Perched on a Post

It was a lovely and perfect day to run a marathon. Also a great day for spectators and of course we fall into the latter category. We took up our post near the tower around 10:30 and watched for almost four hours. It was fun to be in the middle of all of the excitement. They had a good live band playing music the whole time and it was pretty cute to watch everyone, of all ages, swinging their hips and tapping their feet to the music, even though they weren't necessarily aware they were so engaged in the background sounds. 

As promised, the crowds were very large. We got to see the first place runners at about the 20 mile point and the crowd was pretty boisterous cheering on the runners. The motorcycles down the track give you the first heads-up that a runner is coming by and then for the first and second place runners, a media truck precedes them with all of the photojournalists hanging out the back to get the perfect image and the big time clock. 

It wasn't until about 12:30 that the masses of athletes really started running past. The crowds from our vantage point also got very busy as more of the masses of athletes got to the four hour mark. The spectators were so excited when they got to cheer on their family member or friend as they ran by. The race appears to be very well organized with almost 50,000 runners apparently competing today. Aside from the elite athletes, you get into the race by a lottery method. Typically while they issue 50,000 entries for approval, only about 38,000 usually show up to compete. This year they think they far exceeded the 38,000 actual competitors. 

The masses of runners

While it's a race for elite athletes, the London marathon also features wheelchair athletes and other para-athletes and the club, charity and ballot runners as well. There were a significant number of guide runners, usually for those visually impaired, with a large team fielded from Japan.  

Reporting from our spot Perched on a Post 

Gridlock at the Palace

It was a cool morning here in London -- likely one of the coldest yet that we have had on this vacation. We put on a few more layers than normal and are thankful at least we don't have snow, unlike photos from home that were sent to us today. 

This morning we fulfilled Sir IF's desire to head to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. We had been warned that there are usually swarms of people at this event and yes, there were big crowds. We were fortunate to get a spot along one of the railings, not at the palace, but on one of the parade routes, so we had a chance to take better photos than a lot of other people who were there. The horses were beautiful and we got to hear the military band and also see the guards. 

Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace

We left the palace via a walk through St. James Park and the Princess Diana Memorial Playground which was quite lovely. When we got out of the park we needed to cross one of the roads by the palace and got into what can only be called 'pedestrian gridlock'. A lot of the roads around the palace were closed off for the changing of the guards, but also in anticipation of the marathon events as well, so people had nowhere to move to when a "buggy" or vehicle got into the roadway somehow. But we forged on; one of the event organizers finally took charge and told people to divide into two lines, and the gridlock became manageable and passable. 

We were trying to make our way into the Knightsbridge area and head towards Harrods to check out the iconic London retailer. Took a bit of a windy route but we did get there and had fun checking out the interesting floors and shops and departments inside Harrods. The Egyptian Escalator area was particularly memorable. We also took a stroll through their toy department which was done so much more tastefully than our experience with Hamleys. 

Being the brave and learned souls that we have become we now managed to transfer trains and divide up our subway trip home so we felt like we had achieved a milestone. 

In the early evening we made our way over to St. Paul's Cathedral to take in the Evensong service. The cathedral truly is an incredible feat of architecture to marvel over. The ceilings and the immense size of the building and the artistry are all so impressive. There was a choir visiting from Essex and it was lovely to have this chance to participate in an Anglican service in such a revered setting. 

St. Paul's Cathedral

The weather took a dramatic turn for the better late this afternoon so we took advantage of our balcony for some photos of the Thames and pre-dinner drinks. 

The tour boats were very busy today.

Tonight we ventured out as far as downstairs for some dinner in that restaurant. We had breakfast here once before but this was our first chance to have a dinner meal there. It's a very happening place on the weekends. Beside us there was a group of five lovely young women celebrating a birthday. They were earnestly in conversation with the managers discussing their identification in hopes of some celebratory alcohol but we don't think they were very successful. They had brought a birthday cake and some flares and sparklers on it so the serving staff brought it out to the table. It gave off quite the show of light and we were quite convinced the smoke detectors were going to go off but they didn't much to their server's relief. 

There were a couple of boat cruises on the Thames tonight and the people on one of them seemed to be having quite the early dance party. All of the guests were wearing headphones and dancing up a storm - guess that way the ship complies with noise bylaws and the partiers still get to have a good time. 

Tap Tap Tap!

Another busy day in a busy city, putting lots and lots of miles on our feet. We started this morning with a nice subway ride over to the Imperial War Museum which is on the other side of the Thames from where we are staying - an area we hadn't quite ventured over to before. It was nice to see another area of London. 

This was another very interesting museum, especially all of the exhibits relating to World War I. They have a floor devoted to the Secret Wars, spies and such as well which was interesting. These museums are all so intensive that you can really only do one museum in a day. We decided to walk back from the museum which took about two hours. Sir IF's feet gave out before Meg's today, not that we are keeping track (insert smiley face here)! 

We walked through the building for the Tate Modern hopeful for some lunch but that wasn't going to work out. We didn't have enough energy left to go through the gallery itself today so will save that for another day. 

