ljm22

Ian our tour guide was brilliant! Funny, edifying and very personable! The plant is massive and plans and construction on the way for doubling the size and production based on US and Japanese demand.

Dined at Highlander Inn with a few pints and a snort of Macallan Gold. A very nice sleep.

Huge rain, lightning, thunderstorm pelted our Ship Inn  last night and put off the idea of walking the next stretch. I awoke early and found the rain wasn’t due to hit until mid morning, so I took a 6 mile round trip to a local castle; Dunnottar, where the Earl Marischal held off Oliver Cromwell and English troops for 8 months and saved and protected the Scotish Royal gems and seal for Scotland. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring the iPad because of potential rain.It is a most impressive castle, and it sits high on a peninsula and looks out at the North Sea.

I headed from the Ship Inn at 5:15 am. One heads southwest out of the little Stonehaven harbor and climbs up a fairly steep hill. It was only three miles, but I began to sweat pretty good minutes into the hike. I arrived at the rocky base of Dunnottar and excited to climb around to the sea side I climbed on a wet rock and fell back 6 or so feet. I fell on my left side and all my weight came down on left hand. My hand hit a jagged rock which left a one inch C shaped cut to the bone of fleshy part of my left hand between the thumb and first finger. Ouch!

It bleed like crazy. Fortunately, a Scotish hiker with his dog came to the rescue. He had tape and gauze and taped me up, but said, “You need to visit the hospital, mate!”  So instead of Balmoral Castle, and a few quaint towns like Dufftown, I opted for an infirmary in Stonehaven and emergency at Aberdeen Royal. The medical services were outstanding. I saw a hand specialist, and emergency MD and and LVN, Jill, who was absolutely marvelous! 

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    
    
    
    
    
 

Cher and I walked roughly 8 miles along The Fife Coastal Path. This featured passing all of the golf courses beginning with the Old Course. This took us to the Eden Estuary, where we could not cross a huge wetland, bog as the map and folks suggested we could, and the the estuary to get to Tentsmuir Forest. We had to walk clear around the courses and return to a bike path to circumvent the Estuary. This took us to the Guardbridge. Vic, MK, and Alex picked us up at the Dali’s fish and chip shop and we drove on to Stonehaven. We were blessed with another warm, sunny day. The Ship Inn is just like the photos on line and it sits right on the harbor. Since the weather was so warm people were all over the little shore inside and out the protected harbor sunning themselves and swimming. I swam in the North Sea for the second day in a row.  Had a few pints at the Marine Inn next door before dinning at the Ship Inn.

    
    
   

    
   

   
   
   

    
   
   
    
      

Sri Lankan driver, Prikash, took us to Luton airport. We chatted about the “island of tea and spices” then and now. He was astounded I’d been there as recent as last summer. He escaped Jafna at the height of the turmoil in 1985, when I was still on the island.

   

  

  

    
    
    
    
     
    

    
 Jim got it absolutely ‘spot on’ again with the Ogston hotel. Centrally located in the hub of St. Andrews. We did a walk about and found the Cross Keys pub to watch the final 4 holes of the British Open. The place was divided between the two possible champions, Stenson and Mickelson. We met numerous pubbees like ourselves: David, Lee and the group of singing golfers from Aberdeen. What a hoot! David is a retired engineer, passionate golfer, who now caddies all courses in and around St. Andrews. Had my first Scotch, couldn’t pronounce the name, if I could remember it! A great time was had by all…Cher and MK were thick as thieves with a couple of ladys; Mary, a merry old gal and Allison, the wife of John, who made a killing on a bet on Stenson winning. He kept saying with an infectious, hardy laugh, “I’m treating my gal big tonight! MacDonald’s for supper, and if he(Stenson) wins she can even have a BIG MAC”!   
      

    
     
    
    
       
   

  

A bit more about yesterday… Susanna was brilliant in all ways! She handled the Vic crisis with professionalism, poise and love. Despite probably thinking: “This is absolutely the LAST time I bloody well have relatives to the palace!”  And later that evening the family met near Covent Garden for an amazing diner. I thought back to the wild and wooly day and two facts rang out to me: one- Vic was fine in the end, and two- we didn’t get Chou sacked! I’m pretty sure that’s the order of importance. 
Today Cher and I casually strolled about. First order of business after coffee of course was to find her a purse. The strap to hers broke last evening, so we retraced our steps to Marks and Spencer’s, where we rehydrated Vic after the “Palace Affair”. Helen lead us there for refreshments. Found a suitable substitute for Cher’s fallen hand bag and continued up Buckingham Road. Ironically, the bands were playing and marching from the Palace to the Guard’s Museum following the changing. We crossed Birdcage Walk and walked through St James Park. 

The sunny, warm weather brought throngs of park goers. Summer chairs, birds, blankets, picnickers, and tourists everywhere. It was a gorgeous setting. From there up St James street to Piccadilly. We checked out the exclusive store Fortnum Mason. Ambling Piccadilly in and out of a few shops until we decided to stop for some libation at Langan’s Brasserie.  It appeared to be the restaurant that Michael Caine built because his picture adorned the walls in each main room. We discovered there that London was celebrating the Gin Festival. Of course, we needed to investigate. I had an Edinburgh gin and tonic with a lime and a sprig of Rosemary. Cher had a Little Bird gin and tonic with a pink grapefruit garnish. How delightfull!

