|
felicity's travels round europe & north america...
|
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
Back to London today. I must say it was quite sad to know that my trip around the UK was coming to an end, and when we arrived back in London on the bus, with all the hustle and millions of people, I seriously thought about getting back on a bus and heading straight back to Bonnie Scotland. I would much prefer to be in the Isle of Skye than London anytime!!!!
Anna and I got back in around 2 and it was really nice have some time to put my feet up, and do some real washing. I think I have survived pretty well doing hand washing mostly the whole way around, however it is so nice to be able to put your clothes in a washing machine. They seem to smell so much better when it is washing powder doing the cleaning as opposed to my regular soap. I love my skin smelling like imperial leather, but not my clothes.
A lovely night tonight with a beautiful roast chicken with lots of vegetables. Susan (my London host) wanted to cook a roast dinner for Anna and myself, and it was just lovely. Needless to say, the wine was lovely too.
After dinner, Anna and I went down to the pub and met up with another nanny who works with Lilian and Maisie (the young girls I am staying with). Jackie is a great girl and we had a fantastic night. It was a nice welcome back to London for me.
posted by Flossie at 11:25 pm
Monday, July 07, 2003
Ok - after having two not so exiting days, I have gotten off my backside and actually done something today. This morning I went for a lovely long walk through the grounds of one of the Oxford University Colleges. As there was hardly anyone up, it was really lovely to be able to walk without hoards of pesky tourists (I keep forgetting I essentially am one too, but I am sure I am no where near as annoying). There was basically only people out who were jogging or walking their dogs and it was a beautiful morning and a most enjoyable walk.
After breakfast I went for a walk along the Oxford canal and had a look at all the canal boats. Some of them were very beautiful and I was very impressed. What a great way to live, being able to travel across the UK through the country side on a boat. It is tempting to plan another trip here to do that some time. Anyone interested in joining me?
My cousin Anna was coming up to join me from London and she arrived on the bus at 10.30 in the morning, so I picked her up from the bus station. After we had dropped her stuff off at the hostel and then we went for a lovely walk around the centre of Oxford. I think she was fairly impressed with the town (I think it is very beautiful). We went down through the college grounds where I walked this morning (which incidentally takes you past the Themes - same river that runs through the centre of London) and then we went and had a look at the Pitt Museum. We were recommended the museum, although I probably didn't appreciate it as much. Lots of stuffed animals and strange artifacts. Probably the weirdest museum I have seen on my travels thus far, mostly due to its contents.
After lunch we went on a walking tour of Oxford university. One of the major differences with Oxford to other universities is that it is not one huge campus, but lots of little colleges scattered throughout the centre of the city. Most of them charge for people to go in, or a closed to the public altogether, however on the walking tour we were able to have a look inside some of them. The buildings are very beautiful and it would be very inspirational studying there. If I had the brains and the money I would certainly look at studying there. Certainly lots of prestige.
I was really impressed with the architecture in Oxford. On the whole the buildings at the colleges are very old and beautiful and there seems to be have been quite a bit of thought put into many of the buildings. Certainly there are some from the 20th Century that leave a lot to be desired (what was with architects of the 1960s and 70s???? Tass, can you answer that one?) but on the whole it is all so beautiful and has such a inspiring feel to it.
We walked around the city some more after the tour and then went back to the hostel to cook dinner. I think Anna was a bit taken aback initially by the whole hostel feel, but she didn't take long to fit right in and we had some great conversations with a guy from the US and we also met some people from Australia and South Africa.
posted by Flossie at 5:32 am
Sunday, July 06, 2003
Another relaxing day today. I think I am slowly winding down from all this touring stuff, so yet again, not much to report (however Harry Potter is great!!!)
posted by Flossie at 5:18 am
Saturday, July 05, 2003
Sorry guys, nothing much to report today. I have spent the day relaxing and reading Harry Potter. I had resisted the temptation for so long not to buy the book, but couldn't do it any longer. Therefore have not much to report.
posted by Flossie at 5:15 am
Friday, July 04, 2003
ANGEL DAY TODAY!!!
I must stay, although it was really tempting to stay in Whitbourne for an extra night, I am really glad I have had the chance to check out Stratford-on-Avon and do the Shakespeare thing. Due to the time of departure of the Stray Bus, I really only had the morning to cram most of it in, but thankfully that meant that I was able to miss most of the crowds. I was the first person through the Shakespeare exhibition centre and there were not too many people in his birthplace (just a handful of really annoying americans). The whole place was really interesting, although I am not sure how authentic the set up is. The people running the birthplace say it is as close as they could get it to how it would have looked when Shakespeare was 10, however my Lonely Planet guide claims that even Will himself wouldn't recognise the place. However the building is legitimate (from what I can gather from the records provided) so that was kind of cool.
