Still in the Netherlands, the land of bikes and giants (ok just a lot of tall people), my adventures this week took me to De Hoge Veluwe. I took the bus to this Dutch National Park and asked the driver which stop I needed to get off at and he said Otterloo. As we got closer to Otterloo I was surprised when I saw 4 stops listed. One of the stops displayed Kantor De Hoge Veluwe and so I figured that was the center. What it turned out to be was the main office - oops. I strolled through the parking lot making my way to the building and ran into a gentleman doing the same from his car. I asked him if this was the main center and he explained it was the office but perhaps they could help me. It turned out that he was actually from the US and had moved to the Netherlands 20 years ago and he teaches English. So, he escorts me to the main lobby and I meet another very nice man who immediately takes control of my situation. He tells me that they will let me into the park free of charge since they cannot take money at this location. He also goes to the back and brings me a bunch of literature about the park, all in English. He shows me where to go on the map and where to get one of the white bikes (fiets) to enjoy the park. I thank him for all of his help and learn from the English instructor that the guy was the President/Director and we all have a laugh about me being an actress testing their English language skills.

I found the bikes and pick one out. There are 30km or so of paved bike trails throughout the park. It was a great way to enjoy a large portion of the park as there is just no way you could walk all around in a day. You can drive or ride horseback around/through the park as well, but the free bikes are the best!

There are two awesome museums in the park. One is the Kroller-Muller art museum, with a huge collection of Vincent van Gogh artwork and a large sculpture garden, and the other is the Museonder underground museum. The hunting lodge was closed for renovations when I was there and wished I could have had a chance to see it.

The landscape throughout the park is varied. You can see sand drift, heathland, peat bogs and dense woods. Boar, deer, squirrel, badger, fox, sheep and more are in the area. I did see a deer and quite a few birds.

This week I also went to the NEMO museum in Amsterdam. Luck was still with me as it was Science & Industry Weekend and there was no admission. This science museum is a hands on experience and loads of fun with loads of information. I also made my way to the Anne Frank house, but there were too many people, so opted not to explore. Other things I would highly recommend, which I have seen on a previous trip, are the Rijksmuseum and the van Gogh museum.

For the next 4 - 6 weeks I will be walking El Camino de Santiago to Santiago de Compostela and making my way back to the Netherlands. I will not be taking my keyboard along with me and therefore I will not be posting large blog updates during that time. I do however have some of my favorite stories you can read in that period of time. Please browse through the following list and pick one or two that you would like to do or introduce your significant other/kids to. If you have read/seen/done these things already, pick one (or more) to do again.

Book Series:
- Apprentice Adept (7) - Piers Anthony
- Incarnations of Immortality (8) - Piers Anthony
- Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit (3/4) - J. R. R. Tolken (if you read The Hobbit, read it first)
- Harry Potter (7) - J. K. Rawlings
- Chronicles of Narnia (7) - C. S. Lewis (great one to read to kids)
- Jurrasic Park (2) - Michael Crichton
- Ghattis Tales (3) - Gayle Greene
- Egyptian (River God, etc.) (4) - Wilbur Smith
- Hitchhikers Guide (3) - Douglas Adams
- Hannibal Lecter (3) - Thomas Harris
- Tears of Artamon (3) - Sarah Ash
- Kingkiller Chronicles (2 so far) - Patrick Rothfuss

If you read any of this series for the first time:
1. What did you like about the series?
2. What did you wish was different about the series?
3. What would have made the series better?
4. How did you feel after reading the books?
5. Had you heard of the books/author before?
6. Did the series get better as it went along?
7. Would you recommend the series to another?
8. What series would you recommend?

If you read a series for the second time:
1. Was it how you remembered it?
2. Were there things you noticed this time that you didn't the last?
3. How have you changed since the last reading? Did this affect your perspective?
4. Were you bored reading it a second (or more) time?
5. Was the experience better, worse, or about the same?
6. What series would you recommend?

Books vs. movies:
- Where the Red Fern Grows
- Into Thin Air
- Wizard of Oz
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
- Harry Potter
- The Narnia Series (so far)
- Jurrasic Park Series
- Hitchhikers Guide
- Hannibal Lecter

Immediately after reading the book, watch the corresponding movie.
1. Did you wish there was something in the movie that was in the book?
2. Did you notice details that were different that you didn't notice previously?
3. Did the movie change or add something? Was it for the better?
4. Did you experience the same feeling from the movie as you did the book?
5. Was there something that was done better in the movie than in the book?
6. Did the movie to justice to the book?
7. Have you ever experienced a movie that was better than its book?
8. What book/movie comparison would you recommend?

TV Series (for extra fun):
- Arrested Development
- Firefly (and the movie Serenity afterwards)
- Battlestar Galactica (old/new/vs)
- Futurama

I look forward to reading your "reviews" and to the list of new books to read! Bom Camino!

I made my goodbyes to Maggie, Henry and England and took the overnight coach, via ferry, to the Netherlands. One of my closest friends lives in the Netherlands and I was excited to see him and looking forward to meeting his new girlfriend. The first evening I met his new girl and she is adorable. I hope that I get to know her better over the next few weeks I will be spending in the area.

The three of us went to the Floriade World Horticultural Expo. This special expo happens once every 10 years in the Netherlands and I am very glad I got to experience it; and better yet with pleasant company. Being as it was an "expo" there were some very commercial pavilions - what expo doesn't. There were many interesting things through out the grounds and I found a lot of "living" (flora) inspiration for my feng shui practice. I really enjoyed my time wandering through the various gardens and exhibits.

On Tuesday my friend and I explored the Kinderdijk Mills. Currently 19 windmills stand ready to pump water to higher ground. Over the years the Dutch have mastered the battle against the water and the information at this UNESCO World Heritage site is very informative. Through modernization, the mills are not used for everyday use; however they are all functional and can be put to use if the current system fails or becomes strained - though I don't think they could actually handle the capacity needed for an extended period of time.

