2019 - British Isles Circumnavigation
Above: TIMDT walks toward cruise ship, Seabourn Ovation. Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. 15 September 2019.
On 14 April 1912, anchored a quarter mile away in the harbor, RMS Titanic awaited boarding passengers and fright pending its final push to New York. Cobh, then Queenstown, was the final port of call for the Titanic before she was sunk by an iceberg two days later, on 14 April 1912, in the north Atlantic Ocean,
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner that was sunk on 7 May 1915 by a German U-boat eleven miles off Cobh (then Queenstown), Ireland. The sinking presaged the United States declaration of war on Germany two years later. Survivors and deceased from the Lusitania were brought to Queenstown directly after the tragedy.
Above: St. Coleman's Cathedral. Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. 15 September 2019.
We were in Cobh in May of this year. We saw most of the sights then, so we decided to get in some steps around the harbor and into the town. Cobh, along with Dublin, are the only two Ireland stops the Seabourn Ovation will make on this cruise... Dublin to Dublin. We join friends Hoops and Bronx Girl on this cruise.
Addendum:
Great shots, Steve!
Brand Man,
Ventura, CA
Nice pic!
Comic Mom,
Park City, UT
Love the picture...39 forever!
Seems the perfect age. As always, she looks lovely 🙆♀️
SpaGo,
Marina del Rey, CA
Above: Angelsey map. Anglesey, Wales. 16 September 2019.
Our and about in Anglesey/Snowdonia.
Before today I'd been to Wales a couple of times, TIMDT has been to Wales once before today.
TIMDT and Mwah (sic) loved Haye en Wye near SE border with England, visiting there in the mid 90's. Haye on Wye bill's itself as the leading market for second hand books in the world.
I found a Book of Mormon with a publishing date of 1920 something in Haye en Wye and bought it. I don''t know where it is today, or if it is worth anything. These days, with the proliferation of the internet and digital storage, I wonder if the interest in hard copy second hand books continues?
My second visit to Wales was in 2015. I and some friends rented BMW motorcycles in Bournmouth, rode them via Salisbury, up to Liverpool, from where we took a ferry to see the TT races on the Isle of Man. To return our rented bikes at Bournmouth, we rode south down the length of Wales, spending a couple of nights in small towns along the way.
Today, we joined with Hoops and Bronx Girl to rent a van and a driver, Derek, to tour Anglesey and nearby, in the far northwest of Wales. Anglesey is a large island separated from the EnglishScot/Welsh mainland by the narrow, twenty mile long, Menai strait. The Snowdonia Mountains are nearby on the mainland side of the strait.
Sites seen under Derek's tutelage include:
1. National Slate Museum and slate quarries.
2. Snowdonia Mountain Range.
3. Town claiming the longest name in the world.
4. Menai Suspension Bridge
5. Caernarfon Castle
6. Beauvais Castle
I've done separate posts on each of the above Anglesey, and near, destinations.
Derek, our sixty-nine year old driver/guide, was native Welsh. His first language was Welsh. He spoke English with...ummm 95% proficiency. Sixty-nine, he had lost his wife five years ago. He says he has a small pension from driving a truck for 30 years. He supplements his pension income with contractual tourist work. He has a new girl friend with whom he likes to travel and a late model BMW 5 series car.
Derek was talkative and we asked him a lot of questions. Here are some takeaways:
Anglesey/Snowdonia area economy. Manufacting in Anglesey has dried up over the last fifteen years. Now tourism, agriculture, and retirement dominate the local economy. Derek showed us closed slate quarries, a rusted out aluminium smelter, and a defunct auto parts manufacturing facility to prove his point.
Also, to corroborate Derek's point, cows, sheep and tourists (hikers, rock climbers, kayakers,and sightseers) abounded throughout the island. A top tourist attraction in the Snowdonia Mountains, on the mainland side of the strait, is the historic Snowdon Mountain Railway, established in 1896. The steam engine pulled train rises from 100 feet of elevation to the summit of Wales' highest peak, mount Snowdon, 3560 feet. We didn't have time to take the train today, but, we noticed beaucoup tourists waiting in line to buy train tickets.
National Health Service: Works OK enough for routine medical problems. However, according to Derek, if you need elective surgery eg. knee replacement etc., you'll have to wait two years or more...unless you have ten thousand Pounds to have the job done privately, right away. No more than 2% or 3% of Brits, according to Derek, use the private option. Derek says he knows a woman that got in the two year knee replacement queue, but started feeling better after one year and withdrew from the queue.
Brexit. Derek was definitely for Brexit. "Too much heavy handed rule making coming from Brussels, he said."
Derek led us through a great day of exploration and learning.
Above: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantsysiliogogogoch, Wales. 16 September 2019.
Above: Slate cutting demonstration. The National Slate Museum. Gilfach Ddu, Wales. 16 September 2019.
The museum is located in the 19th-century workshops of the now disused Dinorwic slate quarry, within the Padarn Country Park, Llanberis, Gwynedd.
The slate industry dominated the economy of north-west Wales during the second half of the 19th century, but was on a much smaller scale elsewhere. In 1898, a work force of 17,000 men produced half a million tons of slate.
A bitter industrial dispute between 1900 and 1903 marked the beginning of its decline, and the First World War saw a great reduction in the number of men employed in the industry.
The Great Depression and Second World War led to the closure of many smaller quarries, and competition from other roofing materials, particularly tiles, resulted in the closure of most of the larger quarries in the 1960s and 1970s. Slate production continues on a much reduced scale.
90% of slate used in Europe for roofing and landscaping today comes from Spain.
Above: TIMDT and Bronx Girl. Caernarvon, Wales. 16 September 2019.
Addendum:
Based on recent book I read, “The Vikings settled in Dublin from 841 AD onwards. During their reign Dublin became the most important town in Ireland as well as a hub for the western Viking expansion and trade. It is in fact one of the best known Viking settlements. Dublin appears to have been founded twice by the Vikings.
Panama,
Los Angeles, CA
Keep em coming!
KAT,
Dallas TX
Enjoy!
Nora, and Family,
County Mayo, Ireland
Above: Bishop at Caernarfon Castle. Caernarfon, Wales. 16 September 2019.
Caernarvon Castle is a medieval fortress in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, north-west Wales cared for by Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service.
It was a wooden castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure.
The Edwardian town and castle acted as the administrative centre of north Wales and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale. There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon's Roman past and the Roman fort of Segontium is nearby.
The town and castle were sacked in 1294 when Madog ap Llywelyn led a rebellion against the English. Caernarfon was recaptured the following year.
During the Glyndŵr Rising of 1400–1415, the castle was besieged.
When the Tudor dynasty ascended to the English throne in 1485, tensions between the Welsh and English began to diminish and castles were considered less important. As a result, Caernarfon Castle was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.
Despite its dilapidated condition, during the English Civil War Caernarfon Castle was held by Royalists, and was besieged three times by Parliamentarian forces. This was the last time the castle was used in war.
Caernarfon Castle was neglected until the 19th century when the state funded repairs. In 1911, Caernarfon Castle was used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales, and again in 1969. It is part of the World Heritage Site "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd."
Above: Menai Bridge. Anglesey, Wales. 16 September 2019.
Driver Derek calls it a "horse and buggy" bridge. Busses and big trucks have to pull in their mirrors to get through.
The bridge spans the Menai Strait a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about seventeen miles ong, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.
Above. TIMDT and Bronx Girl at Beaumarais Castle. Beaumrais, Anglesey, Wales. 16 September 2019.
Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales, was built as part of Edward I's campaign to conquer north Wales after 1282.
Plans were probably first made to construct the castle in 1284, but this was delayed due to lack of funds and work only began in 1295 following the Madog ap Llywelyn uprising.
A substantial workforce was employed in the initial years under the direction of James of St George. Edward's invasion of Scotland soon diverted funding from the project, however, and work stopped, only recommencing after an invasion scare in 1306.
When work finally ceased around 1330 a total of £15,000 had been spent, a huge sum for the period, but the castle remained incomplete.
Above: Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. Liverpool, England. 17 September 2019.
Out and about in Liverpool.
The sublime (Catholic).
TIMDT on steps.
Original site purchased in 1930. Sir Edward Lutyens designed what was going to be 2nd largest cathedral in the world, with a dome larger than St. Peter's in Rome. Crypt was completed, but due to WWII and German bombing of Liverpool, work stopped.
Post war, Lutyens design was scrapped.
In 1953, Adrien Gilbert Scott, brother of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, architect of the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral, at the other end of tony Hope Street, was charged with resuming a new cathedral effort atop Lutyens' crypt. This effort failed.
The present Cathedral was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd (1908–84). Construction began in October 1962 and less than five years later, on the Feast of Pentecost14 May 1967, the completed cathedral was consecrated.
