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Staffin, Isle of Skye

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Out stay at Isle of Skye is at Staffin House Apartments which has totally comfortable accommodations. The most amazing scenery awaits those who drive around the periphery of the island! Leaving Staffin, driving north counter-clockwise the gentle rolling hills greet the higher mountains. Sheep dot the landscape and everything is very green. The roads were better than expected with plenty of lay-by areas along the single track roads. Today was overcast and sprinkling but somehow that made the green seem even brighter. First stop is Skye Skyns, a tannery for sheep skins. The process is largely manual so we can appreciate the effort that goes into producing these luxurious rugs. I couldn’t resist! I purchased a sheepskin run and had it shipped to the US. They are so soft and cushy, warm and beautiful. My recliner chair will love it! On site with the tannery is cafe (a yurtz) where we had a light lunch. By the time we head further the wind has picked up and it is downright cold! Next stop i...
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Oban - May 18 - 21, 2024

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 Enroute to Oban we stopped at Loch Katrine. Another wonderful discovery! There is a nice walking trail and some excursion boats on the Lock, if you want. Nice cafe at the head of the loch These look interesting! Definitely an emphasis on electric vehicles here Excursion boat coming in View of the loch Sadly I don’t have much to say about Oban. I was developing a major allergy/ sinus episode about the time we arrived, so I sat out the two days of island touring that Peggy and Karen did.  We had a cute Airbnb about two blocks off the pier. We each had out own bedroom and it had a full modern kitchen. My traveling companions, Peggy and Karen took two days to tour the nearby isles of Mull, Iona and Staffa. I stayed behind and nursed my sinus.
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Glen Coe and Kinlochlaich Walled Garden, May 21, 2024

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 We drove from Oban to Isle of Skye via the Glen Coe nature preserve. This lovely garden is just right north of Oban So many wonderful paths What a beautiful, unexpected discovery! Lots of inspiration for my own garden Hiding in the "secret" garden Hairy Coo for which Scotland is famous Fantastic scenery We are way too serious most of the time!
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A Divine Appointment in Whittlesford - June 2 - 3, 2024

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 Sunday morning my Sister in Christ, Angela picked me up at the hotel along with her family and off we went to worship service at her church. How amazing it is to be praising the Lord with a group of people from thousands of miles away! I guarantee you, the Holy Spirit is alive and well and working in the people of this place!  After service, we went to their local pub for lunch. The Tickell Arms Pub in Whittlesford (their village outside Cambridge). What a lovely place to dine! We were seated in an open air part overlooking the pond and garden. Beautiful! Me and Angela in the garden Enjoying my favorite English/Scottish dessert - Sticky Toffee Pudding After the noontime meal we visited at the house for awhile. We took a driving tour around Cambridge which is a beautiful, old city. We visited a church where Angela's daughter used to attend. What a neat old church!
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Duxford Air Show D Day Celebration - June 1, 2024

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Arriving by train from Durham on Friday, I tucked in at the Holiday Inn at Duxford, preparing for the big day tomorrow at Duxford.  Taxi to the air show got me there before the gates opened at 8am. Immediately I am so glad I paid extra to get the Gold Experience! Shorter line to enter, directions to the Gold area which has it’s own tent and front row seating, it’s own catering and toilets! Having a covered area proved very valuable as the day wore on and the wind picked up. Sadly it was overcast and and cold; glad I bundled up! The atmosphere reminds me of a music festival. People bringing in lawn chairs, coolers, sun shelters and all manner of comforts for the day. Although they expected 20,000 participants (they were sold out) once in the gates it didn’t feel crowded. I spend the morning wandering through the museum hangars on site. Terrific! I clocked my 5 miles of walking before the air show even started! Security and safety protocols were rock solid and there were plenty of fi...
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London Docklands - June 3 - 5, 2024

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Leaving Whittlesford station early on Greater Anglia train this time. Sadly, no one showed up for assistance so I was again grateful for other kind passengers who helped me on with the luggage and off at the end. So nice to be reassured of the goodness of people toward those who need a little extra help! Taxi to the Foundation of St. Katherine’s near Limehouse in the Docklands area of London. This is radically different that where I stayed on arrival. This is definitely working class neighborhood. The Foundation of St. Katherine’s (RFSK) is truly an urban oasis as it calls itself.  I mistakenly thought this was a former convent, but the history is more complex. Originally on the site was a hospital in the 1600’s. It was repurposed during the many religious disputes in English history. When the building was bombed in WWII, this facility was built on the site of a former church. Their mission is to be a community presence and offer a place of peace and rest for the soul. It is indeed...
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Stirling, Out and About

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 John Cowane, 17th century man from a weathly merchant family, left an edible mark on the town of Stirling by his generosity. He is credited with Cowane’s Hospital which supported up to 12 elderly members of Stirling’s merchant guild, and next door the Church of the Holy Rude. Beside the hospital and church is a large cemetery. The Old Stirling Bridge is another site with a long, rich history. Hard to believe this beautiful setting was the site of several key battles including the most famous in 1297 when Sir William Wallace and Sir  Andrew Moray led Scottish forces and defeated the forces of the Edward I of England. Over the River Forth Old Stirling Bridge in backgraound Karen (left) and Peggy (right) on the bridge
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