485: The battle of Littleferry - 1746

Nations have been fighting each other since time immemorial. Why can't we just bloody stop it and live in harmony with each other??

I'm in the Highlands of Scotland and, for a change, the weather is wonderful. Or at least it was this morning. Can't really expect sunshine for the whole day.

My friend, Alisdair, and I, went for a walk to look at the recently installed memorial stones remembering the battle of Littleferry. Bonny Prince Charlie's Jacobites were defeated by Government militia in a 'prequel' to the more famous battle of Culloden. Read more about it here . 

I didn't think it was a very long walk, stretching from Golspie out to Dunrobin Castle and back along the beach, almost to Littleferry itself but my watch shows I've done >18,000 steps today - not too shabby. Think I'll take the rest of the day off!

 

Some stunning Scottish scenery in the video:

484: LLeida, Zaragoza & Madrid

 I've got a good friend who lives more than 500km away from Salou, up in the mountains in Southern Spain. I realised it was time for another visit but when I looked into train times it turned out there were no spare seats on the daily high-speed train from Camp de Tarragona to Granada.  It is Holy week this week and Spain is on the move. 

We decided to meet 'half-way' in Madrid and we both spent about 7 hours each on trains for a 3 hour meeting in Madrid. What do you think? Is that stupid? or worth doing? Would you do it?

I decided to split my journey(s)over two days. Hotel accommodation in Madrid was more than I wanted to pay so I spent the night in Zaragoza and went on the Madrid the next day. So, on Tuesday bus to Reus, slow train to Lleida and AVE (Spanish equivalent of the French TGV) to Zaragoza. On Wednesday AVE to Madrid, meeting with my pal and AVE back to Camp de Tarragona. The AVE trains are pretty swish and travel at speeds of 300 kph. Quite expensive, even with an old person's discount card.

Salou had rain on Tuesday and Wednesday but in Madrid it was a lovely, warm, sunny day. Nice. 

A couple of pics taken in Lleida, Zaragoza and Madrid.

483: Just for Jan

Jan is one of my Face Book friends. I've never met her, but I've met her two daughters and I know her first husband.It turns out that she's coming to Istanbul on Thursday as I'm leaving on Wednesday. Shame, we could have finally met.

But I wanted to write with some advice for her. KEEP YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU AT ALL TIMES. Istanbul is a great place, my blogs and diaries tell me that this is already my 4th visit. Johny Turk is a nice enough character, always willing to help. In my experience most times the help is offered out of the goodness of their heart but, occasionally, they like to help make your wallet a little lighter.

On this particular visit the scams started even before I left Salou. The Pegasus airlines official site included a link to a health site to allow people to complete the now ubiquitous (except in UK) health locator form. I filled it in and, on the last page, was invited to pay $104. Knowing that it was the official Pegasus site, and knowing how keen Turks are to help you spend your money, I, reluctantly, paid. I learnt later it was a scam, the real health locator form is free of charge. Didn't need it anyway, there were no health checks coming through SAW airport, just the usual passport checks. IST airport might be different, I don't know.

Thought I would splash out on a birthday meal last night, not dreaming for a moment it would cost me £85. £85 for a meal for one!!!! The Pina Colada (£6.21) (it's the Del boy in me) and the glass of house white (£3.88) were both acceptably priced but I grudge them £62.16 for the Turbot and then £7.56 for a service charge, just to rub salt into the wound. Making a total bill (including the soup) of £85. I had to go back to my room and lie down to get over the experience. It was partly my fault, I had the fish page of the menu open and had no idea what to choose. The waiter pointed at, and suggested, the turbot. I just agreed. In my defence, to look at the price I would have had to move my eye patch from one eye to the other and lifted the menu to my weak eye. I just agreed. When it arrived, it could have fed the whole street. Super-duper presentation including lwo flaming bowls at the corners. See picture below.

I've had other scams perpetrated on me here in the past, I must just look gullible. One particular incident, on Galata bridge, involved a shoe-shine boy dropping a brush. By the time I had picked it up to return it to him, there was his partner-in-crime already cleaning my shoes! 

So, enjoy the experience Jan but BE WARY. There are >15 million people in Istanbul, even more now that it's one of the few places Russians can go, but I know that you'll be used to crowds as you're from the Lake District! Masks are mostly worn on public transport - don't forget to buy a transport card when you arrive and top up as necessary. As far as Covid is concerned I'd say the picture is much as in England. Young people seem to have thrown caution to the winds and it is left to older, and more vulnerable, to wear their masks.

482: Turkey for my birthday

I'm 71 years old today. Quite an achievement as so many people don't make it this far. I consider myself to be very lucky as I still have (reasonably) good health. To a large extent I ascribe that to keeping the brain and the body active. 

I remember Major Alan Bolger, RAPC, RIP, once saying to me, on my computer programming course in 1980, "Staff, you think differently to most people." I've always taken that as a compliment. I thought about that when I decided on a title for today's blog. "Turkey for my birthday" would mean, for most people, I think,  a trip to the nearest supermarket to buy said turkey. For me it meant flying to Istanbul, that vast cosmopolitan city that straddles Europe and Asia. 

I flew in, from Barcelona, om Thursday evening and will be here until next Wednesday soaking up the sights, and sounds, and smells, of this great city. It is such a melting pot of cultures, East and West, Christian and Muslim. Walking down the same street, at the same time, you might see a girl in a mini-skirt next to a lady covered from head to toe in a burqa. In a city of over 15 million people, high-rise flats dominate the skyline most of the way in from Sabiha Gokcen International airport (SAW)  almost 50 km to the SE of the city. There are other airports serving the city but this is the one Pegasus airlines fly into.. 

I spent the first night at ISG hotel, a short shuttle bus ride from the airport and yesterday took public transport into the centre. I'm staying in the 3* boutique hotel Fehmi bey in the Sultan Ahmet area of the city. It's just after 5 a.m. (I woke up early) and I can clearly hear the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer. This, apparently, is going to happen 5 times a day. (dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall).  It's OK, not a problem.

The jewel in the crown of the hotel Femhi Bey is the roof terrace, where one goes for breakfast, and an evening beer. A tremendous view over the Sea of Marmara, where there are tens of boats and ships  lying at anchor and there are ferries weaving in and out to destinations far and near. The Sea of Marmara, as you may know, links to the Aegean Sea and thence to the Mediterranean and, in the opposite direction, via the Bosphorus, to the Black Sea. Here also, flowing under the famous Galata bridge, is the Golden Horn. Ah, the Galata bridge. I must make my way there and pay the inflated tourist prices for a meal in one of the many fish restaurants under the bridge. 

I'm looking forward to the next few days, people watching and visiting a few of the many cultural attractions. And no visit to Istanbul is complete without a boat trip on the Bosphorus. I mentioned earlier that the Bosphorus links into the Black Sea. On the North of which sits Ukraine, which that monster Putin is slowly reducing to rubble. It seems a world away from here but is less than 1,000 kilometres. 

Afternoon coffee (NOT Turkish!)	Desmond had a barrow in the marketplace	a (very) retro radio
The sea of Marmara	Meat in the pan. As good a place as any!	a birthday breakfast