The remainder of the week I explored on my own, relaxed, and caught up on my blog. It doesn't make for exciting travel content, that's for sure.

On Saturday I got to enjoy my friend's son's football (soccer) game and enjoyed witnessing their first win of the season 5 - 3. As I enjoyed the game, not being able to say much for encouragement as my Dutch is limited, I reminisced about the sports my children participated in. A parent's enthusiasm and encouragement of their child knows no cultural borders and the time spent at the field was exciting.

That night I had to head to the server farewell party of a game I play. It was good to talk to my gamer friends as we shot off fireworks and discussed our plans on the new merged server. I anxiously await the opening of the merged server and can't wait to see my friends on the otherside. I know I will not be playing with them for another 10 or so months, but it was great to chat with them for the few hours and look forward to building my "Reckless" avatar upon my return (starting her over from level 1).

The next day the three of us ventured to Apenhuel. Apenhuel is a zoo dedicated to apes. Many of the primates roam freely and you can get quite close. Usually when you think of monkeys and apes in a zoo they are confined to a small area in the park. This park was as large, if not a bit larger, than some of the larger zoos I have been to. The habitats were amazing and I found myself looking behind the scenes to see how they managed to keep them all enclosed in the park. Great day at the zoo!

Netherland Photos Here

I have always found it hard to share of myself with others and there are times that I have shared more and less through these posts. Today I was inspired by an acquaintance who recorded one of my favorite songs, "Your are my Sunshine." The song was done wonderfully in a country style and his voice and timbre was a melding of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. He removed his FB post too soon as his self doubt crept in, an artists/creators common demon, before I could post a reply to his comment of my comment. We then private messaged back and forth a bit. I understand his trepidation at giving of himself and not sure of how it will be received nor if it should be received. I encourage him to continue doing what he is doing, not just for my selfish reason of being touched by his musical gift, but for his growth as a person and artist.

So now, I take my own advice. At least for today I give a bit more of myself than I usually would, not because I think what I have to say has any value in and of itself, but because it might have value to someone to know that there is another that fights similar struggles as they do.

This week was full of the ups and downs of emotional detoxing. The build up of needed emotional release over the past 2 months, the disappointment and joy in relationship changes, the exhilaration of completing the first part of my journey, the fear of the upcoming portions, the feeling of internal isolation, the feeling of bare emotional exposure, and so much more all accumulated into one ball of confusion. The need for release was overwhelming and I found myself wishing for a shoulder to cry on but afraid to ask for it. I considered going back to the US while I still had the money to "start over" properly and the regrets I would harbor if I did. I contacted friends and family via FB, Skype or e-mail to purge the feeling of isolation. I took long hot showers to pull the ever flowing tears from my eyes. I lay awake at night wishing there was someone that really understood me and how I ticked and that they were nearby to share my fears and doubts while not casting judgement on my fleeting, flittering thoughts. I walked and infused my senses at the beauty of the changing Autumn colors. I sat and contemplated my relationships and interactions with others. I planned, organized, and anguished over the next steps to my journey. So here I am regurgitating those feelings and find that they are not as profound as they were last week. Their bite has subsided to a mere throb, perhaps they will be but a fading bruise by the next week. I now find the strength I need to continue, no longer paralyzed by the overwhelming sense of emotional feeling, y I feel the fear of self doubt coursing through my head as I publish this post. I overcome and I grow as a person and creator. Thank you Jay.

P.S You might have noticed, but if not, I have added links to past posts to the respective photo album.

The sailing course over, we all left Cowes together on the ferry to South Hampton. Vicky and I sad our goodbyes to the sisters from Ireland as they headed to the airport and she and I caught the shuttle to the train. Vicky and I traveled together towards London and we parted our separate ways. The final parting from my week of sailing left me feeling a bit empty; however, I was heading to the home of a friend of my sister and mother, so all would be well.

I made my way by tube and bus to Maggie and Henry's (the dog) home and my home for a week. Maggie insisted on feeding me well and took me around to the nearby sights and was a great host. Maggie and Henry do a bit of volunteer work for the Pets As Therapy organization and visit various adult care homes and schools as part of their commitment. Maggie also helps organize Help for Heros, which helps various other organizations that assist injured veterans. Quite a full plate for this retired police inspector.

Since I had been to London, albeit briefly, before, there were a few things I did not need to "see" on this trip and it was wonderful that Maggie took me around to some sights I might not have seen at all.

Our first day out included a boot sale (sort of like a flea market) and a visit to Syon House and Garden. There was a special photo opp for Henry at the Garden Center and so I left Maggie and Henry as I went to explore the house and gardens. The house is used by the current Duke of Northumberland and I had previously visited Alnwick Castle, which is another residence of the Duke. Alnwick Castle is a location where the learning to fly and the learning about quidditch scenes of Harry Potter were filmed (I know I forgot to tell you about my journey there in the previous Edinburgh post. I also went to the Rosslyn Chapel, made more noticeably famous by the author Dan Brown. I would recommend taking a look at both places). Near the very end of the house tour, a guide came up to me and started telling me all bits of interesting tidbits about the house and showed me into some closed off rooms. Yahoo for the special insider tour, wish I would have had that guy with me the entire time!

The next day Maggie and I headed to Windsor. Again, I left Maggie while I went to explore the castle. WOW! best describes the grounds and the castle. There was so much to see from the dollhouse, which even had working plumbing, to the cathedral. The guided audio tour was very informative and each room had a person available to answer any questions. After my tour, Maggie and I enjoyed some Starbucks before heading back home.

