Our view this evening is overlooking Duntulm, the ruin that was the castle of the MacDonalds before their destruction at the battle of Culloden. There's not much left, but the ruin is striking in its beauty, mainly because it overlooks the sea at the northwest end of the Isle of Skye. In the distance, we can see two of the Outer Hebrides islands, Lewis and Uist. We can't see them well, as we are looking into the sunset. It's 10:25 PM.
We started the morning in Fort William, with the customary breakfast, although this morning I went easier than previously, with oatmeal (porridge over here), and eggs Benedict. Hard to believe that that's going easy. We headed west and stopped for a photo opportunity to get pictures of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland. As noted before, it is majestic and stunningly beautiful. Then, we headed west for the Isle of Skye, stopping to see Ealean Donnan castle. This is a rebuilt castle that has been featured in a number of movies. It is on a small spit of land that is an island when the tide is in, and there is a bridge to the castle, which was a ruin until the 1920's and 30's. An army colonel bought the place and rebuilt it to its original splendor, and it has become a real destination for tourists.
After spending some time in and around the castle, we crossed the bridge to Skye and drove to Portree, the main city of the island. This city is a port there that was important in the past for fishing, but not so much anymore. Now, it's mainly a tourist town. In 2002, Denise and I went there and we remembered seeing a Scottish wedding from a small coffee shop in the town square. Today, we shopped for stuff (various), then boarded the bus and headed for Uig.
At Uig, we visited the Island Life museum, a collection of recreated thatched huts that simulated Scottish life until the 1800's. The museum was a mite underwhelming. We also saw the grave of Flora MacDonald, the lady who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from the British by having him pose as her servant. Following that escapade, she was captured and taken to the Tower of London, then eventually released, living out her life in Scotland, and for a short time in North Carolina. This all happened in the 1700's, but her gravestone was erected in the 1990's. Those Scots have a very long memory.
Our hotel, as I mentioned, overlooks Duntulm, and if you visit my Facebook page, you will see a few pics. We walked up there both before and after dinner, and climbed around the walls. After the second trip, we walked along the beach looking for the seals that are supposed to come in every evening, along with otters. No luck in spotting them, but we got good pictures of people and scenery. I also managed to sink my tennis shoes deep into the boggy mud that surrounds the beach, so we'll need to find a washing machine in Inverness tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Scotland Day Four
Scotland Day Four
We arose late today and had the usual breakfast, specifically more food than any three people can eat. Then, we set out for the ferry ride back to Oben, then on to Glenncoe.
This valley was the site of a massacre that occurred in 1692. The king of England, James II, was attempting to bring the Scottish clans under his dominion. He was also King James VI of Scotland, so he had more reasons than one to make the clans do his bidding. The head of the MacDonald clan delayed in signing the document the other clans had signed, so the king decided to make an example of him. He ordered his troops to Glenncoe, where they stayed with the clan for two weeks, enjoying their hospitality.
Then, the order came and the British platoon slaughtered about 30 of the residents, including women and children. That was the end of the power of the MacDonald clan, and subsequently their lands were forfeited to the king. In later years, descendants of the MacDonalds applied for a return of the lands, but they were always denied. Thomas Dalrymple was the king's advisor who ostensibly gave the order for the massacre, but an inquest proved inconclusive, and no one was ever punished for the treachery.
Now, the valley remains hauntingly beautiful, as you will see in the pics on my Facebook page. We stopped there for a photo shoot, and then went on to Fort William. The "fort" part of its name has long ceased to exist. This city is on the bank of the Nevis river or loch, I'm not sure which, and we are staying in the Nevis Bank Hotel. The town sits right next to the highest mountain in Scotland, which rises higher than 4000 feet. In the past, I tended to scoff at the idea of mountains in the British isles, but this really does qualify. We rode a gondola up to the top, and took more amazing photos. This is a ski area in wintertime, and it looks as if it would be a pretty good one, with more than 2000 feet in vertical elevation to ski.
After the ride, we went to the hotel, a building with very modern architecture and amenities. Our dinner was marvelous. I had sea bass with vegetables and "chorizo," which was really just sausage. I guess they don't expect people like us Zonies, who know real chorizo. Following dinner, several of us walked into town, where Ben bought his third kilt. He looks quite fetching, I must say. Not so much that I want to buy one, however.
