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Sea eagles and sea cliffs
We drove to Portree on the west coast of Skye. There, we took a tour boat to see some wildlife. And we did, even got a glimpse of a Minke whale (a small baleen whale) but the highlight was seeing sea eagles. These magnificent birds have a wingspan of around 9 feet, weigh about 10 pounds, and are very fast.
We were lucky enough to catch 4 at the same time, and they were in some sort of territorial squabble so we had a great view of them in the air. I didn’t have my long telephoto, and they blend in perfectly with the background cliffs, so pictures are a bit fuzzy, but I did my best.
After this we drove back to the east side and experienced 11 miles of serious single track road to get to Niest Point. Essentially, this is a paved one lane road with pullouts to pass oncoming traffic. It was obvious some people had never experienced this before and it got a bit scary, especially since the road has hills, turns, and cliff side.
Niest Point is well known as a particularly scenic part of Skye. Dramatic cliffs, challenging climbs, and lots of people! But it was an amazing area to see.Now only 11 miles of single track back…
Colorful Portree Harbor
Scenery around Portree, from the boat
Sea eagle just taking off
Two sea eagles fighting for territory. Note claws extended
Niest Point itself. Hike down the stairs, over the path, and up to the point for best view
Lighthouse at Niest Point, no longer active
Views to the north. Lots of nesting birds
Views to the south (sheep in the foreground)
Driving (sort of) to Isle of Skye
Our next destination was the Isle of Skye. Located in the far north west of Scotland, it is renowned for its scenic splendor. And the trip was only 112 miles… but took some 5 hours.
First of all, no highways. Just two lane highways, quite narrow, and very winding. And always with a spectacular view over the Scottish country side. And, thrown in for your amusement, the Scottish “Single track”. This is a two way road, but only one lane wide. Every so often, there is a Passing Area, marked with a small white sign. Here, the person who has the passing area on their side of the road is supposed to pull over and let the other pass. It actually works, but there is no shoulder, so some very interesting moments.
But all went well. We were early for our B&B check in, so we viewed the nearby Dunvegan Castle. This is the seat of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the stronghold of the chiefs of the clan for 800 years. Since it is still occupied, no photography was permitted except of the exterior and the beautiful gardens.
Our B&B is really nice. It is a newer house, and right on the edge of the shoreline. So the views of the bays, islands and inlets are superb.
One spectacular view after another
Another roadside stop
Low tide
Start of yet another single track section
We found a waterfall along the road
Castle from a distance
Castle elevation
Viewed from the ocean side
An old bridge under the castle entrance
Castle entrance
Part of the garden
Lovely little flower
Gardener’s cottage
This castle is tho oldest clan
Battles, monsters and whiskey
Whew, busy day today (and getting used to driving on the wrong side of the road)
We started at the Culloden Battlefield. Here, in the mid 1700’s, the Jacobites (Catholics under Prince Charles, mostly from the Highlands) fought an epic battle with Government forces (Protestants under General Cumberland). The goal was to wrest control of Scotland back from the British. However, the Jacobites were routed and Scotland stayed in British control. The above is very very shortened, but gives you an idea. I think for the Scotish the Culloden Battle is viewed a bit like we view the battle of Gettysburg.
Then off to Loch Ness. We thought we saw Nessie, but it turned out to be a rock. Oh well, it is a beautiful lake. The Vistor Center had a very comprehensive multimedia presentation on the geographic history, the many rumors surrounding Nessie, and the results of a lot of searching for the lost monster.
Our last stop was at the Glen Ord distillery. Here they make single malt scotch specifically aimed at the Asian market, where it is very popular. Our tour was quite extensive through the whole process, from the very first barley processing through to the final aging in barrels. At the conclusion we were able to try the various brands and could really compare the different tastes developed by the brewing process.
Some of the battlefield and the memorial cairn
The memorial cairn
Looking across the battlefield
The heather made for hard going
An old farmhouse used during the battle
Closer view of the old farm house
What’s that black on the lake? Nessie?
What’s that? Nessie?
