Sibiu

On Saturday, we were driven from Brasov to Sibiu. All these drives have shown us you don't want to drive in Romania. There's only a few highways and only a couple that are 4 lane. There's a roundabout every few miles, it seems, and many going into and out of a city. On the two lane highways,  drivers pass other cars with little regard for the possibility they could have a head-on collision. The drivers they are passing may even have to brake to let them in but it must just be custom since there doesn't seem to be much road rage.The worst thing, though, is there are no warnings when you're approaching a construction zone which causes everyone to slam on the brakes and wait until they can pass around them.  On the other hand, in any city, all you have to do is put a foot on a pedestrian crosswalk and cars will stop on a dime.

On the way to Sibiu we stopped at Fagaras to see a citadel and the gold church.The fortress which has 150 rooms is said to have been given to a woman by her husband. Although the fortress has been around in some form since the 12th century, one of the rulers doubled the walss and had the interior decorated with luxuries from all over the world. I don't think the Gold Church is connected but I don't really know. It's beautiful.

Fagaras Fortress

Fagaras Gold Church

At the Sibiu international theater festival,  we did not do what you're supposed to do which is see shows all day. Almost everything was sold out and I couldn't book ahead of time because the website wouldn't accept bookings from the US. On the first night we were able to book an organ recital at a church outside of town. This year is the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Transylvania so all historic cathedrals are having organ recitals this summer. Information at the church said the pipe organ is the biggest in Romania but the Black Church in Brasov also makes that claim. The organist had impressive credentials and the Bach pieces were OK but the modern stuff, not so good. We did wander around seeing the architecture of the old walled city and a couple of cathedrals. There is one modern one that is impressive--every square inch inside is painted. Since it was built in 1900 and painted in 1950, no one cares about it.

Painted church

We met up with the Trapdoor people  when they arrived from performing at a Romanian military academy. There were 245 soldiers in the audience, including some NATO personnel. They leapt to their feet when the play was over and presented each actor with a military badge.  Trapdoor had been chosen by the Festival people to be the first company ever to go to the base and the only one this year.

There's a performers tent where everyone goes to eat, drink and dance. We had to borrow badges to get in. We didn't stay for the dancing but we still developed next-day hangovers for some reason. The Trapdoor play was sold out before the festival opened so I told Nicole she had to get us tickets somehow.  She told the  playwright who we met at the tent and he said he would get us in.

The next night we went early to the theater. I was told the tickets were in my name. I told the ticket person who said they weren't there and that the show was sold out. I had been told to say "Matei Visniec left the tickets." It's like saying Neil Simon left them. She said, "I put them under Visniec.  I don't know your name." Our seats? Row 1, seats 1 and 2. Close to Jim O'Quinn of American Theater Magazine. Yes, I've become a name dropper of the Romanian theater scene.

The show is very physical so each actor is suffering from bruises and swollen joints.  The set, designed by the director from Budapest,  is striking. The performances are brilliant. As for the subject matter, it's about communism. I'll make up something more intelligent to say about it later.

And that's the conclusion of our Scotland /Romania trip. Both countries are great--I recommend them. Just maybe not on the same trip.

Viscri and Sighisoara

Funniest thing we've learned on the whole trip. Prince Charles has bought and restored 2 houses in Viscri, an ancient village. It is said two women invited him to the town and he was intrigued so he went and fell in love with the area. If you look online,  you can see pictures of him with local farmers, farming with traditional tools and methods

. He also bought a hunting lodge in the mountains.  He visits 2 or 3 times a year. Other famous people like Bill Gates hunt in the area. Deer and wild boar are the popular game.

Prince Charles house; you thought it would be fancier

In Viscri,  he bought two adjoining houses and combined them with one courtyard which we could see by looking through cracks in the ancient gate. The houses have been restored with authentic furnishings. Look online to see it and you can book rooms there. Expensive by the town's standards. Romanians didn't visit the town until Charles started visiting. Of course,  he brings an entourage of body guards. Vlad claims the villagers don't mind but I'm not sure. The town is like stepping into the 1800s. Lots of babushkas. Also a large gypsy population.