The next day I headed out on my own to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. Ok, maybe you have figured out by now that I like Harry Potter. If not, it should be clear to you now. The studio tour was fantastic! It was great to see some of the sets and props that were made for the movies. It did take me a bit to get used to a pleasant Draco's voice fort the audio tour. If you are a Harry Potter fan, the tour is a must see/do thing. Unfortunately my camera had taken a dive to the ground a few days before and though I could use it, when I had to change the battery, I could no longer turn off the flash and oooh, I hate the flash. Luckily it had lasted most of the tour, but still was irritating to be flashing about the place at the end.

Not yet done with the London area, the next day I headed on my own for the city center. I enjoyed taking the tube and walking around the city. I spent a bit of time at the Globe Theater and walked to the Tower Bridge (passing the London Bridge) and experienced the London Dungeon, which was a bit of history with a lot of special effects and theatrical bits (nowhere near Halloween Horror Nights but still fun).

On Thursday my host took me around to some memorials and in the afternoon I treated her to Mamma Mia on the stage. We enjoyed the show and were dancing and singing in our seats. I know she really liked it because she had a huge grin in her face the entire time.

Friday was my last day in London and I made my final stops to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, and Buckingham Palace before I caught my bus that evening.

London Photos Here
Harry Potter Tours Photos Here

The first part of my trip done, I now prepare to head to the "mainland" of Europe. I find myself not quite ready to tackle language barriers that I know will come. I also am a bit homesick, which I find strange because I am not the type that usually gets homesick. When I was a little girl I was the one that hated to go home and always wanted to stay longer, so it is a different feeling for me (it even took my sister's help to recognize what I was feeling). I also now need to make decisions on the route I will take through Europe and need to get a good center before getting organized.

Everyone who knows me a bit knows that I love the sea and even though I was born and raised in the most land locked state in the union (Kansas), the ocean has always called me. One of the things I have always wanted to learn to do is sail and I decided to take a sailing course during my year long odyssey and booked a course through Girls for Sail in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

From Penzance I took the train to South Hampton and found my way to the ferry station to complete my journey to Cowes. I noticed a lady with a backpack on the shuttle from the train and wondered at that time if perhaps she was a student for the course as well. She was in front of me in queue and I overheard her asking for a return on the next Friday afternoon, the possibility was getting closer. I purchased my ferry ticket and made my way to where she was standing and asked. Yes, she was also attending the course. What a great way to meet my future roommate, Vicky. :)

Cowes is a sailing town and its inhabitants are all involved in sailing/shipping and usually in more than one way. If you look to the harbor from South Hampton or Cowes one is bound to see ships and boats of all sorts from huge tankers to small dinghies.

The course I was taking, as implied by the company's name, is for women only and offers women the opportunity to learn without the pressures of learning with men on board. Sorry guys, but it is true, most of you are competitive and that is not the best environment for us women to learn in.

Vicky and I made our way to our home for the week, "Diamonds are Forever"and met our instructor, Harry (Harriet). Vicky and I plopped down our bags and we headed to meet the other two students at a local pub for introductions and dinner.

While at the pub a wheelchair bound, 16-year old girl was escorted in by her friends and family as they were all celebrating her solo sail around the Isle of Wight - an amazing feat for anyone, in my opinion, but phenomenal considering that she controlled her boat by her mouth only. Congrats again Miss Isle, you are an inspiration to us all!

After introductions, dinner, drinks and fellowship, we all headed back to our boat and settled in for the night as in the morning we would set sail. I was excited and anxious and though I know it is hard to "fail" the Competent Crew course, I still wanted to learn as much as I could in the 5 days I had. Of the students on board, 2 of us were taking the Competent Crew course and neither of us had ever done any previous sailing, the other 2 were each taking their Day Skipper course and, of course, had a bit of sailing experience and later in the week, another Day Skipper would join us.

We had an eventful week in which I learned the ropes (literally) of sailing. I learned the difference (and the similarity) of a tack and a gybe. I learned what everything on board was called and what it did. I hoisted the mainsail, I learned the points of sail, how to read the tale tell signs, and how to tie a bowline (as well as many other knots). It was not an easy week. My shins were covered in bruises, my arms ached, and when I was at the helm my nerves were a bit frazzled. We also had some experiences that I think were not necessarily normal; however, they did make for a memorial course.

Girls For Sail Photos Here

After my course I can confidently say that I could see myself crewing a sailing vessel. I learned a lot and though sailing itself is quite an easy concept, it does take time to master and can be physically demanding but a lot of fun. I look forward to working under my favorite skipper in the future - I can't wait to sail along with you Shawn!

P.S. I was the only one willing to strike the pose for the camera. :)

09/26/2012
Due to bad internet connection for a few weeks, frustrations with the Webbly iPod app, and Snapfish issues, I apologize for the 3 week gap in blog posts. Luckily Weebly has updated the app with an added feature I needed during the frustrations, so all should be good going forward. I was going to give you a 3 for 1 special; however, I can tell you are getting antsy for a post, so here is part 1 of the last 3 weeks.

09/09/2012
Last Christmas I received a set of bracelets that have little charms on it. One of the charms is a wee bee. As I was on the train from Manchester to Oxford I was fiddling with that wee bee and noticed that there was a small crystal set for its head and wondered why I had not noticed this little jewel since I received the bracelets but was delighted in this surprising find. To my surprise, my next week in England would be just as delightful.

Oxford is a wonderful university city and is very accessable by foot and does offer a hop-on-hop-off bus if one would rather ride. The vibe in Oxford is very inviting and encourages curiosity. Oxford University is actually made up of 39 colleges, each with their own special flare and feel. I joined one of the free tours and learned about the history of the city and where the more notable colleges could be found. After the tour, I took to exploring some of the colleges myself. Some of the colleges are not open to the public, others charge a small fee to see their quads, gardens and chapels, and others are available for free; though many requested a fee, I was lucky enough to see many of the ones I went to for no cost by just asking the stewards for a look. For any Harry Potter fan, there are quite a few locations around Oxford that were used for on location filming.

