Glasgow & Then Home! Bye Scotland

Our group at the Molly Malone Pub - last night in Glasgow! — Our group at the Molly Malone Pub – last night in Glasgow!

Our tour ended in Glasgow, but we extended a couple of days to see the sights and visit a friend. Then it was home. Sadly, I said goodbye to Scotland after such a lovely trip, and couched in my farewell, “Until next time!”

May 20—along the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond, then on to Glasgow

Before Glasgow, we spent the morning at Loch Lomond on a relaxing boat ride around the lake. I had heard the song “Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond” my whole life, yet never knew the story behind it.

Our tour guide, John, shared the song told the story of a couple captured by the English. She was the only one released as a warning to the other Scots if they rebelled.

I also found the following explanation:

“The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond” is about two Scottish soldiers who were imprisoned on the Scottish border. One of them was going to be set free, but the other one was going to be executed. In Scottish legend, anyone who dies outside Scotland takes the “low road” back to their homeland, where they will finally be at peace.

In this song, the doomed soldier is comforting the soldier who will be set free. He tells them that “you’ll take the high road and I’ll take the low road, and I’ll be in Scotland before ye”.

As well as this, he recalls a life full of love and happiness. He harkens back to his time by the “bonnie banks of Loch Lomond” where he met his wife, and he comes to peace with the fact that his “broken heart ken nae second Spring again” – meaning that he will never return to the loch to be with his true love, although he is going to return in spirit.”

https://ariescape.co.uk/blog/what-is-the-story-behind-loch-lomond/#:~:text=The%20first%20thing%20to%20know,with%20Prince%20Charles%20Edward%20Stuart.

The misty morning, such a stereotypical Scottish day, accentuated our time on the Loch Lomond—but not freezing!

When the boat ride ended, Charlotte, one of our newfound friends on the tour, told me she planned to dip her toes in the lake because of our Scot heritage, so I joined her! When we got off the boat, we found a small pier near, took our shoes and socks off and ventured to sit down without falling into the loch. And we sat, and dipped. The water was icy!

So, I’m hoping that legend says by doing that I will return!

As we neared Glasgow, I felt a collective sigh of sadness for this amiable group. During the morning, I had gathered email addresses to invite fellow travelers to a dedicated Facebook I created. We didn’t want the experience to end.

However, we had our farewell dinner that evening, but the setting didn’t work. We sat in individual booths that housed four, but this divided the group.

May 21—Glasgow—Transferred from hotel

This day, we transferred from the hotel booked by the tour to the Point A hotel, one I found and booked for the four of us. Yes, it was a deal for downtown Glasgow, but the Spartan accommodation surprised us. It had instructions on the wall that helped us figure it out.

Instructions for room features - Glasgow

Where was the closest? The three hooks behind the door. What to do with our luggage? Open them up and push them under the bed. A small writing desk swung down from the wall and a stool for a seat. Oh, well! You couldn’t beat the price.

The rest of the day, we explored Glasgow. We ended up in the Molly Malone Pub for a couple of hours, enjoying the atmosphere and friendly Glaswegian. Then we ended the day with a cribbage game in the Common Area at our hotel.

May 22—Glasgow—Walking Tour & Dinner with Eleanor & Jim

For our first full day in Glasgow, we had a delicious breakfast, then a ten-minute walk to the meeting place for our Medieval Walking Tour with Kevin. What a tour we had! We wove our way through downtown Glasgow, and Kevin showed us historical sights many Glaswegians regularly pass every day and don’t know about. During the tour, we learned about grave robbers. We saw the St. Mungo Cathedral with its darkened wall from years of smoke. Also, Kelvin often repeated an interesting rhyme associated with Glasgow’s coat of arms:

Here’s the bird that never flew.
Here’s the tree that never grew.
Here’s the bell that never rang.
Here’s the fish that never swam.

On the sides of many buildings, we saw massive murals.

That evening, we caught the train and rode ten minutes to Eleanor and Jim. The station and schedule was daunting, but we figured it out.

Before our trip, I visually connected with Eleanor in an International Meditation group I joined in 2022 and prior to that, in an Advent study by text in 2021. We became fast friends immediately, and I was so excited to tell her about our trip to Scotland. As plans unfolded, she invited Lin and I and Jerry and Mary Beth to dinner at her house!

Jim playing his guitar for us - Glasgow — Jim playing his guitar for us

What a delightful evening we had! Her husband, Jim, prepared a delicious dinner, starting with Cullen Skink, haddock and leek soup, better than what we had in Ullapool. We thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the meal, the camaraderie, and the conversation. After dinner, Jim pulled out his guitar and entertained us. We also found out that Eleanor does Scottish set dancing, which is like our square dancing—maybe its predecessor. What a memorable evening had!

May 23–Touring Glasgow

The next day, Lin and I met Jim and Eleanor and took the subway to the University of Glasgow, Jim’s alma mater.

Inside of Memorial Chapel at the University of Glasgow

First, Jim and Eleanor showed us the Memorial Chapel where they had been married. What a special moment! Then we had a delightful morning walking around the campus and had a serendipitous moment. As a retired teacher, I wanted to see a classroom. I stuck my head in one only to find a campus guard and he scolded me for being there. I let him know I was a retired teacher from the US and only wanted to see a classroom.

He quickly changed his tune and became our tour guide. We crossed a courtyard and entered a beautiful classroom with wood-paneled walls, curved worn bench seats, a massive desk in the of the room and so much history.

Our next stop, the Kelvingrove Museum, surprised us with an organ concert in the main area, so we stopped, listened and enjoyed the beautiful music. Then it was on to the Salvador Dalí painting, “Christ Saint John on the Cross,” our primary destination here at the museum.

“One of Dalí s most famous paintings is Christ of St John on the Cross. (1951) Considered his finest religious painting, it now hangs in Scotland’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery, in Glasgow’s West End and has been there ever since its purchase by the galleries director in 1952. Painted in 1951, Dalí’s iconic painting has become one of the best-loved in the entire collection, amongst Glaswegians and visitors.”

https://www.thedaliuniverse.com/en/news-dalis-christ-st-john-the-cross

I marveled at being that close to a Dali painting, and this one so amazing—Christ floating!

Larada & Lin with Queen Victoria bust at the Selvingrove Museum - Glasgow — Larada & Lin with Queen Victoria Bust at the Kelvingrove Museum

From there we met back with Jerry and Mary Beth at Molly Malone’s pub for our last time all together, and a delightful dinner. We ended early so we could go back to our hotel and pack up and prepare for our early departure the next day.

May 24—Flew home

The next day our Scottish tour ended with our uneventful flight home—always a good thing! This blog gave me a nostalgic look back at a trip of a lifetime. I hope you’ve enjoyed my wandering down “the country roads of Scotland,” and maybe it ignited a desire in you to visit Scotland, my new found home!

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A Scottish Isle and a Tragic Valley

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Isle of Skye and Glencoe: an isle and valley filled our two days, heading towards Glasgow and the end of our tour. We jam-packed so much in these days, moving from a mystical isle to a lush valley with a sad battle tale.

