As I find myself lying here in bed in Nairn Scotland in the early morning hours, it seems as if the entire hotel is still asleep.  Just like the past several mornings  I find that for one reason or another, regardless of the late hours I might of kept the previous evening, I awaken very early.  Unlike the previous several mornings though, I am without Amanda.  We said farewell to one another yesterday morning in Aberdeen and I drove through some of the countryside to this small town located on the northern coast, just footsteps from a beautiful shoreline.  Although I find myself ever so anxious to share with you the absolutely incredible night I had last night right here at the Clifton House Hotel, I will save that for the next journal entry. Instead I will attempt to capture the magic that Amanda and I experienced over this past weekend on the small island of Shetland.  It was a weekend neither of us will forget for as long as we shall live, as it was magic! 

The weekend actually began for us on Thursday morning.  We woke up at 5 as I recall and completed our packing for our upcoming trip.  As I packed my things, I knew I was packing for what would be the rest of my three month trip and Amanda of course was packing for the three days we would be on the island.  I was quite surprised when she was finished. She was bringing one moderate size piece of luggage, instead of a typical lady trying to bring her entire wardrobe.  We left her house at about eight that morning and as I walked out the door, I actually felt quite sad knowing that after our weekend, I would be moving on and not returning to her cozy home, and yes, to her as well. 

Amanda had to work a half day at the Dalmahoy and I decided to take advantage of their facilities and used the lovely pool, spa, and steam room while I waited.  Amanda had said she'd be ready at noon to leave for our drive to Aberdeen, some two hours up the coast.  After using the aforementioned facilities, I decided to sit in the hotel's rear, overlooking the golf course and enjoy a cigar.  Just like every day that I had been in the United Kingdom, it was raining.  I was becoming sick and tired of the weather to be quite honest.  My home in California this time of year was sunny and warm every day with no exceptions.  Instead I kept finding myself with intermittent showers, occasional downpours, and yes wind and cool temperatures.  All the negative things you hear about the weather in the U.K. are true - it sucks. 

Shortly after noon, Amanda came out and we were on our way to Aberdeen where we would catch our P&O Ferry for a 14 hour overnight voyage on the North Sea.  We stopped at a local shopping center to get some lunch for ourselves and Amanda wanted to stop at a cellular phone store.  I went into a local Safeway and grabbed some sandwiches for our drive and upon meeting Amanda in the cell phone store, she gave me the cell phone she had just had activated.  Her friend Emma had an extra phone and Amanda said it would be a good thing for me to have on my trip in case of an emergency.  I reluctantly accepted the phone from her, with the prepaid card inside, because I felt the "in case of an emergency" was her way of wanting to stay in touch with me for the rest of my trip.  She didn't say this, but I knew she had become fond of me during our visit, ( as I with her ) and thought if it was important to her, why not?  I used to own a cell phone, but decided not to as more often than not, the bill would add up to incredible amounts, regardless of the calling plan I might of had.  Amanda also has a "network" of friends with whom she is able to communicate using text messages, often abbreviating the words allowing for lengthier messages. 

We then proceeded to get back on the road, Amanda in her car and I in mine.  We took two cars because I'd be leaving her upon our return from the Island.  The drive to Aberdeen effortless with the exception of me occasionally falling behind her.  She is a speed demon you might say, and in the city also seems to follow too close behind the cars ahead of her.  We arrived in Aberdeen at about 3:00, leaving us nearly 2 hours to relax.  Our first stop was the dock to locate a place to park her car for the weekend.  She used to live in the city and knew it quite well.  Once near the harbor, we ascertained that it would be too expensive to leave the car in the garage, so we decided to find a nearby street that might be safe to park it on.  I must take credit for the accomplishment of doing this task, as we stopped near a pub and I went in with my sad tourist "help me" face that always works so well and asked for a tip on a safe place to park a car for a few days.  Within moments, we were leaving her car on a street in a posh neighborhood.  Then, we returned to the road along the waterfront for a cappuccino prior to heading to the dock.  Just as I had all the days of our visit, I found myself enjoying her company so very much.  She has such a great sense of humor and often easily laughs at my attempts of humor.  When we were done with our cappuccinos, we went back to the car to discover a near disaster.  I of course had locked the doors but had failed to realize the passenger side's rear window was completely down.  Anyone could of simply walked by and grabbed my equipment, well worth over $5,000 dollars.  How could I of been so careless I thought?