The cathedral was built on the cheap. Leaks were prolific through outer coating of mosaics. In 1992 leaks were repaired by removing outer mosaics and substituting glass reinforced plastic.
Still, the modern design is eye catching both inside and out. The cathedral reminds of another ultra modern cathedral we saw ten months ago, St. Paul's Cathedral, Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire.
NOTE: I visited Liverpool in 2015 after motorcycling there from Bournmouth. I and friends and motorcycles boarded a ferry in Liverpool which took us to the Isle of Man to attend the TT motorcycle races.
Above: Philharmonic Dining Room urinals. Liverpool, England. 17 September 2019.
Out and about in Liverpool.
The profane.
Every tour must include a bit of the offbeat, right? The Philharmonic Dining Room is on Hope Street half way between the two cathedrals. I had a coffee to make sure I had a legitimate cover to visit this well advertised Liverpool attraction.
Above: Stained glass windows. Liverpool Cathedral. Liverpool, England. 17 September 2019.
Out and about in Liverpool.
The sublime (Anglican).
Based on design by 22 year old Giles Gilbert Scott submitted in 1902. Constructed between 1904 and 1978.
Linked to Metropolitan Cathedral (Catholic) by Hope Street. Appropriate metaphor. Half way between is the Philharmonic Pub and its fancy urinals.
Above: Empire Theater. Liverpool, England. 17 September 2019.
Out and about in Liverpool.
The profane.
Last Liverpool performance of Beatles here 05 December 1965.
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-liverpool-last-concert/
Above. Beatles statue. Liverpool, England. 17 September 2019.
Out and about in Liverpool.
The profane .
An iconic statue of the Fab Four, in their hometown. The Beatles Statue arrived on Liverpool's Waterfront in December 2015. Donated by the famous Cavern Club, the placement of the statue coincides with the 50 year anniversary of the band's last gig played in Liverpool, at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. The figures are larger than life size and weigh 1.2 tons in total. They were sculpted by Andrew Edwards.
Above: Sunset. Irish Sea. 17 September 2019.
Image from Observation Lounge. Seabourn Ovation cruise liner.
Above: Carrickfergus Castle. Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. 18 September 2019.
Out and about in Northern Ireland.
Carrickfergus Castle is a Norman castle in Northern Ireland, situated in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the northern shore of Belfast Lough.
Besieged in turn by the Scottish, native Irish, English and French, the castle played an important military role until 1928 and remains one of the best preserved medieval structures in Northern Ireland.
It was strategically useful, with 3/4 of the castle perimeter surrounded by water (although in modern times only 1/3 is surrounded by water due to land reclamation.
Above: White Park Bay. Antrim Coast. Northern Ireland. 18 September 2019.
Out and about in Northern Ireland.
Antrim Coast is said to be second only to Dingle Peninsula (where we travelled The Ring of Kerry in May) for Ireland scenic beauty.
Not a perfect shot, but, still, a lucky one as I captured it from inside a moving car and through slightly tinted window.
Today, in a late model Mercedes tourist van, with driver Tommy, we drove the Antrim Coast.
We made six stops along the Antrim Coast:
1. Carrickfergus Castle. Norman castle circa 1100.
2. Carrick-a-Rede footbridge. 90 foot drop from hanging bridge to sea.
3. Carnlough Harbor, one of the many locales in Northern Ireland where Game of Thrones was filmed. Game of Thrones was also filmed in Morocco, Spain, and Croatia. Over half the filming though, was in Northern Ireland. Just like there were tours in Liverpool that focused exclusively on the Beatles, so, in Belfast, you can book a tour that takes you only to Game of Thrones filming locations.
4.. Giant's Causeway. A geologic site near the ocean where 40 thousand square, pentagonal, and hexagonal pillars up to 40 feet long were upthrust by volcanic action some 55 million years ago.
5. Bushmills Distillery. After lunch in Bushmills' restaurant, Hoops and I toured the whiskey making operation.
6. Belfast. On our return to the Seabourn Ovation cruise ship, driver Tommy showed us around downtown Belfast where we saw and discussed points of interest associated with The Troubles.
Above: Carrick-a-Rede footbridge. Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland. 18 September 2019.
Out and about in Northern Ireland.
Check out footbridge over the almost one hundred foot high foot chasm.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a famous rope bridge near Ballintoy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The bridge links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede. It spans 66 ft and is 98 ft above the rocks below. The bridge is mainly a tourist attraction.
Above: TIMDT. Carnlough harbor. Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland. 18 September 2019.
Out and about in Northern Ireland.
Braavos Canal. "Game of Thrones."
Much of "Game of Thrones" was filmed in Northern Ireland. Driver Tommy notes that there has been a significant tourism burst in Northern Ireland because of "Game of Thrones."
Before this stop at "Braavos Canal" Tommy pointed out the set of Castle Black nestled against the base of a cliff, which could have very well been "The Wall" were you to squint.
TIMDT is standing on the dock at "Braavos Harbor," where Arya Stark was repeatedly stabbed by The Waif. Arya then jumps into the freezing water to escape and crawls up the steps into the streets of Braavos. Season 6 Episode 7.
In 2014 TIMDT and Mwah (sic) visited Dubrovnik, Croatia. A fourth of the compact, walled, inner city had been cordoned off as a set for "Game of Thrones." It was in Dubrovnik that my curiosity was first piqued about "Game of Thrones." Since, I have watched every episode of all eight seasons.
Addendum:
Please have mussels in stout and cream for me! The best right from the sea. I was in Bantry county cork.
Comic Mom,
Park City, UT
May he and all the 9/11 victims Rest In Peace.
Rocky,
Miami, FL
Above: Hoops and Bishop. Carnlough Harbor. Antrim Coast. Northern Ireland. 18 September 2019.
Out and about in Northern Ireland.
Hoops 'n Bishop vegetate where Arya was stabbed by The Waif. Braavos then. Carnlough now.
Here and now, Brexit pends.
Northern Ireland vote was overwhelmingly "Remain." Little impact on the overall UK vote to "Leave," though. Northern Ireland only has 1.6 million of UK's 70 million citizens.
Yet, Brexit turns, or not, on the treatment of Northern Ireland's border with The Republic of Ireland. Dicey days in this part of the world.
Per driver Tommy, locals are apprehensive about the possible after effects of a messy separation...a so called "hard Brexit." No one wants to see a return of "The Troubles" as age old sectarian tensions between Protestants and Catholics simmer beneath the surface.
Above: The Giant's Causeway. Antrim Coast. Northern Ireland. 18 September 2019.
Out and about in Northern Ireland.
TIMDT observes The Giant's Causeway, forty thousand square, pentagonal and hexagonal, basalt pillars, some up to forty feet tall, created in a volcanic eruption fifty million years ago.
I hadn't heard of this place before today, nor had I seen anyplace a comparable geological phenomenon. It was interesting! The one and one half mile, 200 vertical foot, round trip walk to get here was nice...and needed. Huff puff.
The Giant's Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so, there were a lot of visitors.
Google the Irish legends that give rise to the name.
Above: Bushmills Distillery. Bushmills, Northern Ireland. 18 September 2019.
Out and about in Northern Ireland.
Jameson last April, Bushmills today Tullamore Dew ???.
Bushmills is a chartered distillery this location, by King James I (same James who was son of Mary Queen of Scots; same James as in King James Bible) in 1608.
Same whiskey too...though today the process is permeated with robotics...the amazing bottling process has a couple of guys walking around, just watching. Aging process too...where one guy works the process of filling four barrels at a time with robotics moving the heavy barrels along the line.
Note: Scots spell it Whisky. Irish: WhiskEy.
Yeast, barley, water is all it takes.
Mix and cook mash to malt. Add water, cook the wort out of the malt. Distill wort three times...and voila, Irish WhiskEy. Unlike Scotch, no aromatic peat in the barley cooking process. Scotch is peatier...Irish whiskey notoriously smoother... sans peaty flavor. Second hand barrel aging...variations of Sherry, Bourbon, Port and Madeira barrels...from four to twenty one years. 21 year single malt at $200 a bottle.
Per Hoops, three banes of the Irish:
1. Whiskey.
2: No iron
3. Insufferable inter tribal squabbling.
Above: West Belfast murals. Belfast Northern Ireland. 18 September 2019.
Out and about in Northern Ireland 18 September 2019.
Most murals bear left wing themes.
Above: International Peace Wall, Falls Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland. 18 September 2019.
Out and about in Northern Ireland.
Driver Tommy shows thirty foot high wall, built by Brits during The Troubles, which still separates Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods in West Belfast.
Troubles, lasting from 1969 and ending in 1998, resulted in thirty five hundred deaths and forty five thousand casualties.
