There can be only one....right?

For those of you who don't know, that is a line from the movie/series Highlander. And just like the movie spawned the series with a major suspension of disbelief (how can Conor and Duncan MacLoud coexist when Conor was the one left standing in the movie?), so it goes with castles in Scotland.  There is a real MacLoud castle on the Isle of Skye, one which has been in the family for hundreds of years, named Dunvegan.  MacLouds still live in this castle, and while it is available for touring, the primary interest is in the gardens as a majority of the castle is roped off and you can only peek in the rooms available for viewing. As it was raining pretty steadily while we were on the Isle of Skye, this didn't seem like a very good way to spend our money and time so we didn't go in.

There is Castle Tioram,  featured in the opening of later seasons of Highlander-the Series. These ruins sit on an isle whose shallows near the shoreline allow it to be accessed on foot at low tide. The present owner of the castle wishes to return it to its former glory and make it into his residence along with the addition of a Clan meeting center. I don't know if this is for general clan use or specifically for the Clan MacDonald of Clanranald. He has met with much resistance from those who wish the site to remain as ruins, but I understand that progress has been made recently. I think it would be pretty neat to see it restored.
Eilean Donan Castle was featured prominently in 1986's Highlander movie. It is the ancestral home of the Clan Mackenzie and remained a residence until recent times. Weddings and other events have been held there as well.

The purple minion? He is sporting colors as close to the Clan Mitchell as I could find  
Eilean Donan Castle

We stormed the castles! Aye!

Living Well...

George Herbert is attributed to the quote "Living well is the best revenge".

For years, I thought that meant you had to be able to 'one up' your nemesis, by ending up richer, more powerful, aging slower, so when you should meet in passing years later you could turn away smug in the knowledge that in the end, you'd won.

 Well, I will tell you that I have bettered pretty much all who had wronged me in one way or the other. But in most cases it's not because I am richer or more powerful or more successful or aging better, it's because I lived. I moved on. I found happiness without them. All over the UK and Europe I have met the most interesting people, and I dare say that perhaps a handful are closet millionaires but most barely make ends meet. They come from all walks of life, from the busker singing for change to the pub keeper pouring your pint. Perhaps he's the entrepreneur who created this great farmhouse cider I'm drinking.

The point is that there are many ways to live well, and the best way to do it is, well, to Live. Well.

You don't have to have Bill Gates' money to enjoy the finer things in life, you simply need to take the time to look at the world differently.  Like this farmhouse cider. It wasn't expensive, but it sure is good. What makes it even better is meeting the man who created it, learning a little about the process of making cider. As you talk, you get an idea about the man and if he's kind of sharp but mellow, that's kind of the way his ciders will taste- sweet or dry. The mellow, happy former dairyman who now makes nothing but cider in his retirement years--you guessed it--sweet or dry, his cider is smooth and very likeable. This is something that any person can experience. The sharp but mellow guy? Mick Jagger's brother is his next door neighbor. Mick probably walks across the hedgerow bridge to share a pint and perhaps take a few liters back with him when he's in the neighborhood. I seem to be meeting lots of people who are living life richly,  and thus well.  Next time you see a roadside fruit stand at a farm, stop and buy a couple of peaches or a jar of Aunt Mae's preserves. Talk to them about their farm. Value them and you add value to yourself. 

Me, I think I will have another glass of cider and think of how lucky I am to have married the Most Interesting Man I Know.

I won big.

Travels With Minion

My daughter Alyssa, loves the minions from Despicable Me, and often reminds us of the purple ones when she wakes up in the morning, so we were thrilled when we found one in a shop in Portugal.

Alyssa and her minion.                                                               

Now, the intention was to send the minion to her when we returned from Portugal so that she could have it in time for finals.  As luck would have it, that didn't happen. So, we got the bright idea of taking it with us on future trips and taking a few pictures of him, similar to people who kidnap a garden gnome from someone's yard and return it weeks later with pictures of its travels, having more fun than its owner, for sure.   

   

The minion traveled to Amsterdam, Scotland, Portugal, and various places in England before making its way home to her. We now have Snuffles, the bear accompanying us on future travels. Be watching for them in my blogs.

...and so it goes...

The Art of Travelling Cheap

This is not meant to promote any particular website or chain. I am not sponsored by anyone(although that would be Most Excellent), simply providing my views on the subject.

