Vacation Plans -- United Kingdom

piffka, that cliff pic you posted looks so canajun! You've just reminded me that I need to go back to the Gaspe and Cape Breton for a visit.

Cliff pic??? Oh, from the Orkneys! Doesn't it look fabulous? Possibly a little windy and definitely desolate. Yes, that's what we like. So Cape Breton is similar? Hmmm, a place I've always wanted to see as well. A lot of Scots were shipped there during the Highland Clearances. The Orkneys, of course, have archeological sites & monoliths at every turn which makes them particularly interesting to me.

St Kilda, or Hirta the major island of the group, has this feature too- a steep slope on the leeward side and a sheer drop on the westward side- hundreds of feet down- about 300m Walter- virtually uninhabited except for the army and the conservation people. This is out in the Atlantic west of the Hebrides, a fabulous place, hard to get to, a seabird sanctuary.

if this works - this is Forillon, on the tip of the Gaspe in Quebec. One of the most wonderful places I've been. There are sights/sites like this right down the Canadian eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, through Quebec, then out to Nova Scotia (including Cape Breton). Some of the best academic programs taught in Gaelic are in Nova Scotia.

Perce Rock - on a foggy windy day, it more than meets the definition of windswept and desolate. Good bird-watching out that way - especially puffins and gannets.

St.Kirts website of photos



This place looks a little scary to me... I wouldn't want to be in such a small boat!

Beth - those photos are fabulous. I've been looking at this website. Gaspe Peninsula

from : http://www.thebestcoast.ca/nature/cbhighlands.html

Omigosh, you can even take a train to the Gaspe! <gasp> Next time, next time. We've been wanting to take the trans-Canadian train trip.

and then there is



this is off the coast of Germany - not too far from hamburger's home

The link didn't work, ehBeth.

But under
http://www.schulz-naturphoto.de/english/index.htm
you'll find those pics when typing "Helgoland" in the search option.

oops, now it works

Gerhard Schulz has great photographs! I had to go to the website to get a better look at that Helgoland island. I also didn't realize until looking at his photos in Bavaria that the Brown Bear of Europe is Ursus arctos, the same as the American Grizzly Bear.

Piffka

I don't want to mess up your plans at all.
But perhaps this a worth to consider for your next visit (and an idea for others:
visiting the UK by Royal Mail!


For instance the Isle of Skye :wink: :

Route 106 : Isle of Skye-Broadford-Elgol

That's fascinating Walter. I've just saved the link.
I'm glad I was lurking here!

Sep 26 - I cant wait !!!!!

[Next Friday about this time, we will be since three hours in London already ]

Thanks, Walter... riding with the Royal Mail is amazing! I'd just seen a reference to that on a television program about visiting Ireland -- you can do the same thing there. It's a clever way to get some extra income for the route driver and would be enormously helpful if you ever needed a lift. What fun to be a vacationer with plenty of time and the opportunity to go "on the road." Just think of the stories you might hear with the Royal Mail!

BTW -- I've mailed letters from the P.O. in Broadford where that particular Royal Mail line starts. It is a small, one story Army-issue type building with a selection of locally-made children's clothing for sale in the front of the store, along with a few candy bars, some dusty tourist trinkets and a display of old postcards. V. sleepy!

We've resigned ourselves to renting a car in Inverness and leaving it off in Fort William. At the beginning of this topic I think everyone was giving me advice to rent a car in the highlands, even when I didn't want to. OK -- You were right! I was wrong!!! I always like to admit that because I know it makes people feel so good to hear. Even with the Royal Mail, there is no direct route from Kyle to Armadale (which seems kind of crazy... it could be such a great connection between the two train systems!) I'm sure we could falter our way along, but we don't have time to wait on this trip. We can do the trip in less than an hour with a rental car.

Guatam -- September 26th -- A Red Letter Day!

The sea lochs and the mountains kind of get in the way (of a modern transport system)

McTag-- Yep. Aren't they loverly? Still, some kind of connection between Kyle of Loch Alsh & the Mallaig ferry... wouldn't that also be nice?

Here's something I found in one of my daughter's emails to the extended family. I thought it was funny, hope you do too.



*A child trained by her mum. We've known THAT frustration!


Two months from today, Guatam!

Yo, guys
This thread's gone quiet for a bit.

Check this out:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/edinburgh2003/0,13366,967261,00.html

Three weeks of Festivals, Fringe and fun in Edinburgh.

McT