Canada via Cleveland Ohio

I took an early plane to Buffalo by Jet Blue, they are a great airline. Caught a bus into town and had a quick look and some breakfast. Bought a Greyhound ticket to Cleveland and arrived about 2pm. Had booked a hotel on Priceline, you name the price they get you the hotel, I stayed at the Hyatt. I recommend them. Went to the Western Reserve Historical library to find information on Peter McCormicks brother and found not as much as I wanted, but some interesting bits. The city is interesting and on Lake Erie. Had some good meals and some bad ones, and longed for a decent coffee. I left Cleveland for Detroit and had bought a ticket to take me into London Canada. Our bus was late so missed my connection (fate). It was not the place I really wanted to go to, but I couldn't find a bus to take me to Port Huron/Sarnia. I found a nice taxi driver to take me 40 miles to Sarnia on Lake Huron at a price I was willing to pay. Had a great meal in Sarnia as I watched the sun set, and next day hired a car to take me to Goderich, to where the brother had met his wife. It was lovely driving up with glimpses of the lake, the town was interesting and I met a few nice people also doing research. I drove back to Sarnia, about a 2 hr drive and then caught the train to London. I could have stayed in London overnight, but had to find a hotel at 8pm, so decided to get back to New York on the overnight bus. The bus I needed to catch had been delayed (fate) and was still there when I walked into the office, so off I went to Toronto, bought some Pizza and yoghurt there at 10.30 pm. The bus left at 11.15, so had a quick walk around a couple of streets and then left for Buffalo, to go through customs and slept well until next morning when I bought a bagel and smoothie for breakfast at 5.45am, We arrived in New York at 11.15am. I had left Sarnia at 7pm, but a great trip. Next time I come to New York, I'm going to bus it across the top and bus it back across the bottom of the states. I will hire a car to take me to any special places I want to see if I can't walk there.
Only 6 days till I'm back in Australia and will be back in time to see Australia play there second world cup game. it was a great win today.

Edinburgh

As I said it was bank holiday weekend so the place was crowded and everyone was full of fun, as the first picture shows, even the statues on the royal mile were not immune to some extra additions. It was also the cow exhibition and the city was full of cows, decorated in amazing ways. I had seen a previous cow exhibition in Zurich some years ago. I visited all the galleries, went to Leith harbour where family had left in 1827 and dined out each night. My amaretto cheese cake finished a great vegetarian meal, first polenta and beetroot salad entree, then green veg risotto, and a small glass of wine. One night I had nachos with goats cheese and tomato and another night pasta and asparagus salad. Not cheap when you convert the prices to aussie $ but very good food. I flew from edinburgh to heathrow and then used my original ticket to JFK. Time is running away and I still have lots of things I want to do before I leave on 16th June.

Scotland

I flew in to Glasgow from Newark, with clear views as we were approaching Scotland. The three days in Glasgow went too fast, I was busy looking for evidence of where Peter McCormick had lived in Port Glasgow and Glasgow, sadly all the places have been demolished but it was great to walk the streets where he would have walked. I spent time at the Mitchell Library looking at old newspapers and also visited the Glasgow University, it has been open since 1550, there are wonderful buildings around the campus. The food was good in Glasgow and I had tapas at Andulaz, a spanish place owned by an Italian. My hotel was good and central for the things I wanted to do, cost 35 pounds a night with breakfast, which didn't break the bank. On my last night I took the train out to Ballock at the end of Loch Lomond and walked half a mile to put my hands in the water. I went by train to Edinburgh and wanted to go for a weekend trip to the highlands but it was bank holiday weekend and all the 2 day trips were booked. I went to Oban on the first trip, and to Inverness the next day. Typical scottish weather as the lower photo shows, windy, cold and wet. I did enjoy a look at Invarary Castle, with all its treasures, the garden, and the view from the car park, we went over the bridge as we continued on our way. Life is good.