micetrail

When I thought of Scotland my reveries turned to the Highlands and kilts, bagpipes, rolling hills, misty mountains. Little did I consider food. Well…myohmy was I mistaken. I’m sitting here at the Cross in Kingussie, a sleepy village north of Edinburgh having just finished an amazing repast.

This is what I would say is my 4th gourmet meal in my 10 days (so far) in Scotland. You could definitely do a food tour here. No pics of Scorrybreac in Portree (Isle of Skye) where I had the most delicious venison…maybe I mentioned that in another post. Also, an excellent Sea Bream in Inverness at Mustard Seed…doesn’t photograph well. 😉

1) the restaurant Old Spean Bridge

2) Captains Galley in Thurso

3) the Cross in Kingussie

On another note is the weather. Now, everyone says this is highly unusual. Since I’ve been in Scotland I’ve had 65-75 degree weather. No rain to speak of. I had to buy cooler 😎 clothes including shorts just to survive.

My tour is coming to an end. Just three more nights and I’m moving south.

A side note: Do people have to partner with someone dummer to make them feel important? It’s not the Jet Stream that makes it warmer, it’s the Gulf Stream…darling. Or is it that the partner just shuts up and lets them feel superior and in control?

Accepting wagers.

So far the agents I booked my Scotland tour with have been spot-on. Every little train trip I take has me facing the “right” way. However, on this leg back down to Inverness, I’m sitting backwards. Not because they erred but because there’s a woman sitting right next to me and I’ve decided to sit backwards instead of having to elbow it with her. I know it’s psychosomatic but I do feel a little out of sorts seeing the landscape zoom by and seeing where I’ve been rather than where I’m going. At least it’s on the same route I had coming up. Waahhhhh!

Thurso is a little sleepy brown town (they all are brown, by the way) at the northern tip of the “mainland”. Again, I was picked up on schedule and delivered to my lodging…a sweet little B&B serving the usual Scottish breakfast (except no haggis, thank god). Next day, headed to Orkney on the Ferry from Scrabner to Stromness which I realized at some point was Orkney. Who knew? Past the “Old Man of Hoy”.

BTW the Orkenians named their largest island the mainland.

Picked up by Lorna (See-Orkney tours) for a private tour of Orkney with visits to Scara Brae (Neolithic village). It’s like a warren with the stone huts connected by tunnels and reminded me of The Buried Giant by Ishiguro…a haunting and thought-provoking book.

Then on to some other 5000 year-old stone circles (eat your heart out Stonehenge). Some archaeologists were working on the site.

The St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall is quite impressive and has a wonderful tale to tell about his life, demise, canonization…and his and his nephew’s (who founded the Cathedral in 1137) remains being found in hidden cavities in two different columns of the church.

The Orkenians think of themselves independent from Scotland who themselves think themselves independent…from Great Britain. Orkney identifies more with Norway and the Vikings (ala Magnus) then it does with the Scots.

A whole gaggle of girls just embarked on the train. Heading to Inverness I imagine and a wild weekend! They are enjoying themselves…it’s Saturday. Cackle, yuck, cackle. It is a bit annoying…oh, there goes a few people moving to the next car.

Why do people ooh and aah when they see a baby, a dog, a horse? What little neuron and/or chemical controls that reaction? Fields roll by, wheat spools, sheep,cows, sheep, lambkins, sheep, wheat spools, standing stones, stone tonsured hills, stone walls, grass, pine trees, sheep, sheep, horses, sheep.

OK. Here go the earphones on.

Heading up to Thurso from Inverness where I had a good stay at a B&B ten minutes walk to the center. A sweet little place and a bit more room than my Skye retreat in Portree. Inverness seems to be a mini-Edinburgh. Very manageable. I took a local bus out to the Culloden Battlefield where they had a great audio tour and presentation of what went on there in 1746…the final Jacobite battle where 1500 Jacobites were killed and 300 Britishers. I’ve always wondered why they were called Jacobites. You probably know this but Jacobus is the Latin for James. And it was James Stewart they wanted back on the thrown. His descendent “Bonny Prince Charles” spent some time trying to reclaim the thrown, all for nought. He died on the continent a sad sorry alcoholic. Happens to the best of us…the alcohol, that is. There was an eclectic group of people touring the site with their audio guides. Very interesting observing and being observed.

