2018 August 9th - August 30th: London - Scotland: 👍

Dateline: 30th August 2018, Glasgow, Scotland

London - Edinburgh, Lowlands, Islands and Highlands

An accumulation of cultured events back in the home country

It was, even more than usual, a last minute thing

Daze of Future Passed. C2018 Modelled by Newt and your correspondent
 Once stomping grounds of Entrepreneur Smith C1973 - 1975

Those were the days! Green Park Pitch C1973
Well, at least the future was ahead of me then

 Said foundling with his first Dali during a very

impressionable time, going up to University

where it was on display

(I was 19 at the time, this in the Tate,

almost 50 years ago)

The Tate Modern. 
"The Tower of Babel"
C1990 - 2005
Old cell phones

Mr Thomas Coram. 
The man most responsible
for me being 
(relatively) stable and not a
victim

Thomas Coram's original board room
He founded (after 17 years), 
The Hospital for Foundlings

The Ozzie's who we regularly do "cultural exchanges" with were heading to Edinburgh for the fringe festival, as Emma their daughter was in charge of a quarter of the gigs there and could nod us into anything that wasn't totally packed. They had booked up flights, accommodation and vehicle back in February.
We, of course, booked everything 4 days before arriving in London

The Globe. A Production of "Shakespeare's Lady"

The Airbnb's we get, pretty much like everything in UK except car hire (VERY!! cheap for some reason), were incredibly expensive. The London flat, probably more expensive than a Hong Kong hotel (That IS expensive!)

Fish and Chips awaiting the
Regents park open air show

Like everywhere else, we get money, SIM card and travel 

Little Shop of Horrors in the park
If you have seen it before, this one was pretty dull

passes, at the airport, and we're out of Gatwick within an hour of landing.

Edinburgh Festival. One of the lesser shows

London, is of course, my old stomping ground, well from 19 when I went up to Uni, till October 1975 when I left (as part of the "Brain Drain"), as it turned out, for ever.

Shows are fairly easy to get tickets for, so we get tickets for "Shakespeare's Lady", "Motown, The Musical" and, for want of something better to do, a huge (overdone production) of Little Shop of Horrors in Regents Park. Again, a blast from the past as I used to go there in the early 70's when there were bleachers to sit in, and not much else. Also, some workshop thing that Lindy & Newt came to on our first night.

But as Annie & Gary are here and Emma their daughter is running 
a third of the shows, it's all free if there are seats
Not always a given. The popular ones were totally packed

Annie & Garry just flown in from Oz!
We all meet up for pretty good 
if a bit expansive, grub

Talk about culinary culture shock

Families Bianco, Koplimae and Smith hard at work 
being retired and transferring the proceeds to 
others more deserving

There was the Tate Modern, The Tate, Thomas Coram (my Alma Mater) and Regents Park for the open air theatre show, and quite a bit of walking.

One very noticeable thing about UK. No one "Spends a penny" any more. YIKES! 50P (nearly $CAD1.00) a piss. I pass, no, not pass water.

Exploring Edinburgh 
during an off half hour

Eventually, after 5 days, we head North to meet the Bianco family in Edinburgh

"Underbelly" 
Emma's company

We are in meltdown mode as soon as we arrive. Maybe 4 shows that day (we arrived about 3:30PM).
It's a blast right from the start, and Edinburgh is really a great place.

Edinburgh is a great place to hang out in
Here is one of the bar/ meeting areas

I could have had a great time here as an undergrad. It's ancient and modern, has piles of character and seems like the ideal place for the Edinburgh Festival

Here they are: The Isle of Lewis Chess set originals. 
The original Chess set I made in 1972 in which I found my salvation from UK, Economically speaking anyway 

Emma is in charge of one of the 4 companies that put on the shows. She has about 180 shows over maybe 50 venues and maybe 200 staff.

Yet another Food fest, this time a fond farewell

By way of the blurb

Anyways, we have been invited to support the arts in our own freeloader style. We're up for it!

So, we can get in up to 8 shows per day if we can cope, typically 5 - 6 per day for 5 days.

We've got a vehicle from Glasgow, and on the road 
Loch Lomond. There aren't many minutes of light here

Some are fantastic, some or incredibly bad, but all are inspired and relatively fresh, if not all enjoyable except for the dreadful factor.

Loch Lomond. Without sun

And we're over the sea to Skye

Huge number of my preferred distilleries here

I must admit, that I would not like to live here 
permanently

Oyster

Isle of Skye Oysters

I can't think of many folks who wouldn't have fun here.
We depart, hire a car and travel the northern reaches in the comfort of hotels. Annie and Gary do likewise, but intend to rough it in a semi camper pick up truck kitchen van.

Highland cattle on Skye. 
So few to see that a string of
tourists stop for pix of them

I head to Skye for a distillery tour. All booked so off to Portree for the night

Skye is quite attractive, and also very touristy. We get the last B&B in the town, and enjoy a night discovering more new dishes. This time, "Cullen Skink". Coming to a table near you next year.

Highland Games. Drumnadrochit.
These pipes alone were worth the price of admission
Just as well really

Drumnadrochit has the only remaining "Highland Games" left, so thats the next days destination.

I finally experienced the thrill of the skirl of the pipes as the band marched past us. Quite an experience. You can see why these guys led various battalions into battles in their times

Meanwhile, when not being arrested (nearly) at 3AM in some lane in Scotland, Annie and Gary are burning up the peat and travelling hundreds of miles to fit everything in.

Do I see a hint of exhaustion here? 
They were both wrecks, something to do with
"Free Camping not translating very well from Oz to Scotland
Annie & Gary in Inverness coffee shop after a hectic 
chase and close encounters trek

We meet them in a wet, cold and miserable Inverness

We find a really cheap deal in a 4 star hotel, and spend most of a day at the Culloden Field the next day/

Yes, it was a dreadfully judged battle on Bonnie Princes part, and he lost his shirt and kilt

The site is incredibly well curated, set up and funded. Wow. Boney prince really screwed this one up!

We find a great hotel with a special deal near Culloden. 

Here's how to make a kilt
fit: the full 9 yards it

Culloden Field. Bonny Prince or what?
Not so bonny after this catastrophe 
Wow, were these guys beaten and sliced up

Dalwhinnie Tour.

There's hot and hot Haggis
everywhere. All home made

 With assistant modelling malts
and new Goth look I think

This time an amateur lot at Killiekrankie

There's more highland
games, often in small
villages all around. 

One more night on the road with a village "games" - amateur stuff, but fun and finally down to Dalwhinney for a distillery tour

The End is Nigh -
Glasgow, last day

The car is returned back to Glasgow airport,
and we take up residence in Glasgow central for a few days.

Some culture, but not enough to write home about, especially after Edinburgh

So, we're done gentle reader.

We head back Air Transat "Business" (its not) and start preparing for our next trek, which is why I'm typing this somewhere between Sydney and Melbourne. Maybe.....

But that's another blog.

More soon

 

And back to Toronto

From your correspondent