Pictures from Skye!

Since I am now in Regensburg with a steady internet connection and a German keyboard (much easier to negotiate than a French one), I can update this with the backlog. Starting with some pictures from Skye... So gorgeous!

Skye

Skye I

The Isle of Skye is amazing. I am writing this hurriedly in a small white cottage that is post office, B&B, internet cafe, and restaurant all in one. The train ride up here was equall breathtaking.

I made haggis! Marg & Ian, bless their amazing hospitality, said if I had staid another night in Spean Bridge they would have made haggis for me. Instead she gave me the recipe, the ingredients, and some tips and so last night I made haggis & neeps casserole. It was delicious - the hostel keeper and some American climbers from VT I met thought so too.

Must catch a bus to Sligachan now!

Scotland III

The concert last night was amazing, they finished it off with Pomp and Circumstance No. 4, my favourite piece by Edgar. The venue was quite interesting too, like so much of Glasgow it was an homage to Victorian splendour and quirks: a small palace in the middle of a park, whose back half consists of a tropical garden enclosed by a traditional style greenhouse. I parted ways with my bunkmates this morning, two energetic American girls from Washington State, and did laundry before heading up to Spean Bridge.

Now I am enjoying some home cooked meals, hospitality, and local advice; avoid Cardiff, head to Glen-something on the isle of Skye, and take rain trousers when hiking in the Scottish mountains. I love this country!

Pictures will have to wait, alas, as time is afoot. Tommorrow I go hiking with Marg (mother of Steven, Scottish Fantoft friend) with her hill-walking club. The mountains and lochs here are just what I need to unwind after a long semester and a crazy last month in Norway...

Scotland II

The free internet computer in this hostel seems not to allow me to upload the day's pictures so text will have to suffice until I decide to spend £££ in an internet cafe. While on the hostel subject, I met not one but TWO Norwegians working here. I love surprising them with the old "Jeg snakker norsk" line. They said I can speak quite well for just 9 months.

Today I went to see the built-in-12th century Gothic pile that is Glasgow cathedral. The hodge-podge architecture is great and it has a massive crypt, a must if you're building a cathedral in my opinion. Supposedly, the cathedral was constructed the site of St. Mungo's tomb, patron saint of Glasgow. There is also a museum about religious life and art next to the cathedral that takes his namesake. Originally I thought the guy who wrote the Glasgow section in my travel book was just cheap, but it turns out that all museums in Glasgow are free!

So was the Necropolis, which my Greek friends would tell you means city of the dead. Victorians obsessed with death and flush with money from burning coal built thousands of elaborate tombs and monuments ranging from Celtic crosses to obelisks. It's a massive and scenic graveyard, but kind of neglected and deserted in an eery sort of way. It closes at dusk, presumably to let the ghouls have free reign.

Tonight I head to a concert at Glasgow Green. The University of Strathclyde music society will put on a show of Elgar and Beatles; I fully expect the green to be lush with great oaks and those quaint red telephone booths...

Scotland I

Scotland has so far been amazing! Edinburgh would be a great city to live in, especially if you could get a room at the end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh castle :) Two more pluses: the achitecture is stony and the center is compact. I have seen a glimpse of the highlands - whither I am soon headed - and have already been on Loch Ness. No monster, but the peat-black water surrounded by highland hills make for an impressive enough sight on their own.

Now I am in Glasgow, a less fairy-tale like city. Plans for tomorrow include escaping this internet cafe and heading to the Glasgow Necropolis, St. Mungo's museum of religious life, and the Gallery of Modern art. Why these three places? They sound interesting and they're all free. Thank you mom for "Lonely Planet: Europe on a Shoestring". A gem of a traveller's book.

The virtual map

Here's something that should be really cool: look at the right toolbar and you'll see a link to "Virtual Map". This will take you to a custom Google Map where I will plot my journey. Zoom in and out and click on the lines, places etc to find where I am travelling, when I am travelling, and inside jokes. Zoom in on Bergen to see the 7 mountain hike route. The lines are also colour-coded: blue = train, red = plane, yellow = bus/car, orange = foot

Photos

I shall also do my best to post some photos along the way. Click on the albums and it will take you to a separate page to see them. Such is the price of easy-to-use online Picasa.

Last two weeks in Bergen

Sjufjellturen (7 mountain hike)

Mom's visit