May 19 – Over the Sea to Isle of Skye

We were so excited that we would be in the front seat on this specific day. Because of the seat rotation on the tour bus, we were in the front seats, so traditionally, we had to give the weather report. After the rainy day the day before, the sun shone brightly with no clouds in the sky, so I wanted to make the report different and light-hearted. At breakfast, I started researching to find a poem linked to the Isle of Skye. What a treasure I found:

Sing me a Song of a Lad that is Gone

BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Sing me a song of a lad that is gone, 

Say, could that lad be I? 

Merry of soul he sailed on a day 

Over the sea to Skye. 


Mull was astern, Rum on the port, 

Eigg on the starboard bow; 

Glory of youth glowed in his soul; 

Where is that glory now? 


Sing me a song of a lad that is gone, 

Say, could that lad be I? 

Merry of soul he sailed on a day 

Over the sea to Skye. 


Give me again all that was there, 

Give me the sun that shone! 

Give me the eyes, give me the soul, 

Give me the lad that's gone! 


Sing me a song of a lad that is gone, 

Say, could that lad be I? 

Merry of soul he sailed on a day 


Over the sea to Skye. 

Billow and breeze, islands and seas, 

Mountains of rain and sun, 

All that was good, all that was fair, 

All that was me is gone.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45949/sing-me-a-song-of-a-lad-that-is-gone

After I read a couple of stanzas and stopped, Jerry Gilbreath sang it because it is the lyrics to the theme of the TV show, “The Outlander.” Wow! And the day continued that magical. Off to the Isle of Skye we went. On the way, we stopped for a photo opt of “hairy coos,” really up close and personal.

The Isle of Skye has an amazing history. The Norse wiped out the Pictish language and the culture in 800 A.D. and remained there for four hundred years.

“The island was considered to be under Norwegian suzerainty until the 1266 Treaty of Perth, which transferred control over to Scotland.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Skye

I had fun with a story associated with the Isle of Skye and Bonnie Prince Charlie because of Flora MacDonald, who might be a relative of mine:

“Flora MacDonald’s adventure with ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ began in 1764 on the Outer Hebridean island of South Uist. Flora’s benefactor, Lady Clanranald, was a Jacobite sympathiser, so Flora was kept closely informed of the Prince’s whereabouts after the defeat of his troops at Culloden. Although not an ardent Jacobite supporter herself, Flora was touched by the unfortunate plight of the Prince, who now had a price of £30,000 on his head, was being hunted all over the Highlands and Islands by government soldiers. So when a plan was hatched to smuggle the Prince to the relative safety of Skye, Flora agreed to play a part in it.

In June 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie finally landed on South Uist with a couple of loyal supporters. There they met Flora, and arrangements were made to disguise the Prince as ‘Betty Burke’, an Irish maidservant, and conduct him to Skye. After a few days’ preparation, they sailed in a small boat ‘over the sea to Skye’, just as the militia landed nearby. The Prince was dressed in a calico gown, quilted petticoat and headdress to disguise his face.

After landing safely on Skye, the Prince’s perilous wanderings continued for a few more weeks, until finally he managed to escape mainland Scotland on a ship bound for France. He and Flora were destined never to meet again.”

The Story of Bonnie Prince Charlie & Flora MacDonald

Legend has it that Bonnie Prince Charlie gave a personal recipe to MacKenna who helped him escape to France. Then eventually someone in the family released it and we know it today as Drambuie whiskey liquer.

Driving to Portree, John, our tour guide, told us about the shocking movement of the Clearances in the 1840s.

“The Highland Clearances were the forced evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Clearances

Because of these horrible evictions, many Scots immigrated to the USA in the 1840s. In the 1870s, they immigrated to Australia.

I enjoyed our visit to the city of Portree, where we enjoyed bakery goods to start with. Then we roamed the beautiful city and took lots of pictures.

Commando Memorial - Isle — Commando Memorial

From there, we visited the Commando Memorial honoring Winston Churchill’s elite force. What a spectacular sight!

Then we spent the night at the Ballachulish Hotel in Glencoe, an old Victorian style hotel, and noticed as we drove the shoreline that all the BnBs had one similar sign up, “No Vacancy.” A very popular area!

May 20—Glenroe

Surrounded by Munros, mountains over 3,000 feet high, we drove through an amazing valley where a famous massacre happened.

“The Massacre of Glencoe took place in Glen Coe in the Highlands of Scotland on 13 February 1692. An estimated 30 members and associates of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by Scottish government forces, allegedly for failing to pledge allegiance to the new monarchs, William III and Mary II.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Glencoe

Notice that one of my clan names has come up again—MacDonald.

From there we went to the Glencoe National Nature Reserve and enjoyed a presentation about the area, its geology and animals. I also visited a replica of a Turf House, a 17th century dwelling. The plaster used inside reminded me of adobe used here in the southwest.

Replica of Turf House at Glencoe - isle — Replica of Turf House at Glencoe

An isle and a valley—our trip nears its end. But the history and the sights captivated me as we traveled through this fascinating part of Scotland.

Have you ever heard of these places and this battle? Do you have any Scottish heritage at all? Let me know.

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My Thoughts · Scotland

Culloden Battlefield & Scottish Islands

Featured Larada Horner-Miller2 Comments

As our tour of Scotland continues, we head north to Culloden, the Orkney Islands, and the Isle of Skye. I loved the variety of these three days.

May 16—Loch Ness, Culloden, Dornoch, Wick & Thurso

We stayed in Inverness, the capitol of the Scottish Highlands, then went on a trip to Loch Ness, looking for Nessie, but had no luck.. We photographed the beautiful loch from a different spot than Lin and I saw on our British Isles cruise in 2019.

From there we drove to the Culloden visitor’s center, a unique display that shows artifacts and information from both sides: the Scots and the English. The vast scope of this battle needs explained:

“On 16 April 1746, the final Jacobite Rising came to a brutal head. Jacobite supporters, seeking to restore the Stuart monarchy to the British thrones, gathered to fight the Duke of Cumberland’s government troops. It was the last pitched battle on British soil and, in less than an hour, around 1,500 men were slain – more than 1,000 of them Jacobites.”

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/culloden-battlefield-p247471

As we wound our way through the center, the tension mounted, and knowing the end result still didn’t make it easier. As the trip unfolded, I embraced my Scottish heritage. Here I bought the family crest and information sheet for my two Scottish kin: the MacDonalds and the McCoys. I felt so connected to consequences of this battle.

From this point forward, the British forbade the speaking of Gaelic Scottish language, the wearing of tartans and kilts. They tried to crush the culture, but they didn’t, as clear today.

I found out that Flora MacDonald helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from Culloden over the seas to the Isle of Skye. Were we related? I became obsessed with that possibility.

From here we stopped in Dornoch for lunch and some sightseeing. Before arriving here, our tour guide, John, told us the last witch burning happened here.

