March 25 & 26: Back to the British Museum and a Day of Monsters

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Nicholas as well as the Rosetta Stone

After our root view to the British Museum , nosotros realised we'd require to shuffle our schedule as well as brand approximately other trip there.  We planned to brand it brilliant as well as early on thence nosotros could ability through Hellenic Republic & Rome , Assyria as well as Mesopotamia , as well as encounter a lilliputian to a greater extent than of the Age of Enlightenment room.  We did a tour in that location alongside a friendly former lady who told stories of King Henry III's collection of objects as well as antiquities which were donated to the museum past times his boy (who replaced his library of curiosities alongside a novel kitchen).  We too had a experience as well as play alongside a few objects , including a calcite makeup pot from 3000BC inwards Egypt.  The fifty-fifty friendlier , fifty-fifty older volunteer who was showing them to us explained that it would possess got been role of a travelling gear upward of makeup pots.

"For a rattling long journeying ," she insisted.  "The longest journey.  They wouldn't dare become to the afterlife without approximately makeup to doll upward for the gods."

Craig joined us at the British Museum for a hateful solar daytime of exploring as well as gallivanting!

Nicholas exploring objects from the Parthenon 

Making friends alongside 'unnamed Homeric figures'

Looking at all the representation of gods as well as monsters , especially inwards the Greek as well as Assyrian fine art , made me experience truly connected to these ancient civilisations.  It was similar I was role of this long business of artists trying to describe as well as sympathise monsters , as well as the role of animals as well as people together. 

A hybrid deity/monster/protector from Assyrian art

That nighttime nosotros went to Forbidden Planet , a huge comic mass as well as pop civilization store , earlier heading to a vegan cafe inwards Covent Garden.  We chatted for a truly long fourth dimension alongside Lena as well as Oliver , who are a truly , truly sugariness couple.

The next hateful solar daytime nosotros had intended to become dorsum to the British  Museum , exactly nosotros didn't truly brand it.  While nosotros were demolishing raw vegan cheesecakes the nighttime earlier , Oliver stressed the amazing-ness of the Hunterian Museum.  They identify most of John Hunter's surgical specimens in that location , including many a foetus , a giant skeleton as well as heaps of other 'anomalies' including a two-headed sheep as well as conjoined babe skull.  Oliver insisted nosotros would solely pass an hr there.  We spent three.

Technically yous can't accept whatever pictures inwards the Hunterian... oops.

We had a few precious hours inwards London left as well as I was desperate to view a lilliputian store I had seen online called Hoxton Street Monster Supplies (why I wanted to become in that location should become without saying).  It was perfect.  Upon entry , yous could listen the purrs as well as mews of an invisible truthful cat as well as encounter collections of curious-looking wares.  They were nearly all nutrient products , alongside the actual ingredients listed underneath.  Many contained stories past times professional person or amateur horror writers , as well as all proceeds from the store went to an afterschool creative writing programme for local kids as well as teenagers.   It was pretty awesome.

Hoxton Street Monster Supplies

Nicholas had been expressing a pretty enterprise wish to become to a rave store called Cyberdog (???) which was nigh Camden markets.  Everything was lit upward nether blacklight as well as glowed as well as they had the craziest clothe , exactly nosotros couldn't accept pictures.  Nicholas bought approximately socks as well as a t-shirt.  He wanted a lot of other (very impractical) wearable items because - as well as I quote - "They remind me of the future."

We said an extremely hurried goodbye to Lena , who performed approximately songs as well as a monologue for us that she had been preparing for her audition , as well as went to instruct the overnight jitney to Edinburgh...

You hateful I brought all my magic beans hither for nothing?!

It's fudge , I promise.

We bought approximately 'Salt Made from Tears of Sorrow" because it was a mix of dried lavander as well as ocean salts which could a) brand a delicious roast veggie seasoning or b) go heated on a stove for incense properties.  The possibilities? Endless.

*Note: must utilization earlier attempting re-entry to Australia! (and maintain the bottle)

"CAUTION: delight accept help when stroking Wells , our invisible cat.  He's a lilliputian temperamental as well as may scratch if provoked."  Nicholas wants to 'install' an 'invisible cat' at our identify when nosotros return.  I hollo back Puck volition abhor it.

