Tag Archives: history

Stirling Castle

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Soon after arriving in Scotland I discovered my trusty old hiking boots were no longer waterproof. There was nothing else for it but to seek out a new pair so we ventured to Stirling for the big event. Newly booted, we paid a visit to Stirling Castle.

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Dating from the early 12th century, the present buildings were mostly built between 1490 and 1600.

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Unfortunately, the Royal Palace was undergoing a £12 million refurbishment so there wasn’t a lot for us to see.

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Judging by the weather, the walkway between the Palace and the Great Hall was a necessity.

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Just outside the castle walls lies Ballengeich Cemetery and gorgeous views across the River Forth and countryside beyond.

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The inclement weather put a dampener on the National Wallace Memorial, standing on the summit of Abbey Craig.

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The 13th century Scottish hero, Sir William Wallace, is commemorated by this 67 metre high sandstone tower, built in 1869.

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We didn’t explore the monument as we were short of time. We had a dinner date back in Greenock with some of Michael’s long lost relatives.

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Next time, we will visit the monument and climb the 246 steps to the top, hopefully on a clear day.

Asciano

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On a perfect spring morning, we set off for a day of exploring the Tuscan countryside and some of the towns along the way. Our first stop was Asciano, an Etruscan hill town in the province of Sienna. We parked our trusty Fiat

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and wandered through the quiet streets.

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From a high point in the town, the 13th century campanile of the Church of Saint Agatha complemented the surrounding verdancy.

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We indulged in coffee and chocolate croissants

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before meandering back to the car. An Australian cycling team were taking a break, they were probably in the area for the Giro d’Italia.

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The clocktower was topped with a beautiful decorative feature.

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The 11th century Basilica of Saint Agatha looked quite different from this angle.

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I couldn’t write an Italian post without including at least a couple of doors.

As the cyclists left town,

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it was time to continue on our way, too. We didn’t get far before stopping to admire the breathtaking panorama.

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I think I found my dream home.

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The Falkirk Wheel

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We had seen a documentary on the Falkirk Wheel some time before our travels and just had to see it for ourselves. Near the town of Falkirk in central Scotland, the Forth & Clyde Canal used to be connected to the Union Canal by a series of eleven locks. In the 1930s, the locks were demolished and for decades there was nothing to connect these two canals. The Falkirk Wheel, the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world, opened in 2002 and reconnected Glasgow and Edinburgh via these canals. We walked along the Forth & Clyde Canal on a crisp autumn morning

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and were absolutely awed at our first sight of the wheel.

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The wheel works on Archimedes principle of displacement. The two gondolas are full of water. When a boat enters the gondola, it displaces a proportional volume of water so that the total mass is equal to the other gondola, whether there is a boat in it or not.

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The upper gondola is lowered as the lower one rises. Fascinating!

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The shape of the wheel was inspired by the Celtic double-headed axe. It is 35m in diameter and raises the boats 24m. More than eight boats can be carried at a time, taking around 20 minutes for a one way trip. Of course, we hopped on for a return circuit.

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I wish I had taken more photos, it was truly amazing.

Cortona

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I have wanted to visit Cortona for as long as I can remember, even before “Under the Tuscan Sun” made it popular. An ancient Etruscan city, dating back to 600BC it was every bit as magical as I expected. Only a 10 minute drive from Il Castagno, we parked outside the city walls and strolled through the beautiful narrow streets

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lined with every shop imaginable.

Michael even bought a pair of shoes!

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Somewhere along the way, we caught a glimpse of the cloister of Santo Agostino convent.

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Our wandering led to Piazza Garibaldi with an obelisk dedicated to Guiseppe Garibaldi and a commemorative monument to Leonardo di Vinci.

We were lured to lunch at Ristorante Tonino by the breathtaking view.

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Unfortunately, the menu catered for tourists rather than those wishing to experience a traditional Tuscan meal.

After lunch, we walked through the Parterre Gardens, past the Monument to the Dead of World War I,

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a beautiful fountain,

and what appeared to be an amphitheatre.

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There is a marble sculpture, the Dove of Peace, by John D Kehoe who, in 1970, founded an international art study program in Cortona.

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Just past the magnificent San Domenico Campanile

we found ourselves on a tranquil tree-lined path.

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We attempted to find Bramasole, the villa renovated by Frances Mayes in “Under the Tuscan Sun”. We either didn’t walk far enough or we took the wrong turn, sadly, we never found it. Instead, we headed for the highest point in Cortona.

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It was a very hot spring day and after a heavy lunch and a vino or two, it was a bit of a challenge.

Stopping to catch our breath now and then, the sights were rewarding.

The further we got, the more determined we were to make it

and finally, we reached Fortezza di Girifalco.

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We took our time exploring the well preserved ruins of the 16th century fortress.

The panorama over the rooftop of the 14th century Convent of Santa Margherita

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across the Val di Chiana and Lake Trasimeno was spectacular.

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There would be some fascinating stories in the old walled cemetery.

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The Basilica Santa Margherita was built following the death of the patron saint of Cortona in 1297.

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The return walk to town was an easy stroll, I couldn’t resist the intriguing doorways once again.

After a short visit to the Chiesa di San Francesco, built in 1245,

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we enjoyed well earned gelati before returning to our gorgeous villa to sit with a vino and reflect on our wonderful day.

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loving the Lowlands

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We left Carlisle on a clear, crisp morning, briefly stopping at Gretna Green on our way to Dumfries. We spent some time looking around the town and discovered this magnificent bridge. The original wooden bridge was built around 1270 for Lady Devorgilla of Galloway. Replaced with a masonry structure in the 15th century, it was severely damaged by floods in 1621. The single Gothic arch at the western end was retained in the rebuild but the new arches are semicircular.

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Old Bridge House was built in 1660 by a barrel maker and served as an inn in the 1700s. It became a family home during the 1800s and was converted into two flats in the 1950s. The oldest house in Dumfries is now a museum.

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We drove the Galloway Scenic route to Ayr, immersed in the breathtaking scenery of the Scottish Lowlands.

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We continued north, following the Firth of Clyde. Under a misty sky, the Isle of Arran loomed out of the water.

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The village of Wemyss Bay is the departure point for ferries to the Isle of Bute. The Inverkip Power Station chimney, Scotland’s tallest free-standing structure at 237m no longer exists. The site was cleared for housing and the last thing to be demolished was the chimney in July 2013.

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Our destination was Greenock, Michael’s dad’s old stomping ground. The views across the Clyde were stunning.

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We found a lovely B&B in nearby Gourock and enjoyed a fabulous meal at The Spinnaker Hotel as night fell over Dunoon.

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