Stirling to Skye – a run through the Scottish highlands

The Wallace monument stands tall looking across the Forth River at Stirling Castle.

The Scots watching the English, the English watching the Scots as it has been for centuries.

Back at Berwick upon Tweed tale had told how that city had changed from Scottish to English and then English to Scottish 13 times in 30 years.

Not that either could see much on the damp misty Stirling day.

In the highlands past Dalwhinnie the cloud lifted revealing the green rolling hills and small villages.

Gatehouses that mark the entrance to stately homes.

Still the homes of the clan chieftains.

The lochs opening up bigger and broader as the west coast of Scotland came closer and closer.

With grand castles standing on islets.

Across from Skye is the township of Kyle of Lochalsh.

A working port

End of the train line from Inverness and just o’er the sea from Skye.

In the middle of the working port

On the station at the end of the line.

There is a most beautiful seafood restaurant.

Waterside seafood restaurant on Kyle station

With a choice from delights such as langoustines, monkfish, sea bass

Beautiful day

Beautiful food

Beautiful sunset over the Loch at 11pm

And Skye still to be explored.

Glasgow and people

A hundred and fifty years ago Glasgow was the second city of the empire

A centre of heavy industry such as shipbuilding and textile manufacture

A centre of design, typified by the Glasgow architecture.

But a century or so later Glasgow was struggling to survive as a city.

Unemployment, poverty and significant population decline challenging the future of the once great city

While in the UK, in Australia, there is tension and a struggle about accepting migrants and refugees.

For Glasgow, have stabilised it’s population.

The cities motto “People make Glasgow” a reflection of the more diverse international city it has become.

People make Glasgow proudly on the new skyline.

Maybe we should all be thinking about people, humanity.

Back in the UK after 17 years

It’s been 17 years since I visited the UK

December 1999

A cold wet winter of long nights and freezing days.

This trip its summer and the days are long, damp and cool. Not all the different from the Australian winter I left behind.

With help from local guzzista I have the mighty breva II ready for this adventure.

Mighty breva II in front of an old porcelain kiln, Stoke on Trent

This adventure starts in Stoke on Trent, once the porcelain capital of the world. Here I collected the Moto Guzzi, I’ve bought in the UK.

Thanks to Kate and Guy of the GB Moto Guzzi club my dream of riding again in Europe is happening.

I rode up the motorway to Glasgow through the damp air and rolling green fields.

To be greeted by the march of the orange men and woman.

The loyalists.

Flying the flags trooping the colours and beating the drum

I reflected that this is what confronts and challenges the UK.

Great glories of the past celebrating victories a century or more old. Masking an underlying anger and frustration that divides the country. Orange VS Green, North VS South, the pro brexit VS the anti brexit. It’s a challenging time.

And as I ponder this there is the beautiful architecture of Glasgow.

The great Victorian design from designers like Rennie Macintosh.

And the music

In the streets and pubs.

Cold and damp Glasgow has struggled through some tough times.

But as the city’s new motto says

People make Glasgow

Melbourne can be a little different

As the rest of Australia Swelters

In Melbourne has a top to day of 19c

As the Lunar New Year Celebrations draw to the end

There was Chinese dancing at Victoria Market

chines-ny2 chinese-ny-1

With traditional music and movement

Then in a change of pace the music for the chicken dance came from the speaker.

Not very Chinese I think

As kids got up to dance to a familiar tune.

But, of course, this is the Year of the Rooster

So why not use a European Drinking song which has chicken in the title!

Only in Multicultural Melbourne

Where cultures and traditions blend happily.

Tassie (Tasmania)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Looking past Wineglass Bay to Schouten Passage in the Freycinet Peninsula

I’ve looked at Tassie from both sides now

from in and out

and still somehow

Its Tassie’s illusion I recall

I really don’t know Tassie at all

(will apologies to Joni Mitchell)

I’m going to Tassie again

I place I can always go back to

find something new and beautiful

In Australian smallest State

An island State, part of an island nation.

p2041116e — Looking out to sea over the remains of the old jetty in Bridport NE Tasmania

Looking out across the blue clear waters that surround Tassie.

Looking in from coastal anchorages at

hobart116 — Storm over Maria Island from Chinamans Bay,

At storms rolling past

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At the play of the light on the rocky shoreline

hobart188 — Sleepy Cove, Freycinet Peninsula

hobart187

Looking in to tight harbour entrances

Sitting safe in historic ports

summer-2006-7-067e — Futura in Constitution Dock, Hobart

copy-of-summer-2006-7-038 — Looking down on the Stanley Fishing Harbour from the Nut

Travelling through beautiful wilderness

p2091182e — Looking towards Frenchmans Cap in the South West Wilderness

And a quirkiness that is only Tassie

p2041095e1 — Ship’s dog watching passers by

p2071166e — Blue Man in Salamanca Place Hobart

Next month I’m going back to Tassie again

Taking the mighty Breva down for her second trip

I hope the sun never sets on my Tasmania adventures.