Here’s a good place to interject that American women traveling solo (the only ones that seem to travel alone) are pretty eccentric. Whoops, who’s looking in the mirror? Present company excepted. I met one woman going out to the battlefields on the bus and though I resisted talking as is my usual mode, she insisted on telling me how the bus driver told her the wrong information and she had to wait for another bus…seemed very put out.

And then I was sitting alone (is there any other way?) at the Mustard Seed in Inverness having a pretty good darn meal when they seated a woman at the adjacent table. It’s a trend. Anyway, she turned out to be from the Marshall Islands by way of Iowa and had been teaching in the Marshall’s for 18 years. Seemed nice but every once in a while she went into a reverie and sort of lost it with how excited she was to be traveling…she said this was the trip of her lifetime. It was pretty sweet and, of course, I helped her document the event. I was on my best behavior.

There are some lovely walks along the River Ness which runs through Inverness and, as you guessed, is an outlet for Loch Ness.

Oh yes, here I’m interjecting a church graveyard where, after they imprisoned the rebel Jacobites in the church, took them out and executed them. There are even two stones lined up which, it is said, were used to line up the musket with the prisoner. Nice use for a churchyard. By the way, it’s not a Catholic Church. And it is along the River Ness.I managed a boat trip (yes, Jacobite cruises!)

out to the Loch and to Urquhart Castle. I had bought my ticket the day before and boarded just fine. However in disembarking I was asked for my yellow pass. No yellow pass. I’m sure this has never happened before…no, no. Well, they let me off without the pass and then on the return had to go through the whole rigamarole again. It was a lovely trip though and a lovely day. Lots of climbing at Urquhart…just can’t get away from that in Scotland.

I had a chat with an Irish woman (living in Scotland) who was on the boat (Jacobite cruises!) who was taking the Contemplative Cruise – that is, you sit on your can on the trip up to the Castle and likewise on the way back. She asked a lot of questions and gave a lot of answers. Not too contemplative. I, of course, took the Discovery Cruise which included climbing around the castle and busing back.

Speaking with ‘what’s her name” I felt like it was an episode of an English soap opera. So much like Hyacinth Bucket (Bouquet). Cheery and chatty and curious (nosy)…Are you traveling alone??? She and her husband were hosting a good friend of theirs on this trip up and down the canal to Loch Ness who has Parkinson’s. Keeping up Appearances.

Now here in Thurso…and being picked up by Dave’s taxi. Just a short jaunt up the hill to a B&B. Still beautiful weather. Who knew? Off to Orkneys tomorrow.

Sitting on the train (yes, train) from Skye to Inverness. I had no idea there was a bridge and that it was so close to the “mainland.”

I arrived from the south via a ferry crossing and leaving to the east in the 2 car train. Whew! They just turned on the a/c. Not a beautiful station on the Skye side but adequate.

Skye weather was amazing and highly unusual. I recommend packing lightly for summer AND fall. This is June/July and the weather can change in a blink. I also recommend skipping Skye if you’re not a hiker and not interested in geology at all. But if you insist, the scenery is amazing and you can tour the island via a local bus day pass which allows one to stop wherever you will.

The buses don’t run all that often, and the last bus back is pretty early, so beware.

I did one stop at Old Man of Storr which is a geologic formation and quite impressive. You can also climb, at a 45 degree angle, up to the top. Why not, she said? It’s only 1 1/2 kms. I took the more circuitous route thinking I’d be rested for the last bit at about 60 degrees. Ha!

Not a chance. Once I had spent myself on the lower section I told myself “you don’t need to do this”. This time I actually listened to myself. Took a couple of pics and headed down which was a bit more treacherous then going up since I headed down the scree path.

I then continued around the peninsula on the local bus for more eye-candy scenery.

Recommended place to eat is Scorrybreac in Porter, Skye. Best meal I’ve had in Scotland. Not usually a venison lover, it was wonderful. I had to ask if it wasn’t filet mignon they were passing off. Also had pigeon for starter (uh, you know, squab) which was delicious as well. Great wine list and detailed information from the sommelier/owner.

Continuing on my train ride. I’ll be in Inverness shortly…2+ hours with all the local stops.

Here I am sitting on the “Harry Potter” train heading to Hogwarts…oh, no I mean Maillig. I’ve learned more about the Jacobites in these couple of days than I knew in all my long life. This is called now the Jacobite train trip since Harry retired. Well actually long before.

I happen to have a first class seat…la de da…and am sitting across from a couple on their honeymoon heading to Skye for a couple of weeks. She’s knitting away…not sure why.