Most Handsome Viscri Rooster; I don't know whether he belongs to the Prince

To get to Viscri, you exit the main road onto an unpaved road with a pothole every 6 inches. It's 4 miles long but takes a long time to drive it. We thought the prince should pay to fix it but he can't.  Keeping the original road is part of the agreement when it became a UNESCO heritage site.

A fortified church is the main attraction of the town. It was built in the 13th century. It costs to tour it now but the price includes the history museum. You climb around in what looks like a barn to see artifacts like looms and traditional clothing and tools on each level. Here and in many other collections are wooden chests where food and other household goods were kept. The wood itself is beautiful, lots of walnut with carvings, but the drawers are painted. Same with items like wall pegboards. They seem to have had a lot of artists.

Viscri fortified church

Speaking of artists,  our last stop was at the gypsy blacksmith's. He can make anything metal and is the examiner for students graduating from the London school of blacksmithing. He wasn't there but his wife was happy to show us his shop. She gave us tiny horseshoes as souvenirs.

Sighisoara, our next stop, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Romania. It's a walled city with a fortified church. Of course,  the history of every town is different,  but the basic facts are the same. Each fortress was attacked multiple times and sometimes captured. The residents would hide either within part of the fortress or in the church while the soldiers shot arrows and poured boiling oil through the defense windows.  When Christians were the attackers, they wouldn't destroy the churches so the people were safe. There is one fortress high on a mountain outside of Brasov that was defended by 7 soldiers for a year against an army of hundreds. The fortress had a small room stocked with food and water corresponding to each house in the village. After a year, they ran out of water and had to surrender.  The attackers were so impressed they let everyone live.

The trip to Sighisoara almost did us in. We knew about climbing 174 steps in the tower. That was relatively easy since the tower is the history museum so you stop on every floor and look at things.

What we didn't realize is that we had to climb a mountain to see the church. I don't know why we didn't know that--it's right there. There are two ways to get there--a covered tunnel or a path. We were told the path was easier. The cobblestoned street was made of cobbled boulders. It was very hard to walk on so we had to stick to the sides of the path.  Going down was easier but it was hot and not a lot of fun.

Sighisoara Tower

We climbed a mountain to see this and I don't even remember it

Re Comments

Thanks, Anonymous for the heads up about Bran. The Trapdoor people were going to go there even though we told them not to.

For clarification, we are now in Sibiu and will see the Trapdoor show tomorrow. They performed for soldiers yesterday. We met the playwright who is the most famous playwright in Romania and he was very pleased with their performance. He said it had energy.  Next year, there's an international theater festival in the capital of Moldova about his plays. Theater groups from all over the world, including Trapdoor, will perform his works. No one knows why Moldova is having a festival in his honor. We did know they are performing in Brasov but we weren't going to be there then so we're not going.

As for food, we are now Romanian food experts. Therefore, we had Italian last night.

Tour to Peles and Bran Castles

What a difference 4 years makes. The last time I did this tour with the same guide we had today, we just drove to the castles and walked in. Today the crowds were huge and, unfortunately,  with lots of school children,  especially at Bran. Vlad, our tour guide, told us the number of tourists in Romania has doubled in the last couple of years. The Chinese are coming in droves now. He asked a Chinese tour guide why and he said they will no longer go to Western Europe because of terrorist attacks. Now they are touring Eastern European countries, sometimes 4 or 5 on the same trip. We have seen many tour buses in Brasov, especially in the mountains yesterday.

It rained all day which made both driving and touring miserable. However, it's the only really rainy day we've had.  Peles castle, built between 1873 and 1914 is in a beautiful setting. It is said to be priceless because it could never be replicated today.  The materials and decorations were all imported.

Front of Peles Castle

Peles in accidental black and white

Fountain in front of Peles

Queen Mary--I don't know why she isn't happy

Luckily, Romanian tour guides have priority in lines and the Romanians don't even glare. Otherwise, we would never have toured Bran since there was a line of a few hundred school children.  It was awful--very crowded and the children ran around screeching and shoving. Lola and I both had an incident where we either yelled or shoved a kid.  It was ok, though, because they don't speak English.  The Romanians don't call Bran Castle the Dracula Castle like everyone else does. When Vlad rents the castle for a midnight party and everyone dresses up like Dracula, they usually are tourists. The castle truly is an architectural masterpiece for its time but I can no longer recommend a visit.  According to Vlad, it is packed from opening until closing. I'm guessing, though, an hour before closing might be best.

