This past week we had the chance to visit a super nice hotel in the UK called Mar Hall.
The weather was nice because it was sunny, but it was freezing cold - like not getting above 32F freezing. On our way to the airport at around Noon, Jim noticed a pond with ice on top!
Mar Hall Hotel is located on the River Clyde near Glasgow in the village of Bishopton in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The grounds are beautiful and include an 18-hole golf course. Nothing would entice me to play golf in that cold - well, maybe because I don't even play golf - but it didn't stop anybody else. There was a steady stream of golfers the whole time we were there. Brrrr.
For those who need a map like me, here's Scotland with the Clyde River in the southern half.
We considered a day trip down to Ireland since we were so close, but it's more complicated than it looks. As the crow flies, Glasgow to Belfast is only about 100 miles and Glasgow to Dublin is only about 200 miles, but it's also mostly water so flying is really the only option. Well . . . one could go by ferry, but I don't do ferries. That 3 hour glass-bottomed boat tour back in 1993 cured me.
Another day.
According to the hotel brochure, Mar was one of the seven kingdoms in ancient Scotland and 'The Earl of Mar' is the oldest title in Britain. Mar Hall was completed in 1845 for the family of Major General (aka Lord) Robert Walter Stuart - at a total cost of £50,000 ($80,000).
Unfortunately it was completed 15 years after the death of Lord Stuart.
A quarry on the estate provided the stone while the oak wood was imported from Canada. The house fell into disrepair at some point, but in 2004 was completely restored - at a total cost of £15 million. In 2012 dollars, that's $24 million.
In addition to the golf course, Mar Hall is known for its spa and it takes up half the estate. Not really, but it is expansive. While I'm not usually a fan of visiting spas - perhaps because I've never visited a spa - I did have a facial. I enjoyed it right up until I had to cut my mask short because I had to go to the bathroom :-\
I caught a glimpse of some movement outside our window one morning and ran for my camera. This is as close as it would zoom in, but that is a beautiful red fox. I also took a short video . . . I think it is eating something and I'm sure I don't want to know what it is.
It's not perfect and the economic crisis has challenged it and not everyone sees eye to eye, but last Friday, the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
And I say "it's about time".
We're not talking about 50 states under one government. This is 27 different countries with 27 different governments, different cultures, different presidents, God/Allah only knows how many different religions . . . that came together to promote, among other things, peace.
The award has also sparked plenty of commentary on the problems within the EU. Yes, there are some in the world who would say it isn't working or won't continue to work and maybe they're right.
But can you even imagine the day when these countries were at war with each other? The soil that is now home to the European Union has been grounds for near constant warfare dating back to BC for Christ's sake.
For example . . .
