Loch Ness: Day Two

"Then catch the moments as they fly,
And use them as ye ought, man:
Believe me, happiness is shy,
And comes not aye when sought, man"


Misty sunshine from 5 am to 10 pm. In Scotland, the rain is always just a few minutes away, but it is rarely aggressive. It's just slightly damper air. We suspect this may be why the grass is such a lovely shade of green (even on this side of the fence). The hotel provided a lovely breakfast that included both cold cereals and juice as well as a hot breakfast. We both had the Full Scottish this morning, and it was delicious, but made the traditional way including a tomato and baked beans instead of sauteed mushrooms. We think the black pudding may have been even better here than at Cucina, but, truly, Cucina wins on all other counts. After breakfast, we put on our walking shoes and headed through the village of Drumnodrochit to Urquhart Castle. Luckily, the mist held at just that during our two mile trek up and around the mountain to the castle and the walk was really easy through absolutely beautiful countryside that abuts Loch Ness. The lambs were gamboling and the mama sheep were contently baaing and relaxing while their babies played tag in a stand of trees. It was all adorable. After snapping many shots of sheep and the loch, we rounded the bend of the mountain and the castle appeared below us, sitting on the edge of the loch. Urquhart Castle is well known to history buffs and Diana Gabaldon readers, but for the uninitiated, there has been a fortified structure on this point since the Sixth Century and the castle structure itself was built in the Thirteenth Century. The vast majority of Nessie sitings occur in this area of Loch Ness. The castle was largely destroyed in 1692 to ensure it did not become a Jacobite stronghold and it has remained a ruin ever since. It has been taken over by preservationist teams in the last decade and nearly 300,000 people a year pay 7 pounds 20 to enter. Since 15 pounds seemed excessive for a tour of a ruin, we declined. The tour would have been interesting, but we had been rewarded for walking, as the view of the castle has been obscured from the parking lot to ensure people who drive cannot see it unless they pay for the privilege, while we humble pedestrians get spectacular views. Realizing that there was little for it but to make our way back down the mountain, we had a relaxing stroll back to the village. We stopped at the local co-op to buy fruit, sandwiches and cider for lunch (and snacks for Sunday since the stores would all be closed). We chanced upon a high school Shinty match, a game played almost exclusively in the Highlands. Its origins are shared with Irish hurling and it looks similar to Lacrosse. The mist was steadily getting thicker, so we did not linger long, but went back to the hotel to read in the common room and relax.
Impressions from the day: this was our most relaxing day, as we did not encounter crowds or fight traffic and it was really nice to take a break and enjoy the natural beauty of the Highlands. Tomorrow we are going to hike a little further inland to search out a waterfall and we will likely try a local pub.

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On the Road/Day One: Loch Ness

"Is there for honest poverty

that hings his head, an' a' that;

The coward slave we pass him by,

We dare be poor for a' that"

Awake at 9:00AM to Mel's smiling face. Quick pack up, breakfast of bacon roll and poached eggs on toast, check out, then cab it to the airport. At the airport we pick up our rental car from Hertz who, in appreciation of our custom, freeze $600.00 of our bank account for a deposit. Lovely. Now, not only are we leaving Edinburgh (our new favorite city), we're also broke and about to have to drive 160 miles on the wrong side of the road.

Not looking good so far.

The day quickly took a turn for the better when we discovered that our rental is a Ford Mondeo Titanium 5-door hatchback. A beautiful piece of art/machinery that I've been desperate to get my hands on for years! Black-metallic paint, automatic transmission, happy day! After queing to get out of the rental lot, we were on our way north. On the cab ride over, the driver gave us directions on how to reach the Firth of Forth bridge, gateway to the north. Somehow, not really surprisingly, we forgot the directions and promptly got lost. Normally, that would be no big deal, but today we're driving on the left side and worrying desperately about roundabouts! After a quick turn around in the Bank of Scotland we promptly motored (with ease) through two roundabouts, located our roadway and found ourselves crossing the Forth Bridge. As we make it onto the motorway, we're feeling good about left-side driving and to be fair, we effin' crushed those roundabouts. Driving is fun. Some credit goes to the steady presence of our Metallic-Black Ford Mondeo Titanium, most goes to Mel's calm navigation. Also, my peerless motoring skills...CRUSHED 'EM!