Turning our backs to Loch Ness, we’re not scared
Very attractive brewery
A view of the work areas
Good stuff, resting for 12 to 18 years
The variety of single malt whiskeys distilled here
Packaged to sell
Edinburgh Tattoo, 2015
Since 1950, Edinburgh has a Festival in August. Thousands of people jam the streets, pubs and restaurants. There are all kinds of vendors and street entertainers, all hoping to strike it big (some do). Certainly one big party!
But the highlights of the Festival is the nightly Tattoo. Drawing on a world wide source, there are marching bands and precision dancers from around the world. In fact, the Tattoo emphasizes the International aspects, as a means of drawing people together. A list of the performing bands:
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
1st & 2nd Battalions The Gurkha Rifles
The Royal Air Force Pipe Band Association
The Citadel
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Auckland Police
Manly Warringah
Christchurch City
Scotch College
The Crossed Swords
The Pipers’ Trail
Our friends Bob and Margaret got some spectacular seats, high up at the entrance. Here we could see the acts come marching from inside the castle to the performance area. Coupled with an amazing light show, \it was a visual and auditory delight. If you can make it, it certainly is worth while(but buy tickets early, it sells out fast!).
A colorful sunset to start the festivities
Opening ceremony
Massed bands
US Air Force Honor Guard
Conducting the Shetland Fiddlers
The Citadel represents the USA
Chinese Liberation Army Marching Band
Chinese dragon festival
Indian dancers with light display
Bollywood dancers
Switzerland’s Top Secret Drum Corps
Left side of the finale
Right side of the finale
London, 2015
After our cruise, we spent 4 days in London. We walked, a lot. On the day we arrived, we went to the Embankment and strolled over the bridges. Great views all around. In the evening we had a nice dinner in Devonshire Arms pub, which dats back to 1852, where we had some really fine food — and local beers.
On Wednesday we had a tour of the Royal Garden Gallery, some really fine old masterpieces showing gardens of old. Then we toured the State Rooms. Quite amazing to see the same rooms and settings as we see on the news during state visits! After dinner (Da Mario’s, a family owned Italian restaurant), we took off again to the Parliament buildings and Big Ben. Tried to take some nice shots, but it was rainy so picture opportunities were limited.
Thursday started with a walk to Kensington Palace, current home of William and Kate (no, they weren’t there). Then a walk through Kensington Park to Harrods, looking at some seriously expensive items. Later in the afternoon took the Tube to St. Katharines dock, a complete boat dock right inside the city of London. Some more Tower pictures, and we went back to the Embankment and crossed to the South Side, found a rather unique new restaurant called “La Paine” before heading home and starting to pack.
All in all, we lucked out with the weather, only had a short drizzle to damped our walking.
Kensington Palace
Entry into Kensington Palace
Gardens at Kensington Palace
Prince Albert Monument
Detail word at Prince Albert Monument
Fancy railing (Prince Albert Monumentl)
Harrods
Seafood at Harrads
Pub inside St. Katharines Docks
City Hall and the Shard
Tower Bridge
Tower of London
Parliament and Big Ben
The Eye
Queen Victoria
Reykjavik
Reykjavik is considered to be a good place for nightlife. A visit to old town shows why, lots of bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues.
On our first evening we took a “Haunted City” walking tour. Although a bit short on ghosts, we did hear some great folklore and visited many of the city’s historical sites, including the old cemetery. After all, 90% of Icelanders have some belief in elves or trolls….
The next day we walked through town, did some window shopping and visited local landmarks. This also included a stroll to the Hallgrimskirkje church, certainly unique. Some hate it, some love it, but it certainly is visible.
A view of old town skyline
City street
Gay pride week
Parliament building
City hall
Church
Inside church, looking at the organ
Iceland
Our next port of call was Reykjavik, Iceland. More about Reykjavik later, there it’s a lot to say about Iceland itself. It has a population of about 350,000, so small by U.S.standards. But an interesting place…
It’s main industry is tourism, followed by fisheries and farming. It is located on the faultline between the European and American plates, so volcanic activity is high. They have harnessed the energy and it supplies the country with heat and electricity. Even the streets in Reykjavik are heated and are snow free in winter.