From Oxford I took a day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick. My error was to do both of these in one day as each really required a day on their own. Stratford-upon-Avon is rich in the history of Shakespeare. If not traveling by car, which I was not, I would recommend the hop-on-hop-off bus just for the transportation to Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's Farm, both must see locations in the area.

Warwick Castle, though a bit commercialized, has some great exhibitions. The town itself has some wonderful things to experience as well.

After my stay in Oxford I traveled through Bath to Exeter. I had never heard of Exeter before I picked it as my destination and I found it to be full of surprises and was glad I stayed there instead of Bath. There are many free tours of the city and the evening of my arrival I joined the ghost tour. The tour guide was one of the best storytellers I have met so far along my travels and there was more than once I felt goosebumps rise on my arms as he weaved his tales. The last stop on our ghost tour brought us to a pub in which we made our way to the basement to hear a ghostly tale and to view a skeleton (behind glass) that was found during some excavations there. Who would have guessed that a skeleton was in the basement of a pub?! The next morningI opted for the self guided walking tours of the town walls and medieval past in which I found catacombs at the cemetary and Exeter's Underground. The Underground is the medieval waterways and was a very interesting tour - not sure it is worth the normal entry fee but I was there duirng a Heritage Weekend, so the admission was fee. There is also a self guided Woollen Trail, which I did not have time to do before I left Exeter.

From Exeter I stayed the next night in New Quay (pronounced Key). New Quay was not really my type of place. Imagine New Orleans and Key West put together and you have New Quay - quite fitting merger of names ;). The hostel I stayed in was part of the bar below it and did not host a common room (that was the bar) nor a kitchen (that was the bar) as most hostels do. The night scene on the street was full of people partying to the max and many of them in various costumes (rabbit, cowboy, hula girl, etc.). I was glad that New Quay was just a stop over for me as I was ready to head out to Penzance early the next morning, unfortunately for me and 2 other girls, the first bus left without us! In our defense, the bus was not at the proper bus stand and it had the incorrect route number listed - apparently the lady at the counter thought we should have just known that was our bus. Since we had an hour and a half to wait for the next bus service, we went together to enjoy a full breakfast.

The bus ride to St. Ives was beautiful. Cornwall has rolling hills, woods with hiking trails, and a never ending coastline, which is a trail as well. As the area is long but not wide, you can quickly see all three within 30 minutes. Though I was traveling by bus, I think to really enjoy all Cornwall has to offer, a car would be best.

St. Ives was a bus stop for me, but I took an hour or so to explore the town center and the beach. The town itself is set on a hill overlooking the coast. The hill from and to the bus station was quite steep, but the views from there were great!

Next stop, Penzance! Because I was in the Pirates of Penzance and also worked costuming for the K-State Players production, I just HAD to go to Penzance and I am glad to say I was NOT disappointed! Though it was a bit hard to get to almost the Lands End, it is worth a stop over if you enjoy the feel of a town that is centered around the seafaring life. Now, don't get me wrong, Penzance is a modern as any other place in England, but you can feel the history oozing from its pores and if you look carefully you can find it all from fisherman to sailors to pirates. One of the treasures I found was the Admiral Benbow. This pub is decorated with artifacts from various shipwrecks that were along the Cornish coast and has been in existence since the 1600's. I was lucky enough, if you call it that, to arrive at the same time as a psychic medium and got to tag along as she made contact with various spirits. Unfortunately I was only to be in Penzance for one day as I needed to head to my sailing course in Cowes, so I did not get to see St. Michael's Mount up close (not open on Saturday and that was when I was there). St. Michael's Mount is accessable by foot at low tide and I was looking forward to walking across, but it will have to be another time.

Oxford Photos Here
Stratford-Upon-Avon Photos Here
Exeter Photos Here
Cornwall Photos Here

This past week I had very spotty internet connectedness and though at times not having internet connection was a pain, it was also nice not to have access and contact with everyone this past week. Yes, the net allows me to keep in touch with my friends and family, but I find that there are times I enjoy not being followed so closely. I know it was my idea to keep this blog to keep everyone posted, but it is not always an easy task to keep up and each week seems to come upon me quicker and quicker. Perhaps not having internet and then having issues with Weebly and Snapfish have given me a bit of time for a needed break in sharing my travels and thoughts with everyone.

I have really been on the go this week and am anxious about my sailing course this coming week, I hope I am up to the task of being a crew member.

This week travel began in Edinburgh, Scotland. I arrived the day after The Fringe Festival had ended. During this month long arts festival, street performers, live shows, musical venues, artists wares, etc. fill the town of Edinburgh. Though the festival was offically over, many street performers and artist booths could still be found as well as the final performances of some of the live shows and without the huge crowds. All along my trip everyone told me how wonderful Edinburgh was and they were not mistaken. Edinburgh is steep in history and has many museums in which you can get that history from various points of view. I spent 3 days in the city but could have filled at least another day or two. I will warn everyone that Edinburgh is built on a hill so there are a log of ups and downs (would be the perfect place to train for the AT). Since this was my last stop in Scotland I did try the haggis and was not really impressed but nor was I disgusted.

For the Harry Potter fans that follow my blog, there is much attributed to the novels in the Edinburgh area. J.K. Rowlings spent time at the Elephant Shop Cafe where she wrote her notes about a boy wizard on napkins. In a nearby graveyard many names that are within the novels can be found, even Tom Riddle. The private school behind that same graveyard gave inspiration to the 4 houses of Hogwarts and just walking through the streets, one can definitely get a feel for Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, not to mention the HUGE banks that could have been inspiration for Gringots. I would definitely recommend Edinbrugh for anyone wishing to make a Harry Potter odessy tour.

