Queen Mum slept here–

Queen Elizabeth’s mother, the Queen Mum, used this pad as her summer getaway from London.  It’s a castle located in a town called Mey in Caithness on the northern coast of Scotland, hence it is known as the Castle of Mey.  It dates back to the sixteenth century, and it has magnificent views of the Orkney Islands out in the North Sea. . .bracing, invigorating, a tad jaw-dropping.  We love it here.

The Orkney Islands are home to the northernmost whisky distillery of Scotland, an outfit called Highland Park.  Some folks consider Highland Park to be one of the finest producers of whisky on Earth. . .I sipped on the 18-year-old a couple of times, and I gotta tell you, it goes down reeeeeaal goooooood.  Try it some time. . .you might like.

Not sure if the Queen Mum did any whisky sippin’, but we do know this: she got to take in one the most wonderful views in all of Christendom whenever she was lucky enough to make it up here.  Pop into the Castle of Mey if you ever find yourself tooling around on the northern coast of Scotland. . .you will enjoy, I gar-ron-taaaaaay!

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Top of Scotland to ya–

  BOOM!  Here we are chillin’ out at the northernmost point of Britain: John o’Groats, Scotland. . .wow, wow, wow!!

We fly into Heathrow down London-way, grab a rental car, and drive about seven hundred miles north until the road ends, and here we are at the end or the beginning of Britain–you decide.  There ain’t much goin’ on up here. . .though there is a lovely place to stay called The Seaview Hotel–it is owned and run by a local family, very sweet, and we get a good taste of the local flavor by staying here, if you know what I mean: a few workin’ dudes who drink lots of lager and whisky and have no problem blurting out whatever is on their minds–fascinating.  In fact, my favorite moment with a local occurred just after we arrived. . .we walk into the bar, I state how happy we are to be in John o’Groats, and I make a point of saying how beautiful the drive is on the way up along the coastline of northeastern Scotland. An old guy downs a big glass of whisky and water, looks at me and says the following, “Aye, ’tis beautiful the FIRST time you drive it.”  We grab our menus, find a table, and never again trouble this fine gentleman with our thoughts on the scenery.  Aye!

By the way, the name is derived from a Dutch guy called Jan de Groots who was given a ferry license by King James IV back in the late fifteenth century.  He charged “one groot” for a ferry ride–one unit of some sort of money used here at the time. . .but also possibly a tiny little shell that can be found on the beach up here called a ‘groot’ or ‘groat’ or ‘groatie.’  They are rare and hard to find. . .if you find one and keep it in your pocket, then you will always have money, so the legend goes.  We bought one at a local shop. . .does that count?  Hmmm.

Anyway, lots to talk about regarding this place. . .the windy walk to Dunnet Head–the actual northernmost point of Britain for you sticklers out there. . .the Duncansby Stacks. . .the wild coastline. . .the sheep. . .and the people, did I mention the people?  Aye, of course I did.

I send you rustic and earthy vibes from John o’Groats, Scotland. . .feel them. . .they are here, and you don’t even know it most of the time.  I hope you get to visit this place before you pass back to stardust. . .mmm, aaaah.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 inn…Somerset, England–

WOW!  Here we are hangin’ out in Mells, a sweet little village in the Somerset region of England.  Mells is home to The Talbot Inn, and this place ROCKS it real good.  If you love five-hundred-year-old cobblestones, five-hundred-year-old buildings that have been lovingly restored and updated with all of the modern conveniences that you need and desire, great food, great drink, and super-hip staff, then you will love The Talbot Inn.  It opened just about two years ago and will probably live on long after we are all gone. . .so get over to Mells, Somerset, England NOW, and get ready to experience easygoing vibes in an ever-so English setting.

I send you easygoing vibes and so much more from The Talbot Inn. . .feel them. . .they will make you happy to be alive.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Michelin ‘Pub of the Year’ 2015–

BAM!  Here we are gobbling away at a place called The Wild Rabbit in Kingham–a village in the Cotswald District of England–and this place ROCKS!  The Wild Rabbit was recently named the “Pub of the Year” by the 2015 Michelin Guide, and it is easy to see why.  The food is fabulous, the drink is varied and delectable, the rooms are cozy and totally tricked-out, and the staff is welcoming and oh-so-English.  We love The Wild Rabbit, and we strongly recommend that you consider a visit here if you find yourself planning a jaunt through the Cotswald section of England over the coming months or years.  The Lady of the Manor will be happy to make your acquaintance, we are most sure.  Cheers!

I send you posh and smart vibes from The Wild Rabbit. . .feel them. . .they will help you stand up straight and tall.

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it, do it, do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

Hume walked here–

David Hume was born in Edinburgh back in 1711, and he died here in 1776.  He loved his hometown, and he knew that people needed a break from the hustle and bustle of city life.  So, he worked to set up and preserve a park area called Calton Hill just on the outskirts of the city center for people to take a stroll, sit, breathe in fresh air, and enjoy fabulous vistas of central Edinburgh.  Hume was particularly fond of a trail that leads up and down the hill. . .today it is known as ‘Hume Walk,’ and the trail remains for you to enjoy today and tomorrow and tomorrow and so on and so forth.  We are lucky that the sun is out today, the breezes are light, the air is mild, and the views are as magical as ever.  Come to Edinburgh some day and tred on the very path that David Hume walked upon. . .it will make you just a tiny bit smarter than you are right now, I promise.