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April 16 & 17: Swimming in Loch Ness & Corrieshalloch Gorge

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We woke upwardly to abide by to a greater extent than frost on the machine the adjacent morn , in addition to Craig’s whizz-bang spotter told us that it got downwardly to -4 overnight.  There was lots of dew on all the grass in addition to my socks were moisture inwards minutes.  I was actually looking frontward to a nighttime inwards the far-too-fancy B&B nosotros had organised for that nighttime inwards Dores , correct on the loch.  It was a notch out of our toll arrive at , but I was getting pretty hooked on instant mashed murphy then nosotros figured they’d residuum each other out.

We’d hoped to create a prissy long walk in addition to handbag a few to a greater extent than Munro’s amongst Craig that morn in addition to got upwardly prissy in addition to early.  Craig in addition to Nick larn on similar a solid on burn in addition to sat around talking nearly what cereal they ate every bit children , patch nosotros ate cornflakes amongst berries in addition to drank our Lemsip.  We ran out of fourth dimension in addition to opted for a shorter walk.

Because Craig in addition to I are idiots , nosotros allowed Nicholas to hold out The Reader of the Map in addition to spent a skillful bargain of fourth dimension trampling through heather when at that spot was a path non 50m away.  We made a mini-summit , snapped some pictures of the golf game course of didactics below , in addition to flora our fourth dimension would hold out amend spent eating scones at the café inwards Braemar.  Priorities.

Nick in addition to I on the peak that wasn't fifty-fifty a peak

The boys chatted patch I downed a delicious pea soup , earlier Nicholas in addition to I ready off for Inverness.  We said goodbye to Craig , vowing to run across upwardly inwards Glen Affric the next week.

This identify Nicholas in addition to I shelled out on had a soul beach on the loch , which is what sold us really.  It wasn’t also far from Inverness either , which was nice.  We’d flora them on AirBnB , but they were to a greater extent than of a formal BnB than some of the spare rooms we’d been kipping in.  We had an upstairs room , decked out inwards Harris Tweed which Rosalyn – our Scottish contact – referred to every bit “Scottish Gold” , amongst a soul balcony overlooking Loch Ness.  It was basically the materials dreams were made of.  They also had a re-create of a game called Nessie Hunt , which Nicholas has been trying to beginning since but it was a express run (I don’t shout out back it did also good commercially).

Our amazing blueish Harris Tweed bedroom

The trivial Highland Coo key!

'

Nicholas on the balcony amongst our tea in addition to cupcakes before long after nosotros arrived

We watched the Sun larn downwardly on the beach (this is a term I purpose lightly , because I experience similar it’s non a beach if it doesn’t convey sand) in addition to went wading inwards some gumboots nosotros flora at the holding , slipping on the mossy rocks underwater.  Some dribbled into my kicking in addition to felt similar ice.

“I wonder if you lot tin give the sack swim inwards the loch ,” I asked Nick.  He later on asked the possessor of the B&B , who said yes in addition to people oft create it on the get-go twenty-four hours of the New Year.  In wetsuits.  They also create a charity swim inwards high summer.  In wetsuits.  We didn’t convey a wetsuit.

We also flora a truthful cat on the beach (found is some other term I purpose lightly , because it technically belonged to the B&B).  They used to convey 2 cats , in addition to locked them both exterior inwards illustration visitors had allergies , but a machine hitting one.  The possessor relayed that storey amongst a chuckle , maxim it was a lesson for the children nearly crossing the road.  I fleck my natural language , because I tin give the sack larn a fleck mouthy when cats are concerned.

We nabbed some dinner at the Dores Inn , which was a pretty cute trivial place.  I had a lentil burger (the get-go inwards far also long) in addition to Nick had macaroni in addition to cheese (which is sold literally everywhere inwards Scotland).  I downed a Hendrick’s amongst slices of cucumber , in addition to considered eating the aromatic cucumber audio compensation for skipping out on my salad.  Apparently there’s a guy who lives inwards the carpark of the Dores Inn looking for the Loch Ness monster , in addition to has done for over 20 years.  Sounds similar my kinda guy.  He’d packed upwardly for the nighttime though , then nosotros made a mental banker's complaint to come upwardly back.

