Dear Friends,

Members of the  Moss Society along with our new friends on the 2023 Tour of the British Isles. Not pictured: Gretchen Schmidt and Sarah Donnelly.

Clear blue skies dominated the horizon and set the stage for a magnificent Moss Society tour. It’s hard to believe but these trips seem to get better and better. Our adventure began in Edinburgh, Scotland with a stay in the Grass Market area. Towering above us was the Edinburgh Castle. What a rich history we discovered as we climbed the hill into this old fortress which has also served as a royal residence and prisoner of war cell block. The castle also is home to the Scottish Crown Jewels.

Clockwise from upper LH corner: Scottish bagpiper in full dress; Afternoon view of Edinburgh Castle from just outside our hotel; view of Old Town; Colorful Victoria Street.

The first evening of our tour provided us a glimpse into Scottish culture and cuisine along with an in depth lesson as to how a Scotsman would properly enjoy whisky. We also learned that there is no “e” in the whisky produced in Scotland.

Wonderful dinner at the Scotch Whisky Experience. Sláinte! (to your health) Please visit https://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk/ to learn more.

Edinburgh is a fascinating place and we took a tour that acquainted us with the history and attributes of the area. I must stop here and introduce you to our guide. His name is John Hogan and he is from Dublin, Ireland. John has a wealth of knowledge of UK history and his storytelling ability is captivating. He along with local guides throughout the trip told the stories of the Scots, Vikings, Normans, Irish, Welsh, English and yes, even the Romans. With each location, he built upon the story. Additionally, he had great insights and knowledge of alternate activities for our unstructured time. In the case of Edinburgh, he pointed out Arthur’s Seat, an ancient volcano in Edinburgh that provided a good hiking trail.

My granddaughter Kate and husband Michael present the view of Edinburgh from Arthur’s Seat. Kate and Michael were on their own tour of the British Isles with a similar itinerary.

John Hogan, our tour guide.

We departed Edinburgh on Tuesday, May 16th bound for the Scottish Borders, with an ultimate goal for the day to arrive in York. The countryside is lush and beautiful. Scotland is rather sparsely populated, unless you are counting sheep. Wide fields of yellow rapeseed plants contrasting with the brilliant green grass seemed almost surreal under the clear blue sky. Our lunch stop was in Hawick, Scottish Borders at Standhill Farms. Our tour of this 500 acre farm revealed the most sustainable model of food production that I have ever heard of. The farm was purchased in 1951 by the Shank family, with the original intent to be a dairy farm. Over time modifications and innovations too numerous to mention, now provide electricity, methane, heat and CO2 to run the farm and greenhouse without any outside assistance. They even have excess electricity to sell. At the heart of this process is the anaerobic bio-gas created from cow slurry. In 2017, the Shank family took out a loan for a gigantic greenhouse to produce tomatoes. It is an impressive structure and it has almost paid for itself.

Jim and Kerry Shank own the Standhill Farm. Jim is a 5th generation farmer.

Dazzling array of plants that supply fresh tomatoes for the entire region. All of the heat, power and fertilizer needed to sustain the greenhouse is generated on the farm. To learn more please visit http://www.standhillfarm.co.uk/

York, UK is a medieval city and our accommodations had us situated inside the historic walls. In the morning we took a walking tour that wound through an area known as the Shambles. The Minster, a large Gothic cathedral, towered above us. We learned of the atrocities of the York Castle Keep. So much history and John along with a local guide beautifully integrated the stories with what we learned in Edinburgh.

Clockwise from upper LH: An entrance to the Shambles Market; the river Ouze; the stunning great west window at the Minster nicknamed the “Heart of Yorkshire”; and the castle Keep.

Artistic impressions of the Minster, including a shot of the Chapter House Ceiling and one of the many variegated floor squares. I found it difficult to limit myself to only 3 photos. To learn more about the Minster and see more detail, please visit https://yorkminster.org/

I was delighted to find “Moss” cats subtly adorning local businesses. How many do you see?

I loved the high speed train ride to London. We left York early and arrived in London in time to enjoy a traditional afternoon tea at the Clermont.

Members of the Moss Society enjoying a proper tea.My daughter Mary is on the LH side.

Our afternoon journey around London let us see Covent Gardens, Trafalgar Square, St Paul’s Cathedral and Buckingham Palace. John told us that Queen Elizabeth referred to Buckingham Palace as the office since she preferred to live away from where she worked. John and all our guides spoke highly of the Queen and I could feel their angst and sorrow at the loss of her.

We enjoyed such a beautiful day in London. Clockwise from upper LH: Big Ben; my daughter Patty and I enjoying a soprano singing opera favorites at Covent Gardens; Tower Bridge; London Skyline.

For our first evening in London, my family took me to a lovely Italian restaurant near the Tower Bridge. It was the first of the birthday celebrations during our trip.

At this point we have been on our journey for a week, and we had the option of a leisure day. I elected to go to Windsor Castle and I am so glad that I did. Windsor Castle has been inhabited by British kings and queens for over 1,000 years. The castle’s story begins around 1070 when William the Conqueror chose the site because it afforded him easy access to London while providing a place to secure any approach to the western side of London. I found it fascinating to hear how each monarch laid their hand on the palace with modifications, expansion and improvements. We toured the state apartments where dignitaries have been received. The lavish décor combining artwork and armament spoke of the power of the British Empire.

What a delight for some of the members of our group as King Charles III casually strode across the palace grounds! Our guide said he made frequent appearances at Windsor on Fridays. Thank you Claude and Jennifer for sharing your photos of him. Pictured clockwise starting at the top center: A map of the spacious grounds that comprise Windsor Castle; 2 photos of the castle; the castle guard wearing their everyday uniform; St. George’s Cathedral where Queen Elizabeth II was recently interred; another photo of the castle; King Charles III.

I will continue the story of the 2023 Moss Society trip in next week’s newsletter.

Until next week,

Love,