Tomorrow, we travel to Uig, on the Isle of Skye.
We arose late today and had the usual breakfast, specifically more food than any three people can eat. Then, we set out for the ferry ride back to Oben, then on to Glenncoe.
This valley was the site of a massacre that occurred in 1692. The king of England, James II, was attempting to bring the Scottish clans under his dominion. He was also King James VI of Scotland, so he had more reasons than one to make the clans do his bidding. The head of the MacDonald clan delayed in signing the document the other clans had signed, so the king decided to make an example of him. He ordered his troops to Glenncoe, where they stayed with the clan for two weeks, enjoying their hospitality.
Then, the order came and the British platoon slaughtered about 30 of the residents, including women and children. That was the end of the power of the MacDonald clan, and subsequently their lands were forfeited to the king. In later years, descendants of the MacDonalds applied for a return of the lands, but they were always denied. Thomas Dalrymple was the king's advisor who ostensibly gave the order for the massacre, but an inquest proved inconclusive, and no one was ever punished for the treachery.
Now, the valley remains hauntingly beautiful, as you will see in the pics on my Facebook page. We stopped there for a photo shoot, and then went on to Fort William. The "fort" part of its name has long ceased to exist. This city is on the bank of the Nevis river or loch, I'm not sure which, and we are staying in the Nevis Bank Hotel. The town sits right next to the highest mountain in Scotland, which rises higher than 4000 feet. In the past, I tended to scoff at the idea of mountains in the British isles, but this really does qualify. We rode a gondola up to the top, and took more amazing photos. This is a ski area in wintertime, and it looks as if it would be a pretty good one, with more than 2000 feet in vertical elevation to ski.
After the ride, we went to the hotel, a building with very modern architecture and amenities. Our dinner was marvelous. I had sea bass with vegetables and "chorizo," which was really just sausage. I guess they don't expect people like us Zonies, who know real chorizo. Following dinner, several of us walked into town, where Ben bought his third kilt. He looks quite fetching, I must say. Not so much that I want to buy one, however.
Tomorrow, we travel to Uig, on the Isle of Skye.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Scotland Day Three
As I sit on the bed in our room, I feel like I'm still vibrating. We spent a lot of time on the "coach" today, and let's just say rock and roll has a new meaning for me. After a "full Scottish breakfast," which includes eggs, baked beans, haggis, roasted tomatoes, sausage, bacon, porridge, black pudding (you don't want to know), fruit, fruit juice, tea, and a selection of cold cereals, we boarded our coach and headed toward the western tip of the island, Fiannphort. No, I can't pronounce it, either.
The distance is only about 30 miles. An hour and a half after we left, we arrived at the ferry stop. The road is one-lane, and it is very rough and bouncy. The bus had to stop frequently to pass an oncoming car, or to let an overtaking car pass. Every 1/8 to 1/4 mile, there is a wide spot that will allow vehicles to pass, and we seemed to stop at most of them. Anyhow, we finally arrived about 11:00 and boarded the ferry for the 10-minute ride across to Iona.
Iona was the island where St. Columba arrived in the 563, to establish Christianity on the island. The story is that he arrived with twelve others, and they proceeded to evangelize first Iona and then much of the rest of Scotland. He built an abbey on the eastern shore, which continued to house monks for several hundred years. He died on June 9, 597 in the church, having risen in reputation and power to the point that he "ordained" the king of Dalriada, which included much of Scotland. Many kings of Scotland were buried on Iona, as it was regarded as a holy place. At the abbey, there is a shrine that marks his burial place, supposedly. In the 800's and 900's, others came and started rebuilding the structure, and parts of the current building apparently date back to that time.
In the 1100's, Somerled became "Lord of the Isles," a title that is now held by Prince Charles. His son Reginald brought Benedictine monks and Augustinian nuns to the island. From that time until the Reformation, there was an active abbey and nunnery, which comprise the buildings that are now present.
