Tae the Highlands June 7 - 9th

The campsite at Oban was so well run, the scenery first class and as a plus the weather was perfect. It subsequently proved to be our favorite spot.

 

                                     The views were spectacular plus we were in a secluded spot at the top of a hill.
 













Our closest neighbors were three young ladies from Aberdeen, Scotland, one of whom, Emma, fell in love with Angus (that is her photo of Angus). That evening they were off to eat at a top honors restaurant as the night before it had been fully reserved. It is satisfying to know that small out of the way places can still do well.

 
The sheep and their lambs roam wherever they choose but were wary of people so it was difficult to get close very to them. Did you know there are 1.7 MILLION sheep in Scotland?

The Scottish Highlands are famous for their midgies; wee flying insects that get in your hair and on your body then bite. They are called ‘no see-ums’ in Florida but here they are big enough to see and best to be avoided. We haven’t been plagued with them yet even though we have seen them circling the ‘wagon’s windows.

The sun sets around 10:45, enjoys a short nap til 4:30 and unfailingly arises to honor new day.  In the evening when it is time to put our feet up we draw the blinds, pull over the ceiling hatch cover and close the front curtains to make the inside into a media room. We watch DVD’s on the computer before bedtime;  the movies kindly lent to us by Michelle the Artisan. It’s a comfy and cozy set up.

From Oban we called our friends Roy and Susan who don’t live at the end of the world but, you can see it from there… They said, catch the ferry and we will meet you in Lochaline, which was a 30+ mile drive from the ferry landing at Corran.

Ferry at Corran

 


The very narrow road, with passing places, to Lochaline.








 
 What a pleasure to see them again. We have been friends since we meet at Champ Giraud gites. http://www.champgiraud.com/
(France) in 2011 . We last saw them and Breagha, their black beauty Labrador, in October during their annual 10-week  French get-away

They have a beautiful setting atop the Sound of Mull and they showered great hospitality upon us for two nights. We had a couple of happy hours on their terrace, reminiscent of our 'nibbles and drinks' times at the gite.

Susan maintains a poly tunnel growing a myriad of vegetables and soft fruit and a big vegetable plot. Roy is head cook and manages all the meals many ingredients coming straight from the poly tunnel. They have an extensive property to maintain but while we were there they were also caring for and watering a neighbor's land. The weather was magnificent, the views spectacular and the company enertaining.


 

 Imagine these two photos joined and you will be able to enjoy part of their spectacular views too.

Susan and I had cards to mail. So, she and I were driven by Roy down to the Post Office at Drimmin, however, it was closed. Nae problem!  The Post Mistress was across the road ready to gather her sheep as the shearer was on his way. That was postponed and we were invited into her home to see her convalescing sister. A little while later a couple (neighbors) dropped in to see the sister, then local politics became the main conversation.  After a while our cards were taken next door where they were weighed and stamped. Just as we were leaving Bob the shearer arrived and we watched his dog herd in the sheep. I am sure they would feel much lighter and better.

Country life at its finest.

Many signs in the Highlands are in Gaelic and English – a wee bit of national culture.

This takes us up to the 9^th of June as we set off for Glencoe.

Until next time….

May 31st - June 6th Ireland to Scotland

I finished the last blog post while at the Dog and Duck on Lough Ree, Ireland on May 31st.

It was a beautiful sunset at the loch's edge where we spent the night.



Next morning we headed north to catch the ferry at Belfast. The landscape was as green as The Emerald Isle should be.

 The "Celtic Tiger" building spree produced many McMansions and sadly we saw a few that were deserted or not even finished.

Like any big city, we preferred to skirt it and were fortunate that the motorway took us right to the dock. We only had a little while to wait before embarking.

It was a calm, short and uneventful 2.5 hour journey. We disembarked at Cairnryan, which is just a short 30 miles south of Girvan where Brian was born and raised and his brother, Joe, still lives. It was great to see him and his pal Linda.

As you can see, not much difference in the scenery on this side of the water.

 

Coast road from Cairnryan to Girvan

Timing was in our favor as the next day was the Girvan Lowlands Games. We listened to the bagpipes from Joe’s garden then we wandered over to the park and were surprised to see that the bagpipes were actually recorded music used for the highland dancers’ exhibit.

There were bands in full dress practicing, rides for the kids and games of chance for everyone and later there would a competiton of Toss the Caber. It was a lovely Scottish scene.

We walked about town, Brian showing me points of interest from his childhood – his school, where he beat up so and so, the hotel his parents owned, the council house he lived in, etc.

The next day Joe and Linda drove us up to Ayr, a town both of us love. It was a mad dash around the shops and then back to Girvan for a lovely dinner out. The night before was ‘fish suppers’. Delicious – a heart attack in every bite!

We spent three nights in Joe’s driveway (he did offer his guest bedroom) then set off for the ‘North’.

Not bad scenery either!

LOCH LOMOND - ye tak the high road and I'll tak the low road......

Loch Lomond is a must see. The area is beautiful and the wee town of Luss with its flowery gardens sets the tone. We went into the visitor’s center and viewed a short film of the area.  There was free WIFI in the room and on the Internet I located a campsite only 20 miles away and on a loch. The GPS wouldn’t bring it up as I didn't have an exact address; we couldn’t find it by driving two or three miles each way past the supposed location. I was so happy that I could speak the lingo as I asked at a gas station. Nope that campsite doesn’t exist anymore. The Forestry Service now owns it.  Damn! 

