Leonard Cohen and the joys of Scotland
Wow. An amazing show. Amazing seats. I just cannot describe it. Certainly not while sitting here in this club with horrible, loud music blaring at me, but it was the only place I could find internet. Leonard was in excellent form and his backup performers were all wonderful. He sang so many of my favourites that I could not mention them all here. So glad I got to go see him. Hopefully he will tour the States sometime in the next year or so and I will be able to catch him again. But whether I do or not, this was an experience to treasure. Despite the rain. Thank you again so very, very much, chiv. I could not have asked for a nicer birthday present.
I am enjoying staying in hostels and exploring the bus system across Scotland. We took a bus up from Sheffield to Edinburgh and Edinburgh to St Andrews on July 12, and stayed in the tourist hostel in St Andrews for three days out of four. It was really nice and very reasonably priced. We camped one night in Dunino Den for which we had excellent weather. But I know I already wrote about all this.
Went back to Edinburgh again on July 16 and got a hostel on Cowgate in Edinburgh, which is very well located. Not only did we see Leonard Cohen, but we did the Whisky Experience (cheesy, touristy) tour on the Royal Mile, stepped into a number of bookstores, had a very posh meal at the Tower restaurant, wandered through the museum and walked down the Mile to pick up some touristy gifts for friends back home.
Today, we left Edinburgh and took the bus to Pitlochry, which is a lovely little town. We left our packs at a hostel there and walked the 2.5 miles to Edradour Distillery for their tour and tasting. A pleasant experience and I discovered I rather like smoky, peaty whiskies, but not enough to drink lots of them. It rained on the way there and back and we got soaked.
Got the train from there up to Inverness this evening and found that everything was booked due to the Highland Games this weekend, which we knew nothing about. Bollocks. So we are staying at a more upscale guesthouse tonight and probably heading for a hostel in Beauly and the Moniack Winery tomorrow, followed by Loch Ness and Culloden in the following days before taking a very long bus ride back down to Sheffield to collect some of our stuff before heading home.
I am enjoying staying in hostels and exploring the bus system across Scotland. We took a bus up from Sheffield to Edinburgh and Edinburgh to St Andrews on July 12, and stayed in the tourist hostel in St Andrews for three days out of four. It was really nice and very reasonably priced. We camped one night in Dunino Den for which we had excellent weather. But I know I already wrote about all this.
Went back to Edinburgh again on July 16 and got a hostel on Cowgate in Edinburgh, which is very well located. Not only did we see Leonard Cohen, but we did the Whisky Experience (cheesy, touristy) tour on the Royal Mile, stepped into a number of bookstores, had a very posh meal at the Tower restaurant, wandered through the museum and walked down the Mile to pick up some touristy gifts for friends back home.
Today, we left Edinburgh and took the bus to Pitlochry, which is a lovely little town. We left our packs at a hostel there and walked the 2.5 miles to Edradour Distillery for their tour and tasting. A pleasant experience and I discovered I rather like smoky, peaty whiskies, but not enough to drink lots of them. It rained on the way there and back and we got soaked.
Got the train from there up to Inverness this evening and found that everything was booked due to the Highland Games this weekend, which we knew nothing about. Bollocks. So we are staying at a more upscale guesthouse tonight and probably heading for a hostel in Beauly and the Moniack Winery tomorrow, followed by Loch Ness and Culloden in the following days before taking a very long bus ride back down to Sheffield to collect some of our stuff before heading home.