In the 1500's, the Reformation stopped all that. Abbeys and nunneries became part of either the Church of England or the Church of Scotland. The structures fell into disrepair, and in the 1800's, it was decided that they should be rebuilt. Final rebuilding happened in the 19th and 20th centuries. Now, the site is a monastic-type community in which people from various faiths can come for week-long prayer and meditation visits. Some of what they do sounds pretty far out, but I can see how such time could be life-changing for people seeking a renewal of their faith.
There are several crosses leading up to the abbey, and on the ground of the sanctuary. One dates from the 1500's and is still standing, five centuries later. Others have fallen, and the pieces of those crosses are displayed in the museum. One of them broke immediately after being erected, as the arms were too long, so the sculptors added a circle around the intersection of the cross, which was later copied all over Scotland, and became the cross used now by the Presbyterians.
I don't think there are more than 200 people on the island, and that may be an overestimate. In fact, many who work there live on Mull. As one of them told us, Iona is just one ferry too many from the mainland.
While at the abbey, we had a short service led by Rev. Ben Seller, and it was touching and meaningful. He spoke about the Great Commission, to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, relating that mandate both to St. Columba and to our world today. It was excellent.
In the afternoon, we caught the ferry again and took the bus to Tobermory, the other larger community on the island. The town is known for its distillery, and for its buildings being painted in multicolored hues. It is actually very picturesque. We shopped the main street for an hour or so, before returning to our hotel. While shopping, we stopped in a grocery store, and I bought some potato chips, flavored "Prawn Cocktail." They weren't bad, but I don't think I would order them again. I could have ordered Fried Chicken flavor, among others. Denise got the Pickled Onion ones, but I didn't get to taste any of hers.
Because of the roads and the swaying of the bus, I now know how it must have felt to ride in a stagecoach. I'm hoping my head will stop spinning by tomorrow. Dinner tonight was much better than last night. I had the pickled mackerel appetizer, which was much better than it sounds, followed by the Laird's Pie, made of venison, carrots, mashed potatoes, along with a puff pastry top. Now, I would not usually try venison, but this was amazing, and tasted more like beef than anything else. There was only one bite that had a minimally wild taste, and it was prepared such that it was much more tender and succulent than venison usually is.
Following dinner, we walked down to the bay and skipped stones on the water. Denise picked up shells, as well, which will be coming home with us. After the walk we sat in the hotel lounge and talked until after 10 PM. The sky was still bright enough to read outside when we returned to our room.
Tomorrow, we head north to Fort William, with a side trip to Glencoe.
The distance is only about 30 miles. An hour and a half after we left, we arrived at the ferry stop. The road is one-lane, and it is very rough and bouncy. The bus had to stop frequently to pass an oncoming car, or to let an overtaking car pass. Every 1/8 to 1/4 mile, there is a wide spot that will allow vehicles to pass, and we seemed to stop at most of them. Anyhow, we finally arrived about 11:00 and boarded the ferry for the 10-minute ride across to Iona.
Iona was the island where St. Columba arrived in the 563, to establish Christianity on the island. The story is that he arrived with twelve others, and they proceeded to evangelize first Iona and then much of the rest of Scotland. He built an abbey on the eastern shore, which continued to house monks for several hundred years. He died on June 9, 597 in the church, having risen in reputation and power to the point that he "ordained" the king of Dalriada, which included much of Scotland. Many kings of Scotland were buried on Iona, as it was regarded as a holy place. At the abbey, there is a shrine that marks his burial place, supposedly. In the 800's and 900's, others came and started rebuilding the structure, and parts of the current building apparently date back to that time.
In the 1100's, Somerled became "Lord of the Isles," a title that is now held by Prince Charles. His son Reginald brought Benedictine monks and Augustinian nuns to the island. From that time until the Reformation, there was an active abbey and nunnery, which comprise the buildings that are now present.
In the 1500's, the Reformation stopped all that. Abbeys and nunneries became part of either the Church of England or the Church of Scotland. The structures fell into disrepair, and in the 1800's, it was decided that they should be rebuilt. Final rebuilding happened in the 19th and 20th centuries. Now, the site is a monastic-type community in which people from various faiths can come for week-long prayer and meditation visits. Some of what they do sounds pretty far out, but I can see how such time could be life-changing for people seeking a renewal of their faith.