The lack of internet here in Brasov has been bothersome but we're off to Sibiu so we might do better.

Bran Cast;e Courtyard

Cable Car

The last time I was in Brasov, I avoided riding the cable car up the huge mountain to the Brasov sign by trying to go the day it was closed.  Today, we found out the time and decided to chance it. I have always been under the impression that it started in town and went to the top of the mountain. It actually starts about half way up the mountain. We got instructions from the front desk and had a very nice walk on a winding trail which is called the Promenade of Tampa; people were walking it, biking, walking dogs, pushing strollers. Not a lot of people were going to the cable car. On the way, you see remnants of the walled part of the city.

Going up the cable car

View from the top of the mountain named Tampa

The ride was very scary. The cables and cars are from the 70s. No improvements have been made. They claimed the car holds 20 people; we were crowded with 12. But the terror is worth the view. Walking down the mountain takes over an hour but we had bought the round trip ticket...and didn't want to waste the money. There are other trails at the top of the mountain but they are very rough so we didn't want to try to see the bears and foxes and wild boars. We stayed at the top of the mountain about 10 minutes and then took the car down which was much faster than the car up. It was an easy enough walk back down to town.

Catherine's Gate, part of the old walled city

Earlier in the day, we had walked past the old town to a park where there are chess tables and old men playing and beautiful, beautiful gardens. It's obvious someone works hard on the designs and upkeep.

There were gaggles of peacock flower arrangements in the park

We also visited the Black Church which named that because there was a fire there in 1600s. Originally a Catholic church, it was finished by German Protestants and remains the largest medieval church in Romania.  It also has one of the largest pipe organs in the world. Unfortunately, we're missing the Bach concert which is performed on Tuesdays and Sundays.

The Black Church--it is not leaning; that is my picture taking

I reread my blog about Romania from 2013; one of the posts is entitled "All Romanians are Italian." I wasn't here too long the last time but apparently I mostly ate pizza then, too.  Tonight we were going to go to a real Romanian restaurant but it started raining so we stayed at our hotel restaurant which has both traditional and Romanian food. I had the traditional Romanian tempura shrimp and vegetables; Lola had the real Romanian food--duck and potatoes. Both were excellent and neither was pizza.

We have seen posters for Trapdoor's performance here but just discovered we are staying directly across from the theater where they'll be performing on June 17.

GREAT COFFEE IN ROMANIA.

Now We're in Romania

Yesterday, on our last day in Scotland, it rained for most of the day. We did manage to ride the Hop On bus for its entire circuit and got off at Glasgow Green to see the glasshouse we hadn't seen before. It's a small greenhouse with a small cafe inside. Against my better judgement,  I ordered coffee and was once again disappointed.  The Scottish just don't care enough about coffee.  One of the few decent cups we got was at the airport today.

The rest of the day, we got organized and packed. Then we went to dinner at the famous Johnny-recommended  restaurant,  2 Fat Ladies at the Buttery. The restaurant  seems to be the only business in a residential area. It's small, quaint. It is famous for its fish dishes. I had scallops with small pieces of chorizo and sweet potatoes. Scallops and chorizo seems to be a common combination here.  Lola had lemon sole which was excellent.  It was topped with samphire, a tasty green. We didn't know what it was and had to ask the server and research it.  I guess it's grown somewhere in the US but I don't know where.

Today we flew on Blue Air from Glasgow to Bucharest. Besides the fact the planes have no screens,  no movies, and few extras,  the ride was more comfortable than most. We had more legroom than on more modern planes and there wasn't a third person in the row. The plane looked familiar;  Blue Air must have bought their fleet from Delta. I was so afraid they would cancel the flight because no one wants to fly from Glasgow to Bucharest,  but I was wrong. There had to be 150 people on the plane.  It just makes that flight three times a week and seemed to have a lot of Romanians passengers. Blue Air is trying to expand,  maybe even into the US.