Sunset over Loch Ness

Nicholas befriending the cat

Wading inwards the loch

Monster hunting amongst Dinky

The adjacent morn , nosotros got upwardly brilliant in addition to early on to firm into the mutual depression temperature , mutual depression temperature loch.  Apparently the surface temperature of the loch is a balmy 4-5 degrees all twelvemonth , then it shouldn’t affair nosotros were heading inwards for a dip patch the frost was melting on the leaves around us.  I actually desire to pretend it was a magical experience in addition to I could experience monsters tickling my toes , but I was only nearly vomiting from mutual depression temperature inwards my bathers in addition to almost completely numb when I got out.

This is a human face upwardly that says 'I don't shout out back I desire to swim inwards the loch anymore'

After breakfast (which , similar everything at the B&B was top-notch) nosotros were coming together upwardly amongst the fabled Rosalyn , who I had been chatting to online for a trivial while.  I’m unremarkably pretty hopeless amongst keeping upwardly amongst people online , then I was pretty impressed.  She plant for tourism inwards Scotland in addition to is amazingly skillful at it.  Because she’s also an amazingly generous human beingness , she offered to drive Nick in addition to I around to the Black Isle in addition to for a beautiful drive through the mountains.  Nick looked frontward to having somebody else drive for a patch , in addition to I looked frontward to non beingness berated for my pitiable map-reading skills (we convey this inwards common).

Nicholas going for a dip inwards the loch

One way to wake upwardly (not advised though)

Rosalyn took us on a lovely drive , pointing out all the necessary sights in addition to giving us all the historical references i mightiness need.  We pulled upwardly at a identify called Corrieshalloch Gorge , which was a waterfall different whatsoever I’ve seen inwards Australia.  We took a few pictures , but they don’t create it justice.  The air smelt actually mossy , in addition to it was far to a greater extent than humid than what we’d come upwardly to aspect inwards the UK.  We spied a tiny lizard who’d come upwardly out for a trivial relish inwards the Sun (Rosalyn was shocked – she’d never fifty-fifty seen a lizard inwards Scotland) in addition to other tiny , mossy waterfalls dripping onto the path.  It was , similar most things inwards Scotland , magic.

A little , beautiful halt off nosotros made on the way to the gorge

Corrieshalloch Gorge

We were itching for dejeuner , then Rosalyn took us to i of her favourite places for cake.  We were a tad disappointed that she was offering us cake , non donuts , because the i thing nosotros had garnered from her suggestions for our trip was that she was a fan of donuts.  The cakes were skillful though , then nosotros understood. 

The 3 of us were sprawled out inwards the Sun when I saw an outfit that looked awfully familiar.

“Nick , that guy’s wearing the same motorcycle gear every bit Craig ,” I said.

“Maybe he plant for Triumph , also ,” Nick suggested.

It was Craig.

Nick in addition to Craig began their usual banter , in addition to I sat inwards the Sun talking to Rosalyn until the Sun began to ready in addition to she needed to caput dwelling solid for dinner.  She did give us the scenic tour on the way dwelling solid every bit good , pointing out the intricacies of Inverness in addition to explaining that Inverness Castle wasn’t opened upwardly earth unless you lot were a criminal.  It was directly a courthouse.

We picked upwardly some groceries in addition to caput to where nosotros are now: Inverarnie.  It’s a trivial away from Inverness (inver agency ‘mouth of the river’) in addition to we’re staying inwards a prissy identify on a big plot of land.  It could hold out every bit prissy in addition to every bit homey every bit it wants , but nosotros had spoiled ourselves also much amongst the B&B on the loch in addition to I wanted to larn paddling again.

While nosotros were sitting inwards the Sun amongst Craig , nosotros saw this human being walk off the sand into the water.  He only kept going in addition to going.  Perhaps fishing? Who knows.

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