I then walked down to John Nash's residence (the husband of Will's grand daughter). The house itself was very old and quite amazing, but the real importance of it was that Will's house used to be next door. Unfortunatley it was demolished some time ago, but the foundations are still there and you can go walking around the gardens which are very beautiful. Will lived in the house as an adult and I think was there mostly when he returned from London in the years before his death.
The ticket I brought then took me to John Hall's house, who was Will's son in law. He married Will's eldest daughter and was quite a prominent doctor in the Stratford area. He amazingly had many remedies for various ailments (some which were very dodgy) but some of which have been used as bases for further study. I think he even had a cure for scurvey, not that he knew it had to do with the fact that the remedy contained lots of vitamin C. Thankfully he wrote down lots of his remedies so they were able to be published at a later date.
Once I had finished at the museums it was time to go back to the YHA to collect my bags, then catch the local bus back into town (I was certainly not walking the trip with my bags a second time) and get on the Stray bus.
Here is where the angel pat of my day comes in.
The local bus went through some of the nearby towns to Stratford. We were driving along (about 5 mins from Stratford) and came around a corner. Initially I thought I had seen someone lying on the road. As we got around the corner (and the car parked on the road) I thought I must have been seeing things as it just looked like lots of bags (I then thought someone must have dropped their shopping). But as we got further around the parked car, I realised that there was actually someone lying on the road, a little old lady and it looked as if she had been run over. There was lots of blood streaming from the back of her head and she was lying flat on her back on the ground.
We stopped the bus and it seemed as if no one knew what to do. She was conscious and was talking to us as we got of the bus, but no one seemed to do anything, so I got off and put her in the coma position to make she was ok. I got one of the passengers to get my towel out of my bag and held it against her head to stop the bleeding. She seemed ok, was talking to us fine and could tell me who she was and where she lived.
We got her off the road and sat with her until the Ambulance came. Thankfully the bleeding had stopped so she was doing ok and when the Ambulance finally got there, the cut in the back of her head didn't even need stitches. With the amount of blood on the road, I would have thought it would have needed attention, but I think she would have just been cleaned up and sent back home.
I finally got on the bus to head to Oxford and the group seemed really nice. I kind of would have liked to continue on with them to London, but I was thinking Oxford was a good stop, and it would have still only been another 2 hours or so with the tour group and then we would have all gone our seperate ways in London permenantly.
The drive was pretty uneventful and we arrived in Oxford at about 1500hrs. The hostel was only about a 5 minute walk (as opposed to about 45 minutes the previous day!!!) so I was able to get booked in an settled pretty quickly. I went for a little bit of a walk around Oxford before heading to Sainsbury's to get some food for dinner. The hostel has its own kitchen so I wanted to get some food for dinner rather than going out. Sooo much cheaper.
posted by Flossie at 1:39 am
Thursday, July 03, 2003
I am completely exhausted tonight, and with fair reason. I think I have walked more today than I have walked any other day of the trip so this is certianly going to be an early night for me.
This morning Keith took me on a guided 'tour' of a walk around Whitbourne. I am glad he came with me as I certainly wouldn't have found it on my own. We walked down past the old church, past a few farms, across a paddock, along the river, up a hill through a wood, through another field and then back to Whitbourne. The whole walk was about 3 1/2 miles and was so beautiful. It still amazes me that there are public footpaths marked all over the UK and they frequently go right through farmland. I don't think that would ever happen in Australia.
I went into Worcester with Susan at about 11.30. She dropped me off at the bus station which was so nice of her. One less bus trip I had to take. I didn't have to wait long for the bus to Evesham, and then finally the bus to Stratford.
Now is where the fun begins. My lonely planet guide listed that the YHA backpackers was 1.5 miles out of town. I figured with all the walking I had been doing, I could easily manage that, even with my pack and all the other stuff I have. So off I trotted, looking rather like a pack horse gone wrong.
2 1/4 miles later I arrived at the YHA. It felt like about 6 miles and I was absolutely exhausted by the end of it. I even got some really weird cramps in my outer chest muscles when I got up to my room and tried to take my boots off. Thankfully the tennis was on downstairs so I ended up crashing in front of that to recover a bit.
