Trivia---8

Playboy Turnaround

In the 1800s Count Szechenyi was living the life of a playboy in London. He returned to Budapest for his father’s funeral, but the frozen Danube River prevented him from crossing to the other side. He actually missed the funeral. After this life-changing event he remained in Hungary and became a leading figure of the 19^th century.

The first pontoon bridge across the river was at the mercy of storms, plus it had to be removed for ships to pass. Eventually the chain bridge replaced it.

Nazis blew up all the bridges spanning the Danube when they retreated from Budapest. The Szechenyi Chain Bridge was the first replaced and reopened in November 1949, exactly 100 years after the opening of the first bridge.

A Brothel Experience

When in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, we elected to spend a few days at a lodge across Hudson Bay where mother and cub polar bears are most likely to be seen.

We had a wonderful time and it was even more fun when we found out that the lodge was originally built in the 1930s as a brothel to accommodate the workers building the grain facility.

The rustic bunkhouse-lodge is only open a few weeks a year.

On my return, my daughter met me at the airport, and asked if I’d had a good time. I responded, “I stayed in a brothel.”

She stopped short, almost spilled her Dr. Pepper and exclaimed, “You did what?”

I got a lot of mileage out of this story and had a lot of fun with it.

A Big Tree

On my visit to Oaxaca, Mexico, we went to Teotitlan and stopped at Santa Maria del Tule to view the famous 2000-year-old Tule Tree. The Mexican cypress is said to be the largest tree in Latin America. The gnarled house-sized trunk divides into a forest of elephantine limbs that rise to 15 stories high.

It takes little imagination to see all sorts of figures in the gnarls of the trunk. Three small children, dressed in green sweaters and pants, escorted us around the tree shining a mirror on the trunk to point out various images. Then they would ask, “Do you see?” They were cute as can be and well deserving of our tips.

English Canal Boats

The canal system was first built in the 1700s. Mr. Wedgwood helped finance the system because too much of his merchandise was being broken via horse and wagon.

The canal locks are only seven feet wide. All of the locks are manual, and are operated by each boat crew. All the locks are operated by the same winch, which is given to you when you rent a boat. It is rather strenuous work to open and close the locks. The railroad effectively put the canals out of business until the 1960s when the canals and locks were refurbished. One can travel a long way on the 2000 miles of canals.

By necessity canal boats are narrow, but comfortable.

 

Paper Cutting

In Lowicz, Poland we visited some local women who do extremely intricate paper cutting. We were amazed to learn that they use the large shears that are used to shear sheep to cut the spectacular designs. A few young girls were leaning the craft. We spent considerable time with them, watching in awe as they cut away creating exquisite designs.

TRIVIA--7

Fairy Terns

The white or fairy tern was one of my favorite birds on Midway Island They are most curious and often would hover over our heads, much like a hummingbird, only quieter.

The adult is snow white with small black eyes and a long narrow beak set in its cute little face. They simply lay an egg on any flat surface with the slightest indentation; why bother with a nest! They often will choose a tree limb. The chick is born with big feet as it immediately needs to cling to its ‘home’ for dear life until he is able to fly. Mortality is high.

The white tern can lay a second egg if something happens to the first one. The inshore feeder is dependent on the lagoon for most of its food. We sometimes observed mom returning to her chick with a small fish held in her beak. She does not swallow and regurgitate like many birds. These birds frequently flew in pairs or threes and were a delight to watch.

Painted Hunting Dog

In Edinburgh we managed to squeeze in enough time to visit the zoo. We had read about the painted hunting dog, and since neither of us had ever seen one, that was primarily the incentive for the visit.

After walking around most of the zoo we still had not found the dog, so when we saw a man in uniform who we thought was a zoo employee we asked for directions. He walked us all over kingdom come, determined to find the dog for us. Chatting all the way we learned he was making his annual visit to the zoo to check on some sort of equipment. He was most interesting to talk to and generous with his time. He was as delighted to finally find the elusive dog as we were.

The dogs were good size, lean, and their multi-colored coats reminded me of camouflage. Their huge ears stood up straight like antennas. Obviously, their sense of hearing is excellent. They are endangered and almost extinct.