We arrived at the ferry (I like to call it a ship as it seemed so large) at the exact time we were told to - 4:45 PM.  At the vehicle entrance gate, we attempted to check in only to find my car had not been added to the vehicle roster.  Some people take passage without a car, hiring one upon arrival.  I went inside the main office to check in and pick up our tickets which had been so kindly given to me by Mr. David O'Brien in exchange for a banner ad on my site.  In doing so, I learned I should of specified I had a vehicle, but there was still room for our car.  No problem.  We drove the boat on board and found our cabin, room 313.  As one might expect, it was very small, but comfortable none the less.  There were two bunks, the top folded up snugly against the wall, the bottom was folded the same, but provided seats for sitting when folded up.  No TV or anything else, we only had each other and as far as I was concerned, that was more than enough.  She laughed when I asked how to open the window, as I guess such a question was quite silly on such a ship.  After settling in, we decided to head up to the ships deck to see Aberdeen off and take some pictures.  I must say, I was taken aback at just how romantic it was holding her in my arms as the city became smaller and smaller on the horizon.  We had the chance to take some fantastic pictures of each other, as well as ourselves together.  Once we were on our way out to sea, we located a cafeteria on board and had a lovely dinner.  Amanda had but a roll and soup, and I had some type of calzone which I shared with her.  Having completed dinner, they happened to start a video on a nearby monitor of the Shetland Islands.  As I thought wow, what a place, Amanda found herself wanting to go to the cabin and rest.  I watched the rest of the video




and became ever so anxious to visit this place that had been but a dot on a map for the past several months and in just hours I would.  I got back to the cabin not too long after and found Amanda all cuddled up and warm under the duvet. (Scottish for comforter)  I couldn't resist lying beside her for a few minutes and just feeling her next to me.

       After snuggling for a little bit, I decided to take my laptop to the ship's reservation office.  I wanted to inquire if I might be granted passage to the bridge as I have on other similar vessels on previous trips.  After seeing my web site, the purser, said he would inquire of the captain if I could visit him on the bridge and would let me know.  So, after not too long, the ship's loudspeaker bellowed out, "Will Mr. Thomas Hall please come the bridge!"   I wish I could of seen Amanda's cute little smile as she heard this, all cuddled up and warm in the cabin. (she later told  me she heard it and wondered why my name was announced)  Upon arriving at the bridge, I was greeted by a the captain, a young man perhaps in his thirties.  Also on the bridge was another gentlemen, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.  We chatted for awhile and I showed him my web site.  They both were quite impressed and agreed to allow me free will of the bridge for photographs.  I took several shots of the captain, myself steering the ship, and then off the scenery out the window.  I couldn't believe how calm the ocean was, it was as calm as glass you might say.  The purser had told me in 15 years of sailing, he had only seen it this calm maybe three times. Now I'd like to think the heavens above had answered my pray, but with all that is happening in the world, I hardly thought it possible. Luck I thought?  After some more conversation, I saw an oil rig off in the distance.  I asked about it and before I knew it, the captain changed the ships course to bring me within a mile of it for photographs.  Incredible I thought, changing the course of the ship for almost half an hour to take some pictures.  Luck?  After taking the pictures of the rig, I then noticed a wonderful sunset off to the west.  The sky was magnificent in all shades of reds, blues, and oranges.  Amanda had to see this!  I hurried back to the cabin to find her sleeping soundly, and ever so gently tried to wake her up. I was greeted with a wry smile and she asked what I had been doing.  She seemed very content where she was though, and opted not to come up to the bridge.  (only later to regret it when she saw the photos - "why didn't you wake me?" she said the next day)  When finished on the bridge, I returned to talk with the purser who was the most delightful of men.  From Glasgow, he had been sailing with P&O for some time.  We sat in his cabin sharing stories with one another.  What a great visit I had with him and I hope to visit him and his lovely Italian wife on another journey.  As I returned to the cabin, Amanda kindly accommodated me in the single bunk and together we held each other ever so closely, occasionally feeling the steady rocking of the ship.  We had a most peaceful slumber, which would help us for the magical day that was about to begin in only hours. 

Just after the captain awoke us with an announcement of our arrival in approximately one hour, Amanda and I each took a nice shower in the cabin and readied ourselves to depart the ship.  I left her as she showered and went down to the cabin of the purser to give him some cd's he wanted to copy that I had.  While he was in the process of doing so, I inquired about breakfast and without hesitation, he said he'd provide the two of us with vouchers for a nice on-board breakfast.  I left him to get Amanda and bring her to the restaurant where we had a lovely (Amanda's favorite word)  breakfast.  While loading my plate from the buffet, I saw what looked like sausage patties, but they were black.  Their name forsakes me now, but after returning to the table, Amanda smugly asked if I knew what I was about to eat?  I told her I had no idea and then she told me they were made from sheep's blood.  Regardless, I ate one and then resisted  eating the other two because of the thought of the blood...  We finished breakfast and headed for the car below to exit the ship. 

Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java(tm). Upon driving ashore, we were greeted by a cute town called Lerwick, just on the east side of the island.  We decided to do our sightseeing first, before we went to our hotel.  The captain had said our best sites would be seen on the southern most tip of the island, were we would see beautiful coastal scenery and lots of various species of birds nesting on the cliffs above the shore.  I believe the area was known as Sunbrugh.   He also told us to stop by the airport and to ask to be directed to the coast guard, as they may just be willing to take us for a ride in helicopter.  Right, I thought.  Anyway, as my time is limited at the moment, I will simply tell you that Amanda and I had the most wonderful of mornings.  It was very sunny and the entire drive took us about an hour and  a half.  We were both captivated by the beautiful shoreline and felt ever so grateful for the sunny day we were experiencing.  At one point, I stopped the car and took Amanda down hill with my sleeping bag.  I spread it out on the green grass and together we laid there just soaking up our new found paradise.  The fields were ever so green, and were complimented by bushes of bright yellow flora, mixed in with purples and blues.  The beaches were bright white and the adjoining water was very clear and aqua-blue in color.  After our short respite, we then continued on our way south. 

Not long after, we arrived at our destination.  In doing so, we also found the airport.  Within no time we pulled our car into the drive of the Coast Guard.  I opened and turned on my laptop and set it so my web site was present on the screen.  When we arrived at the hanger, a gentleman, about 55 I'd say, was calmly smoking a cigarette outside the hangar.  He was wearing a uniform and the traditional pilot sunglasses.  After engaging in a short conversation, I discovered we were talking to the District Supervisor for the coast guard on the entire Island.  Well, you guessed it!  Within no time, we were airborne.  This came only after a short letdown because as we were about to take off, a guy came running out that they had a rescue called in.  So they got us off as fast as possible and we all went running back inside.  Shit I thought, a wonderful opportunity down the drain.  When we got inside, we discovered it was a false alarm.  So needless to say, back up we went.  I sat in the rear and Amanda sat with a young boy who was doing an internship from school  Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java(tm). I had a bubble window which allowed me to stick my head inside for photos while Amanda had a nice view of the pilot she thought was ever so handsome.  It made me mad, ok jealous, to hear this observation.  We went up for about a 20 minute ride in the double bladed chopper, over some of the most spectacular scenery we had ever seen.  As we flew over the coast and fields, I got some beautiful shots.  The fields, as described earlier, were vibrantly green and compliment by various shades of blues of the ocean.  It was simply spectacular.  So, with all that said, I will simply allow the pictures show you just how fantastic it all was! 

Once we got off the chopper, our final destination of the southern most tip of the island was just down the road and we were there in just minutes.  I decided to bypass the parking area as I saw a sign for additional parking (for disabled) just up the hill we would of had to walk. Feel guilty? Not at all, the spot was desolate and it really didn't matter.  But if questioned, Amanda had a bum leg with a bruise to prove it.  ;-)  The spot we found was just near an old lighthouse.  Amanda, as cautious as could be, said "What if someone is up here"?  I laughed as it seemed like we were at the end of the earth - except for a handful of other tourist milling about.  So, without further hesitation we walked up the short path to the lighthouse complex of buildings.  Between the steep cliff and the complex, there was a stone wall about 5 ft tall which had probably been there for ages.  We both were just stunned by how beautiful it was, both the scenery and the weather - sunny and warm!  We spent some time taking pictures, well, I did I should say.  Amanda was ever so patient with me during all our time together when I was taking photos.  At one point, I walked down a grassy hill to take a panorama and the grass seemed to be ever so deep and cushiony.   Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java(tm). It was as if I was walking on a huge pillow filled with goose feathers, very, very soft and I could feel myself sinking nearly a foot with each step.  I took the panorama and then had a great idea.  I lifted myself up over the brick wall separating us from the steep cliff and as I thought, there was just enough room for us to walk on that side of the wall.  It had a similar cushion of grass.  So, I climbed up on it and then dropped myself on the other side.  Amanda thought I was crazy.  Once over though, I convinced her to join me for what was probably one of the most secluded and beautiful spots I have ever been on.  Heaven I thought!  We sat there for only a few moments before I realized how wonderful of a place it would be to kiss.  So, after convincing Amanda of the same, we shared on of the most wonderful kisses I have ever had, all the while seabirds flew about us singing their approval!  Amanda told me she had never kissed in such a place and absolutely loved it!  After lounging there for some time afterwards, we decided we better head out to our hotel for the day, as it was nearing 3 in the afternoon. 