Per driver Tommy, a Belfast native, sectarian enmity still runs deep in Northern Ireland despite its seeming containment since 1998.
Brexit's imminence, or not, looms over the Northern Ireland tinder box with some predicting a resurrection of The Troubles should Brexit bring a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Per the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended The Troubles with all factions, Republicans and Royalists, disarming and the UK Army standing down, citizens of Northern Ireland have the right to vote to leave the UK and join with The Republic of Ireland.
Per Tommy, most residents of Northern Ireland would prefer to hang with the Brits come what may. With the resumption of a hard border, though, and the possibility of a resumption of The Troubles, there are no guarantees that Northern Ireland residents wouldn't change their minds and vote to go with The Republic....notwithstanding the threat (perceived only?) of sectarian recriminations.
19 September 2019 - Noon departure of Seabourn Ovation from Belfast to Stornaway, Lewis Island, Hebrides, Scotland. TIMDT and Mwah (sic) hung out on the ship.
Above: TIMDT at Callanish Stones. Lewis Island, Outer Hebrides. Scotland. 20 September 2019.
Out and about in the Outer Hebrides.
The Callanish Stones are an arrangement of standing stones placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle. They were erected in the late Neolithic era, and were a focus for ritual activity during the Bronze Age. They are near the village of Callanis on the west coast of the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
I love poring over maps. I've noted the Hebrides on maps for years. Isolated, is what comes to mind. I was curious....I like isolated places. But the Hebrides are a long way away...a production to get to. There are out of the way places in India where I'll make a special effort. But, The Hebrides?
Close to home, there are places where nobody goes, but easy to get to, that have a special attraction...WY southwest corner monument; Gilgal Gardens; City of Rocks etc.
It's the cruise that gets us to these obscure, far away obscure destinations. I would have never visited the Falkland Islands, and the incredible bird sightings there, but for the fact it was a destination on a 2013 cruise we took around Cape Horn.
Outer Hebrides. Always wanted to come here. Never thought I'd make it. So here we are! Thanks to Seabourn Cruise Lines. Ever curious about the obscure and still learning.
Above: TIMDT at Callanish Stones. Lewis Island. Outer Hebrides. 20 September 2019.
Out and about in the Outer Hebrides.
TIMDT channels Claire in OUTLANDER! She's watched the first four episodes of the series. Is she not happy where she is? She wants adventure in the Jacobite wars of the eighteenth century?
Note: Nothing happened. TIMDT, happily for Mwah (sic), is still with us.
Above: Harris Tweed weaver and loom. Harris Tweed Sample. Blackhouse Village. Lewis Island. Outer Hebrides. Scotland. 20 September 2019.
Out and about in the Outer Hebrides.
Harris Tweed is a tweed cloth that is handwoven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides (Lewis Island and Harris Island) of Scotland, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides. This definition, quality standards and protection of the Harris Tweed name are enshrined in the Harris Tweed Act 1993.
Bishop had a blazer made of Harris Tweed, roughly same color as image, by tailor, Lewis Copeland and Sons, Dublin, May 2019.
Above. Lewis Island Blackhouses. Blackhouse Village. Lewis Island. Outer Hebrides. Scotland. 20 September 2019.
As one of the most primitive forms of the North Atlantic longhouse tradition it is very probable that the roots of the blackhouse, in which cattle and humans shared the same roof, is well over 1000 years old.
Although the Lewis blackhouses have a look of real antiquity, most of the upstanding ruins were built less than 150 years ago. Many were still roofed until the 1970s but without the necessary annual repairs deteriorated rapidly; as people moved into more modern dwellings with indoor plumbing and better heating, most have fallen into ruin.
However, blackhouses are increasingly being restored, especially for use as holiday accommodation.
The immediate origins of the blackhouse are unclear as few pre-eighteenth century examples have ever been excavated. One reason for this is that, unlike their later counterparts, the early examples may have been made of turf and thatch and quickly returned to the earth once abandoned.
The Lewis examples have clearly been modified to survive in the tough environment of the Outer Hebrides. Low rounded roofs, elaborately roped, were developed to resist the strong Atlantic winds and thick walls to provide insulation and to support the sideways forces of the short driftwood roof timbers.
Addendum:
Good explanation of the differences in the whiskeys - I assume you enjoyed all 👻 did you notice any kitty cats usually they have many around to keep the mouses away 🙀
Markco,
Oxnard, CA
The “troubles” are a real problem on many fronts both social and economic. My daughter-in-law’s family lives 7 miles from what is now an open border. We visit frequently. There is terrible concern.
Thanks for bringing this into the picto dairy.
Best,
Flyingfish,
Palm Beach, FL
While you're wander around Ireland I was remembering that in October 1912 Carl Stearns Clancy and his pal Walter Storey (book is MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURER) arrived about October 18. Since Storey had never ridden a motorcycle before, they made a test ride in Dublin about October 20. Storey and a collision with a trolley, totaling his motorcycle, so when they left Dublin Storey rode pillion on Clancy's motorcycle. Back then a pillion rode in front of the driver with his feet on extensions of the front axle (also no front brake on that model). They left on a cold, wet day, October 23, headed towards Paris.
It was the wrong time of the year to be motorcycling. Eventually Storey's motorbike, having be repaired, and he were reunited and they arrived in Paris on a snow day. After some months waiting out the weather, Storey abandoned Clancy in 1913, threw in the towel on a ride around the world and rabbited back home to the USA, much the same as I was abandoned by my riding pal Livermore in Cape Town and and he rabbitted back home in 2017.
When we did the global re-ride of the Clancy first ride around the world in 2012 and 2013 the two Irish men who joined us from Ireland, on BMWs, left Dublin October 23. Again the weather was so bad the snow delayed their departure on day.
You photos show you're enjoying good weather. Sooooo, a good argument for global warming if one is a believer or scientist.
Best,
Dr. Gregory Frazier
Back on the road, this week in SE Asia
PS: Attached pic is Clancy...and his luggage (including a camera and typewriter). I do not believe he carried a much spare underwear :-)
On the 19th, my second day in Belfast... there for only a half day, I was on the point of hiring a taxi to take me fifty minutes ride to the Joey Dunlop memorial. Dunlop,a northern Irelander who died in a motorcycle race in Lithuania in 2000, was the most successful racer ever at the Isle of Man TT... a race where, average, two racers are killed each year. I didn't go... slept in... lazy... sorry, in hindsight.
I attended the TT in 2015. We stayed at a pub on the Sulby Straight, where the racers zoomed by at a speed of 180 mph. During an off period, I rode the Mountain Course on a BMW 1200 GS... didn't get above 80, though. Fast enough for me.
Dunlop is a legend in European motorcycle racing.
English and Irish authorities want to shut down the TT. Its too dangerous. However, the Isle of Man is a sovereign nation, and though much dependent on the UK and Ireland for defense, trade relations etc., they still have the right to call their own shots on the TT... and they continue doing it.
What St. Andrews is to golfing, the Isle of Man is to motorcycle racing. Glad I saw it. Sorry to have missed the Dunlop memorial.
There's your Xmas Card picture!
KAT,
Dallas, TX
saw similar looking pillars in many cliffs while driving through utah wyoming areas
KAT,
Dallas, TX
Loved the first chapter. What are you going to title the work? Perhaps, "Julian's Lost Masterpiece"? P.S. Kibbutizm is plural for kibbutz. Yer loyal fan,
KAT,
Dallas, TX
Above: Brough of Birsay, Orkney Flag, Brough of Birsay Lighthouse. Orkney, Scotland 21 September 2019.
Out and about in Orkney.
Viking settlement on coastal island, Brough of Birsay, established in 1150 and abandoned 200 years later.
In the early 8th and 9th centuries the Vikings arrived in the Shetland Islands looking for land and for the next 600 years or so the Norsemen ruled both Orkney and Shetland. Surprisingly, although the Vikings had a reputation as fearsome warriors, they settled down and became farmers.
There are also many old customs dating back to the Norse occupation that are still followed in Orkney.
For example in Orkney, urine is smeared on the plough before cutting the first furrow in Spring, in order to promote fertility in the soil. At harvest time, the first sheaf used to be made into a kind of porridge, and the last household to finish harvesting had a straw dog, called the ‘bikko’, placed on its chimney stack. A great insult and humiliation! It is said that the secret society of the ‘Horseman’s Word’, whose initiates are told a word that gives them power over horses, is still strong in Orkney.
The Brough of Birsay lighthouse (aerial file image) was built 200 years ago by the Robert Stevenson, grandfather of famous Scottish author, Robert Louis Stevenson ("Treasure Island," "The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckell and Mr. Hyde").
