Well fortified with a full Scottish Breakfast, we set out for Inverness, traveling along the Great Boundary Fault, which separates the northern Highlands from the rest of Scotland. The drive through the Glencoe Valley and beyond was a particularly lovely one, despite the rain, which limited our ability to stop and record it. Perhaps another… Continue reading Oban to Inverness, 30 April
Author: HFM
Day tour of Mull and Iona
Ferries run several times daily back and forth from the islands and Oban. Buses of tourists cross Mull, traveling from one port to the next. Both conveyances also carry older schoolchildren to Oban and back once a week, because of a lack of secondary schools on Mull and Iona. Indeed, everything and everyone on the… Continue reading Day tour of Mull and Iona
Driving to Oban, 28 April
We headed to Oban for an island tour. It’s a delightful coastal town, well worth a return visit. But to get there we first had to hire a car. Hired car We were so eager to be on our way to Oban, we arrived an hour early at the Hertz cabin at the Edinburgh Airport… Continue reading Driving to Oban, 28 April
Edinburgh, 27 April
In which we visit the castle and the National Gallery Edinburgh Castle A statue honoring Field Marshall Douglas Haig stands outside National War Museum of Scotland. He was nicknamed “Butcher Haig” not because of enemy casualties, but for the two million British casualties suffered under his command. The National War Museum of Scotland has fascinating… Continue reading Edinburgh, 27 April
Edinburgh, 25-26 April
A short train ride from Berwick-upon-Tweed, we arrived in Edinburgh and caught a taxi to our apartment-hotel, near the castle. After getting settled, we wandered up the hill to Lawnmarket, where we had decent beer and indifferent savoury pies at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. William Brodie (1741-88) was a respected tradesman by day and a criminal… Continue reading Edinburgh, 25-26 April
Kirknewton, April 2022
Having adjusted to the time, we boarded a midday train from King’s Cross Station. We headed north (Peterborough, York, Darlington, Newcastle, Berwick-upon-Tweed) to visit family in a beautiful valley in Northumberland, near the Scottish border. Our niece and her husband live in a family compound with her parents, Richard’s brother Mike and sister-in-law Enid. It… Continue reading Kirknewton, April 2022
London 21 April, Courthauld Gallery
While we waited for our timed entry to the Van Gogh exhibit, we enjoyed perusing their collection of Impressionists, one of the most famous and interesting being A Bar at the Folies Bergères. One has seen many prints/digital copies, but until seeing the actual painting never appreciated how sad she looks. I’d interpreted her expression… Continue reading London 21 April, Courthauld Gallery
London, 21 April, National Gallery
St Martin-in-the-FieldsTook a taxi (Black Cab, of course) to the National Gallery with a chatty driver, who had severe opinions about the pedestrianization of many London areas, because construction creates traffic jams. There really is no need for private cars in densely populated cities when you have good public transport and taxis. We got out… Continue reading London, 21 April, National Gallery
London 20 April
Our first full day in London, we explored the neighborhood around St Pancras and King’s Cross stations. We stayed at a nearby hotel, The Megaro, because we would be taking the train north in a few days. St Pancras Old Church Some shrine has been here for centuries, perhaps as early as the 4th c,… Continue reading London 20 April
DFW to Heathrow, 18-19 April
18 AprilAlbuquerque airport. Nearly everyone wears a mask. A few scofflaws and bearders. AA flight to DFW Turbulence as we scale the Sandias, but otherwise smooth. We love first class. Not our usual, but we can get used to it. DFWSurprised that almost everyone was masked: thank heavens, as it was crowded. After confirming matters at… Continue reading DFW to Heathrow, 18-19 April