The drive back up the coast was as wonderful as the drive down had been.  We put in some lovely music and together found ourselves singing along with the lyrics.  I was surprised Amanda would sing out loud, I guess she felt comfortable with me.  We stopped in a Safeway to get some lunch and have a cappuccino. It was here that we had a slight misunderstanding.  After I had bought my food, I wanted to eat it and then have my cappuccino.  I saw Amanda standing in line in an in-store cafe.  I assumed she was getting our drink.  I told her I wanted to eat my food first and to c'mon.  I had no idea she was getting a baked potato with beans instead of our coffee.  When I learned this in the car, I felt like crap.  She had earlier mentioned she was hungry and I had inadvertently kept her from her "lunch".   To her discouragement, I returned to the store and had a fresh potato baked and brought it back out to her.  She was happy, as was I. 

Our first of two hotels was still yet another 30 - 45 minute drive from the main town of Lerwick.  The island was quite easy to navigate as the roads were few and well marked.  The name of the hotel as the Busta House Hotel. I had no great expectations, but upon arrival was quite pleased to find such a charming and historic hotel.  The front had a lovely garden with a variety of various flowers, all in bloom.  The owner, Mr. Joe Rocks came out and cheerfully greeted us.  He was a thin man with a beard as I recall.  We briefly chatted in the lobby and then he showed us two rooms to choose from, one had twin beds and the other had a nice wrought iron single bed overlooking the lovely aforementioned garden. I, being the gentleman that I am, allowed Amanda to choose.  She wanted the latter.  So, without further adieu, we got settled into the room.  We both wanted to have a nice dinner that evening, as it was friday night.  After relaxing for a moment or two, I left Amanda to go and do some 360 panoramas for Mr. Rocks.  I figured I'd do several, and then allow him to choose two for free and sell or barter with the rest.  They usually want all the panoramas I shoot.  I shot several lovely ones, as the portable 800 watt lamp I brought worked quite nicely it illuminate the various rooms.  Off the lobby, there is a room called the "Long Room".  Quite lovely, it is lined with historic books and artifacts.  In later reading, I discovered the Queen herself had had tea in this room, as her yacht the Britannia was moored offshore.  I then proceed to shoot the rest of the hotel, beginning with the two dining rooms, and then the rear and front yards.  While doing so, I ran into Mr. Rocks wife Veronica.  I introduced myself as she was confused as to who was this man in her hotel with such camera equipment.  She was quite cordial and attractive as well.  I showed her a panorama and told her I'd give her two for free, and the others I'd trade for dinner.  She agreed without hesitation.  Once back at the room, I hurriedly assembled the panoramas on my laptop, put them on a disk, and got ready for dinner.  I decided to wear a pair of black pants, white shirt with a black v-neck sweater overtop.  Amanda wore nice grey pants with a black sleeveless top. She looked lovely.  (and according to her, I looked handsome.  As handsome as the "pilot" I asked...)  The hotel had two dining rooms, one seemed more for what are called "bar meals", the other for the nicer dining.  When they seated us, they put us in the bar dining area which was disappointing to me, but whatever I thought.  I'd make it up with the scotch!  Our waiter was a young boy named Matthew.  He was ever so polite and seemed quite perplexed when I told him to bring me a "great" malt scotch.  He came over with two bottles and I insisted he choose.  I think Amanda had gin and tonic. (boring)  After our cocktail, we ordered.  Amanda had fish and I steak.  We also had a bottle of white wine which I requested Amanda select.  The dinner was nice with the exception of a very loud group of local girls telling stories about boys, they all seemed to fancy Matthew.  After dinner, we ordered another round of drinks, me a double of the same, and Amanda a Baileys.  I should also tell you that it was still very light out at nearly 11:00 PM and we were both amused a poor sap who was methodically mowing the expansive lawn outside the dining room window at that hour. It was quite strange I must say. We took our drinks and walked down to the dock.  It was quite cold that evening, with a strong wind blowing off the water. They called the bay a "voe" I believe.  This same voe one evening took life's of six young men returning from a night of drinking.  All brothers, the oldest was to inherit the estate.  The latter was the only body to be recovered the next day.  The community was stunned. Legend has it that a seal like creature had been spotted the day before or something like that.  This all took place nearly 500 years ago.  After listening to me go on and on about my childhood and how I came to be the person that I am (Amanda said I was "talking for Scotland", an expression for one who talks a lot.  She was full of these little expressions, like another that says "what's for you will not go by you...")  She went up to bed and I stayed down for a small cigar and yet another glass of scotch.  While Matthew was pouring my last drink of the night, I found myself thinking of his shy reaction the the affection and interest the girls had bestowed upon him a tad bit earlier.  "Matthew",  I said, "let me give you some simple advice my older brother once gave me when I was about your age."  "Yes sir!" he replied.  I then proclaimed, "Matthew, the worst thing a girl can ever do to you is to say no.  That's it."  "Wow sir, that's the best advice I have ever gotten, thank you so much" was his reply.  Whether he really thought this I'm not sure, perhaps he was just entertained by my presence and felt compelled to say something.  It was that story that I found myself telling Amanda as I undressed in room moments later.  Amanda had light a small tea candle so the room was just illuminated enough that I could see to hang my clothes neatly on hangers before getting into bed.  As I went to kiss her after crawling in under the down comforter, she "simply said no".  I laughed as I knew after such a lovely day, a kiss would be hard to resist.  We fell asleep in each others arms...