That being said, on with the purpose of the blog, which is not to spend all your hard-earned money on a place to lay your head at the end of a day of travel or sightseeing. It can get expensive. You can be brand-loyal and stay only at the chains you have piled up the Rewards points such as Hilton or Marriott and earn upgrades and free stays. If you travel a lot for business and your company allows you to keep the points for personal use, who wouldn't want to take advantage of free rooms when on vacation? Word to the wise, however,  not every chain in the US offers the same style of room you expect in the US. It can be more like booking a Best Western--one place you pay $40 a night for a 4-star room and another you spend $70 and are thankful the sheets and towels are clean(although I understand BW now has a system to separate the bare bones from the pillowtop plush) so be sure to peruse Trip Advisor as well as the motel website to make sure you are getting what you expect.

Another thing is that pillowtops are not standard in most motels in the UK. You barely find them in those $300/night rooms in London. And while you are choking on the aforementioned price, let me say that is an average price for an average room in the summer. Want that Hilton/Omni/Marriott experience? Expect to pay half again more. And you might get a Queen sized mattress. Kings are as hard to find, so get used to doubling up on that Double most of us had when we first got married because it was affordable. At least it will be pillowtop!

So, I would spend hours on Trip Advisor or hotels.com or comparable booking sites looking for deals. Sometimes I would find them. Maybe they weren't the Hilton, but were at least 1/3 the price and were comfortable enough and close to where I wanted to be. As always, if you are familiar with an area's transit system cost is directly proportional to how close you are to an attraction.

Then a friend of ours introduced us to the wonders of airbnb.com and couchsurfing.com. All of a sudden a world of possibilities opened before us. Now we could stay with people who lived in the area and have a better immersion into a culture. With airbnb the experiences can be varied-- you could be handed the keys to a flat or home and with the exception of a binder in several languages which advise you where to go and what to see, or you could be in a room in someone's home with an atmosphere more like a regular bed and breakfast with breakfast included and very social hosts who want to learn as much about you and your interests as you about theirs. The costs are generally cheaper than a regular b&b, and more personal. You often have to share a bathroom, something common in many smaller hotels, so that's another thing. If you don't want to share a bathroom, book only 'en-suite' rooms.  Couchsurfing is the cheapest as this is a free service and you are as likely to end up on a floor or a couch as you are a bed and sharing a bath and this is all that is offered. While I have not couchsurfed myself, my husband and I recently played host to a frequent surfer. Apparently most of her experiences have included being fed most meals by her hosts, being taken on tours, being offered bicycles, etc. Lucky her. My understanding was that most of the people taking advantage of a free place to stay would do things like cook a meal for you or bring you a bottle of wine as a thank you for hosting them, or were expecting no more than a place to flop and a little conversation and direction of what to see and do and otherwise were left to their own devices. So, if you decide to try this route, expect the bare minimum and don't make your hosts feel put upon to entertain you. Both sites allow you the opportunity to review not only the places you stay but also the people who stay with you so that you have the right of refusal based on previous write ups or at least know who you are inviting into your home before they arrive. Read those reviews before booking, especially the most recent. Sometimes you will find a few less than stellar reviews at the start but they improve as the airbnb hosts strive to be more accomodating and in some cases, better housekeepers!

Glamping is another way to travel and save money. Essentially you are offered an enclosed no-frills room or cabin with which to throw down your pad and sleeping bag. Main plus is you don't have to worry about being eaten alive by mosquitoes or midges or getting rained on. If you are lucky, there is a covered area to set up a camp stove or grill or there are charcoal grills available to use. Most have a central shower area, all have toilet access. Some have individual units to which you are given a key so you can lock your stuff up while you are out exploring but aren't necessarily patrolled so keep that in mind if you do have anything of real value.
A number of hostels have similar setups, offering you a communal space or bedroom with as many as 9 other people sharing that space. Most offer single or bunkbed accomodations and communal toilets and showers, some offer lockers or trunks to store your things but many of those expect you to provide your own lock. Hostels are more likely to appeal to younger people, and many offer breakfast either included or for a nominal charge.

Eating out will also take a major chunk out of your vacation budget, so consider staying in places which offer room refrigerators. This is especially important if you will be based in one spot for a number of days. Pick up some fruit, deli meats and cheeses as well as bread and condiments and you are set. As an alternative, many grocery and convenience stores offer 'Meal Deals' where you can get a bottled drink, sandwich, and chips or candy bar for a nominal price, perfect for picnics in a park or to eat on your transit commute.

Speaking of transits, the UK and Europe offer 'two-fer' and family deals on trains and buses. Sometimes you can find multi-use packages for a week or a month.  Attractions do the same. If you like storming castles and other historical sites, consider purchasing a week or annual pass to a Heritage or National Trust organization. You can save a bunch of money that way, especially if you travel with the family.

Now that you've saved hundreds on your trip, you can spend all that loot on the really important stuff--farmhouse ciders and souvenirs!

Have fun...