On September 18, 47 people arrived in Glasgow from Canada and the U.S. to begin an 11-day/10-night land tour of Scotland and Ireland arranged by Zenia’s Travel Club and ably led by Nila and Borys Pawluk. The tourists came from Canada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, California, Colorado, Utah, Minnesota, New York and Ohio. Of the 47, 45 were of Ukrainian background and many had traveled with Zenia’s Travel before.
Day 1 began with a scenic drive around Glasgow’s George Square with its ornate City Chambers, followed by a walking tour including a visit to Provand’s Lordship, Glasgow’s oldest house built in 1471. That evening at our hotel, a welcome drink awaited us before dinner, at which everyone introduced themselves and explained why they wanted to come to Scotland and Ireland. It turns out that for many in our group this was a family affair, as they came with aunts, uncles, parents and children.
Entering the Scottish Highlands and viewing magnificent vistas.
The next day we left for the Scottish Highlands and a cruise on Loch Ness. The scenery was spectacular. After leaving the Scottish rolling hills and agricultural area of the Scottish lowlands, we entered the rugged mountainous highlands with their beautiful lush green glens, moors and steep mountains.
Along the way our guide explained the history of the lands we were seeing. As we traveled through the deep valley of Glen Coe, our guide recounted the notorious Campbell massacre of the Clan MacDonald in 1692. Finally, we embarked on a short cruise of Loch Ness. Of course, we were all on the lookout for Nessie but, sadly, she never showed up.
The following day we drove south, stopping in Pitlochry for a tour of the Blair Athol Distillery and then on towards St. Andrews where we stopped for lunch and spent some free time exploring the historic university town.
That evening we were in Edinburgh, where we were entertained at a Scottish Evening that included traditional Scottish cuisine and a lively show with songs, stories and traditional dancing. The next morning we toured the wide streets of the 200-year-old Georgian-style New Town followed by a visit to the Edinburgh Castle.
The afternoon in Edinburgh was a real treat as Ms. Brozyna had arranged for us to meet with the local Ukrainian community. They invited us to their community center, located in the heart of the New Town. There the head of the center, Michael Ostapko, gave a short talk on the history of the community center and its mission, and had a slide presentation showing past key events.
He then introduced an American journalist, Nolan Peterson, a former Air Force pilot who flew missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and had recently returned from Ukraine where as a journalist he covered the war from the front lines in the Donbas. He recounted the fighting he saw, explaining that it was true hand-to-hand combat that harkened back to the style of fighting during the first world war.
After the presentations our tour leaders, the Pawluks, presented Mr. Ostapko with a gift from our group as a gesture of appreciation for their invitation and gracious hospitality. It consisted of a poster-sized picture of the New York World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty, which was signed by all of the people in the tour.
We were then invited to tea and coffee, at which time many in our group chatted with local Ukrainian community members and the American journalist.
The next day we left for Caimryan, where we boarded a ferry to Belfast. Once there, we visited Titanic Belfast, where we learned about the working conditions and many other aspects of the famous liner that was built in the adjacent docks. From there we traveled south to Dublin. The next day was spent touring the city, including a walking tour of Trinity College and its famous library, where we were able to view the illuminated manuscript of the eighth century “Book of Kells.” In the evening we enjoyed a canal dinner cruise through the center of Dublin and were entertained with traditional Irish music aboard a former Guinness barge.
The best way to see Killarney, Ireland, is via the Jaunting Car.
The following morning we left Dublin and traveled through the midlands of Ireland, stopping at a working sheep farm. The farmer and his family invited us into their farmhouse for tea and scones as he explained the workings of the farm. He then took us out into his fields to demonstrate how his skilled border collie herded the sheep on his command. After asking a hundred questions, we finally said goodbye to the farmer and traveled farther south to visit Blarney Castle, the home of the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Many in the group took the opportunity to walk up the steep steps of the castle to kiss the Blarney Stone.
Not far from the picturesque grounds of the castle we were able to visit the Blarney Woolen Mills. Many of us enjoyed a casual lunch and a beer at the pub on the grounds of the mills, while others visited its largest store featuring all sorts of woolen goods.
Next we were off to Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes and mountains. The next morning in Killarney we went off by horse-drawn carriage through a beautiful park to visit Ross Castle, located on a lake, Lough Leane. From there we headed by bus around the Ring of Kerry, a winding route with breathtaking views of mountains and the western coastline of Ireland, including views of Skellig, an island where early Christian monks lived their very austere lives. We left Killarney the following day, driving on to view the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, a wall of sandstone reaching 700 feet above the Atlantic.
That evening, after checking in at our hotel, we visited Bunratty Castle, where we were treated to a memorable medieval-style feast. At the castle we were greeted by lords and ladies dressed in medieval garb who welcomed us with goblets of mead and entertained us with songs and harp music before inviting us into the great hall for a medieval feast consisting of foods to be eaten without the assistance of spoons and forks.
Our last full day in Ireland was spent touring Galway and later the Clonmacnoise Monastic Site founded in 546 A.D. by St. Ciaran. We saw elaborate Celtic crosses and ruins of medieval churches. Finally we drove back to Dublin, where we spent our last night before leaving for home the following morning.
Aside from the destinations that we visited, we were entertained throughout our bus tour with stories told by our very able driver and tour guide, John Greene, whose great humor often had us laughing in the aisles. He recounted the history of Ireland from its first settlement to the present time, including the great potato famine that brought so many Irish to the shores of America, as well as the troubles between the island’s north and south. In many ways the history of Ireland paralleled that of Ukraine: the early years when the Vikings settled in Ireland; the troubles between north and south and those pledging allegiance to England versus those who wanted true independence; the banning of the Irish language; the destruction of the Irish culture. All of these things reminded us of our own history of Ukraine.
Our 10 days in Scotland and Ireland went by very quickly – almost too quickly because there was much to see. Besides modern, bustling cities where we spent our free time exploring on our own, or shopping and enjoying the many pubs, we also had a chance to see the quiet Scottish and Irish countryside and their spectacular mountains, lakes, moors, glens, quaint and colorful villages.
We also got to know our fellow travelers, many of whom we already knew from past Zenia’s Travel Club tours. We quickly adopted our two non-Ukrainian travelers, and by the end of the tour they were singing “Mnohaya Lita” along with the rest of us. It was a great and fun-filled trip, as well as educational and we all agreed, it was the best e-v-a-h!