The next slight dilema was what to do for dinner. After such a long walk it was really tempting to just eat at the hostel (meals provided at a cost) however the menu didn't look all that appealing and was kind of expensive. So I decided to walk back into Stratford to find a supermarket. I had remembered there was a Tesco's but I couldn't find it anywhere once I got into town. So after wandering all over town for about half an hour, I finally found a Marks and Spencer. Managed to get some yummy looking vegetables to have with my rice.
Needless to say, by the time I got back to the hostel, I had walked about 10 1/2 miles in total with a few of those with my pack on. For all you 'metrics' out there, that is equivelant to about 17kms. A bloody long way if you ask me.
So tonight is officially names 'crach in a heap' night.
Till later....
posted by Flossie at 1:01 am
Wednesday, July 02, 2003
I have decided to write this mid afternoon, so I apologise if I might not include all of the day. I think this has been the most relaxing place I have visited on my journey so far. This morning I went for a walk at about 0700 and was so impressed with how quiet and relaxed this area is. I don’t think I saw more than about 4 cars, couldn’t hear any traffic whatsoever and the only noises interrupting my walk (if you could call it that) were the birds and the animals in the fields. I had such a lovely time and would have walked much further if it wasn’t for the fact that I forgot my water bottle and needed to re-hydrate before I did too much more.
After breakfast Keith and I went for a little drive to Bromyard, a little town about 6 miles away. It was a lovely drive and we even diverted off the main road to have a look at a spot where they have filmed one of Anthony Hopkins films. Keith thinks it was Remains of the Day, but he wasn’t sure. We got some lunch supplies and then headed home, where I went for another walk, a round trip that takes you from the top of Whitbourne to the lower end. It is about 3 miles in length and was just delightful. Again, no traffic and the only thing I had to watch out for was the horse along the way.
I am just relaxing this afternoon. Not planning on doing too much as I am so enjoying not having to be anywhere or do anything. I am thinking I might go for another walk and see what I can discover. I would love to stay longer in this little neck of the woods, but unfortunately Shakespeare country calls.
Till later all…
posted by Flossie at 7:19 am
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Today has been a long day but I think I have come to one of the most beautiful parts of Britain. I am currently staying in the little village of Whitbourne, which is about 20 minutes west of Worcester. I have come to stay with a couple of people that mum and dad know and I have been made to feel exceptionally welcome. I hadn’t met Susan or Keith until this afternoon and already I feel like I have known them for years.
I caught the Stray bus again this morning at about 1030hrs and we headed south towards the lovely town of Stratford-on-Avon. I must say that me breaking up this leg of the Stray ticket has been a blessing. I don’t much fancy having gone all the way from York to London in a day. Such a long and tedious journey.
I got off the bus in Stratford-on-Avon and then walked down to the bus stop to catch a bus to the little town of Evesham. Then I proceeded to catch the next bus to Worcester, and then on to Whitbourne. All in all it only took about 2 ½ hours in total, which I didn’t think was all that bad. It was a lovely journey as the countryside was so pretty. Very like that out of All Creatures Great and Small.
I got to Whitbourne at about 1630 and sat and waited for Susan to get home. I ended up writing some letters (badly needed and overdue) to those who don’t have email or internet access. However I didn’t have to wait long as Susan was home at about 1730. We had dinner fairly early (spaghetti bolognaise – yum!!!) and then we watched the TV for a while before I had a shower. It is getting pretty late so will post this and be off.
posted by Flossie at 7:18 am
Monday, June 30, 2003
Fantastic day in Nottingham today. I had heard on the grapevine that Nottingham was not really the place to visit in the UK, however I have had a great day and recommend this as a place to stopover for anyone heading this way, even if it is just to chill out at the goovy Igloo backpackers place.
I went for a lovely walk this morning, although it was a bit windy and rained for most of it. By the time I got back to the backpackers, the bottoms of my jeans were saturated and I had to wait for them to dry again before I ventured out some more.
I walked into town at about 10 and found the tourist information place (with better maps than the lonely planet guide and not so bulky) and then found the free emailing at the library. Always good and the library staff were very friendly and didn't have a problem with me using it.
I then went to the Robin Hood exibition and was very impressed at the display they had on. The museum was very intereactive and we even got to ride in little carts which took you through the story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. I thought it was very well done and didn't mind at all paying the price to get in. Plus I was able to double it with a ticket into the Caves of Nottingham which meant it was much cheaper. I would have spent about an hour or so in the muesuem and would have stayed longer except for all the other stuff I wanted to see. I really one have one day to 'do' Nottingham so have to keep moving.
