interesting picture

It took me a bit to figure this picture out.  3 D and it seeemed to follow me.  I  tried to make a movie of it.  .The artist is still alive and comes to clean it every year.

side vieew

Here are a few other pictures

You know when you are in a foreign country 

dollar store

5 and dime 

street art

Not only do I have the shortbreads but I have chips as well

This shows where we went.

Necropolis, Sterling Castle, Whisky and dinner

We had a free day this morning so about 9 am we headed out to walk to the Necropolis.  We went via George's Square to take a picture of the Statue of Liberty, though I am sorry to say that I do not remember the story about why it was there.

We went by the Art Museum

The Necropolis has a great view of the city and is full of very elaborate grave markers.

At breakfast we had picked up a few extra items so that we could have sandwiches for lunch.  Actually these ended out being about the best sandwiches we had on the whole trip.  Other than the sandwiches we had in the rain at Pitlochry.  We got back from our walk in time to have our sandwiches.  We had to be ready for the bus at noon.

We first drove to Sterling Castle.  A great castle which has been restored.  We could go all over and take pictures. That was fun.  They had the replica of the Unicorn Tapestry!!

Next stop was the Glengoyne Distillery.  We had a dram of 12 year old single malt scotch whisky.  Then we had the tour of how they make it.  Unfortunately this is their silent season.  There are 6 weeks during the summer that everything stops.  So we did not actually see anything happening.

2850 pounds for a 35 year old whisky

Then we went to a local farm for dinner.  It was amazing how they packed us in to a tiny space and fed us a fabulous meal with entertainment, followed by tea/coffee and another kind of whisky/wine liqueur.

welcome

packed in like sardines

pea soup

chicken

entertainment father and son

Cranachan

Drove back to the hotel.  The "kids" on the bus went wild with singing bits and pieces of a lot of songs.  It was fun.  Good-byes in the lobby.  Tomorrow will be an early morning.  Our ride to the airport is at 6:30 am. Then our long flight home.  We go through Amsterdam and Minneapolis on the way home.

interesting signs and terminology

Terms I have learned.  

Loch = lake

Glen = valley

Ben = mountain

Moor = open area, rugged, rocky with heather

Firth = the arm or the sea coming in or bay so the Firth of Forth is the bay of the river Forth

Inver =  mouth of a river as in Inverness (mouth of the river Ness)

trone = standardization of weight

A different way of saying things

I guess after 9 pm they no longer serve fresh food

signs in English and Gaelic 

Glencoe, Boat Cruise and Glasgow

We had to have our luggage out by 7:30 am and be ready to go by 8:30 am.  We had breakfast in there.  When we were checking out they were very laid back about the bar tab.  Not sure how that all worked out.

Headed out to drive south to Glasgow.

The staff said goodbye

We stopped at a view point of Castle Ardverskia.  If anyone is familiar with the TV show the Monarch of the Glen.  It took place here

Simone, our tour guide and Allister, our driver

The Commando memorial

these memorial bouquet are are everywhere 

Restroom stop at a touristy gift shop.  The Spean Bridge Mill

The stream by the mill.  

drive by views

Viewpoint stop near Glencoe

Very beautiful area.  We drove through the glen to the moor. Glencoe is the area that the MacDonalds were slaughtered by the Campbells.

When we got to Loch Lommand we got on a cruise.  We had sandwiches on the boat.  (I am getting tired of these tasteless sandwiches we keep getting).  

The pilot is NOT watching where he is going.  He is talking to us.

A castle hotel at Tarbet where we got off.  We met the bus there.  The people who did not want to do the cruise stayed on the bus.  They had a chance to go into this hotel and said it was very nice.

Then we drove on to Glasgow.  The bus dropped us off at the St Mungo's Cathedral.  

Necropolis.  We are going to try to get up there tomorrow morning

For those of you who know Dr Who.  This is an example of his TARDIS.

There was an optional dinner with the tour group this evening and we decided to not do that.  We have had a leisurely afternoon and then we went to an Indian restaurant for dinner.  I think we are a little tired of British food. We found that the Charcoals was close.  We walked there

oops I forgot to take a picture of this.  Poppadoms and chutneys

Vegetable Mekhani, raita, rice, chapatti, Aloo Gobi.  It was all tasty

Then back to the hotel.  This hotel has some weird things as well.  The elevator you push the floor you want and then it tells you which elevator will be the right one. A, B or C.  You have to make sure you wait for the right elevator.  The stair are not obvious either.  Kind of round about.  You also have to keep your key in the light switch slot in your room other wise the lights go off automatically after a few minutes.  But the internet is good.

Even though we have had off and on sunshine I have not seen the moon since London.  Disappointing since tomorrow is a Blue Moon and I will probably not see it.