BC 1104–900 Dorian invasion BC 743–724 First Messenian War BC 710–650 Lelantine War BC 685–668 Second Messenian War BC 669–668 Sparta-Argos war BC 595–585 First Sacred War BC 560 Second Arcadian War BC 540 Battle of Alalia BC 538–522 Polycrates wars BC 500–499 Persian invasion of Naxos BC 492–490 First Persian War BC 482–479 Second Persian War BC 480–307 Sicilian Wars BC 460–445 First Peloponnesian War BC 449–448 Second Sacred War BC 440–439 Samian War BC 431–404 Second Peloponnesian War BC 395–387 Corinthian War BC 390 Gallic invasion of Rome BC 323–322 Lamian War BC 280–275 Pyrrhic War BC 267–261 Chremonidean War BC 264–241 First Punic War BC 229–228 Illyrian Wars BC 220–219 Illyrian Wars BC 218–201 Second Punic War BC 214–205 First Macedonian War BC 200–197 Second Macedonian War BC 191–189 Aetolian War BC 171–168 Third Macedonian War BC 135–132 First Servile War BC 113–101 Cimbrian War BC 113–439 AD Germanic Wars BC 104–100 Second Servile War BC 91–88 Social War BC 88–87 Sulla's first civil war BC 83–72 Sertorian War BC 82–81 Sulla's second civil war BC 78 Marcus Aemilius Lepidus BC 73–71 Third Servile War BC 63–62 Catiline Conspiracy BC 55–54 Caesar's invasions of Britain BC 58–51 Gallic Wars BC 49–45 Caesar's Civil War BC 44–36 Sicilian revolt BC 43 Battle of Mutina BC 43–42 Liberators' civil war BC 41–40 Perusine War BC 32–30 Antony's civil war 1st century–10th Century Battle of the Milvian Bridge, 312 Battle of the Hellespont, 324 49–96 Roman conquest of Britain 51 War between Armenia and Iberia 69 Year of the Four Emperors 193 Year of the Five Emperors 208–210 Severan invasion of Caledonia 238 Year of the Six Emperors 284–285 Roman civil war 306–324 Civil Wars of the Tetrarchy 350–351 Roman civil war 360–361 Roman civil war 367–368 Great Conspiracy 376–382 Gothic War 387–388 Roman civil war 394 Roman civil war of 394 AD 535–554 Gothic War 582–602 Maurice's Balkan campaigns c. 600–793 Frisian-Frankish Wars 650–799 Khazar–Arab Wars 680–1355 Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars 711–718 Umayyad conquest of Hispania 715–718 Frankish Civil War (715–718) 722–1492 Reconquista 772–804 Saxon Wars c. 800/862–973 Hungarian invasions of Europe 830s Paphlagonian expedition of the Rus' 839–1330 Bulgarian–Serbian Wars 860 Rus'–Byzantine War 862–970 Hungarian invasions of Europe 865–878 Invasion of the Great Heathen Army 907 Rus'–Byzantine War 939 Battle of Andernach 941 Rus'–Byzantine War 955 Battle of Recknitz 970–971 Sviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria 982 Battle of Stilo 983 Great Slav Rising c. 997–1445 Swedish–Novgorodian Wars 11th century Battle of Hastings (1066) 1002–1018 German-Polish War 1015–1016 Pisan–Genoese expeditions to Sardinia 1015–1016 Cnut's invasion of England 1018 Battle of Vlaardingen 1024 Battle of Listven 1024 Rus'–Byzantine War 1043 Rus'–Byzantine War 1044 Battle of Ménfő 1050–1185 Byzantine–Norman wars 1060 Battle of the Theben Pass 1064–1308 Byzantine–Georgian wars 1066–1088 Norman conquest of England 1067–1194 Norman invasion of Wales 1067 Battle on the Nemiga River 1068 Battle of the Alta River 1073–1075 Saxon Rebellion 1075 Revolt of the Earls 1077–1088 Great Saxon Revolt 1088 Rebellion of 1088 1093 Battle of Schmilau 1093 Battle of the Stugna River 12th century 1109 Battle of Głogów 1115 Battle of Welfesholz 1126 Battle of Chlumec 1130–1240 Civil war era in Norway 1135–54 The Anarchy 1142–1445 Swedish–Novgorodian Wars 1144–1162 Baussenque Wars 1159–1345 Wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines 1164 Battle of Verchen 1169–1175 Norman invasion of Ireland 1173–1174 Revolt of 1173–1174 1185–1204 Uprising of Asen and Peter 1198 Battle of Gisors 