The Tower Trail

Tower Trail?  Yep......just follow the signs in Clackmannanshire and you'd be surprised what you might stumble upon.

Above you see Alloa Tower, located smack in the center of Alloa, Scotland.  This tower is what remains  of a 14th Century Manor House that once belonged to the Earls of Mar. It was built in 1368 by the Erskine Family to guard the River Forth Ferry.  Mary, Queen of Scots, sought haven here with her infant son James VI, and it was here that James was put in safekeeping as an infant with the Erskine Family.

The preservation of this tower is amazing, and the inside featured memorabilia and artwork from the Erskine family dating back to when the tower was originally built.

We were not permitted to take photos of the interior, but we were able to walk out onto the roof to admire the views from the top, which, as you can see, we took complete advantage of.

Can you spot Marty in that photo?

Walking around the tower offered some interesting views.

Here you can see part of the town of Alloa.

And here is a lovely view of the mountains in the distance marred by the Tesco roof.

So much for going back in time!  Actually, from the ground level, one would never realize that the tower is located in an industrial area.  It's only when you climb to the top that it becomes obvious that this quite the bustling town.

Before leaving the tower, I asked the volunteer about another tower, known as the Clackmannan Tower.  I had read that it was constructed even earlier than the Alloa Tower, in 1359, by one of Robert the Bruce's descendents.

The woman commented about how the interior was closed to the public, but that visitors were more than welcome to walk around and take in the magnificent views.

She told us to park near the town church and to walk through the field, passing through some gates, until we got to the tower. 

(Does this sound familiar?)

She then went on to say that we would be walking through a cattle field, but not to worry, because the cattle were used to people trudging through to view the tower.

Since we had to pass by the tower on the way to our destination for the weekend, we decided to check it out.

When we entered the small village of Clackmannan we were surprised by its charm and beauty.  It was quite the contrast to Alloa.

In the center of the square, stands the Old Tollbooth, the Mercat Cross, and a large boulder known as the Clach Mannan, or the stone of Mannan, a Celtic god, and it is thought to have been used in ancient religious festivals.

We parked the car and began the walk towards the tower which stands prominently on King's Seat Hill.

Soon we were passing through the gate, this time expecting cattle to be checking us over, but much to my surprise, I didn't see one live animal near the trail.

Walking around the grounds we were able to enjoy the magnificent view of the mountains in the distance.

On the way back to the car, we stopped for a quick pic of the Kirk.

And I couldn't pass on one more photo of the village.

We jumped in the car and began the hour + drive to our evening destination:  Biggar.

Here you can see the view from near where we are staying.

Tomorrow we plan to check out the village as well as New Lanark.

In the meantime, I couldn't resist ordering the Rob Roy dessert on the menu.

Vanilla ice cream layered with crushed shortbreads and smothered with warm Drambuie.

It was fabulous!

A Rainy Day Delight in Kirkcaldy

Today was one of those days that called for donning the raincoat (with the thermal lining buttoned in....there's quite a chill in the air....brrr..),
pulling on the boots,
grabbing the umbrella,
and walking as far away as possible from any busses driving down the road in order to avoid becoming soaked.

The wonderful thing about Scotland is that there are many free museums to visit, so I decided to head back to the Kirkcaldy Art Museum to take another look at the collection.  It's just a few blocks from the B&B so walking there was really no problem.

This place is really charming, and what I really find fascinating is the free genealogy room where you can get about any information imaginable if you happen to have family from Kirkcaldy.  Which, quite obviously, I do not.  But if I did....I'd be in pig heaven!

Speaking of pigs.....the lobby had two Wemyss Porcelain pigs displayed.  Wemyss pottery is well known in the Kingdom of Fife, and is quite expensive, which is why I do not own a piece.

But, if I could afford it, and if there was room in my suitcase (which there is NOT), I would consider buying one of these for my pig-loving daughter.

These are both quite a good size, by the way.  I was surprised to read that some people would use the pig as a door stopper, so it was difficult to find pieces without the tips of the ears broken off.  I suppose that would be a practical use, but if I spent a lot of money on 18 inch porcelain pig (or anything for that matter), I don't think I'd be using it as a door stopper.  Would you?