“Janet Horne was the last person in Britain to be tried and executed for witchcraft. In 1727 she and her daughter were arrested and jailed in Dornoch.” Janet’s daughter suffered from a deformity in her hands and feet.

https://www.nls.uk/learning-zone/literature-and-language/themes-in-focus/witches/source-6/#:~:text=Janet%20Horne%20was%20the%20last,in%20her%20hands%20and%20feet.

I had fun trying to find the witch’s stone. After ordering a chicken salad sandwich on a bagel, I asked the server. She pointed in a vague direction and said, “It’s over there.” After wolfing down half of the sandwich, I stopped at the Jail and asked for further instruction. The clerk again in vague terms said, “Follow this street, turn at the bridge, go down and it’s there.” So, I followed the street and found my wandering picture-taking husband, Lin, and he helped in the search. Another two men got us closer, then a delightful woman named Charlotte, directed us there, but she said the date was wrong and it was!

From there it was on to Wick and two choices for optional excursions: a museum of Wick or Whisky Tasting. Neither Lin nor I drink, so we opted for the museum and what a delight. It was here we found out Robert Louis Stevenson’s father built lighthouses around Scotland.

On the drive, we continued to see the yellow flowering plants everywhere, gorse! So beautiful! Then it was on Thurso, the northern tip of Scotland, for two nights—whew! We didn’t have to get up early to get our bags out.

May 17 – Day in the Orkney Islands — Day 5 – our really only rainy day

The next day we drove to John O’Groats, the most northerly inhabited village in mainland Britain, to catch the ferry to the Orkney Islands, which was a forty to fifty-minute ride. We rode outside on the top for the view, and it wasn’t too cold.

Italian Chapel on Orkney Islands - Culloden

We transferred to our bus, and our first stop on Orkney Island was the Italian chapel, built by Italian prisoners during World War II. They built this gorgeous chapel out of two Quonset huts.

Norway's Constitution Day celebration in Kirkwall - Culloden

On to Kirkwall and being May 17, we had a serendipitous delight: the celebration of Norway’s Constitution Day. Bagpipers piped in the group! This one thing showed how far north we were! Norway and the Orkney Islands have a strong link historically and until today! No rain yet!

From there, it was on to the mysterious Ring of Brodgar, which looked like Stonehenge. But again, it was in the rain.

Clouds hovered all day, threatening to rain, and finally it came at the 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae. We walked in the rain to see the ruins near to the beach, but it hampered our enjoyment because we rushed through it. I took a limited amount of pictures there, too!

Lin touching one of the Stones of Stenness - Culloden

From there it was on to the Standing Stones of Stenness. Many people on the tour anticipated this stop because of the TV show, “The Outlander.” Some took the chance and touched the stone. Others feared being transported back in time. Lin and I touched it—and we’re still here!

“The Stones of Stenness today consist of four upright stones up to 6m in height in a circle that originally held 12 stones. The focus of the interior was a large hearth. The stones were encircled by a large ditch and bank, the form of which has been lost over time by ploughing.

The Stones of Stenness are part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, a series of important domestic and ritual monuments built 5000 years ago in the Orkney Islands.”

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/stones-of-stenness-circle-and-henge/

May 18 – over the sea to the Isle of Skye, one of the lower Hebrides islands

This was a travel day heading south. We passed by the last wilderness in Scotland, blanket bog—1500 square miles of it. Here the roads were bouncier because of no foundation underneath because of the peat.

At our first stop at Lairg, we had scones and jam. I wandered next door to a store and met a fellow-author, Iain Offor. So, we talked about writing and publishing, and I helped him make a few book sales that day. Hey, we have to help our writers, right?

For lunch, we ended up at Ullapool, where I had delicious Cullen Skink, haddock and leek soup. I bought a splendid book about nature-writing in Scotland, Writing Landscape, by Linda Cracknell, a freelance journalist.

As we passed more mountains, John, our tour guide, told us about Munros in Scotland, which are any mountains over 3,000 feet. There are 282 Munros in Scotland and there’s a fun hiking activity, bag a Munro. What do you do? Climb a Munro is to bag a Munro.

We ended this day on the Isle of Skye for the night, ready to explore the island the next day.

Have you ever been to Culloden, the Orkney Islands, or the Isle of Skye?

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My Thoughts · Scotland

My Face Hit Edinburgh—Literally!

Featured Larada Horner-Miller2 Comments

Lin and I with the bagpiper at Ghillie Dhu. Notice my face!

An unlikely event—my face hit the sidewalk in Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 13, 2023, and it wasn’t pretty. But it didn’t stop me from seeing the sights! Here’s the first three days of our official Insight Vacations tour, “The Country Roads of Scotland.”

May 13, 2023 – Edinburgh Continues

We thoroughly enjoyed our first three days in Edinburgh, and now the official tour began. We started our day with breakfast at a nearby café, “Scottish Indian Infusion,” and Lin had haggis with his meal. I sampled it and it wasn’t too bad.

Lin and his serving of haggis - my face — Lin and his first serving of haggis

Then we had to move from our present hotel to the Malmaison Hotel for a couple of days. Because we so enjoyed our taxi driver from the airport, we hired Paulo to move us.

Again, we had an engaging dialogue during our trip. We arrived, and he helped us with our bags. So we started our registration process in the hotel, but I wanted a picture of him, so I ran out to the taxi and caught him before he drove off. I took a selfie with Paulo and ran back inside to show my traveling companions.

The picture with Paulo that caused my fall on my face!

Before I knew, I felt myself sailing through the air—no stopping or controlling it! I hit full force on my chin, skidded on my nose, hit on my left side and scratched my glasses! Blood flowed! In shock, I couldn’t imagine what happened, but a couple on bikes stopped and gasped at me! I knew it was bad.

Quickly, a nurse from our tour came running and assisted me. She told me she saw the cyclists’ response and knew something bad had happened. Just as quickly, someone from the hotel came with a first aid kit and the nurse bandaged my nose. She also wiggled it vigorously and stated, “It’s not broken! But it might be fractured!”

She also assured me it was better that I landed on my face and not my wrists because, in her words, “You could be on your way to the hospital with a broken wrist.”

As I came out of the initial fog, I assured her I would rest before doing anything, but she demanded, “Do not go to sleep. We don’t know if you have a concussion.”

So, I went upstairs, and first washed the blood off of my t-shirt and jeans. When I looked in the mirror, my heart sank. I looked like I had lost a fight for sure! Then I rested for forty-five minutes, but we had plans—we had tickets for the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus. We had an orientation meeting for the tour and then a welcome dinner back at our hotel, so we needed to get going. Three were waiting on me, and deeply I kept hearing my ole cowboy dad’s voice whisper, “You get bucked off. You get back on.”

So, I got up. We caught the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus and rode it to the Waterloo station. Then we wandered around downtown Edinburgh shopping. We found a place to grab a snack, then we were late back to the Orientation meeting because of bus connections. We met our tour guide, John Gillespie, and what a guide he was!