Garnish Islands

We did a lot of walking in Ireland, but the prettiest walk was around Garnish Island. A short ferry ride got us to the island, 34 slab steps got us to the gardens. During 1910-1913 Harold Peto planted may tropical plants and shrubs for the owner, a Belfast businessman. The barren rock island turned into a tropical paradise. A stone watch tower was the only structure on the island. The only additional buildings now are a seldom used small summer home and a couple of small sheds for gardening tools and equipment. They blend into and are hidden by the environment. All the dirt was imported by boat. The gardens include a New Zealand fernery, Japanese rockery, bonsai trees, clock tower and Grecian temple. The center piece is the Italianate garden. At one spot the 65 steps leading up to the next vantage point were wide like a grand staircase. It is a fantastic place!

Flying Fox

New Zealand’s forestry experimental station was located in a redwood forest. We walked through the lovely cool forest 
 learning that the Redwoods there grow so fast that the wood is too soft and porous for any useful purpose. The trees were only a few years old but the size of a century old tree.

In a clearing we found the flying fox, a fun zip line. Several of us climbed a rather tall tower, and one at a time stepped into a sling. Stepping off the platform we rode a cable 3-400 meters to a sudden jolting halt. It was a neat ride. The hardest part was climbing out of the sling while hanging suspended in the air. The fellows took turns running the sling back to the platform for the next brave sole.

Churchill’s War Room

Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms have never seen daylight. Winston Churchill's underground headquarters are buried beneath the Treasury building in London near No. 10 Downing Street and Parliament. He and his cabinet ministers met there throughout much of World War II, sheltered from the German bombs and missiles that bombarded the city above.

At war's end, the doors were locked until 1984, when the complex opened to the public. The Churchill Museum opened 2005 in the old war rooms. It was awesome to stand where so much history had been made!

TRIVIA---6

Good Timing—Right Place at the Right Time

The singing group, Buena Vista Social Club, gives a concert once a month in Havana, Cuba. How lucky to be in town during that day! The concert is given in a huge hall at the Hotel National, built in 1930. We had time before to enjoy the lovely grounds and exquisite lobby of the hotel.

Dead Birds

On Midway Island we saw several dead birds, many with their insides exposed. Sea birds eat what floats on the water and until a few years ago it always was sealife. Now people carelessly throw junk in the water. Plastic is light, floats and comes in all kinds of pretty colors. The birds eat it. They can’t digest it, feel full, don’t eat, and die of starvation and dehydration. Bic lighters deliver a double whammy as they are plastic and also contain toxic fluid.

Smart Monkey

I nearly tripped over a scampering monkey as I came around the corner of one of our Kenyan lodges. I sat on the lovely patio and watched this monkey run into the coffee room, steel a sugar packer, run off to the lawn and thoroughly enjoy his stolen treat. He was pretty cute!

Walking the Wall

The ancient wall surrounding Dubrovnik, Croatia is about a mile around. The wall has withstood assaults for centuries including the most recent 1990s war.

It was a very hot summer day when we climbed the many steps—wish I had counted them—to the wall. The wall varies in width and has a few undulations as well as an occasional step or two. One either walks or stops to enjoy the view as the footing is not a smooth one and who wants a fall!

Being in no hurry we strolled the wall stopping often to enjoy the scenery of both the ocean and the back yard gardens and hanging laundry in the yards of those who live within the walled city.

Sheep Dog Demos

Sheep dog demonstrations are popular all through Britain. Having seen several, I wasn’t too excited about the one in Stirling, Scotland. My mistake! We learned the characteristics of several different dog breeds as they performed on their perches.

Outside we watched a dog worry ducks instead of sheep. We learned a couple of years before thousands of sheep were destroyed because of hoof and mouth disease. Ducks were substituted and because they worked out so well it has continued. It was a hoot!

Gibbs Light

The 117-foot high Gibbs Lighthouse in Bermuda was built in London in 1844 and has been in service since 1846. Sitting on a hill 245-feet above sea level makes its beacon 362-feet tall. Its beam can be seen 25 miles out to sea. It was automated in 1964.

It’s a climb up 185 steps to the platform that provides a fantastic 360 degree view of the island. The lighthouse swayed under the wind, so I side-stepped around the balcony with my back hugging the wall.

Asked to Leave

One evening in Scarbourgh, England we were walking down the cliff via the stairs vs ramp or electric lift when we ran into a fellow hiker walking up the stairs.

“I just got thrown out of the Grand Hotel,” he said unbelievably.

“You’re kidding,” we answered in unison.