It's really beautiful to stroll along the riverwalk all the way to the hotel on both sides of the river and you get to see so many interesting buildings along the way. We continue to marvel at the way they incorporate all of the new buildings with unique architectural designs into the old historical buildings. Everything is so incredibly clean everywhere you walk. It's all very impressive. Their city planning department must be huge. We lunched at the Horniman Bar (no that is not a typo) and Meg got her first Club sandwich of the trip. Happy faces all around! 

Tonight we had another theatre outing. This time we went to the tap-dancing musical 42nd Street and it was spectacular. We were dithering over which play or musical to select and the ticket advisor said this one was a really lavish original-style production and he was absolutely correct. It was just like all of the old musicals that we used to see on television. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves to believe that we are really here in London getting to see these productions. There was such a buzz of excitement with all of the people and families excited about their big night out, taking photos outside the theatre, and then again once they get in the theatre. It was very heartwarming and another great day in a beautiful city! 

Beautiful!

We had a good train ride yesterday from Edinburgh to London; pretty uneventful which for us was a nice change. No falls outside the train station; yes, we'll take good omens everywhere we can. 

It was nice to check back into a familiar place and know we don't have to be on the move again. Kind of like coming home one could say. 

Today we reacquainted ourselves with the subway system which certainly is very efficient. And we put lots of miles on our shoes which was good for both of us - although we have been getting our share of exercise on this trip. London is very busy again and we think in part it is because the London Marathon is taking place on Sunday. Much of the central London roads will be closed down. It's a huge marathon attracting about 50,000 entrants so we will have to pick our vantage point somewhere close to our hotel. While we were walking around today we saw so many runners getting their pre-race training runs in, weaving in and out amongst all of the tourists. Words cannot describe the frenetic pace and hordes of people and traffic here. It's amazing to be amongst so many people from all over the world. 

All of the flowers seemed to be in bloom in St. James Park as we strolled by there today. 

Our morning was spent visiting the National Gallery where we saw beautiful paintings from most of the masters from various periods including Rembrandt, Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Seurat, Vermeer, and Klimt and a number of other famous Dutch artists. The building itself is so large and its old architecture so beautifully displays all of the extraordinarily-sized works of a number of the artists. We found it quite easy to get lost in the gallery and we were not alone. There were lots of school trips happening while we were there and it was interesting to do a little eavesdropping and glean hints of what to look for in the different pieces, thanks to the educational knowledge of the docents. 

And we had a Beautiful afternoon taking in the musical which tells the story of Carole King - a wonderful afternoon of all the hits we grew up with. We thoroughly enjoyed it and think there may be more shows in our future. It's also nice to get a chance to see the old theatres while taking in a little culture.  

Katie's Crowdie in The Trossachs

Missed a day again with the blog. We had a long travel day yesterday. We drove from Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula to Balquidder in The Trossachs. And it was another new kind of single track road experience, this time much narrower than the other roads we have seen so far. Far fewer passing places on this road as well but thankfully it was only six miles long. The start of yesterday's trip meant doing the return trip on that windy and twisty 26 mile road from the castle so we are happy to have all of that behind us now. 

We passed some stunning scenery along the Glen Coe. We stopped at a nature preserve and got out for a nice walk and tour through their visitor centre and museum. All along the Glen Coe are these incredible mountain ranges and vistas that change from looking like our Rockies to the buttes of Arizona. It is very noted for being a popular mountain climbing location and there is lots of information on the famous climbers who have been to the region in the museum. As Sir IF noted, there were all kinds of blues to be seen. Blues from the lochs and the oceans, blues from the sky and a hazy grey green blue hue to the mountain tops. The vegetation changes along that whole route were quite remarkable as the Glen Coe had lots more greenery and trees in the valleys than the Ardnamurchan Peninsula and even more so as we got closer to The Trossachs. At one point on our drive we must have passed about six para-sailers gliding through the mountain tops. 

We arrived at our spot for the night which was a working farm on a remote road that doubles as a small hotel.  They have a particular reputation for serving quite the gastronomic feasts using almost everything from their own farm. Everyone here definitely had a much more casual approach to hospitality. We tucked into the tiny little bar where a family appeared to be having a hearty family reunion of sorts. Everyone is quite loud and jovial in the small towns of Scotland it seems. It was fun to be in that kind of an environment - very relaxing indeed. The servers seemed to be a collection of young people from all over - ours for the evening was a delightful young woman from Australia working her way to get to Europe and Asia before she heads home. The chef went out of his way to speak to Meg about her allergies and they did an excellent job with the meals. Meg had hake (which is a kind of fish similar to cod), Sir IF had the beef. They seem to be quite big on serving onions as one of your main vegetable in Scotland and they do them up so yummy.  For starters Sir If had Katie's Crowdie (no that's not a typo) (it is a local  cheese and onion appetizer) and Meg had Tamworth pork. Melt in your mouth delicious. They also delighted us with an amuse bouche, and appetizers in the lounge with our drinks. Dessert was mostly gobbled up by Sir If, a candied walnut tart with butterscotch and coffee ice cream. 