Stopped along the way in the Victorian resort town of Pitlochry. Took some pictures and had a light lunch. 17 Pounds for soup and sandwich! Daylight robbery! Now I understand why the Scots are reputed to be tight-fisted, the rental cars and road-side lunches will bleed you dry unless you're canny.

After about three hours of smooth sailing (expert driving, really) we reached Inverness. Melody assures me it was a beautiful city with the Loch sparkling behind it. I wouldn't know, my eyes were glued to the road, my hands; a death-grip on the wheel. It's the roundabouts, you see. Inverness is a small city packed full of roundabouts. Angry roundabouts, roundabouts that curse and honk at you. After at least 5 hours and 1000 roundabouts, we made it out of Inverness and back on the road to Loch Ness (Melody interjects: The poor dear, it wasn't nearly that long and there were only 5-6 roundabouts, but they were very crowded and angry). We then awaited the raising and lowering of a drawbridge and then drove a bit on a single lane stretch, which did not change our belief that the roads are very angry in Inverness. Luckily, the Loch came into view shortly outside of Inverness. It's unbelievably wide and dark, beautiful but foreboding. I can easily see how a monster could live in it. We accidentally stopped at a similarly named hotel on the way to Loch Ness Lodge Hotel (where we're booked). After a brief look around the very beautiful Loch Ness Lodge, we were informed by the staff that we were in the wrong place, our hovel was located down the road, and have a nice day. Politely shoved out the door, we were back on our way. In minutes, we found our proper hotel, an old country house (a lot of plaid!), and checked in. Turns out it's really a charming place, wood paneling and comfy leather sofas as well as small staircases leading off to different suites of rooms, a toasty fire in the well-stocked library and tartan everywhere from the floor coverings to the walls to the beds. We'll be perfectly snuggly here, with an idyllic village close by and just a two mile walk to Urquhart Castle.

Impressions from the Day: If race cars had to go through a succession of roundabouts followed by a harrowing road that hugs a mountain on one side with a sheer drop-off, the classification as "sport" would seem more appropriate. DJ's new love (next to Melody) is a Ford Mondeo, he seems to have forgotten his Wayfarer IPA (DJ interjects: I haven't.). There is so much to see in the Castle district between Aberdeen and Pitlochry that we did not get to see that we can't wait to come back and spend a week touring castles and whisky distilleries only. For now, the Loch holds quite enough allure, however, and exploring it tomorrow and Sunday will be wonderful, or maybe we'll just curl up next to the fire with a book.

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Edinburgh: Day Four

We clamb the hill the gither; And mony a canty day, John, We've had wi' ane anither: Now we maun totter down, John, And hand in hand we'll go;

The sun came out today and shined upon our venture to Arthur's Seat. We reluctantly skipped the Full Scottish breakfast as we had to scurry to ensure we caught our hop-on-hop-off bus before our time limit ended (luckily Starbucks saved us from skipping breakfast altogether). An additional perk of the bright day meant we could sit outside the enclosed area of the bus and we captured a lot of the pictures we missed yesterday. We lucked out again and had a great guide, Hugh. He was excellent, admonishing us to read Walter Scott, and advising that "Heart of Midlothian" was much less like "chewing bricks" than many of his other works. He also spun poignant stories of the women burned as witches over the centuries and shared the lore of "half-hangit Maggie." A bit of rain fell as we rounded the bend 'round the castle crag, but it ended within minutes, leaving us just a bit damp, but no worse for the wear. We left the bus at the base of Arthur's Seat, wandering through the plaza around the "monstrous carbuncle" to reach the trail. The ascent was initially quite easy and I took DJ at his word that it would be a "nice climb," but it soon became more challenging, and then very challenging. With many photo stops, we (mainly Melody) huffed and puffed and conquered the summit. The weather was spectacular and the view was well worth the humiliation of being passed on the trail by skipping German children and a dozen retirees. We had the foresight to pack a lunch and after clambering down the topmost crest, collapsed in the heather to enjoy it. After a very leisurely stroll back down the trail, we stopped by Jenny Ha's for a pint and ran into our English friends from our first day in town. After a quick catch-up, we left them at the People's Story Museum to browse a few shops up the Royal Mile before our ghost tour. As it was, we were very early, so we watched a few buskers, a bag-pipe player, a flautist and a unicyclist until we spotted a likely guide. Much to our disappointment, the clipboard toting girl was just there to tell us the tour was cancelled. The regular guide had called in sick and there was no one to take his place. We decided to get a bite at the Filling Station (a Scottish Applebees) and stock a few provisions for our drive North tomorrow, and spend the evening with the BBC.
Impressions: From DJ: Edinburgh may have replaced Florence as my favorite city. Florence, though lovely, feels, after awhile, like a film set or a Disney village. While Edinburgh also looks and feels like a city from a fairy tale, it's also a busy, bustling, working city. Also in addition to the architectural beauty, which is much of Florence's charm, Edinburgh possesses a wonderful natural beauty. Built, as it is, over several volcanic hills and surrounded by rolling, green country side, Edinburgh may be the most beautiful city in the world. Also, I like the weather. When it's sunny, it's wonderful and when it's rainy, it's atmospheric. And the beauty of that is, in Edinburgh you're likely to get both in the space of a day. Tomorrow: the long-awaited roundabouts and perhaps a castle or two as well as our first glimpse of Loch Ness.

