Category: Travel

While in Cornwall, Mom and I had visited Land’s End, the southernmost point on the British mainland. It was a very foggy day, so we didn’t see much. Twelve years later, my friend, Tommie, and I were at Dunnet Head, the northernmost point on the British mainland. As you will see in the photo, a storm was coming in with lots of wind and rain and very low visibility. So much for great scenic locations.

From Dunnet Head, we were driven to John O’Groats, from where we were taking a passenger-only ferry to Orkney. A different bus and driver were waiting for us there. But first, we needed to cross the Pentland Firth. The body of water that separates Orkney from mainland Scotland is where the North Sea meets the Atlantic. They don’t play well together. In fact, in the best of weather, they tend to fight. In poor weather, the ferries can sometimes be shut down due to the danger of what is called a “confusion of seas”. Our Tour Director, John, likened it to the film “The Perfect Storm”. Good thing I don’t get seasick. There were a few extremely pale faces and very wide eyes on the ferry. It was quite a ride.

When we arrived at Burwick, we were immediately taken to a cozy little café where we received a very tasty homestyle meal. With very satisfied stomachs, we drove around a body of water called Scappa Flow to the Italian Chapel built by prisoners of war in 1943.

Roughly 1,000 years ago, Vikings used to anchor their ships at Scapa Flow. During World Wars I & II, it was used as a naval base. The Germans chose to scuttle their fleet when it was captured and interned at Scapa Flow during WWI. The wrecks of the ships can still be seen jutting out of the water.

The prisoners of war who built the Italian Chapel were building the Churchill Barriers, which are causeways linking some of the southern islands of Orkney to the main island and blocking access to Scapa Flow. They joined together two Quonset huts and then decorated the church with materials at hand. They did a beautiful job.

Stonehenge dates to about 3000 BC. But the Neolithic Standing Stones of Stenness on Orkney is thought to possibly be the oldest henge site in all of the British Isles (3100 BC). A short distance away is the Ring of Brodgar, which was thought to have been erected roughly 2500 BC. By the time we reached the Ring of Brodgar (in which people can walk around and even touch the stones), it was raining horizontally. Orkney doesn’t have a lot of trees on a good share of its islands, so the wind can barrel its way across quite easily, bringing the rain with it. I hid behind one of the stones to photograph the others. I also wiped out my video camera to show that the rain was horizontal. Maeshowe, a burial mound built about 2800 BC, can be seen from the Ring of Brodgar.

When I was in Egypt, I encountered some very old structures, but Skara Brae, a Neolithic village on Orkney, is older than the pyramids or anything else I saw in Egypt. A cluster of stone and earth houses, Skara Brae was unearthed by a storm in 1850. It was occupied roughly from 3180 BC to about 2500 BC. A couple of the houses still have furnishings – beds, cupboards, dressers, seats and storage benches – all made of stone. It appears that the inhabitants were taken by surprise and fled, leaving some of their personal belongings behind.

Just steps from Skara Brae is Skaill House. The oldest parts of the house are thought to date back to the 15^th century, but the majority of the building dates to the 17^th century. Some of the house was inadvertently built over an ancient pre-Pictish burial ground. Several Pictish burial mounds are scattered around the area as well. Some of the house is rented out for people on holiday (vacation). There have been several stories about possible hauntings in parts of the house.

I had a very odd experience while there. It had begun to rain again while I was walking around Skara Brae, photographing and filming. By the time I was headed over to Skaill House to tour it, the rain was coming down quite hard. When looking at the house, there is an archway to the right of the building that actually predates the house itself. When I passed through the arch to go to the entrance, the rain stopped. I turned around and looked back through the arch to see that it was still raining on the other side. Ooooweeeooo! The place does have a very odd, mysterious, spooky vibe to it.

Once again, no photography was allowed inside. We could tour the main building and the kitchens, but not the wings. It is fairly large and spread out. In the library was a large, low, round window in a very thick wall. Sort of an unusual choice, I thought. I used Skaill House as a setting for a novel (that needs a rewrite) because it is so sprawling and foreboding on the outside, but quite pleasant and comfortable inside. Except for the ghosts.