Notably, Robert Stevenson invented intermittent and flashing lights. His invention earned him a gold medal from the King of Netherlands. Although most well-known for his lighthouses, Robert also engineered bridges, roads, and railways, among other things.
There is a path from the main island out to the Brough of Birsay, dry at low tide and under water at high tide. Driver Jean says that some people walk to the island at low tide and get stranded on the island when the tide comes in. The authorities mount rescue operations, but sometimes the water is too rough for the rescue boats. The only option is for the rescu-ee to wait nine hours for the tide to change.
Curiously, Orkney's flag is a near duplicate, but for its yellow striping, of the Norwegian flag (see image).
Above: Maeshowe burial mound. Entrance to Maeshowe. Schematic of Maeshowe. Orkney Islands. Scotland. 21 September 2019.
Out and about in Orkney.
Maeshowe is a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave situated on Mainland Orkney, Scotland. It was probably built around 2800 BC. The monuments around Maeshowe, including Skara Brae, were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
This chambered tomb, which sits on a platform encircled by a ditch, is a monument to the skill and beliefs of Orkney's people some 5,000 years ago.
Maeshowe's unique story continued when it was broken into about 1,000 years ago by Norsemen. They left their mark in runic graffiti, alongside the 'Maeshowe Lion' carving. Access by guided tour only, with timed ticketing.
Check the pictured schematic of the cairn. Bishop found it very difficult to walk, scrunched , the forty foot, long, four foot high tunnel into the tomb. Once there, huffing and puffing, he got claustrophobia standing in close quarters with twenty other tourists and a guide. He exited the tunnel before the guide presentation was over and found the exit more difficult than the entry, particularly the last 6 feet where the ceiling is diminished a further four inches or so. Bishop's unhappy face is due to his recent discomfort in working his way out of the narrow tunnel. Where's OSHA when you need them?
Maeshowe predates Cheops by 500 years!
We don't know as much about the Neolithic people who built Maeshowe as we do the Egyptians, as we find no writing or alphabet and little more than rudimentary tools and jewelry fashioned from animal bone or stone.
As with the pyramids, little is known about how, 5000 years ago, the neolithic peoples moved 30 ton stones to build the tomb.
Above: St. Mary's (Italian) Church. Scapa Flow. Orkney Islands. Scotland. 21 September 2019.
Out and about in Orkney
Italian soldiers, taken prisoner by the British in North Africa, were brought to Scapa Flow to construct the Churchill Barriers (see below). The Italian prisoners were treated quite humanely... in contrast, say, to the way the Japanese treated British POWs in Malaya. The Italians had the run of the island. Where were they gonna go? They petitioned British authorities to build a Catholic Church. Permission was granted. British authorities provided the Italian prisoners with two Nissin Huts for the interior of the church. The prisoners designed and built an outside facade. The church is kept up and maintained to this day. A mass is held in the church once a month for each of four months during tourist season. The mass is performed by the Catholic priest resident in Kirkwell, capital of the Orkney Islands.
Above: Scapa Flow and Churchill Barriers. Orkney Islands. Scotland. 21 September 2019.
Out and about in Orkney.
Bishop looks out over Churchill Barrier Number 2 at Scapa Flow, a 100 plus square mile natural, protected harbor located in the Orkney Islands. 21 September 2019.
Image is shot by TIMDT from the Italian Church.
Most of the British WWI fleet, The Grand Fleet, was harbored at Scapa Flow for the duration of WWI.
British commanders had determined that Scapa Flow was the best port from which to thwart German access to the Atlantic Ocean. By war's end, 1918, they were proven right. Throughout the war, but for the Battle of Jutland in mid 1916, the German fleet remained trapped in its home port of Wilhelmshaven on the Baltic Sea.
World War I. At Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919, there occurred an event unique in naval history. The German High Seas Fleet, one of the most formidable fleets ever built, was deliberately sent to the bottom of the sea at the British Grand Fleet's principal anchorage at Orkney by its own officers and men.
Hoops, Bronx Girl, TIMDT and Mwah (sic) are here at Scapa Flow today, just a bit more than one hundred years after German Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter became the only man in history to sink his own navy... some four hundred thousand tons.... 54 ships, including 20 or so capital ships.
After the Armistice of WWI was declared on 11 November 1918, something had to be done to neuter the German fleet, most of which was berthed at the German port of Wilhelmshaven.
It was decided that the fleet, still technically under German command, should be put in a neutral harbor pending finalizing negotiations of the Armistice at Versailles. No neutral harbor could be found. So, it was decided to harbor the fleet at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands in far north Scotland, under the watchful eye of the British navy.
In the end, Admiral Reuter scuttled the interned German fleet based on faulty information suggesting that the Germans were going to back out of Treaty of Versailles negotiations and that hostilities could resume. German Admiral Reuter figured that he could not let the German fleet move from internationally sanctioned "internship" to enemy, British hands.
World War II. On 14 October 1939, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak was sunk at her moorings within the natural harbour of Scapa Flow by the German U-boat U-47.
Shortly before midnight on 13 October U-47, under the command of Günther Prien, had entered Scapa Flow through Kirk Sound between Lamb Holm and the Orkney Mainland. Although the shallow eastern passages had been secured with measures including sunken block ships, booms and anti-submarine nets, Prien was able to navigate the U-47 around the obstructions at high tide. He launched a torpedo attack on the Royal Navy battleship while it was at anchor in Scapa Flow. The U-47 then escaped seaward using the same channel by navigating between the block ships.
In response, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill ordered the construction of several permanent barriers to prevent any further attacks. Work began in May 1940 and was completed by September 1944. The barriers were officially opened on 12 May 1945, four days after the end of World War II in Europe.
Driving in this area driver/guide Jean pointed to the green buoy which mark's the spot of the sunken HMS Royal Oak.
Scapa Flow has a robust diving business on account of remaining sunken ships... those not salvaged in extensive salvaging operations during the 1920's and 1930's.
Above: Standing Stones of Stennis. Orkney, Scotland. 21 September 2019
Out and about in Orkney.
TIMDT finds new stones to channel Claire.
The Standing Stones of Stenness is a Neolithic monument five miles northeast of Stromness on the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. This may be the oldest (5500 years old) henge site in the British Isles.
By far the largest and tallest stones we have seen on this trip. — with Margaret Taylor at Standing Stones of Stenness.
Above: Standing Stones of Stennis. Orkney, Scotland. 21 September 2019.
Out and about in Orkney.
Forget Claire.... TIMDT channels Dave!
Thus Spake Zarathustra
Above: The Ring of Brodgar. Orkney, Scotland. 21 September 2019.
The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic henge and stone circle in Orkney, Scotland. Most henges do not contain stone circles; Brodgar is a striking exception, ranking with Avebury (and to a lesser extent Stonehenge) among the greatest of such sites.
The ring of stones stands on a small isthmus between the Lochs of Stenness and Harray. These are the northernmost examples of circle henges in Britain. Unlike similar structures such as Avebury, there are no obvious stones inside the circle, but since the interior of the circle has never been excavated by archaeologists, the possibility remains that wooden structures, for example, may have been present.
The site has resisted attempts at scientific dating and the monument's age remains uncertain. It is generally thought to have been erected between 2500 BC and 2000 BC, and was, therefore, the last of the great Neolithic monuments built on the Ness.
The stone circle is 104 metres (341 ft) in diameter, and the third largest in the British Isles. The ring originally comprised up to 60 stones, of which only 27 remained standing at the end of the 20th century. The tallest stones stand at the south and west of the ring, including the so-called "Comet Stone" to the south-east.
The stones are set within a circular ditch up to 9.8 ft deep, 30 ft wide and 1,250 ft in circumference that was carved out of the solid sandstone bedrock by the ancient residents. in this case on the north-west and south-east. The ditch appears to have been created in sections, possibly by workforces from different parts of Orkney. The stones may have been a later addition, maybe erected over a long period of time.
Examination of the immediate environs reveals a concentration of ancient sites, making a significant ritual landscape. Though its exact purpose is not known, the proximity of the Standing Stones of Stenness and its Maeshowe tomb make the Ring of Brodgar a site of major importance. The site is a scheduled ancient monument and has been recognized as part of the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" World Heritage Site in 1999.
Above: Kitchener Monument. Kitchener Poster. Orkney, Scotland. 21 September 2019.
Out and about in Orkney. .
In 1914, at the start of the First World War, Herbert Kitchener became Secretary of State for War, a Cabinet Minister. One of the few to foresee a long war, lasting for at least three years, and with the authority to act effectively on that perception, he organized the largest volunteer army that Britain had seen, and oversaw a significant expansion of materials production to fight on the Western Front.
Despite having warned of the difficulty of provisioning for a long war, he was blamed for the shortage of shells in the spring of 1915 – one of the events leading to the formation of a coalition government – and stripped of his control over munitions and strategy.
