Its Tuesday 2.30 and we’ve just arrived home, bit of a hassle with the flight from New York, plane taxied for two hours before taking off, then we had to circle for about 45 minutes when we got to Heathrow, then we had to sit in the plane on the tarmac for another 30 minutes till they could find somewhere to disembark!

Which meant we missed our 08.50 connection to Edinburgh and had to wait to get the 11.30 anyhoo we made it, its nice to be home but I think we are going to miss the adventure!

We are about to have a bowl of Heinz tomato soup before going through 6 months worth of mail!

We still have over 5 weeks off before we go back to work so we will be in touch with everyone soon for a catch up, promise we won’t bore you with the 11,000 photo’s we have taken!!!

Cask and Barrell look out we’re back!

Lindy and Callum

Home sweet home

Its arrived our last day, we fly out of Ny tonight at 7.30pm, this time we’re coming home, more about yesterday first.

It was pouring down all day yesterday so we took a cab to Macy’s, the biggest store in the world, and it is huge. Then we had lunch in Macy’s. We then walked up to the Rockafella centre which holds the TV network NBC, so we had a look around their gift shop, the Rockafella centre is huge, outside is where they have the ice rink in the winter. Callum needing one more height fix went up to the top of the rock, which is the viewing platform from the top of the Rockafella centre, it was a bit murky up there but he got some interesting pictures.

This one is for my nephew Sean, we came across the headquarters of Spiderman, I have a few pictures for you.

Because it was raining, and only beacuse it was raining!!!!! we found an Irishbar called the Celtic bar (how appropriate) had a few light refreshments before walking through Times square to see all the lights, it is totally glitz and glamour, great to see even when it’s raining. Edna decided to do a bit of pole dancing much to the amusement of all around her!!

Then headed home and got food from our local deli, this place has been a lifesaver!

Today we leave at 3.15 to go to the airport, Edna does not leave until tomorrow so she will be in New York herself for a day, you never know maybe one day they will make a movie about her antics in New York, “Edna’s adventures alone in NY”!

Just to let Mum and Susan know I am not able to send Texts from my phone don’t know whats wrong, but to let you know in case you have arranged a brass band to meet us at the airport!!! We should arrive at Edinburgh airport Tuesday morning about 10.10 your time.

What an adventure it has been and thanks to you all for sending messages they have been great, we will update the blog when we get home so this is the last chance to post a message. Hope you have enjoyed our trip from your end.

Keep blogging

Lindy and Callum xxx

Callum sure has a thing for heights yesterday he took a helicopter trip and also went up to the top of the Empire State building….more about that later.

Two days ago we took the tour bus down to the spot of 9/11, at the moment it is one large building site but we went into St Pauls church which is just meters from where the towers fell, incredibly there was no damage done to the church and it was used as a site for volunteers to help out family and firefighters in the days after it happened. There are lots of posters of missing people still in the church along with keepsakes from missing persons, its very poignant.

Then we walked over the Brooklyn bridge and stopped for a clam chowder on Pier 17 before getting the bus back into town, we got dropped of at the Wardolf Astoria just as the heavens opened and it p***ed down. We went looking for Mimi’s which Dave Harvey (a pal from the Cask) had told Edna to go to. We found it but were too early for the piano player so headed back to Grand Central station to take photo’s (our battery in the camera was duff last time we went). Then we went looking for the wee Irish bar we had been at two nights before when we came across ladder 24 fire station, we went in and started speaking to one of the firefighters who told us that his station had lost 12 men on 9/11, they have a monument in the station with the names of the men lost, it made it so real to see this.

We found the Irish bar and Edna started speaking to these two Spanish guys (I am sure Callum and Edna have ADD, Attention defecit disorder, they have to speak to everyone they see!!!!!) Anyway they couldn’t speak any English and Edna stared getting fed up trying to understand them! We then headed back to our local deli and got spagetti for tea, then to bed.

Yesterday we took a wander along the shore looking across to New Jersey and came across the helipads that do the helicopter trips, danger boy wanted to do it, so up, up and away he went, he said it was really great although a bit hairum scarum at times, not satisfied with this he also wanted to go the the top of the Empire State building, which he did while Edna and I went shopping. It took two hours to get to the top and back because of the queues!

We headed back to the room to get showered and changed as we had decided to go to Greenwich village for something to eat. The weather was lovely last night so we took a wander down there had a few beers then found a really nice restaurant and had a three course meal for 21 dollars great value and great food. One drink for the road then back to the room by midnight.