Then up to Nottingham Castle, which was dissappointing in some ways (the original castle is long gone) but the Nottingham display in the museum was very interesting and I enjoyed reading about various aspects of Nottinghams history - there is much more than just the Robin Hood story.
From there I visited the little lace shop just below the castle and then on to the Old pub just around the corner. It is reputed to be the oldest pub in England and is sooooo quaint. I had a beer, although regrettably on my own, however it was nice to just soak in the atmosphere. Very restful place.
After I had some lunch I made my way to have a look at the caves of Nottingham, which are under the Broadmarch Shopping Centre. There are caves all over Nottingham (or should that be under) and it was interesting to hear all about the caves we looked at. They were used as leather tannery's in the 1600s and then were further used as air raid shelters in WWII. I thought the history was fascinating.
I then caught up with Stephanie Quinn, a friend from Darwin who has just moved to Nottingham. It was great to see her and catch up on all the gossip from home.
Quiet night in at the hostel watching the match Henman match at Wimbledon. I was also pleased to see that we have an Aussie through to the quater finals. Pity to see Agassi loose, but then I have to support home. I am looking forward to watching the finals over the weekend.
posted by Flossie at 6:38 am
Sunday, June 29, 2003
Another relaxing day today. Got up at about 7.30 and went for a walk in the park behind Mike and Lings. Then babysat Joshua for a couple of hours as Mike was out and Ling had some things to do upstairs. He is such a placid baby and was no trouble at all to watch.
In the afternoon I got to go along to the house across the road where there was a party for another little 2 year old (Katy). It was lots of fun and there was party food and lots of games for kids to play. It was such a laugh and I had forgotten how much fun these events can be.
This afternoon I came back to Nottingham and to the Igloo backpackers hostel. This is such a friendly place and even rivals the Macbackpackers for great people. I was very impressed with that fact that everyone says hello and makes you feel right at home. It is mostly filled with residents (those actually living at the hostel, rather than just travelling through) but they are more than accepting of new people. I was even invited to join some of the residents (Keith, Alex and Bryce) for dinner. Keith cooked and it was yummy tuna pasta. Very impressive for backpackers. I then sat up and watch the first half of the football championship final, but went to bed at half time. I was so tired and I wanted to get some stuff sorted out with all my gear and read some more of my book (which has been painfully neglected for the past few weeks).
Till next posting...
posted by Flossie at 3:35 am
Saturday, June 28, 2003
I had a wonderfully relaxing day today just hanging out with a 2 year old and a 2 month old. Great fun and very theraputic. I had a ball playing finger puppets and watching the tweenies with Alexander (the two year old). I think he had a great time too.
Today has been a pretty quiet day which has been lovely. As much as I love travelling and seeing all the sights, sometimes it is nice to be just able to stay home and put you feet up for a while without doing too much or feeling like you have to be somewhere.
In the afternoon Mike, Ling, Alex, Joshua and I went to one of the estate homes in Derby to have a walk around the gardens. The estate is currently owned by the council and apparently it is up for sale. Which explains why the house on the property is sort of in disrepair and needs a fair bit of work on it. I would love to have to money to fix it up, but unfortunatley my current position does not pay that much. I will have to work on that one.
The evening was very relaxing. Ling cooked Satay chicken, which was absolutely devine. I will certainly miss her cooking when I have to go back on to backpacker food. Not nearly so nice when you can cook properly and have all the spices etc readily at hand.
Spent the night in which was lovely. The boys went to bed early so it was just us three adults. Great company!!!
posted by Flossie at 3:24 am
Friday, June 27, 2003
Up really early this morning. I wanted to get a walk in before I got on the bus and as they bus was leaving at 7.30, I had to be up with the birds. I walked along to the river that runs right through York which was just lovely. the river was quite still, so there were beautiful reflections of boats and bridges in the river.
Once on the bus, we headed to the home of Mr Hood (Sherwood Forest) and went down to take a photo of the Elm tree they claim is over 800 years old. Quite impressive if it is that old. The park managers have had to prop up the tree as it is so huge and the outer branches would just topple it over. The woods were lovely, but very little of it is acutally 'sherwood forest' from Robin Hood time. All quite new saplings, so it was a bit disappointing.