“No, I’m not.”

Since we had an excellent view of the Grand from our hotel window, seeing it was the main reason for our jaunt off the cliff. We walked into the Grand lobby, made a right turn when we were approached and asked, “Do you have a room in the hotel?”

“No.”

“I’m sorry, only residents are allowed after 6PM. You may come back any time during the day before that.”

We’d seen what we had come to see and confirmed what we had heard, ‘that the Grand wasn’t so grand anymore.’ We left peacefully, chuckling to ourselves. There’s a first time for everything!

TRIVIA---5

Beehive Huts

On the Dingle peninsula in Ireland we stopped to visit some beehive huts. Made of stone in the shape of a beehive they date back to the 5-6^th centuries. They were in remarkably good condition and amazingly large inside.

Ice Breaker

Although we were in Russia in June, the ship ran into ice. The captain 


had to lay anchor while we waited for an ice breaker to arrive. We stood 


on deck watching huge chunks of ice float by as the ship followed the 


ice breaker to an alternate route and clear water. We missed a couple 


of scheduled ports of call, but the captain added a couple of different ones.

Foot Binding

In China we had a pleasant visit with a 90-year-old woman who had had her feet bound when she was five years old. The 1000-year-old custom of foot binding was outlawed in 1911, but was practiced in rural areas for some time longer. Foot binding started with concubines in the imperial court and spread to the city, then to rural areas. Tiny feet showed high class. The thinking was that wealthy women would have servants to address their needs. Bound feet made a woman less mobile and therefore under control of the male. Able to walk only short distances, she was unlikely to get into trouble. Curling the toes under, they eventually grew into the foot and were quite painful.

A Small House

Probably the biggest attraction in Ambleside, England is the bridge house, the country’s smallest house. The stone structure spans the river and is only a few feet wide. Originally built to store apples, the water running in the river below kept the structure cool.

Bridges

The 101 islands making up St. Petersburg, Russia, are connected by 380 bridges. Each bridge is different and range from a footbridge to the high palace draw bridge Many display a variety of statuary, towers, obelisks and grilled fences. The wrought iron designs and work are beautiful, and the variety is amazing. They are art themselves. The bridges are as interesting as the well known sites.

 Camel Train

It is a long overnight train ride from Adelaide to Alice Springs in the Australian outback. Once upon a time, camels made the 980 mile run so it acquired the nickname, camel train.

With modern technology, the camels have been replaced with a train called the Ghan train, after the original Afghanistan camels.

Much of the ride is over boring flat and desolate terrain, so it was good to make the trip at night. The train was comfortable. Each of us had a cabin to our self, so we enjoyed a bottom bunk, a real plus for seniors!

It was a smooth train ride and sure beat a long bus ride. The train left after the dinner hour and arrived early morning, so meals were before and after the trip.

Trolls

Trolls are to Norway what leprechauns are to Ireland. Norwegian trolls live in the mountains, and stories about them abound. Children grow up hearing troll stories, many of which teach a lesson.

Trolls are popular items in gift shops. Some are pretty ugly and others are rather cute. I couldn’t resist photographing several three-foot high ones outside of various establishments.

TRAVIA---4

KGB Hangout

When in Moscow, Russia, we toured the KGB museum. Afterward we ate lunch at the Sword and Shield, the old KGB restaurant a block away. The décor was interesting, the walls were covered with KGB agent portraits, and the food excellent. It was a piece of history.

Chinese Train Ride

When in China we had occasion to take an overnight train from Beijing to Xian. Fortunately only two of us had to share a four bed compartment. The beds were little more than a wooden platform with a skimpy thin mattress. Talk about hard! I was so happy to see daylight. The train was new, having been in service only a few weeks. One good thing was the excellent thermos bottle. A large thermos of hot water was placed in out cabin just before we got under way, about 8:00 PM. The next morning the water was still hot enough to make a fairly decent cup of coffee! I looked all over China to find a thermos to buy---without success.

London’s Parks

The acres of lovely green parks are often referred to as the ‘lungs of London’. Originally many of the parks were monarchy hunting grounds. Now the green islands, in an ocean of stone and brick, are public parks which give a feel of spaciousness to the city. The crown retains title to 5,684 acres of London’s Royal Parks but the public enjoys them as much as it does the 7300 acres of the public parks. The Greater London Council administers this splendid park system.

