Scotland

We are coming !!
16.05.2012
Today the day starts …… just guess ;O)) with raining. ‚I’m singing in the rain‘ is the song I just sung under the shower and during clothing (got a real mass of clothes on now). But as the forecast is telling me it will get better …. in 3 days.
Bike is packed, the journey can start.
The trip to the ferry was long but ok with not too much rain at the end. We reached the ferry in time, around 200 bikes were travelling on that ferry with us. So everybody has to fix its bike on its own, just ropes hanging there. Was very adventurous.
After a rather lively night ( the ship was a bit uncalm ;O)) we started after a big breakfast buffet to

17.05.2012
our trip from Newcastle to Edinburgh our first goal in Scotland. It was raining and we had around 6 degrees. A very funny thing is the driving on the left side of the street. Both of us were trying to get it clearly done, when turning to left or right. Claus always says at each corner:“First look right then left“
Then finally Edinburgh came into sight. We were weat, tired and the hotel was close. But what a nightmare was waiting for us!! Not only that the hotel was under renovation, that was really no problem, but there were only a few rooms renovated and ours was none of them. The rainshower offered on the images was an really old brick that has already seen better days, just like the whole room.

Short german break :O))
Es war grauenhaft. Die Matraze war roll on roll over ;O)) wenn einer nicht in der Mitte gelegen haben sollte! dann lag er spätesten Sekunden später irgendwo im Loch in der Mitte. Alles in allem sehr kuschelig, aber nicht besonders schlaffördernd.

Edinburgh was really nice, a medieval flair. We decided to visit the castle, if we will come back on our last days, because we were quite late that day. And we allready saw scottich men wearing kilts, seems to be quite cold for naked knees ;O))
Many old houses many tourists on the streets,many kilt manufacturers.

Finally we survived the night in that horror hotel and started versus Inverness the next morning.

17. Mai 2012

18.05.2012
Road to the highlands. Cold and rainy again, but impressive as we reached the highlands. On the top of the hills, snow is lying, we travelled with 5 degrees most of the day.

18. Mai 2012

The end of the day we reached a baronian cottage beside the sea. It looked like a little castle. The master of the kitchen is mentioned in the Michelin guide. Can you imagine our dinner? It was like being in heaven!Some neat designed things that melted on the tongue.

Around the baronian! cottage we faced the sea and an english garden so cute with very very old trees around and remarks on them who planted them in ancient years. It was like a film in tv, where you do not believe it is true.

Unfortunately my husband forgot the cable of the big camera, so you have to wait for the cottage pictures until we get back home.

Next day 19.05.2012
we started into the deepest highlands. You cannot imagine the landscape, it made me speechless. High mountains, crowned with snowy tops, very meagre and rough, but extremely impressive.

The day before we reached the highlands officially, but that day we were really in. I hope the pictures a showing a bit of that impression we got.

The roads here are very well, except you leave the mainstreets. Then it gets adventurous. Narrow streets for only one car with many bays for passing cars coming towards us. Sheeps, Cows and Dogs on the streets. But the little lambs are sooooo cute ;O)) I really love them, even if they are crying for mom the whole day. Little calves are also on the streets, looking at us, not knowing what they should think about these well dressed germans going on that loud vehicle wihtout any sense:O))

Finally we reached our seaside cottage. A very lovely charming cottage directly near the sea but as well looking over the snowy highlands. It is cold, but nevertheless wonderful. We have a kind of wintergarten, where we can sit and look onto that wonderful panorama.

And of course the curves on the street are heaven for Claus too. He really loves it. Also it is exhausting for him to keep on the right left track and try not to catch all these little lambs (we both thought of well cooked lamb in mintsauce the first time we saw them ;O)) and cows and whatevers.

19. Mai 2012

20.05.2012
Today we travelled to the left upper north of scotland and made station in Durness over the single track for a capucchino and some kind of croissant and a butter on the rock cookie. Every corner is a great view in that country.
But do not tell me sheeps are stupid :O)) they are building here walls around their sheeps and fences, but in the whole country these sheeps are breaking out because the gras near the road is much much greener and tastes better. You have to take so much care for the lambs because they are afraid of this big loud bike, hopping all over the streets.
I really admire my husband for driving on these B-streets, just only made for one care with these passing bays. It is increadible dangerous sometimes.

20. Mai 2012

The evening we made a small walk down in the bay of clachtoll to the sea and finally saw a seal amusing itself in the bay. Impressive!!

21.05.2012
A short trip today to Ullapool for shopping. Everywhere in these little towns are ports, so we thought there must be some shops selling fresh fish from the trawlers, but never found one. So we stopped on a tourist information and asked.
Unbelievable, all the fish from here is carried away directly in big trucks to …… tadaaaa SPAIN !! Really true you can buy nowwhere fresh fish.
The supermarkets here are very very small, in germany you call them Aunt Emma stores :O)) the next shopping center is in unbelievable 83 miles! So you have to find what you like in these little stores. You will not hunger and you will get many things, but what is funny, scotish people seem to eat only hamburgers, steak and bacon ??? You will not get fish, see remark above, you will not get sheep or lamb, only steaks, hamburgers and chickens. Sausage there seems to be only one beside of bacon. Cheese they sell Cheddar in several conditions. But if you need a „Tempo“ (paper handkerchief) then you face a problem. They only buy one package for tremendous prices. So we have to take soft tissues in a box, not really good handable on bikes ;O))

