The Hebrides

The Hebrides isn't a place most people dreamed of going to. The Inner Hebrides is more popular than the Outer Hebrides. The Inner and Outer Hebrides is a chain of many islands which only a few are inhabited. Why go there? What's there? My mission in life is to visit unusual and quirky places How would the Hebrides fit into this category? It was the phenomenon of the Machair that drew me to the Hebrides especially the Outer Hebrides. The Machair are these wildflower meadows that explode in the Western shores of the Outer Hebrides every Summer that piqued my interest. As I search the few guidebooks on the Outer Hebrides, I underlined every line that said, 'Machair' and these were predominantly the places I stopped at. The locals are happy to point out the Machair to you. It is not a very well known detail of the Machair but I love wildflowers and wouldn't miss any place in the world where I would have such an all access pass to! Indeed, it was wild. I loved and enjoyed every Machair that I could get to. I want more and much more. There are plans to return. Be warned. If you are like me, it will be your undoing also! This book will help you plan and make your Machair experience a reality! Let me illuminate the challenges to travel to the Hebrides and how to overcome them and make it an enjoyable and successful experience.

The Hebrides, both Inner and Outer

This eBook is almost ready for publication. It details my 2 trips to the Hebrides, an outlying region of hundreds of little islands off the coast of Scotland. It is a fascinating place. I was asked, 'what's there?' to which I replied, 'nothing'. Only some of the many islands are inhabited by a very hardy stock of people. The empty spaces and the empty beaches makes for such an idyllic escape.

The Garden of Ninfa, Italy

A year ago I was in Rome to visit the garden of Ninfa. It is just outside of Rome, a short train ride away and it is the most glorious garden in the world, built against the ruins of a medieval city, it is evocative and has this other worldly mood about it.

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The garden of Ninfa

Ninfa was a medieval city, now in ruins. It always had a garden there for centuries, built against the back drop of these ruins. It is beautiful and romantic, some has called it 'the most romantic garden in the world.' The Caetani family owned it for centuries and has recently set up a trust and/or foundation to care for it and keep it opened to the public for eternity. A visitor asked why there are ruins in the garden and was it put there for effect. So ignorant. I have an ebook on Kindle detailing all about the garden. It was such a pleasurable visit.

The duck pond

This is the pond at Charleston farmhouse, a place where the children of Vanessa Bell entertained themselves. Not many of us have the wherewithal growing up. I remember we had a pond like this growing up which was at the bottom of the hill from where our ramshackle house was. It was a pond where the ducks played in. We raised ducks for food, we were dirt poor. It was at the edge of a rubber plantation where mosquitoes rule the air. We spent many childhood moments playing and sharing this dirty pond with the ducks. We were so poor, we had to improvise and use whatever was close by as our toys.

Fano, Denmark

There are actually places like this in the world where the flowers just bloom and blossom into such exuberance. This was on the island of Fano in the far Western side of Denmark. This is my idea of an island escape, not the tropical stuff. I love to go back. This was in the Summer of 2015!

Wanderlust

I have a serious case of 'fernweh.' Weh in German means pain or an aching. 'Fern' means faraway. I have a serious aching to be far away. Do you feel the same?

The Machair

What is a Machair? (pronounced macca) They are these flowering grasslands found mostly in the Outer Hebrides and they stretch for miles and miles. They are a delightful sight to behold! Over the warm Summer months they bloom and produce a riot of colors, much like a Persian carpet. I was in the Outer Hebrides in July of 2017 and have plans to return in 2018!

Christiania, Denmark

Christiania was an army depot that squatters requisitioned and occupied illegally and refused to move. Today it makes for a sublime dawdling through the houses built higgledy piggledy all over the place. In Summer it is the most beautiful part of Copenhagen. I came here twice in the Summer of 2015 because it is so lovely. Sometimes the best places are those without a museum, artwork or shops or any modern building and therefore devoid of the tourist hordes that are invading the big metropolises.