In addition many squares and commons, usually two acres or less, are maintained by the 32 boroughs. The English love their gardens.

Mirogoj Cemetery

This cemetery in the heart of Zagreb, Croatia is a lovely quiet area where many residents come to get away from the busy city. All religions are buried here. The cemetery is large and is bordered on the front by large long arcades. These arcades provide quite a collection of sculptures. Cupolas along the arcade are topped with the religious design of each religion housed within that section. A conventional cemetery was beyond the arcades.

The unusual cemetery was a very lovely landscaped quiet place that provided a lot of shade. It was easy to understand why people might take a respite here.

Ice and my Foot

  My foot had been out of a cast only two weeks when I took off for a hiking trip in England’s Lake District. After the first couple of days the people at reception knew to have a bag of ice ready for me on my return, so I could ice a swollen foot.

While I propped myself up on the bed and elevated my foot, we had a before-dinner glass of wine in our room. The first ice went into our wine glasses and then the rest went on my foot. Something about priorities, right?

Each morning the swelling was gone, so the boots went back on and off I went to hike more of the lovely countryside.

Fantastic Salt Mine

The Wieliczka salt mine in Poland is 700 years old and is still an active mine. An elevator took us down 1100 feet and then we walked 420 steps down on a well lit and wide path. All along the walkway are little rooms containing various salt sculptures. The large chapel with its 39-foot ceiling was the highlight. Over a 30 year period 20,000 tons of salt were removed from this room. Everything in the room: chandeliers, altar, showcases and sculptures were carved from salt. The floor even looked like flagstone. It was mesmerizing and absolutely gorgeous!

Trivia---3

Pilgrims

Lhasa, Tibet is a mecca for Buddhist pilgrims. It is a common sight to see them walking the streets twirling a prayer wheel in their right hand and fingering a 108-bead rosary with their left hand while muttering a mantra. At the Jokharg Temple people were prostrating themselves at the temple as well as around the temple square. People paid them no mind. It was also common to see monks clad in their traditional robes all around the city.

A Gorgeous U S Embassy

Canberra, Australia’s capital, is a one company town. The government owns all the land. One exception to land ownership is the ten acres the US embassy sits on. Australia deeded this land to the US for its help in World War II. The Embassy sits on the highest knoll. All of the red brick in the colonial building was imported from the United States. I’ve seen some really ugly embassies around the world. This one is a delight!

Didn’t Understand a Word

In Moscow we were trying to find a store to buy bottled water. We thought we were following the directions given to us, but to no avail. We asked a young man on the street for clarity. He decided to show us and all the way down the street he carried on constant chatter in Russian, none of which we understood. We kept shaking our head and at the end told him thank you. We did find the store and made our purchase, and fondly remember that kind man.

Magnificent Tapestry

In the great hall of the parliament building in Canberra, Australia hangs one of the world’s largest tapestries. Measuring 20 x 9 meters, it weighs 400 kilos, uses 360 colors and took 2 ½ years to complete. From a distance, it appears to be an oil painting. Only on close inspection is it evident that it is truly a tapestry—a really magnificent one!

Bosnia’s Friendship Bridge

The 1556 stone bridge, spanning the Nevetva River replaced the original wooden bridge. Serbs destroyed the bridge during the recent 1990s war. The stone for the replacement bridge came from the same quarry as the original stone.

Croats live on the west side of the river and Muslims on the east side. The city is internationally known for its Old Town Bridge. It is a symbol of reconciliation, cooperation, and coexistence of diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic communities. It was nice to see the bridge replaced looking exactly as the ancient one had.

Warwick Castle

Of all the castles, forts, and palaces I’ve visited Warwick Castle in Warwick, England was one of the loveliest. A few years ago Madam Tussand bought the castle. Her life-like wax figures made the castle come alive. I actually did a double take when I saw the maid drawing her lady’s bath. Her bending over the tub and the running water looked so real.

Trivia---2

Helicopter Rides

My first helicopter ride was when I literally dropped off the cliff into the Grand Canyon. I was sitting behind the pilot and I won’t repeat what I said! The next helicopter ride was a few years later when I flew a very short distance across Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba.

Unloading was the interesting part of that trip. After the copter landed, a fellow jumped out holding a loaded rifle to stand guard while we quickly got out, ducked under the rotating blades and scurried inside the lodge. Why the drama? Polar bears.