On 5 June 1916, the veille of The Battle of the Somme, Kitchener was making his way to Russia on HMS Hampshire to attend negotiations with Tsar Nicholas II when the ship struck a German mine 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the Orkneys, Scotland, and sank. Kitchener was among 737 who died.
The monument, constructed in 1926, is on the North Sea coastline, 1.5 miles from the point of the sinking.
The monument's inscription:
"This tower was raised by the people of Orkney in memory of Field Marshall Earl Kitchener of Khartoum on that corner of his country which he had served so faithfully nearest to the place where he died on duty. He and his staff perished along with the officers and nearly all the men of HMS Hampshire on 5th June, 1916."
This visit to the Orkneys mark's, even if in a small way, another Bishop visit to a WWI theater. I made visits of two weeks each to Gallipoli and Flanders/French WWI battlefields in 2016.
In addition to the Kitchener Monument we visited nearby Scapa Flow today. Each locale brings focus onto the primary sea campaign of WWI.
Germany's aggressive fleet buildup in the years prior to WWI never matched Britain's naval strength, but Germany was closing in and England was getting a bit nervous about it. Germany's August 1914 invasion of Belgium was the putative excuse for Britain to enter WWI, but there is little doubt that UK unease about Germany's naval bellicosity made the decision easier.
To protect Atlantic sea lanes and to thwart a German naval threat, Britain positioned most of it's Grand Fleet at the strategically located, and well protected harbor, Scapa Flow, here in the Orkney Islands.
The German fleet enjoyed safe harbor in Wilhelmshaven. With the Western Front bogged down in seeming stalemate trench warfare, The High Seas Fleet (German) left port for the first time in in the war on 30 May 1916 in the hope's of luring the Grand Fleet (British) into the open.
On 31 May 1916, the High Seas and Grand fleets engaged in the only significant sea battle of WWI, The Battle of Jutland, off the coast of Denmark. In terms of tonnage sunk, the Germans won the battle. However, the British fleet remained formidable and returned down, but not out, to Scapa Flow after the battle.
The German fleet high tailed it back to home port, Wilhelmshaven. Only once during WWI did the High Fleet leave Wilhelmshaven after The Battle of Jutland. And that foray was to intern the German fleet with Britain at nearby Scapa Flow in 1919, pursuant to stipulations of the Armistice negotiations. So, in hindsight, give the Battle of Jutland to the Brits on a TKO. After Jutland despite their losing more tonnage than the Germans at.Jutland, the Brits had neutralized German sea power for the remainder of the war.
Lord Kitchener might have been feeling optimistic as he was sailing into the North Sea just five weeks after the Grand Fleet had stalemated the High Seas Fleet at the Battle of Jutland. But, the nation of Great Britain experienced more than a moment of despair when Kitchener's life, and the lives of 700 crew of the battleship .....were snuffed out by a German mine.
No doubt at least some Germans saw the Battle of Jutland stalemate in a better light after Kitchener's untimely death.
Only a month later, 01 July 1916, would the allies launch the battle of The Somme in France. Unfortunately for Britain and the Entente, yet another reason for augmenting German self confidence.
Addendum:
Odd, when you consider it: 5000 years ago, tribes from all over the world who couldn't even know there were other people on the other side of the world, were all moving 30 to 100 ton cut-out stones to build structures to preserve their dead, usually to join them with their gods in the sky.
KAT,
Dallas, TX
Great info. Thanks Steve.
Brandman,
Ventura, CA
Above: Skara Brae. Orkney, Scotland. 21 September 2019.
Out and about in Orkney.
Skara Brae is a stone-built Neolithic settlement, located on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of Mainland, the largest island in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland. Consisting of eight clustered houses, it was occupied from roughly 3180 BC to about 2500 BC and is Europe's most complete Neolithic village. Skara Brae gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status as one of four sites making up "The Heart of Neolithic Orkney." Older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids, it has been called the "Scottish Pompeii" because of its excellent preservation.
Hard to comprehend. People here went about their day to day 500 years before Cheops. — with Margaret Taylor at Skara Brae Prehistoric Village.
Above: Yesnabi Cliffs. Orkney, Scotland. 21 September 2019.
Out and about in Orkney.
Above: Skaill House, Our Group, Captain Cook's Crockery. Orkney, 21 September 2019.
Out and about in Orkney.
Skaill House is a historic manor house in Sandwickparish on Mainland, the largest of the Orkney Islands, Scotland. The house overlooks the neolithic site, Skara Brae, and the Bay of Skaill.
Most interesting was the crockery set from Captain Cook's bark, "Endeavor."
Driver/guide Jean informs our group.
Jean doesn't like Brexit. She says it is almost certain that Scots will vote to separate from UK post Brexit. She believes Scotland, then, will join the EU. Jean says Scotland received a lot of benefits from the EU. Jean lamented the plight of her master electrician son who, she claimed, had to pay 50% more for parts and supplies ordered from EU countries on the continent post Brexit vote.
Above: Glenshee Ski Area. Aberdeenshire, Scotland southern Highlands. 22 September 2019.
Out and about in Scotland.
Glenshee Ski Centre, Aberdeenshire, is the largest ski resort in Scotland. With 22 lifts, 36 runs and limited snowmaking capabilities, it is Britain's largest snow sports resort.
The main ski center buildings, as noted in the image, are at an elevation of 650 meters.
The resort covers 790 hectares and has 40 km of pisted runs graded as 8 Greens, 13 Blues, 13 Reds (Reds??!!) and 2 Blacks. There are three chairlifts, three T-bar lifts, and the remaining sixteen lifts are button lifts, mostly of the Poma type.
Note the motorcycles parked at the lodge. This road, A93, from Dundee, to the south, and reaching to Balmoral in the north, seems to be a motorcycle touring favorite. We saw many motorcycles, going both ways, while managing this route.
This route brought together two of my extracurricular loves... skiing and motorcycling. I've been on a motorcycle trip through Britain. I wonder how many Americans have actually gone on a ski trip to Scotland?
Above: Hoops, Bronx Girl and TIMDT with driver/guide Grant. 22 September 2019.
Out and about in Scotland.
Like most Scots, Grant voted "Remain." Grant thinks Britain will successfully leave EU but no matter... Scotland's gonna declare its independence from heinous England anyway. But wait! Scotland will not join EU! They'll remain independent, just like England! Or, so says Grant.
Bishop says, Remainers' prediction of England's demise are smoking too much dope. Y2K like hysteria. England will rebound stronger than ever as a free, independent nation when Brussels shackles are undone.
Grant says, only a matter of time before NHS goes private. Not enough doctors. Doctor pay insufficient. Waits are too long for elective procedures. Triage system for scarce/expensive pharmaceuticals chooses who dies and who lives. NHS for a time was a good system, says Grant. But, now it is maxed out.
Above: Queen Elizabeth and William. Balmoral Castle. Balmoral Scotland. 22 September 2019.
Out and about in Scotland.
Queen Elizabeth II and William returning from church services at nearby Crathie Kirk.
Bishop legs reflected in Rolls Royce front door as proof of image legitimacy!
Great historical figure! "Ruling" in UK since Eisenhower, 1952. The Queen reflects and amplifies continuity of freedom and stability into Britain, and even more broadly into anyplace in the world where individual freedom is revered. Today's Hong Kong protests exemplify this freedom yearning ethic anchored in British tradition as effectively symbolized by the Queen.
Of interest while we are here are the machinations associated with Britain's planned exit from the European Union (EU), currently scheduled for 31 October 2019. Recently, the Queen agreed to "prorogate" (suspend) Parliament, following a request by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who wanted to forestall legislators' interference into the process of negotiating Britain's exit from the EU The decision to leave the EU was made by democratic vote in a national referendum in 2016. Notwithstanding, Parliament is divided in its sense of how the exit should take place including on whether Parliament should have a roll in negotiating the exit in the first place. "Leavers" are suspicious that Labour politicians (Remainers), and even middle of the road Tories, will throw spanners into the Brexit works so as to stall, and eventually stymie, the exit altogether. In any case, knowing of the Queen's historic role in Britain's "Brexit" decision made our sighting of her today just a bit more exciting than it otherwise might have been.
Today's serendipitous sighting of the Queen, engineered on the fly by capable driver/guide Grant, reminds of my similar drive by sightings of luminaries, including Nasser and Khrushchev (Cairo, 1964) and Charles DeGualle (Paris, 1965). I met then VP George Bush at a cocktail party (Manila, 1983). Finally, John S. Reed, dinner, Tokyo Japan. 1984. — with Margaret Taylor at Balmoral Castle & Estate.
Above: Falconing at Glamis Castle. Glamis, Scotland. 22 September 2019.