While in Edinburgh I made a new friend from Shanghai, Tracy. Tracy (her Anglo name) is a 34 year old woman who just quit her position and took a month long holiday to the UK and was heading back home to look for a new job. I hope she made it home safely and wish her luck in job hunting.

With my Scotland tour wrapped up, I headed to England with York being my first stop. York is fairly small but chock full of character! The two "must see" things are the York Minster and the Chocolate Experience. I would also recommend taking a walk around the old city walls as well as wandering around the streets. As it happened I was there on market day, as if there was not enough shopping in York, the market was the icing on the cake! Fresh fruits, veggies, breads, eggs, meat, as well as crafts and clothes could be found. It was nice to have this option instead of the local grocery store.

I made another new friend in York, Eve (not her real name again). Eve is from Taiwan and was scouting out various towns and their Universities to complete her graduate work. She is majoring in Women's Studies and hopes to help bring about change in her native country. She too was heading home and I know she will be happy to see her family again.

From York I headed to Manchester. I have to admit, I was not planning on going to Manchester but one of my roommates in York LOVED it so much, that it sounded like a place I should check out. My first impressions of Manchester were not very good. It is a much larger city and has a different vibe than the last places I have been recently. There is a lot of clubbing going on and the surface seems to cater to the partying crowd. After getting through the top layers, one can find that Manchester does have a lot to offer. My favorite things were the Peoples Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the John Ryland Library (made to look like a gothic church but built as a library) - all free to the public. I also went through the football (soccer) museum because if you are in Manchester, you just have to do it! (free as well)

Edinburgh Photos Here
Northumberland Photos Here
York Photos Here
Manchester Photos Here

The weeks are now starting to fly by! Two weeks ago I wondered if I could really be away from "real life" for a year, if that was too long to be gone; that perhaps I should cut the trip off around 6 months. This week I wonder if a year will be enough. I give my sole to the universe and trust that it will help guide me to where I need to be, when I need to be there and that I will know when the time is right.

My return to Inverness offered a redemption to the city I felt slighted me. I stayed at a different hostel, which proved to be much better accomodations. The first place I stayed every shower/toilet area was waterlogged and smelled of mildew and the mattresses, if you could call them that, were nothing more than a plastic bag with pokey wires in them. The new place was the much cleaner and comfier. Unfortunately, 3 of the girls sharing the dorm room all had colds and were coughing and sneezing all over the place. I figured a cold was in my future and it has manifested itself in the past few days.

In my two additional days in Inverness I toured Loch Ness and another church and took part in a free "crime and punishment" tour around the city by a kilt wearing guide, Cameron. He was quite the character and was very informative of the various punishments given through the ages in Inverness. I sweet place I also found was the Floral Mall (small botanic garden). This gem of a garden was well worth the 30 minute walk to the edge of town. Had I known that the Loch Ness tour started only 2 minutes around the corner, I would not have walked all the way back to the city center to catch the provided bus.

On my way to Inverness from Stirling I passed through the cute victorian town of Pithlochry and decided that I would return there to explore what it had to offer. This small town (not more than 3,000 people) was delightful and I am glad I stopped for a few days. Not that there is an abundance of things to see in Pitlochry, but there it is a good base if you like to see nature. If one is travelling by car, there is easy access to many lookouts, waterfalls and other small cities with their own attraction. However, I am not travelling by car and there was still pleanty to do by foot. There are no less than 8 trails just from the town itself. I decided to combine 3 trails into one as they all overlapped in some manner. On my trek through through the woods, barley fields, and sheep pastures I saw: Black Spuot water fall, Scotland's smallest distillery (and another one to boot), Black Castle ruins, standing rocks, great view from Craigs Tower, dam with salmon ladder, and the best town theater project ever. The theater that is on the outskirts of town offers 6 productions during the summer, so If you wanted, you could see a different show each night of the week. It was just wonderful what a very small, though touristy, town can do.

From Pitlochry I made my way to St. Andrews. I know what you are thinking, "Lisa doesn't play golf." But that aside, I really enjoyed St. Andrews. Like Pitlochry, St. Andrews was like stepping back in time. The architecture, which I love, was facinating. The ruins of St. Andrews cathedral were amazing, to imagine the large structure and what it would have been like was mind boggling. I also toured 3 museums (all free) that gave an insight to the history of the town and college. And St. Andrews' college was beautiful, I think it would have been a place my youngest daughter would have enjoyed attending. Again, I found another botanical garden well worth the price of admission (2 pounds). This garden had the best ecological plan I have ever seen and would rate it in the top 3 of botanical gardens I have been to (I love botanical gardens so have been to a lot). The rock garden was superb and would recommend going just for that feature alone! Of course, one cannot go to St. Andrews and not see the old club house and golf course (see picture), which I did. Probably because I am not into golfing, it really did not impress me much and I opted not to go through the golf museum. Just note that it is there if you are considering going and enjoy golf.

At St. Andrews I met Anna and Cat (I am not sure how to spell her name so shortened it, I hope she does not mind) from Germany. We had a great time playing Yatzee at the hostel and enjoyed each others company. They had offered me a ride to my next location but we just didn't hook up and so I headed to Dundee, thinking I would never see them again.

Dundee, a place I really had never heard of, but it looked like an interesting spot on the map. Of all things in Dundee, but the ship Discovery! Remember back in Ireland and my Shakelford, Crean, Antartic experience.... Well the Discovery was the first ship of the 3 expiditions that I have been exposed to on my trip thusfar. The ship was built here in Dundee and though repurposed through the years, has had some restorations and is now available to wander through. I definitely had to check it out and was not disappointed. In Dundee I also explored the Verdant Mill Works and the McCann Museum. They were all very informative of the history of Dundee.

