and main course pasta
complete with cheese to sprinkle
followed by cheese (to not sprinkle)
and port.
This year, the Seeger board meeting was to be in London and so we boarded our flight and discovered that the flying time would be very short but still we were fed salad
and main course pasta
complete with cheese to sprinkle
followed by cheese (to not sprinkle)
and port.
On our arrival, we were very surprised to run into Adam at the airport
as we made our way to the minimalist (in terms of size) hotel room
where fruit had been left
though it took us a while to find the light for the bathroom.
After a rest, we headed into town and took the obligatory phone booth picture even though the structures had changed and the capabilities had expanded to include wifi
and then we went to Harrod's and had some lunch starting with our drinks
after which I opened the menu
and discovered it was a menu full of cigars (after the food pages).
Soon after, the butter arrived
along with our tasty salad (somehow I forgot the bread)
and then on our walk through the store we recorded these meringues
and heading back to the hotel we found this typically British sign
as we made our way through the streets (and architecture) of London
and saw this license plate from Saudi Arabia
before passing a house where Jane Austen lived
and some shoes that attracted Suzanne because of their color.
After another break, we head out to the Seeger dinner at a fine Greek restaurant
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We began with this small taste
before octopus
grill
spreads
and fried cheese were served
and the food just kept on coming
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which was consumed quite well as we headed off for much needed sleep.
This was the day of the board meeting (and Suzanne's birthday) and there was a celebratory (for board meeting) lunch afterward at which I had this tomato salad
as Shirley had the salad nicoise
and I then had asparagus soup
as Christopher was amused by tales of my photography
Much wine was enjoyed
as Clayton and I played dueling cameras
as Trevor and Dimitri attempted to have a more serious conversation
and my ice cream
and Clayton's Victorian sponge were served before we adjourned.
after a break, we headed out for the dinner celebration stopping in Covent Garden for a stroll where we found Maxwell's
and a traditional phone booth
on our way into the market
where a Shake Shack was about to open
and we saw these solar powered waving queens
while looking down on the largest imaginable pot of paella.
Walking on, we ran into Ben's cookies
and the Big Ben burger
before reaching The Ivy, our dinner destination
as shown by the linen
and after recording the menu
and the vegetarian menu I noticed that there was no photography allowed. Still, all in all, it was a fine meal.
On the way back to the hotel, we passed various shoes that might have been the ones Ben wanted
in the store called Author as shown by the American website.
We began Friday with breakfast
as the menu shows
and started with our drinks
which seemed to wake up Suzanne
as I took this selfie by using the mirror
and then our meals arrived
and so we could be off to Hertz to rent a car larger than we had anticipated
for the drive to Oxford where we found parking
and then made our way to one of the colleges that would have us
before finding these signs for the collection at the public convenience that Suzanne needed.
and then we made our way past Balliol College which wouldn't have us
and into one that would
where we saw academic departments
and continued to explore
and admire the green grass which we were forbidden to enter
though we could look at the gold leaves
before we entered the chapel
which had interesting stained glass
as well as remarkable grave stones
including these which I didn't understand
and these structures of key people in history (and, in some cases, in the history of the chapel).
Next, we went to the open market
where we saw Ben's cookies
and this amazing pig's head
before finding our way to the fruit stand
and then to a barber who had this sign.
Back into the fresh air on Corn Exchange Street
I admired this tower
and this tombstone
before we headed to Cheltenham where this was the key
to our room.
After settling in, we headed off to the local pub
and had our drinks which seemed to have an impact on Suzanne
even before our sandwich arrived (quite a good chibatta -- cheddar and chutney)
so that I could make a journey to the men's room and catch the urinal for my collection
before I recorded these collection signs.
Next we went to Simpsons, the local fish and chips place that had won national recognition
best in England, second to one in Scotland
and studied the menu
while wondering if we had to drive the 477 miles to see what first looked like
as we pondered the menu
and admired the hats of the work force
before Suzanne's fish and chips
and my veggie burger
and the mushy peas arrived
followed by a symmetrically presented bill
even as I checked out the bathroom
and captured this sign for the collection
and then this document to show that they were well trained
before we recorded their prizes and
delivery bike and departed for a walk into the town of Cheltenham
stopping to record the lovely flowers
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this interesting sign
as we made our way past a store with this sign
and along Jersey Avenue where the trains do not stop
to see more flowers
and then the sleep clinic
and some shoes that might be the ones for Ben
before taking the obligatory phone booth(s) photo
and meeting these interesting people on the park bench
as they befriended Suzanne
but my attempts to sort out directions became a blur.
We stopped at the local fountain and recorded its story
and then its spouts
before heading to Montpellier Gardens
where we sat on this bench, though it was a bit wet
and saw this remarkable copper beech tree
which is unfortunately not doing well.
I then met this gentleman who had been moved
as Suzanne sat on a far bench
and, on our way home, we passed the home of a great archer
a great musician
a license plate from Scotland
with a sign in an unknown language
and this sign for the dogs collection.
After a good night's sleep, we checked out the breakfast menu
and then the breakfast that followed
before heading to the nearby town of Winchcombe where we recorded this sign
and a local street scene
as well as a sign about the great war
before observing some flowers
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and the day's first sign for the dog collection
before we passed through this kissing gate to begin our hike for the day
guided by signs such as these all the way
and then we came to the next stile
as Suzanne moved through the foliage
and we admired remarkable views
and guiding signs. Such was not the case for the entire day as we unfortunately discovered.
