STORIES AND PHOTOS #2: Black and White

Mt Hood and Mollala River

Anne and I have spent quite a bit of time in the last four months preparing our next travel guide.  It is a revision and expansion of our third guide, Hidden Gems II: Scotland and Wales.  The new edition, Golf in Scotland II: Hidden Gems of Scotland and Wales, has descriptions of more golf courses in both Scotland and Wales, more than double the number of B&Bs and small guest houses, numerous more recommendations for pubs, restaurants, and tearooms, and plenty of suggestions for non-golfing days.  Now that the book is done and out on Amazon.com and AmazonUK in print-on-demand as well as Kindle, my reflectiions on all this work, most of it in black and white, has inspired the two parts of this blog entry: an introduction to the new book and random black and white photos.

Windows to the Soul

Old Farm, Yoder, OR

Isle of Skye Road, Scotland

To introduce Golf in Scotland II; Hidden Gems of Scotland and Wales I present the story we use in the opening of "Chapter I: Getting Started":

The day was not going to be the weather we really wanted when playing a world class course like Royal Porthcawl in southern Wales--it was fiercely windy, spitting rain in squalls, and completely overcast.  We also knew by the friendly greeting we got in the golf shop from pro Peter Evans that it was going to be a great day of golf despite the weather.  We weren’t disappointed.  

Rain gear, including jacket, pants, gloves, hat, and bag cover on from the start, we headed to the first tee.  I like it better when we can start fully prepared rather than having to interrupt play to don our gear; it’s always easier to shed rain suits than to put them on during the round.  The first hole, the one seen in the Wales tourism commercial with duffers and Wee Welshman Ian Woosnam teeing off in glorious conditions, is a fair starting hole.  A demanding drive, but not too demanding, followed by a tricky second onto an elevated green with interesting slopes.  The wind, howling at a steady thirty miles an hour straight into us (measured with a portable anemometer), added character to the shotmaking.  Bogeys were good on this championship start, but the score really isn’t that important. Anne and I are retired after more than thirty years of teaching, we’re in Wales, the land of at least my paternal ancestors (although there’s English on that side as well), and we’re playing golf on one of the world’s great golf courses.  Bogey, double-bogey, or even birdie doesn’t much matter.  The rest of the round was a little better than the start.  The wind stiffened a little, but the rain lightened and stopped while we were still on the front. One curiosity was we kept coming into greens with the flags pulled out.  The first couple downed flags we ran into we cursed the inconsiderates in front of us.  Then as we continued to find flags down and realized it was the wind blowing them out, we apologized under our breaths.  

As we came off the tough 410-yard 18th with dips and hills and lush rough, we talked to the visitor who had played in front of us.  He was leaning against the building catching his breath. As we approached him, he smiled and said, “The course won.”  But he was smiling!  We told Peter about the four flags we found down on the greens.  He responded, “Oh, an average day at Royal Porthcawl.  Only a four flag day; we often see six or eight flags out in a round.”  And he was smiling!

From the golf course it’s only a few miles back to the Prince of Wales Pub in Kenfig near the interesting Pyle and Kenfig GC we’d played a couple of days before. We’d heard about the pub from the golf pro at P&K who said, “It should be in your book”--a phrase we’d heard several times before referring to this pub, that restaurant, or yon attraction.  After a drink in the 16th century (rebuilt in 1808) Prince of Wales Inn we knew he’d been right.  This pub needed to be in the book.  We enjoyed a pint, Guinness for Anne and local ale for me, heard about the ghosts, talked to a few locals who said “Good day for golf, isn’t it.”  And they smiled!   With a little adjusting of our itinerary, we planned a return trip to the pub for a meal, and then headed out for the hour drive to tonight’s B&B in Laugharne.   

