Victoria Highland Games, Tour of Scotland & Ireland

May 2013, Vol 2, Issue 5 

         Travel & Cruise News and Items of interest

               A Newsletter from Rosswin Travel, Courtenay, Vancouver Island, BC

                       Business Opportunity: http://rosswintravelthecomoxvalley.blogspot.ca

                    

   

Table of Contents:

Victoria Highland Games

Tour of Scotland & Ireland, 2014
10 Commandents on Cruising

Artist of the Month 

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 Victoria Highland Games, Victoria, BC, May 18 & 19, 2013
I was presented with a trip to the Victoria Highland Games weekend for Mother’s Day. It was a first for us as the only highland games we had attended were in Maxville, Ont., for the Glengarry Highland Games which we will be attending again this August.

 Alex Fraser at UEL Booth

 
 Alex and I drive down to Victoria on the Friday afternoon arriving about 6 pm.  We did not attend the Friday night Clan event in downtown Victoria, but did get to both days of the Highland Games.

  Prince Andrew was in attendance and opened and closed the games. We had a good view of him and he is an excellent speaker. 

We enjoyed the events that took place in the Heritage Tent.  It was a mixed up day on Saturday, weather wise, so we were sheltered in the Heritage tent most of the time.  Sunday was a great sunny day and the crowd mushroomed from that of Saturday.

 Steve Ashton

The speakers we listened to were:

 - “Wearing the Kilt” by Steve Ashton,
- Highland Regiment Heritage in Canada “The 78th Fraser Highlanders” by Capt. Chris Hoskin.
- “The Mythology and History of the Highland Clans” by Dr. James Acken, who spoke for approximately 2 1/2 hours, ( in fact the games were over at 6 p.m. and our group were so captivated we were still in the tent and we had to be told to leave at near 6:30 pm.)  

- The -Victoria Genealogical Society spoke on “Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors”,
- The Victoria Gaelic Choir with “Songs of the Island” was also in attendance and sang some very enjoyable selections.
There were also other presentations in the Heritage Tent as well, one that was well attended was the,
-  “Scottish Weaponry & Sword Fighting” by F. Braun McAsh. 

See - http://glengarrycountyareabooks.blogspot.ca/2013/05/v-h-g-heritage-tent-presentation.html

 There was also entertainment on the Entertainment Stage, we listened to several groups, some of which were Sarah Tradewell, The McGillicuddy’s, Ivan Hernandez and caught a bit of a couple of others.   There was also the Address to the ”Haggis”  and we had a taste as well.

 The McGillicuddy's

  There were about a dozen Clan Tents and other societies in “The Avenue of Clans” including the Vancouver Island Scottish Dance Society, as well as the United Empire Loyalist Tent and the Victoria Genealogical Society. 

MacLeod Clan at opening Ceremonies

There was also a Celtic Stage where other entertainment took place, The Victoria Irish Dancers, Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band, Scottish Country Dancers and the dance competitions etc. Around a dozen pipe bands were in attendance and of course all the 
athletic events took place. 

 Victoria Irish Dancers

Quite a few venders including “Wannawafel” who was featured on “Dragon’s Den”
and the usual venders selling Scottish goods and foods.

To top it all off, Alex won 2 tickets to the Pacific Tattoo in Victoria on July 13, 2013 at the “Save on Foods Memorial Centre” which we will certainly attend. Nice surprise to a vey enjoyable weekend.


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 Group Tour of Scotland & Ireland May 2014

I am in the process of helping to organize a group tour to the British Isles for May 2014.  This group is from the Comox Valley and are all seniors. Scotland and Ireland are on the agenda and we have decided on a 3 week holiday. We have alotted free days as some of the group are visiting relatives while others have agendas of their own that they would like to do.  

While looking for tours that are reasonable and very flexible I came across “Rabbies Tours”.  They sound like the perfect tour company for our group.  We can pick our own type of lodging and they will book it for us and we can eat in our own choice of restaurants, the itineraries sound great as well. 

We can also plan our own itinerary and they will supply a bus and driver and we can make up our own tour. Prices sound reasonable as well. If you are planning a trip to the British Isles then check them out. http://www.rabbies.com/tour.

For an update on our trip or for more details or If you are planning a trip to the British Isles or desire to be part of this group contact me at rosswin@shaw.ca or 250 338 6334 or 1-866-517-2113

Booking your own travel then check out my booking engine at 

  http://ytbtravel.com/Home.aspx?wa=rosswintravel 
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 10 Commandments on Cruising

 I Am Too Embarrassed To Ask Blog
July 16, 2010 - John Heald

 1. Thou shalt not kill………….. unless a passenger enters an elevator before you exit. Then you shalt be allowed to beat them over the head with a Fun Ship Special glass until they breathe no more.
2. Thou shalt not covet they neighbor’s cabin. Look, if there’s somebody on your deck staying in the penthouse and wearing loads of jewelry and bling they’re obviously involved in some sort of unspeakable internet-based “business.” Therefore thou shalt report them to United States Customs and Border Patrol.
3. Thou shalt not call Carnival “the Wal-Mart of the Seas.” Neither can you stereotype anyone for the cruise line they choose to spend their vacations on. Unless they are on the Norwegian Epic in which case they are obviously blind.
4. Thou shalt not bring a power strip on the ship. It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle then it is for a power strip to be smuggled past Carnival’s Chief of Security Ramesh Wouldyoulikemylatexgloveupyourbottom.
5. Thou shalt not slap a big ugly “X” on your smoke stack or paint graffiti on the bow. Not if you’re a grown-up. Oh and note to basketball stars……….thou shalt not put spinners on your Aston Martins.
6. Thou shalt not have rumpy pumpy on the balcony lest you fall overboard. Thou thinkist that no bugger can see you but thou givest a great show to Rocco and his mates on the bridge.
7. Thou shalt not attempt to justify building a 6,000-passenger ship just because thou is jealous that Micus Arisonus got Princess Cruises and thou did not.
8. Thou shalt say please and thank you when asking Bigus Johnus for a table for two, otherwise thou shalt be known on the blog as Rudos Bastardus.
9. Thou shalt not refer to the cabin steward as a cabin “stewart.” It is steward and not “stewart” and if thou uses the word “stewart” again thou shalt find a towel animal on thy bed in the shape of a thingy.
10. Thou will never ever ask the captain “If you are here, who is driving the ship?” Thou is not the first person to ask this question and the next one who does will enjoy a tour of the propellers.
Amen.
http://johnhealdsblog.com/2010/07/16/i-am-too-embarrassed-to-ask-blog/

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Artist of the Month

Mary Osborne Reed

Mary was born and educated in England.  In 1965 she settled in the beautiful Comox Valley which has provided inspiration for most of her artwork.  She took her art training at North Island College. Over the years she ahs won several awards at juried shows around Vancouver Island.  Mary's work can be found in local gallery exhibits and in private collections in Canada, Germany, England and USA.

E-mail bandmreed@shaw.ca

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I will be glad of any comments or corrections or if you wish to see something that is of interest to you please let me know. Thanks, Rhoda

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Rosswin Travel,  

1 250-338-6334 / 1 866-517-2113

e-mail: rosswin@shaw.ca

420 Harmston Ave, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2X2

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