The temperature increased the last two days about 250% from 5 to 18 degrees. The first day we had too much clothes on and started to sweat :O))
No pictures today, made breathtaking images of an old castle with our big digital camera. And for that as you know, no cable available ;O))

22.05.2012
Yesterday we both were too tired to write a word on our blog, so I will try to summarize today. We made the big roundtrip, from Lochinver to Durness (where we made a stop at that unbelievable „legger“ chocolate store and drank a hot chocolate and ate these nice designed croissants) then the northern coast over Thurso to John o’Groats, the northest point of scotland, where the long way down started. It was very windy and some miles again on the single tracks through the highlands.
It is a must to see that point, but I think no need to come back again ;O)) From there we had a view to the Orkneys, impressive again.
After John o’Groats we made our way home down the east coast and then again through the highlands back to the west coast where we started in the morning. Was a roundtrip of about 300 miles and 9 hours, puhhhh. Even my husband was tired and told me that tomorrow he will have a break ;O))
The east coast is flatter with no such big impressive hills like on the west coast. Also more wind and more sheeps and more cows.
A shopping trip into scotish lidl :O)) told us, that scottish beef is the most sold meat here. And of course the cheese is, just guess ……. CHEDDAR !!

22. Mai 2012

23.05.2012
Big break, done really nothing. Only reading, sleeping and cooking a stew for the evening. Claus made a short shopping tour for bread and butter. Then he conquered the small bays on our beach and told me how cold the water was (Very very cold ;O)) 5 inches inwards :O))

Sitting here wondering if anybody is reading that blog here except Mareike, perhaps it is no good doing it in english? Can anybody tell me? HMMMMM…..

24.05.2012
Heute haben wir einen Wasserfall besichtigt. Falls of Measach. Die Schlucht hiess Corrieshanlloch Gorge. Die gälischen Namen sind echt der Hammer!!
Gestern ging unser Radio halb kaputt, heute das Navi. Wir haben also unser Soll für diesen Urlaub erfüllt ;O)) Ohne Katastrophen geht es irgendwie nie ab. Aber nun kann Claus mit dem Samsung und Navigon weiter fahren! Also Ende gut alles gut. Irgendwie komisch, man regt sich gar nicht mehr auf :O))

24. Mai 2012

25.05.2012
Just one last tour through the Highlands, before we must leave our nice little cottage beside the sea.
We found near the next town a small pottery. Look at their garden and their furniture. It was amazing. All broken dishes they took and built that marvellous couches. At the moment they just prepare the tv too.

25. Mai 2012

26.05.2012
On the way to our next station near Fort Williams. On the road to Glencoe lies Eilean Donnan Castle, the home of „Highlander“. Inside it is furnished in some rooms, some of them are private and still in use from the family. Just a view like on a postcard. The roads are no longer straight ahead, some nice curves, so Claus really loved it.
He only mentioned the loudness of streets while roling on it. Our hotel is quite nice, lying just ahead one of these million lochs, do not ask me which name, it’s confusing me after that long time,just some examples we had many fun with:
loch broom (Brummloch)
loch lochy
little loch lochy
Just fun!!
See here our small hotel, with much flair and a very nice and smart service!

26. Mai 2012

27.05.2012
Today just a short trip to Fort Williams, or perhaps Malleig?? Not yet decided.
We made Fort Williams and Maleigh. A shopping tour in Fort William showed us that functional wear is very cheap here, we bought a lot ;O)) It is probably because it lies near the highest Mountain in Scotland Ben Nevis.
@ Willi, if you ever read this: „Yes they can everything except cooking!“
Claus tried haggis for dinner, for breakfast and it tastes, well ok I would say, but I can live without it. The coal we already saw in Nottingham is called black pudding, Claus likes it, but I even did not try. It is a kind of „Blutwurst“, I can also live without.
Since 4 days we now have temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees, yes you read this correct. I never thougt of taking sun care with me :O))
Now we are looking like indians, red in the face and burning hot!! But we learned too, that this doesn’t matter, out in the sun again like they are all doing here. The sun goes down around 10 o’clock now, it does not really get dark here. In the north we were it was even around midnight still a bit bright and we not even one day faced dark night. The morning starts before 5 o’clock and that we did not get done ;O))
Tomorrow we will go into the lowlands for another experience. Oh I forgot: All around in the country, Rhododren is growing wildly. Next time I need a big car to get everything I need carried home.

27. Mai 2012

28.05.2012

Driving out of the highlands was another highlight, as you may see on the images.

We finally came near Dumfries to another castle hotel. It is marvellous. It was again around 30 degrees and hot as hell. Never thought this could happen in scotland.

28. Mai 2012

29.05.2012

Short tour and a visit of a nice Castle. After that a small walk in Dumfries to shot the souvenirs for our little ladies.

29. Mai 2012

30.05.2012

Last trip through the lowlands. The landscape remembers of Palatinate. Only the small houses seem to be like in Alsace. Ok less sheeps there ;O)) but green green green. Cows (sirloin steaks!) everywhere. Many rabbits, partridges (Rebhühner) pheasants (Fasane) on the streets, Claus has to pay attention that we will not have tooo much food for dinner ;O))

30. Mai 2012

This will be the last entry before we start tomorrow our trip home. On the ferry in Newcastle again up to Amsterdam, then on Friday the last big ride home. End of message!