Laugharne has a ruined castle and a literary heritage.  It’s the literary connection that gives the Boat House Bed and Breakfast its name--the Boathouse (around the corner from the castle along the water) was where poet Dylan Thomas did much of his writing.  We arrived in time to take a quick peek at the castle before checking in at the B&B.  We rang the bell and introduced ourselves to Angi, who looked at us a little strangely, but showed us to the Towy suite.  When we asked about her husband George a look of recognition came over her face.   Ann then introduced herself and her daughter Jenni who recently bought the B&B from Angi and George.  They said Angi and George had left our reservation, but no details or contact information.  After a good laugh we were told the dinner we had arranged would be in the dining room in about an hour.  

Whenever we can we take advantage of B&Bs who do dinners--a nice change from always eating out.  The dinner at Boat House was superb!  A special smoked haddock appetizer started the meal for us and three other guests. The starter was followed by a main of chicken breast in special sauce served with potatoes and fresh veggies. Dinner ended with a scrumptious homemade pear pie.  My Anne and I sat for an hour after dinner visiting with Jenni and Ann about the process of starting up a B&B.  

Windy golf on a fantastic course. Pub ghosts and Guinness. New friends in a marvelous B&B. All in a day of touring in Wales.  

Eilean Musdile Lighthouse, Loch Linnhe, Scotland

Lights, Rothenburg, Germany

Tearoom Conversation, Kirriemuir, Scotland

We are now preparing for out spring visit to Scotland, but I will try to get one more entry up before we leave in the middle of April.  Welcome spring!

George the Cat

STORIES AND PHOTOS #1

     This post and some that follow will be part stories and part photos.  And the two will not necessarily be related.  I hope you enjoy both.

Rust: on the way to the Oregon coast.

Point Loma Lighthouse, San Diego.

Point Loma Lighthouse.

The Run on Porridge

Porridge, boiled ground, crushed or chopped cereal (in Scotland it’s oats), has been a staple of the Scottish diet since Medieval times when it was eaten hot by crofters for breakfast  and cold for lunch--and maybe even fried for dinner.  Tradition (and superstition) says the porridge should be stirred with a wooden spoon or spurtle (thick wooden stick) with the right hand in a clockwise direction to ward off evil spirits.  If you microwave your porridge today there is a seven step ritual performed which includes the sacrifice of a lamb in order to ward off the irradiated evil spirits.  Eaten usually with milk, Scots will salt their porridge while we heathens add sugar. 

Porridge is a real breakfast treat in the B&Bs in Scotland.  Most of the time the porridge is very traditional, but in Durness at Glengolly B&B in the far northwest corner of Scotland I got a quite special edition.  My breakfast porridge came like a brulee with burnt sugar on top and then a dram of Highland malt whisky was added.  Delicious!  The best porridge, though, is the porridge made by John Clifford I get almost every day at Merlindale B&B in Crieff.

Because we are oversea’s family I get porridge even if it’s not on the normal breakfast menu at the B&B.  Every once in a while a guest or two will see my porridge and ask if it is available for them and it always is.  There was one day though when the B&B was full (eight guests) and one of the guests asked about porridge before I even got mine (so nobody can blame it on me).  John said, “Of course, for you my dear.”  Suddenly everyone wanted porridge besides the normal full cooked breakfast.  There was a run on porridge!  A new batch had to be started and the kitchen was kept busy with both the regular breakfasts of Scottish bacon, eggs, sausage, fried bread, potato scones, roast tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast, and the demand for John’s porridge.  

After breakfast John and Jacky said it had been the biggest run on porridge in 17 years of running the B&B. The next day, with a different group of guest, I was the only one to have porridge.  It had been a one-day run.

On the way to Death Valley from Las Vegas.

From Hwy 190 near Zabriskie Point.

Zabriskie Point view.

Cameras for Travel

One of my blog readers asked me for some advice on cameras for travel or traveling with cameras.  In answer I’ll devote some time to my camera kit and how I travel with cameras.