The scenery was spectacular
as we approached Corndean Hall
and saw this pillbox that had been used during the way for armaments
and looked out across fields, there would be many during the day, of beautiful flowers
as Suzanne posed by the pillbox
and we made our way on to the cricket field
moving our way up the hill
to where the horses seemed to spend their day admiring the view
as I waited for Suzanne to climb the last bit of this hill
and so admired what I saw
including the village below
before we came to the next gate
as Suzanne continued her climb
and we reached this sign which didn't say anything of value.
Marching on, we ran into many sheep
as we made our way down the road
towards a sign that said Hill Barn though it was a challenge to read the sign
but this was the barn area
and the view below to the village we had left
as we walked through yellow fields of amazing flowers
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as we continued through the fields until we saw this remarkable stone wall (of which there were many)
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which Suzanne took
as we saw more remarkable fields in the distance
though we had arrived at Belas Knap Long Barrow
which is a prehistoric burial ground as described in this poster
and so proceeded to explore the various openings
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before we took a final photo
and headed off to a place where there was moss by the side of the path
and the yellow fields continued to pop up
along with this view down towards the city
and an alternate view of the fields around us which gave a remarkable panorama
which amused Suzanne
and walking down a final hill, we ran into this couple from Seattle who were marching from B&B to B&B and having their baggage carried for them
and then saw this sign which signifies a ruin (in this case Belas Knap)
and headed through the woods
seeing this other sign signifying a ruin
before Suzanne climbed another stile
and we were suitably warned about the company we might be keeping
but all we saw were these mushrooms growing on a tree
and this warning sign about the electricity
before we came to a sign signifying our path
and this shade ramada at a
house we passed
which had this warning sign
and this yard
but we marched on
and saw Sudeley Castle
and the town in the distance
and so continued the path
to and past this house
stopping to admire the flowers
as Suzanne made her way
to and across the little foot bridge
which brought the town church a bit closer
in the sky scape of the town
and so we kept walking past flowers
realizing we were almost there yet
but we got diverted by the possibility of a visit to the castle and so we went through the outer gates
to this water which may have been the original moat
and past a remarkable playground at the castle
complete with zip line
stopping to get the sign for the collection of dog photos
before we reached the castle and decided to skip a visit there
but we did record these signs for the collection of dog signs
before passing the little Letting Shop which rented housing
and found this unwelcome sign on our windshield because we hadn't realized that there was a parking time limit.
Before departing, I recorded the pages that describe the walk we just complete, so as not to miss any details.
Then we were off to Broadway where the car was parked (but we were aware of time limits) and so we captured a street scene
and then a menu that seemed like it might be a mistake
and more street scenes
including the vegetables and fruit
while being warned about the importance of minding one's head
and then we explored the town green and shops
before deciding to have lunch at Hinters
where this was the menu
and our ploughman's plate.
Our next stop was Stow-on-the-Wold where we did some exploring
and captured this sign for the dog collection
en route to the church
which recorded the Battle of Stow
where there was an interesting policy
and we learned about how the clock was wound for 110 years before it was automated
and then recorded these signs for the dog collection
and this sign at the oldest hotel in England (or so they claim)
even as we noted the road sign that would take us onward and home
and we then drove on towards the Slaughters but in Lower Slaughter I was given an unfortunate description by an unhappy person (and I don't know what I did wrong) and in Upper Slaughter we didn't find the center of town
though we did get this sign in Lower Slaughter.
Next we drove on to Guiting Power where we parked behind a car with this license plate
and then went by the old post office
which was near the starting point of our walk which took us past these sheep
and flowers
on the way to the stone quarries from which the houses have been built for over 500 years
with this barn marking a key point on our tour
as Suzanne read about our way
when we came to a Wardens Way sign which suggested we were doing ok
and so we didn't pay a lot of attention to this sign
as we made our way over an interesting type of bridge
and walked on
past fields of poppies
mixed with fields of yellow
and poppies.
Since it was advertised as a 2 mile walk and we felt the we had already walked 2 miles, we were concerned to see this sign but felt that there must be a short cut
as we headed down the trail to a ford which keeps cars away
and the ford was crossed by us by this bridge, of a type that came from prehistoric times
and this led us, unfortunately incorrectly, to fields of livestock, who while cute became less cute
as we continued to back and forth looking for the right road and asking people who couldn't help us until we found a delightful young girl who gave us precise directions after more than an hour tracing our steps to find the right turn. Unfortunately we did not take her photo.
But we did find ourselves back at Guiting Major with the sheep and the town in the distance
and this warning I would take seriously
before we passed a door that was made to look like a phone booth
and then made our way back to our local pub where the kitchen was closed though they could serve us these crisps.
We woke up stiff this day but decided to do a lot of walking, much of it through beautiful scenery similar to the scenery of the day before and so not all of it is recorded but we did see a lot of small village churches starting with this one in Northleach
where this was the cemetery
along with the price list
before we entered the church and saw amazing bronze casts from the wealthy wool merchants of a bygone era
and the podium which these children were enjoying
and a description of its founders way back when
complete with engraved images
and these amazing pieces by the windows
together with the history of the leadership
another bronze
and some history
of these steps.
After recording some more brass
and the lovely pillows,
we said good bye to the Howes
and exited to the town center admiring the roofs
and this great English device that does it all for you -- soap, water, hot air but we could not find the path we wished to take
and so we drove on to Windrush where we found a path and began walking through fields and barns and livestock
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and watched the dicks float in the water
before we reached the green in Little Barrington
and admired the views
and the welcoming sign
before we began the walk back
along this beautiful road
which kept Suzanne going
before we came upon this weird structure (perhaps a grill) in front of one of the local houses
and then we admired many flowers walking back to the church where we had started
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and this was the lovely local river
with amazing shrub sculptures
as we headed off to Fulbrook
walking along this dangerous road
and then turned onto a very quiet road where the cows relaxed
and caught views of the city from a cross the way
including the High Street structures
as we walked past some remarkable structures along the road
eventually reaching the most elegant of all
from which we recorded the view
and then began the walk back across the fields
where we found this sign for the dogs collection
as Suzanne recorded me in front of this backdrop
and I recorded her in front of where we had been
but we marched on and met these cows along the way
before getting back to the High Street
and passing Jayne's (their misspelling).
