Quiet River Raging

I'm home in MA for about a week and a half, which has the basic meaning of "I am not currently at work and therefore I am happy." I made the drive yesterday in 9.5 hours, which is pretty good time. Hit a bit of traffic on the Garden State Parkway, but nothing too rotten.

Weather currently is either just overcast, or overcast and raining. I was a good girl and went for a 30 minute run this morning after breakfast. My challenge during this break is to not slip up on the exercise or Weight Watchers. Seventeen pounds down - about half-way there.

I'm writing this from the public library in Danvers, since, while Mom does have her computer hooked up, she still doesn't have internet service. So she and I are side-by-side at the library, typing away.

Activities to look forward to whilst here at home:

* Playtime with Jen and the boys!
* Whalewatch!
* Sleeping in!
* Dinner with aunt and uncle!
* Lobstah!
* More sleeping in!
* Trip to LL Bean outlet!
* Not working!

Hope everyone's spring is going well!

Hiya!

My brief stay in the Loch Ness/Inverness area is drawing to a close. I have one last night here in Inverness, at the luxurious (compared to Loch Ness Backpackers) Highlander Hostel, which is about a 10 minute walk from the bus station. Since I have no idea when I'll have internet access again, I figure I'd better post now.

( Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle )

( Culloden )

Headed back into the city centre and picked up some food to eat back at the hostel. Am now catching up on e-mails and lj. My time's just about over, so I'll close here. I'll try to post again from either the Outher Hebrides or Skye, but there's no telling when (or if) I'll get internet access again. I'll be home this coming Sunday (WAHHHHH!), so be prepared to start seeing longer, more detailed and illustrated posts to follow soon after.

Talk to you all soon!

So. How are you all doing?

Yes, yes - I know you all need more details. Unfortunately, I have to pay for my internet time (1 pound for 30 minutes - I splurged and got an hour's worth of time today). Hence the nutshell version posts.

genevieve2006: I would LOVE to show off some of the 424 photos I've taken so far, but I don't have a way to upload them at the moment. If I figure out something during the trip, I'll try to do so. :)

etainwilson: Yes, I saw the Stone of Destiny - I spent about 4.5 hours total at the Castle, so there wasn't much I didn't see.

I didn't get into Holyrood Palace, though - it was closed for a VIP high church guy visit during the entire time I was there.

Okay, update time:

Yesterday - Went directly to the National Museum, stopping in Greyfriar's Kirkyard and paying my respects to wee Bobby (google "Greyfriar's Bobby" to find out what I'm talking about - my hostel was right down the street from his statue). After the museum, I walked down the Royal Mile, had tea at Clarinda's, and tried to see Holyrood. Went to the new Scottish Parliament Building instead, which was a pretty amazing thing to see. Headed back to the Castle after that, to see a couple of things I'd missed the day before, then back to the hostel for packing, postcard and journal writing, and vegging out.

Today - Caught the 0730 train from Waverey Station to Stirling, where I had to wait 30 minutes for reception to open. Since I couldn't officially check in until 1200, I left my pack and went back to the train station and back-tracked to Falkirk to see the engineering feat called the Falkirk Wheel, which is a rotating lock system on the Union and Forth & Clyde Canals. You can actually take a boat ride and go up in one of the gondolas of the wheel. Very, very cool! After the wheel, i took the train back to Stirling and, through a series of miscommunications and faulty directions, made my way to the Bannockburn Heritage Centre, which is considered to be very close (if not actually on) to where Robert the Bruce and his loyal Scots defeated King William and the English forces quite soundly. Took pictures of the rolling green fields and the humoungous statue of the Bruce and got the bus back into town. Picked up some food at a local grocer, took it back to the hostel and had a light supper.

Now it's internet time.

Tomorrow's itinerary: Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument, maybe Stirling bridge as well (since I think I can walk to that one).