I got dropped off in Nottingham at about 10.30 and then walking through the town a bit before being picked up by friends Mike and Ling at about 12.30. They live in Derby, about 30 mins away. I am going to stay with them for a couple of night. Will be so nice to have non backpacker company (I am getting tired of asking the same questions *grins*) and be able to spend time in a real home. You miss it so much.
Mike picked me up and we drove back to their place. They have the cutest little boys, Alexander (2 1/2) and Joshua (2 months) and I have been pretty much playing with them and filling in Mike and Ling on gossip from home all afternoon. Dinner was sweet and sour pork, which was just devine and then fruit pudding for desert. Very very yummy. Off to bed as I am completely stuffed.
posted by Flossie at 3:41 am
Thursday, June 26, 2003
A sad day indeed.
I left Scotland today and it was with rather a heavy heart. I might have had the misfortune of my bag in Fort William, but overall, Scotland is such a wonderful place and I will miss the people and the countryside very much. I think i have spent the most time in Scotland than I have spend anywhere else, so it is no wonder that I am so attached. Plus having Scottish heritage doesn't help either. I am totally in love with this place.
However...I got back on the Stray bus (driver was Katy) at about 8.30 (after getting up and walking around the Meadows for an hour) and we headed south towards the Scottish/English boarder. We drove to the little town of Jedburgh, which is a beautiful town right on the boarder. We even had breakfast/early lunch at a place which claims to be the last Scottish shop. Lots of food for very little price which was nice. I went for a walk around the town, past the old abbey and through some of the little streets (we only had an hour in total, so didn't get to see much). This place was frequented (remember that discussion Chris????) by Mary Queen of Scots back in 1566 (I think). There were heaps of flowers and lots of green grass and the towns people obviously take a lot of pride in keeping their town spick and span. It was just lovely and I would have like more time to walk around. However being on a bus and having lots to see along the way, we were pushed for time.
We drove through the town of Newcastle, but unfortunatley didn't have time to stop. I will have to put it on my list of places to visit as it seemed like a lovely place. However we did get to see the Angel of the North, a huge statue on the South side of Newcastle where some guy has sculpted a self portrait and given himself aeroplane wings. It is absolutely huge, although I am not quite sure of the point of it. Once again modern art is competely lost on me. Apparently you can see it for miles when you are driving up from the South towards Newcastle.
Then on to the cute little town of Durham where we got to visit the Cathedral and walk around the little streets. The old town is on a huge hill and it is where Saint Cumberland is buried. Apparently they took this guy (dead at the time) all over the countryside as they were worried about the vikings stealling his body (or somthing) and when they were in Durhum the wheel fell off the cart, so the monks decided it was an omen and buried him there. Gook logic to me, although I am not sure I would be keen on carting a body all over the UK. Not sure of the point really. The Cathedral was spectacular and very beautiful. I would have loved to attend a service, but there was nothing happening at the time. I spend about 45 minutes just looking around and appreciating the grandness of it all. A very impressive building. Then I wandered through the lovely little streets and even brought myself an icecream. Given that it was about 25c I thought I deserved it.
Finally on to the beautiful city of York. For those yet to visit the UK, this is a must see and I wish I could have spent longer here. Such a lovely city and I was glad we got in at about 4.30 so that I could walk along the old city walls and had time to look through York Minster. Yet again a very impressive building and I got to learn a lot about York History. Certianly was a bit of a battle ground in its day. I spend time walking through the old medieval streets and found some lovely little spots. The streets are really narrow and they have really old buildings, some of which look as if they are about to collapse in the middle (the wood is from old ships, so it sags). It would have been nice to spend another day here, but unfortunatley I am running out of time just slighly so have to move on. When the bus only comes through twice a week, it kind of limits how many places you can stay at.
Night in at the hostel with the bus crew. It gave me time to write my postcards which was nice and also have a relatively early night.
posted by Flossie at 3:19 am
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Ok, sorry for the crappy report yesterday. Today was much more exiting.
I got up early (this is becoming a very worring habit of mine - must be something to do with the fact that the sun it up at around 0430hrs here) and went for my walk around the Meadows. It was just lovely and I got to spend the first hour of my day with lots of joggers and their puppies. Mum - you will be pleased to know that I even saw 'Milly', although a lot greyer than our lovely pooch.
Then at 0840 I caught the bus up to the delightful town of St Andrews, about 2 hours from Edinburgh. What a gem of a town this is. I was so impressed right from the start and had a lovely time pottering around the streets.
