 hole courses on this relatively small plot of land by the North Sea. Another fun fact, is they actually banned the game twice because it distracted us guys from our day to day chores. Hmmm, not sure about this, especially given I don’t really seem to have many chores myself these days 🤔. So, for some more glorified memories of The Old Course.

Swilcan Bridge on hole 18!

Putting green 16, the undulation and size is unreal!

Hole 1 tee-off & 18 putting green, side by side!

The closest I shall get to playing the course at $350 a round and a month waiting list!

Note the Mary Poppins style swing!

Luckily, all public can freely walk the entire course any Sunday of the year!

So enough of this silly old game (which I love to hate) and onto exploring St Andrews. Surprisingly, it is actually a very pretty and historical old town, dating back to the 8th Century, with period homes, St Andrews Cathederal, Fort, University and Castle.

And finally, this is where Kate met Will 🥰. Over and out!

Perth (no, we are not secretly back in Australia, hiding on the West Coast), this town is known as the Gateway to the Scottish Highlands. This is where we start our next adventure and in this case another House Sit for the adorable Welch Family of Jamie, Karen, Rosie and Freya, plus of course Alfie and Brambles our 2 animal companions for the week. Everyone was just so lovely and I even had a chance to do some home cooking with Rosie on her early return home.

Perth itself is a friendly town, originally the capital of Scotland up until 1437 when King James I was murdered. After this tragedy the royalty decided to move and live in Edinburgh Castle because they believed it would be safer for them. So nowdays what is Perth famous for? Well, it’s home to Scone Castle, The Black Watch, River Tay and a lovely boutique winery, Cairn O’Mohr where we restocked the motorhome 🥳🥴. They specialise in making wine out of fruit other than grapes!!!🍌🍓🍎🍇

However, the real story to this blog commenced when Mic caught up with a traveling work mate Jimmy and his son James. I thought we were going for a leisurely coffee into Perth, however, on we drove until we made the Highlands proper. Ohh and glad we did, what a breathtaking sight. You just can’t comprehend the stunning beauty of this area and I now realise why this area is so highly regarded. Sweeping views, mountain ranges, waterfalls, salmon estuaries, Lochs, wildlife, snow capped mountains, dazzling sunshine through low lying cloud and I haven’t half done it justice. But be prepared, as beautiful as this area appears, the weather can be quite the opposite and violent.

Checkout my wind blown hair – time for a hair cut I feel! We ended up at Glencoe and Fort Williams. However, this is a must return stop for us and the West Highland Way a 154km hike shall be the best way to experience this unique part of the world.

Finally, did I mention the restocking of our motorhome with some Scottish Whisky also 🤩.

A quick survey, at the must visit Hadrian’s Wall, has proved once and for all who wears the pants in our home.

So without further suspense, it has revealed I would be a Roman Commander of 80 men and Mic would be an Animal Keeper. Fair enough too!

This story commenced after leaving our Manchester Housesit (we already miss Simba and Nala dearly), when we choose to do a free camp in the Lakes District at Sheddale Reservoir, just by a working farm.

The Lakes District is very picturesque and an area we will need to spend more time in. However, after a night off grid we continue our drive to our destination of Hadrian’s Wall.

Hadrian’s Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman empire for nearly 300 years. It was built by the Roman army on the orders of the emperor Hadrian following his visit to Britain in AD 122. At 73 miles (80 Roman miles) long, it crosses northern Britain from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west. The most famous of all the frontiers of the Roman empire, Hadrian’s Wall was made a World Heritage Site in 1987. Today, the wall is used as a guide for a multi-day tourist walk over normally 7 days.

Finally, we decide to spend the night off grid again, this time on the river Eden in Carlisle, with some friendly visitors to keep Mic busy🙂.

In between Perth and Aberdeen is the sleepy little town of Arbroath. Mic and I find ourselves drawn to this raw coastline in search of natural rock formations, salty fresh air, crashing waves and a feed of fish – the good old Arbroath Smokies. And what better way to enjoy this delicacy but to eat it straight off the smoker from C Lyons Fresh Fish Shop (you know it’s going to be good if the sea lions are backing it…yes, it’s a mum joke but I couldn’t resist the play on words!!). All jokes aside the fish is sweet and you will enjoy every morsel, even hours after you’ve eaten it as the smoky flavour sticks with you. Mic thinks it’s great value, as you definitely get your money’s worth (haha 😂).