My current kit includes three different DSLR (digital single lens reflex camera) bodies and five compatible lenses, including wide angle, macro or close-up lenses, and telephotos.  I also have a couple of small cameras including the new mirrorless series with various lenses and a pocket camera.  For all these cameras and lenses I have batteries, chargers, various filters, an external flash, tripod and monopod, and far too many camera cases (shoulder bags, backpacks, messenger bags, photographer’s vest, and hard cases).  All of my camera equipment is Nikon--it’s what I started with--but Canon, Olympus, and other brands can be equally as good. 

The obligatory Death Valley selfie.

In Golden Canyon, Death Valley

The general Store at Furnace Creek complete with locals posing for tourists.

Of course, I don’t take everything with me on every trip--I’d need a pack horse to carry it all.  So what do I take on a trip?  I have several guidelines I use when putting together my kit for a trip:

--Always have a backup camera or lens.

--Take plenty of memory cards and spare batteries and chargers.

--Be sure to have lens cleaners (cloths, brushes, or special pens) and on long trips carry a camera sensor cleaner and know how to safely use it.

--Have access to camera manuals (take small cheat sheet manuals or have manuals downloaded onto a computer I’m taking). 

With these guidelines in mind my kit for a trip varies depending on the kind of trip and the length of of the trip.  For instance, for a six week trip to Scotland I’ll take two camera bodies with batteries and chargers and three compatible lenses (wide angle and telephoto for Highland scenery, macro for gardens and flowers, and mid-range zoom for golf courses).  I also have a walking or hiking stick with camera mount screw on top to act as a monopod--I would love to have a good tripod in Scotland and still consider buying one to keep over there.  I take a small camera for cities or snap shots (either a pocket camera or the mirrorless with a moderate zoom lens)--some might use their mobile phones, but I don’t take mine.  Finally, I pack it all into an appropriate case for travel (usually a backpack camera case) and I take my photo vest.  As another example, on a recent trip to San Diego for a family wedding and then vacation in Las Vegas including a two day trip to Death Valley I took one DSLR body with a wide angle and a telephoto and my mirrorless Nikon J1 with two lenses.  This small kit, along with all our other electronics for the trip (GPS, cords and chargers, music system, etc.) was carried in a small camera backpack and I took the vest to use out of the car and around town.  

Death Valley dunes.

Bad Water reflection.

Rhyolite Ghost Town

Rhyolite

     For every trip one of my most difficult tasks is to decide what camera kit to take.  I’ll try to figure out what lenses I’ll need for the type of scenery (seascape, cityscape or landscape or maybe all three) we’ll find.  I pack my kit and adjust and repack.  I may call it a difficult task, but it’s also a fun part of the trip--I love playing with the cameras.

From our timeshare: Las Vegas sunset overlooking the mobile home park.

While on my trip I try to clean the cameras and lenses whenever needed, but for sure I do a thorough cleaning every night.  I also download all my images from the day (from every camera) onto my laptop computer (MacAir is great for travel) and I don’t erase even the bad ones from the computer or memory chip until I’m home from the trip. When I do get home my one task, besides cleaning everything, is to evaluate what I’d taken on the trip: Should I have had a different lens or camera body? Would a different camera case have worked better?  Was there anything left out or did I take too much?

My system isn’t perfect but it works for me and I hope my notes help some of you.

Golf in Ramona near San Diego.

Golf at Furnace Creek GC, Death Valley. 

One of the golf course residents at Furnace Creek GC.

Let the Glasses Speak

Early in our fall flight to Scotland in 2010 I was busy reading when a male flight attendant stopped to ask me a question, probably whether I wanted peanuts or pretzels.  I was so engrossed (or so close to falling asleep) that he startled me.  I looked up, took off my glasses which I wear all the time, and answered him.  He gave me a quizzical look and said, “Do you have to take your glasses off to talk?”  I hadn’t even noticed that I had done that.  I put my glasses back on and we both laughed.  For the rest of the trip each time he talked to me I took my glasses off to answer.  I should have just let the glasses do the talking. 