As you can see, the museum features much more than paintings.  The ground floor has two great displays, one featuring the history of Kirkcaldy itself, and the other highlighting particular Scotland interests.

Here are a few things found in the latter:

This chair was carved from "parrot" coal and it features a Swan on the back, which is part of the Wemyss family coat of arms.

A Penny farthing bicycle was suspended from the ceiling

There was a unique explanation of food rationing during World War II with a hands on approach of filling a basket with what one might think they could bring home, and what would be rationed.  I found it interesting to learn that because fresh fruits and vegetables were encouraged and white bread was limited, the people were considered to be much healthier after the war than before.  That never would have entered my mind.

I was quite glad to never have to undergo gas mask training as these elementary children in East Wemyss obviously did:

And I found this little book to be amusing

The description stated that it was "not merely to revive the lost art of darning and patching, but to raise morale by showing how old clothes can be turned into really smart and attractive new ones."

Funny....but they didn't have any examples on display.

From here I headed upstairs to view the People's Choice art collection.  When the museum re-opened after a year and a half of renovations, it was decided to feature works that had been voted on by the public.  This exhibition actually ended on Sept. 15, but most of the rooms still held the winning pieces.

I thought I'd share some of my favorites:

This first painting is called One Moment in Time, painted by Jack Vettriano.  He is actually a native of Kirkcaldy so I thought it was worth mentioning.

This painting, called Summer, did capture the essence of the season, but I found it interesting that someone would even think to paint cows as the subject.

 As I mentioned yesterday, Curling is big in Scotland, and this painting from 1905 captures the essence of the sport.   I love the way the men are all dressed up out on the ice.

 Here you see the Links Market, which is a festival that has been held for over 100 years in Kirkcaldy.

 When we visited in April 2012, we were able to see for ourselves how the promenade turns into a giant amusement park.  Amazing.

This painting of the Wellesley Colliery was unique in that the artist actually mixed pieces of coal into the paint of the car carrying the coal, giving it a glimmer, and a bit of a 3D effect.

 And, finally, I wanted to share this wooden carving of Little Darlings.

There is a lot going on in this piece:  A horse head on the front of the boat, colorful fish jumping out everywhere, but my favorite part is the carved, windblown hair.  Unfortunately there was no explanation behind the art, so your guess is as good as mine as to what this is supposed to signify.  

But you have to admit....it is colorful....and quite unique.  

And so ends the tour of the Kirkcaldy Art Museum.  

And,  it appears that when I left I wasn't the only one smiling.

Riding the Bus in Fife

Well.....today was the biggie.  Since I've exhausted tourism in the majority of towns along the train line, I decided that it was time to conquer my fear of getting on a bus and make a day trip to Ceres.

As you can see, it was a picture perfect day and how could I pass on this adventure?

I'd been to Ceres before....by foot...following the advice written in a Frommer's guide which took me over hill and dale, through someone's farm, and finally into the town.  That day, I was determined to take the bus back to Cupar, from whence I had traveled, but no one in the town could offer any assistance to direct me, so I ended up walking the 3 miles back to the train station.  

To be quite honest with you, I really didn't want to trudge along 3 miles each way in order to see this town.  I went online and found a bus line that would take me directly into the town and back, again, to Kirkcaldy.  

Or at least that was what I thought.

So, I headed to the Kirkcaldy Bus station to Stance 4 where the bus was scheduled to pick up.  I met a delightful elderly couple who enjoyed talking to me.  They were on their way to Cupar, which was the same bus that I needed to take:  41.

Now before I go any further, let me explain to you the importance of getting the town pronunciation correct.  If you don't say it correctly, the driver really has no idea where you are going.  Ceres is pronounced "SEAR-iss".  It took me some getting used to, since I wanted to use Latin pronunciation on those e's. 

I boarded the bus and told the Bus driver that I was going to Ceres.  The driver looked at me and said, "ARE you now!"  

Really?  Do you suppose that made me feel more confident?

So, I asked if I had pronounced the town correctly and if the bus did, indeed, stop there.  He chuckled, and said yes to both, and we decided that I would purchase a day ticket, since it was cheaper than a return ticket, and I could jump off and on busses all day.  (Don't think for one minute that I had such a crazy idea in mind.....I just went for it because it was less money.)