I have to say, the travelers seem to be a bit longer in the tooth than those muggles and wizards formerly occupying these seats.

The concrete used in the Glenfinnan Viaduct is mass concrete, which unlike reinforced concrete does not contain any metal reinforcement. It has 21 spans.

I had a lovely stay at the Old Pines Inn near Spean Bridge. It’s along the way from the Commandos memorial to the High Bridge…site of the start of the 1748 Jacobite rebellion. See…I told you I learned something about Bonnie Prince Charlie and his groupies. Probably best not to call them “groupies” while I’m in Scotland.

Ken, the propietor of the Old Pine Inn gave me a ride to the local bus which I took to Ben Nevis and the gondola. Some lovely views and a crazy hang glider. He made it.

The goat said “Hmm…looks easy”.

Back on the Jacobite train: I’m hearing the rhythmic heartbeat of the steam engine. The clack clack clack of the tracks. Gray smoke pouring from it’s chimney. Soot on my clothes, on my hair. Too warm to close the windows…must be that global warming. Here comes the tea wagon. There’s the whistle. Some damn loch coming up now. Now speeding up. How romantic Diana! Yes, Diana, how romantic.

The tour company did a good job. I’m sitting in first class on the best side of the train facing forward. Lovely. People are discussing how the train disengages and turns around at line end. Everyone (including me) seems fascinated by trains. Many seem to be doing a round trip on the steam train. Now I feel better about hogging the view on my side.

Scottish foxglove everywhere. What did you expect?

By the way, it is ridiculously warm here. Everyone is surprised evidently. I thought to get a good tan in Mallorca but it seems a better chance here. My packing left something to be desired, so I ended up buying some shorts and shirts in Fort William. I now have two outfits I can wear for the next 10 days. Not sure how I could have escaped this problem even in looking at the forecast but one gutfull day I’m going to head off with two outfits only and make-do. Sure.

Oh my, Oh my…I spend about 2 hours a day figuring out where to go next. Such a problem.

Right now I’m in Edinburgh and loving it. Such a Harry Potter world…alleys, dark corners, sinewy stairways, towers, old soot colored buildings. The city is built on two levels with “bridges” spanning the dales below. It’s an odd feeling to be walking on the South Bridge since it doesn’t seem like a bridge at all but rather a wide boulevard aligned with shops and restaurants. But sure enough there are archways below holding up the 1000 foot bridge. Supposedly there are 19 archways below but only one is still visible. Buildings, shops, homes have all been built into and onto the arches so as to defy reality. A good tour to book is the Highs and Hidden Lows of Edinburgh. Full of arcane information and a very small group (six). I was huffing and puffing a bit as we climbed up and down streets and steps for about 2 miles. I tried to put on a good face and managed to keep up.

Off to Glasgow and heading to the Highlands. Why is it that the night before I travel, no matter how far, I have trouble sleeping. No different this time even though Glasgow is only 45 minutes from Edinburgh…worry about Uber and WiFi and pick up and finding the right track and checking my bag into left-luggage at the station. I surely don’t want to carry that around on my 13-day “Grand Tour of Scotland”. It’s a bit costly but worth it…I hope.

The company I organized the private tour with had their associate meet me at the station in Glasgow and handed me a huge envelope of vouchers, maps, timetables, tickets, etc. It worked like a charm…whew that worry dealt with and pointless. Heading to my first 2-day stop at Spean Bridge and the Old Pines Inn…near 4000 foot Ben Nevis in the highlands. Dressed for mild weather…my mistake…more on this later.

If you purchase an item in Europe you qualify for a tax refund when you leave the country. One thing of note: the “country” means the entire European Union. So, if you buy something in Lisbon and then go to Mallorca you are not able to get the refund. Then if you continue on to Edinburgh, you’re still not out of the European Union. Basically you have 90 days from your purchase to get the customs stamp that verifies your purchase and refund. And you must get that stamp from the last country you visit before returning home.

So…a little problem if you’re not heading out within 90 days. But sometimes a sad story will suffice or rather…lying. It all depends on who is manning the customs office and how long the line is. I had some lying luck leaving Mallorca with something I had purchased in Lisbon. (I wasn’t successful with this ruse when I left Lisbon.) The customs agent wanted to see my boarding pass and passport, of course, along with the receipt and the VAT form that had previously been filled out by the shop where I bought the item.

