Author Topic: Back safely from London ...  (Read 16411 times)

Joan

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Back safely from London ...
« on: August 09, 2008, 11:05:13 PM »
No mince encounters, just a couple of encounters with friends whom I haven't seen for a long time.  Off tomorrow for a few days to the west coast and Skye - weather not looking good. Been really lucky so far.

Few pictures of places I've been here:


http://picasaweb.google.com/bjjktg/UK2008



Offline Diane CBPFC

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2008, 07:22:40 AM »
fantastic photos Joan! Will you be having half a pint with Roger while you are in Scotland?
People will come from strange lands to hear me speak my words of wisdom. They will ask me the secret of life and I will tell them. Then maybe I'll finish off with a song. The Nomad

Offline The Peepmaster

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2008, 11:54:01 AM »
Excellent photos, Joan. The quality, composition and content is superb. I can't wait to see Mince's  ..0

Unfortunately, the weather's not too good up the west coast of Scotland. Occasional sunny intervals though, so I hope you enjoy your trip to Skye.
Nostalgia is not what it used to be. 😟

Vulture

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2008, 12:16:14 PM »
Excellent photos, Joan. The quality, composition and content is superb. I can't wait to see Mince's ..0

Unfortunately, the weather's not too good up the west coast of Scotland. Occasional sunny intervals though, so I hope you enjoy your trip to Skye.

Can't wait to see Mince's .... what...?

Vulture

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2008, 12:19:50 PM »
Joan - brilliant photographs. I've lived in this country for over 60 years and apart from St Pancras Station, I've never seen any of those places. I do hope your camera's still working when you get to Scotland - I've never been there!

Joan

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Back safely from Skye ...
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2008, 12:58:06 PM »
Back again - had a lovely trip - weather not too bad.  In fact we were informed that it was very good for Skye!  Seems most of the time you can't see anything for the rain and the mist!  Midges didn't bother me - they seemed more interested in my sister, which is strange as I'm usually the main target.  Maybe all that biting by Aussie mosquitoes has made my blood less attractive.

I'd never been to Cambridge before, Vulture - went to meet up with a friend who lives near there.  Very pleasant day.  My uncle studied at Cambridge just before WWII and I got there and thought I should visit his college.  Unfortunately, I got the wrong one - thought it was Trinity and it was Clare.   Hadn't seen St Pancras since it was done up either.  Well worth a visit - even went back for a coffee when waiting for my train from Kings Cross (which is not worth a visit unless you have to travel from there).  Very continental feel about it - all the announcements in French and English.  In fact, if I'd had my passports with me, I would have been tempted to jump on the Eurostar and spend a couple of days in Paris. (Silly me for not bringing them.)

More photos in the album http://picasaweb.google.com/bjjktg/UK2008

WARNING! lots of scenery - mountains, lochs, sea, castles, etc

Offline Tarquin Thunderthighs lll

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2008, 05:39:02 PM »
That's a lot of loch, Joan, but they are beautiful, aren't they? Cows from Crieff - ah, memories!
I apologise, in advance.

Vulture

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2008, 06:26:03 PM »
Scotland looks a very dark and brooding place!

Offline Roger Kettle

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2008, 06:41:14 PM »
Some great photos, Joan---and you even managed to take one at Dalwhinnie!

Vulture

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2008, 06:44:49 PM »
Is the Dalwhinnie Distillery the only landmark of note?

Offline Tarquin Thunderthighs lll

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2008, 07:04:30 PM »
Is the Dalwhinnie Distillery the only landmark of note?

In the whole of Scotland, Vult? You need to visit. It's only dark and brooding on Dark and Brooding Day. The rest of the time it's quite simply one of the most stunning countries on the planet...if you know where to look, and Joan does.
I apologise, in advance.

Vulture

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2008, 07:28:31 PM »
I think the furthest North I've been is Blackpool - somewhere around 1958!

Offline Roger Kettle

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2008, 07:46:19 PM »
Dalwhinnie is where I grew up, Vulch. It's 1,200 ft above sea level, in the middle of nowhere, was in the Guinness Book of Records as the coldest place in Britain----and I loved it.
There are many beautiful parts of Scotland and, if you ever get the chance, try to get to the Highlands---there is some really spectacular scenery.

Offline The Peepmaster

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #13 on: August 16, 2008, 09:23:43 PM »
Birds like it round at my house too. Scotland is a stunning place when the sun is shining. I think I recognised Staffin Bay - is that where Uig is, and where the ferries to the Hebrides leave from?

Your mountain pictures reminded me of my Chocolate Hills ones. I wonder if they're related.


Nostalgia is not what it used to be. 😟

Joan

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Re: Back safely from London ...
« Reply #14 on: August 17, 2008, 09:58:13 AM »
I took that specially for you, Roger.  :)  When sister said we were going through Dalwhinnie, just had to stop and take a picture.  Went in as well and bought a wee bottle of Dalwhinnie malt and a couple of postcards (the postcards to make it enough to use card as didn't have enough cash).  Is your hotel still there?  I know it's probably not a hotel any more, but I couldn't work out where it was.  Maybe we didn't go past it, as we went off to Spean Bridge.

I forgot to say that some of the "dark and brooding" photos were taken in the evening, so even more "dark and brooding".  I'm afraid my wee camera doesn't do full justice to the actual views.  You really need to be there to appreciate it fully.  The second day we were on Skye we went down to the south coast and were just blown away by the views of the mainland.  It's actually the clouds and light that make the views so stunning.  It honestly looked just like a painting, only changing in light and colour all the time.  The pics look more impressive full size as well - Picassa makes them quite small, but it's so convenient to load them up there.

Staffin Bay is on the east side of the top of the island, Peeps.  Uig is on the west at about the same level - some pictures in there of the ferry leaving for Lewis.  Your chocolate hills were probably formed the same way - my sister kept sprouting all these geographical terms at me, like "truncated spurs" and "morainic mounds".  We had a geography teacher who loved glaciated valleys.