Back in Orkney’s main city, Kirkwall (which is one of the few parts of Orkney with trees), is the 900 year old St Magnus Cathedral. It was built by Earl Rognvold of Orkney to commemorate his uncle, St Magnus. It even has its own dungeon.

Magnus was killed with an axe to the head and is always depicted with an axe. I don’t know that I’d like to be depicted for all eternity with a symbol of what killed me. But that seems to be the way they did things back then. When Rognvold had the cathedral constructed, he had Magnus’ bones interred in it. Nobody knew where they were until 1917 when they were found inside of a hidden cavity in a column. The skull clearly had what looked like an axe wound. There is now a statue of Magnus next to the column where he was discovered.

The ferry ride back to mainland Scotland was even rougher than on the way over. A very choppy ride. We headed back down to Wick for a second night and left for the Isle of Skye the following day.

During the 2009 tour to the Highlands & Islands of Scotland, we made a visit to the Culloden Battlefield. Mom and I had been there several times on prior trips. On the most recent in 2005, I had contributed a small amount to the new visitor center that was being built back then and was completed in 2008. It is a really great visitor center. One of my favorite sections was a film where you stand in the center of a round room and the battle takes place all around you. There is no narration, just the battle itself. You feel as if you are in the middle of it and it is very moving.

The battlefield had been restored as well. It was easy to see the burial mounds and stone markers had been added to indicate which clans were buried in which mounds. There were GPS devices to carry with you that would tell you about whatever part of the battlefield you were on. We had a pretty good amount of time there to explore. What a difference from the first time I was there when there wasn’t much to see and it took a lot of imagination. This is one reason why it can be a good thing to return to someplace you have been before. It can be a very different experience.

At the end of our time there, I took a few moments to see if I could find my name on the ceiling. Although the amount I had contributed was not enormous, it was enough to get my name on the ceiling. The names weren’t in alphabetical order (probably in the order of the donation) and there were a lot of them, so I didn’t find it. But I know it’s there.

Our next visit for the day was Cawdor Castle, built in the 1300s around a thorn tree, which is still there in the center of the lower level of the original tower. Although Shakespeare refers to Macbeth in his play as “Thane of Cawdor”, the real Macbeth never had that title. The castle didn’t yet exist in his day either. The real Macbeth had a castle near Inverness, which no longer exists. He also didn’t murder King Duncan. Duncan was killed in battle against Macbeth. Later, Macbeth was killed in battle against Duncan’s son, Malcolm.

No photography was allowed inside of the castle (which is still privately owned and lived in). I loved this castle. Its rooms were not as vast as in royal castles – much more homey and cozy. It also has beautiful gardens and a very nice gift shop. The area behind the castle was quite woodsy and pretty, with a lovely stream running through it.

We went back into Inverness for lunch and a mostly free afternoon. Tommie and a couple others in our group and I had a good time wandering around the town’s narrow streets. Then we had a late afternoon boat ride on Loch Ness. I tend not to turn down boat rides. I love to be out on the water. Loch Ness can be a very interesting lake to venture out on. It is one of the deepest lakes in the world – certainly the deepest in the UK. When calm, it can be like glass. When choppy, it can get fairly rough. There is a lot of peat in the water, so it tends to look rather black with very poor visibility. The rolling waves in the wake of a boat can resemble the humps of a serpent.

We spent another night in Inverness and then headed up past the Black Isle to Sutherland where we stopped at Dunrobin Castle. The original castle was built in 1401, but was greatly enlarged (to 189 rooms) and remodeled between 1835 and 1850. The present building looks more like a French chateau than a Scottish baronial castle. Even though it is no longer privately owned or lived in, photos weren’t allowed inside there either. The size and grandeur of the castle made it less appealing to me than Cawdor had been. I could imagine myself living in Cawdor, but not Dunrobin. It was gorgeous and the gardens magnificent, however. We were able to wander through the rooms at our leisure and walk around in the gardens as much as we liked.