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Edinburgh: Day Three

"But we've wandered many a weary foot..."

Day Three: our shortest, yet most productive, day. We managed to get a decent night's sleep and rolled out of bed a little after 8:00AM. Down to Cucina for another Full Scottish (Melody has had the Wee Scottish both days, equally delicious, but less bloaty), then off to the bus tour. Though Edinburgh is a compact city, the miles add up, and after two days afoot in the city, the bus was a welcome relief. The plan was to ride the bus for the first half of the tour, then hop off at the Royal Mile and take the tour of Mary King's Close. The bus tour began at North Bridge and wound its way through the New Town. Through St. Andrews Square, past the statues of William Pitt, George IV, the homes of John Buchan and Robert Louis Stevenson, and the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland (who ran for office on promises of lower taxes and Scots independence...) and then on into the old town. On the High Street section of the Royal Mile, we hopped off to take the walking tour of Mary King's Close. We found the first part of the bus tour informative and quite funny, the tour guide, Jack, did a wonderful job. Mary Kings' Close is one of a warren of alleys that housed tenements which were built over (the tops of the buildings were used as foundations for more modern buildings) and then forgotten for centuries. A costumed guide led us through a series of houses, cow sheds and storage rooms, all of which had been virtually buried in 1753. The tour gave a comprehensive, if sometimes squalid, view of life in Edinburgh between the 17th and 19th centuries. The accommodations ranged from the homes of wealthy merchants to the hovels of the most impoverished. Of course, there were ghost stories and I'll admit (before Mel rats me out) that I had a moment of fright (Melody interjects: Oh, how he jumped! It was especially gratifying as I knew our tour guide was targeting me and I did not succumb to his cheap theatrics! Woo!). Our costumed tour guide seemed genuinely interested in his work and provided some great facts and anecdotes. As with the information given by our bus tour guide, a lot of the interesting stories he told were tied to really interesting architectural facts, for example, the thickness of the walls in the buried closes are sometimes ten feet thick, not all that dissimilar from the middle wall of a Georgian row house.

After the Mary King's Close tour, we hopped back on the tour bus for the second half of the tour. This half had a different tour guide and, frankly, all we learned was that Edinburgh had pubs in it; a fact we'd already well established the previous two nights. Arriving back at North Bridge at the end of the tour, we decided we were done-in for the day. After the walking of the first two days, our dogs were barking and we decided to head back to the hotel for an afternoon of rest. We stocked up on supplies at a small grocer's and back to the room at around 3:00PM. All in all, a very productive day. Though we didn't spend as much time wandering the city as we had on the previous days, we managed to see more in terms of attractions. I think we were both feeling bad about cutting the day short, but just as we neared the hotel, the sky opened up and we were drenched in rain. We chose to see this as divine confirmation that we should spend the rest of the day in the room. One further accomplishment: the grocer's we stopped at sold Brew Dog beer! Brew Dog is an up and coming brewery, from Fraserburgh, Scotland, who are building a reputation for brewing complex and tasty beers. Sadly, these beers aren't available in Oklahoma. Happily, I'm on vacation in Scotland! Serendipity! So, along with our bread and cheese, we picked up a four pack of Brew Dog's Punk IPA (described as a "post-modern Pale Ale"). I found it aggressively hopped and thoroughly delicious. Everything I'd hoped it'd be.

So, though we spent very little time exploring today, I feel we made it a great success.

