Tim is Officially DR TIM!

TODAY was an especially exciting day, as when we woke up and check our e-mail we found out that Tim was now officially DR TIMOTHY H KASTELLE! It was very exciting, and being on the Isle of Skye made it a memorable day. We spent the day touring around Skye and had a lovely celebratory lunch at a terrific little restaurant on the island called the Old Schoolhouse. We then went to an otter sanctuary (but saw no otters) before leaving Skye in a rainstorm. Luckily the weather broke when we got to the last stop on our Scottish Highland tour, Loch Ness. We stopped briefly at Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness. There we stayed in a very pink room in a small hotel...

To the Isle of Skye

After an interesting breakfast we drove from Minard Castle to the Isle of Skye, through Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands. It was a long but beautiful drive through wild and spectacular scenery. By the time we got to Skye it was nearly 5pm. So we just checked into our bed and breakfast (the Glenview Hotel) north of the town of Portree. The scenery on this peninsula, known as Trotternish, was very beautiful, so we decided to drive around until it got dark (which didn't happen until after 9:30pm). We didn't realise until we looked around but our bed and breakfast was near what turned out to be the best birding spot on the trip - a high cliff with waterfalls and lots of Northern Fulmars (with some checks clinging precariously to the steep rock faces). We ate dinner at a tiny pub at the very northernmost tip of the peninsula - spectacular (although the ale was pretty so-so...)...

Minard Castle

Today we woke up late and spent the morning walking through the hills around Dunoon with our friend Neil. (Neil is a professor of economics at Strathclyde University near Glasgow.) After some lovely tea by the fire in Neil's charming home, we drove to Minard Castle on Loch Fyne, our destination for that evening. It was a fantastic place to stay and our deluxe room was incredible. Around sunset we drove to check out the Isle of Jura, down some incredibly narrow roads with lots of sheep. We also saw cool canals to move the boats between lochs, and some great little Grey Wagtails. It was a fantastic day!

Tim's First Castle

We drove northwest out of Edinburgh today and visited Doune Castle, just north of Stirling. This was Tim's first real castle to see in Scotland, and it was an ineresting one. It was where Monty Python and the Holy Grail was filmed in 1974. We then drove north to the Trossachs and Loch Lomond, an area of great natural beauty. We ended the day at the home of Tim's colleague from Scotland who was kind enough to put us up for the night in the town of Dunoon. They had a great little cat called Esme who was very amusing...

Scottish Ornithologists' Club

Today we picked up the rental car and went for a drive back out towards North Berwick, mainly to see Tantallon Castle from the landward side, as we had only seen it from a distance on the boat trip. On the way there we passed the Scottish Ornithological Club's headquarters and spent a few hours wandering around the marsh and fields nearby...

Great Chocolates

There are a lot of neat chocolate shops in Edinburgh - I bought Tim a chocolate owl today...

Haggis!

Today we did a bit of sightseeing and ate dinner at Deacon Brodie's pub. We also went to see the statue of Greyfriar's Bobby, a faithful terrier who became famous for keeping a long vigil over his master's grave. Read the full story here.

Tim arrives, and we immediately go birding!

Tim finally arrived in Edinburgh today, and we immediately went to North Berwick, to the Scottish Seabird Centre. (When in Scotland you MUST take advantage of a sunny day!) A boat took us our past Craigleith Island to the famous Bass Rock, past the 13th century ruins of Tantallon Castle and finally back to port. The birdlife and seals were phenomenal! We got 5 life birds that day: puffin, razorbill, common eider, kittiwake, and great skua. It was an unbelievably fantastic day!

Sunday Climb to Arthur's Seat

Arthur's Seat is the main peak of Holyrood Park, which has a fantastic view of Edinburgh. I climbed the peak, seeing tons of cute rabbits on the way up. I then walked over to lovely Holyrood Palace, the official residence in Scotland of Queen Elizabeth II. I then briefly walked through the new before enjoying a lovely steak and whisky pie for lunch on the Royal Mile. After seeing John Knox's house and the statue of the 18th century philosopher David Hume, I went for a well-deserved pint in Deacon Brodie's pub.

Dinner in Leith

Had dinner in the port town of Leith, just west of Edinburgh. Found terrific Mexican food and a puzzling street sign there...

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Lazy Saturday

Some random photos of a lazy Saturday in Edinburgh...

Working in Edinburgh

It was not all play here in Edinburgh - my colleague Ken Laidlaw and I actually got HEAPS of work done, including writing a book proposal now under consideration at Oxford University Press...

More Alexander McCall Smith Locations

Yet more locations from the Alexander McCall Smith books, esp. Scotland Street.

Edinburgh through the Eyes of Alexander McCall Smith

I am a huge fan of the books of Alexander McCall Smith. Although my favorite of his series is the No 1 Ladies Detective series set in Botswana, I also love the Isabel Dalhousie series set in Edinburgh. I duly spent a few days visiting the haunts of the main characters in the books. When I was ill, his books were often the only thing engaging enough to capture my attention, esp. when I was having chemotherapy. I highly recommend them if you haven't read them. For more about Alexander McCall Smith and his wonderful books, visit his great website.

