Hello again all. Thank you for enquiring, and I see Walter has posted you a nice picture of Anstruther harbour. A fine place, to be sure. One of the picture-postcard towns of the East Neuk of Fife, a favourite place of mine. Rocky shores, small stone harbours, and neat fishermen's cottages.
I have been waiting for the muse to o'ertake me, not playing hard to get. Actually I feel that our trip deserves more than a quick few lines- it's difficult to know what to leave out.
We were very impressed with the scenery, the quietness, the hospitality, the cheery landladies....
Cherished memories: driving up from Invermorriston heading for Kyle, and going up into the mist. Then, coming out of the mist near Cluanie, where the wonderful mountain scenery, in its autumn colours, slowly and tantalisingly revealed itself. Driving down that glen towards Loch Duich was truly breathtaking, and quite emotional for me. We stopped often to look, and take photos. Then in full sunshine seeing Dornie, with Piffka's castle and the Hebrides on the horizon framed in the entrance to the loch. The best ever.
Then later that evening, having established ourselves at Portree, we decided to see the sunset over the water, so we drove to the other side of the island (nine miles over the hills on a single-track road!) and quite by chance found a monument, the remains of a "broch" or 2500-year-old fortified tower, and we climbed up on to that and waited a half hour watching the changing colours of the sun sinking over the far islands.
You could say, we were impressed. Spiritual contentment, something like that. At any rate Fiona did not want to leave the island so we stayed there as long as we could in the circumstances- our arrangements were a bit flexible.
Driving back, the Cuillins were looking their best too, with a sprinkling of snow in the corries and on the crags. We were really lucky with the weather, and visibility, clear as clear could be. (Skye can vary from summer haze to persistent drizzle to full westerly gales- all mercifully absent)
Photography? Well, I blooded my new digital camera, and will try to get the pictures, of which there are many, into this computer and out again. I'm a bit useless and techno-phobic, so this may take some time.
One series of photos I took was a 15-shot panorama from the top of the new bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh, to make a 360 deg.display of what was a lovely sunlit seascape. I hope it works out.
If anyone asks, I'll tell you later about the Fishing Museum (and the zulus).
Well first of all McTag can be the first to tell about his holliday!
I think today is an historic day. It marks the publication of Paul Burrell's book, and the point at which the British monarchy went into terminal decline.
Burrell KNOWS things. The royalist establishment cant get rid of him (because he has made sure it will come out) neither can they stop him telling the truth as he sees it.
The fact is the British/German Saxe-Coburg Windsor monarchical family can't tell the truth, neither can it maintain the lie.
Vive La Republique!
(they wont go by next monday, but maybe in 5 years next monday)
pps What most people here say is that the monarchy is going through a difficult period. What most people think is that they are a bunch of ********* (deleted British Secret Intelligence Services, by appointment HMQ)
Oboy... can hardly wait to see your pics, McTag. Skye is reasonably fabulous! I could live there, I know I could. It is that sense of place that gets me and sounds like it got you two, too. Lovely!
Steve -- I found and read two articles about Burrell in the London Times. It is truly sad and amazing that he is being mocked in the press for telling this story. (Maybe I will never understand the Brits after all.) Since when do people NOT do things for money? I'm glad he's talking.
FYI -- I've posted way too many photos in an album on littlek's MSN website. It is appropriately titled "Piffka in the UK" and should be easy to find. I could have posted about a zillion more but thought I'd hold back... plus, there were size limitations!
Steve --- I'm sorry. We did not (and by this I mean Mr.P) did not take a single photo at the restaurant. We were apparently having waaaay too much fun.
McTag -- looking forward to your photos. The "Brittania" was beautifully done. (Thanks, Walter!)
off to Colomb St Major tomorrow
Thats about 700 mi sw of Mctag right now [yes and I sdisnr rhinf rhw uk was that big]
[[typed that without looking, you can decipher]]
so off to Kernow. Walter will tell more
and one of these days I will publish the restaurant PHOTOS!
Yes, yes, yes, please. More vacation stories!