Impressions of the day: New Town Edinburgh has some really interesting and often overlooked historical sites, and a massive used bookfair that we hope to get back to on foot tomorrow. We certainly hadn't hoped to see any ghosts, and so were relieved this was borne out, but Melody wonders if we are maybe blocking our psychic energies to possibilities. It is in fact boring to be on a pub tour if you don't actually go in the pub. The people are amazing, and while we did manage to avoid our Starbucks today (Score! It can be done!), it meant we missed our favorite barrista. The amazing architecture, the beautiful natural landscape, the excellent literature, the tasty food and drink, and the intriguing history truly are not the most important treasures of Edinburgh, rather it is the people that make this town not just a place of beauty and significance, but the kind of town you would like to call home. It may be pulling ahead of Florence as the number one city for a couple of ex-pats to raise a family. Coming on the morrow: another jaunt on the bus, a hike up to Arthur's Seat, an afternoon in the castle and a ghost tour in the evening. Will Mel be the one to jump this time? Probably.

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Edinburgh: Days One and Two Supplemental

We had a few more photos that we wanted to post from days one and two in Edinburgh. We really enjoyed St. Giles, the high kirk of Scotland. It is really quite small and it feels more personal than many of the national cathedrals we have seen. Its size, however, allows a visitor to truly take in all of the details without becoming overwhelmed. The interior is filled with amazing woodwork, intricate ceilings and an organ that is a work of art. The first two pictures to the left are from St. Giles. In the first photo, DJ is reading about the public executions that used to occur (for men) outside of St. Giles.The second shot is the organ in the St. Giles Kirk. The third picture on the top row is taken just off the Royal Mile at one of the entrances to Edinburgh University. The first shot on the second row is Melody on the Old Town side of the Princes Street Gardens. The final photo is a shot at sunset of the Walter Scott Monument; the monument is not only beautiful, it is the largest memorial to a writer in the world. The size of the monument may have as much to do with his literary skill as it does his prolific work late in life. Apparently, the purpose of this prolific work was to earn money to aid all those hurt by his partner and publisher's bankruptcy. One of our favorite things about Edinburgh is the rich literary history. The number of writers, poets, and philosophers who have called this city home, and the reverence for the written word and the power of ideas is evidenced by numerous monuments, statues, plaques, tours and memorials to these thinkers.

Edinburgh: Day Two

"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley..."

Day one bled into day two as the jet-lag kicked in and we stayed awake into the wee hours, drinking Bulmer's Original Cider and making plans for our foray on day two. We finally racked out around 5:00AM and were up again at 9:45AM. Then down the road to My Cucina for a Full Scottish breakfast. Having reaffirmed our love of fried foods and grilled meat (black pudding is AWESOME), we headed back to the hotel for a quick planning session before beginning our second day of adventures. Hours later we awoke to find that jet-lag had, again, had it's wicked way with us. Unsteady, but undaunted, we slunk out of the hotel intent on hitting our first bus tour. A quick stop at Starbucks helped us gather our wits, and off we charged toward the tour.

We arrived at the bus tour kiosk around 5:20PM, just in time to see them shutting down for the day. They explained that we'd just missed the last bus, but were welcome to return at 9:20 the next morning. "Curses", we exclaimed (internally, we don't actually speak out loud like that). Disappointed but determined, we resolved to adapt and overcome. We headed over the bridge and up the Royal Mile, destination: Edinburgh Castle and, hopefully some great photos of the city from the castle's commanding vantage. On the way, we got some great photos at The College of Divinity and on Ramsay Place. Then, up the hill to storm the castle. Unfortunately we were thwarted yet again. The fellow behind the barricade informed us that the castle was closed for the day, and could we please storm it in the morning during business hours (really quite pleasantly). Bet this never happened to Edward I. Having decided that all plans were off, we held hands (mostly out of love, but partially so Mel didn't trip on the cobblestones) and again wandered down the hill toward St Giles Kirk. Happily, we found this lovely church open, and took some great snaps before ambling on down toward Holyrood House. Got some nice pictures of the palace, wandered through a peaceful and lovely Holyrood park and then found ourselves in The Regent Pub. Two Deuchars IPAs, one cider, a chorizo pasta and a mac & cheese later, we decided to head for home. Along the way we stopped in the Old Calton burying ground and visited the monument to philosopher David Hume. Back at the hotel at around 10:30PM, tired after much up-hill walking, we stopped in the Metro West pub for a Whisky, stocked up on Bulmer's Cider and ambled off to the room.