Almost everyone brought a dog with them to the farm it seems and there was lots of room on the grounds for people to give their dogs a good run and play. 

Even though we were seated by ourselves for dinner there was another couple at the table beside us who were delightful company. He lives in Edinburgh and she lived in Manchester and they have had a commuting relationship but are now looking at moving in to the same city. They met at a music festival on one of the Scottish Islands so we were enlightening them about some East Coast Canadian musicians. He was already familiar with the Rankin Family and when Meg asked if he knew about Great Big Sea he said he had one of their albums. We shared a little of our ukulele experiences and Jake Shimabukuru and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain as a recommendation so they said they'd have a number of things to check out when they get home. 

Chronicles from the Castle

Today was a glorious sun-filled day here on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula. We took advantage of the great weather and boarded the ferry as pedestrians across the Sound of Mull, to the Isle of Mull and Tobermory. This is a beautiful little fishing village with all of the storefronts painted in bright colours much like a lot of Newfoundland. There are a lot of different shops and restaurants and a couple of bars in Tobermory that cater pretty much exclusively to the tourist trade. Very few vehicles take advantage of the ferry but instead it is primarily used by pedestrians and cyclists, and of course, the dogs. 

The fishing village of Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull 

A fishing trawler 

The Brits and their beloved dogs. They are everywhere! We hadn't realized how beloved the dogs were here. They are allowed in many of the restaurants, bowls of water can be found outside shops, and they are all different sizes. On this particular peninsula there seem to be quite a few more like the Irish Wolf Hound but there were lots of different kinds and sizes of dogs on the ferry. 

View from the ferry on the way back to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula

View of the Castle from the Sound of Mull

Relaxing with a drink in the lounge/drawing room so we can take advantage of the wifi hook-up here at the castle. Not sure what will be on the menu for dinner tonight. Last night the chef cooked up a white asparagus concoction on the grill that was quite delicious as an appetizer, the main course was chicken with roasted new potatoes and broccoli (with the leaves of course) all served on a plain looking sauce of peas meal which was really delicious. Dessert was quite heavenly healthy - an apple crumble made with hazelnuts and compressed apples made with pine oil and Douglas fir oil. We are certainly getting our share of  new food experiences this vacation. For breakfast today, Sir IF had Eggs and Weeds, which was fried eggs cooked in rapeseed oil with an assortment of seaweed and all of the herb greens they had in their kitchen. Meg opted for the boring eggs. Last night's homemade sourdough bread leftovers were sliced ultra-thin and toasted in the oven and were quite yummy. 

Sarah the castle manager has been filling us in on the history of this castle and some of its former occupants. She has been in the hospitality industry for quite a few years and lived all over the world, including some time in Vancouver and British Columbia so she is quite aware of the differences between here and our home. She keeps setting the background music for whichever room we're in so we're getting a nice eclectic batch of music and radio stations including the British Gaelic channel, some Selkirk, Scotland music for last night much like our east coast musicians, and this afternoon she seems to have selected western music, a tribute to her time in BC.  

Blind Summit(s) Ahead

Today was an adventure. We left the lovely Isle of Skye for the Ardnamurchuran Peninsula (the most westerly point of mainland Britain) and it turned out to be quite the drive. We had to ferry over at one point which was expected and quite lovely and really allowed us to get some good photos of the Isle of Skye and other adjacent land masses.  It seemed like much of today's four hour drive was on single track roads which means there is only room for one vehicle. It's all well structured with lots of passing points to pull into and the drivers are all very courteous at giving way whenever it is their turn. We've had lots of practice now at single track roads but these ones even had Sir IF raising his little ol' eyebrows a wee bit. 

As it is Easter Sunday the first part of our drive was in an area more known for its beaches so it was fairly busy. The middle part of the drive was in a much more forested and mossy-type of environment and wasn't quite as pretty as things we have seen so far. The latter half of the drive was quite remote though we still encountered quite a few vehicles. But oh was it windy and twisty! We think we had almost 25 miles of up, down, windy and twisty roads that had Meg pretty nauseated by the time we reached our final destination. There are sheep everywhere we drive and the whole last portion had them by the side of the road, and even on the road which was kind of fun to see. It is quite amazing that the sheep move away from the road as soon as they see you approaching. We also saw a herd of four deer, two of them stags, huge, leaping across the farmland as we got close to the castle. Beautiful although we understand there are so many on the peninsula that they have a regular culling season. We haven't really seen any of the highland bulls yet which are the very large, shaggy animals. 

The deer are in this photo if you can zoom in. 

Blind Summit(s) Ahead, this post's title, relates to the fact that when we started out the day, the road sign said, Blind Summit Ahead, so we anticipated that we would have to get to the top of one hill before we could tell if there was another vehicle coming. But to our surprise we encountered a Blind Summit Ahead sign almost every time we turned a corner, or well at least twenty times on today's single track road to the point that Sir IF felt we should change the sign on our way back to add an 's' so it reads Blind Summits Ahead. 