There are several crosses leading up to the abbey, and on the ground of the sanctuary. One dates from the 1500's and is still standing, five centuries later. Others have fallen, and the pieces of those crosses are displayed in the museum. One of them broke immediately after being erected, as the arms were too long, so the sculptors added a circle around the intersection of the cross, which was later copied all over Scotland, and became the cross used now by the Presbyterians.
I don't think there are more than 200 people on the island, and that may be an overestimate. In fact, many who work there live on Mull. As one of them told us, Iona is just one ferry too many from the mainland.
While at the abbey, we had a short service led by Rev. Ben Seller, and it was touching and meaningful. He spoke about the Great Commission, to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, relating that mandate both to St. Columba and to our world today. It was excellent.
In the afternoon, we caught the ferry again and took the bus to Tobermory, the other larger community on the island. The town is known for its distillery, and for its buildings being painted in multicolored hues. It is actually very picturesque. We shopped the main street for an hour or so, before returning to our hotel. While shopping, we stopped in a grocery store, and I bought some potato chips, flavored "Prawn Cocktail." They weren't bad, but I don't think I would order them again. I could have ordered Fried Chicken flavor, among others. Denise got the Pickled Onion ones, but I didn't get to taste any of hers.
Because of the roads and the swaying of the bus, I now know how it must have felt to ride in a stagecoach. I'm hoping my head will stop spinning by tomorrow. Dinner tonight was much better than last night. I had the pickled mackerel appetizer, which was much better than it sounds, followed by the Laird's Pie, made of venison, carrots, mashed potatoes, along with a puff pastry top. Now, I would not usually try venison, but this was amazing, and tasted more like beef than anything else. There was only one bite that had a minimally wild taste, and it was prepared such that it was much more tender and succulent than venison usually is.
Following dinner, we walked down to the bay and skipped stones on the water. Denise picked up shells, as well, which will be coming home with us. After the walk we sat in the hotel lounge and talked until after 10 PM. The sky was still bright enough to read outside when we returned to our room.
Tomorrow, we head north to Fort William, with a side trip to Glencoe.
Scotland Day Two
Scotland Day Two
I'm sitting in the room at the Isle of Mull Hotel and Spa. It's in Craignure, and our room overlooks the bay. We're drinking tea again. We can't figure out if the tea is actually better here, or if it just tastes better because we're drinking it in Scotland.
We started out this morning near Glasgow, going north. Our guide, Allison, is from Glasgow, and she said there is a 'friendly' rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Glasgow is sort of a low-brow city of blue collar workers, shipwrights, businesses involved with trade. According to Allison, the Glaswegians say, "You'll have more fun at a Glasgow funeral than at an Edinburgh wedding." I think that captures the essence of the difference between the two largest cities in this country. Also, if there is something that is outstanding or wonderful, in Glasgow it's "pure dead brilliant." That may have just become my favorite phrase.
On our way north, we stopped at the Village of Luss, a tiny touristy way station. We visited a small shop where an old man tottered around inside with a plate of Scottish shortbread for all customers. The village is on Loch Lomond, famous for a poem and song that include the words, "You take the high road and I'll take the low road, and I'll be in Scotland afore ye," written about a pair of friends who were imprisoned. One was to be executed the next day (the low road) and the other was to be set free.
From there we drove to Inverary Castle, home of the Duke of Argyll. This castle is occupied by the current Duke, whose wife is an heir to the Cadbury chocolate empire. The duke is from the Campbell clan, and in fact Argyll was the headquarters of that clan. Since the family name Burns is a sept of the Campbell clan, I guess I was visiting my ancestral home. Didn't see anyone I knew. While we were there, we had lunch in the cafe at the castle, lentil soup and ginger beer. The ginger beer is not to be confused with ginger ale. It is made of fermented ginger root, but has only a negligible amount of alcohol. The closest taste I can think of is Vernor's ginger ale, as it is rather strong and catches in the back of the throat. I probably would not drink it very often.
The castle was built in the 1700's, and it overlooks Loch Fyne. It is furnished in a French provincial style, including tapestries on the walls reminiscent of Versailles. There were pictures everywhere, both of the ancient dukes and duchesses, and modern ones of the current family. They have small children, 3, 5, and 7 as I remember. The duchess acts as 'lady in waiting' whenever the ruling monarch visits. That's sort of an aide who sets up meetings and official dinners.