The fish shop couldn’t be better located as it’s adjacent to the harbour. It’s hard to believe but as early as 1394 a harbour existed in this town and was bought and paid for by the Abbot of Aberbrothock and has been known for many centuries as Abbot’s Harbour. It was destroyed by gale force winds and rebuilt in 1734 and then expanded in 1842 and again in 1877, by which time it was an extremely important trading port with ships sailing regularly to Scandinavia, Northern Europe and as far afield as North America. To look at it today you can notice that there has been an obvious decline in the fishing industry but shellfish market appears to be booming as there are numerous pots lining the board walk in anticipation of the next adventure at sea.

Enjoying the views from our camper we realise this sleepy little town has much to offer on days like this as the silence represents a simpler way of life away from the hustle and bustle of the cities. Taking in the tranquility can best be appreciated by finding the time to navigate the classical coastal walk which extends north of Arbroath itself. The area is known as the Seaton Cliffs and on offer there is a wealth of red sandstone formations, seabird colonies, butterflies and wild flowers. This area is maintained by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the short stroll ends on a fairly secluded pebble beach, just serene.

On our way back to Perth there are other pieces of eye candy on offer which have fascinating stories to uncover and these are found in the local district of Dundee. I promise none of this is made up as it sounds like we’re promoting all things Aussie but we are definitely in Scotland. But just like the ad “what charter boat?”, it’s easy to see that the sail faring variety in front is the infamous “Voyager”. It happens to be the last three masted ship built in the UK. The steamship was built for Antarctic Research and was launched in 1901. Shipbuilding in the UK was once a thriving industry with approx 1/5 of boats being built in Scotland for both their reliability and quality. So, although not like the halcyon days for ship building during the industrial revolution, it’s pleasing to see that Scotland still retains its strong hold on producing Royal Naval ships and that Maritime historians took the time and effort to return this amazing ship to its rightful birthplace. But just as fascinating is the ship like building in the background. A first class building which is “Home to Scottish Design”. Inside they are celebrating their heritage, inspiring and promoting contemporary talent and seeking to inspire design innovation for the future. It is unique with the variety of offerings on display and turned out to be a great way to finish our afternoon. So as the Scot’s would say in Gaelic, “Chain eil thu tuilleach ‘s sean airson ionnsachadh fhathast” and translated into English “We are to learn as long as we live”. The quest for acquiring more and more knowledge is an insatiable desire and today I certainly got my fare share, along with a few cups of coffee.

Mel Gibson made Braveheart famous for us non-Scots. But do you recall the character Mel Gibson was portraying in this historical war film? It was William Wallace, a medieval Scottish patriot who was spurred into revolt against the English when the love of his life was slaughtered. The Scottish were fighting for Independence against King Edward 1 during the 13th Century and William was keen for them to achieve this status. Unfortunately for the Scots, battles against the English were rarely won. But against all odds at the battle of Stirling they had a victory. You can only imgaine the rage that this must have caused at the time amongst the English, spurring the King on to end Wallace’s plans of any further wins and capture this rebel for public execution. As fate would have it, at the Battle of Falkirk he is betrayed with the Scottish army suffering heavy losses. He is captured and executed, but not before becoming a symbol for a free Scotland.

As the story goes it all took place around Stirling, and today on our way through to Perth there is an irresistible urge to call in to see where history was made and maybe even make some of our own 🤓. Enjoy!

Stirling Castle

King Robert the Bruce

Vibrant Stirling Town Centre

Surrounding area with William Wallace Monument in distant view.

Traditional Scottish Wedding we gate crashed

Not only do the wheels on our Motorhome go round and round, as we now arrive in Scotland, so too does the unique Falkirk Wheel.

This was a fascinating overnight camp spot in Falkirk, with the only rotating canal lock system in the world.