When I booked the tickets,  the website asked if you wanted to order lunch,  so I did since I figured a low cost airline wouldn't serve food. Shortly after we took off, around 11:30, someone brought our lunches. We knew they were ours because they had our names written on them. Very few people got those lunches. The attendant who brought it said on this long flight,  they serve lunch for free so next time,  I shouldn't order it.

Shortly after we got our meals, the attendants whisked by with a cart of what looked like all alcoholic drinks for people to buy which very few did.  I was waiting for soft drinks,  coffee and tea or even water to be served but they never were. In fact, lunch was served with no liquids of any kind. I didn't see one passenger ask for a beverage, ever. And this was a 3 and a half hour trip.

Finally,  fearing total dehydration,  we asked whether we could buy water. We could, for 2 pounds a bottle. Worth every pence.

We have two tours planned from Brasov with the tour guide I had the last time I was here. He also offers transportation so we had his wife pick us up at the airport and drive us to Brasov. That took about 3 hours and although the scenery is beautiful,  especially when you get to Transylvania,  it was tiring.

We checked into the hotel I booked to find out our room is 4 flights up, under the roof. No elevator.  One of the beds is on the second floor of the room. The air conditioner doesn't work very well and the WiFi doesn't work most of the time. Not one of my better picks although if you want to stay in Old Town,  you have to stay in an old hotel.

There are loads of restaurants on the square. Most of the people eat outside. We wandered around looking at menus and discovered most restaurants are Italian or pizzerias.  We broke down and got pizzas.

It's hot here today and rain is predicted for our tour tomorrow.  Plus, there's much more tourism than there was the last time I was here. Our driver said there's been 800,000 tourists already this year. We're going to Peles Palace and Bran Castle so most of the time we'll be indoors. With Dracula.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

The Kelvingrove is the most visited site by tourists in Glasgow. It's a combination art and natural history museum, housed in a beautiful building. The original museum, established in 1901, was in a house which was destroyed by fire. This building was built in the 1920s and closed for three years in the early 2000s for refurbishing. We were going to take a hop on bus and maybe hop off there but the buses didn't start until 3 because many streets were closed for a 10K Women's Race. So we took an Uber and got as close as we could to the museum.

Kelvingrove Museum

The museum is free. I've been neglecting to mention that everything is free in Scotland--museums, botanical gardens, cathedrals. For the few tourist sites that aren't free, seniors ("concessions") pay about half of the regular fare.  For example, the hop on bus is less than 9 pounds for seniors and 20 pounds for those young people. It's second only to Spain for reducing prices for the elderly.

The museum has a lot of exhibits dealing with the history of the Scottish people, a collection of armor, and artifacts from many world cultures.  We didn't see a lot of that but concentrated on the art. It has a lot of art from Scottish artists who, unfortunately, neither of us ever heard of.  It seems some of Scotland's most famous artists are the Glasgow Boys, a group of about 20 artists who rebelled against Victorian art. Their biggest inspiration was Whistler and you can see it in some of their paintings. They were also influenced by Dutch and French contemporaries. Each one developed his own style and many moved away from Glasgow but they remained friends for life. There was also a group called the Glasgow Girls but their art wasn't as represented in this museum.

Floating heads--no explanation was given

Looking down on a Natural History display

Museums are known to be tiring so we cut short the visit and ate lunch at a nearby Spanish tapas restaurant.  Their wine was the best we've gotten in Glasgow. It's a whiskey town so they don't care too much about the wine drinkers. But the Spanish do, of course.

After laundry time (I'm down to the last load with probably no chance to do laundry in Romania), we went back to the Glasgow Cathedral for evensong. We discovered this service at a cathedral in Bath, England. The service consists mostly of choral music sung by professional choirs. The pipe organ in the cathedral is amazing and the choir was especially good. There is some Bible reading and short prayers but no sermon. The service takes around 40 minutes.

When we walked out, we ran right into a very small parade.  They seem to break out around us wherever we go.  The marchers were The Prince of Wales Accordion band.playing Amazing Grace. Since there weren't too many people in the parade, it was hard to get a picture. Plus, the women's hats were especially nice. We discovered it is Whitsun today and although discontinued here, Whit Monday is a holiday in some other countries. Some people wear orange but I don't why.