He perceptively noted to me that my boarding pass showed I was not leaving the EU and was heading to Edinburgh. So where was my ongoing itinerary? Well…unfortunately my “friend” had gone ahead of me and had all that information. “Not even an email from the airline with your itinerary”, he asked. No, unfortunately not. Of course, he wasn’t fooled but felt like giving me a break, I guess. So, he stamped my form and YAY, I got my refund.

So, the moral of this story is if you’re not leaving in that 90 day period either lie or give it up. It depends alot on the refund amount…if it’s a small amount, it’s definitely not worth it. And…have a sad luck story ready in detail; go in the morning before a line forms and; hope to god you have a sympathetic agent.

I won’t try this again.

Boy, this is getting boring. One beautiful place after another. They say you can’t go home again and I’m not sure that one would want to. The Balearic Islands which include Mallorca and Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentara are situated off the Spanish coast. I had the good fortune to spend some time with friends who have lived in Mallorca for 40+ years. It was like having a vacation inside my year-long vacation.

Of course it didn’t help that I barely lifted a finger, was chauffeured around to see all sides of the island and some hidden gems from Port de Pollenca to Alcudia to Valdemossaand Deia. In Valdemossa, it’s worth a visit to the Carthusian Monastery which was founded in 1399 by King Manuel. The monastery (church, cloister and cells) has been converted into a museum with a chemist shop, a library and has collections from Chopin and George Sands who stayed there in two “cells” for an extended time once it was privatized.In the chemist shop can be found original contents in the medicine containers.Tres interessant.

We also had a run at the Joan Miro atelier and museum which is in Palma (Marivent) and worth a visit.Before our Miro visit we had a lovely lunch over the sea at the Il Paradiso in Marivent just outside of Parma. The view can’t be beat but the prices can. There’s lots to see in addition to the sea. It was pretty hard to leave but leave I did. Doreen & Pepe treated me too well. I will return. Pepe’s Paella was particularly delicious.

June is party time in Lisbon. Every street corner, Praça, miradoura has something going on. It’s the feast of Saint Christopher with singing, dancing, parades going on throughout the city. The Bairro parade takes place in the 12th which has all neighborhoods participating for the ultimate prize of best presentation. Don’t plan on a quiet stay.

The Book Festival takes place around this time and is quite the event. Booths set around the Edward VIi parque near Marques de Pombal Praça. There are author presentations, lectures, food, drink, what have you. A must see if you’re there.

My friends tell me it’s cold but to me, it’s San Francisco weather…which is ideal. OK, a few sprinkles but if you carry an umbrella it won’t rain at all.

There’s something to see and experience around every corner. Lisbon is a very easy place to be… no pretensions, good espresso, international food, and friendly. Plus everyone speaks English which is good and bad. Bad for my language learning but good for getting by.

One thing not to miss is the wonderful street art on many Lisbon streets and lining the Gloria funicular. But the piece de resistance is the neighborhood of Marvila where street art decorates the apartments of this disadvantaged area.

Since my last post I’ve made some moves both physically and mentally. I feel pretty much at home in Lisbon now but started watching too much TV. That Netflix will really get you going. Anyway, I think I told you I went on a little cruise around the Mediterranean with a friend. We hit some great spots including Menorca, Marseille (I recommend it), Monaco (I don’t recommend it), Elba, Corsica and finally Rome.

Headed off to Siena from the port in Rome when our bud Mario picked us up. I hadn’t been to Siena before and I have to say, it was impressive. I didn’t know what I had missed. There are so many gates to the old city that it’s very easy to get lost. The cathedral is other-worldly.

Heading to Rome with the Coliseum on my list. Yes, I’ve seen it before but not since they opened up the inner workings. It’s pretty awesome.

One can download an app to get access to the various historical sites. It helps to skip some of the lines.

There are also several Palazzo’s that are deserving of a visit: Palazzo Venezia, Palazzo Farnese and a must-see, the Sistine Chapel. You’re out about 30 euros is you want to skip the line, but it is worth it. And you get the best “bang for your buck” if you go in the evening just before it closes. You’re allowed to spend a good amount of time (1 hour in my case) without the normal rush through. And the tourist groups are minimal. No photos here because they do not give the experience justice and, even now after several weeks of being away from Rome, the remembrance is sublime.

Of course it might have something to do with the fact that I am looking out on a beautiful bay in Mallorca right now, so peace and tranquility reign. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

And to complete the trip to Rome, one must have a Tartufo at the Tre Scalini in Piazza Navona.