Ican't believe we missed the boat!!!

I still don't quite believe we actually missed the boat to Amsterdam by a whole day!! We arrived at the Ferry in time and went to check in, the girl behind the desk searched her computer for our booking. I'm sorry, she said you were booked on the boat yesterday! I had the booking slip in my hand and said we can'tbe look it says 25 February, yes the girl said that's the day you arrive in Amsterdam. Where does it say we leave on the 24th then, under your finger she said, you have hold of the ticket by the departure date........... Luckily we were able to change the booking for Saturday so we'll try again tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed we don't get lost on the way there. We were all packed ready for a couple of days away and decided we might as well go to Falkirk in Scotland to see the Falkirk Wheel. It was something we'd been meaning to do and this was just the thing to take our minds off missing the boat. We stayed the night in Berwick on Tweed a town that has been captured and claimed by both the Scots and the English and shows signs of occupation by both. This photo above is a view through one of the gates under the town ramparts and looks out towards the beach and pier.

I love the names of the old streets in towns like Berwick and these two caught my mind. Kipper Hill, I wonder if it was where the Herrings were landed or where they were smoked to become kippers.

And this one leaves a lot to the imagination too.This is a wonderful doorway, full of slants it looks as though it was about to slip down the hill. It reminded me of the old nursery rhyme "This is the House that Jack Built".

Thursday we set off for Falkird and the Wheel. It's a long way from where we live so wouldn't normally have made a journey especially to see it. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and ride on the wheel and if we were near Edinburgh would definitely make a journey to try it out again.
The Wheel is a marvel of engineering and was opened in 2002 by the Queen. It joins the Grand Union Canal and the Forth & Clyde Canal for the first time since these canals were opened.

The boat is in the top 'box' in this photo about to leave the wheel and join the Forth and Clyde Canal.
The view as the boat leaves the tunnel and heads back towards the wheel on the return journey.

The day was very cold and on one side of the wheel the sky was bright and sunny, on the otherside dark with a rainbow.

Naturally I've not got any sewing done and am behind with one of my pieces, the Wives of Henry VIII swap on Surface Design but I hope to get it finished shortly after I return. Having said that Serendipity meet again on Monday so I'll be rushing from the Ferry home to pick up my stuff and dash to join up with the girls. Wednesday I've promised to show the craft class how to make a small patchwork coin purse and I've not done anything towards that. I thought I'd make up a kit and take it on the boat with me to do while we travel across the North Sea. That's of course assuming we actually get there this time.