Backpacking to Amsterdam, Netherlands and to Stranraer, Scotland
21 May to 26 June 2014 (37days)
Lim Kee Moon and Ching Neng Bin about to walk to Lide Supermarket.
Day 5 (25.05.2014) – Stranraer, Scotland
In the morning after breakfast, we went to Lide Supermarket to buy some grocers and later visited the bigger market at Morrisons. Lim Kee Moon and Ching Neng Bin had to walk as Alistair's car could take in 4 only. We bought everything and anything that we needed to cook our meals for the next few days. Came back to prepare apple pie and beef pie for lunch and for dinner we had potatoes salad, chicken soup, cheese, bread and tea.
We then explored Alistair’s Shambley Residence and his vegetable gardens. We also helped to rearrange some furniture in the lounge area to make more space for our 2 camp-beds, cleaning up the house and also to vacuum the carpet floor.
Stranraer is the most southerly town on the west coast of Scotland. It is also the home to the shortest sea crossing from Scotland to Northern Ireland. It has many attractive spots in and around the town itself. It has many botanical gardens outside the town and this is due to being on the gulf Atlantic stream where even palm trees are grown in gardens.
Sleeping: Alistair McCulloch's Shambley Residence, Millfield Avenue, Stranraer, Scotland.
A cold but sunny day - Temp: min.8 – max.13 °C
The Lidl in Stranraer is one of a chain of Lidl stores that can be found across the UK. Simplicity is the cornerstone of their success. They buy and sell with the aim of offering customers everyday top quality products at the lowest possible price. Since establishing in the UK in 1994, they have grown consistently and today have more than 600 stores.
Pauline Toh, Val Allan and all of us enjoyed shopping for grocers here in Stranraer Lidl.
Believe it or not, all this foodstuff cost only GBP42 from Stranraer Lidl.
Wm Morrison Supermarkets, trading as Morrisons, is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, and is headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1899 by William Morrison, hence the abbreviation Wm Morrison.
Enjoying the fantastic apple pie and beef pie for lunch at Shambley Residence, Stranraer.
For dinner we had potatoes salad, chicken soup, cheese, bread and milk-tea at Shambley Residence.
The beautiful No.12 Shambley Residence, Millfield Avenue, Stranraer, Scotland.
We also helped to clean the garden and picked up fallen leaves at Shambley Residence.
Vegetables grown here at Shambley Residence are potatoes, cherry-tomatoes, broad-beans, lettuce, carrots, beat-root, chilli, zucchini, raspberries and snow peas.
Vegetables grown here at Shambley Residence.
Alistair would normally start planting just after winter at Shambley Residence.
Potatoes ready for harvesting at Shambley Residence.
The newly renovated kitchen at Shambley Residence.
The newly renovated kitchen with the new washing machine at Shambley Residence.
The newly renovated kitchen with the new washing machine at Shambley Residence.
This is the visitor's bedroom for our 3 ladies at Shambley Residence.
Alistair's sleeping room at Shambley Residence.
The computer area in front of the main door at Shambley Residence.
Betty Ching busy vacuuming the carpet floor around the computer area at Shambley Residence.
We rearranged some furniture in the lounge area to make more space for our 2 camp-beds, cleaning up the house and also to vacuum the carpet floor at Shambley Residence.
This is the lounge cum dinning area by day and sleeping area for Val Allan, Lim Kee Moon and Ching Neng Bin. Val Allan on the sofa, Lim Kee Moon and Ching Neng Bin on camp-bed at Shambley Residence.
All checking emails on Alistair's computer at Shambley Residence.
Our sincere thanks to Rotarian Alistair McCulloch for inviting us and allowing us to stay in his at Shambley Residence for a month.
Day 01 (21.05.2014 Wed) – MH16 KUL/AMS 2355hr – 0655hr on 22May
Day 02 (22.05.2014 Thr) – Amsterdam City, Holland
Day 03 (23.05.2014 Fri) – Amsterdam Zaanse Schans Village (21km)
Day 04 (24.05.2014 Sat) – KL.1477R AMS/GLA 1535hr - 1605hr Glasgow Airport
Day 05 (25.05.2014 Sun) – Stranraer, Scotland
Day 06 (26.05.2014 Mon) – Fishing station at Lady Bay (15km) Loch Ryan
Day 07 (27.05.2014 Tue) – Portpatrick and Mull of Galloway Lighthouse (58km)
Day 08 (28.05.2014 Wed) – Lide supermarket (2.8km) and Museum
Day 09 (29.05.2014 Thu) – Exploring Galloway Forest Park (56km)
Day 10 (30.05.2014 Fri) – Kirkland Fishery Farm in Leswalt (4.6km)
Day 11 (31.05.2014 Sat) – Exploring Galloway Forest Park (60km)
Day 12 (01.06.2014 Sun) – Trekking 20.8km Loch Ryan Coastal Path
Day 13 (02.06.2014 Mon) – A free and easy rest day
Day 14 (03.06.2014 Tue) – To Robert Burns Cottage at Alloway (78km)
Day 15 (04.06.2014 Wed) – Fishing station at Lady Bay (15km) Loch Ryan
Day 16 (05.06.2014 Thu) – A trip to the Giant Causeway (153km) by coach
Day 17 (06.06.2014 Fri) – Trekking 4km Ardwell Pond, Ardwell Bay (18km)
Day 18 (07.06.2014 Sat) – Our ladies went shopping in Ayr (72km)
Day 19 (08.06.2014 Sun) – Visiting Isabelle/Robert in Newton Steward (50km)
Day 20 (09.06.2014 Mon) – Overnight stay at Fishing Station, Lady Bay Loch Ryan
Day 21 (10.06.2014 Tue) – Visited a farm using automated milking
Day 22 (11.06.2014 Wed) – Day 1 of Scenic West Coast Tour, Scotland
Day 23 (12.06.2014 Thu) – Day 2 of Scenic West Coast Tour, Scotland
Day 24 (13.06.2014 Fri) – Day 3 of Scenic West Coast Tour, Scotland
Day 25 (14.06.2014 Sat) – Day 4 of Scenic West Coast Tour, Scotland
Day 26 (15.06.2014 Sun) – Day 5 of Scenic West Coast Tour, Scotland
Day 27 (16.06.2014 Mon) – Allan and Pauline 50th wedding anniversary
Day 28 (17.06.2014 Tue) – Mysterious beach walk at Loch Larbrax, Scotland
Day 29 (18.06.2014 Wed) – Lake Loweswater, Lake District, UK (day1)
Day 30 (19.06.2014 Thu) – Outward Bound Ullswater, Lake Ullswater (day2)
Day 31 (20.06.2014 Fri) – Return from Lake District (day3)
Day 32 (21.06.2014 Sat) – Our last visit to the bothy at Lady Bay
Day 33 (22.06.2014 Sun) – A farewell dinner hosted by Margaret Modrate
Day 34 (23.06.2014 Mon) – A farewell tea hosted by Vera Little
Day 35 (24.06.2014 Tue) – To Glasgow for a night stay for next day flight
Day 36 (25.6.2014Wed) Glasgow 6am to Amsterdam 8.40//MH17 12noon to KLIA
Day 37 (26.06.2014 Thu) – MH17 touched down at KLIA at 6.20am.