We had purchased a new GPS in Ayr and I didn’t realize that it had a Campsite feature. Now we use that to find places for the night. So far this GPS is maintaining a good sense of direction rather than one of wicked directional humor the old one possessed and here’s hoping it continues when we are back home.

We had to backtrack and stayed at Glen Docherty Campsite. It was quiet and clean with pretty surroundings.

We have been fortunate in our choice of sites, the ones that actually exist that is. They have all been in excellent locations, clean and well managed. Some have WIFI throughout, some have none, none will tolerate loud behavior and all ask the campers to pick their own site then go back with the site number and pay. Very civilized.

              Scenes from the drive to Oban - the purple flowers are bluebells.

The next day (June 6th) we drove northwest to Oban, which is a large city on the Firth of Lorn. We wandered around then had a fish and chip lunch, picked up some groceries and drove a short distance to a remarkable campsite.

Fish & Chips and a Barr's Irn Bru - yummmmm

The Harbour at Oban

McCraig's Folly

To be continued when next we have WIFI ....       

May 26th - 31st France to Ireland

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 The title refers to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. When turning to the right we must remember to stay to the left otherwise we'll be in oncoming traffic. So this has always been our little verbal reminder.

Our Voyage from France to Ireland and Scotland – starting May 26^th.

When we left Echorigne we headed north a couple of hours  to an area called the Marais Poitevin and the Venise Vert – the Green Venice. More Info

That first night we managed to become stuck in a rut due to wet ground and had to be pushed out by a couple of German teenagers who had befriended us.

Running aground on ground

 

The weather was gorgeous so we walked around the canals and then had evening dinner in a swish restaurant.  A lovely treat.

There is a group of campgrounds which are called Les Castels (5 *****), each one on the grounds of a chateau. The one we chose was Domaine des Ormes. The grounds have chalets, tents and mobile homes for rent. The short trip from the ferries, all the activities for the kiddies and the other amenities attact the English and their kids - it may as well have been in Anywhere, England.  We ordered pizza and when it was delivered to our table we smiled - we had forgotten how well the French make pizzas (at home we buy  frozen and Brian tops them up).

The next day we drove to Saint Malo which is on the English Channel. We have been there twice before but this time we could not stop. EVERY parking lot had a height barrier and so we could not enter! Most disappointing. We went on to Le Mont St. Michel. A stunning fortified island.  The wind was blowing off the sea but inside the village walls it was calm. More info

 

The 3^rd nite was also at a Les Castels called Lez-Eaux (close to water). Again, all English but this time all adults and most of them with the Morris Minor car rally. The campsite was in a time warp, something out of the 50’s with all the little cars parked around. 

The 4th day we were on Irish Ferries sailing from Cherbourg for Rosslare, Ireland. The trip was about 16 hours and it was  mostly calm with just a little rocking.  Angus was safely in a kennel on Deck 4 with his bed and a bowl of water. I think this will be a more pleasant experience for him than 16 hours in a small kennel flying from USA to Spain with no one looking out for his well being. The ladies who are in charge of the kennels are true angels. He probably is not fazed by any of this - it is me who worries how he is fairing.
 

We are so impressed with Irish Ferries. Everything is top notch: staff, food, accommodation (tiny cabin but well thought out). The passengers are Irish, French, Dutch, Swiss, many Eastern Europeans (possibly Polish) and the staff all have eastern European accents. There must be 200+ high school students traveling in different groups. The french school system is very generous when it comes to trips, subsidizing the cost.

We  safely arrived in Ireland on time Thursday morning.  We headed for Kilkenny which is only about 75km from Rosslare so we had lots of time to take in the scenery. 

 

Angus enjoying the scenery

The campground was not too rural and had WIFI throughout – sweet!  The sun was shining and we walked the 2k into town, which had not been our intention..  In the town was the weekly farmer’s market, lots and lots of people, the Nore river, a pub on every corner, colorful shop fronts and a very large castle. As I had not been expecting to see the town at that time I did not have my camera with me. I a saw sign in restaurant window that said "Early Bird Special" - €27/$32 - That is very, very expensive but it seems to be the norm and probably doesn't include wine. Vive La France!

On our walk we were in search of a specific electrical goods store in a commercial zone and had somehow taken a wrong turn. So, we did the smart thing and took a cab to the store and he returned us to the campsite.

We have an electric hook-up cable but it is not long enough. We thought that all we had to do was buy a longer one…No such thing.  Brian bought a 15 meter length of arctic cable, one female end and one male end. We spent the next 2 hours stripping wires, screwing and unscrewing, doing, undoing and redoing the necessary steps to make a new cable, wholeheartedly expecting it to blow up the RV or pitch the entire island of Ireland into darkness. Surprisingly, neither happened as the plugs worked!!  We were so proud of ourselves. We had a quiet happy hour in the sun then watched a movie before bedtime.

Today we are at Lough Ree, 100km north west of Kilkenny. It is a bluserty day but the sun comes out once in a while. The campground in on a the loch and a quack of ducks greeted us. We are parked ten steps from the water and the little pier.

 

Lough Ree - photo not put together very well due to time restrictions, but the general idea is there.

 There is no WIFI on site but the Dog and Duck Pub has it so that is where I am writing this. Brian with a diet Coke and me with a pint of Tuborg.

Tomorrow we will head for Belfast to catch the ferry to Scotland and we will spend time with Brian's brother, the other Jo(e) Bingham.