Up, down Piccadilly to New Bond Street, briefly along Oxford to Regent to Shaftesbury and then wound around all over in Soho, where found a nice Mediterranean Bistro. Dined, wined at an outside table. Tubed  back from Covent Garden for laundry and an early evening. Our arranged car picks us at 8:15am for a flight to Edinburgh.
  
   
     
      
    
    
   

Susanna, (Chou) works for Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace. She graciously offered to get us inside the gates, on the steps of the Palace to watch the changing of the guard. We were to meet among the throngs of tourist visitors outside the gates, but specifically the left gate as one faced it.

It was indeed a thrill! Palace rules dictated that all were to “Dress Smartly.” Men must wear jacket and tie. You will see a few pictures below of the “smartly” dressed Lorenc clan outside the gates. No pictures were allowed inside. When I received the email that Chou made the gracious offer to pull the Yanks inside the Buckingham gates for the pageantry I promised that “I, Michael, would in no way cause an international incident. At the same time I believe I used the word”intentionally”.  Nevertheless, I made no such pledge for the rest of our party.

The day was bright, sunny, warm and majestic! We stood on the steps of the Palace, eyes glued to the bands and the red and blue exchange of soldiers. All was smoothly progressing until my little brother became ill. We sat him on a pedestal on the top steps and he grew whiter than a nurses uniform. Susanna beckoned the attention of the Police and medical people in the area. Vic passed out. Not for long but long enough. A brilliant Policeman named  “Sam” said for me to help him inside. A doorman magically opened the doors to the left entrance as he spoke the very words.

Sam looked up at me lightly with a smile and said; “”You Yanks will do anything to get into the Palace.” He instructed me to help lay him on the carpeted floor of entrance to the palace. He proceeded to take his pulse, blood pressure and give him oxygen. All the while cheerfully bantering with Vic and me. Vic sweat soaked through his blue button down shirt and Sam untied his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, unbuttoned his pants, took off his shoes and shaved four small circles on his chest to attach ekg equipment. All the while lightly and rationally explaining how he was probably dyhydrated.  He was right. The ambulance came and checked him further, but his color came back and he eventually walked out on his own with MK and Chue.

My lasting disappointment was that I still could NOT take a picture of my brother, Victor, laying partially naked and disheveled on the floor of Buckingham Palace. Like a proverbial fish story, who at home would believe it!. Thankfully, Alex, MK, Cher, Susanna and thousands of others witnessed it as well.(Below is MK, Vic, and Chue walking passed the ambulance out the gate after he regrouped.)

After coffee and croissant at the local cafe on Belgrave, Cher and I met Maggie, who had trained down from Birhingham, Helen from Liverpool, and Vic, MK and Alex from California at Victoria Station to train to East Malling and meet another cousin for brunch, Peter and his wife Margaret. (See picture in front of the King and Queen pub).

  

  

Before…..  as we pose before the Palace……..and after as Vic walks out of Buckingham Palace having experienced the VERY best of British socialized medicine!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 grave street we walked the seven or so blocks to Victoria Station and eventually met my brother Vic, MK, Alex and my cousins Maggie, who trained down from Manchester and Helen, who trained from Liverpool. We then trained 50 or so minutes to East Malling, Kent to lunch with Cousin Peter and his wife Margaret. 

    
 

Tuesday early, Cher chatted with Andrew on “what’s ap”.  I showered , attempting to clean the green curry I spilled all over the shirt I wore last evening. I think it’s a goner. We grabbed a couple of lattes, a chocolate and an almond croissant and walked to Westerminster Abbey. I last walked the Abbey in 1966. Incredibly awesome were the words that come to mind!

We took the Thames cruise to the Tower, walked the Tower Bridge to the South bank and we’re making our to the Young Vic  to meet My cousin Helen and her daughter Georgina( my second cousin). We ambled through The Tate gallery and checked out a few miro’s, picasso’s, Dali’s. Now we’re crashing a bit, sitting in the Riverfront cafe along the Thames on the Jubilee waterfront.  

Drinks with cousin Helen and two of her daughters Lucy and Georgina at the Young Vic and dined at cool Greek restaurant across the street.

Young     
    
    
 

Cher and I had a breeze tubing from Heathrow. Bought an Oyster card at the airport, took the Piccadilly line to Earl’s court, transferred to the District line and arrived at Victoria Station, and hailed a black taxi to 11 Gloucester street. Our studio is tiny.(250′) see photo of Cher. 

 Time to check out the neighborhood. 

    
   

Raced around London to get Andrew’s lease agreement printed out and then notarized. And finally, overnighted to his Apartment in Orange. Andrew you will be good to move in soon! From 8 until noon perfect sunny weather. As soon as we finished our errands it began to rain. Time for a pub lunch of chicken pot pie, pees and mash.

Wandering London we then visited the Churchill War Rooms. I was last there in 1966 with my Uncle Bob. Fascinating tour. I asked an employee at the ticket counter if there had been many changes, updates to the rooms? She stated that “Oh, 1966, MANY,many things here have altered and been opened.”  Really, in 50 years what hasn’t changed. What a brilliant question on my part.