...and the little mishaps

Apart from the food intake, (which in many cases seems to have followed American trends for larger meals), it does take a few days to re-adjust to the new time, climate, traffic, money, etc.

Then about a day before we were to get to Ardrossan, I got a little 'tickle' in my throat, which I dreaded would become something worse and go down to my chest. That didn't happen, but the dry cough persisted, and despite lozenges and linctus, I couldn't shake it. The coughing became so bad at one point I think I must have strained something inside, and have been in some pain since the last night of the small cruise. It's mostly when I cough, but also painful in the process of lying down and getting up, (can you break a rib by coughing???). Might have to see if there is a local clinic nearby, but of course it's Easter weekend isn't it.

Then, when we arrived here at Northcliff, and were bringing things up to the apartment (wait til you see the photo's), Lee tripped up a flight flight of stairs, and bruised her knee!

Just hope this is the worst that will happen, because there is a long time to go...

Weight Loss and Gain, and little misshaps...

Both of us had maintained our weight before coming away, (mainly through our regular visits to the gym). However, when you then don't maintain that regime, as in sitting in planes for hours and hours, and so on, changes take place!!!

By the time we'd reached London, we realised we were probably a little dehydrated, even tho the cabin crew were fairly good with their offers of liquids. Then we we finally got to the hotel at Heathrow, (which, by the way, we would recommend doing if you come this far), there were bathroom scales, and on I stepped.
I had lost two kilos since leaving Canberra! 

Needless to say that was to change, and for the first 10 days or so, we were locked into cooked breakfasts, and large servings, and the two kilos quickly came back on.

more to follow...

Tea and Hadrian's Wall...

(Sunday, 10th April)
Heading for Dumfries today, via Corbridge, and the A69 to Carlisle. Very pleasant countryside and views across the Pennines. Stopped to look at windmills at Tow Law. Nothing special as we have them back home, but I'd like to know what the locals feel about them. I like their elegance and movement, and there was very little sound coming from them.

Stopped at Corbridge for a cuppa, with a pleasant sunny morning, and sat outside having our tea. Can't yet trust all the places for decent coffee, so tea is the fall-back at the moment.

Tried to find some bits of Hadrian's Wall, but the nearest one was just a ruin of old Roman Baths, but they wanted money to go in and see what you could already see from the car park!
There is a town named Wall on the way back to the A69, and then we had a good run out to the west.
(Lee particularly liked the 'font' on the cups at the Angel Inn where we had tea, hence the photo).

Next stop, Ardrossan, and the wait for the first ferry trip.

Darlington and Dumfries...

Saturday, 9th April

After the "fiasco" of Scarborough and Whitby, we decided to head for Dumfries, which would be our last stop before going further west to Ardrossan, to catch the ferry to Arran.

The Premier Inn at Darlington seems mainly aimed at Business people, but is like most of the chain, very clean and tidy, and some newer improvements on decor.

As we'd had some large meals on previous days, we elected for just an entree each and then me a dessert and Lee a cheese plate. Darlington wasn't somewhere we thought we'd do any touristy stuff, and even tho it was only 10 days or so into our holiday, we had already done a lot of driving, and the getting used to the new car.

Watch this space...

(Friday, 22nd April)

We have returned to civilisation in North Queensferry, across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh. We are here for a week, and have access to their wi-fi, so hope to catch up with more "posts" of the things that we've done over the last week or so. By the way, the trip out and around the Island of Mull was just great!