On the bonnie bonnie banks

The Scottish Highlands are absolutely idyllic.

More than forty years ago, I visited the United Kingdom with my parents and my brothers. We spent a few days in Edinburgh, including New Year's Eve, (a day Edinburgh is known to celebrate in lively fashion), but I can't remember much about our visit to Scotland's capital city. I think maybe we all had bad colds and stayed huddled in our hotel rooms. This time, things would be different.

One of those aforementioned brothers and his wife had planned to travel to Edinburgh from Pennsylvania two years ago, but the pandemic delayed their trip. They were finally able to travel across the pond, so my sister and I, along with our husbands, invited ourselves to meet up with them in Scotland. 

Edinburgh Castle is perched above Edinburgh's lively Grassmarket
neighborhood.

St. Giles' Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk
of Edinburgh, isn't actually a cathedral.

We base ourselves in Edinburgh, which is a great city with oodles of brutal history. But our side trips turn out to be some of the week's highlights. 

Our tour makes a short stop for photos of Castle Kilchurn,
set in the middle of a loch.

We have a few days before the family arrives, so after our requisite Day One walking tour of city, we spend our second day on a Timberbush bus tour of the West Highlands and Loch Lomond. Our driver/guide is terrific, and the scenery is incredible. 

What beautiful weather for visiting the Scottish Highlands!

Our first stop is at Doune Castle. We enjoy our visit but are a wee bit underwhelmed: We have many more impressive châteaux near our home in France, and we've never seen the TV show "Outlander," where this particular castle is featured. 

Inveraray is located on the western shore of Loch Fyne.

Later in the day we have a two-hour stop in Inveraray. This time we skip the castle and find an offbeat garden restaurant for lunch and a spot of single malt. I have been especially looking forward to our visit to Loch Lomond, a place I had romanticized because of the song. We only get to see one small part of the huge lake, and it's not quite as dazzling as I had anticipated, but I am thrilled to stand on its bonnie bonnie banks with my true love.

We pose on the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.

Throughout the day, our guide tells us all about Scottish history and in great detail debunks everything depicted in the film "Braveheart." His narration is fascinating and the landscape is spectacular. 

The nine-hour ride allows us to rest up before spending the next five days on our feet. Edinburgh has a great public transit system, but we opt to walk everywhere. It's about a 10-minute walk from our apartment to the start of The Royal Mile, the road that runs between the Palace of Holyroodhouse (the official residence of the Queen King) and Edinburgh Castle, a grand love letter to war and weaponry. 

A sphinx rests atop the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh.

We aren't able to crack the code on the Canongate
Tolbooth clock on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.

Here's a view across Edinburgh toward Leith Harbor from
Edinburgh Castle.

We prefer to stroll the grounds of Edinburgh Castle
rather than lingering at the military exhibits. 

I wonder where a cannonball shot from Edinburgh Castle would land. 

I'm dwarfed by this sailor standing alongside the Royal Yacht Britannia.

On Day 3 we walk to Leith harbor and visit the Royal Yacht Britannia. Our self-guided tour of the yacht is surprisingly interesting. Who knew that the royal beds would be so small, or that the royal family traveled with about four tons of luggage and a crew of more than 200? Today, private parties can book the yacht for fancy soirées where all the food is prepared onboard in really tiny kitchens. 

The living room aboard the Britannia is dotted with game tables.

Dining room tables of the Britannia are set with precision and care.

Crew quarters aboard the Britannia billeted more than
200 sailors and staff.

The National Museum of Scotland's natural history gallery
contains hundreds of animals.

The major museums in Edinburgh are free, and we spend a few hours at the Scottish National Museum, which includes natural history, technology, culture, and a whole wing of Scottish history. We spend most of our time in the animal and tech sections. If you go there, check out the view from the roof. 

We've asked this robot to spell our pseudonym with blocks. 

On our last full day, we take a short train ride to the seaside village of North Berwick. In addition to a leisurely stroll without crowds or traffic, we enjoy a good lunch and my husband treats himself to a Turkish hot towel shave. 

The seaside town of North Berwick upon the Firth of Forth
is home to the Scottish Seabird Centre. 

This kirkyard in North Berwick is adjacent to the Parish Kirk,
also known as St. Andrew's Church and the Old Parish Kirk.