The next day we awoke to what would be one of the greatest days of my life, or at least one which I will never ever forget.  We packed our bags and took a shower before going downstairs.  The dining hall had all of four other people in it.  A selection of yogurt and cereals was available, as was a menu to order from.  As I recall we had some type of eggs and bacon, and maybe some pancakes.  We ended up getting on the road much later than I had hoped for, as I was entertaining Joe and Matthew with some images and a slideshow from the previous day's helicopter.  I had made a cd for Matthew as he was such a nice boy.  He was so grateful as the images were in a slideshow format accompanied by Van Morrison's "Its so Quiet in Here".  When we finally got on the road it was nearly eleven.  The next hotel was in a village called Walls.  It was called The Burrastow Hotel.  On the map, it seemed like it was just around the corner.  But, we seemed to drive for so long.  All the while passing grazing sheep, some which had been recently sheared, others which were shedding naturally and looked quite funny with bare behinds and thick coats of wool elsewhere.  Little lambs were everywhere.  When we finally arrived to Walls, we stopped for gas and directions.  Walls is the kind of town where you could blink and miss it entirely.  "Up the road a bit and then take a left at the sign and go straight ahead" was the instructions at the gas station after topping off.  The directions were perfect and within a minute we were pulling up to the B&B.  Ours was the only car in the lot when we entered and were greeted by Bo Simmons, the owner of the house.  I had read a lot of her cooking and was looking forward to a nice dinner that night.  She was so pleasant to the two of us and showed us to our room.  Without my knowing, she had secretly asked Amanda if one room was ok, or if she had wanted her own?  What do you think was Amanda's reply. ;-)  All the guest rooms were on the bottom floor, except for one with a four poster bed upstairs.  Bo's and her husband Henry's were bedroom was also upstairs as were there two small children's.  Walking about he the various rooms in the house, you really felt as if you were in someone's home, and in fact we were.  After getting unpacked in our immaculate room, I began the process of panoramas again.  In an email, they had said they'd charge me a little bit for Amanda's meal, as she was added to the arrangement after our initial agreement.  The panoramas went really well and as I took them, Amanda spent some time getting to know Bo.  The two other them seemed to warm to one another quickly, as Bo encouraged Amanda to wander the entire home, including her and Henry's bedroom with views of the sea seemingly just out the window. Amanda was very touched by the fact that she had overheard Bo telling Henry that she liked her very much. (not too surprising I thought, as Amanda is a lovely girl)  When I was done with my work, I went for a walk with Amanda to the water where we took some pictures of the two of us together and just talked.  A grazing Shetland Pony would seemed very fond of Amanda as well.  I kept trying to get a picture, but it kept facing Amanda and following her as it thought she had food.  Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java(tm). It was owned by an old couple and apparently the woman is the only one who feeds it.  After this short walk, we returned to the house and Bo had made a small lunch of salad with homemade dressing and some cheese.  Most of what I ate was grown or produced right on there farm.  Amanda had not request lunch, but to my dismay damn near ate all my salad. Hmmmm I thought - typical woman.  While eating, we were quite entertained by a woman who is apparently Bo's assistant in the kitchen.  I had been told we would be having a large dinner that night with several guest, some local islanders, others were guest like ourselves.  Having finished my lunch, we decided that to do much the way of sightseeing was fruitless as the day was short and we were scheduled to have dinner at 7:30 sharp.  So, having wanted to buy a sweater on the island famous for its wool, we decided to drive the main city on the island - Lerwick.  The drive was very pleasant, and much shorter than I had thought.  It took only about 35 minutes, through rolling hillsides covered with grazing animals.  Once in Lerwick, we stopped at several shops looking at sweaters, but only one seemed to suit me.  It was a light brown colored heavy "jumper" as they say in the U.K. with a turtle neck collar.  I love it.  Anyway, we finished our visit to Lerwick with a nice chat in a cafe where Amanda introduced me a wonderful  sweet that was round, about he size of a ping-pong ball.  It had a marshmallow filling sitting on a cookie of sorts, and then covered in what else but chocolate. It was quite good.  Having finished our visit to Lerwick, we then began our journey home listening to the likes of Sinatra, Armstrong and whoever that guy is that sings Mona Lisa and countless other great hits.  (his name is on the tip of my tongue - really)  It was my "oldies" cd if you will.  We got back to the hotel only an hour before our dinner and both of us had to get ready.  We were treated to a shower unlike any of the ones we had recently had.  (now wouldn't you like to know if we showered together...)  The pressure was fantastic and I assume it was Bo that had meticulously complimented the bathroom with  soaps from Crabtree & Evelyn.  ( think that is what it is Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java(tm). called)  Once showered, the towels we humongous!  From head to toe they covered our bodies, and they were warm as they had been kept over a heater of some sort.  Now, nice and clean, we got dressed and I was the first to head down to dinner.  Once there, I was directed to a small sitting room I had shot earlier in the day.  Once inside, I was greeted by a group of people from the island who were having a family reunion. There were older in years and quite chatty and seemingly very happy.  I warmed to them quickly and began telling stories as our host Henry - dressed in his lovely tartan pants - poured our drinks of choice. He had over 128 types of scotch.  Little did I know at the time that before the weekend was through, I'd be sitting one of the couples home sipping scotch and sharing lovely stories.  So, soon Amanda arrived and Henry presented us with the menu for the evening. Usually only serving one dish each night, tonight was an exception as they were having the reunion I suppose.  Amanda and I ordered appetizers of soup and melon with ham; entrees of salmon and steak in a nice wine sauce respectively.  For desert I had a great something or other covered in strawberries. Then, the guests staying overnight ordered there breakfast for the morning as well. We were seated in a small room with the reunion group, while other guest were on the other side of the house in the atrium.  When I saw one of the older men taking a picture I knew would not come out that well because of the flash - or lack thereof - I kindly offered to do so as I have a state-of-art camera with a wide angle lens, just perfect for such situations.  Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java(tm).
 I took their picture and when I could show it to them instantly, they were amazed!  I took several more of pictures and we finished our supper.  As an unexpected treat, Henry asked if we'd join the group for a boat ride afterwards.  What I thought would be a simple get on board and go a short distance out into the water to see the hotel, turned out to be quite an adventure.  So, with the several guest who were in our dining room and one other couple, we embarked on our voyage.  Amanda wasn't feeling too well and stay ashore.  I had told the group that joined I would be happy to take pictures of them and give them a disk in the morning with a slideshow of the same accompanied by music.  So, as if I were an event photographer, I began to take some absolutely stunning shots of them, both on shore and off.  Once at sea, I realized we were in for much more of an adventure than I expected.  Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java(tm).
 Still light at nearly midnight, within moments we were below towering cliffs of magnificent proportion views of caves and beaches.  The trip around the island took us nearly 40 minutes in total, including several pauses to absorb the scenery.  We returned to the dock to be dropped off while Henry took the boat just offshore to anchor it and come back in a rowboat.  For some reason, as he was doing so, I instigated the group of several seniors and the other couple in a rendered version of "Michael rowed the boat ashore...;" (replacing Michael with "Henry") So as you might imagine, there we all stood, quite liquored up, singing over and over - "Henry rowed the boat to shore - Halleluiaaaaaaaaaaah..."  As he got closer to shore, it was quite easy to see that his often serious look was replaced with that of a large grin.  After returning to the hotel, all of us sat in the "bar" and the scotch flowed, and flowed, and flowed some more!  I got back to the room to find a slumbering Amanda in the bed.  She mumbled something to me and I could only reply - "I'm not drunk."  Sure she laughed as I stood over the bed repeating the same proclamation over and over while demonstrating a sobriety task I had learned as a young man. Intermittently, I'd touch each of my four fingers on my thumb counting 1,2,3,4 and then back 4,3,2,1.  If you know this routine, shame on you.  I crawled in bed and proceeded to share a couple other tricks I thought might entertain her - and
they did.  :-)  