From Inverary we went north along Loch Awe (pronounced "oh"). It's the longest loch, at 25 miles in length. By now, these lochs are all running together in my head, because I can't really tell much difference between them. They are all fabulously beautiful. Anyway, we arrived in Oben, where we caught a ferry to the Isle of Mull. Oben is picturesque, and with any luck I'll be able to send some pictures. By the way, I sent some this morning (last night to you 'Zonies), to Facebook, so if you want to find me on Facebook, the pics are in an album labeled "Scotland."
Somewhere along the way, before or after the village, we crossed into the highlands. You can tell when that happens, because the signs are suddenly in two languages: English and Gaelic. The Gaelic (pronounced "gallic") in Scotland is very different from Irish Gaelic. It has only 18 letters, and is inscrutable to me.
From Oben we took the ferry to Craignure, the largest town on Mull. Large is a term that should in no way be applied to this place. The term "wee" would fit quite well, in fact. The ferry ride gave us a spectacular view of the islands surrounding the open water between the cities. By the time we left Oben, it was late afternoon, so the land around us seemed shrouded in mist, with a mountainous horizon to the north and east, and rolling green hills to the south and west.
After settling in at the hotel, we had dinner. This one was not a amazing as last night's, but it was still pretty good. Then we took a walk. We left the hotel at a little after 8 PM, in search of the nearest castle, which we understood was about 1.5 miles away. We finally reached the Torosay Castle a little after 9:00, and of course it was closed for business. Like yesterday's castle, it is occupied, so we didn't feel good about jumping the fence and looking around anyhow. I didn't like the idea of spending the night in a Scottish jail. We got back to the hotel a few minutes before 10 PM, having walked at least five miles round trip. So much for their distance estimates. It was still light enough outside to take a picture without flash. It's easy to forget how far north we are until the sun sets after ten.
Tomorrow, we'll be going to the Isle of Iona.
I'm sitting in the room at the Isle of Mull Hotel and Spa. It's in Craignure, and our room overlooks the bay. We're drinking tea again. We can't figure out if the tea is actually better here, or if it just tastes better because we're drinking it in Scotland.
We started out this morning near Glasgow, going north. Our guide, Allison, is from Glasgow, and she said there is a 'friendly' rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Glasgow is sort of a low-brow city of blue collar workers, shipwrights, businesses involved with trade. According to Allison, the Glaswegians say, "You'll have more fun at a Glasgow funeral than at an Edinburgh wedding." I think that captures the essence of the difference between the two largest cities in this country. Also, if there is something that is outstanding or wonderful, in Glasgow it's "pure dead brilliant." That may have just become my favorite phrase.
On our way north, we stopped at the Village of Luss, a tiny touristy way station. We visited a small shop where an old man tottered around inside with a plate of Scottish shortbread for all customers. The village is on Loch Lomond, famous for a poem and song that include the words, "You take the high road and I'll take the low road, and I'll be in Scotland afore ye," written about a pair of friends who were imprisoned. One was to be executed the next day (the low road) and the other was to be set free.
From there we drove to Inverary Castle, home of the Duke of Argyll. This castle is occupied by the current Duke, whose wife is an heir to the Cadbury chocolate empire. The duke is from the Campbell clan, and in fact Argyll was the headquarters of that clan. Since the family name Burns is a sept of the Campbell clan, I guess I was visiting my ancestral home. Didn't see anyone I knew. While we were there, we had lunch in the cafe at the castle, lentil soup and ginger beer. The ginger beer is not to be confused with ginger ale. It is made of fermented ginger root, but has only a negligible amount of alcohol. The closest taste I can think of is Vernor's ginger ale, as it is rather strong and catches in the back of the throat. I probably would not drink it very often.
The castle was built in the 1700's, and it overlooks Loch Fyne. It is furnished in a French provincial style, including tapestries on the walls reminiscent of Versailles. There were pictures everywhere, both of the ancient dukes and duchesses, and modern ones of the current family. They have small children, 3, 5, and 7 as I remember. The duchess acts as 'lady in waiting' whenever the ruling monarch visits. That's sort of an aide who sets up meetings and official dinners.
