Blogs from Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe - page 15

Friday, 15 July 2022, and Saturday 16 July 2022. Our morning was off to a great start with the good breakfast at Myrtle Banks Guest House. Karen had an agenda for the first part of the morning. We had to be back by 1100 as we had train tickets to go to Glenfinnian. Lee and Jo knew all about the Jacobite Train that was used in the Harry Potter movies and the Glenfinnian Viaduct with its 21 spans that are shown in the movie. So at 1045 I send a note that we will met the others. I then remember our tickets are still in the room. Karen waits at the square for them and I dash back to get the tickets, meeting the four of them on the way. We reunite outside the bakery with ... read more

~Edinburgh is a beautiful city, but it doesn’t photograph well. Much of its atmosphere relies on the repetition and congruence of its architecture, which is difficult to capture in photos. ~ It’s an easy city to explore by foot since it’s fairly compact. We didn’t take the metro or light rail at all. Crossing most intersections is terrifying, though, since the double-decker buses barely fit on the road and yielding doesn’t seem to exist. At least most crosswalks tell which way to look for traffic. ~ The city center is very touristy, especially the Royal Mile, which is a repetition of whisky, Scotland, and cashmere shops. Because the annual Jazz Festival was going on, we had to stay outside the city center in Stockbridge, which allowed us to explore more local spots.... read more

I started planning this trip to find Linda and my Scottish ancestors in October 2019, but due to the Covid pandemic the trip had to be postponed from June 2020 to June 2021 to August 2021 to August 2022. Many changes were made to my original planning blog as I found out more about our Scottish ancestors. Consequently, I cancelled that planning blog and am now publishing what I hope is the final version. I've been in search of ancestors for quite some time. In May 1995, before returning to the States after living 18 years in Europe, we visited Norway to find my paternal Carlsen ancestors who came from the island of Notteroy on the Oslo fjord (see ). More recently I've resumed my search. In May 2019, I visited Devon, England to visit the ... read more

From 2015: Locals do not say Saint Andrews, they say "sun-Andrews", with great pride. This is golf's holy land, the sacred fairways of St. Andrews. Golf has been played here since the 1100s, well before Columbus landed somewhere on the Western Hemisphere. And yes, anyone with a handicap below 15 can play here. It is possible to breathe the same air, take divots from the same turf, as Old Tom Morris, Bobby Jones, and Arnold Palmer. But on most Sundays, it is a public park, where you are free to walk, run, and picnic anywhere on the course. This year's Open (2015), as the Brits call the British Open, is the 29th on the Old Course. The biggest difference in the Old Course is the enlargement of the famous Road Hole Bunker on the 17th hole. ... read more

Sunday 10 July 2022, our second rest day - no walking on the WHW today. Monday 11 July 2022, Day 7 on the WHW. Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy, 7.3 miles by Garmin, 489 feet elevation gain, 3 hours 30 minutes walking. Our rest day around Tyndrum saw bright sunshine and motorcyclists and more people enjoying this beautiful area. Tyndrum, although small, fits the description of a mountain resort community. The place is full of 'bikers,' hikers, and folks out just loving the sunshine in Scotland. We have our first introduction to a box breakfast. A paper bag with croissant, yogurt, juice, freeze dried coffee and a box of make your own porridge that once mixed up with boiling water, looks and tastes like wallpaper paste. We all head for the Real Food Cafe, for a ... read more