The castle overlooks the North Sea. Down by the Seagate is a Falconry. At various times during the day, they put on a show with hawks, falcons, eagles (one blue and one golden), and some owls. We were there with plenty of time to see a show. Since I had a video camera, the falconer had me point it at the eagle owl he had with him and then had the owl fly right by me, just skimming over my head (I felt the air as he went by). It was thrilling and looks fantastic on the video.

Throughout the trip, our Tour Director, John, had been saying, “Gird your loins for Wick.” When we arrived in Wick that evening, our hotel was small, without phones or TVs or fridges in the rooms or a restaurant (we were given a private dinner in a dining room area). I think he had been concerned that we might find it rather primitive after the more luxurious accommodations we had elsewhere on the trip. But it had good beds, electricity, and ensuite bathrooms. What more could you need for just one night?

After arrival, we immediately set off for the Castle of Mey. The Queen Mother had purchased the castle back in 1952, shortly after her husband, King George VI died. Built in the 1500s by the Sinclair family, it is a fairly small castle with 37 rooms. It was derelict when purchased, but was successfully turned into a lovely and cozy home. We were shown around the castle by one of the Queen Mother’s household staff. This was fantastic because they had actually known her and could tell endearing stories about her.

One story was that the Queen Mother kept a stuffed Nessie (Loch Ness Monster) on the top edge of one of the tapestries in the room where guests would be received. This was used as an ice-breaker to put first-time guests at ease when she would ask if they liked her Nessie. In one of the other rooms, she had a stuffed toy deer head instead of the usual trophy of a real deer. The room where Princess Margaret often stayed was supposedly haunted. The ghost didn’t seem to bother the Princess too often, but would make their presence known when she wasn’t there. Perhaps they missed her.

The castle also has a beautiful walled garden where both flowering plants and fruits and vegetables are grown. There is a bench in the garden where the Queen Mother liked to sit and contemplate life.

On our way back to Wick, we visited the church the Queen Mother attended when at Mey — Canisbay Church. They had her chair roped off. It was fascinating walking around in the surrounding cemetery and looking at the old tombstones.

That night, Wick was celebrating a festival to honor Henry Sinclair, who was said to have sailed to North America nearly 100 years before Columbus. They had a big torchlight parade through the streets, culminating in the burning of a Viking ship in the bay. This part is due to the town’s Norse heritage.

Next time – we cross the Pentland Firth to the otherworldly Orkney.

In 2009, my friend Tommie (who I have known since we were in high school) and I decided we should go to Scotland together. We are both of Scottish ancestry. She still lives in Texas and I have lived away from Texas (NYC and Minneapolis) for several years. So we got on a conference call with the tour company I used the most at that time, and booked the best, most thorough, tour of Scotland I had experienced up to that point – Scottish Highlands and Islands.

On the plane from Chicago to Heathrow, I sat next to a couple from Seattle. The wife had been three years old towards the end of World War II when her family fled northern Germany for Dusseldorf as the Allies were coming in. Their part of Germany was being taken over by the Soviets. A couple rows behind us was a man from Easy Company (“Band of Brothers”). I didn’t catch the name, but we all applauded him.

Tommie got into Glasgow about an hour later than I did and we met up at the hotel. Mom and I had stayed in that same hotel on a previous trip, so I remembered the area pretty well. We took a walk up to Sauchiehall Street and had lavender tea with treacle scones, jelly and clotted cream upstairs at Bradford’s Tea Room. A very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

That evening, we met the rest of the group. Our tour director was named John – a very smart, funny, interesting man. He knew a previous tour director that Mom and I had just a few years earlier (Matthew) and claimed that he was “barking mad”. I felt that it took one to know one. He was pretty darn eccentric himself. Our driver was Alistair, who Mom and I had on an earlier trip. A very nice man and a great driver. We had 44 people on this trip – 20 from the US and 24 from other places (Canada, Australia and New Zealand).

Our first stop the next morning when we actually began the tour was at Alloway. This was the birthplace of Robert Burns. He was born in a small cottage, which we toured, in 1759. I might have mentioned in an earlier blog that some people in Scotland can speak three languages – English, Scots Gaelic, and Scots (which is a mixture of old English and bits of Scots Gaelic). Burns wrote his poetry in Scots. If you don’t think you are familiar with him, he wrote the lyrics for “Auld Lang Syne” which is sung by most of the world on New Year’s Eve (called Hogmanay in Scotland).

