Edinburgh’s Architecture

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Travel Spirit

One of the best ways to explore any city’s architecture is by walking through its streets and Edinburgh has such a diverse and interesting mix of architecture, you’ll forget your feet are beginning to hurt!

I’m definitely not an expert on architecture, but I know what pleases my eye and camera. The following are some photos from Old and New Town Edinburgh, which were made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.

This cute little house is situated in Princes Street Gardens, which lies between the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh. A lovely place to take a stroll!

I encountered this colorful scene while walking downhill from our visit to Edinburgh Castle.

There is nothing particularly “special” about this shot, but the blue definitely pops and I find it visually appealing.

Row of buildings in Old Town Edinburgh as seen from the divide between the Old and New Towns.

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Climbing Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Climbing Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh was high on my list of things to do while in Scotland and early in the morning on our last day there, my friend and I walked 10 minutes from our Airbnb to do just that! Located a mile from the Edinburgh Castle and standing 822 feet above the City, the views are breathtaking! This is the highest we got because it had drizzled and was a bit slippery and the route we chose to hike was a bit more like rock climbing. But the view of the city was spectacular!

My friend Teresa took a photo of me with her camera navigating my way up the steep hill and she remarked that she wasn’t as worried about going up as she was with coming back down.

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I saw the Loch Ness Monster

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Travel Spirit

For day three of our four-day stay in Scotland, I scheduled a day trip (12 hours round-trip) from Edinburgh through Rabbie’s Tours for a journey to Loch Ness, Glencoe, and the Highlands in Scotland. They take smaller groups (16 and under) on their tours which provides a more intimate experience. Here I am on the boat ride (an additional cost) on Loch Ness. I purchased a new rain coat that was both functional and stylish for the trip and it came in handy a number of times, although we had wonderful weather for the most part!

Our first stop was at one of the many “lochs” (lakes) along the way before reaching our final destination of Loch Ness.

Traveling North over the flat fertile plains of the lowlands eventually gave way to shimmering lochs, rugged mountain tops and forest-filled glens.

The knobby hills (the Scots call them mountains) rose dramatically over the lush green glens in the most famous of them all, Glencoe. The area is very popular with hikers and rock climbers. Glencoe was the home of Hagrid from Harry Potter and was also the backdrop for a James Bond film.

Upon arrival to Loch Ness we were greeted with beautiful blue skies! The larger boat on the right is the one my friend and I took a ride on for spotting Nessie.

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Edinburgh Castle

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Edinburgh Castle is Scotland‘s most visited paid tourist attraction and sits upon an extinct volcano. The castle has undergone so many attacks during it’s 1100 years of history, it is the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world!

I captured these photos after touring the Castle and walking down toward Princes Street Gardens.

As you approach the castle to enter, this is your view…

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The Royal Mile

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Having researched The Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland before my trip, and checked out some photos of it, I have to say it’s even more beautiful in person! It stretches from the Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, hence the name. A little known fact, at least to those who don’t live in Scotland, it’s actually a bit longer (.12) than a normal mile, because it’s a Scot’s mile. After spending four nights in Dublin, my friend and I flew on Ryan Air to Edinburgh to explore for four days. The architecture can only be described as being Grand and the City is filled with so much history! Compared to Dublin, the City of Edinburgh is much hillier and to me more interesting.

I reserved an Airbnb, located within 15 minutes walking distance from The Royal Mile, and was very pleased with the Apartment. It’s a three-bedroom and we had to share it with other people. The first couple that stayed for one night of our stay weren’t very friendly, but the next couple were very talkative and nice. Cute living/dining/kitchen area…

Breakfast was included with the rental and the owners made sure to keep it stocked with yogurt, cereal, milk, fruit, bread, etc.

Here’s my friend Teresa taking a photo of her bedroom…

which looks just like my bedroom…

The weather was overcast much of the time, and rained for part of one day, and drizzled a bit another day, but nice the remainder. The umbrellas are nice for photographing!