So, with ticket in hand, I made my way to Ceres, entertained along the way by the delightful couple whom I met at the station.  They pulled out the transport pamphlet and helped me verify my return trip home on the same bus: 41.

The ride was about 45 minutes long, and, luckily, the bus driver stopped the bus in Ceres for me.  (I learned later that I was supposed to push a button alerting the driver that I wanted to stop, but he obviously remembered my destination.)

I took note of the stop, because my intention was to cross the street for the return trip several hours later.

The town of Ceres is very tiny, so I wasn't worried about getting lost, but it certainly was easy to find the stop since it was located right next to the Bannockburn Memorial.

My destination was the Fife Folk Museum, and after walking a short distance past the Provost of Ceres 

I easily found the entrance. 

The museum is housed in a row of old weaver's cottages which are connected to a 17th century Tollbooth and Weigh House.

Above the door one can see the inscription, "God Bless the Just" as well as a carved scale in stone.

The interior was filled with items that had been collected from donated personal collections.

Some of the items that I found interesting were the replica of the interior of  a weaver's cottage

Happy Family Playing cards:

Where it appeared to me that several of the cards featured women who do not look very happy.

There was a large collection of Curling Stones.  Here are some older stones, one being just an irregular rock with a handle screwed into the top.

Curling is a big sport in the Kingdom of Fife.

And here you see the oldest carved bicycle in all of the United Kingdom.  

The wooden horse was carved around 1820.

While looking through the history of the town, I had spotted a pamphlet that featured a walking tour.  So, I headed to the gift shop and asked the volunteer if such a paper still existed.

She pulled out what appeared to be an identical copy of what I had seen, and handed it to me, informing me that it cost £1.5.  Although I generally pick up these tours for free at the local library, this town didn't have a library, and I still had hours until my return on the bus, so I decided to hand over the money and start the tour.

The town of Ceres was created a Burgh of Barony in 1620.  Early history links the town with the Hope family of Craighall Castle, which once stood on the outskirts of the town.   The castle was demolished in 1957, but some of the outbuildings still exist.

The Dairy is the oldest surviving building in Ceres.

This is believed to be the Norman French "Chef Maison.

The walking tour featured Meldrum's Hotel

And a lovely view of the village Kirk

As I walked along, it soon became quite obvious to me that much of the information on the pamphlet was outdated.  The antique shop across from the church was an empty building undergoing renovations for a tea shop.  I couldn't determine if the houses behind it were original or not.  So much for that.

But that certainly did not dampen my enthusiasm as I managed to find some very entertaining views along the trail.

There was the cute doggie in the window

and some interesting gardens.

I found the ornamentation in the middle of those flowers to be quite entertaining.

You can bet your life that wasn't mentioned in the tour.

By this time, I was intrigued by a sign pointing to Craighill den, and wondered if it led to some ruins of the castle.  I had spotted what looked like a path, but decided against taking it simply because I had told Marty that I wouldn't do anything crazy today, and the looks of the path fell into that category.

So, I headed to the gift shop for a wee bite to eat, and the woman there began to talk about the path to Craighill den and how it led to the ruins of Linekilns, a Limestone quarry that existed only for 17 years in the early 1800's, and a beautiful blue lake.

Intrigued, I asked her if what I had spotted was the trail that she was speaking of, and she assured me that it was.  She then instructed me to walk along the path under the trees,  until I came to a gate that I would need to go through, cross a field, pass through another gate, then climb a hill to my destination.

Well.....having that knowledge in hand, I suddenly became braver and decided to give it a try.  After all, I still had a couple of hours until my scheduled bus arrived.

So, I headed out to the spot, and began carefully picking my steps, attempting to avoid as much mud as possible.  Eventually, the trees thinned out and the ground was dryer.  Just as the woman had said, I spotted the small wooden gate which is designed in such a way that only a person can get through it.  I turned the style and started walking in the field.  

Now I don't know about you, but I would think that mentioning the possibility of dairy cows grazing in that field would have been an important piece of information.  Particularly when the path along the fence leads right past the feeding station.  So, let's just say that I was extremely happy to make my way out of the field at the opposite end without having any confrontations.  