After lunch in Gretna Green (which I had visited before), we dipped down into England to visit Carlisle. The castle there was built in the 1100s, using some of the stones from Hadrian’s Wall (which wasn’t protected then as it is now). Carlisle Castle was a military post from the 1100s all the way until 1959, making it the longest running military installation in the world. Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned there for a while in 1567. They tended to move her around a lot.

After the Battle of Culloden in 1746, which was the final battle of the Jacobite Uprising to place Bonnie Prince Charlie on the throne of Great Britain, several Scottish prisoners were held there in the Keep. The song, “Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond” was composed by one of those prisoners who was condemned to death. The “high road” is over land (alive), while the “low road” is in death. Our group spent a little time sitting in the cell, silently and in the dark, where these men were held.

Our hotel for the night was a very old building with a cozy old pub with settles. A settle is a wooden bench, with arms and a high back, which can usually accommodate from two to four people. It is often set near a fireplace to help keep the heat in that space. I find them very cozy. The bartender introduced me to a drink called “Pimms & Lemonade”. Pimms is a citrus-flavored liquor with spices. English lemonade is a clear, lemon-flavored soft drink. What we call “lemonade” in the US is “lemon squash” in the UK.

The following day was my first introduction to Hadrian’s Wall. I had read about it and gone by it before. But this was my first chance to get up close and even be able to get up on top of part of it. The wall stretches across a narrow portion of England for 73 miles (originally 80) and was begun in 122AD. The stone portions of the wall originally ranged from 16 to 20 feet in height and could be as wide as 10 feet. It was a pretty formidable wall. Some of the remains still are.

At the time it was built, the main people to the north of it were the Picts. This was considered to be an unconquerable group. They tended to paint themselves blue, had a lot of tattoos, and would strip naked when they went into battle, screaming at the top of their lungs. The Romans decided not to deal with them and just put up a wall instead of trying to rule them from scattered forts. The wall is fully in England and has never been on the Scottish border. At the time, Scotland as a country, didn’t yet exist and the Scots themselves were not yet in the area.

Cawfields Milecastle is the part of the wall we visited. It is next to a quarry and can be walked upon. Most of the wall cannot be walked on, but some portions are designated as being strong enough to handle all of us tromping all over it. It was raining when we arrived and the ground was muddy. But we slogged our way through to get to it and spent some time walking gingerly on it and taking photos of it. It was slippery. After getting back on the tour coach, we continued to drive along as close to the wall as we could as we traveled east. At one point, we could see Housesteads Fort way up on a very steep piece of land. I would finally visit that part of the wall in 2016.

We arrived at Jedburgh at lunchtime. Tommie and I decided that we would dash over to the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey and explore them, then grab some lunch to take onto the coach (if we didn’t finish it before we got on). The abbey had been built in the 12^th century. After William Wallace’s victory at Stirling Bridge, the English sacked the abbey in retribution. The Scottish Reformation in the 16^th century spelled the end of the abbey although the monks were allowed to live there until the abbey was essentially condemned in the middle 1800s. We were more interested in seeing the abbey than sitting and having a real meal. We knew we would be having a very good dinner that evening, so a sandwich for lunch on the run was fine. We actually did pretty well on time and were done with our sandwiches before we got back on the coach.

At Abbotsford House, we were the last group to be allowed in as Princess Anne was expected. Abbotsford was the home of Sir Walter Scott after he became rich and famous. We could visit the entrance hall, Scott’s study, the library, the drawing room, the armory, the dining room, and the chapel. Photography was not allowed indoors other than in the very small and plain chapel. We were told that when he became ill with typhus, Scott was set up in the dining room instead of his bedroom. He died in the dining room. We had time to spend out in the garden as well before we needed to pile back onto the tour coach.

