It's very difficult to discipline myself to blog while I'm having such a great time. It doesn't help to be utterly exhausted either when we finally get back to the hotel each night. I don't know where to begin. After having a couple of days exploring Edinburgh and sharing a wonderful dinner with a very dear person, John, and his friends Nancy and David, at The Witchery, we felt as though we had already experienced the best of what Scotland has to offer. Our Witchery dinner was perfection and the company made the evening sweep by. After saying our goodbyes and marveling at the fact that even though John lives only 225 miles away from our home in the States, we had to travel to Edinburgh, Scotland to have dinner together, Bob and I walked arm in arm through the brisk night flanked by a full moon. As John was leaving for the Lake District the next morning with Nancy and David and Bob and I were headed to the Isle of Skye the next day as well, we did part knowing that we'd both be in contact again before our journeys in Scotland were at an end.
The Isle of Skye excursion was part of a small Highland Experience Tour program which put us in a small bus/van with 11 other people. It was amazing to see the variety of people who come to this area to vacation. Of all 13 of us, only five were English speakers. There were three people from China, 2 from Switzerland, one from Australia, one from South Korea, and two from Turkey. We all got along so well - no one knew when they were being insulted, nor did anyone complain about any body else. It was a delightful trip as far as fellow trekkers were concerned and the tour afforded us a beautifully diverse cross-section of what Scotland has to offer. I just kept thinking how much my son Eric would love this Country - fishing and hiking is what it's all about and the endless beauty that surrounds you while you do either absolutely takes your breath away. It was a treat to be able to sit and look out the window of our little van just listening to the stories our driver most adeptly relayed while we wound our way through the countryside - Jed had a great sense of humor, typical Scottish dry, subtle wit, plus many wonderful Scottish tales. After three days and two nights on the road, we landed back in Edinburgh in the late evening of the third day feeling we had quite an education and saw some marvelous sites. We even stayed one night at a very comfortable hotel right on the shores of Loch Ness but alas, we did not see the beast! If I had of had a couple more Caol Ila whiskies, I might have caught a glimpse. That's another thing - this Scottish whiskey has become a real must have. We were also fortunate enough to be able to beg our driver to stop at a small distillery and take a tour which he did without question. It seems it hasn't been difficult to substitute a bit of the barley water for wine on this trip. All I can say is smooooooth.
We are now staying at a large estate in Kirkcaldy and just settled in after having a wonderful dinner in their dining room (of course, after we had our double shots while enjoying a duck breast and goose liver pate terrine). Bob had pheasant and I had gorgonzola-hazelnut gnocchi both accompanied with honey roasted carrots and turnips. I think all the pheasant we saw on the side of the roads and in the fields, not to mention the ones that almost flew into the van as we were driving along, when we were on our countryside tour gave us a good hankering for some of the wild bird. It was a dinner we won't soon forget.
The area we are staying in is the home of many of my paternal grandmother's people. Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline, Wymess and Dysart are all along the coast just across the bay from Edinburgh. It was wonderful to drive right into Kirkcaldy on Nicol Street which is a family name. We went into the Kirkcaldy Museum and saw many of the family names there - Nicol, Bell, Hog - I can't wait to get to the cemetery tomorrow. There is also a research center in Edinburgh (Scotland's People Centre) where you can have access to a researcher for two hours while they assist you in finding your relatives. No need to call ahead and no reservations necessary. You just walk in. The only problem is, as I've just found out about this service, they're only open Monday through Friday and I'm not sure I'll be able to pop in. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to come over by myself for a couple of weeks! Anyway, I do plan to do some looking around this area as we have three days and two nights here before we begin our journey back to London. And, did I mention we rented a car? I already had to remind Bob to stay on the left side of the road. Cross your fingers and say a little prayer.
No comments:
Post a Comment