Views from Scott Monument

I climbed to the top of the Scott Monument, Edinburgh's Princess Street Gardens. It was built as a memorial to Walter Scott, a famous Scottish author. The monument was VERY high, with 287 steps to the top. But the views were worth the climb...

Traquair House

Today my friend Ken Laidlaw, along with his wife Mary and their daughter Katherine, took me to visit Traquair House, the oldest inhabited house in Scotland. Dating back to 1107, it was originally a hunting lodge for the kings and queens of Scotland. It was an interesting place to see!

Initial Impressions of Edinburgh

Walked around the city on a lovely sunny day, soaking up the sights...

Farewell Madrid, Hello Edinburgh!

Today I leave lovely Madrid after a wonderful visit with my colleagues Andres and Maria. I am now off to meet my friend Ken Laidlaw in bonny Scotland.

Beautiful Segovia

Segovia is Spain and Castile at its best - twisting alleyways, the highest concentration of Romanesque churches in all of Europe, pedestrian streets where no cars are allowed, the aroma of roast suckling pig around every corner - all surrounded by the city's medieval wall which itself is bordered by two rivers and an extensive green-belt park with miles of shaded walks. On the north-west extreme of the wall is the famous Alcázar castle, Alcazar source of inspiration to Walt Disney, and where Queen Isabel promised Columbus the financial backing he needed to discover America. On the south-east extreme is the world renowned Roman Aqueduct, the largest and best preserved of its kind anywhere, which served as the mintmark on all coins struck in the city from 1455 to 1864. The tallest building in Segovia is still the 16th-century Cathedral, a prominent landmark as one approaches from any direction. For lunch here in Segovia I had the local sopa castellana (Castilian Garlic Soup) and Ponche segoviano, a dessert made with a mazapán base.

The first set of slides is of the aquaduct and the Cathedral of Segovia; the second is primarily Alcazar Castle and nesting storks.

Movie of the View from the Alcazar in Segovia

Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Gardens (Jardín Botánico) are located next to the Prado Museum, and were inaugurated by King Carlos III in 1781 after he successfully sent out scientific expeditions all over the world to help build up a collection of more than 30,000 species of plants, including several varieties of tropical plants housed in a large hothouse. These were not far from my favorite tapas restaurant in Madrid, Los Gatos (The Cats).

Beautiful Toledo

I was fortunate to be able to take a day trip out to Toledo. The beautiful city of Toledo, once the capital city of Spain, and it still retains the atmosphere characteristic of so many European capital cities. Toledo is a magic place, probably one of the most spectacular cities in the world. The buildings and winding streets contained within the old city walls hold hundreds of years of history, and the River Tajo which runs alongside the city walls adds to its charm and beauty. The city was built in the 13th century. Two of its most interesting sights are:

* Alcázar: This outstanding castle is one of Toledo's most emblematic monuments and was used as a fortress by Romans, Visigods, Arabs and Christians. King Alfonso VI built his residence here and some of Spain's most prestigious artists and architects intervened in the construction of the royal palace. It was destroyed in the 18th century during the War of Succession, reconstructed only to be badly damaged a few years later in a fire and rebuilt yet again. The last time the palace was destroyed was during the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and it was repaired when the War ended.

* Cathedral of Toledo: Founded in the 1st Century by San Eugenio, the first Bishop of Toledo. It was changed into a mosque by the Arabs during Moorish occupation of Spain, and then converted back into a cathedral by Alfonso VI. In the 13th Century it was destroyed and the impressive Gothic building which can be seen today was built on the old cathedral's foundations.

Architectural Madrid

The architecture of Madrid was stunning...I never tired of wanderng the streets looking at the lovely old buildings.

Food in Madrid

There were tons of lovely food options in Madrid...I tried to eat tapas (small Spanish appetisers served in groups as a meal) as much as I could. I also enjoyed churros with hot chocolate and lots of exceptional desserts.

Animals in Madrid

There were lots of animals EVERYWHERE in Madrid....it was cool to see people taking their pets everywhere - in cafes, in the metro...

Shopping in Madrid

The shopping was great in Madrid. The city has everything from very upscale boutiques to great markets. My big find at the famous El Rastro markets was a beautiful linen and appliqué tablecloth. El Rastro only takes place on Sundays, but if I were planing a return trip to Madrid, this market is so fantastic I'd have to make sure my stay included a Sunday!

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First Impressions of Madrid

Some first impressions of vibrant Madrid...

I was especially pleased with my hotel, which was centrally located and not far from many metro stops.

Nancy's Sabbatical Trip to Europe

Nancy is off for an exciting 7 week sabbatical trip to Europe. She will be working with colleagues in Madrid, Edinburgh and London...

Confused!

The cats are confused - how will they cope when their primary big things are away overseas for weeks and weeks...?