Blogs from Connecticut, United States, North America

Some final thoughts on our trip. While the scenery might have been better in the sun, still the drizzle and mists are what I think of when I think of Scotland. Since it was lambing season, we say lots of black faced babies gamboling in the meadow, the ewes grazing or both just taking a little lie down. We say highland cattle, horses with blankets on and some without, gulls and oyster catchers and ring-necked pheasant and a group of bunnies nibbling the grass. All the hotels were fine except for the one at Oban. Although Mike tried to lower our expectations, still even he was distressed at how far down it had gone. It is a old hotel on the historic registry which means that repairs and upgrades have to be approved and that is ... read more

Sensory Perception My very first sight of Italy was when we were flying; following the coastline along the West down to Rome. The light was diffuse, it was early afternoon and the dark water was sparkling in the sunlight. The rolling hills of that region are dotted with farms; the sections of which are irregular and misshapen compared to the very neat squares of farm acreage we see in the U.S. The patches of trees and plants were a crazy quilt draped over the landscape. Dotted here and there were small communities; towns and villages, glowing among the verdant greens. Rome is a busy city, bustling at all hours, traffic rumbling and horns honking. The motor scooters buzz by the cars and buses, they weave in and out with centimeters to spare, horns beep constantly. The ... read more

Tomorrow? Tomorrow's the big day! I have 90% of the packing complete, printed all of the travel documents/itineraries/reservation confirmations....not much left to do but anticipate! Anticipation for me includes second guessing everything I've already packed, do I need more/less shoes?, have I planned for weather contingencies, and where's my passport!?! (It's okay, I found it) Tom often asks before a trip, am I excited? Well, who wouldn't be? I think it's because I have so many other things that I am responsible for that it will be hard for me to relax until I have crossed all my T's and dotted all my I's. Kids/pets/house/work/bills.....they all need some of my attention before I can feel free to leave. We have reservations our first night in Rome to eat at the Ristorante Aroma, atop the Palazzo Manfredi ... read more

Day 167……15/09/2012 Well the bike seems to be behaving itself now and we arrived at Bob and Nancy’s house in Clifton Park in New York State last night, it was great to catch up again with Bob after meeting him six years ago while traveling on the fast cat ferry from Portland Maine to Yarmouth in Nova Scotia. His friend Gene also popped over who was also on that trip. We had a few beers and caught up on things and went over a few of the highlights of the ten days or so we spent travelling together. Bob and Nancy were the proud owners of a newly built house that they had spent a lot of time in the design and building of the property, and a great credit and a lovely home it was ... read more

Road miles to date: 8905 The intention behind our next stop had been conceived ten years ago during a series of drink fuelled conversations in Edinburgh watering holes when Byron befriended a group of Québécois and made a promise to visit them one day. Since that day Byron had kept in contact with Jean Francois and Boris the Blade and it was JF that we were now on our way to see after his generous offer to put us up and show us the sites. The three day ride East took us alongside the beautiful shore of Lake Huron and the North Channel then deep into the forests of Ontario. The first day back on Canadian soil ended in Chutes National Park where we spent a late afternoon on a hidden riverside beach at the foot ... read more