Everyone needs their greens...

Arrived in Tairua to pick up the greens.

Dundee Cake

I got this in Scotland.

YUM!

Windsor train station

It's been raining all day - have a look at my local train station...

Ronald's Man Draw

Google Youtube for Michael McIntyre and his Man Draw

Lemon tree very pretty...

Isn't spring wonderful. Here's my friend David's lemon tree in full bloom. You can't see it, but there are heaps of bees.

Canto Coro Concert

Here's the wonderful Canto Coro in Concert in Brunswick tonight with their wonderful mix of music and multiculturalism and history.

I think I've been conscripted to sing next year. I'm sure it'll be fun!

Thistle wins!

I went to a Partick Thistle match today, and although the football was a bit shoddy, we win 1-0.

So, a win is a win.

Ronald

Glasgow Roadkill?

Sorry - that title is crass. This picture broke my heart. A toy lion dumped on a Glasgow street. I felt really sad - pathetic, isn't it?

Busy train...

I've been travelling from Thurso today. I had to travel first to Inverness, then change trains to Perth then change to Glasgow.

As you can see, despite having a seat reservation, I couldn't get a seat as the train is packed. After 7 hours of travelling, it's getting tiring. Thank goodness for Podcasts and ipods.

Rig from a train

Here's a clear pic if an oil rig in the Moray Firth you can see from a train.

Gotta admire the technique

This clever shop display in Thurso managed to balance a fiddle on the window dummy!

Very clever!

Afternoon tea at Castle Mey

Here's afternoon tea at Castle Mey, favourite of the Queen Mother. It's situated in a wonderful area, and it looks amazing - the castle, as well as the afternoon tea.

Visiting Castle Mey

Here I am visiting Castle Mey in Caithness, a favourite of the Queen mother.

I'm about to have coffee and scones.

Mmm...scones...Mmm

Dunnet Head

What's the most northerly part of the UK? It's not John O'Groats but Dunnet Head, as can be seen here behind my head.

Guess where I am?

Guess where I am?

Thurso river

Thurso sits on the river Thurso, or in Gaelic, Inbhir Theòrsa.

Inbhir is pronounced as Inver, and means the mouth of a river and Theòrsa is the rivers name, and comes from the Norn for Thor, or ir could also mean bull. When the name ends in a 'a' in Norn, it usually means a river.

It's been raining today, but now looks very clear.

Off to the Orkneys?

Not me, but where I am staying, I walk pass this sight of the port of Scrabster where you can get the ferry to the Orkneys seen in the background.

Burns galore

There are so many wonderful streams here - here is but one.

Impressionist Helmsdale

This is like an impressionist pic of a Scottish Highland village, except it was caused by the train moving.

Rugged East Coast beaches

This beach is just before Brora.

Mountain Reflection

This amazing sight happened about 10 minutes out of Rogart (Sgìre Raoird).

Lairg station

Here's Lairg station. Very nice.

A gorgeous loch

This is from the train to Thurso between Tain and Ardgay.

As we head north...

As the train heads north, the countryside is quickly becoming more rugged and dramatic.

This pic doesn't really capture how rugged the scenery is.

Bridge across mudflats

This view is about 10 minutes north of Tain (Baile Dhuathaich) with the bridge across some mudflats.

There are other Mod travellers on the train here

There are other Mod travellers on the train here passing out orange liquid - and it isn't Irn Bru.

Oil rig in the Firth.

Here's a rig in the mist in the Firth just before Invergordon station.

Moray Firth

How's this pic of the Moray Firth?

Pretty Inverness

Here's a lovely pic from the train leaving Inverness.

Gosh!

Off to Thurso

Here I am in Inference, catching the train to Theirs and then Wick.

Approaching Dalwhinnie - 3

Here's a lovely pic with some mist on the hill.

Tha a' cheò air a' bheann.

Approaching Dalwhinnie 2

Here's another grand scene of a pass as we approach Dalwhinnie.

Approaching Dalwhinnie

This scene is as the train approaches Dalwhinnie. The scenery is breathtaking.

We're in the Highlands

The sun's come out and the countryside is gorgeous.

Direach àlainn!

Dame Joan's Scottish connections

The papers here today all have obituaries for Dame Joan Sutherland.

In Scotland, they talk about her Scottish parents (like Mary MacKillop) and connections. Her father was from Portskerra in Sutherland (the very north of Scotland), the area where I'm travelling at the moment.

It'll be interesting to see the sort of place where her people come from. Stay tuned for more!

0706 departure from Glasgow to Thurso.

Sitting here with my Costa coffee in the train at Queens Street Station in Glasgow waiting to get the train to Inverness.

Tha mi'n dochas gum tha sinn a' fàgail a dh'àithgheàrr.

Just to prove that Glasgow can be sunny.

Here's proof that the sun does come out in Glasgow.

On the buses

Glaswegians are big bus users, and they're busy. Here's some weary shoppers waiting for their buses.. I loved the looks of anticipation on the faces.

Back in Glasgow

Glasgow's quite sunny today - I might need to put a T-shirt on soon! The weather is often warmer in Glasgow than Edinburgh - no idea why...

Here's lovely Queen Street Station in Glasgow.

Leaving Edinburgh

Back to Glasgow now but I'll be back next Sunday to visit other friends.

Time for reflection

The Leith was indescribably pretty today.

How's this pic of a tree and its reflection?

Lovely Leith reflection

The calm river provided some beautiful reflections.

Water of Leith Walkway

How pretty is this?

Anke out for a walk

This is Anke and Keera out for a walk along the Leith. A lovely day..

Dean village

Everywhere on this walk is so pretty. Just point your camera and take a pic. This is an old part of Edinburgh that was near a mill.

Scottish language

You'd nae see a sign like this in Melbourne. A new verb: to foul.

Another bridge

Here's another bridge on the Leith River walk in Edinburgh.

Bird bath

This bird was taking a bath in the Leith.

I love the sound of that last sentence.

Leith River walk

After breakfast, we all went for a walk along the Leith River walkway. This lovely bridge (regular blog readers know that I love bridges...) was the entrance to the walk.

Teddy Bears on watch

I slept in this room under the watchful eyes of all these stuffed creatures. No wonder I felt like I was being watched all night.