My travel experience with Bill has given me a shared connection, something to remember and treasure for the rest of my life. In this Man's opinion, you can't put a price on something that valuable.
"I put my genius into the way I live my life and what is left over into my work" Oscar Wilde
Edinburgh is a great walking city
Most of it's major sites are in a concentrated area
Edinburgh where the pubs open at 10 am and the stores close at 5 pm
People in Scotland are warm and friendly and willing to help
I find the showering systems whenever I travel a challenge
I dislike this rainfall shower system that came from the ceiling, with no nozzle to turn away so water is not too hot
You need to turn on a switch in order to get the outlets to provide power
I LOVED the heated towel racks and will look to put them in my bathroom at home.
Nothing like starting the day with a good shower and shave
Driving on the left and getting in on the right takes A "little" getting use to
I LOVE MY IPAD for traveling. I am by no means an Apple fanatic but I think i am becoming one
I need make sure I am on the side of the bed with the closest outlets for all the gadgets
I miss Sarah and my Pearl
It is great to travel with music
My gadget coat is FANTASTIC. Dollar for dollar, pound for pound, simply, the best coat on the planet
I did not need to pack an extra pair of shoes better to have lighter bag
My non-wheeled bag is LIGHT and GREAT. It will be my main bag for traveling
You can maneuver the bag easier, squeeze it into tight overhead compartments or under the seat
Itunes is wonderful as when Bill is asleep early or I am not asleep ever I can watch movies and TV shows
I like taking care of people, seeing him/her happy
I love when another allows me to design and create a masterpiece of a travel experience
I am VERY good at it
I love to drive but it is stressful under the best of foreign travel
Bill does not hear well and if something is important you need to make sure he's got it
The Haggis I had was a great eating experience
I like the fact that I will try strange things and am willing to step out of my comfort zone
The egg yolks do not seem to have the same amount of running yolk as thie states
I wish I could sleep for a long length of time, just once without being sick, for like 10-12 hours
The more motivated my travel partner is to see and do everything the more I am able to push myself to do more
I LOVE to travel
I have appreciate more than people know their comments about the blog. It has kept me going and challenged my creativity
Bill can go long stretches without eating
I wish I was that way
Bill is very healthy
I hope I am able to live as long and have his energy
Bill tried kippers today and liked it
I need to get Bill to be more Italian and care about his hair
When did I get so much grey in my hair
Bill is a hell of a travel partner
I need to unpack everything when I get to a room
Bill lives out of his suitcase never unpacking
Bill is a neat, organizer and good packer
I love to take photos
I still hate the way I look in them
The Stone Circles experience was better than I expected
Traveling is learning about yourself as much as it is learning about where you are going
I love maps and could care less for GPS and this is from a gadget guy
I am very good at finding my way
I never feel lost just not where I want to be
I really enjoyed the blogging and thank all for the support to continue
I need to learn to use Skype better
Calling when traveling is not always easy and sometimes downright annoying
I love to travel in first class
I wish that I were more of a budget traveler
I think budget but travel well, maybe there is some strange balance at work
I love finding just the right place to stay
It is great to have an appreciative travel partner
Scotland is a fantastic country where in this month it rained a lot but never hard or long
I have the need for more coffee here with being tired and all, especially double expressos when driving
I still don't like malt Whiskey
I love a glass of wine at the end of the night, especially when I am blogging
It is nice to see Bill has so many people who care about him
I miss my mom, my aunt, dad and Fran, my Harley/Daytop buddy and best friend Mikey I thought about you all with Bill
I am looking forward to a life of more traveling
I would enjoy taking another trip with Bill, but except for Avebury outside of London, I am out of the Stone Circles business.
I love walking around ruined castles better than visiting the inside of great castles
It never/rarely gets old for me visiting Cathedrals and castles
I like my camera, you can turn the screen around and take self portraits and it is RED which stands out when packing
Gas is really expensive here
I wish I could sleep like Bill
It is both fulfilling and challenging to have someone to take care of
After a while, even I get tired of castles and ruins and need civilization like London where stores stay open late, cafe sitting is an art form and there is Theatre
It is getting to the point where it is annoying when a hotel does not have Wi-Fi in the room
I find that the biggest cost in my traveling is where I stay, eating anywhere is fine by me. Transportation cost are what they are and can not be budgeted less. The same with sightseeing.