The Ardnamurchuran Peninsula

Pleased to report that we arrived at the castle safe and sound and in one piece. A warm welcome and of course a nice cup of tea and we were shown to our room in which we shall be very comfortable for the next few days. Sir IF was thrilled to walk up to the parapet outside with the great view. 

Sometimes they offer substantial courses for the meals here but as we are the only guests for dinner tonight they've honoured our wishes for just a three course meal which thus far smells absolutely delicious, the smell of the bread baking in the oven as we write. We're sitting in the drawing room having drinks before dinner with a stuffed eagle and pheasant keeping us company. Evidently they have far too many eagles in this area right now, a real danger during lambing season. A taxidermied bear is in the next room though they have conceded that probably came from our parts. And there are a number of portraits equivalent to the Great Grandmother here so she would be in good company in this locale. 

The castle is owned by the laird of the estate in these parts and we got to meet him tonight because he was the "first call handyman" come to fix a problem with the plumbing in our suite. He was apparently so concerned to see the castle fall into ruins on his estate that he arranged for twenty Yorkshire carpentry experts to come and renovate the castle over a two year period using oak and stone from the estate. It's quite impressive to see how beautifully they have made the castle look. Should be an interesting couple of days for Sir IF and Meg! 

Coral Crash

Yesterday morning, still on the Isle of Skye, started off with a trip to Dunvegan Castle about a twenty minute drive on both dual and single track roads from where we were staying. It was interesting but acknowledged for being the oldest castle in all of Britain where someone still lives apparently. However having been renovated in the early 1900s its decor was a little less oppressive and it was actually quite beautiful inside. The gardens were truly stunning. The estate grounds were quite large including another Walled Garden (but this one actually had a number of plants already well into bloom), a Round Garden, and then you could take a Woodland Walk and enter into the Water Garden. Sir IF and Meg both fell in love with the Water Garden. Almost of the plants in this area were already in bloom. We took a lot of photos. 

Our B & B hosts made us aware of a coral beach that was a nice walk fairly close to the castle so we decided to try that out. John our host had assured us it was going to be a lovely day on Skye but it was a good thing we packed our rain gear because we encountered an enormous deluge of rain. We got positively soaked, but we forged on as did lots of other eager Easter weekenders. The rain stopped after about 1/2 an hour and then the winds dried off all our clothes. One cannot describe the instanteous weather changes here -- when the sun comes out after a rain it is absolutely brilliant and the waters just shimmer. 

It was a beautiful site to see the coral all of a sudden appear. We got to the summit where you could see the full beach but didn't walk completely to the coral as Meg did another one of her tumbles so we didn't want to push our luck. Just landed on grass this time though so not too much damage done; a quick clean-up in the car and off we went to the next activity.  We sure wish Meg could remain steady on land never mind even trying out our sea legs! 

There were a number of nice artist shops/galleries nearby so we picked up a nice painting to remind us of our visit to Skye. The landscape is so amazing in this part of the world that the area attracts a large group of artists and artisans. If we had time we would have done more exploring of the local art works but the distances were mostly all on single track roads which takes a lot more time to travel to and fro, so we couldn't take everything in. 

Last night we walked down to the local pub in Stein which also happens to be the oldest inn in Scotland.  We wanted to have supper there and were able to scoop a table on this busy Easter weekend by sharing with a couple of other women, who as it turns out were also tourists. One was from the south of France and the other from Bristol/Birmingham. We had a lovely time visiting with them and hearing about their escapades up to the Orkney Islands. 

The Isle of Skye attracts a lot of tourists. It's very beautiful country and we were delighted we had the opportunity to see it on this trip and to learn more from our hosts Fiona and John about the local area, politics and economy. 

Warning: Feral Goats Ahead

As we sit writing this post, we are looking out over Loch Bay near the northern end of the Isle of Skye. We are right on the water and have an incredible view of the other side of Skye and on our nearby drives you can actually look out towards the Outer Hebrides islands in the great distance. We feel like we are right at the tip of the world actually. The weather here changes instantly from rain to brilliant sunshine, to sleet, to hail, and back to sunshine again. And then the largest rainbow we have ever seen came fully into our view. 

It was a very beautiful drive up from Loch Ness. This is one of the most popular driving routes in all of Britain and being a holiday weekend it was also very busy. The start of the drive seemed much like you would see in British Columbia going through the mountains, but it is a lot of scrub on the hills, then all of a sudden you would encounter a large patch of evergreens or fir trees. There was snow on the tops of the mountains that we could see but we never got up that high while driving. Lots of switchback-like roads so Meg was not at her most relaxed, but she coped, just straining the right braking foot a little more than usual from her front seat location. We were a little concerned that due to the remoteness of our location it might be difficult to find Stein but our organizers gave us very good directions and the Sat Nav seemed to comply as well. As we got closer to our day's destination we started to see a lot more road signs warning us of sheep on the roads. Then we got to experience the Feral Goats, I kid you not (pardon the pun). There was a sign on the road warning us they might be ahead, and sure enough, there they were, a whole tribe of goats but they stayed off the road and out of our way, just a couple of feet off the side of the road. 