Firstly I walked up to the St Andrews museum and had a looksy through that and then walked around the garden. Very impressive building, although the museum was probably the smallest I have ever been through. I read through it all in about 20 minutes, and that was taking my time.
Then I headed down the main streets, looked in lots of little shops, brought some more disposable cameras, and went towards the St Andrews Cathedral site (now in ruins). I continued around the coast some more towards the castle and then sat and basked in the sunshine for about an hour. It was just lovely looking out over the ocean, castle ruins in full view, and wrote postcards. Quite the way to spend the middle of my day.
Was a funny day to come to St Andrews as the university was holding its graduation, so there were actually lots of people running around in gowns. Initially I thought it a bit strange, but then when I realised the ceremony was on, not quite so bizarre. However I have figured out that to go to this university you must have money. Apart from the fact that Wee Prince William is one of the student, everyone I heard talking seemed mighty posh. Way out of my leage at this stage of the game. My accent would stand out a mile off (as if it doesn't already!!!).
I checked out the golf courses (of course) and then too to the street some more, walked along the coast (augh...) and then finally at 1600hrs caught the bus home.
Cruisy evening in here at the hostel. Am just about to go and sort out all my stuff to be ready to be back on the Stray travel bus at 8.30.
Till then, Bon Soir my loved ones....
posted by Flossie at 1:26 pm
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Sorry guys, have nothing much to report today. Spend most of the day chasing up a new backpack (couldn't find what I wanted anywhere!!!) and checking up on email about the insurance and all that stuff. Insurance companies are highly overrated when it comes to claims, let me tell you.
So apart from shopping, a very uneventful day.
posted by Flossie at 9:18 pm
Monday, June 23, 2003
On the road again...just can't wait to get on the road again...
For the first time in ages I actually spent the entire day on the road (in the bus). Was a strange feeling and something I have easily gotten NOT used to. We left Oban at about 9 and headed back to sunny Edinburgh, with yet another Macky B's driver, this time Paul. What a hoot he turned out to be. Completely sarcastic and so much fun. He had the most wicked sense of humour and I think I just about pulled a stomache muscle laughing so much.
From Oban we went through some lovely narrow old lanes around the back of Oban. It was lovely country and I almost wish I could have done it on a bike. So much easier to take stuff in. We even found the most amusing signs along the way, references to horse drawn vehicles (what century am I living in again???) and a hysterical one that said "Blind Summit Dead Slow" . As you can imagine we all had lots of fun with that one. We weren't sure whether that meant the blind were having a convention and that meant the dead people had to slow down especially. Can't be running over a blind person now can we :).
We then headed off to a little church (sorry - don't have my diary so can't remember the name) which had the most gorgous stone work. Apparently it was quite small initially but has been extended over the years so there are different types of stone and architecture all throughout. They say that there is a piece of Robert the Bruce's shin bone somewhere, but I couldn't find. it. The setting was just beautiful though and the church looked out over a beautiful loch and was surrounded by lots of huge trees and some really exotic looking flowers. Very impressive.
Then on to the Campbell castle. Nice place to visit, although a little marshy to get to. I tell you, if you live in Scotland, you do not want to be a Campbell. One of the girls on tour admitted that her mother's maiden name was Campbell and Paul gave her grief about it for the rest of the tour. Apparently they sided with the British during the Jacobite rebellion, so the other Scottish clans do not like them one bit. The castle had fantastic views so I hope photos turn out ok.
By this stage were were starting to get a little hungary so we stopped at a stunning little pub called the Drover's Inn. Superb meals and the most wonderful atmosphere I have expereinced in a pub to date. The open fire was going, the scotch broth was devine and the whole place was full of little interesting things. There were even stuffed animals in the entrance hall - very bizarre - even included a two headed sheep!!!
The afternoon was mostly spent on the bus, but we did get the chance to call into Stirling to check out the William Wallace monument. I must say, I was very unimpressed with the statue at the bottom of the hill as it looked remarkably like Mel Gibson, rather than any account of Mr Wallace himself. However the walk up to the monument at the top of the hill was lovely and the views over Stirling were fantastic. Very impressive.
Then back into lovely Edinburgh. Was like coming home and I even got to be in the same room as last time (Brain Room) just a different bed. Early night as I was completely stuffed, but did go for a nice walk along the Royal Mile. Thankfully clouds were clearing so was a little warmer than earlier in the day.
posted by Flossie at 3:03 am
Sunday, June 22, 2003
One of the things that hits me most when I go over my entries on this site is how much I have missed. Not onlly have I not remembered various little bits and pieces but it is impossible to recreate things as they have been experienced, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the colours, everything that maks the experience what it is. I feel like apologising to you all that my descriptiins are so lacking, but I guess you have to just come to discover the beauty of Scotland for yourselves. Those who have been lucky enough to be here will understand exactly what I mean.
