Scotland/Ireland 2017 – #01

[Categories: Travel, Photography, Photography 101 Forever]

I’m posting from an iPad.  Good luck to me.

Armed with guidebooks (a 1989 Michelin Scotland and a Baedeker’s Ireland of nearly the same vintage, from my 1990 visits) and a crusty camera not quite that old resurrected from storage, I’m off to see beautiful Scotland and the Emerald Isle again.  I suspect most of the history from these old books is still intact.

I should have started re-reading them sooner. They are fascinating.  History!  It’s the FUTURE OF MANKIND!!  The history of Scotland makes the medieval-styled Game of Thrones books and tv look like nursery school.

First stop is Edinburgh, with a long layover in Newark, NJ on the way.  I could not believe the Newark airport.  I have traveled a bit over the years but I witnessed a phenomena I had not seen before.  All the restaurant and concession venues had iPads at every single place setting as well as what you used to checkout other purchases. Everywhere!  I’m gobsmacked.  The digital age is definitely upon us, devouring us whole.

(Click to view, scroll down and click to view larger.)

Arriving in Edinburgh at 8AM we drop the bags at our hotel, have a Starbucks (I have my priorities) and proceed with a forced march up the hill to Arthur’s Seat.  It’s 823ft/251m high with either shoe-smoothed, slippery or very rough irregular rock at the top.

The view from Starbucks.

About to tackle the summit. Rocks above are either very smooth or very very rough.

Woman with dog, seated by Arthur’s Seat.

Lunch is pork and haggis sausage at the Mitre Bar (delicious!) and light dinner is at the Doric Gastro Pub (est. 1823 and even more delicious)

Cullen Skink soup (Haddock from Cullen, smoked by ‘skink’ method, potatoes, onion, cream style)

The five star Balmoral Hotel is barely visible from our table. Our own hotel is not far either.

Delicious bread included, with a side of chips (french fries to Americans) cooked in truffle oil.

TBC…