On one of my days in Dundee I actually took a trip to Dunfermline for the Bruce Festival. This festival celebrates the life of Robert the Bruce and had a great line up of events for such a small festival. I had been at the festival for about an hour or so when Anna came up to me and said "hi." I couldn't believe it, we apparently arrived about the same time to the festival. It was great to see them again and we spent the rest of our time there together, the last 30 or so minutes all three of us huddled under one umbrella. I felt very fortunate to meet them again and I gave them my card so they could follow this and keep in touch via e-mail. I stayed a bit longer to watch the jousting event (which btw Anna and Cat, was the real jousting) and greatly enjoyed my time. As I walked back to the train station there was nothing that could wipe the grin off my face. I just had a wonderful day!

Inverness Photos Here
Pitlochry Photos Here
St Andrews Photos Here
Dundee Photos Here
Bruce Festival Photos Here

Time is passing too qucikly. It seems as though I just posted a blog and here I am back again. :)

While exploring the McCann Museum in Dundee, one of the exhibits was about 2 women journalists that took an around the world journey in the late 1800's. I find it strange that the same comments were made about these two ladies that have been made to me. You would think that after 100+ years and with all the strides that women have made in that time, that it would not seem so uncommon for a woman to travel solo on such a journey. I really cannot come close to compare myself to these women or to those that pioneered the jungles, oceans, mountains and sky. In all actuality, I must thank these women for taking the first steps to open the door for me to be able to take the journey I am. They are the true brave women, full of courage and wonderlust. I am but a meager traveler taking the easy road because they have already forged it for me.

I close this weeks blog with a quote from Amelia Earhart: "The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure , the process is its own reward."

As stated in the comments from last week's blog, I have arrived in Scotland. The Sunday before I left I was in a frazzle because I could not book my ferry ticket online and my credit card/bank card were marked for questionable activity. In a round about way I contacted my credit card company and my bank to get things worked out.

THE GOOD
Since I could not make definite plans I decided to just show up and try my luck. I left Dave and Anabel's house to check if I could get cash from the ATM and to post a box of stuff I no longer wanted to carry before heading to the train to Larne Harbor. First stop ATM, all worked well! Yay! That was a big relief, apparently it was just the ferry website that was wonky, not my bank card. Next stop the Post Office, which opened at 9:00 and there was a line of about 6 people, luckily I got my business completed to make the 9:17 train, and I hoped my luck would continue. Arrival to Larne Harbor and a check in at the ticket counter, next ferry to Troon 17:30. So what is there to see or do in Larne? Nothing! After a quick foot tour I waited at the ferry terminal the remainder of the day watching the Firefly series and doing puzzle books.

The two hour ferry trip to Scotland was very uneventful, though a bit rocky leaving Northern Ireland. Now to figure out how to get to Stirling, my intended destination for the night. As I exited the ferry terminal in Troon I asked how far the train station was - about a 10 minute walk, during the direction giving I overheard a girl talking ont he phone talking to someone about wether to walk to the bus station or take a taxi. I volunteered that we could share a taxi if she would like and she agreed. We asked a driver there if he could request one for us and he said he would have on on its way. As we waited another guy wanted to get to the train as well and we invited him along. We arrived safely at the train station and the guy picked up the entire fare! Yay random guy who had been partying too hard in Ireland the entire weekend! I purchased my ticket through the kiosk and waited for my train bound for Glascow and from there I would grab the train to Stirling.

On the train to Glascow a girl and I started talking and she explained that I would need to change stations to get the train to Stirling and said that she was going there and would show me. Yay random girl going home who safely got me through the dodgy streets of downtown Glascow. After making that 10 minute walk, I was glad I did not decide to stay in Glascow and really have not felt a desire to return for any touring. As soon as we arrived at the station I found my train, which was ready for immediate departure. Great! No waiting around! The evening had quickly faded into night as the train to Stirling made its way. I hoped that I could find my hostel easily in the night (around 22:00), It really was my lucky day, Rachel, a lawyer, was heading to a bus stop right in front of my hostel and would show me exactly where it was! Yay Rachel, my Scottish lawyer if needed (yes, I did get her card). At the hostel, they thought I was not coming since I was so much later than my anticpated (wished for) arrival time but luckily they had not booked my bed!

With the hostel staff not willing to fix the wifi service (I think they were in cahoots with the pay for wifi service), I found a little cafe that offered it and had a nice apple pancake (more like crepes) breakfast the next morning. I then toured the old jail, the cathedral, the castle (huge) and the William Wallace Monument. It started to rain while I was at the castle and it was a steep, hot climb in the rain up to the monument, at which there was an additional 264 steps to climb to the top of the tower. The monument was well done and I learned a lot about William Wallace and Robert de Bruce, the first King of Scotland. Later I found out that he was my 18th grandfather (my mom will correct me if I am off) and wished I would have read the information a bit closer, but I did get a picture of his bust and a stained glass window with his depiction. I really enjoyed Stirling; though small, it had a lot to offer.

In the mid-afternoon I took the bus to Inverness as I was to meet a friend from Australia there on Thursday.With a little help from a local, I found my way to my hostel to be greated by the staff, "Lisa has finally arrived! Someone has been looking for you!" Apparently my friend thought I was arriving at 16:00 by train, not leaving at 16:00 by bus. As we sorted out my stay a pipe and drum band started marching in the street right below the window (picture attached). What a great way to arrive in Inverness!

The next day I met up with my friend for tea and we caught up a bit and then discussed traveling together for a few weeks as she was renting a car. She did want to stop by a town she lived in for a year to catch up with people there but other than that we could just wander. It sounded too good to be true and something I was really up for. We decided to meet the next day to start our journey.