Having seen Queen Elizabeth II only a few minutes before, visiting a Scottish castle tied to her heritage seemed propitious.
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public.
Glamis Castle has been the home of the Lyon family since the 14th century, though the present building dates largely from the 17th century. Glamis was the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, wife of King George VI. Their second daughter, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, was born there.
Scottish castle: check. (Yawn?) This one was pretty good, though, with lots of memorabilia of days gone by, valuable paintings and furniture, and a raft of ghost stories about this secret doorway or the spirits behind that wall... all well explained by an enthusiastic twenty something male docent.
Outside a group was falconing. That is one big bird.
Above: Bronx Girl, TIMDT and Hoops. Victoria and Albert Museum, Dundee Scotland. 22 September 2019.
Out and about in Dundee.
The most important thing to see here was the museum building itself.
V&A Dundee is a design museum in Dundee, Scotland, which opened on 15 September 2018. The V&A Dundee is the first design museum in Scotland and the first Victoria and Albert museum outside London. The V&A Dundee is also the first building in the United Kingdom that has been designed by Kengo Kuma.
Above: Bishop, Bronx Girl and Hoops atop Swilken Bridge. St. Andrews Golf Club, St. Andrews, Scotland. 22 September 2019.
The Swilcan Bridge, or Swilken Bridge, is a famous small stone bridge in St Andrews Links golf course, Scotland. The bridge spans the Swilcan Burn between the first and eighteenth fairways on the Old Course, and has itself become an important cultural icon in the sport of golf.
The bridge itself is extremely small; at its farthest extent it measures about 30 feet long, eight feet wide and six feet tall, in the style of a simple Roman arch. Originally built at least 700 years ago to help shepherds get livestock across, it has the modern photographic advantage of great backdrops on three sides: the course’s grand Royal and Ancient Clubhouse and Hamilton Hall on one, often a packed grandstand of enthusiasts on another, and rolling hills facing toward the North Sea, on the last.
It is customary for champions of golf to publicly show some sort of homage or respect to the structure. A recent display was by Tom Watson in early July 2010 at The Open Championship, when he was photographed kissing the bridge. Also, at the 2005 Open Championship, Jack Nicklaus gave his final farewell to professional golf while standing on the bridge. Other golfers of past and present include: Tom Morris, Sr., Tom Morris, Jr., Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Lee Trevino, J.H. Taylor, Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Harry Vardon, Henry Cotton, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson and Nick Faldo.
On the second floor of the World Golf Hall of Fame museum in St. Augustine, Florida, there is a life-size stone replica of the Swilcan Bridge, accompanied with a floor-to-ceiling photograph of the Royal & Ancient clubhouse and Hamilton Hall in the background.
None of us pictured here is a golfer, so why are we here? Answer: You don't have to be Catholic to be awed by the Vatican. Alternatively, St. Andrews is to golf what Mecca is to Islam. Pilgrimages are in order.
The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse is discernable, behind the three of us, in the accompanying image.
Above: Seabourn Ovation. Firth of Forth. Scotland. 23 September 2019.
Out and about in Edinburg.
Our ship berthed in Firth of Forth as seen from Edinburgh Castle.
Above: Battle of Kohima. Edinburgh Castle Military Museum. Edinburgh, Scotland. 23 September 2019.
Out and about in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Castle has a wonderful military museum. I first visited this museum in 2009 with TIMDT, El Contadore, Eton Mum, The Prosecutor, and The Litigator.
On today's visit, I came across a section of the museum describing The Battle of Kohima. We will be visiting Kohima in December of this year, so I paid keen attention.
The Battle of Kohima was the turning point of the Japanese U Go offensive into India in 1944 during the Second World War. The battle was fought in three stages from 4 April to 22 June 1944 around the town of Kohima in Nagaland in northeast India. From 3 to 16 April, the Japanese attempted to capture Kohima ridge, a feature which dominated the road by which the besieged British and Indian troops of IV Corps at Imphalwere supplied. By mid-April, the small British and Indian force at Kohima.
From 18 April to 13 May, British and Indian reinforcements counter-attacked to drive the Japanese from the positions they had captured. The Japanese abandoned the ridge at this point but continued to block the Kohima–Imphal road. From 16 May to 22 June, the British and Indian troops pursued the retreating Japanese and reopened the road. The battle ended on 22 June when British and Indian troops from Kohima and Imphal met at Milestone 109, ending the Siege of Imphal.
The battle is often referred to as the "Stalingrad of the East". In 2013, the British National Army Museum voted the Battle of Imphal and Kohima to be "Britain's Greatest Battle".
The Battle of Kohima occured coincident with D Day and as such gets short shrift in World War II attention space.
Above: TIMDT, Hoops, and Bronx Girl walk The Golden Mile. Edinburgh, Scotland. 23 September 2019.
Out and about in Edinburgh.
Above: Begonias and petunias. Alabbanach Whisky Bar. Edinburgh, Scotland. 23 September 2019.
Out and about in Edinburgh.
Addendum:
DR Greg Book is an excellent read .
MR Z3,
Oxnard, CA
Wow Steve! Was in Scotland last year but never saw anything like this.
Thanks,
Love,
Saker
Mumbai, India
Very interesting. Thank-you.
Mr. Z3,
Oxnard, CA
I hear Richard Strauss ... Also Sprach!!
Music in the Mountains,
Fond du Lac, WI
Great info, Steve. Thanks.
Brandman,
Ventura, CA
Above: Quotes from Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum. Dunfermline, Scotland. 23 September 2019
Out and about in Dunfermline.
Better than expected exhibits at Andrew Carnegie birthplace and museum. Gotta find a good biography.
Gilded age capitalists advanced civilization with their forward thinking ideas, provided millions of jobs, and gave away tons of money to advance worthy causes.
Missed out on Yemen in Carnegie's list (see image). Lived in Egypt for a year, India for three years, and Japan for three years. — at Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum.
Above: The Abbey Church of Dunfermline. Dunfermline, Scotland. 23 September 2019.
·
Out and about in Dunfermline.
I would gladly reincarnate as an organist if I could play a pipe organ like this.
Tomb of Robert the Bruce is 'neath the alter in the lower right corner of the image.
Above; Lighthouse. North Queensferry, Scotland. 23 September 2019.
Out and about in Edinburgh .
Smallest lighthouse in Scotland. Built by Robert Stevenson, grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, and builder of the Brough of Birsay lighthouse we saw two days ago in the Orkneys.
Beyond is the spectacularly engineered Forth Bridge, completed in 1890, a railway bridge across the Firth of Forth.
North Queensferry is a secluded, tony area that reminds of the funky communities in Marin County near the Golden Gate Bridge.
I climbed the tiny spiral staircase to see the lighthouse lamp. The original oil burning lamp and reflector were still intact. — at Stevenson Lighthouse, North Queensferry.
Above: Fish and Chips. Welsh Fishmonger's. Edinburgh, Scotland. 23 September 2019.
Out and about in Edinburgh.
Billed by driver/guide Steve as best fish and chips in Scotland. The place was full at 3:00 PM when we arrived for a late lunch. It must be good.
From the start our driver/guides have been outstanding. Personable, knowledgeable, sense of humor, planning, mid course corrections yada.
We've begged off ship's tours and hire our own cars with driver/guides in most of our destinations. Exceptions: We took a hop on hop off bus tour in Liverpool. We rented a car to drive around Lewis Island in the Outer Hebrides.
This car/guide hire practice has enabled more stops, seeing more off the beaten track gems, and more serendipitous surprises.
For example:
Because of need to pre book Maeshowe with 20 or less people, the 5000 year old Neolithic tomb on Orkney, the ship's tour, with over 30 people, didn't stop at this important archaeological site. We did.
The very off the beaten track Queensferry Lighthouse was not on the ship's tour. I called Queensferry the Sausilito of Edinburgh. It sat just 'neath Forth Bridge, not the Golden Gate Bridge. We enjoyed it thanks to driver/guide Steve's suggestion. Ship's tour didn't have Queensferry Lighthouse on its itinerary.
In the serendipity category, driver/guide Grant"s insight and knowledge about the Queen's church going habits at Balmoral, resulted in us, along with The Daily Mail, seeing the Queen close up. In a ship of 600 passengers the four of us were the only ones to see the Queen.
Good going to port tour organizers, Bronx Girl and TIMDT.
At sea 25 September 2019 - No diary entry.
Above: St. Coban's Kirk. Argyll, Scotland. 26 September 2019.
Out and about in Argyll.
Designed and built by Sir. Walter Douglas Campbell, the church is unique for having just about every style of church architecture. Highlights include, the Norman doorway, gothic flying buttresses, a Celtic cross, the Saxon tower, and a stone circle.
