Auld lang syne

The Isle of Skye

So ladies, gents, babies, and whomsoever else takes the opportunity and time to read this dusty thing, Scotland! A place always near and dear to my heart of hearts, seat of my ancestors (the MacLeod clan--HOLD FAST!) and the jewel of the UK. I have longed to go there for years, and though I've come close--went to England on a ruddy school trip in 2006--I have been either too occupied with school, work, or the ensuing future to fathom going. There's also that money thing that I hear is all the rage with the kids. Yes. I have none. HA HA isn't that MAGICAL.

The Hebrides

But guess what my little babies?! I am finally going! At long, ridiculous last!

Dunevegan Castle, seat of the MacLeod Clan

This trip has kind of evolved quite a bit over the last couple of months. When Peter initially approached me with the idea of a summer getaway to Vancouver Island, I was elated. The sea! How I longed to watch the sun set on it. Birth place of Hey Ocean! and Mother Mother, and, of course, sea food. Whales. Also there were mountains. You know, the usual stuff. I was pumped.

Edinburgh

But after Peter's parents had come home from a jaunt in Scotland, they kind of tossed the idea of doing an England trip to him, and when he blithely asked me, "So, would that be something you'd like to do? I know you had your heart set on BC, but--" what was I to say? Always the gentleman.

At first we were going to go with his parents and the two of us, but as the plans kept evolving, it turned into just Peter and I. Which I think is fine! We will have more chances to do family trips, I think.

And as we started hewing out a plan, we were like, why not do Scotland too?! I mean, we were already THERE. And trains! Trains get you places. Someone told me that. It would be soooo easy! SMUG SMUG SMIRK GRIN. No.

All that travel was becoming complicated and convoluted the more the trip took on its own brain matter. Let's go to Skye as well as Edinburgh! And start and finish in London! Oh. 11 hours by train from Skye to London? Uh. Buses? How many trains is it from Edinburgh to Skye. . . ? Should we cut London? NO, we already cut York! How many days will we go, then? 2 weeks! Um. Maybe 12 days. 10 days? ...9? So that's 3 days in each place. Well roughly 2. I mean, travel days. Right, right. Um. Oh. I need to look at the calendar again. . .

Trips are wonderful things, but are they ever a scream-queen super bitch to plan when it comes down to the niggling details! So as of yesterday we boiled it down to this:

>9 days
>Scotland only (no qualms!)
>Fly into and out of Edinburgh
>Hang out in Inverness/Loch Ness
>Spend a solid part of the trip at the North West point of the Isle of Skye

And as of today, all flights have been booked. The deal is cinched! Now we just need to jump on our B&B's/general accommodations. Here is where we are staying in Skye - The Spooooons!

And with the help from some epic friends and advice from family, this is sure to be a most epic trip. I am so excited to spend time with my Darling in what I consider the seat of faereality and all things magical in this world. I also feel like being humbled to death by ancient landscapes and gratuitous amounts of scenery. With a dash of romance. As always.

Now, off to paint and draw, and perchance write. I hear that's what I do.

Lumiere!

"The question is not whether they lived happily ever after. The point, gentlemen, is that they lived."