I send you glorious vibes from Hume Walk in Edinburgh, Scotland. . .feel them. . .they are most worthy of your attention.

To see more fabulous images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 restaurant…Edinburgh–

POW!  Here we are puttin’ a feed on at Edinburgh’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, 21212.  A dude called Paul Kitching owns and runs this place, and I gotta tell you, you will be hard-pressed to find a better spot for lunch than this establishment.  We are treated to a delectable and tasty five-course meal that includes olives, seafood amuse bouches, mushrooms, chicken, salmon, vegetable soup with lime juice and coriander, cheeses from France, England, and Scotland, and pillowy fresh bread to sop everything up with. . .mmmm, aaahh!  The whole meal is washed down with a reasonable and sturdy Sancerre. . .and, most importantly, everything is served up by a warm, professional, and switched-on staff. . .jaaaa!  We love lunching at 21212 in Edinburgh, and I am willing to bet that you will, too, if you ever find yourself wandering around this great town lookin’ for somethin’ good to satisfy your hunger.

I send you mouth-watering vibes from Edinburgh. . .feel them. . .they are good for your spirit.

To see more wonderful images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

York makes us happy–

Wandering around York we learn that Constantine the Great was proclaimed Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire here back in the third century, c.e.. . .wow!. . .Constantine actually trod upon these bits of stone and Earth–nice.  We also find that there are thousands of beers and ales available for consumption here. . .I better get busy, for I only sampled a couple dozen–and they were/are damn tasty!  Plus, there are many wonderful town vistas for us to take in like the one you see above from the top of Clifford’s Tower. . .mmm, aaaahh!  York, Yorkshire–the town so nice they named it twice. . .sort of.

I send you invigorating vibes from York, England. . .feel them. . .they are full of earthiness and history and the force of life.

To see more fabulous images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 restaurant…England–

KABOOM!  The restaurant is called L’Enclume, which means ‘anvil’ in French. . .L’Enclume is in an eight-hundred-year-old building that used to be a blacksmith shop–there is an actual anvil in the dining room, as you can see me posing by above. . .L’Enclume is located in the village of Cartmel in the Lake District of England. . .Cartmel is the place where sticky toffee pudding was invented and perfected–apparently Madonna has someone in town send her sticky toffee pudding whenever she craves it. . .L’Enclume has two Michelin stars. . .L’Enclume serves a seventeen-course dinner every evening of the week–it is freakin’ magical and tasty. . .L’Enclume is the dream-come-true of a guy called Simon Rogan. . .in short, L’Enclume ROCKS!  I hope you can eat here some day.  Cheers!

I send you absolutely delicious vibes from Cartmel, England. . .feel them. . .they make the world a better place.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and sooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 whisky bar…Glasgow–

  BAM!  You say you want some whisky, do ya?  Well then you gotta get on over here to The Pot Still in Glasgow, Scotland.  This is a real-deal totally impressive place for a wee dram of the water of life.  We are told that the selection includes over six hundred single malts, and I see no reason to disbelieve this piece of information.  I ask the barman for a lovely taste of something 15 to 18-year-oldish from the very north of Scotland near John o’Groats, and he selects something from an island just north of there. . .a whisky called Scapa is the one for me, he says.  He pours me a lovely dram, it costs me about eight quid, I sit down with me lovely lady and sip on this elixir–it is potent, sweet, smoothish, a tad randy after I swallow, and super warm as it spreads out in my belly and throughout the rest of my body. . .mmmm, aaaahh. . .I am a happy boy once again, just for a moment or two, then time for another sip. . .mmmm, aaaahh. . .and on it goes. . .sucking in the water of life at the source–what an honor and a joy to be here.  If you love whisky, then you must visit The Pot Still in Glasgow. . .you will find a tad of satisfaction here, I am quite certain.

I send you life-giving vibes from The Pot Still. . .feel them. . .they are full of magic and joy.

To see more wonderful images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it, do it, do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

Mackintosh was here–

POW!  One of the best parts of traveling is learning stuff that we knew nothing about before we embarked on a particular journey.  Case in point, the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh here in Glasgow, Scotland.  Above you see some images from his masterwork: The Glasgow School of Art, aka, The GSA.  Mackintosh was one of the trailblazers of Art Deco in architecture, furniture, and painting, and he also was instrumental in the development of the art and design movement now referred to as The Glasgow School.  His work was an inspiration to folks like Frank Lloyd Wright, Donald Judd, and others. . .we stroll around Glasgow and take photos of his buildings and houses, sip tea in his teahouses, and feel the vibes of a powerful industrial aesthetic that is in transition and ready to burst forth as something new and exciting–a vague Detroit revivalist or Cleveland refurbishment or Pittsburgh rebirth feeling in the air. . .mmmm, aaaaahh!  Feel free to Google Charles Rennie Mackintosh to learn more about this important Scottish dude. . .his design philosophy will put a smile on your face, I gar-ron-taaaay!!

I send you edifying vibes from Glasgow. . .feel them. . .they are good for you.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.