Today its raining so we don’t intend doing too much. We leave tommorrow and are heading home after 165 days away, see you all soon.

Keep blogging……for two more days!!!

Lindy and Callum xxx

Yesterday we walked up to the Empire State building and got tickets to take the open top bus tours, firstly we went Downtown which takes you along Broadway, through Greenwich village and Soho, down to Wall Street then the Wharf, up through China town and Little Italy, under the Brooklyn bridge and passed the United nations building along with a load of churches and cathedrals.

We then got off that bus and stopped for a bowl of soup as it was a little bit chilly on the bus. I haven’t mentioned the weather - Mon and Tues it was 85 degrees it was roasting then it cooled down to the high 60’s on Wed and yesterday the 50’s, so it’s been a bit of a mix.

Anyway then we got back on the bus which takes you Uptown. The tour guide looked a bit like Dyke Van Dyke! Edna complained she couldn’t hear him so he sat beside her the whole way and gave her the commentary, he even got her to sing into the mike, the others on board had no idea what was going on………anyway this tour took you around Central park, passed the Dakota building where john Lennon lived and was gunned down, through Harlem and passed the museum area which has the NY museum, National museum of art and the Guggenheim to mention a few, we are going to do these on Saturday.

When we got of the bus we walked down to 42nd Street and visited Grand Central station, its really wierd because it has been in so many films you feel like you have been there before!

Finally we headed for a few light refreshments before getting a lasagne from our local deli and yacking to a few folk in the hostel, Edna was very entertaining although I’m not sure the 2 Japanese tourists knew what was going on…..then to bed.

Today we are going to Brooklyn and ground zero and taking a boat trip under the Brooklyn and Manhatten bridges…it’s all go!!

Nicola nice to hear from you, maybe one day all the girls in the family can save up and come to NY!

Keep blogging

Lindy and Callum xxx

Well here we are on our last leg of the journey and pretty much on our last legs! We arrived on Monday evening and booked into the Chelsea Hostel, which is on West 20th Street and is a great location to get to everything.

We took a wander on our first night and got something to eat and an early night. On Tuesday we were up early and walked up to 57th Street which is where Central park starts, on the way we stopped off at the NY library which was uised in the filming of ‘the day after tomorrow’ great building mostly marble inside, we then stopped off at the Empire state building, Callum is going to go up it on Friday. Headed back down to meet Edna down Broadway stopping at 42nd Street.

Edna arrived safe and sound, she is booked into the same hostel as us! We took her for a wander around Union square and a few of the sights around 20th Street then stopped for a tipple before heading back to the hostel with Pizza.

Yesterday we got on a bus and headed down to the water, we took the ferry to Staton island and back again saw the Statue of Liberty in all her glory then headed to wall street then through Chinatown were we stopped for noodles. Then headed up to Central park and took a wander around, the Park is huge we saw about an 18th of it, we are going to go back another day. Then we took a carraige ride around Central park, it was a laugh. The walked back down to 42nd Street to see all the lights before finally finding an Irish bar at about 7.30pm, we had been walking since 9.30am!

Back to the hostel and bed, up early this morning, we are going to take the tour bus around the city to save our legs. I have attached just a few photo’s but will try and download more soon.

Happy belated ’special birthday’ to Linda…21 again!

Keep blogging

Lindy and Callum xxx

Its now Sunday so here is a round up of what we have done in Boston the last few days.

Wednesday, after booking into the new apartment we headed downtown, we were told it was a half hour walk….it was a bit more than that but the sun was shining so it was lovely. We walked along Commonwealth avenue through the two city parks which have swan boat rides which have been on the go since the early 1900’s.

There is a tourist trail you can follow which takes you through the city. We followed it visiting the churches, graveyards and Paul Reveres house (he was the American rebel who rode through the night to warn the Americans that the Brits were coming!!!). Then we took a walk through little Italy then found the ‘Cheers’ bar down in Quincy Market.

We then walked back to our area and stopped at an Irish bar to have our tea and a few light refreshments.

Thursday, We walked to the west of the city over the river to Harvard University, again this was quite a hike to get there. Harvard is a huge area with a town build in the middle just to sustain the college. There is a lot of history there, its where Washington got the American army together before they fought the British.

We then got the underground back into town and took another wander around the town before finding the Original bar that Cheers was based on, the facade outside is what they used in the TV show (however the programme was filmed in Paramount studio’s in Hollywood, which we saw when we were there). We had our tea in cheers then got a taxi back to the room.