Next, we went to the remarkable cathedral
and went in to see a lot of local history
but not quite like this history.
We then found a husband and wife who had stories and graves
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Our last stop of the day was in Bibury where we recorded this building
and then the remarkable church
with great rose flowers
and this sign for the dog collection though the church was about to close which limited the inside photography
but we did walk down to the local river where we saw ducks serenely floating
and realized the reward William Morris got for saying that Bibury was the most beautiful town in all of England
and made our way to Arlington Row
with its cottages
and then began our hike starting with this sign for the dog collection
and this collection of signs that suggested that all directions led to public footpaths.
The beautiful walk led us back to the Bibury Court Hotel
where we saw the waterfalls
calming waters
with beautiful foliage
and a massive main building
and also a black swan in the river.
The flowers were also lovely
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Once back in Cheltenham, we stopped at the Turkish Grille and had Efes
and tea
followed by a shared Mezes
chicken and a salad for Suzanne
and Turkish pizza for me.
From the dessert menu
we ordered this baklava and called it a day.
This was the day we left Cheltenham to drive to Ambleside. Along the way, we decided to stop at Stock-on-Trent , also known as the potteries, because this is where the potters had lived. It being Monday, the information booth was closed and so all we got was this map
which was enough for us to find the potteries museum where these hands were on display
along with these heads
and the nice people there directed us to the Emma Bridgewater factory outlet where we unfortunately found nothing to our liking
except for this sign for the collection
and so we made our way past this vacant lot
and captured this street view and wondered if it had been worthwhile to try and negotiate the streets of Stoke and the very narrow tunnel in the parking area to get these few treasures.
Our next stop after some twists and turns was Ambleside where we were staying at the Riverside B&B and so we parked the car
and headed for the house
where this was our room
complete with massive bathroom.
After settling in, we took a walk to town with the church as our guide
and ambled along the river
until this sign
directed us over a humped bridge with good river views
and we crossed fields with fells, albeit small ones.
and walked along the slated path
past some beautiful houses
even seeing signs for the dog collection
and geese
at the Giggling Geese
but we decided to forgo any of their byproducts
before arriving at Fellinis, a restaurant and cinema,
where Gatsby was showing
and Suzanne
and I settled in
to study the menu
and then order water
and wine
bread
with oil and Balsamic vinegar
and her asparagus starter
and my potato wedges appropriately chili'ed
before her main course of mushrooms
and mine of lentil beans arrived.
Walking back, we caught this view of the church against the sky
and more sings for the dog collection
before coming across this unusual structure
which wasn't quite explained by this
but nonetheless I posed with it
before we headed back and called it a day.
Breakfast at Riverside began with a table of goodies
and this welcoming sign
as I took this fruit
with my fresh orange juice
and these jellies
and coffee (decaf to be sure)
were all represented on the menu
as our main courses arrived
to be enjoyed with locally made brown sauce.
After breakfast, we began a walk down the road towards town and beyond past houses
when we ran into a school group out for a biology project
and passed fields with sheep grazing
and lovely ferns
and moss (gentle reader, this will be all about ferns, moss, flowers, views and the occasional livestock photo; but, all delightful)
ferns
flowers
this ram waiting to be shorn
and then watched the school group cross the stone bridge
and accumulate on the other side
as we marched on to the bridge we were not to cross
meeting this cute sheep along the way
and then we were back to the ferns
and this nicely flowered house
with stone wall
slightly mossed
and then more ferns
before this sign for the dog collection
before we got our first view of the lake
with Suzanne posing in front
and this artistic dead tree
as we walked on through views
and ferns
until we reached the quarried path
and passed the first cave which was quite unreachable
before we came upon the second, Rydal Cave, which is accessible but discouraged
and then we continued our walk as we ascended and so the views became better
and first flowers appeared
along with ferns
and trees
and so it was ferns
flowers
and views
as we began to see Grassmere in the distance
and enjoyed views
and closer houses
before taking this collection of photos of ferns, moss and flowers
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and then some remarkable moss
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before being warned about the loud bangs with this sign
as we walked past fields of butter cups
and were now at the level of the houses in the village
though we still had further to walk
and more flowers to photograph
as we passed estates like these
and saw many bird feathers
manors
fields of butter cups
moss
and lovely yellow flowers
before reaching the tea house which wasn't meant for windy cloudy days with rain threatening
but we did enjoy this sign and did slow down
as we came into town and found the church
described as follows
and entered. Although it was impossible to capture the sign boards in a photo
we could capture the history
and the memorial to Wordsworth
and the Arctic explorer, Richardson.
In the church yard, we found Wordsworth tombstone
and the family grave site
including his grave
in their midst
in this larger context
and then followed a path of many names
to get to the Wordsworth daffodil corner
where Suzanne posed
and we recorded more poetry
before going to the gingerbread house which had this sign
and the spooned garden
as well as a lot of history
before it was our turn to fit into the tiny shop and buy what was some remarkable gingerbread.
We walked down the street where Suzanne met this friend
and we walked over to Dove Cottage where Wordsworth had lived
and did the tour but the light was limited and so the only photos I took were of this room where he had covered the walls with newspapers to make it less chilly for his children
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Afterwards, we stopped at a tea house where this was not their wifi password
but we met someone who loaned us his guide book so we could get the story of Allan Bank
along with directions to reach it.
