Off on tour

The day before the tour - all the domestic things which you normally do in your evening/weekend times have to be fitted into one frantic day - as well as packing (just about got it right after twenty years on the road but usually forget something) and preparing excursions, contacting driver, hotels, guides, etc. How did we manage without the mobile phone - the introduction of which I, incidentally, opposed until more or less obliged to get one - and soon found it indispensable.
This is a typical twelve day britain and ireland tour, the itinerary as follows:

Day one; up at five, at work by six, first pick-up at seven, finish pick-ups at eight(?) and then straight to Stonehenge via Windsor and Runnymede for an hour, hour and a half at Salisbury, two (?) hours at Bath and then to Cardiff for overnight stay, welcome drinks, dinner and bed.

Day two, look at cardiff, with an optional visit to castle, maybe visit to wooden spoon make (better fun than it sounds) and on to ferry across irish sea, then drive to Wexford

Day three, drive to Waterford for visit to Crystal centre, off to Blarney to kiss the stone at Bl castle, then to Killarney with ride on jaunting cars weather permitting.

Day four, scenic drive around Ring of Kerry into mountains by Atlantic ocean with photo stops in morning,
then on to Limerick where we go out to Ceili - dinner and informal entertainment. This tour (first of year) will bring us to Limerick on St Patrick's night, which should be fun, but we have to be there early as Dolan's pub expected to be crowded.

Day five, optional visit to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park followed by lunch in Galway and view of Galway Bay to sound of some irish crooner singing the song, then long punch across Ireland to Dublin for two nights.

Day six - leisure day in Dublin with city tour, possible optional excursion, time to see Book of Kells at Trinity college and night out with music, dinner and Irish coffee for those who want it.

Day seven - early start for fery back over Irish sea to North Wales, maybe photo stop at Conway, possible excursion to Liverpool (Beatles always popular) and overnight in Chester where we have about an hour and half to explore.

Day eight - up to Scotland through Lake District with an hour in Grasmere and lunch at Gtrena Green, will probably do tour of castle and city (included for all) on arrival to leave time for shopping etc on

Day nine - Edinburgh day with free time, excursion to Trossachs (I call it 'A Taste of the Highlands') and Burns night in Stirling - the big shows are not running yet, don't start till April/May - so we have to find small scale dinners with entertainment for those who want something to do in the evenings (I will devote a whole blog to optional excursions later).

Day ten - off to Jedburgh, Hadrian's Wall for photo stop, then York in afternoon, with walking tour and possible visit to York Minster, then dinner in pub on way to Harrogate hotel.

Day eleven - according to itinerary 'free time in Harrogate' - big deal - will probably go to Sherwood Forest after usual early start and then try to make Stratford for lunch instead of Coventry which we will go to in morning of

Day twelve - demob fever makes us want to finish early but people must not feel rushed back to London ("Just hurry, don't rush" I usually say). However, Coventry worth at most an hour in morning then photo stop at Churchill's grave in Bladon and tour and time in Oxford before returning to London to - hopefully - open some bulging envelopes on return (my tips, not my mail, stoopid).

Tour director should always stick to itinerary but you are justified in changing running order a little to give people more time in places of interest. A few extras such as Sherwood forest always go down well.

So, back on the road. Will update on return or earlier if I can get hang of posting by email.

Eddie