Friday, we got the subway into town to catch a train to Salem, the town famous for witches. The story goes that in the mid 1600’s a young west Indian girl told a couple of local girls some stories about voodoo etc and it escalated in that these girls started accusing everyone around them of being witches as they could see things. It all got out of hand and 19 innocent people were hanged before the Governors wife got accused of being a witch and the Governor put an end to it all then and so the stories of witches ended.

Salum is a lovely wee town had some lunch at the waterfront, the whole town makes its money from witches and horror stories some of which have nothing to do with wiches!!!

We headed back to town and ended up in the Irish part of town. There is a Jewish holocaust memorial here which is quite graphic, I only read the first bit then got upset, Callum read it all. There are 6 tall glass columns which have smoke coming out from the ground to replicate the gas chambers and there are one million numbers on each column to represent the tattooed numbers on each victim murdered.

We then went to the oldest tavern in America and had a wee swifty then had another in an Irish bar next door, before getting a cab back to the Irish bar beside our place and had something to eat.

Saturday the weather was glorious, it got to 84 degrees today. We walked through the city to the Wharf area and had lunch at a seafood restaurant called ‘no name’ restaurant. It is a really basic place but the food is great, it has a great reputation and is given excellent revues in all the newspapers. It is one of the top 10 best cheapest nicest restaurants in the world!

We then walked along the Wharf to were there was a  Volvo display going on. Turns out Boston is one of the stages for the round the world yacht race, the yachts are expected to arrive today. Then we walked over the bridge back into the city and took in some rays on the quayside before heading of to ‘Cheers’, before getting a cab back to ours.

Today is another lovely day in the 80’s again. Callum wanted to go up the Prudential tower to the skywalk so we headed there. Turns out there is a Greek parade today, so it has been great. Callum did his skywalk then we followed the parade into town, got a ‘dog’ in the park and took in some rays.

Heading off to NY tomorrow, getting the bus around 11.00 should be there for around 3.00. Edna arrives on Tuesday to join us for the last week!

Keep bogging

Lindy and Callum xxx

We are now back in the USA in Boston, the home of Cheers. There are two cheers pubs, the original one where the outside photo’s were taken and the Hollywood one which has a mock up of the inside, we are going to see both…well we are tourists!!!!

We got a Greyhound bus to Boston which took just over 8 hrs, it was chucking it down the whole way, when we arrived last night it was really murky. We had not booked any accommodation so had to go to tourist info, they were really helpful, but the place they wanted to send us to was full so they sent us to this other hotel, just for one night. The Beacon Plaza…. the Plaza it was not but for one night it was ok, found a great wee sportsbar last night, so by the time we got back to the room it didn’t seem as bad!!!!

Today we have moved to our new place an old Victorian house which has been beautifully renovated, about a half hour walk from the centre of Boston, run by the Manager Anthony,  a real character! The weather is lovely and hot, it’s meant to get a bit overcast this afternoon and the same tomorrow but by the weekend it’s meant to get into the 80’s…yah beauty! There is a Jazz festival on in the park at the weekend so it should be great.

We think we will stay here until Monday and then we head down to New York for our last week. We have just picked up a bunch of bumph from Tourist information and are about to decide what we want to see, we are close enough that we could go to Cape Cod for the day, Salum and Marthas vineyard…the adventure just keeps on going!!!

Keep blogging

Lindy and Callum xxx

Lots of love from Auntie Lindy and Callum xxx

Happy Birthday Stephanie xx

Here are more photos of Quebec as it is so beautiful….enjoy

Keep blogging

Lindy and Callum xxx

We have now done Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec with the cities getting more Francais as we go. It was good to catch up with my old friend John Callendar from way back who now lives in Ottawa. John and his wife Claire and daughters Fiona and Laura put us up for three days and fed us home made food which was a bonus.

Montreal was a busy place and we managed to do the usual museum, art gallery, church, park and waterfront thing, can never get enough culture !

Had a scary night with a mad Welshman and suffered for it the next day ( Jameson shots !!! )

Been in Quebec now since Friday lunchtime and have walked most of the old town area. Lots of history as you would imagine and it feels very French. Sun has been shining and we have a lovely boutique style hotel room on the water front near the old town.

Doing a bit more walking today and catching up with stuff ( washing, blog, e-mail etc ) as we are back to Montreal tomorrow and then onto Boston on Tuesday before we meet up with my Mum in NY !!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy the photos and keep blogging

Au revoir from Callum & Lindy X