Allan Bank is a house where Wordsworth lived for a few years (as S. T. Coleridge who was falling into drug induced decline lived with them). More recently, it was rented to various tenants and fell into disrepair before there was a fire there. They are thinking of redoing it and invite visitors to come have tea and explore the house and offer suggestions. The one room that has been done, in Coleridge's honor, is the library
with a nice view even on the rainy day it had become
but these were remnants from the fire in the hallway
and this was a tour of the other rooms
with room for suggestions
in quite large rooms
as we admired the floor boards
and stairs
and this note Wordsworth wrote to his beloved
as we entered his study
and then made our way to the kitchen for tea and watched mine develop
as per the instructions
to darker
and even darker
before our teas were side by side
and accompanied by our gingerbread
which tasted even better than it looked.
We then caught a bus where water was sloshing from the upper deck under our feet and arrived in Ambleside where we visited the Royal Oak pub for starters
and then had dinner at Zefferellis, the sister restaurant of Fellinis.
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The day began with breakfast which wasn't a repeat of yesterday though no photos were taken and then we realized we'd have to rush to the dock to get tickets on the boat/walk tour we wanted to take and so I couldn't record the walk, just the tickets we got
until we settled onto the boat in these self portraits
and started to admire the scenery
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and this interesting use of reflection
before our boat pulled in
at Wray Castle
which we could see in the distance before walking up the hill. This is a massive castle built by a surgeon in the 19th century. Over time, it came into decay and eventually fell into the hands of the Trust which is thinking about redecorating it. But, for now, it is set up as a giant place space -- for children and for adults. Children get to play games in every room and adults get to think about how it might be decorated.
so, we followed the signs
and reached the castle with these views below
and this view of the castle itself
where we were welcomed and began to explore.
The library was interesting because they are adding books by painting them in but are not ready for titles on the spines
as described here
with photos of the way things were
and this view below
and this description of their process.
Next, we went to the morning room
which came complete with wish list
as well as Beatrix Potter's description of her times here
and a catalog from William Morris for the older children to play with.
After another photo of the fireplace work
I was in the servants quarters where this was the wash basin
and across the hall were other servants quarters and a description of upstairs, downstairs as played out here
including details of the servants' life.
In one of the bedrooms, there were dress up opportunities
and, in another wonderful murals on the wall
with pillows in yet another
and an exhibition
of flying fish sculptures elsewhere
as I took a look at the view from the second floor. I should note that there were a variety of flights of stairs in the house.
This frame would have allowed for photos if there were 3 of us there
on family holiday
as Beatrix Potter had done
and she must have enjoyed a similar view
even entering this room
to see the wonderful murals
as I recorded another staircase as Suzanne was descending.
On exiting the house, we passed the croquet field
and saw this deer in the distance
and then this amazing tree.
We then started our hike to reconnect with the boat 4 miles south along the lake shore and ran into these two interestingly dressed women
before we passed fields of sheep
often with moss covered fences
along the trail
as Suzanne continued
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because we were quite thirsty.
Walking on, we saw the wonderful flowers
and views of the lake
before we saw the path to Hill Top which was to be our next stop
but not before recording some flowers
and admiring views. At this point I though I was walking just slightly ahead of Suzanne. Unfortunately, she had found a turn off that she assumed I had taken and so we were separated for an hour each wondering where the other was and having no way to connect.
It was a relief to reconnect and then to catch the boat from the ferry dock towards Bowness as Suzanne
watched the ducks
and we took this self portrait
as we saw the smallest island in the lake
and then the largest
as we looked out at remarkable views in all directions
before we landed at Bowness and were greeted by these large geese
and their babies
The geese led the way
to the cigarette disposal mechanism at the first pub we visited
and then we were on to a second pub where we had this ploughman's plate
as Suzanne enjoyed her Pims and lemonade
and I my beer
before we boarded the ship for the ride home again catching wonderful views
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before noticing a patch of blue
which lit up this hill
and after a bit more ride on Lake Windemere, the largest in England
we passed this complex
which was cause for this self portrait
before we took the final leg of our journey, docking and walking into Ambleside
and made our way to the Unicorn pub where the bar was nicely set up
as Suzanne had her chicken curry
and I had my potato jacket with cheese.
On our way home, we found this sign document the last many centuries locally
and this description of the local sculpture we had recorded earlier
and then we came to the river for perhaps the last time
and so crossed over this foot bridge.
We left England and headed north crossing the border into Scotland and reaching Loch Lomond where this was our room
and the garden we looked out upon at the Woodvale B&B.
We walked down to the loch
where Suzanne posed
before we began our walk along the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond
and watched the ducks
and scenery
with this castle still to be reached
as I captured this sign for the dog collection
and noted small bits of moss
as Suzanne decided which was the high road
before I found moss
and ferns
and this for the dog collection
as we admired the views across the loch
including this castle
and some remarkable trees on our side
including these monkey's puzzles
before I posed
and we saw a baby monkey's puzzle
and then another full sized one
as we looked down on the loch
and then Suzanne posed in front of the castle
and then Suzanne and I took these selfies
as a bird walked by
and our views
were only interrupted by this blue haired girl
before we took final castle photos
and then captured this cute sign that gave the speed limit
on our way to Cucina's for a bite to eat which started with my diet coke
as Suzanne
and I
awaited her salad
and my pizza
after which we settled the bill and moved on
ending up at the Balloch Inn where this
was the Mad Goose they talk about here and so we called it a night.