Maunthausen

Maunthausen, meaning mother camp, was the first concentration camp built in Austria. It also was my first visit to a camp. I had to muster up a lot of courage to step inside the gas chamber. It was an emotional experience.

In succeeding European trips I visited Auschwitz and Birkenau. The exhibits at Auschwitz made me sick to my stomach. Another year at Dachau, the exhibits seemed less intense, many buildings had been destroyed creating a lot more open field. Such memories are seared into my brain.

A Group Wedding

When we were at the ancient city wall in Xian we learned about an upcoming wedding. It was China’s first mass wedding, something the government was encouraging. Thirty brides and grooms soon filled the area below. Our guide found us a great viewing area. We watched all the activities until the ceremony was well under way. Being in Chinese, we couldn’t understand it but we admired the pretty brides. We saw the featured article in the next day’s paper.

 

A Shinny Hand

A bronze statue of a French gentleman stands on the sidewalk outside the Basilica Manor in Cuba. I’m not sure who he is but it is supposed to be good luck to rub his hand. Obviously lots of people have done so, as his left hand was very shinny.

A Fiasco

We were about to leave the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia when we spotted a beautiful Victorian carriage. Fourteen men stood around scratching their heads discussing how they were going to get the carriage up the wide staircase. Eventually strips of wood arrived to be used under the wheels to ramp the carriage up the steps. The problem was that the wood was pressboard and the weight of the carriage broke the wood each time the carriage moved forward. After a time we decided it would take much more time than we wanted to waste watching this fiasco. We walked away laughing.

Brigadoon

In Scotland, brig means bridge, so Brigadoon means a bridge over the River Doon. The bridge is located close by the Robert Burns birthplace. The picturesque medieval stone bridge was a nice photo op.

Trivia

Barracuda Showdown

While snorkeling over a colorful aquarium-like reef in Belize I suddenly came face to face with a barracuda, albeit a small one. I floated motionless on top of the clear water, but I was unable to stare down the probably surprised barracuda. Eventually, I slowly backed off leaving the fish to go his own way.

Cut in the Mountains

Going through a cut in the Himalayas to get to Tibet was a bit scary. I swear the wing tips neatly brushed the mountain sides. I’m sure this was more my perception than actual fact.

Pandas

I visited a panda sanctuary in Chengdu, China. We were so lucky to see the pandas playing. It was like they were mugging for the cameras. The facility has had good success with a large survival birthrate. Pandas are indigenous to China and have been endangered since 1949.

Solitary animals, the female is fertile only 2-3 days a year. Their bamboo habitat is disappearing. The sanctuary, established in 1990, is large, but plans to increase its size several fold. Moats kept the pandas safe and inhibit visitors from touching and petting the pandas.

The Irish Drum

The Bodhran Irish drum is constructed from a laminated, shallow, round, wooden frame. In most cases the frame is reinforced with center wooden crossbars. Ireland is one of six Celtic regions that utilize the Bodhran Irish drum. Styles and techniques vary. Goat or, calf skin covers one side of the drum that is struck with the hand or a stick called a tipper. The stick varies in shape and size depending on the style of the player or the player’s region. Various shifts of timbre and pitch is achieved by manipulating the hand or fingers, on the underside of the skin

Money Exchange

Literature cautions about exchanging money on the street anywhere, but it was pretty adamant in Peru. You can imagine our surprise when at the desk of our Lima suburb hotel, we watched the receptionist step outside to the street with our US currency and return with Peruvian Sols!

A Respite

Between the walking and sightseeing we stopped late one morning at Bewley’s Oriental Café for Irish coffee and a pastry. Bewley’s coffee and tea was founded by Quakers in 1842. Stain glass windows and marble top tables decorate the café on Grafton Street in Dublin. The place was crowded, but we were lucky to find a small round table for two just as a couple was leaving. The pastries in Ireland were scrumptious. I really enjoyed too many of them, and it seems they all landed on my hips

Mosaics

One can find beautiful intricate mosaic murals all over the world. In Europe mosaic roofs are a special treat. St. Stephens in Vienna is well known. Two such colorful  roofs in Croatia and the gorgeous roof at St. Matthias Church in Budapest are others that quickly come to mind. In Europe some of the most beautiful architecture is well above eye level. Don’t forget to look up!