TIMDT, having failed to successfully channel Clair and Dave on the standing stones, in desperation, tries to time travel by touching the flying buttress of the kirk.
We didn't have good luck with our driver/guide today. She brought too small of a vehicle. Hoops, TIMDT, and Mwah (sic) in the back seat proved too uncomfortable, claustrophobically so,. So, at St. Coban's Church, half way to the destination of some castle, the name of which I don't remember, we asked her to take us back to Oban. TIMDT handled the transaction very skillfully, saying that we didn't want to deprive her of her income... she could keep what we contracted for. We wouldn't tip, but, she'd save a half a day and on fuel which would make up for it. She was polite, but the fact that she started speeding mercilessly on the return suggested to me that she was pissed. On arrival back in Oban, I asked to be let out early... I wanted to do some steps... I would meet the others later. On meeting up later with the others, I learned that they went through a horrific backing up experience on a major road, because she didn't know where she was going. Win some... lose some. The other five or six of our driver guides were competent... terrific.
Above: Spirit Safe. Oban Distillery, Oban, Scotland. 26 September 2019.
Out and about in Oban.
The spirit safe, also known as the tail box, was first introduced in 1823 with the enactment of the Excise Act in Scotland. It's a padlocked, box-shaped apparatus made of metal and glass that encloses the point at which spirit exits the still. It was designed to keep spirit away from the thirsty mouths of distillery employees.
Whisky making process... only three ingredients... malted barley, yeast, water.
Malt (germinate) the barley.
Cook/dry the barley.
Mill the dried, malted barley.
Mix malted barley with hot water to create mash.
Extract sugary wort solution from mash.
Add yeast to wort.
Ferment "wash."
Distill wash to wine.
Re-distill wine to 80% alcohol
Age in second hand sherry and/or oak barrels.
Bottle for distribution and consumption
Oban 14.... whisky aged 14 years... a single malt... is the main product of Oban Distillery. It goes for $85 a bottle in the US. Taste is between smoky and smooth. It is a highly regarded premium single malt.
Above: Loch Lomond. Scotland. 27 September 2019.
Out and about at Loch Lomond.
TIMDT channels the song.
By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond,
Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.
Chorus:
O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.
'Twas there that we parted, in yon shady glen,
On the steep, steep side o' Ben Lomond,
Where in soft purple hue, the hieland hills we view,
And the moon coming out in the gloaming.
Chorus
O braw Charlie Stewart, dear true, true heart,
Wha could refuse thee protection,
Like the weeping birk on the wild hillside,
How graceful he looked in dejection[5]
Chorus
The wee birdies sing and the wildflowers spring,
And in sunshine the waters are sleeping.
But the broken heart it kens nae second spring again,
Though the waeful may cease frae their grieving.
Chorus — with Margaret Taylor at Loch Lomond Shores.
Above: Bannockburn (mid range). 27 September 2019.
Out and about in Bannockburn.
Image from Stirling Castle parapets.
1314. Mid distance. Bannockburn. Robert the Bruce and his men lay in wait to attack Edward I and troops on way from London to break Scottish siege of English occupied Stirling Castle.
Bruce carries the day. Battle of Bannockburn..
Thence begins a 400 year run of Scottish independence and a lineage (Stuart) that carries forward into today's British royal family.
Robert the Bruce gets revenge for mentor William Wallace's brutal drawing and quartering by Edward I seventeen years previously following the Scottish loss to the English the Battle of Stirling Bridge. — at Bannockburn.
Above: Church of the Holy Rude. Stirling, Scotland. 27 September 2019.
Out and about in Stirling.
James VI became King of Scotland in 1567 as a thirteen month old infant when his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, was thrown out of her Scottish Queenship more or less for holding fast onto her Catholicism during the peak of the Protestant Reformation in Scotland.
When Elizabeth I, the English "Virgin Queen," died in 1603 sans heir, Mary Queen of Scots' only son, James VI of Scotland, by distant lineage became King James I of England, as well as James VI of Scotland. Thereafter, England and Scotland remained united in one form or another until the present day.
England's literary age thrived under James I...Shakespeare, Ben Johnson, John Donne et al.
James I, a learned fellow himself, is the James behind the King James Bible.
When I visit an important historical spot I try to envision the actual occurrence legitimizing the site. It is, in a way, moving to channel an ancient coronation that underlay a human, cultural movement having, ultimately, such impact on the world. English/Scottish culture, sparked in no small way by the event that occurred at this stone where I am standing, spawned so much...Shakespeare, the industrial revolution, The Raj, even the American Founders who resisted the oft heavy handed way of the Crown.
And what of James I's mom, Mary Queen of Scots? How strange it seems that an infant can be taken from a mother's possession and crowned King as she is kicked out of the job herself...and out of her son's life.
Following her ouster, Mary Queen of Scots repaired to England to seek comfort from her cousin English Queen, Elizabeth I. Since Mary was in line two or three times removed to succeed to the English throne, Elizabeth I never trusted Mary. Elizabeth held Mary more or less under house arrest for fifteen or so years, after which she decided Mary was too much of a bother and had her beheaded.
Speaking of Mary Queen of Scot's beheading, Hoops and I were discussing the violent nature of Europe in the Middle Ages. William Wallace, after finally being defeated by English King Edward I, at Falkirk in 1298 was subjected to a horrific execution...hanging and being drawn and quartered.
Included herewith is the Wikepedia description of punishments in medieval England:
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1352 a statutory penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reign of King Henry III (1216–1272). A convicted traitor was fastened to a hurdle, or wooden panel, and drawn by horse to the place of execution, where he was then hanged (almost to the point of death), emasculated, disemboweled, beheaded, and quartered (chopped into four pieces). The traitor's remains were often displayed in prominent places across the country, such as London Bridge. For reasons of public decency, women convicted of high treason were instead burned at the stake.
The severity of the sentence was measured against the seriousness of the crime. As an attack on the monarch's authority, high treason was considered a deplorable act demanding the most extreme form of punishment. Although some convicts had their sentences modified and suffered a less ignominious end, over a period of several hundred years many men found guilty of high treason were subjected to the law's ultimate sanction. They included many English Catholic priests executed during the Elizabethan era, and several of the regicides involved in the 1649 execution of Charles I.
Although the Act of Parliament defining high treason remains on the United Kingdom's statute books, during a long period of 19th-century legal reform the sentence of hanging, drawing, and quartering was changed to drawing, hanging until dead, and posthumous beheading and quartering, before being abolished in England in 1870. The death penalty for treason was abolished in 1998.
Cruel medieval punishment is one thing. Considering Europe's penchant for mass violence occurring frequently, even up to the dawn of the Twenty First Century, it is sobering to realize that even today there remains but a thin line between order and chaos.
Above: Stirling Castle. Stirling, Scotland. 27 September 2019.
Out and about in Stirling.
Brexit update.
It continues to be interesting to watch Brexit machinations up close. Five or six of our driver/guides have been very helpful in giving their own points of view on British and Scottish politics. They don't all think exactly the same way.
Conventional wisdom suggests the British government is in a state of collapse.
Boris Johnson's gambit to prorogue Parliament came a cropper earlier this week, shot down by the Supremes. By proroguing Parliament, BJ had hoped to suppress "Remainer" oriented pols maneuvering to engineer yet another extension of the Brexit deadline beyond 31 October.
Johnson has also lost his tiny Parliamentary majority through resignations and expulsions from the party.
Johnson has even failed, in two separate bids, to topple his own government so as to require a new election enabling, he hopes, a strengthened Tory government. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, fearing Johnson might be right, blocked a new election.
Johnson is further stymied (or is he?) by the Benn Act. Parliamentarians, fearing Johnson would follow through on delivering a "hard Brexit" by 31 October, stipulated that if Johnson had not had a Parliament sign-off on a Brexit Deal by 19 October, he must appeal for another delay in Brexit completion timing to the EU. The cynical view of this maneuver is that the longer a Brexit is postponed, the more Brits will tire of the agonizing politics and that some deus ex machina will nudge the whole situation, imperceptibly back into status quo ante... ie. "Remain."
Surprisingly to some (not to me), after receiving the adverse Supreme Court decision on his proroguing gambit, rather than resigning his position as PM, Boris Johnson returned to Parliament with fighting spirit, maintaining (augmenting!) his commitment to seal a Brexit deal by 31 October 2019.
Parliament seems stymied. The proroguing reversal doesn't seem to matter so much as Johnson's parliamentary opposition is in disarray. The opposition has a majority, but they can't decide on a course of action to reign in Johnson momentum.
The public is getting restive with increasing calls for a parliamentary election. This, of course, plays to Johnson's own desire for a "put up or shut up" election.