The day began with breakfast and these were my fruits and yogurt
and orange juice
as Suzanne
admired my coffee
and the shared toast
before her breakfast
and mine arrived
at which point we drove along twisty roads and through beautiful scenery until we got to Mallaig
where we arrived at the ferry terminal
and luckily got one of the last spots on the boat across and so we left our car
and went upstairs to look at the views towards Skye
and on the boat itself
as Suzanne had her tea
and the ship headed forward
with our car in place
before we saw land ahead
and so drove on to the Kinloch lodge
where the reception was this nice whiskey bar
which seemed to cause Suzanne to think
before we were shown our room with its humongous bathroom
nice bedroom
and comfortable sitting room
and remarkable view
and so we sat down to use the apparatus
to make tea
and enjoy the biscuits.
Eventually we headed up to dinner where there was this letter from Winston Churchill to Lord Macdonald
and we were shown a variety of menus
before our drinks were served
along with our canapes
which blurred
and then came into focus
as we made our way to the dining room
and had tap water with ice cubes and cucumber
as the butters were presented (left was garlic and right was anchovies)
and this amazing soup was served
before our first courses arrived
followed by the bonus course
and the information about the scotch flights
together with the actual scotches
and the same for the wine flights
and then the main courses came so that we could enjoy the tasting of our flights
and this was followed by dessert which required several views
and then in the lounge, these petit fours
along with this dessert.
We were amazed as we made our way back at 10PM that the sky was bright
over the field which showed low tide
and hoped that the red sky boded well for tomorrow though the forecast suggested otherwise.
It was our first full day on Skye and we were looking forward to exploring. We began with breakfast where the table was nicely set
and the menu was clear
along with a beautiful flower on the table
as scones were served
with orange juice
and tea
but the spreads remained untouched
as I got this small dose of muesli for artistic effect
and had my tea
and porridge
as Suzanne had her prunes and apricots
and her main course
and mine quickly followed
so that we could explore our options, stopping at the reception to get advice and record this map of scotches.
Unfortunately, as we headed out, it became the typically bad Scottish weather you hear about. And so, we had rain all day and heavy winds so that the rain came down sideways. This didn't keep us from stopping at the batik store
and we then made our way to Dunvegan Castle where we recorded a few flowers from the garden on our way in
as we made our way along the path in the rain behind these people
and then stopped for more flowers
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along with its plan
and so we proceeded to the castle
and Suzanne posed at it
before we saw this sign that defined our day.
After the castle tour which was quite interesting and would have made for some wonderful photos, we endured the gardens as long as the rain would permit and captured this flower photo
before heading off to the Talisker distillery
where after this photo in the guest viewing area,
we discovered that the only photos allowed on the tour were in the (not very interesting) cask room.
Our photo luck changed with dinner, though our weather luck took longer, where we recorded this gentleman as we settled in to start
and then our drinks arrived
and so we explored menus
as we began our canapes before the meal
and chose an appropriate claret for the meal.
We were then invited to have a chef's table for our dinner and so Marcello the chef welcomed us
as water
wine
and butters were set.
And as my water was poured
we began to explore the kitchen
before our first course arrived
but meanwhile, many plates were being set out at the pass for the party of 10 who had arrived
and we watched as greens were gathered in this container
and I captured a lot of frying pans
along with the waiting plates
and the grains
as cheese was cubed
and plates were prepared
and meanwhile this container waited
until the cage could be removed
lettuce added
and garnish poured onto it gently
to make the final product.
And then, more cheese was sliced
as this tool appeared
and was used to glaze the top of a dish
which was then assembled and served.
Meanwhile, a pear was being sliced into small pieces
as our next courses were served
including this one we had watched being created
and then all that was left was the bit of lettuce that had been added
and then clean plate club
as the smoked Orkney cheddar cheese came out
and more plats were being prepared across the kitchen
and the venison was being chunked for serving.
By this time, our next course arrived
and was revealed
as drizzling on plates started in the kitchen
but they ran out of drizzle
though there was much of this
and so more drizzle had to be found
and added to the collection
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and ready for use
as work continued
and these nice products resulted
though the spoon process was necessary
to get the toppings just right.
Work continued
as this container
was filled
sat
and then got some ingredients
before the container was removed leaving this lovely concoction
so that the container could go back for more
and ingredients could be assembled
so that the process could repeat
and then decoration could be applied
as cooking proceeded on the other side of the kitchen
and this odd concoction came out of the oven which would be used for decoration in a variety of ways later.
Meanwhile, our main courses arrived though we weren't sure we could eat if we were watching
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and one by one (two by two in the case of Marcello) pana cottas were put into warmer water
to be removed from their shells and served,
a process we watched for a while
sometimes interrupted by the sorbets
which were delicately spooned (sometimes 10 times, sometimes 11, sometimes 12)
to make the perfect shape for the topping
and so, the process continued
before our mysterious material was divided
and the desserts were ready to be served
as in the flurry of photos, I missed a step
but then the fish were being cooked
and the ceremonial slicing (and dicing) of the apples began
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which went first into the plate, after being cut,
and then came citrus
which had been nicely prepared
as more cutting took place
and then a staircase was created from apple
to complete the plate
before the next staircase could be assembled
and installed
for the next person.
Meanwhile, the aerator
was growing the pre-dessert
in foamy fashion
as many creme brulee's in action appeared
and plates were prepared for their service
while Marcello demonstrated the two at a time panna cotta technique
though even he could only shake one out at a time
and gently place it
as creme brulees appeared, one glazed, two sugared
and then the glazing continued
until there was a full set
at which point, preparation began for the cheese plates and so cutting of vegetables and fruits had to happen
making little fortresses
as there was cutting
and breaks for other desserts
but back to the main mission
we now had a team of two working at the dessert area, the evening have gotten alter,
and so apple spirals were created
even as final dinners were being prepared
and ready to serve.
