Falkland, Scotland

This bridge outside Edinburgh was built after the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

This bridge is next the the first one. This is an unusual structure.

We took off on a tour to 3 towns on the east coast of Scotland. Our first stop was a nice village called Falkland.

This is the main center of Falkland.

An old wool mill in Falkland. It is currently used as a bag making mill.

The first thing Ben and I look for, is how to get out of town and see the beauty of the area. Across from this wall was a horse farm with pretty white horses.

St. Andrews, Scotland

This is the small town of St. Andrews.

The opening scene from the movie Chariots of Fire was filmed on this beach. Bec's slow motion running skills were a little rocky.

There he goes! Isn't that picture perfect running style?!

The old golf course at St. Andrews is open on Sundays for people to walk, jog, walk their dogs, etc. on the greens.Ben poses on the bridge at the Old St. Andrews Golf Course- "The Home of Golf." You may recognize this bridge as the same one the winners of the British Open take pictures on.

Killer bunker!

We enjoyed a nice stroll on the course. During the week, the course is busy with golfers. It is closed on Sundays because it is considered a park and for some reason the golf shuts down and the course opens up as a public park.

St. Andrews town in the background.

Here are the ruins of an old cathedral. This cathedral was finished and used for worship in about 1230AD. It was the largest Cathedral in Scotland during it's time.

The Cathedral remains stand above part of the city.

The bishops of St. Andrews in the 1200's thought they needed a secure and rather large castle structure to live in. You can see the remains of the bishops' castle in the background at the edge of the North Sea.

A long old stone dock took us out into the North Sea. The upper part is more narrow than it looks.

East Nauk- a Fishing Village in Scotland

Our last stop was a small fishing village on the North Sea.

The docking area was small and a narrow cobblestone road divided it from the seafood restaurants and cafes.

It was really chilly outside and we couldn't find a warm place to sit and relax. Instead, we ate some delicious ice cream (and a Ritter Sport pepperment chocolate bar) outside while the sea breeze chilled us.

Edinburgh, Scotland

We stayed at Carrington guest house in Edinburgh. Our hostess was a sweet older Scottish lady who cooked us a great traditional Scottish breakfast of sausage, bacon, fried eggs, toast and jam.

This was our room with an old victorian style. The stairwell was lined with traditional fuzzy wallpaper and the dining room was decorated with a style from the 1700's.

Ben and I took out down a mud path to try and make it to the top of Calton Hill. I don't think this was the tourist route to take.

We are standing on top of Calton Hill at a great lookout point. There are some ruins in the background.

Ben showing his warm style overlooking Edinburgh with snow covered mountains in the background.

Ole' Strong Man Hayes between the pillars of some ruins on top of Calton Hill. We really don't know the history behind these columns.

A great view of Edinburgh Castle above and Princes Street Gardens below.

Ben took a hike up the side of the hill. The castle is up above him.

This is the front gate to the Edinburgh Castle.

There is a mile long cobblestone road from Holyrood Palace to Edinburgh Castle with shops and restaurants all along the way.

This is the Royal Mile.

It was cloudy, so the Sir Walter Scott Monument is hard to see, but we did climb the 287 steps to the top.

The architectural detail on the monument was fabulous.

Fortunately it did not rain on us, but don't worry, Ben was prepared just in case.

Around Liverpool (located on the west side of England)

Enjoying our 1 hour 45 min. train ride from Leeds to Liverpool. The country side is beautiful!

Ben sitting in the train station figuring out our public transportation around the city.

This is Albert Dock. We walked around the old dock, ate lunch, and rode the ferris wheel.

In the capsule of the ferris wheel with our coffee.

Albert dock has been converted into shops and restaurants. People associated with this dock, long ago, were also associated with the Titanic, Lusitania, and other well known ships. We visited a Marine attraction at the museum on the dock. Also, the Beatles are from Liverpool and we glanced inside their museum. I (Bec) sang along to the Beatles music playing around the dock.

We attended a wonderful church called Frontline in Liverpool. Churches in England are different from US church and harder to find.

We stayed in an old building converted into a hotel.

Sefton park was behind our hotel. We take every opportunity we can to get out of the city and explore the parks.

This is the largest Cathedral in the UK. It is an Anglican Cathedral built in the 1900's. This building is immaculate! It can be seen almost any where in the city. The main tower is 331 ft. high.

Cameras cannot capture the vastness, but here is an attempt to see the inside.

Liverpool Football (Soccer) Game

We attended the Liverpool vs. Blackburn game at Anfield. You may recognize the emblem. It was the same picture Ben chose for his groom's cake at our wedding.
Ben with the UEFA Cup from 2005.

The Kop side (crazy home fans end of the field) with a banner rolling across the crowd at the beginning of the game.

Ben and I were on the 5th row. We could almost smell the players!

Getting ready for a corner kick.

The "Reds" rejoice after a goal made by #9 Torres.

We won!!