Our excursion took us to the faultline itself, where we were able to walk from America to Europe! Then we visited some of the thermal plants, the spectacular Gullfoss waterfall, and the Strokkur Geyser. Smaller than Old Faithful, but much more active.
The thermal plant was very interesting. Here, they tap some 2 miles down into a volcano, releasing hot water and steam. The steam is used to generate electricity, and hot water used to heat glacier runoff and pipe it to Reykjavik, some 27 kilometers away. There it is used for heating, as well as hot water for household use. The remaining hot water is used for heating the streets, and eventually to heat the ocean at a beach… allowing swimming in arctic waters.
Iceland is also known for its horses. Originally from Norway, they have been bred for Icelandic conditions. Although they are smaller than say U.S. horses, they are known for endurance. Very seldom will you find them in international competitions, because once a horse had left the country they are not allowed to return.
Faroe Islands
Our destination after Norway was Klaksvik in the Faroe Islands. These islands, and the small town of Klaksvik, are about half way between Norway and Iceland. Although the Faroe Islands is an autonomously governed country, the residents are Danish and defence and justice is handled by Denmark.
The scenery however was dramatic. High cliffs, rolling paired with grazing sheep and more waterfalls than you can count. It was very green and lush. And visible in the bay were huge floating circular nets, which were salmon hatcheries.
The main industry is fishing and lamb. The port city of Klaksvik is small, and not set up for tourism. But we had an excellent hike, about 5 miles up to a viewpoint that was some 1300 feet elevation gain. Gotta work of the calories somehow!
The harbor, with old style barb
A rather unique statue. Never figured out what it represents.
Old style house, Viking ship, and harbor
A view from the top
Hey, we made it up to the top!
A tour of our pad site
For a lot of reasons, we signed up for an annual RV pad site. It is located near Lake Conroe, just north of Houston. Conroe itself has a full complement of stores, restaurants, medical facilities and so on and the Woodlands is just down the road. So we have pretty well everything we could need and want here.
The park itself (Thousand Trails, in Wllis, TX) has undergone some extensive renovations. New sporting areas, new pool area, new docks, and new sites have really given this place a new look. And the hot tub is only a few hundred yards from our site…. So we have a pleasant place to live that is not too far from Dallas (4 hour drive), has all facilities nearby, and close to Houston IAH Airport and cruise ship terminals. And we can safely leave our RV home here when we go on trips, like our upcoming Europe cruise.
Our pad is located in the back, amongst a row of trees so we get some shade. Important during these summer months! So far, we have not done any site improvements, that will happen later. We have a one year lease, and can extend it if we find we like it. Here is a quick tour of some park highlights.
Boat docks, has about 20 boat slips
Boat launching area, fish cleaning station on right
Swimming pool cabanas, each with a fridge!
Pool side shade
Pool area
Miniature golf course
Tennis and pickelball courts
Basketball courts
No RV? Fear not, there are cabins
A different angle of our site, our car parked in front
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is one of the top tourist destinations in the country. And why not, it has a strong history; it’s roots go back to the 1050’s Pueblo Indians. Many cultures make up today’s population, including Indian, Mexican, and Spanish eventually being as we know it today. It is the oldest, and highest, capital city in the USA.
Although it is a desert city, it is only 15 miles from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Architecturally, it has adopted the Spanish Pueblo look, often referred to as Adobe, with thick walls to help even out the rather drastic temperature fluctuations. Santa Fe is also known for food, with heavy emphasis on spices and strong local flavors. And the art scene is well known with many galleries and exhibits.
Less well known, during World War II Santa Fe was the location of a Japanese American internment camp. The site was also used to hold German and Italian nationals. In 1943, the camp was expanded to take in 2,100 men of Japanese Americans who had renounced their U.S. citizenship. The camp was closed and sold of in 1946.
We enjoyed our week in Santa Fe and learning more about its culture, its food, its art and also some very nice hikes!
A rainbow over the foothills
Adobe style architecture
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
Cathedral statue
Thriving farmers market
Yummy breads
The old RR station is still used, also as part of the Farmers Market
Hiking in the foothills
A view back to Santa Fe
Making a lazy afternoon
Sunup at Santa Fe
Laninga's Travel Blog 