The accordion band marches on Whitsun

Finally, building murals are common; here is my favorite:

Cathedral, Necropolis, Big Parade

What do you want? Independence.  When do you want it? Now.  That was what the 17,000 people were shouting in a parade for a referendum to vote for independence again. They were also shouting "Out Tories." Some guy gave me a small flag that says Referendum 2 Yes. I put it in my purse in case the opposition came to beat me up but I kept it to give to Teddy for its historical significance.

This seemed to be the only "float"; it was on bicycles

The March

Prior to running into the parade, we went to the Glasgow Cathedral, otherwise known as St. Mungo's or St. Kentigern's who are the same person, the patron saint of Glasgow. His tomb is in the lower crypt which was built in the mid-1200s. The cathedral is one of the few medieval churches and  the only church in Scotland to have survived the Reformation. It's huge and very impressive. It's always difficult to find out when the stained glass windows were made but all of them are beautiful. Some were made in the 1950s to replace some from the 1860s.

I'm partial to the blue and/or purple stained glass

St. Mungo's Cathedral from the front

and the back

From the church, you walk up a mountain to the Necropolis (cemetery) where 50,000 of your wealthier citizens are buried. It has great views of the city from the top and wasn't as bad as I thought. You walk up a windy paved path, stopping along the way to look at ornate gravestones. Some of Glasgow's most prominent citizens are buried there. There is a monument to John Knox who is not. As with all the parks in Glasgow, people take their dogs for walks there. I've seen lots of Scottish terriers which you rarely see in the US and also Westies.

The highlight of the trip to the Necropolis 

For lunch, we went to a pub called the Piper and had angus burgers.  For dinner, we went to the only Russian restaurant in Scotland--at least that's what their sign says. It was packed. I think the Scots (or the tourists) are looking for any kind of food that isn't Scottish.  Our meals have been mediocre; the food in Ireland and England is much better. And finally:

This piper was playing on the pedestrian shopping street; older men rushed to give him money; I'm guessing playing is a dying art. 

Gardens, Laundry, No Tapas

Mickey rallied today so we went to Glasgow's Botanic Gardens.  It is as spectacular as Edinburgh's. There are 2 glass houses and many different types of gardens, including an herb garden, the World Rose Garden, herbaceous border garden; the houses have a gigantic fern collection, orchid collection and the largest begonia collection of anywhere.  The reason  begonias are studied and collected here is they were a hobby of one of the benefactors and, after his death,  his wife set up a foundation to ensure the studies continued. . The garden is 200 years old and about 50 acres.  It is open from 7 a.m. until dusk which we're guessing is 9:30 now. In the winter, that's around 4. It's free to the public and hosts Shakespeare plays and concerts.

Botanic Garden

Some ferns 

The Kibble Palace--the main glass house with a chronology of the garden and sculptures from the 1800s

Kibble Palace

Because it was a beautiful warm day, there were tons of people, some with kids or dogs.  I think tourists were the only people looking at the gardens. The rest of the people were just sitting in the grass or having picnics. We spent a long time just sitting on a bench people-watching. A tea room has recently been added but the food wasn't  that good.  The coffee was terrible and they were out of iced tea which is never on UK menus anyway. On the other hand, Earl Grey is Earl Grey.

The gardens are a little far so we took Ubers. The app works here but doesn't ask whether you want to tip or automatically add a tip like mine is set up to do. I researched to see if you're supposed to tip but you're not since that's one of their selling points over traditional taxis.

After naptime, we walked to the Glasgow Green which is close to this condo along the river Clyde. It is another ancient, huge park that was also full of people just hanging around.  It is close to Trongate which is a two minute walk from here.

The Clock Tower or Tolbooth Steeple at the beginning of Trongate

It was built in 1625 and was used for public hangings as well as marking the beginning of the merchant area.

Glasgow Green is the oldest city park, established in the 15th century, and is 136 acres. It was used as a meeting place by the suffragettes, was the site of the anti-war movement during WWI and has hosted a number of festivals and activities, including the only concert in Scotland by Michael Jackson (1992).

McLennan Arch taken from a Council Building that was destroyed in 1890

The largest ceramic fountain ever built; Queen Victoria is at the top surrounded by scenes from the colonies

The river Clyde

There is also a monument to Horatio Nelson, built one year after his death in 1806. The park is home to the People's Palace which houses a museum dedicated to the history of the people of Glasgow. There is a glasshouse here too but it's not as big as in the other gardens.