The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s, after it it opened in 2002 to reconnect Glasgow with Edinburugh.

Amazingly, it only uses the equivalent energy of 8 boiled kettles (16kW Mic informs me 🤓) and was inspired by a whale’s rib cage!!!

No, not Abbey Road, because that’s no fun and I think Octopus’s Garden, the 5th song off the Abbey Road album by the Beatles, is a way more hip hop blog title💃. Therefore, this story goes out to the Beatles Fab 4 of John, Paul, George and Ringo, ultimately regarded as the most famous music band of all time.

This story commences in London, with the iconic Abbey Road photo and yours truly posing with 3 other randoms at the gridlocked Abbey Road crossing in Camden, Westminster. Abbey Road is the eleventh Beatles studio album, released on 26 September 1969 and recorded predominately at the aptly named, Abbey Road Studio.

The recording sessions for this album were the last in which all four Beatles participated (although “Let it Be” was the final album that the Beatles completed before the bands dissolution in April 1970).

So where did it all start? Liverpool, and the famous Cavern Club located at 10 Matthew Street. The Beatles who were initially called the Quarrymen, made their first appearance at the club on 21 February 1957, culminating in a final appearance there on 3 August 1963, after a total of 292 shows.

There is just so much paraphernalia in the club, from the original Quarrymen, to other artists who all want to come and play the historic venue, including the likes of Queen, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys and Michael Jackson, aw sorry no it’s just Michael Davies or Mic for short🕺🙉🤣. So just “Beat It!”, Mic.

Even the Fonzie! Now we’re all not too young to remember Happy Days are we? Or should that be too old? Who cares, anyway his photo is featured here along with Prince Charles pouring beers behind the bar and Camilla waiting to be served.

There has been that many famous artists in this neck of the woods that they built a wall of fame in the alley and sadly, this is as close as Mic gets to making the grade. And that goes for me as well.

There are many other tributes to The Beatles as we explore Liverpool, plus a Lennon & Yoko display at the Liverpool Museum. I found this especially interesting, viewing her unusual art works which includes a bitten green apple. As the story goes, this is how they met, when John Lennon had a private viewing of her work and took a bite from the simple green apple on display. For some this is considered art? 👩‍🎨 It’s so ridiculous it’s funny and weird at the same time.

But as all good things must come to an end, what better way to pay tribute and finish off this blog by considering “The End” (which was the final song off the Abbey Road album 🤓)

As we depart London, we decide to accept another house sit, this time in Manchester as a perfect base to explore the town, Peak District and Liverpool.

So back into the Motorhome (but only after Mic performs his daily oil, water and tyre inspection 👨‍🔧) our first stop is an overnight Pub Stay near Peterborough. We love exploring these local pubs and in exchange for a meal at night, we can use their facilities and stay in the secure carpark.

The same is repeated the following night, because we prefer this over campgrounds. Our motorhome is self sufficient for at least 3 days, before the toilet needs emptying 💩 (Mic’s job). However, this night is in the beautiful Peak District just outside Shefield. The Peak District is known for its National Parks, sweeping views, rural/agricultural farmlands and picturesque hiking tracks. This is also where we store our motorhome for the following week, as we catch a train to Manchester to look after the adorable Simba and Nala (Chinchilla Persians) for the lovely Chiara.

How cute and cuddly! (I love these cats they are so affectionate and curious, Mic secretly wanted just to come to Manchester to look after these adorable pets).

But aside from getting carried away by these gorgeous cats we’re here to explore Manchester. So, what’s the vibe in Manchester; well we’ve discovered it’s a bustling city that was built around cotton, industry and of course soccer. You also discover a hard exterior with old building facades from businesses that have come and gone. However, the BBC relocated headquarters here in 2012, to lower costs as compared with London and consequently the city is rebuilding itself around their offices. Finally, worker bees are seen almost everywhere and represent the town’s industrial history of hard work and working together.

What we also enjoyed was the historic libraries, quite unique in style. Namely, the John Rylands and Chetham Library, typical of any Harry Potter movie. The Chatham Library in particular was the first public Library, circa 1655 with the original building dating back to the 15th century.