On the way we checked out the Eileen Donan Castle which is a very romantic castle. It has a lovely bridge out in front and the castle itself is located where three bays intersect. Much of the castle is actually a reproduction that was completed in the early 1930s by some dedicated souls. 

Of course when we started the car up this morning we kept getting continual warnings that the coolant levels were low so being the mechanical geniuses that we aren't we finally found a mechanic at a garage in Portree who very kindly filled it up for us at no charge. People are really so very kind here. 

We landed at our lovely little B & B in Stein and our hosts are such truly lovely people who made us feel very welcome. We sat and visited with a cup of tea and coffee and little cakes and cookies and then they let us settle in and off we went to Dunvegan for dinner. The Old School was our chosen location for dinner. One could just imagine all the former students in this mostly one room school house now decorated complete with white twinkly lights. 

After supper we managed to get the car backed up into the parking space of the B & B, a bit of a feat, and then walked down into town to check that out for possibilities for dinner tomorrow night. There is a Michelin chef at one of the restaurants which is very popular but not sure they have any openings left at this late time, being so near to Easter. One gets the sense that fishing is a large part of the economy around here, as well as lots of sheep farms and tourism. Sir IF was quite taken with the lobster fisherman bringing in his boat right outside our window. 

There are tourists everywhere. We've been told you pretty much have to make dinner reservations on the island as there aren't really enough spots for all of the people who love to come visiting here. Evidently some British television shows have really been hyping the loveliness of Skye and the tourists have since been arriving in droves. 

Photos are really taking a long time to download so sorry there aren't any in these posts. Stay tuned when we will catch you up with a nice gallery, likely back in London. 

Twenty's Plenty

Well we had our first day for the rain pants and rain jackets today. And the north wind doth blow....

This morning we drove from Killiecrankie up to Inverness. Have to say it wasn't the most beautiful drive of everything we have been doing but once you get closer to Inverness and get onto the back roads it is indeed very lovely with rolling hills and lots of sheep and dairy farms. 

We got ourselves an Explorers Pass which entitles you to visit a lot of Scottish heritage sites for one special price and Sir IF wants to make sure we get our monies' worth so today we toured two very interesting sites. We are really learning a lot about Scottish and English history and we quite enjoy seeing the various methods each locale offers to get their message across. 

Our first stop was the Battle of Culloden. Our friends who visited here last year said it was a highlight of their trip and we have to agree it was indeed interesting. It showcases the final battle on Scottish or British soil with the Jacobites against the ruling government of the time. We got to walk the battlefields and see the memorial sites as well as stand in the middle of an audiovisual display that has the two sides coming at each other. It was very moving and emotional and one can only imagine how relatives of either side must feel when they come to visit. 

Next we travelled over to Fort George which is an historical site on a currently working military base. This was our first "fort" tour on this trip and it was quite interesting to see all of the elements of how everything worked as well as the recognition paid to the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders regiment, the Seaforth Regiment and the eventual Royal Scottish Highlanders Regiment. Meg really learned a lot about military history. 

Meg's fascination with the dining rooms continues. This is a military regimental dining room. 

View of Loch Ness from the gardens of our B&B

We manoeuvred our way through the streets of Inverness and on to the B&B where we are staying for the night. It's a very lovely and welcoming place and they even made a special cake and scones for Meg for tea, to accommodate her allergies. We're being spoiled here. We have a great view of Loch Ness from our bedroom window and though the b&b doesn't serve dinner they made arrangements for us to get a lift into town where we had a great supper of fish and chips. Loch Ness is a really quaint town and a nice reprieve from the busy Inverness. Outside the inn where we dined was a great road sign. Photos are not downloading well so we'll describe the sign. The speed limit in the little town outside the restaurant said "Twenty's Plenty". Will try to download that one tomorrow. 

Toured around the B&B's gardens a little bit and then we'll toddle off for a well deserved good night's rest. Busy day again tomorrow. Me thinks we may need a holiday to recover from our holiday!

Bloody Good Staff

What started out as a bit of a gloomy day with a very brisk wind, turned into another lovely day, with lots of sunshine and intermittent rain showers, much like Grandma K used to call, 
"a gentle kiss from heaven". 

On recommendations from some of the fellow guests at our hotel, we decided to check out the House of Bruar today. It's a very modern (of course it's all relative) shopping complex, in a small little town with a very unique selection. It's almost like a department store but with a very different layout and a separate store (all owned by the same company) for Country Living, Fishing Tackle, Mens Wear, Women's Wear, Wedding Gifts, Childrens Wear, and even a gallery. It was absolutely delightful and Meg managed to find a few goodies to bring home that were relatively small to pack. Our first and likely our last little shopping venture on this holiday. 

