BY Clay Larroy
If
you're looking to get away from it all with a trip away from home, don't forget
to
travel
smart. Regardless of whether you are traveling to a nearby location for the
weekend or taking a week-long destination vacation, you are always going to
benefit from some tips and ideas on how to make the whole process, more fun and
less stressful. Take
time each day to alleviate stress while traveling or vacationing and you will
thank yourself for it when you get back home. When
you want to plan a vacation contact me!
The recent success of the 2008 movie "The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep"
reinforces the fascination some have with the mystery of Nessie, the shy
inhabitant of a deep glacial lake in Scotland. First stories of a creature
living in the depths of Loch Ness date back to the ancient Vikings, and there
is a written description of a sighting dating to 565 A.D. The film is set in
the more recent 1940s, and centers around the relationship between a lonely
young boy and a baby water horse - one critic called it "ET moved
underwater". The official tourist board of the country, VisitScotland, is
hoping the film will be an inspiration for tourists to visit the setting. But
Nessie isn’t the only famous critter in Scotland, and visitors can balance
stories of Vikings and Normans and kings and queens and royal betrayals and
ultimate intrigues with some heartwarming tales of beloved four legged natives.
Three or four days in Edinburgh will allow you a wonderful visit, including a
stroll down the Royal Mile, from Edinburgh Castle all the way down to Holyrood
House. You can drink in the regal atmosphere of the old town, and then head up
to Princes Street and enjoy the shopping, dining, and entertainment in the
"New Town". But before you do, wander down to the corner of
Candlemakers Row and King George IV Bridge to admire the statue of a Scottish
Skye Terrier, Grayfriars Bobby. The story of the devotion of this dog to his
master is a treasured legend of the city. John Gray came to Edinburgh in the
early 1800s and eventually became a Constable of the Edinburgh Police Force.
Needing a watch dog to assist in the performance of his duties, he enlisted a
little Skye Terrier and named him Bobby. For many years they worked together as
a team, until John became ill with TB and died in 1858. He was buried in the
old Greyfriars Churchyard. For fourteen years "Greyfriars" Bobby kept
watch over his master’s final resting place, leaving the cemetery only once a
day for his midday meal. His devotion to his master ended only with his own
death in 1872. Bobby’s grave is inside the kirkyard not far from his master’s,
and this monument is a lasting reminder of this touching relationship.
Another unusual and ongoing animal/human relationship has its
home in Edinburgh, as well. This one is between a penguin and the Norwegian King’s
Guard. The zoo in Edinburgh has one of the finest penguin exhibits in the world,
dating all the way to 1913 when a Norwegian explorer to the South Atlantic
presented the zoo with its first king penguin. In 1961 the King’s Guard
came to Edinburgh to participate in the Tattoo. The members of the guard
visited the zoo, and were struck by how these creatures seemed to march so
stiffly and precisely in almost military formation. Upon a return visit, the
Norwegian soldiers decided to adopt a particular penguin as one of their own,
and gave him the honorary rank of Lance Corporal. Lance Corporal Nils Olav -
named after a lieutenant in the Guard and a king of Norway - served his fellow
soldiers with dignity and honor, and on subsequent visits for the Tattoo they
promoted him from Lance Corporal, to Corporal, to Sergeant, then to Regimental Sergeant
Major, and in 2005 was not only promoted to Colonel-in-Chief, but also was
presented with a four foot high bronze statue of his own handsome likeness.
This honorary winged member of the Royal Norwegian Guard is much
more than a mascot - the march of this penguin is at the front of the column,
befitting his position as the Guard’s beloved honorary commander. Who knows
what future honors may be in store as the Guard returns each August to
participate in the pageantry of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo? Dozens of
marching bands from all over the world parade with the spectacular image of
Edinburgh Castle as the perfect stage back-drop. Since 1950 the event has
stirred the hearts of millions of visitors. The word "tattoo" comes
from last call at the low country inns jut before the taps were closed -- tap
toe - if you are in Edinburgh in August, it is a pageant not to be missed.
Perhaps as you leave Edinburgh for the next leg of your journey,
you’ll pass by the zoo as you head towards the Highlands. You may make a stop
in Calendar - a favorite vacation spot of the movers and shakers of the 1800s.
This is the location of the "Roman Camp Hotel", whose main building
dates from 1625, and was originally built as a hunting lodge. Or if you are
just passing through on your way to Glencoe or Loch Ness, you may be ready for
a rest stop and a cup of tea in Kilmahog. While you are there you might visit
the Woolen Mills, and of course you’ll say hello to Hamish.
A Highland bull doomed to be put down because of an epidemic of
hoof and mouth disease, Hamish was spared only upon the condition that he live
the rest of his life in isolation from any other livestock. Now he is
befriended and entertained by the tourists who bring him treats, take his
picture, and keep him company on a daily basis. The gift shop close by is
filled with Hamish memorabilia: stuffed animals, books, mousepads, mugs - a
cornucopia of cow creations, sure to please the youngsters at home who might be
looking forward to a Scottish souvenir.
REFERENCE SITES:
http://www.travelresearchonline.com/
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