That night we had a delightful get acquainted dinner and met a couple we became very attached to, Ernie and Charlotte.

I felt the brunt of the fall when I got back to the room, but I slept well.

May 14, 2023–More of Edinburgh

Our group at the Edinburgh castle - my face — Our group at the Edinburgh Castle

We spent the first part of the day at the Edinburgh Castle. Our group didn’t go there during our first three days in Edinburgh, knowing we would be on this tour. Lin and I had been there for a short time in 2019, but I loved being back there. Built up on the hill above Edinburgh. What breathtaking fort! We wandered through the halls and rooms, oohing and ahhing at the tapestries on the walls and the massive size of everything.

My favorite part of the castle this time—St. Margaret’s Chapel is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, dating back to the 12^th century, but I can’t find my pictures. This was the day after my fall, so that may be why!

During the afternoon, we took an optional excursion. At the other end of the Royal Mile, we drove to the Palace of Holyrood house, the official Scottish residence of the King. Again tapestries, statues and gigantic rooms! Lin had fun in the garden talking to the gardener.

That evening, we took off on another optional excursion, Ceilidh Dinner and evening at the Ghillie Dhu. A Scot, dressed in his colorful tartan kilt, met us at the door and piped us in with his bagpipe. Two young ladies danced for us, and Lin and I got up and danced a jig. What a wonderful end to a full day.

May 15, 2023–St. Andrews and the Highland Capital of Inverness

This day began our time of having our large luggage outside our door early to be put on the bus. This day was 6:55 am, so we had to plan accordingly.

It was north out of Edinburgh to St. Andrews and the Highland Capital of Inverness. We traveled alongside three bridges that crossing the River Forth.

I’m embarrassed to say I hadn’t looked at the itinerary closely and missed the fact our first stop was, St. Andrews. When I heard, I gasped! How exciting!

The Old Course—St. Andrew's Links - my face

Coming into the city, I noticed how manicured it looked. We immediately went to The Old Course—St. Andrew’s Links. Golfers lined up ready to play this famous course and have their dreams come true! What a scenic, beautiful course with the beach so near.

After seeing the course, we wandered the streets, peeking in the University of St. Andrews and found The Northpoint Café, the place where Kate met William for their first coffee, and we ate there. Not feeling great, I didn’t join Lin and Linda taking pictures of the ruins of the St. Andrews Cathedral.

From there, we continued north and stopped at Blair Castle. “It is the ancestral home of the Clan Murray, and was historically the seat of their chief, the Duke of Atholl.“

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blair_Castle

The Duke apparently liked to hunt because the place overflowed with stag’s antlers and guns and stuffed animals!

Here, we had our first sightings of “hairy coo,” the reddish colored long-haired cattle of Scotland. They fascinated this ranch girl. How did they see? I have many more great pictures of them later!

We continued to Inverness for the night after a full busy day! My face continued to hurt, but I kept moving. What else could I do?

I have ever been to this part of Scotland? Have you ever had an accident affect a trip? Like my face plant?

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My Thoughts · Scotland · Travel

Our Scottish Adventure Begins

Featured Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

Our Scottish adventure began on May 9, 2023, with a later departure, so we didn’t have to get up at 0-dark-30! Here are our first three days of the trip.

May 9-10, 2023

Lin and I left our house around noon to drop Lin’s African Violet collection off with a friend to take of them. Then we drove to Jerry and Mary Beth Gilbreath’s house, dropped off our vehicle and drove to Jerry’s business and their daughter drove us to the airport!

We arrived a couple hours early and had time to start our cribbage game competition for the trip—it was Lin and Mary Beth against Jerry and me. After boarding our plane, we had a delay and wondered if this depicted how our next two connections were to go. It wasn’t!

Because we had paid a little extra, we got “Priority Economy” seating and had really nice seating for our flight to Heathrow. For the first time, I spent almost the entire way curled up in a little ball and slept.

At Heathrow, we had to go through security, so we didn’t have as much time as we thought. When we got to the airport in Edinburgh, I had pre-paid for a taxi, but I did not know how to find him. I had my phone on airplane mode, and he kept calling me. Finally, I walked out of the building and passed a tall man and, by chance, asked him if he was a taxi driver.

He said, “Yes, for Horner-Miller.” One of those God-incidences. Paulo, our newfound taxi-driver, gently rebuked me for not having my phone on because he had called twice. We got our bags and away we went, but he turned out to be more than a taxi driver.

First, we connected because he was Portuguese—Lin and I had been to Portugal in November/December, and that broke the ice. So, as we drove to our hotel, he gave us a tour of Edinburgh.

When he dropped us off at the Yotel Hotel, I told him we needed a transfer to the Malmaison Hotel on Saturday when our tour started, so he said, “Connect with me.”

The Yotel Hotel turned out to be a brilliant spot. At first glance, the room looked great, but the adjustable bed sat in a sitting up position. When it went down to a flat bed, the room suddenly lost over a foot. We loved the central location and the staff, though.

For dinner that night, we walked to Brown’s restaurant and had a leisurely delicious European meal. I enjoyed sitting in the front window, watching people walking by. I had fish and chips!

May 11, 2023

We slept in after our long flight day. We ate breakfast at an outside restaurant. Then we caught the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus and rode the entire line, enjoying the beautiful weather. We stopped at the Grass Market for ice cream and shopping. Mary Beth and I each bought a beautiful sweater at the Bill Baber shop.

Bill Baber at knitting machine - Scottish — Bill Baber at knitting machine

From there, we jumped back on the bus and went to the Royal Mile to shop. In our souvenir shopping, we visited with a Scot shop owner. We found out that fifty-three shops on the Royal Mile have been bought up by two Indians, threatening to put the traditional Scot shop owner out of business!

Lin bought a kilt in 2019 in Edinburgh and we tried to find where he bought his but couldn’t. Jerry wanted to buy one, and several helpful shop owners sent us to a couple of kilt makers on the Royal Mile, but they were too expensive. Finally, someone headed us down an alley to the Celtic Craft Center Kiltmaker and Jerry took the plunge. He bought the whole outfit—jacket, vest and kilt, getting his family tartan.

Jerry in the vest and jacket & sample kilt - Scottish — Jerry in the vest and jacket & sample kilt

That evening we ate at Alexander Graham Bell/Wetherspoon, having a hamburger and fries. When we walked home, the fog rolled in—it felt so Scottish! When we got back to our hotel, we found a table in the back corner of the bar and played three games of cribbage.

We had another couple we were meeting up with, so I texted her to plan on how to meet the next day. They were flying in from Maine.

When we got back to our room, I connected with Paulo to move us on

May 12, 2023

Our day started with a walk to breakfast—cold and misty, not like the day before! Because I was warm the day before, I didn’t dress right. I only had on my Italian jacket with no wool sweater underneath, Capri jeans and a long sleeve thermos shirt! I suffered all day with the cold.

For breakfast, Lin and I split a Full Scottish Breakfast: sausage, ham, poached eggs, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, black pudding, toast, orange juice and coffee! So much food!