It is nice that more places seem to make museums free
So if I want to budget more I need to stay in less expensive, more reasonable, cheaper places. You pick the adjective that makes you feel best
I brought my military time watch and Scotland uses time as we do in the States, on a 12 hour schedule. Who knew
I love talking to people when I travel. I guess I am more social than I thought.
I love to drive and have driven through Italy, Germany, France, Netherlands and now the United Kingdom. However, unless it is for a few days only, I do not wish to take long driving trips in a foreign country any longer. I prefer train travel from place to place, less stress on me and my aging body. The long stretches of driving make me exhausted.
Scotland still has the honor system where you pump your gas first than pay, that was nice to see
And when you check into a hotel, they are not so concerned about getting your credit card information beforehand
The weather is something I will remember, it could be raining hard for 5 minutes than 5 minutes later it is sunny
It is not always easy to get twin bed rooms. There are always plenty of doubles, even some singles, so a few times we had to over pay and get a family room. That makes traveling on the fly even more challenging
There are so many fewer gas stations on the road in Scotland
I do not think there is a straight road in all of Scotland
I tried Porridge and liked it but it seems similar to oatmeal
Glasgow is an unattractive city with a wonderful Tiki Bar
I was surprised that Scottish food was so good
And that the country had such a variety of lakes, mountains, costars road, good food, and scenic drives
Traveling with another guy is different for me that with a woman. With another guy, if the room or the hotel is not up to par, it is not as important and feel it doesn't matter, we will deal with it. When I travel with a female, I take on more of the concerns and responsibilities of her being happy, content and ok with hotel/travel choices. This could just be me and not the reality of the women with which I travel. I would love other women who read this to give me some of their thoughts.
It is said that in the Muslim world that if a stranger shows up on your door step, be kind to him for Allah has sent him.
The Ancient Rite of Hospitality was practiced throughout parts of the world where even if you were an enemy and you wandered into a town you could claim this rite and be given a bed, meal and safe passage.
Along those lines, I want to give a shout out to the people we have met on this journey. They will have no idea as they know nothing about the blog but their friendliness, good conversation and random acts of kindness are remembered and not in vain.
THANK YOU ALL!
Starting from Edinburgh:
Ross the owner, chef and fun loving guy at the B&B 23 Mayfield. I shall forever remember your wonderful Haggis.
Mary his mom so efficient and helpful
The couple who gave us a life to the train station to get our car ----Thank You
To the many bus drivers who tolerate our ignorance
Kildrummy:
Franz the owner and chef who prepared our wonderful box lunches. Thank you, you have a fabulous hotel
The couple from From South Florida, the husband originally from NYC and worked in Brooklyn, we met who was so helpful, gave us great advice, friendly conversation----thank you
To the teacher ( and schoolgirls) we ran into at one of the ruins. We enjoy watching what a
fun time you were having going from room to room, checking things off from your school page
To the four chaps we met at Slains Castle and we shared a laugh with on a beautiful day
To the coffee bars girls working and allowing me to pour my own amount of steam milk into my double expresso
Thurso:
The woman who worked at the front deal at the Park Hotel. Thank you for your directions and cheerful nature.
Orkney:
Peter the single gentlemen who we could not understand much of what he said except that he
love a good drink and he was an amazing walker. One day 18 miles. We were to find out later he had recovered from a stroke. I respect the fact you are still in the game and not allowed your
illness, being single stop you from traveling or fill you with self pity. We enjoy sharing meals with you at the bar.
The women who bartender and kept Bill's glass full and his spirits high
Holly, the young waitress who would bring me coffee in the closed bar as I sat and did my blog where I had an Internet connection
To the tall, French waiter (Holly's bow) who was patient and took good care of us with food and drink
The front desk guy and bartender who would open the bar for Bill and I and give a good pour
The two retired gentlemen, who we kept running into on the tourist trail. Real nice guys
The couple from Edinburgh who kept teaching me how to speak Scottish. I am a failed pupil but appreciated your effort.