The celery re-emerged
for cutting
as assembly began
until these remarkable plates resulted
along with the final creme brulees
one of which I ate myself
as I watched the others appear.
After dinner, we adjourned for petit fours
and a full sugar bowl
with all together
and after a few photos of Suzanne and me, we called it a night.
Thankfully the rains had stopped and so we made our way to breakfast under cloudy skies (best you can hope for here) and took photos of the fancy scotches
before heading to Uig where this sign for the dog collection was
and then driving on a backroad to the fairy structures which were quite remarkable
including this peak that you could reach and walk through
and these Stonehenge like symbols which were much more recent
but from which the rocks were highly visible
and from above the symbols could be viewed
along with remarkable views down
as we admired the views
and the flowing water
before deciding that this was just a symbol to let us know how to find our way back
as we admired the sheep who had claimed this peak for himself
and found the source of the water falling.
along with the sheep in the valley
who Suzanne admired
as we watched the people on top of the cliffs and the view they were seeing
plus that which was between us
which the sheep seemed to enjoy
even as Suzanne gathered some of their wool
and we continued to enjoy what we were seeing.
Next, we took another single track road to the Quiraing
where there were cliffs in the background
formations near us
and a trail we took to get away from the road
and see sites such as this
set across a remarkable panorama
with civilization in Staffin far in the distance
even as we did these self portraits
and admired the small wild flowers nearby.
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Next we stopped at a place where there were dinosaur tracks
and the kilt rock formation
and a waterfall
and read the description of kilt rock
before admiring structures in both directions
and then determining that this was the one true kilt rock.
On our way back, we recorded the dinosaur foot prints
and I measured my foot against those of the ancients, though they probably didn't wear shoes.
At our next stop, I recorded this Scottish license plate
and we made our way down a path thinking we were seeing one thing
complete with foot prints
and seeing a waterfall
and learning the story of Skye Diatomite, which is closely related to dynamite
as Suzanne posed for the walk back
and we then made our way to the Old man of Stor though the path was steep and we were tired and/or lazy and so decided to head to Portree
and have this hummus instead.
Back at Kinloch, we were presented with our menus for the evening
and I admired the flowers on the way to dinner
before we had our drinks
and canapes
before sitting down to eat and aiming for the perfect water picture
followed by the butters which were actually a repeat from the day before
and the flower on the table
as soup was served
followed by the special course
and the next course
until finally the main course arrived and Suzanne's was studied
as was mine.
At meal's end, Suzanne opted for the cheese which brought these crackers
and jam
and were chosen from this menu, except for the 2 missing from the menu,
and served on this plate which we had watched being prepared the night before
as my dessert was served
and Suzanne's became this.
After the petit fours
we got full service and declared it a day.
Although it wasn't clear when the day began, it was to be a wonderful weather day which meant that parking the car
at Glen Brittle and finding the trail to the Fairy Pools was a wonderful activity
though we started down the path worrying that it was too slippery and too steep
though there were enticing waterfalls along the way
and nice views into the distance
as we came to the stream that would define our journey
and though ti looked like not much, it gave rise to our first pool of water where the color and clarity were to be seen
and the waterfalls were growing in height and power
as we admired the purple flowers
and again looked forward
as the pools became more colorful
and the rock formations more impressive and so it was rocks, waterfalls and pools for a while
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and different angles
as we looked down this waterfall
and saw this wonderful pool
and continued on with the marvelous scenery
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as Suzanne paused to pose for this picture
before we hit the next waterfall and pools
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and the scenery kept getting better as Suzanne noted
and as we marched on
the parking lot was always visible if increasingly far away
and so on we went through the scenery
with the quadruple waterfall
and the stream it produced
and the hills ahead which were becoming more 3 dimensional
even as the clouds rolled in to them
and so it was streams, hills, waterfalls, pools
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and then noted the rocks on the hill to our side, wondering where the color variation came from
and then we were back to the scenery in front of us
as we came across these bathers in water that must have been quite cold
and proceeded on
to the next bathers
always admiring the pools
and the surrounding forests
as we looked downstream
and upstream
and saw the waterfall
and watched others make their way through the rocks
and by the waterfall
from top
and side
before we tried to take a self portrait with the waterfalls behind which involved much experimentation and little success.
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and proceeded up the hill to the trail head
where we took this self portrait.
Back at our room, we were greeted with the evening's dinner menu
and then strolled the grounds down to our local beach
of rocks
even at the water's edge
and with land across the way
as Suzanne gathered shells
and I looked out into the distance
before we climbed off the beach
and admired some of our finds
and in memories of previous walks, the ferns
and flowers
before Suzanne posed on the beach
and I pondered the difference between the black and lighter rocks (is that the tide level?)
and we took pictures of the ever elusive purple flowers that had brought us here (or, their cousins did)
and the Kinloch Lodge life preserver
as we headed back towards the lodge and recorded some of the flowers along the way
and the flowers in the garden
ahead of the main building
and the building where we stayed
and the setting that we had enjoyed
before I recorded a few flowers by our building and we rested before dinner.
And once again, dinner did not disappoint starting with Suzanne's Pims with fruit
and my beer
and moving on to the canapes
and the soup course
and Suzanne's wine
through which I tried to take artistic photos
and the bread
and my heather ale
and then the next courses for each of us
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and gave way to dessert
and the petit fours that ended the meal.