While we were at the store Meg managed to nick her finger that really started to bleed and fearful that she would drip blood onto some of their lovely products for sale, she proactively went to ask one of the staff for a bandaid. Well my goodness, you would have thought she was having a heart attack. All of the staff went into their safety training mode and there must have been five staff members all hovering around, "Are you okay? I'm so sorry we have nowhere for you to sit." They actually opened the alcohol wipe for me, opened the bandaid and clumsily put it on me, oh my goodness, it was so embarrassing. Even one of the staff members afterwards apologized and said, "We've all been through very intensive training for a major incident so we just fell into that mode."  The host at our hotel indicated they were all probably afraid we were going to sue them or something. 

Right behind the shopping centre there was a path to hike up to Bruar Falls. We worked pretty much every muscle to get to the peak and got some nice photos of the waterfalls. The steep climb should help ensure we sleep well tonight. 

Bruar Falls 

Then we headed off to Blair Castle. Beautiful grounds and a huge estate on a working farm, we also got a chance to tour the castle. This one had a lot more windows so it wasn't quite as dark and dank as the one we went through yesterday. Walking the grounds and gardens certainly makes one appreciate how dreadfully expensive it must be to be responsible for the care and upkeep of these historical buildings and estates. No wonder they almost all have their places open to the public for an admission fee. 

The Farm at Blair Castle - lots of sheep, lambs and horses

We also took some time to visit the little town of Pitlochry and to drive up to the local whisky distillery. 

Warming up in The Highlands

We left for The Highlands today which meant Sir IF and Meg had to venture out on their own to the car rental agency and manoeuvre their way through the city centre of Edinburgh. We were hopeful we would get the same kind of car that we had in Cornwall just for convenience sake so we didn't have to learn another operating system or Sat Nav system but of course that wasn't the case. Wouldn't want us to become complacent and as Grandma K always said, the day you stop learning is the day you start to die. 

We did eventually get out of Edinburgh and Sir IF ably drove across the Firth of Forth bridge which is quite the engineering marvel. The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful so we decided to explore and went beyond our route to the Glamis Castle (pronounced Glams here in Scotland). It's almost a fairytale-ish looking castle on the outside and it is where the Queen Mother lived; in fact Princess Margaret was even born there. The exterior and grounds were particularly lovely though it would be even more so in their blooming season however there were already wild daffodils all over. The interior of the castle was often pretty gloomy with very heavy brocade and Jacobite decoration and lots of cherubs and lions, indicative of the castle's occupants over the years. In fact when we went for our stroll on the pathways we passed the current owner of the castle, but didn't realize it was him until he was long gone. Not sure he would have invited us for tea in any regard.

After Glamis we got to our destination in Killiecrankie. It's a lovely small hotel which is quite quaint and in some ways very formal. We got a chance to mingle with some of the other guests for drinks before dinner and met an Australian family and some local older women who came to spend the evening at the hotel for dinner. The chef really went out of his way to create a menu for Meg that would accommodate all of her allergies and they even printed up an extensive one page menu with her name on it. Dinner was absolutely outstanding. So nice to have real food beyond a BLT and chips.  Sir IF finally got a chance to savour some of the local whiskies without worrying about having to drive, and well, seems like he enjoyed the wine, too. Needless to say at the end of the meal he poured himself (or rather tried to pour) a nice large glass from a bottle of still water (but the cap was still on which he didn't quite notice until it was brought to his attention). It was a very relaxing evening of good food and conversation with some of the locals. When we went up to bed, the housekeeper had already been up to turn down our beds for the evening and she tucked in a few friends to help keep our covers warm. The pictures will explain. 

A Polar Bear hot water bottle on Sir IF's side; Meg got the donkey!

Nighty-night!

Got a few tips from the locals on what to explore tomorrow. The weather does not sound very positive for the next few days so we may try to find more indoor activities if necessary. 

Edinburgh's Finest

Yesterday we had a very full and busy day exploring Edinburgh. Early in the morning we headed down the Royal Mile to check out Holyrood Palace which was a really interesting place. It's located at the other end of the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle and was designed to be a hunting lodge originally and eventually became the residence for the royal family when they are in Edinburgh. Queen Elizabeth still visits and entertains there once a year. It was neat to see the areas that she would host people at etc and also interesting again to see the table settings and dining room tables that extend to accommodate so many guests. 

Next we went  and checked out Maria Marions Butterflies Exhibit at the Queens Gallery - she's an artist who paints insects. It was actually quite interesting to hear the entomologists talk about the realism and also the not-so-accurate aspects of some of the artist's work. Maria was both an artist and a scientist so her paintings have been quite revered and studied by many in both the art and scientific communities. 

The Scottish Parliament building was our next stop. This building is an incredible architectural statement. As Scotland has one of the youngest parliaments in the world it also has one of the newest buildings - 1999. Very contemporary in design it was very intriguing to see how the architect designed the chambers with so much light and the meaning behind each of the design elements. There are beautiful and simple to understand displays highlighting the politics of Scotland as well. 

Sir IF's favourite stop of the day was the Our Dynamic Earth building. This is a very cool and contemporary science museum utilizing lots of digital technology and has been extremely well-designed to appeal to both the child and the adult. Oodles of hands-on, interactive displays including elevator rides with video depictions and live actors who act as hosts to explain what's going on and where you are going next. 