Snakehead fritillaries

In April of 2017 I went to Cricklade, a little village outside of London to see these wild flowers. The whole of North meadow was filled with these beautiful wildflowers that come back year after year. I made a special trip just to see it. Others have gone to England at the time of bluebells but I was in England at the time of snakehead fritillaries. I wasn't disappointed. It was wonderful!

The Cathedral in Sienna

I have my ticket to travel already, leaving end of March with a very loose sort of itinerary. Each time I'm in a church, my prayer is that I will be able to continue to travel and see such gorgeous places. This is truly a sumptuous church, I was here 20 years ago and it had made such an impression on me that I knew I wanted to come back. The opportunity to do that was last April/May as part of a trip to Rome and Florence. I am grateful for my life!

Travel plans for 2018

Are Americans the only ones in the world always mulling over New Year's resolutions? Do we only decide to change our lives at the start of a new year? Why? We should be constantly taking stock of life and reorder it whenever we can rather than at the start of the year. Do I have any or have I made any new year resolutions? No. I make changes constantly throughout the year. At this moment I have a ticket to fly in 2 months and that will already take me well into half the year. I have young friends who are still mulling over travel. Its tough especially when there are so many destinations but the plan should be to take one country or one city at a time. Start with a very simple and rudimentary plan and as one's expertise increases, then to make more elaborate plans. Young people are so lucky. There are a lot of budget airlines flying to the major cities in the world. There are lots of new concept hostels with incredible locations. The reason to stay at home has diminished. I celebrate my 66 birthday in a week and I'm still doing hostels and backpacks!

Summer 2015

I made sure I was in Stockholm for mid summer celebration and I was but it was rained out. I was hoping to wear a flower crown and dance round the pole but the place was so wet and  muddy. I want a do over!

Happy New Year 2018

2017 was a great year but 2018 is already shping to be even more wonderful. It is going to be another wanderlustful year. I have my plane ticket already and the dates made out and it is coming up sooner than anticipated. I am not complaining. I was here in Mystra on the Peloponese in March 2011 and this will be my first stop among many many others. May your 2018 be full and wanderlustful too!

2018? Are you here yet?

I'm plotting my escape and am finalizing the details. It is going to be another epic journey, hopscotching all over the place. It is exciting and scary at the same time. Didn't someone say, do things that scare you. I am!

Fast away the old year passes

It wasn't that long ago, like April 2017 that I was here. The next April is approaching too and fast. I haven't even put down the dates for my travel plans which I must do very soon.

Books, books and more books

Daunt books in the city of Marylebone, London is almost iconic. It has been here for ages and just as a visit to London is not without a visit to Foyles Books, similarly any visit to London cannot be without a visit to Daunt Books. Foyles is a multi story bookstore in London and is a new store. Daunt has been around for a while and has a lot of books on travel. I asked the clerk, 'where is Scotland?' To which he replied, 'its up here!' Its quiet and a wonderful respite from the frenetic pace of London. Try it the next time you are in London. You'll agree!

Outer Hebrides from the Roadside

Until a few days ago I was part of this group where I post my pictures taken of the Outer Hebrides. There was a flap about what I posted and I left the group. They are still fighting over what I posted, the conversation on this group site continues even though I'm no longer part of the group. Anyway why should I give away my pictures for free and get this kind of flap. I still love the Outer Hebrides and will return next summer to take more pictures of the Machair.

Letters

Its nice getting mail, today we get emails. I've been emailing a guy I met in Portugal. He is surprised to hear from me and I'm surprised to hear from him. It doesn't matter who writes to us but a little note is always welcomed. This goes to notifications from Amazon Kindle. An email from them means a statement that I sold a few ebooks. It isn't much but the fact that something sold is always welcomed news and for that I am very thankful. I watched a video on Youtube once, when the author said, don't write ebooks, you might not even sell a copy but I say write. I find immense joy in doing the research and in the writing especially on an obscure subject. There is an author whose job is to write on obscure subjects, he has written many books and they are not cheap. But if you need information on an obscure subject, you have to go to him and pay his price. My books are not priced like that at all! Granted how many would read a book on the garden of Ninfa and make special plans to visit it? Only me and I'm not apologetic.