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Ireland’s Medieval City of Kilkenny and its Castle

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Kilkenny’s rich medieval heritage is evident in the city’s treasure trove of historical buildings and landmarks, especially the magnificent Kilkenny Castle. Kilkenny is Ireland’s most beautiful medieval city. My day trip from Dublin through Collins Day Tours included this majestic city. I walked around the castle looking for a variety of perspectives.

The back “yard” goes forever, with its lush and green manicured lawn!

Who doesn’t love fountains!

A couple of young lads enjoying the day! Nice to see them phone-less.

The city of Kilkenny through my eyes and lens…

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Dublin in a Day

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Arriving to Dublin in late afternoon, I settled into the Airbnb I had reserved, located in the Temple Bar area, within walking distance to all of the major attractions. My friend and I went to a nearby grocery store for some breakfast and snack items (along with some local wine) and went out to dinner. We had Irish excursions planned for the following two days, so we didn’t really explore Dublin until our last day in the City. We had wonderful weather and I was so excited to be in Ireland! Dublin is a very walk-able city. I asked these two beautiful lassies for their photo…

A typical Dublin street…

The famous Ha’ Penny Bridge.

Trinity College’s “Book of Kells” was amazing! The Book of Kells, created in 800 AD, is composed of four gospels of the New Testament. The room itself is magnificent!

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Day trip from Dublin to Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Glendalough, or the Glen of two lakes, is one of the most important sites of monastic ruins in Ireland. It is also known as the city of the seven Churches. Fourteen centuries have passed since the death of its founder, St. Kevin, when the valley was part of Ireland’s Golden age. For my second full day in Ireland, I booked another day trip, this time through a company called Collins Day Tours. My friend Teresa was my beautiful model…

These trees were kinda trippy!

I’ve began collecting photographs of people taking selfies!

The moody skies were the perfect backdrop for the 6th Century monastic settlement, providing just the right atmospheric setting!

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Ireland’s Treasure at Cliffs of Moher

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Travel Spirit

The Cliffs of Moher, located 3 hours from Dublin on the West coast of Ireland, rising over 750 feet at their highest point, are one of Ireland’s most spectacular sights! As a day trip from Dublin, it makes for a long day (12 hours round-trip with stops), but an unforgettable one! We were fortunate to have beautiful weather, a bit windy with temperatures near 70 degrees. The rugged and stunning scenery was simply gorgeous!

Walking from one end to the other along the paths was invigorating after the bus ride…

I booked the trip through a company called Irish Day Tours and the guide’s accent was charming! He warned against standing on the edges because tourists have either fallen or the cliff has given way.

My friend Teresa looking lovely as usual!

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Views from Mount Floyen

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Travel Spirit

The views from Mount Floyen in Bergen, Norway can only be described as Spectacular, Astonishing, breathtaking, stunning, dazzling, and magnificent! We were blessed with beautiful 75 degree sunny weather in early June and I felt like I was on top of the world!

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Bergen and Bryggen

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Travel Spirit

The City of Bergen transports you back in time, to a time when life was simpler. A life that revolved around good fresh food, healthy outdoor activity, family and friends! As a tourist, you only have a glimpse into the lives of the people who live and work there. Three days wasn’t enough time to explore the surrounding area, but I was able to relax at my comfortable Airbnb apartment, when I wasn’t browsing the streets of Bergen and the area known as Bryggen, which means “Wharf” in Norwegian, and consists of 61 wooden buildings, along the waterfront. What’s remarkable is that the City of Bergen is almost 1,000 years old and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

Incredibly, it stays light in Norway until 10 or 11pm and daylight begins around 3am in the late Spring. During our three days in Bergen, it sprinkled rain perhaps a third of the time, but Norwegians say, “It’s not bad weather, just bad clothing choice”! Having arrived in town the evening before, tired from our spectacular day traveling from Oslo to Bergen through the Fjords of Norway, we decided to wait until the next morning to go grocery shopping. I awoke earlier than my three Tour participants, as usual, so I went off in search of the closest grocery, which was thankfully only a 5 to 10 minute walk from our Airbnb. I purchased eggs for omelets, bacon (because one of the others wanted it) bread, cheese, lunchmeat, and a few other staples, to help with the high cost of eating out in Norway. The only coffee maker in the apartment was a French press, which I’ve never used, but with a bit of instruction, I caught on quickly, and made a nice pot full. I then proceeded to make a nice breakfast for everyone. The main tourist attraction I had planned for us was to go to the top of Mount Floyen, but I’ll save that for tomorrow’s post!