The stairs weren't working; they neither went up nor down.

A pathetic scene outside a shop in Boulder City, NV, and it was already Friday.

Sign in the Perthshire hill in Scotland.

ICONIC IMAGES OF SCOTLAND (Part 3)

Scottish Thistle

Among the iconic images of Scotland presented in parts 1 and 2 have been the Queen, castles, churches, quaint villages, pipers and dancers, and ancient stones and cairns.  But other images represent Scotland as well.  In this final post which pictures Scotland  we start with something always in the mind of the Scots who are never further than 80 miles from sea wherever they are in Scotland.  

Portree Harbour, Isle of Skye

Ringing the country are small picturesque harbours where in past times fishing fleets set seeking schools of Atlantic herring (the silver of the sea) or haddock.  

Crail 

Stonehaven

Still today those harbours are homes to smaller fleets who now fish for langostines, crabs, lobsters, cod, haddock, herring, mackerel, monkfish, and hake.  Many of the harbours have become filled with personal fishing boats or pleasure yachts.  The harbours at Crail and Stonehaven on the east coast are the epitome of quaint ports.  

Kirkwall, Main Island, Orkney

Oban

Larger harbours at Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands and Oban on the west coast, though larger, still retain a special Scottish feel.

Since the sea is so ingrained in Scottish life it is no wonder the beaches, 

Balnakeil Beach, Durness (in the far Northwest)

lonely and isolated, represent Scotland so much that they became the subject of a movie.  Local Hero, the 1983 film starring Burt Lancaster and Peter Riegert, also stars the desolates beaches of Scotland.  

Sango Sands on the Atlantic

Sinclair's Bay Beach and Sinclair's Castle on the North Sea by Wick.

All along the coasts of Scotland you can find stretches of beach which are both lovely and empty.

Harbours and beaches are just a small part of the Scotland picture.  The larger picture includes the glens, straths or valleys, 

Glen Etive near Glencoe

Highlands

the lochs, the Highland mountains, 

Lochawe and Beinn Bahlgairean

and the hills

Sma'glen

Wasllace Monument and Ochill Hills

--the broad vistas of an ancient land (some of the oldest land on earth).  These images tell the story of the hardiness of the people who lived on and worked the land.  

Near Talisker Distillery on Isle of Skye.

And for today’s tourist these are the images that will burn into their memory, both in the mind and in the camera. 

One thing that helped the Scots survive the cold, harsh, dreich, wet, Scottish climate--and the cold, harsh English rule

Glengoyne Distillery

--is uisge beatha, the Water of Life, Scotch whisky (without an “e”).  Iconic are the images of whisky barrels and warehouses, copper pagoda chimneys, and copper pot stills.

Highland Park Distillery, Orkney

 

Lochranza Distillery, Isle of Arran

Highland Park Distillery

The mixture of water, yeast, and barley aged to perfection in oak barrels for ten or more years is the elixir of the gods, at least to many.  

Andrew Cuthbert, my whisky contact at J.L.Gill Whisky Shop in Crieff.

Whisky shops also make a pretty picture, shelves lined with the bottles I’d love to take home.  

And finally in this discussion of representative images of Scotland are the people.  

Tearoom conversation, Kirriemuir.

The typical Scot is the heart and soul of the country, but there are many who stand out--I’m stretching to call these iconic, 

Battle Reinactment

Edinburgh local, Royal Mile

but they do come to my mind when I think of the Scotland I’ve visited 23 times in the past thirteen years.

More Edinburgh locals.

Street Study in Black and Red

Whether you’ve been to Scotland or not, what are the images that come to your mind when you hear a Highland pipe band playing “Scotland the Brave” or see a lone piper in full regalia playing “Amazing Grace?”

Sunset in Oban Harbour

Next: A series of travel vignettes, perhaps fodder for a new book.