And then there is the Rocket, designed and built by Robert Stevenson who won the Rainhill Trials to build the first ever passenger steam engine in 1829. It just so happened to service both Manchester and Liverpool.

Next, off to Liverpool for the day and in contrast, Liverpool 40km west, is the seaside port on the river Mersey. A modern, lively city that has dusted off the industrial past and kept a few remnants of its maritime history.

And of course, no visit could pass by a lucky touch of the Eleanor Rigby Bronze tribute to conclude a great day out.

After 19 days, approximately 250km later, we finish our trek around London, averaging nearly 15km per day from our Airbnb base at Elephant & Castle. The weather has been magical and it has been rather amusing watching the English melt 😥 under Aussie like summer temperatures of 36oC.

So as I put my feet up and reflect, now back in our motorhome on our way to Manchester, I thought it best to summarise the remaining Best of London moments via photo memoirs. So from Westminster, St Paul’s, #10 Downing St (now #11 because it is more spacious for the current PM Boris Johnson trying to resolve Brexit by 31st October good luck!), London 👁 and to Mic’s Pie and Eel 🤢 – enjoy!

The quintessentially English indulgence of whiling away an afternoon can be spent riding around in horse driven carriages, waltzing around the ballroom in Buckingham palace, stopping for high tea eating dainty sweet treats and drinking tea in the Queen’s Garden, along with taking the Dorgis for a quick stroll.

My invite to Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s Art Gallery and Mews, although well over due was a pleasant surprise when it was hand delivered by the distinguished Royal Mail Officer to my temporary residency at Elephant Castle, just not sure what took them so long to send it? (lol🤣) It’s an enviable position I know, but don’t worry, similar experiences are now available to the ordinary peasants from around the 20th July through to 29th September each summer. It is well worth the visit too and after all, how often do you get to pretend you’re a Princess/Prince for an afternoon.

The highlight at the Palace for the moment is the Leonardo da Vinci art on display. It’s been 500 years since he was born and as such, in the Queen’s gallery they are celebrating “A Life in Drawing”. What a fabulous person Leonardo was, there is so much more to this man than I ever knew existed. He was well ahead of his time and insatiably curious to untangle everything and anything about life. His preoccupations were so diverse that he can be accredited with being an architect, engineer, cartographer, biologist, artist and astronomer. Wow, this has definitely left me speechless and for all of you who know me this is a rare occurrence. What a brainiac or maybe the 16th century version of Google!

And of course, no Royal can carry out their official duties without their beloved horse and carriage. The Mews are where you will find the stables, carriages, about 30 horses and some rather luxurious looking Rolls Royce automobiles powered by a different type of horsepower (yes, it’s lame and another one of those Mum jokes I know). But the carriage in these photos is no ordinary carriage it happens to be the one used for the coronation ceremony of the Queen on 2nd June 1953. It is referred to as the Gold State Coach and is an enclosed carriage which is typically drawn by eight horses. It is very ornate and according to the Queen, horrible to ride in as it is only sprung on leather. Nice to look at though 🙂. And don’t forget to get your happy snap rubbing shoulders with the Royals. It’s a rare opportunity. Finishing off with a sweet treat (or 2) and cup of tea as a guest in the Royal cafe.

So finally, what are the “Dorgis”? No, there is no typo or spelling mistake. It’s a fact that there was an unplanned encounter between one of the Queen’s Corgis with one of Princess Margaret’s Dachsunds (sausage dog) and now there’s a Dorgis 🐶♥️. I’m sure you would agree a very cute addition to the Queen’s dogs and just as adorable as a Corgis.

This has been one of my most memorable days since Mic and I set out on our adventure of a lifetime. Amongst all the pomp and pageantry, I do get a real sense that a lot of love and genuine good will has gone into providing a wonderful experience for all who visit this palace and its surrounds, as it’s easy to see it is more than just a famous residency, but a working palace which all Brits can be extremely proud of to share with the rest of the world. Long live the Queen! 👸🤴