It was our last day at Kinloch and so I made some faces with the breakfast food
and then we drove through the highlands, across hills with great scenery and down single track roads that were sometimes a bit frightening until we got back to civilization on the battlefield of Culloden where the last battle on English soil was fought and where a lot of future destinies were determined.
It was not a pleasant battle
even in Gaelic
but while settling in, we had this nice sandwich
and admired the fields, not knowing what they signified
as Suzanne enjoyed her drink
before we made our way into the fields
and looked out across the road
and then were hit with our first somber note
as we followed various paths expertly led by iPod sound driven by GPS locations
and came to the many clan graves (or so they think this is where the clans were buried)
some of which were around very pretty flowers
but grave markers they were
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with its history
and then the one English grave because it was such a one sided battle in the moors.
This didn't stop me from gathering this sign for the dog collection
and recording the farm house that stands where the field hospital was for the British.
Next we made our way to Inverness and checked in at our B&B and walked into town noting the castle
and the cathedral
along the River Ness
along which we took a walk, first coming to Faith, Hope and Charity
and then a sign for the dog collection
as we made our way to Ladies Walk
and proceeded past our first foot bridge
and then came across these lovely flowers
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and World War 2
and then capturing other signs for the dog collection
as we passed a tiny waterfall
and looked back down the Ness at the center of town
until we came to the first of a set of foot bridges that would take us across the Ness
with stops on the Ness Islands in the middle of the beautiful river
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before getting this bit of philosophy on a downtown street
before going to the Mustard Seed where this was the menu of daily specials
and the printed menu
as bread was served
followed by my soup
and Suzanne's salad
and a gin and tonic (with cucumber) for Suzanne
and a unique martini for me
after which I had this local beer
and then our main courses arrived, each of which was excellent.
The meal was accompanied by these vegetables and potatoes
and then we went to a neighboring pub to have nightcaps of a more familiar martini and a rusty nail before calling it a night.
The new day began with fruit at breakfast
followed by malt whiskey marmalade
to go with the usual spreads
and breads
as I had pancakes with an egg
and mushrooms
and Suzanne had a more Scottish breakfast
before we began our morning drive over hills and through countryside before taking a tiny road that ended with this old still
near the GlenFarclas distillery
where our tour began with views of the two old buildings
before we entered the malt intake
and saw the storage
as well as some malt itself
and a description of the process by which barley is allowed to germinate but only so much
and then we went to the malt mill
where we saw the mill machine
and the malt dresser
and the de-stoner which was demonstrated by our guide (we were the only two on the tour)
and then we saw where the grist (for the mill) comes from
and looked into a mash tun that had just been cleaned
and one that still had some liquid in it
complete with its lid to which the foam had spread
and another in similar state
before our tour continued with the washing
and into the tun room
as we looked at the depth of the vats
and finally made our way into the room of stills
and saw the output
including these spirits.
Because of the farm history, we also saw this cheese press from the past
and after a final building, we headed back to Loch Ness
where we were met by Nessie in two forms
as we waited for our ship to come in
admiring the loch
and its most famous character
as Suzanne became photographer for these folks
and our ship landed
and so once on board we took this self portrait
as we left the shoreline
and said good bye to Nessie who moved while we were away
and sailed out on the loch
where the water is murky from the peat
as Suzanne
and I
enjoyed the scenery
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and noted the neighborhood
before we zeroed in
and left the water
for group photos of the castle
before we pulled on shore and saw the welcoming sign
and then made our way past the well
to the draw bridge
and caught this map of highlights
as we crossed the draw bridge
and came to the gate house
with its guard room
as we looked in
and saw the prison cell
which looked eerie without
or with flash
but the views to the loch were quite nice from all directions
as we read of the great raid of 1545
and wondering if this boat was planning a future raid
before we visited the great kitchen
and the great hall
the chapel
and the Grant tower
around which was this wonderful view
with a sense that the water was neither murky nor deep at the shoreline
as we came to the water gate
and read about the great glen
and observed it for ourselves
along with some history of the Catlee by the centuries
which we now looked down upon in fairly magnificent view
as Suzanne took this photo of me with excellent background
and we then admired this remarkable weapon of mass destruction
from which people were fleeing
which we understood when we read about the mechanism.
The scenery remained impressive
convincing us that it was a highland icon
and a great setting
before we stopped at the snack shop for this lunch for Suzanne
and this for me
and enjoyed the views
before taking this self portrait as we headed back towards the ship
and recorded the shoreline while waiting
for the boat to collect us
and once we were on our way, we watched some fishermen in small boats
before reconnecting with Nessie
in different forms.
After a break, we went to the local pub for dinner since all other restaurants seemed to have no room for us and read the menu
before Suzanne ordered her beer
and I ordered mine
and then her fish and chips
and my pizza made for our last dinner in Inverness
but while eating I noticed the decibel meter over the bar
and then pealed the label off of her beer so that we could have the complete picture.
For breakfast, they were nice enough to get me some vegetarian sausages which made for this nice meal before we hit the road
and found ourselves in Stirling at the foot of the castle but with cannons nearby
and with a nice bagpipe store
as we saw our first castle-like walls
and this unusual sign that I am not able to interpret
before the castle itself came into view
along with the monument atop ruins of the Picts on a nearby hill
and this statue of a 14th century king
as we made our way
across the entryway over the moat
before we reached the guard house
and entered a garden outside a main building
with statues on the walls
and saw the cannons facing out for protection
before we visited another side of the royal palace with further structures on the walls
and looked at the architecture of small archways
before coming to the great hall which has been restored to its ancient (early 16 century) splendor
where we saw another small arch
before entering the great hall
and admiring the ceiling
as well as the other side of the building
as we strolled the grounds
and again admired structures on building walls
before entering the chapel.