At Edinburgh, we checked into our hotel, which was the George — the same hotel where Mom and I had stayed the last time we visited Edinburgh. It had changed owners and had been completely redecorated. Gone was the old-fashioned Victorian décor in favor of a more modern style. I preferred the Victorian. Tommie and I were housed on an upper floor in the newer wing and could see Edinburgh Castle in one direction and the Firth of Forth in the other. We got ourselves prepared for the next day and dressed up a bit for our optional tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia followed by dinner at the Balmoral Hotel.

The Royal Yacht was built in 1953 and was decommissioned roughly 40 years later in 1997. It was a private and stylish way for the royal family to travel around the world when making state visits or taking the family on vacation. It was also built to double as a hospital ship when needed. It is docked in Leith Harbor next to a shopping mall.

Next time, Tommie and I take a bus to Rosslyn Chapel on our free afternoon to explore the chapel, its Templar legends and connection to “The DaVinci Code”.

Growing up I had seen numerous black and white movies on TV about vampires, werewolves, etcetera, set in Transylvania. I had read Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula as a teenager in Dallas. When I lived in NYC, I saw an off-off-Broadway version of the play Dracula, as well as the stunning Broadway version with a young Frank Langella playing such a sexy edition of the blood sucker that nearly every woman in the audience was willing to succumb to this charms. In recent years just about every paranormal investigation group on TV has traveled to Transylvania to explore whether vampires or werewolves actually exist or to set their equipment up at Rasnov Fortress (both groups who I saw investigate there had pretty frightening experiences), Poenari Castle, or Bran Castle and see what they could capture. I was very interested in finding out whether or not Transylvania was as foreboding and spooky as its reputation.

Transylvania has seen Dacians, Romans, Carpi, Visigoths, Huns, Gepids, Avars, Slavs, Vlachs, and Magyars from the 1^st century BC to the 9^th century AD. All of those groups have left their mark – especially the Dacians, Vlachs, and Magyars.

When Mom and I went on the Central Europe tour, we had been told that people in Eastern Europe tended not to smile much and can be very standoffish. With all of the wars, invasions, and such they have experienced throughout the centuries, I can’t say I blame them. I was glad that Transylvania was not the first Eastern European region that I visited or I might have been a trifle unnerved by the rather dour expressions on most people’s faces. But I was used to it and found it no different than any other former Soviet country.

Our first stop in Transylvania was the mountain resort town of Sinaia. Just outside of the monastery we were visiting was a very large, lovely house for sale. Sue, Dot, Barbara and I discussed how we should go in on it together for a vacation home. We also enjoyed the fact that the real estate agency was Remax – there in the Carpathian Mountains.

The Monastery was founded in 1695 and named after the monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt. The relatively small monastery consists of two courtyards with a church in each and living quarters for the monks in the surrounding buildings. At the time it was built, it was the only structure in the area. A small town grew up next door, which was named after the monastery. Then, in the late 1800s, King Carl I of Romania, built Peleş (pronounced Pelish) Castle as a summer palace.

At Peleş Castle, we were able to purchase a ticket to allow photography and another to allow video. I did both and was glad I did. It is absolutely gorgeous inside (of course I have never met a castle I didn’t like). I have included just a couple of the interior photos I took here. Next door is another smaller castle built about a decade later called Pelişor Castle. It was also built by Carl I to house his nephew (who would be his successor).

After visiting Peleş, we had a lunch break. Sue, Dot, Barbara and I went to a small, family-owned hotel where we sat out on a terrace and had a white bean sour cream with bacon soup and some crusty bread with butter. After leaving Sinaia to head for Brasov, we encountered stormy weather in the Carpathian Mountains. By the time we reached Brasov, it was raining quite heavily.

Evidence of human inhabitation in Brasov exists as far back as 9500 BC. When it became a city, it was largely the Transylvanian Saxons who were involved in settling what is now the 7^th largest city in Romania. Zsuzsa’s Hungarian family lives in and around Brasov and has been there for over four hundred years.