Here are some photos of the captivating town of Bergen…

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Turn right at the Witchy Bitchy Salon

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Travel Spirit

If you’ve been following my month-long European sojourn, you’ll recall from yesterday’s post that we had spent the day on trains, a boat and a bus, from Oslo, Norway to Bergen, Norway, via Norway in a Nutshell, through the beautiful Norwegian Fjords! Upon arrival to the train station in Bergen, although I had printed Google map directions to our Airbnb accommodations, I asked for assistance from a lady with a baby on her back, who definitely looked to be a local. She said to follow her…she was going in our direction. She brought us all the way to the “Witchy Bitchy Salon”, located about 15 minutes walk from the train station, which is where our host said to turn and go up a street to her place. I have to say that Bergen is filled with hills. Small hill…big hills…and more hills. Unfortunately, two of the wheels on my 50 lb. rolling suitcase broke on this leg of the trip, so I was pulling dead weight up these hills! We went up one hill and it was quite confusing with the street names being so similar and conflicting at the same time, so I began ringing door bells to ask assistance. One guy stuck his head out of his top window and tried to help.

There’s the Witchy Bitchy Salon on the left…

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Norway in a Nutshell

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Travel Spirit

Norway in a Nutshell is a website where you can purchase tickets to see the majestic and spectacular Fjords of Norway. It was one of the highlights of my month-long trip in Europe and I was joined by the three Tour participants I was leading through Scandinavia. We began the day early, leaving our hotel in Oslo, Norway at 5:30am to walk to the train station for the start of our adventure. I briefed everyone the day before as to the timeline of events and what to expect. It would be a long day…15 hours, beginning with a five-hour train ride to the town of Flam where we would board a one hour scenic train ride through the beautiful mountains, passing breathtaking waterfalls, rocky cliffs, and lush green meadows. It was voted by Lonely Planet in 2014 as the best train journey in the world. We would then board a boat for two hours of incredible beauty traveling through the Gudvangen Fjord, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Next a bus would pick us up for a one hour ride to the last leg of our adventure, a 1 1-2 hr. train ride into Bergen, Norway.

I spent the entire two-hour Fjord boat journey taking photographs and enjoying nature’s glorious beauty! The boat would slow down and drift into coves where quaint fishing villages were nestled in the pristine valleys…

Dramatic waterfalls plunged hundreds of feet to meet the glistening sea…

Surrounded by towering mountains and blessed with a perfectly sunny spring day, it was easy to feel connected to everything!

Although it was early June, snow was still melting on some of the higher mountain peaks… Continue reading →

The Artistic Side of Oslo

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Travel Spirit

I love to find Art everywhere and Oslo, Norway was no exception. I featured a photograph of this unconventional water fountain located down the street from my Hotel a couple of days ago, but taken from a different angle and turned into black and white, it becomes a piece of Art!

This statue of a part man, part devil, part hoofed creature with his manhood in all of it’s glory is quite artful!

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Frogner Park and Vigeland’s Whimsical Statues in Oslo

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Travel Spirit

The next stop on my travel agenda was Frogner Park in Oslo, Norway to see the whimsical statues created by Gustav Vigeland I’d read about! It was exactly the kind of place I envisioned with broad spans of green lawn, a beautiful fountain, and quirky statues! Frogner Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Norway with 1 to 2 million visitors per year. It’s the World’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist. I endeavored to capture photos without “real” people in them, but it was challenging…