TRIVIA

THIS AND THAT TRIVIA

In 1683 fleeing Turks left behind bags of coffee beans, after their second attempted invasion. The Viennese soldiers thought they were fodder for the camels and were about to burn them. However, King Jim Sobieski gave the beans to one of his officers, George Franz Kohchetsky. He roasted the beans and opened the first kaffeehaus in the Vienna. The coffee (black soup) spread rapidly and as they say the rest is history.

When escalators were installed in Harrods in 1980 people were skeptical about riding them.After a little brandy was offered to shoppers, people slowly started to use the escalators. The brandy wasn’t offered for very long.

In New Zealand the Barossa Valley is referred to as a hung valley because one end of the valley is 450-feet lower than the other end.

It was a strange but, common sight, to see cows grazing with bobbed tails in New Zealand. This is common practice as the cows tend to swat the milker with its tail. Some kind of organism in the cow’s urine cased illness so the farmers solved the whole problem by cutting off the tail of their cows.

In France coffee follows a meal, and you might as well get used to it as it is nearly impossible to get coffee served with a meal.

Also in France City Halls are referred to as hotels which can be confusing for the 

unsuspecting tourist.

In Costa Rica tiled floor porches are common and a sign of one’s wealth. A great deal of pride is wrapped up in these lovely tiled floors and they are always kept clean.

The only bridges I’ve run into where there are shops on the bridge are the Realito Bridge in Venice and the Pultney Bridge in Bath, England. At one time it was a fairly common occurrence.

The hot air balloon ride in Kenya over the Masai Mara was not my first balloon ride, but it was an exciting one. We were awakened, in what I think of as the middle of the night, for the early morning flight.

    The balloon rose up into the sky just as the sun peeked over the horizon. Floating over the Mara the only noise breaking the incredible silence was the occasional swoosh of the helium being pumped up into the balloon. The swooshing noise did not seem to bother the animals below. We floated right over their heads, so the animals were not dwarfed by height.

    With no roads, the support van was able to follow the balloon to the landing site shortly after the balloon descended into an open field. In record time a galley appeared and a delightful champagne brunch, including eggs to order, was enjoyed. What a delightful morning!

Memories

                                         Kiev Trivia

     We had many vodka drinks on this trip. We learned that vodka is often mixed with a fruit

liqueur. Many of them were very good.

      I happen to like borsch and I ate a lot of it on this trip, however, the very best was in a

Kiev cafeteria. It was hearty and superb. The worst was in the Moscow hotel.

Never give a Chinese a clock as it means death, Give a vase, or any other item instead.

 

      That year the Russian Orthodox Easter corresponded to May 1. Big festivities were

planned for the breaking of the fast. Walking into the restaurant on the sunny Sunday

morning we accepted a glass of wine and was greeted with Christos voskrese (Christ is

risen). We were unable to respond in Ukrainian. We were then directed to a nearby table

holding decorated hard-boiled eggs and paska. Paska is a special decorated bread which is

always torn and never cut. The breakfast buffet held special Easter fare. A local gal

translated much of the food for us. What a nice surprise!

     Later in the morning at the Lavra Monastery there were long lines of people with their

baskets of food waiting for it to be blessed by the priest.

    We learned about salo—a pig fat product that is served many ways. It is white in color

and reminded me of Crisco. Apparently it is popular in this part of the world although it did 

not  appeal to me in any form.

In Hong Kong it is good to know that taxis charge round-trip fare when using the tunnel 

under the harbor between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. They have to return to wherever 

they started and pay the tunnel toll again.


 In Russia it might be good to know that Kvass is similar to beer without the alcohol content 

and is made from fruit and berries. Mors is made from berry juice which has been diluted  

and fermented.

SCOTTISH TRIVIA

                                          Interesting Trivia

• The thistle has been the symbol of the country for 500 years. Legend has it that sleeping Scots were awakened by invading Vikings when they cried out after stepping on thistles in their bare feet. The Scots won the battle and the guardian thistle made it into history.
• Language originally was Celtic based with some Gaelic and a smattering of Norse dialects. By 1980 less than two percent of the population understood Gaelic. Gaelic is most popular on the Isle of Sky where 60% of the population speak the language. Accents and dialects have not developed in Scotland as they have in England.
• The Highland games started more than 1000 years ago. Bagpipe playing and dancing are always part of the games.
• After a wet harvest centuries ago, finding a way to use rain soaked barley resulted in the national whisky known as scotch. Scotch is the whisky, not the name of the people who inhabit the country. They are Scots, and the adjective is Scottish.
• All the museums in Glasgow are free.