I was still pretty upset this morning about my daypack, but I havent let it dampen my day too much. I got up at 7 and went for a long walk through the streets on the hill behind the hostel. The sun was trying hard to shine through and I though it might end up being a sunny day. It wasn't but it has been quite nice, just light overcast. The walk was just beautiful. I think I walked through B& B mecca but that also meant it was full of gorgeous cottages, all with beautiful gardens, full of lots of flowers, very well cared for. The streets looked out over the bay and had the most beautiful views. As I said, the sun was trying to shine, but there was also a slight misty haze over the town and harbour. So enchantiing. I walked up to McCaighs tower. It looks rather like the Roman Colloseum and I understand it was supposed to once be an art gallery. It was never finished and only the walls remain. Inside there is grass, flowers and trees and very pictoresque.
I came back to the hostel, had breakfast and sat around reading the paper for a while. It was a nice relaxing way to start the morning/day. After breakfast I walked around town for a couple of hours with Greg (canadian guy I have met on my travels). Neither of us headed off on a bus this morning so we kept each other company. I spent most of the time pricing replacement stuff for my pack. I got some disposable cameras, checked out prices for a new camera, brought a new travelling companion to take over from where Basil the Koala left off (Hamish the Hairy Koo) and priced a new day pack. I hope the insurance company money doesnt take long to come through as it will be expensive to replace some of them.
After lunch I took some time out to write postcards and read for a while and then went for a long walk along the foreshore northwards. I went up to the Oban Castle ruins and then further along. There were great views of the town and harbour from the castle. The walk was probably about 3 miles along and I would have kept going only it started to rain quite heavily so I decided to turn back. I was gone for about 2 hours and it was a beautiful walk, the smell of the seawater, flowers in gardens, moss and rainforest like folliage. I took quite a number of photos but not sure if they will turn out. Not used to the whole disposable camera thing yet.
Prepared for a quite night in. I will start dinner shortly, but other than that, not roaring party plans for tonight.
posted by Flossie at 9:47 am
Saturday, June 21, 2003
TODAY IS BLACK SATURDAY!!!!
I got up really early this morning and went for a lovely walk around the streets of Fort William, came back and had my breakfast before hiring a bike to biking for the morning.
I decided to bike up Glen Nevis, up past Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in the UK) and spend some time exploring. The inital ride was lovely, a bit cloudy but certainly not hot, and no rain thus far. However I was not so lucky about half way up. I hit the rain about half an hour into my ride, not heavy, but enough to get my jeans quite damp. I thought I would be smart and stop in a forrest to rest, rehydrate and wait for the rain to pass, however I was attacked by a swarm of midgies (bloody annoying flying insects which bite). They though I was fair game, so I got back on the bike and continued up towards the falls. Given the rain and the midgies, I simply rode up and then came straight back. Not as long as I would have liked, but I was almost drenched by then so not a wise move with my cold.
I came back to the hostel and thought I would sort out the rest of my itinery, only to find out that the hostel I was recommended in Stratford on Avon (by the bus company I am with in the UK) has closed and the only one available is only available for the Tuesday and Thursday I am there. Now contemplating just going through to Oxford and then maybe spending 4 nights in Dover (or somewhere). Not impressed as you can imagine.
However not the worst to come. I came out of the dining room to discover that my daypack had been stolen from the hostel. Took my camera, sunnies and my dear travelling companion, Basil the koala. I was very upset to say the least, and now will have to spend lots of time on the phone to the insurance company I am sure. Big hassle, but pissed off I have lost rolls of my photos in Skye. Hopefully it might be found tonight, but not holding up any hope.
Now in the pretty seaside town of Oban. Lovely spot. We drove through Glencoe to get here, which is where they have just finished filming the lastest Harry Potter. Quite fitting given that the book came out today. Not much left of the set but can say I have seen it. We also drove past Castle Stalker, but don't have any pictures - no bloddy camera.