During all the excitement of going to parks, I did 2 loads of laundry.  Each one took approximately 3 hours.  This condo has both a washer/dryer and a dryer. The dryer doesn't work so I used the washer/dryer combo that no one knows how to use. I thought I set it on wash and dry but I don't think that exists. I washed a load but it didn't dry so I chose the sun setting for dry only but it was still wet so I set it on superdry. It probably dried for a few hours. My pants were wrinkled and my socks will now fit a child.  But, not to be defeated, I did another load.  This one washed and then for the dry part, I set it on delicate dry which left everything damp so I hung them up since I was afraid to dry the clothes anymore.  The others may make fun of me but they were just waiting for me to learn so they can copy my instructions.

Finally, we tried to get Scottish tapas at the famous Guy's restaurant which won best Glasgow restaurant in 2015, but it turns out they just serve tapas at lunch so we have to go back. The food was fine but the mussels appetizer was great. We have not been overly impressed with the shellfish here even though everyone recommends it. Also, apparently, Scotland is not known for serving fine wine. Surprisingly, we have been able to understand most people here until tonight. The young woman was just impossible to understand. Finally, she said "You can't understand me, can you?" When we said no, she said "I talk so fast and I have an Irish accent."

I haven't mentioned bagpipers--thankfully, they aren't out on the street here...at least so far. In Edinburgh, there was a corner where a piper played all the time. I hate bag pipes; they're horrid. I'm sure most Scottish people feel the same but can't admit it.  On the other hand, I do think the men wearing kilts with matching sports coats are dazzling. I'm sure they all work at one of the many Harris Tweed shops but it's a great look that more men should try but probably only in Scotland.

Our trip to Glasgow

Poor Mickey is sick and, as everyone knows, if you're going to be sick on a vacation, it will be on travel day. We had a 4 hour train ride from Edinburgh to Glasgow with a transfer in Perth. 

When we arrived in Glasgow, we had to go to a hair salon to pick up the key to the apartment I rented. Then we had a 15 minute walk to the apartment. It has been sprinkling here since we arrived so it looks like our weather luck has changed. An all-around bad time for the ill.

The apartment is another fabulous 2 bedroom, 2 bath modern condo with a large balcony and a gigantic tv. The living room has a huge L-shaped sofa where I'm sleeping but at least one more person could sleep on it.  They left us a bottle of Prosecco, cokes, coffee, a million kinds of tea, and snacks. I'm really good at finding these places. If anyone ever needs help, I work for cheap. Actually finding my way around these places is another story.

While Mickey rested, Lola and I went to lunch. Johnny had recommended a restaurant called Obsession of India,  a two minute walk away. He announced that even I could find it. He was wrong. My habit of always turn right when exiting a building doesn't always work. However,  Lola quickly figured out how to get there. The restaurant has won several awards and the food is fabulous. 

When we were almost at the restaurant, we saw a busload of tourists getting off the bus in front of it. We feared they were going to lunch there but they all got off, took pictures of the famous clock tower,  one of the few structures left from Trongate which was where merchants had their wares weighed and taxed. Trongate existed from the 1400s but most of the buildings were torn down during the Industrial Revolution and after WWI. The steeple was built in 1637.

That's all we did today. Got here. Rested.  So here's two more pictures from yesterday.

Joyce's waterfall pictures which are better than mine

The Highlands

Taking a tour around Loch Ness turned out to be a grand idea.  We saw two castles, mountain ranges,  several lochs, and two waterfalls. Also lots of sheep, red deer, and different types of trees. Beautiful scenery and once again, a beautiful day. We've been surprised by how late it stays light here but today was the first time we noticed it gets light at 4:30. Of course, the tradeoff comes in the winter when there's only about 6 hours of daylight.

We had booked a private tour with a guide named George who is a delightful man who told us a lot of  history and is also knowledgeable about the landscape and all things environmental. He also knows a lot of corny jokes  Our tour was supposed to last 5 hours but he kept us out for over 7 hours. Inverness is just a few miles from Loch Ness and we drove along miles of it. It's 23 miles long, a mile wide and 750 feet deep. We neither looked for nor saw a monster. 