After breakfast, we walked to Waterloo station for the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus to meet Linda and John, the other couple. We communicated with them through WhatsApp, a great app for traveling. I tried to understand one of the Hop-On, Hop-Off workers in orange vests, but I couldn’t! We were both speaking English, but I couldn’t understand his Scottish brogue. Finally, we got it settled.

Linda and John were on the #16 City Bus, and one worker helped us tremendously. We could see where the buses were coming onto the busy street, so Lin walked in their direction and found them easily. So, we jumped on the bus to tour the city and head towards the Britannia Yacht.

Because of my poor choice in warm clothes, I sat downstairs and everyone else sat upstairs touring the city, but we had done it the day before.

We all enjoyed the tour of the Britannia, breaking the tour up with tea and scones in the tearoom where Queen Elizabeth II had sat drinking tea too. The living quarters had family pictures and felt “homey.” The large dining room felt regal. As we wove our way around and through the yacht, I kept saying to myself, “the Queen was here! OMG!”

Every clock onboard ship stopped at 3:01 PM when Queen Elizabeth II left the Britannia for the last time—how poignant!

When we finished there, John and Linda went to their hotel, and we rode the bus back to St. Andrew’s square. We walked along George Street and finally ate at the Hard Rock Café, after looking at menus at several other restaurants. Afterwards, we came back to our hotel and wanted to play cribbage again. We couldn’t find a table in the bar, so we slipped into the breakfast room and played.

So, the next day we had to move to the Malmaison Hotel, but that night I crashed after a busy full day!

Finally,

From the very beginning of our trip, we enjoyed the Scots, their friendly manners and helpfulness. Have you ever been to Scotland? Do you have any stories about the Scots?

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Just Another Square Dance Caller meme - Scot — Grab your iPhone and lounge on the beach with Flippo!

My Thoughts · Scotland · Travel

Scotland! I Want to Return!

Featured Larada Horner-Miller6 Comments

Home from Scotland, yet my heart lingers there! Lin and I just returned from about a two-week adventure in Scotland and what an experience it was!

We saw kilts, colorful tartans, and firths! People sampled whiskey and Guinness! Lush, green hills surrounded us with many luscious lochs, too! And the brutal Scottish history shocked me! After several days, I heard the name “MacDonald” repeated in the history retelling, and I woke up! I have MacDonalds in my family tree, so I made the connection! Also, I have done my DNA testing and I am 28% Scot, so there you have it!

We left Albuquerque on May 9, 2023 with our good friends, Jerry and Mary Beth Gilbreath, and flew to Edinburgh. We spent three days there touring and enjoying the sights. On May 12, another couple joined us who used to live in Albuquerque. We all are square dancers!

The Insight Vacations’ coach tour, The Country Roads of Scotland, began on May 13 and we toured Edinburgh for our first two days. Next from there, we went north to St. Andrews and the Highland Capital of Inverness for our third day. Next, we continued north to Culloden, Loch Ness and onto Thurso, the northern tip of Scotland, for the fourth day.

From Thurso, we went out for a Day in the Orkney Islands for our fifth day—our really only rainy day. For our sixth day, it was on over the sea to the Isle of Skye, one of the lower Hebrides islands, with a clear blue sky—quite unusual we’ve been told! There, we saw up close and personal “hairy coos,” the reddish long-haired cattle of Scotland. Afterwards, on our seventh day, we headed south through the Scottish Highlands to Glencoe. On day eight, we headed along the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond and had a relaxing boat ride around the lake, then we moved on to Glasgow.

In Glasgow, we had an amazing treat! Last year, I met a woman from Glasgow in an international meditation group I joined. She and her husband invited us for dinner on Monday, May 22, and we rode the train out to their house. What a delightful evening we had with delicious food, fun filled conversation and music! Their hospitality abounded! Then on Tuesday, they toured us around Glasgow—the best way to see any city! Sadly to say, then we headed back to the USA and Albuquerque!

Often during the tour, our traveling companions referenced “The Outlander,” but Lin and I weren’t familiar with this TV series. WE ARE NOW! And we are watching it!

Lin Touching One of the Stones of Stenness–A Trip Back??

The Scots are very proud of their famous poets and authors: Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns. I found this poem on the trip and shared it with the group.

Sing me a Song of a Lad that is Gone

BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.

Mull was astern, Rum on the port,
Eigg on the starboard bow;
Glory of youth glowed in his soul;
Where is that glory now?

Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.

Give me again all that was there,
Give me the sun that shone!
Give me the eyes, give me the soul,
Give me the lad that's gone!

Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.

Billow and breeze, islands and seas,
Mountains of rain and sun,
All that was good, all that was fair,
All that was me is gone.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45949/sing-me-a-song-of-a-lad-that-is-gone

For “The Outlander” fans, you hear these words every episode in the introduction! Interesting! At that time, I did not know when I shared the poem!

Finally,

I have stories to tell of our wonderful trip and my newfound homeland. So, as you know, traveling with me can be an adventure, so be prepared for some fun-filled tales coming up in my next posts.

Have you ever been to Scotland? Any of the places identified above? Did you love it? Are you an “Outlander” fan?

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Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flippo - Scotland — Grab your iPhone and lounge on the beach with Flippo!

Mexico · My Thoughts · Travel

Coba: National Poetry Month Ends!

Featured Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

National Poetry Month ends today, and I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my poetry and Mary Oliver’s with you. I ended this month of celebration with one of my favorite poems, inspired by a visit to Coba in the Yucatan peninsula in 1985.

My first husband and I started visiting Mazatlán and then the Yucatan peninsula in the early 70s and fell in love with the Cancun, of that era. A church friend educated us on how to travel to Mexico at the time: don’t drink the water, the need to get money exchanged before going, etc. At that time, my basic Spanish consisted of, ¿Dónde está el baño?, but I loved trying to communicate with the locals.

We returned a couple times before we divorced, but we didn’t visit any Mayan ruins. After our divorce, my friend, who advised us, and I traveled to Mexico several times and then on to Guatemala because of our fascination with the Mayan ruins.

During this time, I also finished my minor in Spanish. I spent the spring semester of 1986 in Mazatlán, living with a family. One of my favorite Spanish instructors went with us, twelve students in all. So, I enjoyed talking to the Mexicans and experiencing the Mexican culture first hand and my Spanish improved immensely.

Since I first stepped foot on a Mayan ruin, I felt the presence, the rhythm of their history, echo through me. For some reason, I had a deep connection with those enchanting walls and structures from so long ago.

But this experience in Coba I will never forget. We found Coba accidentally, and also a lovely respite in the jungle where we stayed—a Club Med, but not the swinging single Club Med so many know from this time frame. This one was a research Club Med hidden away in the jungle.

I percolated this experience in my head for about a year, and easily I added magical realism to illustrate what I felt when I came upon Coba for the first time.

“Magical realism is a genre of literature that depicts the real world as having an undercurrent of magic or fantasy.”