I began my ascent up the hill, eager to see this lovely lake that I was promised.  When I got to the top, I did see a lot of abandoned buildings, which could have been the remnants of a former limestone quarry, but there was no lake that I could see. 

Suddenly, I spotted a young Scottish lass walking up what appeared to be a trail on the other side of the rubble.  I asked her about "the water", and she looked confused.  After a brief conversation, she told me that if I followed the trail that she was walking, I would come to the edge of town.

Believe me, that news was warmly welcomed.  As I began the descent down through the woods,  it was  obvious that I was following a planned trail along a beautiful bubbling creek.  You know you're on the right  path when there are benches to sit on along the way.  No cows.

At the bottom of the path, where it met the road, there was a sign with a map to Craighill Den.  It appears that I needed only to go to the left a few hundred feet and the spectacular view would have greeted me.  But there was no way that I was walking back up that trail.

So, I headed into town to the bus stop.  Upon further observation, I quickly noted that the letter A was printed next to the scheduled departure time of 14:57.   The footnote stated that this pickup time only occurred on school holidays, which today was not.  What to do?  The next bus didn't come until 15:55.

So, I crossed the street, and saw that a bus to Cupar would arrive any minute.  My plan was to go into Cupar on bus 41, then return to Kirkcaldy on the same bus, since that was the Kirkcaldy to Cupar bus line.

So, I hopped on the bus, and waited for an arrival at a bus station, as indicated on the paper and on my very detailed map.

Only, there was no bus station.  When the driver stopped for a light, I asked if the bus would be returning to Kirkcaldy. 

  

He said no.  

So.....there I was....

plan foiled.

A young woman exclaimed that if I jumped off of the bus, and made my way across the street to the next bus stop, I could jump on the X26 to Kirkcaldy.

So, I did just that.  It was obviously that I was very confused, and someone asked if they could help me.  When I stated that I wanted to go to Kirkcaldy, I was told to get on the X26, which was already late.  It would take an hour.

Do you think I cared about the time involved?  Nope.  As long as I arrived at my destination I wasn't complaining.

And how lucky was I that the first bus driver suggested the day ticket?

All's well that ends well, right?   

Hmmm.......can't say that I'll be eager to be traveling by bus anytime soon, that's for sure. 

Guess it's time to rethink tomorrow's plans.  I'll keep you posted. 

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Does this sight of a trolley bring back memories of Mr. Rogers?

Well, if you are feeling nostalgic, may I suggest a trip to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum which is located in Washington, just south of Pittsburgh?

If you love history, you won't be disappointed.  The museum houses numerous photos from a different era, featuring, of course, trolleys. Most of the display is geared towards the Pittsburgh area, but other cities were noted as well.

One of my favorite photos from the past was one that I never knew existed:

I certainly found it to be entertaining.

Admission to the museum includes an authentic trolley ride which is featured once every hour.  So, after spending time looking through the photo collection, we meandered around and managed to entertain ourselves.

The ride on the trolley was certainly exciting.  After a friendly greeting by the conductor, we were given a brief history and then the bumpy ride began, complete with the ringing of the bell and the blowing of the whistle when we crossed over the highway. 

Did I say that it was exciting?

Yep!

The trolley took us to a huge warehouse which housed dozens of retired trolleys, some dating back to the days when they were pulled by horses, or by mules, as was the case in Pittsburgh.

I'd venture to say that we saw just about every era of trolley that ever existed.....all in one place.

Lots of fun for little kids as well as us "oldies"! 

 If you're in the area and looking for something unique to do, check it out.  I think you'll find the people to be quite "neighborly"!

  

The Happiness Predictor

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love wedding cake.  There is just something about the dense consistency of the layers spread with a lovely smooth frosting that just sorts of melts in your mouth.

As far as I'm concerned, it's the best part of the celebration dinner, and I've been known to hold out for hours in anticipation of a slice when the reception seems to drag on forever.  

And, I'll admit that it's difficult for me to contain my enthusiasm when the cake cutting becomes first on the list at a reception.  

Picking the perfect cake involves a lot of decision making on the part of the bride and groom. It deserves to be one of the major highlights of the evening. 

Tradition tells us that the joint cutting of the cake symbolizes the first "task" of the married couple's life together.