Not too long after we arrived, I gave my brother, Dean, a call. It was his birthday. During the call I told him that I was in Transylvania, during a thunderstorm, in a room with a balcony and French doors. He asked if I had a crucifix. I answered that I had a new one from Rila Monastery and planned to have something with garlic for dinner. He thought that was a good idea. He also felt I should make certain that the French doors were securely locked.

We had an included dinner that night at a medieval fortress (up on a mountain) from 1580, replacing an earlier building that burned down. Members of the Brasov Symphony Orchestra played during dinner. It was very nice. Good food. By the time we were returning to our hotel, the storm was over.

They always say, “Write what you know.” Bram Stoker completely ignored that advice. He had never been to Transylvania in his life. He had heard of Vlad Dracula, liked the name, and turned a Prince of Wallachia into a Transylvanian Count. The castle? The location Stoker describes is in the northeastern part of Transylvania, near Moldavia. The description of the castle itself fits best with Bran Castle. Vlad was held prisoner in Bran Castle for a couple of months in 1462, but he never owned it. The castle has been nicknamed “Dracula’s Castle” and is marketed as such for the tourists.

Even so, it is a fascinating castle to see as it is roughly the right period (built just a hundred years before Vlad was held prisoner there) and gives a great idea of a Transylvanian Castle of that era. It is intact, furnished, and privately owned. Because of its mountainous location, there is a steep cobbled road to it. Then, you are up and down and up and down and up and down a myriad of stairs inside to get to the different rooms on different levels. The rooms are mostly pretty small. There is also a hidden staircase in a wall that we went up. Since I was the last one up, I was able to turn around a get a very good photo of it.

We had some free time once we toured the castle and so had plenty of time to look for interesting souvenirs. I did get a dagger with a handle in the shape of a dragon. I also bought an embroidered table runner.

On the way back to Brasov, we went by Rasnov Fortress. Too bad we didn’t get to stop off there. When we got back to Brasov, Zsuzsa gave us a walking tour of her hometown, including the medieval town walls, the Black Church, and the Old Town Square. The walls were built in the 15^th century. The gothic Black Church was completed in 1476 was named because of the scorched look of the exterior. Something special was going on in the church at the time we were there, so we didn’t get to go inside.

Also known as the Council Square, the Old Town Square has been in existence since the 14^th century. A museum of Brasov exists inside of the Old Council House in the center of the square. We were let loose on the town since there were numerous restaurants in the area to have lunch and we were also in walking distance of our hotel. Sue, Dot, Barbara and I found a very pleasant outdoor café where we had lunch. For some reason (perhaps the combination of a hot day, high altitude, and lots of walking), I was having a bout of dehydration. So, after lunch, the other ladies went to take a cable car up a mountain and I headed back to the hotel, purchasing liquids and some snacks for dinner on my way.

By the next day, I was fine again. We set off for Sighisoara, which is very picturesque, has its medieval walls and clock tower, and is the birthplace of Vlad Dracula. It was settled in the 12^th century, mainly by the Saxons. While Vlad’s dad was in exile from Wallachia and living in Transylvania, Vlad was born. The three story house his father owned in Sighisoara is still in existence and had been turned into a restaurant with a small weapons museum upstairs. It is considered to be the oldest stone house in town.

Not far from the house is the Monastery Church. This building dates back to the 13^th century, so would have been there when Vlad Junior and his family lived there. Just outside of the church is a bust of Vlad Dracula.

An even shorter distance from Casa Vlad Dracul, is the Clock Tower. It was built at the end of the 13^th century and is currently being used as a history museum. The ticket to the museum includes the ability to climb to the top of the tower where there are great views of the entire town, both inside and outside of the medieval citadel.

Within the citadel, the roads are narrow and either cobbled or dirt. The houses are very old and some are painted in bright colors. Around the two main squares (Casa Vlad Dracul is in the second main square) are several small hotels and numerous restaurants. We had our lunch in the main square after wandering the town and climbing up to the top of the clock tower. We had plenty of time for a nice, leisurely lunch. We made that our main meal for the day and had an appetizer, main course and dessert. Afterwards we left for Cluj Napoca, where we spent the night.

Our last stop in Transylvania was for lunch the next day in Oradea. Then we returned to Hungary and Budapest.