"Remainer" pols, including retired Tory Prime Minister, John Major (the Mitt Romney of Britain), are now fretting that Johnson may find a loophole to bypass the Benn Act.
The clock is ticking. Johnson, despite his minority government is energized. The majority in Parliament are panicked... in disarray. Go figure.
Stay tuned. Will Johnson "break the law," reject the Benn Act, and cut a hard Brexit deal with Brussels? Cummon... he can figure out the Irish border, what?
Above: Bagpipes. Greenock Cruise Terminal, Clyde River. Scotland. 27 September 2019.
Out and about in Glasgow.
Bagpipe band plays for departing Seabourn Ovation cruise liner.
Thrilling.
Ship's departure performance evokes for me the pipe band role in British military campaigns over the years. OK. I learned this from the movies. The pipes struck fear into UK enemies at Lucknow, Ladysmith, Balaclava, Khartoum, Khyber Pass, Damascus, and Messina..
Today, bagpipes, among many others...whisky?...are a cultural binder for Scotland. A country energized by its cultural attributes will grow and prosper. A country with diminishing cultural markers - like most EU countries today - will atrophy.
Pipes bind Scots of their unique heritage. No wonder many Scots desire independence from the United Kingdom AND from the EU. Why cast your lot with culturally disintegrating Britain or the power grabbing, freedom sucking, EU blob...which, culturally, stands for what, exactly?
So, bagpipes yes. Whisky yes. Scot national culture yes. Hyper regulation and cultural disintegration from either EU or Britain, no!!!!
— at Greenock Cruise Terminal Scotland.
Addendum:
Outlander fans?
Academy Theater,
Salt Lake City, UT
Watched four episodes and then dropped it. We'll resume it. Sending diaries out of synch. There is a lot about our trip and my to-be-sent reports that connects to "Outlander."
Name dropper!!!! 🤣. Just kidding, great coverage of your interesting trip. Pull an extra bottle out of the open case 👍🏻
Mezzanine,
Miami, FL
Above: "Sewing the Sail." Joaquin Sorolla. National Gallery of Ireland. Dublin. 28 September 2019.
Fantastic Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida Exhibit.
Great paintings of his children and outdoor scenes in and around Valencia, Sorolla's home town.
Here "Sewing the Sail."
Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (27 February 1863 – 10 August 1923) was a Spanish painter. Sorolla excelled in the painting of portraits, landscapes and monumental works of social and historical themes. His most typical works are characterized by a dexterous representation of the people and landscape under the bright sunlight of his native land and sunlit water. — attending Pop-up Talk: Sorolla's Parks, Gardens & Landscapes with Margaret Taylor at National Gallery of Ireland
Above: "A Group of Cavalry in the Snow." Ernest Meissonier. National Gallery of Ireland. Dublin. 28 September 2019.
Outside of the fabulous Sorolla exhibit, here was my favorite at The National Gallery of Ireland:
"A Group of Cavalry in the Snow" by Meissonier.
Napoleon generals Moreau and Dessoles overlook Hohenlinden before mounting an attack on the Austrians in 1814.
Oil. Painted in 1875.
Jean-Louis Ernest Meissonier 21 February 1815 – 31 January 1891) was a French Classicist painter and sculptor famous for his depictions of Napoleon, his armies and military themes. He documented sieges and manoeuvers and was the teacher of Édouard Detaille.
National Gallery of Ireland has very ample collection of French impressionists, English and Irish artists. — with Margaret Taylor at National Gallery of Ireland.
Above: "Mass in a Connemara Cabin." Aloysius O'Kelly. National Gallery of Ireland. Dublin. 28 September 2019.
Aloysius O'Kelly (3 July 1853 in Dublin – 12 January 1936) was an Irish painter.
My favorite Irish painting in this fabulous gallery.
With the ascendency of Protestant King James VI to the English and Irish thrones in 1603, laws circumscribing the activities of Catholics in Ireland became more restrictive.
Among others, Catholics had to pay fines for non-attendance at Protestant services. Catholic services, however, were tacitly tolerated as long as they were held in private.
This poignant painting of persecuted, pious, parishioners is a vivid reminder of the lengths to which people will go to persecute and exclude on the one hand, and to sacrifice and endure for principles on the other.
The priest is young, yet the people respect his authority as an agent of the heavens...even in the confines of a cozy, Connemara cabin.
Perhaps this young priest eventually immigrated to the US along with thousands of Irishmen during the potato famine. Irish provenance priests were de rigeur in American Catholic congregations throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
As religious devotion wanes in the US and Ireland, local priests, not to mention Irish priests are in short supply. The American Catholic Church has begun to source priests from areas where Catholicism is vibrant...Africa for example.
But, I digress. I love this painting. — with Margaret Taylor at National Gallery of Ireland.
Addendum:
You will want to read Diana Gabaldon's entire Outlander series now that you have visited many of the places and learned more history. Although well done, the Starz version is a very brief summary. Even for you, Steve, some of the 900 page books would take you some time.
Academy Theater,
Salt Lake City, UT
Another sunny day in Scotland 👻 just finished watching a movie about Mary, She made several very poor choices of gentlemen just couldn’t get “Ahead” of the game of life. Hope you’re enjoying several different taste of 🥃- Enjoy
Markco,
Somewhere in Scotland (Oxnard, CA)
You forgot to mention the single most important impediment to Brexit: Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement, and the Irish Border! And the fact that the Good Friday Agreement is a Peace Agreement, just as the European Union is, likewise, a Peace Agreement. And, to clarify further, the United Kingdom has not existed since 1921 when they lost most of Ireland (26 out of the 32 counties) so it is only Great Britain and the 6 counties of Northern Ireland. Without those remaining 6 counties there would be no United Kingdom. Demographics in Northern Ireland are changing and a resultant border pole (guaranteed under the Good Friday agreement) will inevitably lead to the UK's loss of those 6 counties. Which leaves the UK with three remaining countries: England, Scotland, and Wales. And Scotland will surely seek a other independence referendum. Besides Scotland and Northern Ireland both voted to remain in the European Union.
James Joyce
Connemara, Ireland
You are right. I should have mentioned it explicitly like you point out. I didn't ignore the point, though.... voire the final sentence in my update: " Cummon... he can figure out the Irish border, what?" True... that's short shrift. A week or so ago, before Boris went to New York, he and Junker met in Brussels (?). The upshot of that meeting was that Junker did not reject out of hand some simple (make-shift) recommendations Boris had about the Irish border. To presume the Good Friday agreement is no longer an issue is too bold, but, then, it may not be as much of an impediment to a "hard Brexit" as you imply.
So, in addition to the English language, we have inherited political disorder from the British?
Ahn Rhee,
Larkspur, CA
Great report. Many thanks!
Daggett Pol
Park City, UT
Above: Patrick Gilbeaud Restaurant. Dublin, Ireland. 28 September 2019.
Last night.
Michelin deux rosettes.
Eatin' good in the neighborhood.
Thank you millennials for this apex dining experience!
Keep those direct transfer Social Security payments coming. Your eleemosynary proclivities, despite your own personal struggles...student debt, minimum wage, yada, is unbelievable. That you are unlikely to receive future benefits from your ongoing SSS contributions makes your current sacrifice to prop up our geezer lifestyle all the more incredible.
In any case, it is good living at the apex!
It's just not right! Hey, look! Don't blame me! I'd shut it (SSS) down immediately! Ponzis are illegal. So, why is pinzi-like SSS allowed to continue its peculiarly puzzling pernicious practice? It's like a reverse Robin Hood. The US government takes from the poor - you - and gives to us geezers so we can enjoy the good life.
Don't tell me it's my money because I helped fund the system. Lyndon Johnson took my money and squandered it on the Great Society. He left a note...that's all. Money's gone. How to keep paying the geezers? I've got it! Let's make the millennials pay for it!
I say, help millennials! Kill SSS! Grandfather all SSS participants born 12 August 1945 or before.
I read a piece today where millennials believe they will die before they can stop working. Unless some deus ex machina swoops down from the heavens, they are right. It's hard to understand why millennials don't do something to take this yoke off their shoulders. Worse, politically, most millennials align with left oriented political movements, which movements support continuation of the pernicious SSS monster dragging them down.
Go figure.
Meanwhile, carpe diem! Deux rosettes...et plus! Thank-you millennials!!!
Above: St. Theresa's Church (Catholic). Dublin, Ireland 29 September 2019.
Out and about in Dublin.
High Mass.
Choir/organ/liturgy at highest level.
Luke 16: 19 to 31. Parable of rich man and Lazarus. Help the less fortunate. In the next life there is no chance for redemption from sins on this life. — at St. Teresa's Church Claredon Street Dublin 2.
Above: Grafton Street. Out and about in Dublin. 29 September 2019.
Out and about in Dublin.