The bride and the groom each take turns feeding each other the first slice, symbolizing the commitment to provide for each other.

Did you notice how delicately these two fed each other their prospective slices of cake?

I just love it!  Nothing makes me happier than watching this obvious display of affection.

In contrast, nothing annoys me more than watching two people who have just vowed their lives together, smashing cake into each other's faces!

And, I shudder when I hear the crowd of people in attendance, chanting, hoping to see a near food fight. They cheer in jubilation when icing is plastered over faces;  they moan in dismay when nary a crumb is dropped.

What is wrong with these people?

Many of you may scoff at my opinion, and think that I take this tradition too seriously.

But let me suggest that the results of this tradition are actually a Marriage-Happiness-Indicator.

From personal observation, let me share with you my findings:

Cake damage to the spouse = unhappy marriage.  Most ending in divorce in less than 5 years.

Careful cake feeding = respectful, happy marriage.

To me, this makes perfect sense.  A happy marriage is strongly dependent on respect.

Now, this is not saying that everyone who is divorced smashed cake into their partner's face.
Nor is it implying that those who did not, lived "happily ever after".    I'm perfectly aware that there are many factors that can complicate the happiness of a marriage, leading to divorce.

No one can really predict what the future will hold, but it is my opinion that starting out the marriage with food in one's face is not exactly an endearing beginnning.

As far as this beautiful young couple is concerned......I was privileged to be among the invited, and am thrilled to have been part of the glorious celebration of their marriage.

If my indicator is up to snuff...these two have many years of happiness ahead of them.

Congratulations and Best Wishes to the happy couple!

It's a Dog's Life for Sure!

Have dog....will travel!
Let's just say that Buster is certainly enjoying his retirement years.  You'd never know by looking at this photo that he will turn 15 in November, would you?

We are once again staying at the Strasburg Hotel enroute to southern Virginia where we plan on having some quality grandchild time for a few days.  The staff here is quite taken with Buster, as he has become one of their frequent visitors.

Although most people think he's a puppy, his age shows while walking up the stairs.  The flights are about twice as long as the typical set of stairs, and he gets about half way up before he starts panting and just stops.  So, we pick him up and carry him the rest of the way.

And, since we're on the 3rd floor this time, Marty and I are certainly getting some exercise, although I'll admit that Marty gets a lot more than I do. :-)

But that's probably a good thing because he needs to work off that Tall Fat Tire!

No.....I am not insinuating that my husband is fat.  That's the name of the beer.

Had you going there for a minute, didn't I?

Firehouse Fun

When I texted the kids to let them know that we were on our way for a weekend visit, I was greeted with an invite to tag along with the Mom's group for a tour of the Squirrel Hill Fire station.

Now, how could I pass on that adventure?  Little did I know just how enjoyable the event would be.

The fireman were extremely welcoming and entertaining and they did their best to make the kids feel comfortable.

Each one of kids had the opportunity to sit inside the firetruck.

Pose with a fireman

And hold the water hose

There was a demonstration of just how a fireman puts on his layers of clothes, complete with oxygen tank and gas mask. This can look quite daunting to little kids, and the purpose in having the demonstration was to show the kids that even though a fireman may look scary behind the equipment, there is really a friendly fireman underneath.  

While the kids were being entertaining, I was enjoying the architecture of this station, built in 1906, which still boasts the ornate tin ceilings and many of the original tall windows frames and doorways.  Unfortunately, the pole that the men would have slid down in years past had been removed as the fireman facilities were all on the ground floor of the building.  Shucks!  That would have been fun to watch.

Being the inquisitive type, I found a friend in one of the fireman who was eager to answer all of my questions, and he surprised us all by asking us if we'd like a tour of the inside of the building.  

Thanks to this grandma, we soon found ourselves walking through the kitchen, den and sleeping areas.  Pretty cool.....don't you think?

These guys did a great job making the experience a fun time for all involved. 

My favorite part of the tour was when the fireman asked the kids, "So, what do you do when the smoke detector in your house goes off?

One of the kids answered, "You take out the batteries!!."

You can well imagine the reaction to that statement.  

Entertainment at its best.... and how lucky am I to have been invited to be part of the fun?