THE BAD
After our meeting I heading out to explore Inverness. I had some high hopes for Inverness after Stirling, since I had heard of the former and not the later; however, it was a bit disappointing. The castle was not really something to tour through as it is currently being used for the sheriff's office and other official things. The museum next door offered some scientific and historical information and was free. A cathedral across the Ness River also offered some additional history information. I spent the remainder of the day walking along the Ness Islands Trail and preparing for the next 2 weeks journey. My friend and I had discussed doing some hikes and camping out so we purchased some tents that were on clearance; not that I wanted to carry an additional item, but we would be in a car so I could leave stuff not needed for the hiking portion of our trip.

The next day we met up, stopped at the grocery, and were on our way. We made a few detours to some castles, abbeys, and towns. This wandering around bit was great! I was having a blast. My friend said she wanted to wait to get to the town she used to live in, yet she drove almost straight there. I knew she needed to have some time to herself and made myself scarce for a while. We met back up and headed to a bar to hang out in until it was dark enough to pitch our tents. At the bar the barkeep was a wealth of information for my friend. She was working on her research, I was talking to the young men at the bar. She decided she wanted to go look up a friend and would be back soon, not a problem. She returned later and made our way to our campsite for the night. All seemed well as we said our goodnights and drifted off to sleep to the sound of the crashing waves on the beach below.

THE UGLY
The next morning we awoke to rain and broke camp in a light mist. I was going to do some day hikes along the Moray Coastal Trail while she did her homecoming tour. When I returned to the car after changing, she told me it just wasn't going to work. She did not want to have to make a commitment to be at a certain place at a certain time once a day to meet up for the next 3 or 4 days and where did I want her to take me? Wow! Really? Wasn't it your idea to do it this way? Hmm, nothing like making a decision at 07:00 before the fog has cleared the head. I really did want to do the walk, so opted to be dropped off at the trailhead in Findhorn; unfortunately, what I had planned to be day hiking now turned into hiking, which I was not prepared for at all.

Dissapointed and walking through the rain gave me pleanty of time to think about many things and to make the best of the situation. After the first 7 miles, I knew I had to get rid of some items (remember I had thought I was going to be leaving some stuff in the car each day, but now I had to carry it ALL with me) and so at the next town I found the Post Office and sent home a few things. One of the things I sent on was my travel buddy, Bronnie. Now Bronnie may only be a wee bear, but he has been my buddy for years and it was very hard to place him in that box and send him back to Florida not to be seen again for a year. My gear all now stowed in or attached to my pack I headed to the next town along the trail, which happened to be the one my friend was going down memory lane in. I wanted to make sure I was giving her the space she needed for her reconnection so pushed on to the next destination; had I known it was going to be a lot of large ups and downs on the cliffs, I might have thought twice before doing so. The further I went the heavier my pack felt and the worse my shoulders and feet felt. The rain had stopped and the sun was hot on the dunes. The views were wonderful but I was starting to be miserable from the long 16 miles I had put in and being covered by midges (they are harmless but make you feel gritty as they really cover your entire exposed skin - maybe unexposed too but I only noticed on the exposed).

THE DIVINE
There was a cafe just off the trail next to a golf course, perhaps a nice long rest there would do me good. Approaching the cafe an older lady was on the porch on her laptop and started a conversation with me. I must have really looked pitiful as she offered to give me a ride where I wanted to go. I told her I would check inside about camping on the otherside of their gate but would let her know if I needed a ride. I got a salad and inquired about camping on the beach next to the course. They said that would be fine and I let the woman know that I would not need a ride and thanked her. I then washed off the midges and attmpted to eat my salad which I could barely eat;. I was emotionally and physically drained. As I nibbled, I thought about it and decided that I could not spend a night with the gritty feel of the midges all over me and I also wanted to cater to my emotional misery. I inquired about a B&B and the girl at the counter gave me a card to Nirvana.

Now, I can't recall if the card glowed like in the movies, but if it didn't, it should have. One call to the Links Lodge in Lossiemouth and I had a comfy home for the night. I went back outside and told the woman I changed my mind and wanted to know if the offer for the ride was still good, she said it was. The woman said she was glad that I was not spending the night on the beach, she felt it was too dangerous a thing to do. After I found out she lived and worked in South Africa through aparthide and the aftermath, I though her worry was a bit misplaced, just as my perception of South Africa was. We had a nice little chat in the 5 minutes it took us to find my home for the night and I again thanked her for the lift and asked if she needed anyting for petrol, ofcourse not.

As I walked into the gate, I was greeted by an open door from John and Angela, owners of the Links Lodge. Again, I can only imagine how pitiful I must have looked as they immediately showed me to my room without making payment arrangements. I asked if my room might by chance have a bath and it did not; however, Angela did draw me a hot bath downstairs. Angela, the angel to the end of my weary day. After a nice long, hot soak, I felt the water draw the emotions out of my pores and thanked the universe for the respite and knew that I needed to regroup and recollect my purpose of my journey. I would make it an early night and slept like a baby in the soft bed.

Instead of heading out the next day, I opted to spend another night (though a bit over my budget) in the B&B. Angela and John were very hepful and caring. You can tell that they love what they do and it fits them very well. I took a walk about the town and to the lighthouse. On the way back I walked along the beach in my barefeet, feeling the sand against my soles and between my toes and the cool water of the North Sea washing it away. I returned back to B&B in the mid afternoon and decided to forgo the remainder of the costal hike and made plans to head back to Inverness the next day. I relaxed the rest of the afternoon. I did help Angela with some folding, which was the least I could do for that yummy piece of cake she gave me. She also allowed me to wash my clothes, at no additional charge! I am very greatful for the care John and Angela gave me my 2 days/nights at their place, not to mention the goodbye ham sandwich and chips Angela gave me for my trip back to Inverness. Thank you so much for your kindness during my stay!

Stirling Photos Here
Moray Coast Photos Here
Misc Scotland Photos Here

For my foodie friends and family: I tried black pudding, it is a "meat" but I probably don't want to really know all the ingredients; that being said I liked it. It does have a sausage spice flavor to it. I recommend you try it if you come to the UK.