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and here the architectural supports were even more noticeable
as we climbed the ramparts and enjoyed remarkable views of what was below.
Next we decided to enter the royal palace
and began our tour in the King's outer hall
where the ceiling was impressive
as was this knight's outfit from the 15th century
and the king's seal
which led us to the inner hall
with this ceiling
and this seal
and led into the king's bed chambers
with the unicorn (purity) seal
remarkable ceiling
and actual bed.
Opposite were the similar rooms for the queen beginning with her bed chamber
and proceeding to her inner hall
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We also heard retold the story of the lions in the courtyard behind the palace
and then made our way to the great kitchens which have been reconstructed
complete with workers
and remarkable food
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and breads are made here
and meats sliced
to go with the other foods
even as the workers toiled
and more foods
were readied to add to the mix
including large meats
and breads
and fish
as the fire was stoked
and after the final food photos
I posed with some of the workers in the kitchen
before we left the premises
and got ice cream to fortify us for the journey back to the car.
On our way down the hill, we stopped at Argyll's lodging, the time of a 17th century nobleman
where the food couldn't compare with that of the castle
though the people seemed quite happy
and the bed
and chamber pot were quite nice
as was the remarkable buffet built into one wall of the dining room.
We drove on to Edinburgh for dinner with Mike Churgin where these were our drinks
our starter courses
and our main courses.
On the way back to the hotel, I came across this statue that so excited me
I had to calm down to get the gull on his head
and then notice its impact
as we noted the Scott Monument
and another statue avec gull on head, which seems to be a tradition here
or so Adam Black
would have experienced it
which led him to have a similar sheen.
We walked by the Pricnes Street Gardens where the roses were remarkable
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before encountering William Pitt (right after the gull had flown off his head) and so deciding to call it a night.
We were in a new city and so the day began with new spreads for the toast
as I took my foods from the buffet
and organized them
after which my breakfast
and Suzanne's arrived.
We then headed towards town, gathering these signs for the dog collection
and arrived at the Sir Walter Scott memorial
and then heading through a close to reach the Royal Mile and walking
past the Toolbooth Tavern
and this preordained church
after which I posed with my friend
and we came upon the Scottish Parliament
but I was distracted by the DPD truck
before we could enter and see the heads made of match heads
and observed the actual room where parliament meets
along with the voting mechanism
before we reached the royal palace where the tour was great bit photos were not allowed
though we could take pictures in the more ancient abbey on the site
and so I recorded these memorials
and the roof
and the palace restrictions
in full detail
before noting the walls of the abbey
and the displaced then replaced vault
within the amazing structure
including the beams that were partial
and the outside area where only the foundation of the chapel existed
but the plantings were elegant
among the foundations
before we observed flower
and statue
and more flowers in the royal gardens
before we took our last exterior photos
and saluted King Edward
and took this self portrait
and this picture of the guard area
before recording the queen in her earlier days.
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Next we headed to the palace cafe
where all we had was this water to sustain us on the walk back up the Royal Mile
where we ran into Adam Smith
and Hume
and then made our way to the Princes Street Gardens where there were remarkable flower arrangements
including this working clock
and the usual amazing roses
as we looked up to the castle in the distance
and then began the trek home past Thomas Chalmers.
After a break, we headed out to the Witchery
where Boswell and Johnson had met
and this was the menu
and these were the breads
and the starters including Suzanne's haggis
and my salad
and then Suzanne's salmon
and my artichoke pie
before we concluded with this plate of cheeses
and paid the bill.
On our walk to our next venue, we passed this interesting store front
and then stopped at the Doric bar
where this was a close up of the bar.
It was our last day in Edinburgh and the last day of our vacation and so we were uplifted by this sign
as we made our way towards the botanic garden
and, on arrival, recorded the map of what is a very large area
and then started to explore coming to this interesting artwork which we didn't understand
in the lily pond
after we ran into the waterfall in the rock garden
and then started recording flowers
and settings
and then back to flowers
as Suzanne made her way up a path
and we went past the leaning tree
before more flowers came into view
and this label was recorded as possible ground cover for us
as the flowers
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with more flowers always around
as we observed the rules
and returned to flowers
and settings
followed by these remarkably large leaves
after which we returned to a lily pond
and saw this duck
before we saw the monkey puzzle trees
and this quiz question
and then some smaller monkey puzzles
followed by more flowers
and this small mound of grass
and another mound with mini-flowers
onto which we focused
before returning to flower photos
and then came to a remarkable hedge with a passageway
which Suzanne headed to
and through
before we continued on towards the trees
as we made our way to the Queen Mother's Memorial Garden
where the bushes were made out to look like a maze
as we studied the history of the queen mother and her garden
before going to the shelter where there was this medal for her
and these remarkable walls
and ceilings
after which we focused in on the walls
and then after some flower photos
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On the way forward, we passed a cricket game in action
and noted the score
and then passed a house with these lovely flowers
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before getting this sign for the dog collection
and making our way to the Georgian House where photography was not allowed but the presentation was remarkable.
We made our way into town and stopped at a pub for this ciabata
and beer
and then were tempted into these chips by our neighbors
to which we then added ketchup.
After a break, we headed off to dinner and happened past the birth place of James Clerk Maxwell
before going to the Urban Angel where this was the menu
which Suzanne studied
as I took this self portrait
and she ordered her lemonade
as her salad
and my fallafel arrived
and then her sandwich
and my chilli (British spelling) arrived. After dinner, we went to Kays Bar and had a pleasant conversation with our neighbor.
The end of our trip began with this vegetarian meal on the flight home which was a harsh introduction back to reality.