From Inverary we went north along Loch Awe (pronounced "oh"). It's the longest loch, at 25 miles in length. By now, these lochs are all running together in my head, because I can't really tell much difference between them. They are all fabulously beautiful. Anyway, we arrived in Oben, where we caught a ferry to the Isle of Mull. Oben is picturesque, and with any luck I'll be able to send some pictures. By the way, I sent some this morning (last night to you 'Zonies), to Facebook, so if you want to find me on Facebook, the pics are in an album labeled "Scotland."
Somewhere along the way, before or after the village, we crossed into the highlands. You can tell when that happens, because the signs are suddenly in two languages: English and Gaelic. The Gaelic (pronounced "gallic") in Scotland is very different from Irish Gaelic. It has only 18 letters, and is inscrutable to me.
From Oben we took the ferry to Craignure, the largest town on Mull. Large is a term that should in no way be applied to this place. The term "wee" would fit quite well, in fact. The ferry ride gave us a spectacular view of the islands surrounding the open water between the cities. By the time we left Oben, it was late afternoon, so the land around us seemed shrouded in mist, with a mountainous horizon to the north and east, and rolling green hills to the south and west.
After settling in at the hotel, we had dinner. This one was not a amazing as last night's, but it was still pretty good. Then we took a walk. We left the hotel at a little after 8 PM, in search of the nearest castle, which we understood was about 1.5 miles away. We finally reached the Torosay Castle a little after 9:00, and of course it was closed for business. Like yesterday's castle, it is occupied, so we didn't feel good about jumping the fence and looking around anyhow. I didn't like the idea of spending the night in a Scottish jail. We got back to the hotel a few minutes before 10 PM, having walked at least five miles round trip. So much for their distance estimates. It was still light enough outside to take a picture without flash. It's easy to forget how far north we are until the sun sets after ten.
Tomorrow, we'll be going to the Isle of Iona.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Scotland Day One
Journal 20110611
I'm sitting in our hotel room, in the Gleddoch House Hotel Golf Club and Spa, drinking tea and eating a shortbread cookie while I write. Life could be worse. It's about 45 degrees outside with a light drizzle, and naturally there are people on the golf course playing anyway. I like Mark Twain's comment that golf is a good walk, spoiled, so I'm not tempted, even here in the home of golf. I must say the courses we've seen are just beautiful. But enough about that.
We left Phoenix yesterday morning at 6:50 AM, and landed in Newark for a 5-hour layover. Can't say I found much to recommend about New Jersey, at least the airport. The flight "over the pond" was uneventful, but sleep eluded me uncharacteristically. Because of that, I missed some of the guide's information about Glasgow because I had to inspect the inner aspect of my eyelids. They're fine.
After dropping our bags at the hotel, our driver, Stevie, took us to the center of Glasgow, where we visited the Glasgow Cathedral. The cathedral building was started in the 1300's, and took about 100 years to complete, with additional wings added over the next couple hundred years. After the Reformation, the church was Presbyterian rather than catholic, and eventually it was turned over to the city of Glasgow. I couldn't tell if they still have church services in there anymore, or not. The structure is smaller and less impressive than Canterbury Cathedral, but it is still amazing to look at. The lower portions are obviously ancient. I'm hoping to post pictures either on Facebook or on my blog, depending on the speed of the Internet.
Alongside the cathedral, there is a museum, the St. Mungo Museum of World Religions. St. Mungo is the patron saint of Glasgow. He died the 600's, and nothing was written about him for another several hundred years, so he's somewhat apocryphal. Anyhow, the church was built on the location of his grave and that of another holy man, Fergus, whose body Mungo brought to Glasgow for burial. If I were a Glasgow native (Glasgowian? Glasgowite?), I would try for a different saint. Mungo sounds like a character in a western movie that would star Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson. But back to the museum. It is a small museum that celebrates great world religions, including Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism, and so on. The displays are interesting in that they are somewhat random, so you have to pay attention and can be surprised by the juxtaposition of different beliefs.
We went to the O'Connor pub next, and Denise and I split "Chicken Supreme," which is a chicken breast stuffed with haggis, served over mashed potatoes with whiskey gravy. It was amazing, and we were glad we shared. Upon our return to the hotel, Denise and I took a hike that landed us in someone's back yard, sort of. If you can call the rear garden of a Scottish estate a back yard. The rain drizzle was light enough that it just added to the charm of the place.