For my golfer friends and family (or those wanting a quite restful place to relax and stay): I would suggest staying at the Links Lodge in Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland. There are pleanty of golf courses within a 15 minute drive, with one right outside the door of the B&B. Also John and Angela are the best people in the world! The view outside my window was #1 (I think) tee on a golf course, John Murray Pro Shop, beach and the North Sea.

For my hiker friends and family: What I did of the 50 miles of the Moray Costal Walk was beautiful and diverse. I did opt to not finish, only because I felt that I needed to emotionally remove myself from the situation. I might yet return to complete it.

This week I made my way via train to Northern Ireland. I stayed the week at a friend's home in the lovely town of Carrickfergus. Carrickfergus has a great castle in the center of town and I toured it with my hosts. Using Carrickfergus as a base I explored the Coastal Road and Belfast.

The Coasta Road is a beautiful drive (though I rode by bus). Along this route I crossed the Carrick-a-Rede Rop Bridge; I know it is hard to believe, but I really did cross it twice! The views were wonderful. After the bridge we then headed to the Giant's Causeway. According to legend, the causeway was made as a road by one giant to get to the other giant in Scotland (same rock formations across the channel in Scotland). The formations are very cool to see and again the views were marvelous.

I spent 3 days touring around Belfast. I could have crammed it into 2 but it was not necessary for my schedule. Again, like in Dublin, I first explored with the hop-on-hop-off bus on the first day. The second day I toured the Titanic Experience which is a great exhibit with many interactive features; it even includes a ride! Since it is August I was able to tour Stormont, the parlimental house. As I was a bit tight on time I did not opt for the tour; however, a friendly guard gave me a personal tour and I got to see more than the official tour people did. :) The next day I went to the botanical gardens and through the Ulster Museum.

Carrickfergus Photos Here
Belfast Photos Here

I was surprised how different but yet the same I find Northern Ireland to Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and therefore I expected differences in mainly the monetary system. I was a bit surprised that the accent was different. I was not sure what I would find regarding the history and though both Ireland and Northern Ireland share a similar history, one can vastly see the different perspectives on how it is presented in each country. I found people friendly and helpful in both and would recommend anyone planning to come to the Emerald Isle to explore both countries.

For my food followers (you know who you are), as I stayed at a friend's home, I think I had some traditional meals. Each evening supper consisted of a meat, veggies and potatoes, and usually some type of gravey (sauce). The only meals that have really contained bread have been sandwiches (not sure if my hosts just didn't eat bread but I didn't miss it). As a side note, if you get a "chicken salad" sandwich (tuna, etc) just know that means that you are getting lettuce, tomato, etc. on the sandwich, not like the "salad" sandwiches we are used to in the US.

P.S. I have pictures a plenty on Snapfish but still getting them a bit more organized. I will add links to the albums as I can for you. You will need to set up a Snapfish account (free) to view the pictures. Be ready, I have already amassed over 1000 pictures.

It's hard to believe that another week has passed. After hitting the "big" tourist towns, and having been to Ireland 28 years ago and seeing most of the "must see" sights already, I decided to make my way to smaller towns. From Kilarney I headed to Dingle. Dingle is a small seaside village that has wonderful little shops and a great atmosphere. One can catch boat tours and if in auto there are a few historical things to see but not really within walking distance. There is also a nice aquarium.

Since it was a rainy, blustery day while I was in Dingle, I opted for the aquarium. The aquarium itself is not large, but better than the National Aquarium in DC (for those who have been there); however, in the penguin area they have a documentary showing about the illfated Shakelford expidition to the Antartic in 1914. This film is about an hour or so long but well worth the watch. The film was actually taken during the expidition and it is silent with information boards setting the scenes. If you think about it, just having the footage itself is amazing, much less what these men and dogs went through for over a year. In the end the men had to survive on the dogs (though they really did not explain this in the documentary I did go through a museum in the next town that expanded my knowledge of the story) only a handful of men did not. The story is beyond inspirational about the fortitude of man. I think it is also telling about Shackelford himself that he mounted another expidition a few years later.

From Dingle I headed to Tralee, another smaller town (about the size of Manhattan, KS). Tralee is famous for the Rose of Tralee pageant. To participate in the pageant the women do not have to be Irish citizens, just direct decendents from Ireland (no more than 3 generations) and so women from all over the world come to particpate. The pageant is heald in August of each year and the town was busy making preparations. The main streets were decorated with lights and the storefronts were being decorated for the big event of the year.

It was in Tralee that I learned more about the Shackelford expiditions as well as a local lad who went on 3 expiditions with Shackelford but quit after the illfated voyage of the Endurance. I found this man's story just as interesting and read all the information available in the exhibit. This museum also had a wonderful Middle Ages Tralee exhibit in which they recreated a small portion of the town in a unique walk through diorama. It was a very fascinating exhibit as well.

Tralee also has a wonderful park with beautiful rose gardens (imagine that) as well as a Dutch Windmill. Other than a few churches there is not too much to explore in this quaint little town.

Next stop was Ennis. Ennis is steep in history and a charming town. By foot the town is easily toured in a day, including the Statue/River walk. There are many pubs that have traditional music at night as well. I would recommend to anyone going to also take a tour of Bunratty Castle, as I had done this in the past, I did not opt to retake the tour.

From Ennis I headed back to Dublin via Galway and wrapped up my Ireland tour and prepared to head to Northern Ireland.

Dingle Peninsula Photos Here
Ennis Pictures Here

I no longer have the uneasy feelings about where I am going, how I am going to get there and where I will be staying that I had the first week. I seem to becoming settled into this day by day existance I have choosen. I do find myself floundering a bit on a project I wanted to work on and I am finding that a bit frustrating. I feel I need to find a focal point to concentrate from and will work on my brainstorming to help clarify the direction I need to go.