The next morning was sort of sad as we knew it would be our last day together, at least for awhile.  We had a lovely breakfast, joined my Mr. and Mrs. Malcomsen, a couple from the reunion.  I gave them the disk and after seeing it, he offered to pay me for it.  I told him no, just as I had requested from the night before, I simple wanted a smooch on the cheek from the ladies, and a nice bottle of scotch from the gents.  I didn't get the smooch but Mr. Malcomsen invited us to stop at his home for tea later that day before we sailed for the mainland.  We exchanged contact information and off we went after saying goodbye to our host.  I think it is at this time that I must share some thoughts with you on Bo and Henry Simmons, as well as there children.  If I had to choose one word to describe them it would simply have to be "loving".  As you might imagine, I travel to so many places and meet so many faces, but few will be remembered by me as kindly as this wonderful family on a small island off the coast of Scotland.  They seemed almost like a family you might see in a charming Disney movie or something.  The years had been very friendly to Henry, looking as if he was in his mid-forties when he is actually 59.  Bo had a natural beauty about her with a twinkle in her eye and always a loving smile on her face.  The children as Amanda quite astutely observed looked so healthy, probably attributed to living on a farm and their mom's cooking I'm sure. Anyway, Bo and Henry, should you ever get around to reading this, from the bottom of my heart, as well as Amanda's I'm sure, God bless you and thank you for a day I will never, ever forget.  (If you'd like to visit them, or even buy one of Bo's cookbooks, visit their website off my " I Suggest " page) 