Our hotel overlooks the Firth of Clyde, which is more or less a long bay or fjord-like area where the River Clyde empties into the ocean. The hotel was built as a manor for a shipping baron, Sir John Lithgow (not the actor). I can't tell how old it is, but I'd be late 1800's. It's on 360 acres of rolling grass (much of it golf course). There was a wedding reception here today, with the men all in kilts. We saw a 3-4 year old boy in a kilt, and I must say he was very cute.
Dinner was in the hotel with our group, and it was fabulous. I may be required to buy an additional seat on the plane if I keep eating like this.
Tomorrow, we're going to the Isle of Mull. Later.
I'm sitting in our hotel room, in the Gleddoch House Hotel Golf Club and Spa, drinking tea and eating a shortbread cookie while I write. Life could be worse. It's about 45 degrees outside with a light drizzle, and naturally there are people on the golf course playing anyway. I like Mark Twain's comment that golf is a good walk, spoiled, so I'm not tempted, even here in the home of golf. I must say the courses we've seen are just beautiful. But enough about that.
We left Phoenix yesterday morning at 6:50 AM, and landed in Newark for a 5-hour layover. Can't say I found much to recommend about New Jersey, at least the airport. The flight "over the pond" was uneventful, but sleep eluded me uncharacteristically. Because of that, I missed some of the guide's information about Glasgow because I had to inspect the inner aspect of my eyelids. They're fine.
After dropping our bags at the hotel, our driver, Stevie, took us to the center of Glasgow, where we visited the Glasgow Cathedral. The cathedral building was started in the 1300's, and took about 100 years to complete, with additional wings added over the next couple hundred years. After the Reformation, the church was Presbyterian rather than catholic, and eventually it was turned over to the city of Glasgow. I couldn't tell if they still have church services in there anymore, or not. The structure is smaller and less impressive than Canterbury Cathedral, but it is still amazing to look at. The lower portions are obviously ancient. I'm hoping to post pictures either on Facebook or on my blog, depending on the speed of the Internet.
Alongside the cathedral, there is a museum, the St. Mungo Museum of World Religions. St. Mungo is the patron saint of Glasgow. He died the 600's, and nothing was written about him for another several hundred years, so he's somewhat apocryphal. Anyhow, the church was built on the location of his grave and that of another holy man, Fergus, whose body Mungo brought to Glasgow for burial. If I were a Glasgow native (Glasgowian? Glasgowite?), I would try for a different saint. Mungo sounds like a character in a western movie that would star Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson. But back to the museum. It is a small museum that celebrates great world religions, including Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism, and so on. The displays are interesting in that they are somewhat random, so you have to pay attention and can be surprised by the juxtaposition of different beliefs.
We went to the O'Connor pub next, and Denise and I split "Chicken Supreme," which is a chicken breast stuffed with haggis, served over mashed potatoes with whiskey gravy. It was amazing, and we were glad we shared. Upon our return to the hotel, Denise and I took a hike that landed us in someone's back yard, sort of. If you can call the rear garden of a Scottish estate a back yard. The rain drizzle was light enough that it just added to the charm of the place.
Our hotel overlooks the Firth of Clyde, which is more or less a long bay or fjord-like area where the River Clyde empties into the ocean. The hotel was built as a manor for a shipping baron, Sir John Lithgow (not the actor). I can't tell how old it is, but I'd be late 1800's. It's on 360 acres of rolling grass (much of it golf course). There was a wedding reception here today, with the men all in kilts. We saw a 3-4 year old boy in a kilt, and I must say he was very cute.
Dinner was in the hotel with our group, and it was fabulous. I may be required to buy an additional seat on the plane if I keep eating like this.
Tomorrow, we're going to the Isle of Mull. Later.
Monday, October 25, 2010
The times, they are a-changing. My practice is in the process of becoming a different type of practice, with prevention and personal care at its center. That's what I've always tried to do, but I have found a new practice model in which I can really focus on wellness and preventing the complications of illnesses.