Speaking of food, I am impressed that nearly every restaurant in which we eat offers a menu with several vegetarian and vegan options. I have no desire to try the haggis, but I do try the vegan haggis eggs Benedict on crumpets. Now, there's a dish I'd never find anywhere else! 

I'm compelled to order the vegan haggis Benedict at Mimi's
Bakehouse in Edinburgh. 

Our favorite sign in Edinburgh is found at this
hotdog stand along the Royal Mile.

Donkeys find love at Hee Haws

This pair of donkeys have become inseparable at Hee Haws
donkey rescue. 

Not far from Eymet in France's Dordogne department, a gentle woman and a band of volunteers have created a home for neglected and mistreated donkeys. I recently visited Hee Haws and, in one hour I learned a whole lot about these sweet creatures. 

Carina, right, shares donkey tales with a guest at Hee Haws
donkey rescue.

For Carina, rescuing donkeys and running a non-profit organization are labors of love. Many of the donkeys that have found a refuge at Hee Haws were in bad shape when they arrived. It turns out, donkeys need a lot of care. Their diet needs to be regulated or they may get too thin or too fat. Their feet must be cared for by a professional farrier — an occupation that requires patience, gentleness, and courage, as a donkey's kick can send a feed bucket clear across the pasture. 

This agile donkey is a resident of Hee Haws donkey rescue.

Some of the donkeys that live at Hee Haws were saved from slaughter. (I'm horrified to find out that eating donkeys is actually a thing!) If you want to avoid inadvertently eating donkey sausage, watch out for something called saucisson d'âne.  

Dolly, or perhaps it's Beatrice, is a longtime resident at Hee Haws
donkey sanctuary.

Holly and Willow nuzzle a cat at Hee Haws donkey sanctuary.

After the donkeys are healthy, Carina looks for homes for them. A few of the residents will remain at Hee Haws forever, as they have become part of Carina's family. Some must be adopted in pairs or even threes, as donkeys grow attached to their roommates. That's another thing I learn during my visit: Donkeys shouldn't be alone. They are very social animals. 

Lottie, Wilfred, and Theo trot over to greet visitors at Hee Haws
donkey sanctuary.

One pair of donkeys that had recently arrived at Hee Haws surprised Carina when they saunter over to greet her, even though there are other people around. This pair had been mistreated and were quite shy of humans. Another trio trots to the fence to say hello, delighting Carina because one of them had only recently been able to run at all due to painful feet. 

This shy donkey (Billie or Teddy?) enjoys a little scratch
behind the ears from Carina at Hee Haws donkey sanctuary.

Carina doesn't publicize the exact location of her donkey sanctuary, but she welcomes visitors by appointment and asks only for a small donation to help cover expenses. She plans to add a gift shop at the property to sell Hee Haws swag like greeting cards and tee shirts. (Last year I sent out Hee Haws holiday cards.) 

There's a lot involved in raising donkeys, as I learn during my
visit to Hee Haws donkey sanctuary.

Hee Haws also offers memberships and opportunities to sponsor individual donkeys. For more information, visit heehaws.fr . Hee Haws also has a Facebook page. Carina can be reached at heehawsfr@gmail.com or 06.17.30.14.00. 

There's plenty of room to roam at Hee Haws donkey sanctuary.  

This donkey, perhaps named Angel, peeks out
from its stall at Hee Haws donkey sanctuary.

One last thing: All the donkeys at Hee Haws have names, but I'm lousy with names, so if I've made any errors in my captions, I bray you'll forgive me.

A trio of medieval Tarn villages

The fortress of Penne is the high point of our visit to several
medieval villages in France's Tarn department.

We climb to a seemingly impossible-to-reach fortress perched on a cliff while exploring some pretty medieval villages in the Tarn department during a recent trip to Albi. 

Castelnau-de-Montmiral

Although we're too early for a cup of coffee, we help ourselves
to a self-guided tour of Castelnau-de-Montmiral.

It's sprinkling a bit as we reach our first stop, Castelnau-de-Montmiral. Even worse, no place is open to get a cup of coffee! We pick up a map from a rack at the Tourism Office, and spend an hour or so exploring the village, which has a Les Plus Beaux Villages de France designation.

The village of Castelnau-de-Montmiral slowly
begins to awaken during our visit.

Le Pilori stands at the edge of Place des Arcades. This pillar is where animals were chained to before being sacrificed; petty thieves and adulterous women as well. (There's no mention of where the adulterous men were chained and shamed.)