On our last day on the Island, we decided to return to the same spot on the southern tip as I wanted a second attempt at shooting some of the birds.  (well not actually "shooting" them, but taking pictures of them ;-) )  The trip down was dominated by talks of politics accompanied by the music of Bach, Mozart, and Vivaldi.  it was perfect - even if her beliefs somewhat differed with mine, but hey, there's plenty of time to sway the same, or educate her one might say.  ;-)   We got to the spot a short time later where we were two days before and only stayed a few minutes as we were pressed for time.  After getting some lovely pictures, we then headed north to the harbor and a brief visit with Mr. and Mrs. Malcomsen's home.  We found it with little effort and shared a lovely visit with them.  It was here that he gave me a fantastic bottle of sixteen year old scotch that I am hoping will stay intact until I get home and am able to share it with my best of friends, Mike Fraser.  (if you're reading this Mike, I think you're the best!)  I traveled with him last year and introduced him to this beverage of choice amongst the Gods.  We left their home at about 4 so as to arrive at the dock at the required 4:45 PM loading time.  After a short stop at Safeway, we headed into town.  As we passed what I could of sworn where the ship had let us out three days earlier, Amanda asked if I was sure the ship left at six.  I told her I was almost positive.  She was holding the tickets and after a short pause, she ever so seriously informed me it left at 16:00, not 18:00!  (that's 4 PM instead of 6 PM)  My heart sank to the floor of the car as I couldn't of believed I could of been so careless not to confirm the time.  I was mad at myself as my mind began to think of all the arrangements that would need to be made to stay as well as the logistical effect on my remaining travels.  Just as I was pondering how I could be so careless, Amanda was pondering how I could be so gullible?  After she so proudly told me she was kidding and I had regained my composure, I appreciated he attempt at humor, as it was something I myself might of done were I in her shoes.  Relieved, we asked some local police where the dock was and they directed us to a harbor just down the street where our ship lay waiting for us. 