On our way back to the hotel Sir IF wanted to check out Calton Hill which has a good view of Edinburgh. We took the 'back road' walking path which was not Meg's favourite point on the trip but we did arrive safe and sound. Some of us felt we ignored pretty much every general travel safety tip but we got there.  Needless to say we took the more travelled path on the way down. 

It is amazing to see what a cultural mecca of international travellers there are here in Edinburgh. Throughout the city we have seen so many people with red hair - natural redheads with freckles. And everyone is so kind and friendly. Both Sir IF and Meg have been so impressed by how welcoming everyone and everything is here for children and how specific design elements of exhibits and museums are certain to cater to every family's need and whimsy. One also gets the sense here in Edinburgh of how progressive many of their social and cultural policies are and how there is a significant focus on the accomplishments of women.

The Laird's Lug

Hiking up to Edinburgh Castle we passed some more buskers in the street. They are lots of fun to watch and are quite an accomplished group. All of the musicians seem to be very talented with the exception of the really little youngster who was playing the recorder all by himself with a sign that read, "Saving money for my future bagpipes."  One really must wonder which corner his parents were lurking around.

One of the buskers - he has no head - not sure if you can tell that or not? 

Edinburgh Castle was very interesting. We opted to tour around ourselves with Sir IF regaling MEG (sometimes forgetting he had the headphones on), with the highlights of the audio tour.

At the highest heights we got some lovely views of Old Town and New Town Edinburgh. Apparently New Town Edinburgh (though built in the late 1700s and early 1800s) achieved rave reviews in present day for its principles of city planning and is in fact considered quite a masterpiece. We hope to get more into that area tomorrow. There are some really beautiful examples of architecture to be seen from the castle heights which look out towards New Town.

Ceiling timbers in The Great Hall

The Great Hall - see The Laird's Lug in the right hand corner

Little P would have liked this cannon

The Great Hall was quite incredible and played several different roles throughout the years, most popularly as a banquet hall. The ceiling itself is quite a work of art as common to most ceilings of the time they used timber which was painted and adorned with symbols relevant to their architectural period. In the upper right corner of The Great Hall there was a barred window which the Laird at the time used to spy on his courtiers. This window is called The Laird's Lug.

The Scotland War Memorial located in the castle was a very memorable and sombre reflection on the brutality and losses of war. The memorial encapsulated the number of military losses of life during each war subsequent to World War I that the Scottish military were involved and as Sir IF said, when you see the numbers actually written down and depicted on plaques and elaborate wall monuments, it is very moving. They do not allow photography within the exhibit which helps to ensure the solemnity of the experience. Our friends have spent the day in France at the Vimy War Memorial's 100th anniversary ceremonies. 

Couldn't resist this photo op for its family relevance. 

After we toured the castle we stopped for lunch at the Cafe Hub, housed in the building with the offices of the International Festival of Edinburgh. This was quite a contemporary place with nice friendly service quite different from most of the other places we have seen here so far.

The National Museum of Scotland was calling out to us. Again, like much of Britain, it's a free museum and was really interesting. It gave us a real basis for the history of Scotland but then it also highlighted science exhibits and achievements, wildlife and had some fabulous interactive exhibits for families. A building with really unique architecture like most of the city, it was also such a welcoming place for everyone. 

This one's for you, Daddy P! 

Sir IF is out of this world!

And we ended the day with a stop at the Public Library where they had an interesting educational exhibit on Maps. 

Bring out 'yer bagpipes!

Yes this morning we left the wonderfully beautiful and quiet surroundings of Cornwall for the busy, crowded streets of Edinburgh. It was a busy travel day and we were thankful for a Sat Nav system that got us where we needed to be on time and without delay. We got to experience the small airport of Exeter (please do not read quaint into this small) and flew straight on to Edinburgh. 

We're staying on the Royal Mile and it was a brilliant sunshine-filled day here as well so the crowds were out in droves. We think this far surpasses the busy-ness we experienced in London. It's not quite as tidy as London and there are lots more smokers here, all hanging around outside the pubs. When you hear someone leaving one of the pubs it won't be just one person, it's likely a group of a dozen or so young men. We also had no idea this is such an international city. 

It's really interesting to people watch and see so many young people, so many bars and restaurants, and cashmere shops, and all of the talented buskers out on The Royal Mile. We did lots of walking around today to try and get our bearings and will make a plan for tomorrow. 

Our big excitement for today was getting dropped off by the taxi-driver on The Royal Mile when he pointed to a tiny arched cobblestone opening and said, "See that sign that reads, The Close," he said. "Just walk on through those steps and then you'll find your hotel". It was a really unique experience for Sir If and Meg. We suspect these are all throughout certain parts of Europe but it was our first time with the architectural feature. The Edinburgh "Closes" date back to the 1700s and you never really know what lies beneath the entrance of any of them. Some like ours pretty much just open to a courtyard for our hotel - others have a series of shops inside them. Right beside us is The Real Mary King Close but I don't think we'll enter that one as it is a scary, horror-filled tour of the subterranean version of Edinburgh, not exactly my cup of tea. We're able to open the windows onto the courtyard so even from our room we get a sense of what's going on at all times. Just now a group of young women came strolling in, all dressed with kerchiefs on their heads, singing and carrying candles and such. Edinburgh is the home of The Fringe Festival so we do anticipate lots of unusual things to see and watch at all times. Should make for a fun and interesting few days before we head off to the quiet of The Highlands. 