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-magical-realism

Larada Horner

March, 1986

Coba—I Was there!!

The year was 1985.

Walking down the jungle path with my friend,

an iguana crosses my trail—

toucan birds squeak above my head.

Heat from the jungle presses down upon us—

Green everywhere!

A turn in the road, thick over-growth blocks the sun

for a minute.

I see another iguana sunning on the dilapidated wall of the ruin,

peaceful and not going to do us any harm!

Shadows, sounds, smells—

transforms me back to 900 A.D.

A shiver pierces my soul—quietly Mayans step out

of the past,

brush my arm and surround me.

I stare at the crumbled ruins,

straining to see with my eyes their faces and

hear with my ears their voices.

But the silence continues,

Except for

the bees buzzing in the tops of the

trees.

Where am I? When? With whom?

A step back in time, yet caught between!

Had I been here before?

Centuries before,

standing at the foot of this

temple, surrounded by my fellow Mayans,

worshipping the god “Chac” and

listening to the familiar

squeak of birds

and worshipping?

The smell of incense fills the air—the mingled

odor of honey and grain—my sacrifice to my god.

The drum beats—beats, beats a familiar steady cadence.

Calls me to it

And breaks the eerie silence.

The priests chat—chat, chat soft sounds that join the

rumbling beat of the drum.

That beat echoes through my heart beat,

The heartbeat of everyone present

The heartbeat of the world.

I sway to the beat, the chat—

it vibrates in my soul, calling me,

calling me home!

Dark bronze skin, brown eyes, flat heads—

Feathery, vibrant green quetzal headdresses don heads.

Colorful gowns sway to the beat and the chant.

Small sturdy people crowd around me,

greeting me with a soft rhythmic tongue,

and my heart understands this strange language.

Gently, friendly—a spark shines in

their eyes.

THEY KNOW ME! I’m among my own. I’m home!!!

“Did you hear that? What was that?” my friend grabs my arm.

TRANSPORTED—GONE—REALITY, or is it? I’m back—it’s 1985.

The summer’s heat presses in,

the sun’s scorching heat—

eerie sounds and hums flow

through the air.

Eerie, yet familiar.

For a second,

I felt transported back,

Then? Where?

I strain to hear it better—

to hear the beat of the past—

to see those familiar soft brown eyes.

I want to return!

Can I?

Finally,

For weeks, this poem seeped out of my pores, and I felt it was real. Was it real? Was it magic? I don’t know, but today, thirty-eight years later, as I read it, I felt transported back to the magic of Coba and my dramatic experience.

Have you ever had an experience like this? Have you seen any of the Mayan ruins? Anasazi ruins? Any Indian ruins? Do you connect with history in any way? Let me know.

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Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flippo meme - Coba — Grab your iPhone and lounge on the beach with Flippo!

~Get your FREE Fifty-minute audio recording of “Highlights of My Conversations with Flippo.” Learn how he started calling, how he recorded “The Auctioneer,” and a bonus: which caller did he sleep with? Click here for easy access!

Italy · My Thoughts · Spain · Travel

Stay Home or Go? We Went!

Featured Larada Horner-Miller2 Comments

Stay home or go on another cruise? We went! This will be short, because Lin and I arrived home on Thursday night, December 8, 2022, from our second cruise in six weeks with COVID but didn’t know it. On Friday morning, I received a text from a friend who had just found out she had COVID, so I asked her about her symptoms.

She said, “Yucky. . .sore throat, coughing, headache, laryngitis, can’t sleep.” I cringed, because I had had those same symptoms for several days since Barcelona, but I thought I had just caught an awful cold.

See, this whole cruise was cold! When we went six weeks ago, the weather was glorious! Yes, I researched the weather but convinced myself the 50s would be warm. So, we both had to buy coats to survive the cold.

Lin and I love Barcelona and had gladly expected another fun day in Barcelona, so we bundled up and added layers underneath our new coats, got on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus and sat upstairs outside for a couple hours in the cold morning hours. Finally, I said enough! And we went downstairs for the rest of the day, but the damage was done.

So that night, I started with a sore throat and felt like I had caught a cold. When I took the home test on Friday morning when we got home, immediately the two lines appeared and darkened over the 15-minute waiting period. Lin’s test turned out the same, so we came home with COVID.

Here’s where we went:

November 26—flew to Rome, Italy (day after Thanksgiving)
November 27—Florence, Italy (where I bought a coat)
November 28—Naples, Italy (where Lin bought a coat)
November 29—Messina, Italy
November 30—Palermo, Sicily, Italy
December 1—Cagliardi, Sardinia, Italy
December 2—Palma Majorca, Spain
December 3—Barcelona, Spain
December 4—At Sea
December 5—At Sea (We had a major itinerary change. Because of a strike by the port workers in Lisbon, Portugal, we had to skip our last two ports in Spain to arrive in Lisbon before the strike. At first, the disappointment overwhelmed me, but then I remembered, “I could be bitter or better—the choice was mine!” You know which one I chose.)
December 6 – Lisbon, Portugal
December 7 – Lisbon, Portugal
December 8—Flew home

I won’t be writing about this trip until after the new year, because I love writing about Christmas.

As you can see, we repeated four ports from our previous cruise, but we found different excursions to add to our knowledge and experience of those cities. More later.

Stay home or go? I always opt to go, and I don’t regret going on this second cruise. What do you do? Do you stay home? Or do you go?

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Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? meme

~My new book, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? WON the 2022 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in the Body, Mind & Spirit Category. Have you bought your copy yet?

~Wish You Were Here: A Novel by Jodi Picoult, one of my favorite authors, deals with the COVID pandemic in fiction as opposed to my nonfiction book. Check it out! Interesting story!

~MY FIRST AUDIOBOOK IS AVAILABLE: Go to Audible to buy my first audiobook, Let Me Tell You a Story. I’m working on Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? but have gotten stalled with shingles.

~Do you listen to podcasts? Here are three podcasts with interviews about my new book & some Flippo stories:

Douglas Coleman’s show-August 5, 2022
Chat & Spin Radio, from Friday, June 24, 2022. Join us for a lively description of all my books!
Book Talk–June 3, 2022
Live on Purpose Podcast–March 17, 2022
Zbooks.com–January 19, 2022
Apostrophes, A Writers Series with Double DD–January 10, 2022
The On Purpose Podcast–January 10, 2022

~Have you bought a copy of Flippo’s biography yet? Believe it or not—it’s been two years. Go here for your hardback or paperback: https://www.laradasbooks.com or at Amazon.~For me, it’s Christmas all year long!

Here’s a variety of Christmas greetings from Flippo & Neeca, featuring his song, “When It’s Christmas Time in Texas”: https://youtu.be/mpJCUGffU3A

My Thoughts · Travel

Extreme Greece: Athens & Mykonos!

Featured Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

Extreme Greece: Athens and Mykonos—two very distinct destinations. History and mystery surrounded me in Athens, and I could hardly wait. Beauty and mystery abounded in Mykonos. Greece truly captured my heart!

