We left the hostel in Inverness around 9am, but had to make a detour to a wholesale store so the manager of our next hostel could buy some supplies for us to take with us. After loading up with the supplies, we headed out of Inverness. Having done the hostel manager a favor, she bought Neil a bottle of Scotch (which he swears we are going to share, but it disappeared as soon we reached the hostel!) As a reward for our patience, he took us to a "special" place, the Clootie Well at Munlocy, on the Black Isle. Don't ask me why it's called the Black Isle, as it's not Black and it's not an island. The Clootie Well is a very unusual "attraction." More or less in the middle of nowhere, just off a ... read more

Today our two main goals are a free walking tour of Edinburgh and possibly a tour of Edinburgh Castle. After a short but fairly decent night's sleep, we woke up around 8am, and after a confusing shower, we headed out to join a free walking tour that started in front of Starbucks at 10am. Okay, the confusing part of the shower was figuring out where to put what while taking a shower in a mini-shower, and not parading around naked, since it was a co-ed bathroom. Now, back to the tour. The tour is offered by Sandeman's New Europe and is free because the guides work only for tips. Supposedly, that makes them work harder to earn your tip. Our guide, David Maitland, was from the Highlands of Scotland, had a definite Scottish accent, but was ... read more

Well, its that time again... vacation time. This year we are touring Scotland and parts of Europe, including the Rhine River in Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium. By the time you read this we should be at the airport waiting for our first flight. Since we don't get to Dublin until Saturday morning, and then have to fly to Edinburgh, it will probably be Saturday night before I can add the next post. I'll try to do a better job of writing these blogs and still keep enough facts in them to be of help to fellow travelers. "... and I'll be in Scotland afore ye".... read more

We spent the next 5 days mostly visiting relatives and strolling around town. It was getting close to the major influx of vacationers from Seville and other towns wanting to spend some time on Chipiona's beaches. Already, weekends doubled the size of the town with folks spending the weekend here. Besides the visits to my wife's aunts, uncles, and numerous cousins, we also spend one day in Las Cabezas visiting Consuelo's (my brother-in-law's wife) parents there. Over time, they have used funds from their farm to build a large, very beautiful house with a garage big enough for 4 full-sized buses. Another day was spent in Jerez de la Frontera visiting Consuelo's sister and spendiing a good bit of time sightseeing and then having a very decent lunch. Friday, the night before we left Chipiona, my ... read more

AFTER A PRETTY GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP, CONSIDERING HOW TIRED WE WERE, WE DIDN'T WAKE UP UNTIL A LITTLE AFTER 8AM, BUT WE WERE STILL THE FIRST ONES UP IN OUR ROOM, OUT OF SIX TRAVELERS. SOME QUICK ABLUTIONS, AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE ALHAMBRA (THE H IS SILENT) TO GET OUR ACTUAL TICKETS AND MEET UP WITH THE GUIDE BY 10AM. ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE QUITE A WAYS ON THE MAP, IT REALLY WASN'T ALL THAT FAR, JUST A BIT STEEP NEAR THE END. WE WALKED ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE COMPLEX, PASS THE TICKET WINDOW/ENTRANCE, AND LOCATED THE SIGN BY THE PARKING LOT FOR GANAVISION, THE AGENCY THAT ISSUED OUR TICKETS. THE LADY THERE EXPLAINED THAT OUR GROUP WOULD LEAVE FROM PARKING AREA 1 AT 10:15, GIVE US TOUR STICKERS TO ... read more