The wonderful thing about Edinburgh is that, even though we failed to meet our objectives today, we still found plenty to see and do. Edinburgh is a wonderful city to walk in (we logged about six miles today). The parks along Princes Street and Regent Road offer a quiet and restful way to wander through the city. We'll try to get some sleep tonight and tomorrow; the damned bus tour. Also for tomorrow; Mary King's Close!

Further impressions of Edinburgh: it's not possible to overstate how friendly everyone has been here. The staff at our hotel (the Apex European) go out of their way to help, even at 4:15AM. And they never seem to mind opening the door when you've gone out for a smoke at 5:00AM. Love this city, can't wait for tomorrow, jet-lag be damned.

Edinburgh: Day One

"Here's a bottle and an honest friend!
What wad ye wish for mair, man?
Wha kens, before his life may end,
What his share may be o' care, man?"





Well, we're here. We landed at 10:40AM and arrived at the hotel around noon. The hotel staff allowed us to check in early and we entered our room to find a chilled bottle of champagne and two glasses. The staff called once and knocked on the door to assure everything was in order, what a wonderful start! After a quick nap, a shower, a nice cuppa tea and a look at the BBC, we set off on our first walking tour of Edinburgh.
Edinburgh is an amazingly beautiful city, and at 1:00PM, also a bustling one. We wound our way through the heady crowd toward Princes Street and the Royal Mile. Along the way, we popped into Starbucks to fortify ourselves for the journey ahead (a brief nap was not up to the job after a rough night of travel). After a caramel macchiatto and a wonderful caffe mocha, and some excellent advice, we were off again toward the Royal Mile.
Turning on to Princes Street, we caught our first glimpse of Edinburgh Castle. Commanding and majestic atop its volcanic redoubt, the castle loomed formidably above Princes Street Gardens. The Gardens (Edinburgh's answer to Central Park) are an island of verdant calm amongst the bustle of this busy city. We had our photo taken by two nice ladies from Oregon (note Melody's crazy hair - it was the wind, we swear!), and then wandered the park before heading back up into the tumult of the city's streets.
Continuing down Princes Street, we passed the National Museum, the Walter Scott Monument, the Robert Burns' memorial, and an old cemetery (about two miles of walking) before making our way back to Holyrood House. At the bottom of a quiet and tree lined road, the Palace of Holyrood house is Her Majesty's official residence in Scotland. Behind the palace loom Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags, the highest of the natural promontories in the area. Opposite Holyrood sits the new Scottish Houses of Parliament, which Melody and I agree are a monstrous carbuncle.
Wandering up a side street, we found ourselves at Jenny Ha's Pub. Feeling a bit dry and peckish after our long walk, we decided to pop in for a quick bite and a pint. Nearly five hours and many pints (and 3 whiskys and 1 brandy) later we shut down the pub and headed home. To digress, after a pint of Wayfarer IPA for me, and Chocolate Stout for Mel, we fell in with two couples of English retirees. Having divined that we were honeymooners, they stood us a few rounds and some lively conversation. After holding forth on life, the universe and everything, the English departed. We left them feeling that, though we would likely never see them again, we'd made some very good friends. Mel and I had another pint, for strength, then closed the joint down (also discovered, from James the barman, that Glenfiddich makes a 21 year, aged in Cuban barrels, that we can't get in the US - may have to hunt that down....).
Last orders comes early in Scotland, so we headed back to the hotel at 11:00PM. The formerly crowded streets were empty, the Monday night crowds having found their way home. Mel and I strolled the deserted streets hand in hand, the spot-lit castle our guide home. The night was cool and bracing but, warmed by our love for the city and each other, we wound our way home.
Back at the room, we opened the champagne, wrote you this blog, then ... to sleep.
First impressions of Edinburgh: Lovely city, compact and easily navigable by foot. Though small, the city has so much to see and do. The people here have been uniformly warm and kind (we haven't been stabbed once!). Tomorrow: bus tour to mark the spots we most want to explore, possibly a ghost tour. Next up: does the doll soothe the little girl? are all double decker buses romantic? is it possible for Americans to avoid Starbucks and/or McDonald's and/or Hard Rock Cafe? does exploring a city really count as exercise?

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