October 10—Piraeus, Greece; Visited Athens

Up at 6:30 AM, we started this amazing day early! ATHENS! I couldn’t believe I was actually here. We met the tour organizer, grabbed a bus, and headed to the metro subway station, where we met our guide. Interestingly, she toured us around inside the metro, which was an archaeology site. She said anytime they dig in Athens; they unearth ruins. And immediately she started telling the Roman mythology stories I had shared with my students as an English teacher as many years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed every tale she told!

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

From there we walked to the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, like ours in Washington, DC, but so different. We watched as the pair leaving marched in a synchronized, high stepping manner with a distinct kick that appeared to be in slow motion with exaggerated movement. She told us that the Greek soldiers had knife blades in the pompons on the tops of the shoes.

Glued to the ceremony, I photographed the showmanship of the two guards leaving and two coming on duty. The whole ritual was breathtaking.

Zappeion

From there we walked through The National Garden of Athens, a beautiful garden, to the Zappeion, “is a large, palatial building next to the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private and is one of the city’s most renowned modern landmarks.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zappeion

The Fountain Spraying by Zappeion, Athens, Greece — The Fountain Finally Spraying by Zappeion,

From there we walked by a fountain below Zappeion. Our guide assured us it would start spraying water anytime, but it didn’t, so we walked away. One of our group lingered and shouted at us, “It had started,” so we all rushed back and took pictures, looking back at Zappeion.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Our next stop was the Temple of Olympian Zeus, all within proximity.

“The Temple of Olympian Zeus is a former colossal temple at the center of the Greek capital Athens. It was dedicated to “Olympian” Zeus, a name originating from his position as head of the Olympian gods.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Olympian_Zeus,_Athens

Here we saw tall pillars surrounded by scaffolding. So much care taken of these old structures! It was a massive site with rocks laying on the ground around the Temple. Ruins surrounded it too. And the Acropolis called in the distance!

The view of the Acropolis from the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens, Greece — The view of the Acropolis from the Temple of Olympian Zeus

Hadrian’s Arch

Then we passed the Arch of Hadrian.

“It spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens, Greece, to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city that included the Temple of Olympian Zeus.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Hadrian_(Athens)

Acropolis

For some unknown reason, I thought the Acropolis would be out of town, out of Athens, but we kept getting a peek of as we walked closer and closer.

So, I needed clarity—was the Acropolis different from the Parthenon? Our guide helped me get it clear. These are all terms I’ve heard and seen in history books, but it’s been years.

The Acropolis is the hill where the Parthenon sits.

“The Parthenon is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the goddess Athena during the fifth century BC.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon

As we walked up the hill to the Acropolis, our guide told story after story from the Roman mythology and took frequent stops so we could rest.

Theater of Dionysius, Athens, Greece — Theater of Dionysius

On the way, we stopped at the Theater of Dionysius with special carved seats for the royalty out of marble—not super comfortable!

Climbing higher and higher, I marveled at our view of Athens—here I am in Athens, Greece, climbing up to the Acropolis! Wow!

The Crowd as we reached the top of the Acropolis! Athens, Greece — The Crowd as we reached the top of the Acropolis!

As we got closer and closer, it felt like a crescendo of a lifetime of hearing about this place was about to explode. When we got inside the ruins, the crowds increased, and the size of the Parthenon overwhelmed me!

Oh my God! When we finally arrived and stood in front of the Parthenon, a pillared structure looming gigantic in front of me, I just couldn’t take it all in and then. Again scaffolding caressed the beloved structures. Then, the battery for my camera died!!

Our tour ended, but Lin and I lingered. I grabbed my iPhone and took pictures. Its magical draw kept me there, not wanting to leave. We took picture after picture, standing in a variety of places.

When we finally left the Acropolis, a guard directed us to go a different, shorter route out and we missed the masses of people.

From there, we joined some people from our tour, but we took a wrong turn and ended up wandering down a side street. Lin and I decided after quite a while to turn around, leaving the others. We walked right in front of Mars Hill, where St. Paul preached. I googled it later when we got back to the ship. I knew it had importance but couldn’t remember why.

After our wrong turn, we finally made our way back to a familiar area of shops and restaurants near the Arch of Hadrian, where our shuttle was picking us up to go back to the port. We ate Greek pizza, and I bought a delightful Greek dress made of blue and white cotton material. I also bought a gold leaf headband and enjoyed wearing it that night on our ship to dinner.

I will never forget this memorable day in Athens and the history and mystery that surrounded me that day.

October 11—Mykonos, Greece

We were up at 7:00 am for breakfast and out to the port to our tour, which ended up being a sizeable group. When we got on the bus, our tour guide said something about us being back to the ship by 3:00 PM. One of the other travelers told her we had to be back at 1:30 PM. The guide gasped and I could see she was flustered. It changed the plans for our entire tour.

Panagia Tourliani Monastery, Mykonos, Greece

Our tour first took us out of Mykonos eight kilometers to Panagia Tourliani Monastery. On the way, the guide told the history of the island of Mykonos. Mykonos is one of 56 islands which are a part of The Cyclades, and Santorini is also a part of those islands. It saw its first cruise ship in 1920. During the 70s, hippies and artist came, and the culture embraced a very liberal stance, being gay friendly. In the winter, there are 15,000 residences now; in the summer 60,000! They saw 50 million visitors from March to the beginning of November this year.

When we stopped at the monastery, we quietly entered and saw the inside of a beautiful Greek Orthodox church. Our guide explained all the different parts. At the back of the church were lit candles stuck in sand, so I bought one and lit it. I love doing that whenever I can.

From there we walked through this village to a restaurant and had Greek coffee and doughnut, delicious. Then we drove to a beach for picture taking. From there, we went back to Mykonos and had to decide what to do because we didn’t have time to continue our tour to the windmills.

I Did Get a Picture of the Windmills! Mykonos, Greece — I Did Get a Picture of the Windmills!

So, our guide bought us Sea Bus Tickets, then we followed her through a crowded walkway. There, Lin and I left the tour group and shopped a little and bought gelato. I’m always wanting to be on time; Lin always pushes to the limit. When we got to the line for the Sea Bus, it was so loooong, but we made the second one.

Before boarding the ship, I shopped at the Duty Free shop. When I got back to the room, I put on my bathing suit for the first time and went to the pool to get some sun.

Stromboli Volcano Erupted As We Went By!--Greece — Stromboli Volcano Erupted As We Went By!

As we sailed away from Mykonos, we saw a volcano, Stromboli, erupting! Remember, I told you last week we were in volcano country!

Sadly, that night, we went to the Epic Beatles show, and I lost a precious piece of silver, a Zia which is a New Mexico symbol. I guess I lost it while we were up dancing, but it tainted that day for me!

Finally,

Athens and Mykonos—two glorious ports in Greece. I will never forget either of them! Have you been to Athens? Mykonos? What are your thoughts about my experience?

News, News, News!

~My new book, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? WON the 2022 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in the Body, Mind & Spirit Category. Have you bought your copy yet?