Within no time at all, there we were checking into our cabin, number 360.  Both of us knew our hours were limited and we both tried to put our best faces on in light of this.    We settled in and went upstairs to have some dinner and watch the island we had both fallen in love with diminish on the horizon.  For some reason or another, I felt compelled to share my feelings with Amanda as to how I felt about what might lay ahead for us.  I will admit that I had become quite fond of her over our several day visit.  But, being practical, I realized our lives were world's apart and having known her for a bit of a week, (in person)  talk of anything permanent would not be practical.  Love I tried to explain, is derived from a well grounded friendship, something we were still in the development stage with.  I went on "talking for Scotland" as the expression goes, and when finished, Amanda went said she was going to the cabin.  I felt she might need some time by herself so I wandered the deck kicking myself in the ass for not being able to communicate my feelings adequately enough.  I felt I had hurt her.  After a bit, I went to the cabin to find her crawled under the duvet, but still dressed.  I thought she might of been crying, but upon exposing her face, it seemed as if she had been doing anything but.  We chatted briefly and I tried to inquire if I had given her the impression that we were not to see one another again.  Nothing could of been further from the truth, as I am quite anxious to see her again as well as her friend Lee as well who seems to enjoy reading this journal in addition to her other friends Emma and one in San Jose CA.  After seeming to have a meeting of minds, I told her I wanted to make a digital slideshow for her of the images of our visit we had shared over the past 10 days and would she help me pick which photos from the hundreds she wanted.  She said I should select them and as I did, I couldn't help but to have tears begin to well up in my eyes.  After compiling the photos and then incorporating them into a slide show, I chose a Van Morrison song I love called simply "Memories" to accompany it.  When complete, I began the slideshow as the two of us laid there watching it to the rocking of the North Sea below us.  Unexpectedly, the tears began to flow, and flow and flow.  No, not Amanda's but those of my own.  Repeatedly she kept asking me what was wrong and to share my feelings with her.  Acting like a small boy, afraid that to speak would unleash the floodgate, I kept shaking my head no as the tears continued to flow.  I had not cried that hard in such a long time.  I finally told her that I was just sad and left it at that.  We cuddled that night til nearly midnight and then slumbered til the morning when we woke up, gathered our things and headed off the ship after one incredible weekend together. 

Prior to saying goodbye though, we were to meet her sister for coffee.  We returned to the same seaside cafe we had been at days before and ordered breakfast.  Her sister arrived just after us and together we chatted and shared our photos on Amanda's slide show.  Breakfast was short and we were on our way.  As I was paying the bill, I saw Amanda's favorite marshmallow candy I described earlier and bought one, putting it in my pocket to give her at the car when we said goodbye.  Through the streets of Aberdeen we drove, until we arrived at her car which was safe and sound.  We cleaned out the car, and she took her luggage and other small items.  Then, surprisingly with few tears if any, we said goodbye with plans to meet later in my trip before I returned to California. 

As I drove away down the streets of Aberdeen, Amanda followed behind me for several blocks.  It was all that I could do to just concentrate on how to get to the highway to take me on my way.  The last way I wanted to end such a special weekend was to have an accident.  Sadly, all of a sudden when I looked in my mirror, she had vanished, I assumed making a turn that would take her on her own way - away from me.  I found the highway all right, and was on my way to my next stop.  I fumbled on the adjacent seat for a mini-disk to put in my player, and appropriately I came upon the one that has become the sound track for this trip if you will.  Before I had left the states, Amanda and I would give each other little task, such as go do this, or do that, buy that, and try this.  One of my task was to get the David Gray CD with the song "Sail Away" on it.  I reluctantly bought the cd instead of waiting to download it on the net for free.  My God, what an incredible album.  I listen to it daily and at times, in the strangest of places like train stations, stores, parking lots, open fields, I throw my arms straight out and slowly turn myself around singing out loud of course.  My favorite is "Say Hello, Say Goodbye...".  Anyway, there I was driving down the road when the tears came once again.  Was Amanda crying as well I thought?  What really saddened me was that when I first went on the dating web site, www.as.org, I was honestly looking for someone to have fun with for a day or two.  Perhaps even just dinner would of been fine.  But Amanda entered my life like a whirlwind and now I felt, she was leaving much the same way and it saddened me - deeply.  When I first saw her picture amongst countless other ladies, she immediately stood out and caught my eye.  I thought she was beautiful.  Little did I expect to become as attached to her as I did.  For the short ten days she and I spent together, she became a part of me.  Perhaps one might think with the aforementioned weekend, anyone would be appreciated as such.  But, it was so much more than that.  I enjoyed each and every moment we shared with one another.  Albeit the time our eyes met and locked in a loving stare at the Starbucks under the castle in Edinburgh, or walking the grocery aisles of the market, sitting amongst the parents at her daughter Danielle's school play, or just hanging out with her at her modest and cozy home, I loved every moment.  So with those thoughts on my mind, I drove off down the highway to my next stop.  And as I did, I knew that night the road would take me to Inverness, and the next night  Brussels before going on to countless other cities over the next 55 days.  But, just as sure as I'd reach those locations I thought, I knew the final destination at the end of the road I was on would lead me right back to Edinburgh, and yes, to Amanda.  Stay tuned...