13th century The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, 1212 1201 Battle of Stellau 1202–1214 Anglo–French War 1205 Battle of Zawichost 1208–1227 Conquest of Estonia 1209–1229 Albigensian Crusade 1211 Welsh uprising of 1211 1215–1217 First Barons' War 1216–1222 War of Succession of Champagne 1220–1264 The Age of the Sturlungs 1223–1241 Mongol invasion of Europe 1223–1480 Tatar raids in Russia 1224 Siege of La Rochelle 1227 Battle of Bornhöved 1231–1233 Friso-Drentic War 1239–1245 Teltow War 1242 Saintonge War 1256–1258 War of the Euboeote Succession 1256–1381 Venetian–Genoese Wars 1256–1422 Friso-Hollandic Wars 1260 Battle of Kressenbrunn 1262–1266 Scottish–Norwegian War 1264–1267 Second Barons' War 1265 Battle of Isaszeg 1277–1280 Uprising of Ivaylo 1278 Battle on the Marchfeld 1282–1302 War of the Sicilian Vespers 1283–1289 War of the Limburg Succession 1288–1295 War of the outlaws 1296–1357 Wars of Scottish Independence 1298 Battle of Göllheim 14th century Battle of Sluys, 1340 Battle of Nájera, 1367 1307 Battle of Lucka 1311–1312 Rebellion of wójt Albert 1312 Battle of Rozgony 1321–1322 Despenser War 1321–1328 Byzantine civil war of 1321–1328 1323–1328 Peasant revolt in Flanders 1324 War of Saint-Sardos 1326–1332 Polish–Teutonic War 1333–1338 Burke Civil War 1337–1453 Hundred Years' War 1340–1392 Galicia–Volhynia Wars 1340–1396 Bulgarian–Ottoman Wars 1341–1347 Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 1342–1350 Zealot's Rebellion 1343–1345 St. George's Night Uprising 1347–1352 Neapolitan campaigns of Louis the Great 1350–1498 Wars of the Vetkopers and Schieringers 1356–1358 Jacquerie 1356–1375 War of the Two Peters 1362 Battle of Helsingborg 1362–1457 War of the Bands 1366–1369 Castilian Civil War 1366–1526 Ottoman–Hungarian Wars 1369–1370 First Ferdinand War 1371 Battle of Baesweiler 1371–1379 War of the Succession of Guelders 1371–1381 War of Chioggia 1372–1373 Second Ferdinand War 1373–1379 Byzantine civil war of 1373–1379 1375 Gugler War 1375–1378 War of the Eight Saints 1381 Peasants' Revolt 1381–1382 Third Ferdinand War 1381–1384 Lithuanian Civil War 1382 Harelle and Maillotins Revolt 1389 Battle of Kosovo 1389–1392 Lithuanian Civil War 1395 Battle of Nicopolis 15th century Battle of Formigny, 1450 1400–1415 Glyndŵr Rising 1401–1429 Appenzell Wars 1409–1411 Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War 1410–1435 War of Slesvig 1414 Hunger War 1419–1434 Hussite Wars 1422 Gollub War 1422 Battle of Arbedo 1425–1454 Wars in Lombardy 1431–1435 Polish–Teutonic War 1434–1436 Engelbrekt rebellion 1437 Budai Nagy Antal Revolt 1438–1556 Russo-Kazan Wars 1440–1446 Old Zürich War 1443–1444 Long campaign 1445 First Battle of Olmedo 1447–1448 Albanian–Venetian War 1449–1450 First Margrave War 1449 Battle of Castione 1449–1453 Revolt of Ghent 1450 Cade's Rebellion 1451–1455 Navarrese Civil War 1453–1454 Morea revolt 1454–1466 Thirteen Years' War 1455–1485 Wars of the Roses 1462–1485 Rebellion of the Remences 1462–1472 Catalonian Civil War 1463–1479 Ottoman–Venetian War 1465 Battle of Montlhéry 1465–1468 Liège Wars 1466–1469 Irmandiño Wars 1467 Second Battle of Olmedo 1467–1479 War of the Priests 1468 Waldshut War 1468–1478 Bohemian War 1470–1471 Dano-Swedish War 1470–1474 Anglo-Hanseatic War 1475–1479 War of the Castilian Succession 1477–1488 Austrian-Hungarian War (1477–1488) 1478 Carinthian peasant revolt 1478 Battle of Giornico 1479 Battle of Guinegate 1482–1484 War of Ferrara 