~Wish You Were Here: A Novel by Jodi Picoult, one of my favorite authors, deals with the COVID pandemic in fiction as opposed to my nonfiction book. Check it out! Interesting story!

~Do you listen to podcasts? Here are three podcasts with interviews about my new book & some Flippo stories:

Douglas Coleman’s show-August 5, 2022
Chat & Spin Radio, from Friday, June 24, 2022. Join us for a lively description of all my books!
Book Talk–June 3, 2022
Live on Purpose Podcast–March 17, 2022
Zbooks.com–January 19, 2022
Apostrophes, A Writers Series with Double DD–January 10, 2022
The On Purpose Podcast–January 10, 2022

~Have you bought a copy of Flippo’s biography yet? Believe it or not—it’s been two years. Go here for your hardback or paperback: https://www.laradasbooks.com or at Amazon.

~For me, it’s Christmas all year long! Here’s a variety of Christmas greetings from Flippo & Neeca, featuring his song, “When It’s Christmas Time in Texas”: https://youtu.be/mpJCUGffU3A

Italy · My Thoughts · Travel

Rome and then Home!

Featured Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

Our time in Rome capped off our wonderful vacation. Our cruise ended at the Civitavecchia, about an hour from Rome, but we had a day at sea first. Then we had one and a half day in Rome, filled to brim with sight-seeing and fun.

October 12—At Sea

This was a laid-back day, but we had a great evening. We saw the Burn the Floor dance show again and enjoyed it as much the second time as the first.

October 13—Rome, Italy

We arrived to port at Civitavecchia near Rome in the rain. What a way to leave the ship. Lin and I have gotten into the habit of carrying our bags off ourselves. This time we got off the quickest ever, but then ran into the rain.

Because we got off so quickly, we had to wait for our transfer to our hotel. When we got to the hotel, we had to store our bags, but they got to it quickly. The clerks helped us so much with places to eat and a walking tour route to do the next day.

Arch of Constantine, Rome, Italy — Arch of Constantine

We had booked a tour of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill for the afternoon and what a tour that was! The hotel desk clerk helped us get a taxi to the Arch of Constantine, where we met our tour guide.

Lin with the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum, Rome, Italy — Lin with the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum

The Colosseum captured my attention. Again, I had seen it in history books but the size can’t be imagined.

We started at the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill and then moved to the Colosseum. Our guide told us so much and I have forgotten most of it.

Roman Forum

Where Julius Caesar is honored! Temple of Caesar, Rome, Italy — Where Julius Caesar is honored! Temple of Caesar

“The Foro Romano (Roman Forum) is located just to the west of the Colosseum and is the truly ancient city of Rome – the very place where history took place, with processions, criminal trials, elections, and intrigue all happening here. It was the site of the original Senate, and where Caesar’s body was brought following his assassination. The ruins of some of Rome’s most important ancient structures can be found at or near the Forum.”

The difference between the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill

From there we went to the Palatine Hill.

Palatine Hill

“The flat-topped Palatine Hill that rises above the Forum is where the emperors built their palaces (and indeed “Palatine” is the source of the word “palace”.”

The difference between the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill

Colosseum

“is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world today, despite its age. It was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles including animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Roman mythology, and briefly mock sea battles.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum

Moving to the Colosseum, we started on the street level, then went up to the second level and looked down into the maze on the ground floor. Its massive size overwhelmed me. The guide told story after story.

When the tour ended, Lin and I lingered and took late afternoon pictures inside the Colosseum and out. Then we caught a taxi back to our hotel, and we got cheated horribly on the ride.

Then we ate dinner at a sidewalk café, having a delicious meal. We enjoyed the personable waiter.

October 14—26323—Rome, Italy

This is the day we followed a self-guided tour Lin organized with the suggestions from clerk at the hotel. I walked 26323 steps this day—OMG!!

We started at the Piazza di Spagna and saw Trinita Dei Monti Church and the Spanish Steps. We could see St. Peter’s Basilica and two other domes from there.

Then we walked to the Trevi Fountain where masses of people gathered. People took photos pretending to throw a coin in because you can’t do it anymore. I bought a selfie stick there, and we had fun using it.

Along the way, Lin or I would confirm his path to our destination by asking vendors, and he was always right.

Lin in front of the Pantheon, Rome, Italy — Lin in front of thePantheon

Our next stop was the Panthenon

“is a former Roman temple and, since 609 AD, a Catholic church (Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martyres or Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs).”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome

Gastronomic Food & Wine Tour

Our tour that evening was a food & wine tour with just other person, so we got our guide’s full attention. My feet were killing me, so I hoped we’d stay close—no way! We walked across the Tiber River to Travestere. During this tour, we stopped at four different eateries and had delicious food and conversation.

On the way, our guide gold plates on the sidewalk in this area that denote where a Jew was captured during World War II & taken to Auschwitz. How shocking yet thankfully they make note of and don’t deny it.

Trastevere

“Located on the opposite bank of the river Tiber, south of the Vatican, is the picturesque neighbourhood Trastevere. The name Trastevere is derived from Latin, trans Tiberium; ‘beyond the Tiber’. This old working-class neighbourhood with its narrow alleyways and medieval houses is a particularly lively affair at night – thanks to the many tourists – with lots of restaurants, trattorias and pizzerias. Visit this truly Italian neighbourhood of Rome for a lovely stroll or relax on one of the many café terraces.

https://romesite.com/trastevere.html

In Travestere, we had delicious pasta in one restaurant and then sausage at another.

We ended the night with gelato—what a memorable day we had exploring Rome!

October 15—Flew Home

Up at 5:00 AM and in the taxi at 6:00, our vacation came to an end. I came home with busted blood vessels in right leg from our adventurous day of sightseeing in Rome. I walked over 26,000 steps!

Finally, I hope you enjoyed our trip and especially our time on Rome. Have you ever been there? Share your experience.

News, News, News!

~My new book, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? WON the 2022 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in the Body, Mind & Spirit Category. Have you bought your copy yet?

~Wish You Were Here: A Novel by Jodi Picoult, one of my favorite authors, deals with the COVID pandemic in fiction as opposed to my nonfiction book. Check it out! Interesting story!

~Do you listen to podcasts? Here are three podcasts with interviews about my new book & some Flippo stories:

Douglas Coleman’s show-August 5, 2022
Chat & Spin Radio, from Friday, June 24, 2022. Join us for a lively description of all my books!
Book Talk–June 3, 2022
Live on Purpose Podcast–March 17, 2022
Zbooks.com–January 19, 2022
Apostrophes, A Writers Series with Double DD–January 10, 2022
The On Purpose Podcast–January 10, 2022

Here’s a variety of Christmas greetings from Flippo & Neeca, featuring his song, “When It’s Christmas Time in Texas”: https://youtu.be/mpJCUGffU3A

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	Sean Short on Day 3 – 4 Kissing a Ston…
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	Susan Miller on Two Updates: My Miracle Cat…
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