      Big Bertha, a huge crane is now a monument to the vast and prosperous ship-building industry that the city of Glasgow was famous for. The last ship built on the Clyde was the Q E 2 in 1962. During W W II a warship a day rolled off the rails into the River Clyde. The 24-hour a day operation was incredible when 2000 ships hit the seas in a six year period. Before the war most of the ships built were passenger ships including all of the Cunard line ships. At one point the shipbuilding industry employed over 200,000 people. The ships were not only built here, but fully outfitted here as well. To say something is Clyde built means that it is quality and built to last. The River Clyde is but 78 miles long and has as much as a 20-foot tide here in the city.

      In Dornoch. We visited the 1239 Presbyterian Church where a couple of elderly docents told us this where Madonna had her son christened and that Prince Charles also had visited the church. The ladies proudly told us that the hotel across the street was once the home of Andrew Carnegie,

     They forgot to tell us that Dornoch is the area where the last witch burning in Scotland took place in 1722. An old woman was accused of turning her daughter into a pony and riding it around town. She was sentenced to be burned alive in a pot of boiling tar.

OTHER RUSSIAN MEMORIES

                                                         So Much to See

       Every time we entered our Moscow hotel we had to scan all out belongings and walk through a scanner. Just one of those things these days!

       Most Russian homes, especially in the countryside have a ‘red corner’. Originally that is where the religious icons were displayed. After the Bolshevik Revolution the religious icons were replaced with busts of Lenin and Stalin. Since the demise of the USSR in 1989 the religious icons again have a place of honor.

     Russian nesting dolls are called matryoshka. The brightly colored and decorated lacquered boxes are called palekh.

      Conflicting info was often given (bus numbers in Moscow, where things were located)

     Traffic was heavy in the big cities. Pedestrian beware!

     Infrastructure often in need of repair.

     Museums are housed in old palaces.

    In spite of Stalin destroying half of the churches there are still many many of them.

     Payment of $4-6 was required in nearly all places to use one’s own camera inside.

     Built in 1825, the Bolshoi is Moscow’s oldest and best-known theater. Its splendid external architecture sports a lavish façade with columns and large bronze horses at its peak. The theater, known for its world-famous opera and ballet companies seats 2000; only the La Scala in Italy is larger. A large granite monument of Karl Marx, looking at the Bolshoi stands in the square across the street from the theater. Unfortunately the theater was under renovation when we visited so we could not get inside---too bad!

      Because of ice on Lake Onega we were not able to make the next two scheduled stops at Petrozavodsk and Kizhi Island. We laid to waiting for an icebreaker to get us through the very southern portion of Lake Ladoga. Rain did nothing to enhance the rather drab town of Vytegrn. It was an unscheduled stop and one few tourists see. We maneuvered around mud puddles on a dirt road from the pier to the town center where we visited a church (1873) and a small but well done museum. Individual wooden houses and log cabins lined the street, and in the distant background were a couple of Stalin concrete apartments.

      Our final stop before St. Petersburg was Mandrogy. The small village is a place for the new rich Russian to escape to. The area is situated in deep dense forest. Steep metal roofs topped wooden buildings and much wood carving was used as decoration. The architecture was rather unique. After warming up a bit on a windy cold day we walked to the ferry landing to board a hand turned cable ferry for a five-minute crossing to Pushkin Island. Pushkin was a famous Russian poet of fairy tales. Walking a well-packed path through the woods we stopped every few meters to observe wood carvings illustrating Pushkin fairy tales. We were well sheltered on the island, but once across the river the wind hit us full force in the face! It was fun to get somewhere few tourists do.

      Christ Our Savior Cathedral is the largest church in Moscow. It was started in 1839 after the war of 1812 and it took 44 years and the reign of four czars to complete. The first electric lights in the city were installed in front of this church. Stalin destroyed it in 1931 and it became a city swimming pool. The pool was covered up in 1994 and in 1995, financed with private monies, construction began on this new church. It took four years to finish the exterior and two years to finish the interior. The mosaics inside are beautiful. The church has five domes with a big central and four angular turrets with 14 bells. The church is so big that the main cathedral of the Kremlin can fit inside.