1484 Battle of Lochmaben Fair 1485–1488 Mad War 1487 Battle of Crevola 1487 War of Rovereto 1488 Battle of Sauchieburn 1492–1583 Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars 1494–1498 Italian War of 1494–1498 1495–1497 Russo-Swedish War 1497 Cornish Rebellion of 1497 1497 Battle of Rotebro 1499 Swabian War 1499–1504 Italian War of 1499–1504 16th century Battle of Marignano, 1515 Siege of Narva, 1558 St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, 1572 c. 1500–1854 Lekianoba 1502–1543 Guelderian Wars 1503–1505 Landshut War of Succession 1508–1516 War of the League of Cambrai 1509–1510 Polish–Moldavian War 1514 Poor Conrad's Rebellion 1514 Dózsa rebellion 1514–1517 Saxon feud 1515 Slovenian peasant revolt 1515–1523 Frisian peasant rebellion 1519–1521 Polish–Teutonic War 1520–1521 Revolt of the Comuneros 1521–1523 Revolt of the Brotherhoods 1521–1523 Swedish War of Liberation 1521–1718 Ottoman-Habsburg wars 1522–1523 Knights' Revolt 1522–1559 Habsburg-Valois Wars 1524–1525 German Peasants' War 1526 Revolt of Espadán 1529 First War of Kappel 1531 Second War of Kappel 1534 Silken Thomas Rebellion 1534–1535 Münster Rebellion 1534–1536 Count's Feud 1536–1537 Pilgrimage of Grace 1540 Salt War 1542–1543 Dacke War 1543–1550 War of the Rough Wooing 1546–1547 Schmalkaldic War 1549 Kett's Rebellion 1549 Prayer Book Rebellion 1550 Battle of Sauðafell 1552–1555 Second Margrave War 1554 Wyatt's rebellion 1554–1557 Russo-Swedish War 1558–1583 Livonian War 1560 Siege of Leith 1562–1598 French Wars of Religion 1563–1570 Northern Seven Years' War 1568–1570 Morisco Revolt 1568–1648 Eighty Years' War 1569–1570 Rising of the North 1569–1573 First Desmond Rebellion 1573 Croatian–Slovenian peasant revolt 1579–1583 Second Desmond Rebellion 1580–1583 War of the Portuguese Succession 1583–1588 Cologne War 1585–1604 Anglo-Spanish War 1587–1588 War of the Polish Succession 1590–1595 Russo-Swedish War 1593–1606 Long War 1593–1617 Moldavian Magnate Wars 1594–1603 Nine Years' War (Ireland) 1595–1621 Magnate wars in Moldavia 1596–1597 Cudgel War 1598–1599 War against Sigismund 17th century Siege of Breda, 1624 Action at La Hogue, 1692 1602 Savoyard escalade of Geneva 1605–1618 Polish–Muscovite War 1606–1607 Bolotnikov Rebellion 1606–1608 Zebrzydowski Rebellion 1610–1617 Ingrian War 1611–1613 Kalmar War 1615–1618 Uskok War 1618–1648 Thirty Years' War 1618–1639 Bündner Wirren 1620–1621 Polish–Ottoman War 1625 Zhmailo Uprising 1627–1629 Anglo–French War 1628–1631 War of the Mantuan Succession 1630 Fedorovych Uprising 1632–1634 Smolensk War 1637 Pawluk Uprising 1638 Ostrzanin Uprising 1639–1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms 1640–1688 Portuguese Restoration War 1648–1657 Khmelnytsky Uprising 1651 Kostka-Napierski Uprising 1652–1674 Anglo-Dutch Wars 1653 Swiss peasant war of 1653 1654 First Bremian War 1654–1667 Russo–Polish War 1658–1659 Russo-Ukrainian War 1655–1660 Second Northern War 1656 War of Villmergen 1663–1664 Austro–Turkish War 1666 Second Bremian War 1666–1671 Polish–Cossack–Tatar War 1667–1668 War of Devolution 1670–1671 Razin's Rebellion 1672 First Kuruc Uprising 1672–1678 Franco-Dutch War 1672–1673 Second Genoese-Savoyard War 1679 Covenanter Rebellion 1683–1684 War of the Reunions 1683–1699 Great Turkish War 1685 Monmouth Rebellion 1688–1697 War of the League of Augsburg 1689–1692 First Jacobite Rising 18th century Battle of Denain, 1712 Battle of Fontenoy, 1745 Great Siege of Gibraltar, 1779–83 