brooklynmary

Once again, I had a nice big breakfast before I headed out. This morning, I was taking the city bus to the Culloden Battle Site. Here is a very, very brief history lesson as to why this battle came about on Apirl 16, 1746. When Queen Elizabeth died without heirs, her cousin's (Mary Queen of Scots) son became King of England (James I) and Scotland (James VI) of the House of Stuart. Here also is the execution of Charles I (son), Oliver Cromwell and no monarchy, Restoration of Charles II (grandson). His other grandson, James II & VII, who was a Roman Catholic, eventually became king. This made the Protestant nobles of England very glittery. So, his Protestant son-in-law and nephew, William of Orange, was prevailed upon to land an invasion from the Netherlands, which he ... read more

First full day in Isle of Skye, and it is raining. I slept in for a little longer today. After breakfast, I drove to the town of Portree, the capitol of Isle of Skye. Thank God, the roads here are not single track. I had planned on doing one of the popular, difficult hikes today, but because of of the rain, I cancelled the hike. If it was a trail I know or if I was hiking with someone else, then I would have considered hiking in the rain, but that is not an option by myself. Instead, I parked in town and checked out my options in the Visitor's Center. They recommended doing an easy circular hike nearby, or what I though was an easy hike. The hike itself was easy, but the trail was ... read more

Today is Sunday, which means everything is either closed or opens late. I had decided to take a tour that does island hopping, and the earliest tour starts at 10am. I had leisurely breakfast at my B&B - it was a feast, prepared by the hostess. The choices were either a full Scottish breakfast (Sausage, Bacon, Eggs, Tomato, Black Pudding, Mushrooms, Potato Scone) or, in my case, an extended continental breakfast, which included Scots Porridge with honey and heavy cream, 2 croissants with butter and jam, a very large platter of fruits, veggies, and various types of cheeses. Of course, a choice of 3 cereals, toast, orange juice, choice of coffee or tea goes without saying. I loved the porridge, but I could only sample the fruits and cheese platter as it was so big. I ... read more

After breakfast, I decided to tour the Edinburgh Castle, so I got there by 9am. The line for tickets is long but it moves quickly. There are lots of things to see at this castle. The ticket comes with a 30 minute tour, right of the bat, the tour guide started with the inaccuracy of movies - namely Mel Gibson's Braveheart. Movies, she said, take poetic license to make the stories more interesting. Among other things, Robert the Bruce was considered "Braveheart" not William Wallace and they did not paint their faces. Despite all the inaccuracies, she did say, that such movies do peak people's interest which is always good for tourism. Among the things to see at the castle: Scottish Crown Jewels - not much compared to England's Crown Jewels, but the most important thing ... read more

Today, Jason and Lynn had to leave for work early, so they asked me to paint some pieces of wood for a project Jason is working on. I woke up at 9:00 am, had breakfast and started painting. By 11:00 am, the job was finished but I was so tired I decided to take a nap. This is very unusual for me. After waking up, I was still feeling drowsy, so I took a shower to clear my head. I had a late lunch while reading some of the tourist material i picked up and then decided to go for a drive. But first, I had to get some coffee. It was after 1:00 pm and I still haven't had my morning coffee! After stopping off at the local cafe, I took Route 3 and drove ... read more