So today has been really crappy. So quite appropriately named Black Saturday. Such a huge dampner on my Scottish trip. Hopefully tomorrow will bring brighter things.
posted by Flossie at 1:10 pm
Friday, June 20, 2003
Hi All - sorry there is almost absolutely nothing to report today. I got up this morning to do my walk, had breakfast, went to the store and felt so rotten that I then spent the next 4 hours in bed. I then had a bit of a cruisy afternoon, although I did manage to have a walk over the hills over looking Fort William. It was lovely, but the wind was still up and it was darn cold.
I am hitting the sack early too so not even partying. However I am feeling much better than I did earlier today so hopefully tomorrow will be better.
posted by Flossie at 12:54 pm
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Probably not such a good day today. The wind was still up (although not so strong as yesterday) however the temperature had dropped dramatically and I think I have been cold pretty much all day. Plus I am also getting a bit of a cold/flu thing, so that means I haven't been feeling quite so on top of things either.
It was a slow morning in Skye this morning. I had a bit of a sleep in and then finally ventured down for breakfast. It was nice just to chill out and spend time over my cup of coffee. I didn't have to rush to catch a tour or anything so I allowed myself to have a bit of a relaxing morning.
The Macky B's tour left from across the bridge in Kyle of Lochashe at 12.30 so I headed over a little bit early to do some posting and get lunch. Finally the bus turned up (it was bloody freezing waiting at the bus stop) and a number of us joined the tour. However the tour bus were a bit strange and were not all that interactive. I think most of them are just flying around Scotland on the 3 day tour and only staying in the mandatory stops. Even the guide commented that they were not a very exiting bunch.
We left Skye and headed towards Castle Eilean Dorin, the castle where they filmed parts of the movie Entrapment. It is so beautiful although I didn't go in for the tour. I walked over to the nearby village (very cute and small) and just walked around for a bit. However I ended up getting reallly cold so I came back to the bus and stayed inside.
Then along to Loch Lochley, and Loch of Scotland (the loch is in the shape of Scotland and was supposed to have been created by the fairies) and through to the town of Fort William where I am based for the next couple of nights. This seems like a lovely little place. I went for a walk earlier this evening and it seems like a great place to explore. I plan to get up early in the morning and go for a walk, and then weather permitting, head off to Glen Nevis later. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the UK so there should be some good scenery. I won't be attempting the mountain, but the glen next to it is supposed to be just lovely. I will keep you all posted.
Off to bed early tonight as I am feeling absolutely exhausted. This cold/flu thing has really knocked me for 6 today. Later people...
posted by Flossie at 11:12 am
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
I think today would have to rival any cyclonic weather I have experienced in Darwin. We have had the most amazing winds today and there have been times when I could barely walk forward it was so strong. Walking for an hour across the bridge to the mainland was certainly a good work out, not only trying to walk against the wind, but also trying to just walk in a straight line - I think I almost would have walked straighter if I had been drinking alcohol. Sods law!!!
I took the Mackie B's tour around the island today with Alles. She is such a great girl and I hope to one day show her around Darwin. The weather was not looking to be in our favour, but we actually had a great day and it made for a more interesting tour. As the winds were so bad we couldn't actually go to some places (we might have been blown off cliffs - quite literally) so I got to do some other stuff that I didn't do the day before. My motor bike ride yesterday was along mostly the same course, so it was good that we got to see some other stuff too. The other thing with doing a tour is that you have the commentary to go with it. This history of Scotland is just fascinating and I would like to do some more research into it when I get back to Edinburgh. Might even spend a day in the library just reading books about some of the various battles.
On of the things I found really interesting today was the information we got about the land clearing and the croft wars. Basically in the 1700s the British got this bright idea that the land in Scotland was quite valuable and would be good for sheep farming. As the Scots had never actually had 'legal' title over their land (hey - what is a few centuries of existance between friends!!!) so the Brits came in and took over the land and gave those who stayed tiny plots along the coast called crofts. It should also be noted that the Scots had to pay rent for the croft land and still did not actually own the land or have much in th way of legal claim over it. Alles took us to the spot of the Battle of Braes where there was a massive battle about the crofts and ownership. Thankfully from that the farmers have been able to purchase their crofts. from then on Still not impressed with the british though. The longer I am here, the more I do not like them.
The other really wicked thing I did today was get baptised at the fairy falls. I have now been blessed by the fairies, so I am thinking they might smile on me for the rest of my trip. This place is so mystical and there are so many fairy stories. I think they are just so much a part of this place and gives it so much more character. I could have listened to Alles fairy stories all day.
Not much else to report as I did most of the touring spots yesterday, but today was lots of fun. I will be sad to move on tomorrow, but more adventures await...
|
|