1700 Lithuanian Civil War 1700–1721 Great Northern War 1701–1713 War of the Spanish Succession 1703–1711 Rákóczi's War for Independence 1707–1708 Bulavin Rebellion 1712 Toggenburg war 1714–1718 Ottoman–Venetian War 1715–1716 Jacobite rising of 1715 1716–1718 Austro–Turkish War 1718–1720 War of the Quadruple Alliance 1722–1723 Russo–Persian War 1727–1729 Anglo–Spanish War 1733–1738 War of the Polish Succession 1735–1739 Russo–Turkish War 1737–1739 Austro-Turkish War 1740–1748 War of the Austrian Succession 1740–1763 Silesian Wars 1741–1743 Russo–Swedish War 1745–1746 Jacobite rising of 1745 1756–1763 Seven Years' War 1763–1864 Russian–Circassian War 1768–1772 War of the Bar Confederation 1768–1774 Russo–Turkish War 1770 Orlov Revolt 1774–1775 Pugachev's Rebellion 1775–1782 American Revolutionary War (European theatre) 1778–1779 War of the Bavarian Succession 1784 Kettle War 1784–1785 Revolt of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan 1787 Dutch Patriot Revolt 1787–1791 Austro–Turkish War 1787–1792 Russo–Turkish War 1790 Saxon Peasants' Revolt 1792 Polish–Russian War of 1792 1792–1802 French Revolutionary Wars 1794 Kościuszko Uprising 1795 Battle of Krtsanisi 1798 Irish Rebellion of 1798 1798 Peasants' War 19th century Battle of Marengo, 1800 Napoléon at the Battle of Austerlitz (1805) Battle of Akhalzic (1828) Napoleon III at the Battle of Solferino (1859) The Sea Battle of Lissa, 1868 1803 Irish Rebellion of 1803 1803 Souliote War 1803–1815 Napoleonic Wars 1804–1813 First Serbian Uprising 1804–1813 Russo–Persian War 1809 Polish-Austrian War 1815–1817 Second Serbian Uprising 1817–1864 Russian conquest of the Caucasus 1821–1832 Greek War of Independence 1821 Wallachian uprising of 1821 1823 French invasion of Spain 1826–1828 Russo–Persian War 1827 War of the Malcontents 1828–1829 Russo-Turkish War 1828–1834 Liberal Wars 1830 Ten Days Campaign (following the Belgian Revolt) 1830–1831 November Uprising 1831 Canut revolts 1831–1832 Great Bosnian uprising 1831–1836 Tithe War 1832 War in the Vendée and Chouannerie of 1832 1832 June Rebellion 1833–1839 First Carlist War 1833–1839 Albanian Revolts of 1833–1839 1843–1844 Albanian Revolt of 1843–1844 1846 Galician slaughter 1846–1849 Second Carlist War 1847 Albanian Revolt of 1847 1847 Sonderbund War 1848–1849 Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence 1848–1851 First Schleswig War 1848–1866 Wars of Italian Independence 1848–1849 First Italian Independence War 1859 Second Italian War of Independence 1866 Third Italian War of Independence 1854 Epirus Revolt of 1854 1854–1856 Crimean War 1858 Mahtra War 1863–1864 January Uprising 1864 Second Schleswig War 1866 Austro-Prussian War 1866–1869 Cretan Revolt 1867 Fenian Rising 1870–1871 Franco-Prussian War 1872–1876 Third Carlist War 1873–1874 Cantonal Revolution 1877–1878 Russo–Turkish War 1878 Epirus Revolt of 1878 1885 Serbo-Bulgarian War 1893–1896 Cod War of 1893 1897 Greco–Turkish War 20th century Explosion of the Hawthorn Ridge mine, 1 July 1916, marked the beginning of the Battle of the Somme. Republican International Brigadiers at the Battle of Belchite, 1937 German Stuka dive bombers in the Eastern Front (World War II) 1941–45 A Soviet IS-2 tank in Leipzig during the 1953 East Germany Uprising Icelandic patrol ship ICGV Odinn and British frigate HMS Scylla clash during the Third Cod War UN troops on their way up "Sniper Alley" in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War A Russian