Byron the night guy at the hotel, one of the few names I remember, in the early early morning as blogged away, The talks we had were fun and a nice diversion.
The retired couple from Colorado I met in the bar. You are real travelers going everywhere by bus and train without a car and who made very little advance plans and did it on the fly. You are an inspiration.
Lock Ness:
Alina the Romanian women who was front desk person, bartender, waitress, cleaner and all around helpful person who got our laundry done for us before we checked out. Her brother both from Translyavania, yes you read it right where Dracula makes his home who said he wanted to open disown hotel there and would email me and Bill to visit. We or at least I will come.
NYC KEY CHAINS:
I travel with lightweight key rings depicting NYC. I usually hand them out to those who have made my trip memorable or in some way provided a random act of kindness.
Ross from 23 Mayfield Edinburgh
Franz from Kildrummy
The South Florida guy who worked in Brooklyn from Kildrummy
Front desk woman at Turso
Holly From Orkney
Byron from Orkney
Madeleine the bartender at the Tiki Bar in Glasgow. Thank you & safe travels to Australia.
My favorite travel quotes:
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'WOW What a Ride!'"
--Unknown
Anyone can find the most expensive places to stay and eat when they travel, but to travel well moderately that is an art.
John Pisano
Traveling should leave you with a slight feeling of discontent for all the things you want to go back and see.
John Pisano
Remember when you pack, the idea of traveling is to leave home behind not take it with you. John Pisano
Traveling is learning about yourself, more than about where you are going.
John Pisano
Never travel like you are not going back
All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” – Paul
No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain
I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” – Charles Dudley Warner
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain
Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” – Benjamin Disraeli
Travel is intensified living. Rick Steves
Happiness is an open road and no set plans. Ziggy
I am never lost when I travel just not where I want to be. John Pisano
“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” – Mohammed
“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” – Susan Heller
“He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de Saint Exupéry
No one comes back from a trip and says I wish I packed more. Rick Steves
“Of the gladdest moments in human life, methinks, is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of Habit, the leaden weight of Routine, the cloak of many Cares and the slavery of Home, one feels once more happy. The blood flows with the fast circulation of childhood …. A journey, in fact, appeals to Imagination, to Memory, to Hope – the three sister graces of our moral being.”
– sir richard francis burton, 1856
"Experience, travel, these are as education in themselves”
EURIPEDES
" A wild longing for strong emotions and sensations seethes in me, a rage against this toneless, flat, normal and sterile life". Herman Heese
" The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles".
Jack Kerouac
Time is the most important commodity in the world, you cannot buy, save or horde it, the only thing you can do is spend it, and how you spend your time will determine the quality of your life.
---John Pisano
We stayed our next to last night at the Inch Hotel, after a cool drive bordering Loch Ness. I never realized how big it is. The Inch hotel is nothing much to talk about, however we did have a good meal. We noticed many of the chefs come from places like India or Bangladesh and spend the season working then go back home to families. Like I said the fish and rest of the food is fresh and well prepared.
The hotel's carpeted stairs are the colors and Tartans of both the Campbells and MacGregors. We were walking on the clans. It has a fantastic view of the lake and mountains as it is on a hill. However, the bathroom did not have a mirror. How can a guy or at least me shave without a mirror. It is old, long in the tooth in some places and our room over priced (as we were lucky to get it) but more than adequate for our purpose. I do not know if I mentioned this before but it is changeling to find hotels that had twin bed room available. The usual are doubles for couples traveling together or a family room and some singles. They do have twin rooms but not many. I had called all over. My only requirement besides 2 beds was Internet availability. I can tell you, it was not easy especially in the smaller towns around loch ness. Anyway, below are some photos.
The lounge
The lounge with working fireplace
The view
I capture a rainbow from the lounge of our hotel.
