From Cornwall to Skye


Before we left Cornwall, we decided to visit St. Michael's Mount, just off the coast from Marazion, where we were staying.

St. Michael's is a little sister in the abbey world to the more-famous Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy.  Same deal -- abbey on an island just off the coast with a pedestrian causeway that is submerged by the sea about half of every day.  The island was given to the Benedictine monks in the 1067 by King William ("The Conqueror" guy) as a reward for their backing him in the famous battle of 1066.  The abbey was/is much smaller than its famous kin in France and was converted to a private residence in the 1400's.  The same family has owned the castle for some 350 years, though today they live in a very small part of the building and let the tourist throngs roam through the rest.

Various English lords, dukes, knights, and kings fought for the Mount over the centuries.  These guns dated from the 1500's but we also saw pillboxes and artillery platforms left over from World War II.

We meandered across Cornwall up to Bristol and then took an early flight to Inverness.  The Bristol airport was a revelation.  It is a new airport, clearly designed for 21st Century airport security.  There were 13 flights scheduled to leave Bristol before 7 a.m. so we got to the airport early, expecting massive backups everywhere.  Thousands of people were moved incredibly smoothly through check-in, security, and onto the planes.  Really impressive.  Our flight actually left a little early.

The drive from Inverness to Milovaig (on the Isle of Skye, the blue dot on the map) was jaw-droppingly gorgeous.  A few pics to give you the idea, though pictures really do not do justice to the scenery.





The last photo is of the wonderful B&B where we spent two nights.  As you can tell, it's a bit isolated.  The day we arrived it was cool and beautifully clear.  That was soon to change.... More on that later.  The people who ran the B&B were friendly and kind and made us feel welcomed.

Ralph had a one-day case of Traveller's Tummy on Sunday, which meant we had to cancel our lunch reservation at the only nearby restaurant that was open.  I did a Google search and found a grocery store 8 miles away that was open until 6.  Or maybe it was closed.  Or maybe it closed at 5:30.  It depended on which website you looked at.  8 miles on Skye roads translates into 30 minutes of driving on a one-lane road.  (Note:  NOT one lane in each direction... one lane.  Meeting another car meant going onto the shoulder ("verge") or pulling into one of the "passing places".)  Before I started for the grocery store the rain was coming down in buckets.  Fortunately for me (and the other drivers on Skye) the sky cleared and I could successfully navigate between the potholes and the sheep.

I stocked up with salami, cheese, crackers and the sorriest-looking lettuce and the hardest tomato I have ever seen.  And, of course, a large lager.  When I got back to the B&B, Julie, the proprietor, said, "We just had lunch of a roast chicken that I did.  We have lots left over.  Would you like some?"  I said yes, of course, and she proceeded to produce an absolutely delicious roast chicken dinner.  I was so grateful.

Ralph made do with yogurt, crackers, and tea and was recovered by Monday morning.  We left our wonderful hosts and headed off in the continuing storm for an even more remote island, Mull.  

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