helicopter downed by Chechen militants, during the First Chechen War The Russian Army's Vostok Battalion in South Ossetia 1903 Ilinden Uprising 1904–1908 Macedonian Struggle 1905 Łódź insurrection 1907 1907 Romanian Peasants' Revolt 1910 Albanian Revolt of 1910 1911–1912 Italo-Turkish War 1912–1913 Balkan Wars 1912–1913 First Balkan War 1913 Second Balkan War 1914 Peasant Revolt in Albania 1914–1918 World War I 1916 Easter Rising 1917–1921 Russian Civil War 1917–1921 Ukrainian–Soviet War 1918 Finnish Civil War 1918 Polish-Czech war for Teschen Silesia 1918–1919 Polish-Ukrainian War 1918–1919 Greater Poland Uprising 1918–1920 Estonian Liberation War 1918–1920 Latvian War of Independence 1919 Hungarian–Romanian War of 1919 1919 Christmas Uprising 1919–1922 Greco–Turkish War 1919–1923 Turkish War of Independence 1919–1920 Czechoslovakia-Hungary War 1919–1921 Silesian Uprisings 1919–1921 Polish-Soviet War 1919–1922 Irish War of Independence 1920 Polish–Lithuanian War 1920 Vlora War 1921 Uprising in West Hungary 1922–1923 Irish Civil War 1934 Asturian miners' strike of 1934 1934 Austrian Civil War 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War 1939 Slovak-Hungarian War 1939 Occupation of Zakarpattia Oblast by Hungary 1939–1940 Winter War (Soviet invasion of Finland) 1939–1945 World War II
Today, the nations of the European Union are at peace and continue to promote peace in the world.
By contrast, the War in Afghanistan has been going on since I graduated from high school - 34 years!
The War in Pakistan for 8 years, and most recently Syria, Libya, Iraq, Lebanon. Can you imagine a day when these countries have formed a union, share a currency, work together to promote peace, democracy and human rights? It could happen.
So I say again "it's about time" that the EU is recognized for decades of promoting peace, economic progress in a diverse region once at war, where there was plenty of bloodshed for centuries.
Despite the current economic strife (which, btw, is global - not just European), I am amazed that 27 completely different countries have managed to come together as one.
If you have another 3 minutes . . .
In the words of President Barroso "these values of freedom, democracy, rule of law, and respect for human rights, are the ones that people all over the world aspire to".
So, congratulations. Congratulations.
Maybe there's still hope for the rest of the world.
As we turned into the center of Hasselt last weekend on our way home from the airport, everything seemed really, really small.
I know I'd only been away for 3 weeks, but the expanse of Texas (specifically Longview) and the density of Belgium (specifically Hasselt) was never more evident to me.
And I know we've only been living abroad for 3 years, but somehow on this last visit home, things I never noticed before were never more evident to me.
Simply making observations, I took a few pictures as we kept the back roads hot between Jefferson (pop. 2,101) and Longview.
From pick-ups to power lines, St. Augustine to the Second Amendment, McMansions to marching bands, dirt dobbers to double-wides, I compiled a little slideshow of Southern Americana that I am absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt certain I will never see in Belgium.
Don't forget to make your screen full size and turn your volume on 'cause you don't want to miss the music - courtesy of a free download from James Lann.
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