The Lost Gardens

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

The Insect House

The Jungle

The size of the blooms was incredible!

It's lambing season.

The Rhododendrons in the Flora Garden 

Yesterday was an incredibly beautiful day completely full of sunshine here in Cornwall. We took advantage of the good weather to tour The Lost Gardens of Heligan. It was amazing. It's an old family estate that is enormous and fell into disrepair and then an aging former rock star took over renovation of the gardens and grounds and it turned into this spectacular public garden. We were only able to be there for a few hours but it can take days to see it all. Sir IF's friend Pat had lent us the book that told the whole story of the renovation which Meg read before we left. There was also a documentary filmed about it that we would love to get our hands on.

Sir IF and MEG walked through to The Jungle and The Lost Valley. At the Jungle Garden we got to walk across a Burma Rope, definitely the exotic highlight of this trip for Meg. Not exactly zip-lining, but it worked for MEG. They also have a barn and lots of farm animals, chickens, pigs, sheep and lambs, roosters, pheasants etc. Little P and her parents would have loved this place. They had special activities for the children set up for Easter and a gorgeous kitchen and gift shop. We'll let the photos tell today's story again.

We lunched in St. Mawes at The Rising Sun and had another chance for photos there as well. This is the closest larger town next to where we were staying. Very Doc Martin-ish. 

There were kids in swimming and playing in the water near St. Mawes (tho not in this photo) and some Stand Up Paddleboarders as well.

Later in the day we drove the DJs to Truro to catch their train to Bath. We had no idea what a beautiful city Truro is and have all agreed it would be a nice place to spend more time. We will miss the DJs and hope that we are able to ford our way through all of the digital requirements of this trip without their assistance. We did manage to make it back to our home away from home so things are looking pretty good in that regard. 

MEG on the Burma Rope Trail

No Go on Hill

We started the morning off with a drive to St. Ives, the beautiful seaside resort town. We had been warned that it is extremely popular and busy and were prepared that there would be a bit of a hike from the parking lot to the waterfront, but we were still surprised at the extent of the distances that we would be expected to walk when we were only hoping for a quick visit here. We were in luck though and found a smaller lot relatively close to the harbour so it allowed D to be able to join us on our explorations.

This is a town completely devoted to the tourist and to anything at all related to water. The harbour was stunning and we are so glad we decided to add this spot to our must-see list of things to do. Craft shops and art galleries are in abundance and J and Meg walked the length of the harbour to take it all in. D found a lovely little cafe where she and Sir IF imbibed in D's best-ever Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate while Sir IF sampled the daughter's marshmallows and his own Americano.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate -a good start to anyone's day... can it get any better?

St. Ives 

Another view of St. Ives harbour

St. Ives Harbour

From St. Ives, J directed us over to Cape Cornwall, via one of Great Britain's Great Back Roads tours of course. Yes, an odd name to our post today, "No Go on Hill", but that was indeed the name of the route that our Satellite Navigation system took us on to get to Cape Cornwall. It was the coastal route and was definitely the road less travelled but was such beautiful scenery. We can only imagine how high up we would have been had we been on a Hill Road if there is even such a thing. Such a funny little name for a road, don't you think? 

We weren't kidding!

J at the top of Cape Cornwall

Sir IF handled the car brilliantly and became very adept at driving even narrower and more remote roads. He also got lots of experience today doing the back-up thing so that another vehicle could pass by us. As I write this he is relaxing at our home for the week relishing in his achievements of the day.

Cape Cornwall was an old mining area and is right around Land's End which is the western-most point of land in England. The ocean views were stunning. As you can probably tell by now, we're running out of adjectives to adequately describe all of these views so we hope the pictures do justice to what we're trying to depict.

Cape Cornwall 

Cape Cornwall

The gardens of the current tenants at Cape Cornwall

More Cape Cornwall gardens

Our plan had been to have a picnic lunch here at Cape Cornwall but the winds blowing off the ocean made it just too cold so we opted to munch our lunch in the car. Also right at Cape Cornwall is an amazing golf course which certainly looked extremely challenging to all of us.

After Cape Cornwall we headed over to Porthcurno Beach. This is the area where they do a lot of filming of the BBC television series and Winston Graham books, Poldark.  We didn't find Ross or Demelza wandering around but it is a very large beautiful white sand beach in a protected cove which was pristinely clean. All the sunbathers and kids on their Easter break were already in their swimsuits ready to dip their toes into the ocean. If only Manitoba could keep their beaches so clean!

Porthcurno Beach - a MEG favourite