MDVIP, a subsidiary of Procter and Gamble, allows physicians to work with a smaller number of patients, as a combination old-style family doc, health coach, and technical medical expert. I will be able to spend the time with each patient, and his or her individual problems, that is necessary to achieve the best results, both for healthy living and for the treatment of illnesses when they occur.
My practice size will decrease to less than 600 patients, from its current 3500-4000. Each patient will have a yearly physical examination that is extremely comprehensive. These are sometimes referred to as "executive physicals," but a better term would be a comprehensive assessment and annual health plan. We will work together to form goals and benchmarks for the coming year, and I will help each person to reach those goals as time passes.
In addition, since the practice is much smaller, visits will be on-time and as long as is needed. Each patient will have my cell number to reach me on evenings and weekends, with instructions to actually use the number when they need to talk to me. I won't be trading call on weekends anymore, so I will be the one to return the calls. Patients can expect to get in for problem visits the day they call, or the next day. One of my goals is for my patients to have no idea what an urgent care center looks like.
There are many other layers to this type of practice. I am very excited about starting. You can learn more about the practice at www.StevenBurnsMD.com.
The change in practice occurs on December 28, 2010. Call if you want to know more about the MDVIP practice.
MDVIP, a subsidiary of Procter and Gamble, allows physicians to work with a smaller number of patients, as a combination old-style family doc, health coach, and technical medical expert. I will be able to spend the time with each patient, and his or her individual problems, that is necessary to achieve the best results, both for healthy living and for the treatment of illnesses when they occur.
My practice size will decrease to less than 600 patients, from its current 3500-4000. Each patient will have a yearly physical examination that is extremely comprehensive. These are sometimes referred to as "executive physicals," but a better term would be a comprehensive assessment and annual health plan. We will work together to form goals and benchmarks for the coming year, and I will help each person to reach those goals as time passes.
In addition, since the practice is much smaller, visits will be on-time and as long as is needed. Each patient will have my cell number to reach me on evenings and weekends, with instructions to actually use the number when they need to talk to me. I won't be trading call on weekends anymore, so I will be the one to return the calls. Patients can expect to get in for problem visits the day they call, or the next day. One of my goals is for my patients to have no idea what an urgent care center looks like.
There are many other layers to this type of practice. I am very excited about starting. You can learn more about the practice at www.StevenBurnsMD.com.
The change in practice occurs on December 28, 2010. Call if you want to know more about the MDVIP practice.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Foggy Canyon
From the precipice a fog blanket,
thick and opaque and still and gray,
eclipses the chasm below.
The trail, steep and narrow
limestone path of muley mud,
dives out of sight into the mist,
beckoning.
I follow its blind lead,
blinking in wet air below.
Gray leads into gray,
five, six, eight feet ahead,
canyon grandeur captured in a
small mist box.
Ahead, low mountain sage grows,
its trumpet flower hanging gold in still air.
Hummingbirds hum below the mist
as the sun breaks the canopy wide,
penetrating the canyon.
Morning wakes,
delayed as a lover who stays
for one more caress as he leaves the bed
rejuvenated, vitae interruptus,
resuming life again.
Looking under the cloud, I--
open-mouthed with wonder--
see cliffs and plateaus,
temples and spires,
Kaibab limestone above,
Vishnu schist below,
Rio Colorado below,
sun-broken cloud above,
see them again
as if for the first time.
--by Steven Burns
From the precipice a fog blanket,
thick and opaque and still and gray,
eclipses the chasm below.
The trail, steep and narrow
limestone path of muley mud,
dives out of sight into the mist,
beckoning.
I follow its blind lead,
blinking in wet air below.
Gray leads into gray,
five, six, eight feet ahead,
canyon grandeur captured in a
small mist box.
Ahead, low mountain sage grows,
its trumpet flower hanging gold in still air.
Hummingbirds hum below the mist
as the sun breaks the canopy wide,
penetrating the canyon.
Morning wakes,
delayed as a lover who stays
for one more caress as he leaves the bed
rejuvenated, vitae interruptus,
resuming life again.
Looking under the cloud, I--
open-mouthed with wonder--
see cliffs and plateaus,
temples and spires,
Kaibab limestone above,
Vishnu schist below,
Rio Colorado below,
sun-broken cloud above,
see them again
as if for the first time.
--by Steven Burns
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