Our first stop was Urquhart Castle which is in a picturesque location but is mostly destroyed.  The structure dates from the 12th century and was often raided by various clans.It was conquered by Edward I of England in 1296, leading to the Scottish Wars of Independence. It changed hands multiple times, between the Scots and the English Finally, the last clan who occupied the castle destroyed most of it in 1692 to prevent it being overtaken by Jacobite forces. It is now maintained by the Historic Society and is the third most-visited castle in Scotland.

Urquhart Castle

After seeing the landscape along the Loch, we drove higher up the mountains which are surprisingly bare compared to the wooded areas around the water.  George explained that a deer can eat up to 200 saplings a day so it is difficult to plant forests.  Their solution is to fence in the trees and keep out the deer so there are patches of trees, mostly evergreens, on some of the mountains.

The Five Sisters Mountain

We took two hikes in the woods to see waterfalls.  Neither one was too strenuous but they would have been treacherous had it been raining.

One of the Falls

The other castle we visited is called the Eilean Donan Castle. It, too, has a beautiful setting on a point where 3 lochs meet. These lochs are salt water and empty into the ocean. The castle site dates from the 13th century. It changed hands many times until it was finally blown up by Spanish invaders. It was rebuilt by John McRae-Gilstrap in the early 1900s and opened to the public in 1955. . It is used extensively in the Highlander film, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and other movies. 

After the long day, we ate at a fine restaurant called Rocpool. This area of Scotland specializes in seafood. It is tasty but they call the prawns and scallops "king" size and both are smaller than the ones you usually get in the States. Speaking of food, we've been asked many times whether we've had haggis yet. We haven't but Mickey has ordered it for breakfast tomorrow here at our B & B.  It's her job to know all things food so she must try it. Most of the restaurants fix it with a whiskey sauce but that won't be the case for breakfast. If it's good, we'll try that next or at least make Mickey try it.

INVERNESS

Today we went to Inverness but before that, since people are begging for a laundry report, here it is. The first load in the washer/dryer combo washed but didn't dry. I had to ask a young man at the front desk how to make it dry only and he actually knew. It dried in 10 minute intervals until I got tired of it and hung the clothes in the closet to dry.  For the second load, Lola was washing black pants and a couple of t-shirts. She decided to use the gentle cold cycle since the pants had just been washed once. The cold water made the pants bleed into a t-shirt which she then threw in the trash. I don't know why. My clothes washed at a high temperature since that's what they call a normal setting. We can't do laundry again until Glasgow so we'll just have to make due with what we have.

We came by train to Inverness today. It took over 3 hours but you can see beautiful scenery. We traveled next to the Firth of Forth (or vice versa) and saw herds of cows and sheep. Inverness is on the River Ness and is considered the Capitol of the Highlands.  We can tell it's far north since it's after 10 and still light.

We had just a couple of incidents getting here. When we got to the station, every train listed a platform except ours. When a platform was finally listed,  we had to hustle to get the train. We put our luggage on seats near us, knowing someone would make us move them. When someone did, he put them in between the doors. At a stop, Mickey, who was looking out the window, noticed my suitcase  had flung itself to the platform.  I jumped up and luckily, a woman had picked it up and was able to hand it to me. I don't think train companies deliver lost luggage like the airlines do.

We're staying in a charming B & B close to the River. We walked part of the river trail and went into the city. Outside of the usual stores, like Clarks and TJ Maxx, all these cities have a Harris Tweed store with great kilts and hats and blankets at very high prices.  We also found a great antique store, probably one of the few left in the world--a huge used bookstore: Lots of old cookbooks, Scottish history, Scottish birds, etc. It's been years since I've seen a pile of books the owner bought and has to stock.

Used Books and it smelled like...books

Tomorrow we're taking a tour around Loch Ness and leaving the next day.  Here's some pictures from the walk--it was cold and windy and actually rained a little. But tomorrow is supposed to be dry and warmer.  

A chapel across Ness

North Church across Ness

The "castle" was built on the site of an 11th century defense structure but this one was buillt in 1856. It is used as a justice center and not open to the public.