Hmm ... What's behind this weathered door in Castelnau-de-Montmiral?

Down the street, we find Place de la Rose, a meeting place for pilgrims setting off for Rome or for Santiago de Compostela. A sculpted rose marks the wall of a noble house where Louis XIII stopped by exactly four hundred years ago, in 1622.

Penne

A few kilometers before we reach our second stop, we pick up a hitch-hiker, a first for us. The affable young man lives in Penne, and he offers advice on where to park and how to access the fortress. We should have paid closer attention, because we miss the path and end up walking an extra couple of kilometers on our way to the entrance. 

Forteresse de Penne is seen from the village's mairie (town hall).

It's not hyperbole to call the Forteresse de Penne a masterpiece of medieval military architecture. Privately owned, but open to the public, this fortress is under constant renovation. It's fascinating to see how the various towers and chambers are being rebuilt from the rubble. 

We need a pause before reaching the summit of Forteresse de Penne.

Forteresse de Penne has been occupied for more than a thousand years. It was a major site for Albigensian Crusades and for Catharism. Throughout history, the Counts of Toulouse, a king of Aragon, and kings of France have coveted the fortress. The French crown took possession in 1271, but the English held Penne during the Hundred Years War. 

The rubble shows the challenge of restoring the magnificent fortress in Penne.

Visitors can take a self-guided tour, and in spring and summer a costume-clad guide can show you around. On the day of our visit, school children are engaged in hands-on activities. Special events and spectacles are held several times a year, too.

Cordes-sur-Ciel

I talked a bit about Cordes in a recent post, where I promised I'd return. This time, I bring my husband and show him around the picture-book-pretty streets of this artsy village. Despite getting lost while making our way up to the top of the town, we find our restaurant, have lunch, and set off in search of sites, scenery, and some ice cream. 

This shiny horse stands in Place de la Bride in Cordes-sur-Ciel.

Even though the busy tourist season is nearing its peak, the village isn't crowded on the day of our visit, perhaps because it's a weekday. There are plenty of benches in the shade to sit on, people-watch, and admire the views.

Wild flowers seem to lean in for a view from Cordes-sur-Ciel.

The "Golden Age" of Cordes, from 1280 to 1350, left the town with splendid gothic palaces, many of which still stand today. Whether you come to Cordes-sur-Ciel for the heritage, the artisans, or to try to catch a glimpse of the city seeming to float over the clouds, it's easy to see why this Tarn village is so popular.

An arch punctuates the foot of a cobblestone lane
in Cordes-sur-Ciel.

I'm clearly happy to have enjoyed two visits to this area of the Tarn this year.

Albi seeing you

The skyline of Albi is dominated by its massive cathedral.

A dozen years ago, my husband and I took our first trip to France together, and since we decided to make France our home two years later, I consider that vacation to have been successful. We based ourselves in Toulouse and visited several other cities by train. The day we spent in Albi back then was one of our favorite memories, and we always intended to return. 

Albi's Sainte-Cécile Cathedral is the largest brick church in France.

Because of its vibrant colors, Sainte-Cécile Cathedral
in Albi is my favorite church.

Earlier this month, we made that happen, and our fond memories of La Cité épiscopale d'Albi certainly held up. This time, we revisit some sites that surpass our first impressions, especially the beautiful interior of Cathedral Sainte-Cécile, where we sit for a half-hour gazing at the two hectares of painted surfaces. The cathedral is France's largest brick church.

Palais de la Berbie in Albi contains the famous Toulouse-Lautrec
Museum. The artist was born in Albi in 1864.

On our previous trip to Albi we visited the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, housed in the Berbie Palace. The museum contains the world's largest collection of artwork by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, an Albi native. This time, we skip the museum and take a self-guided walking tour across the Tarn River via le Pont-Vieux. The bridge is nearly 1,000 years old and played an important part in Albi's commercial prosperity in the Middle Ages.  

A walking tour of Albi includes crossing the Tarn River
to see old Albigensian mills.

Albi's covered market hall, the Halle du Castelviel,
is a "Baltard" style pavilion built in 1903.

This bronze statue of Joan of Arc stands in Albi.

Le Parc Rochegude in Albi contains elements of French and
English gardens, as well as a garden of scents and a bird island.

The striking colombage Maison Enjalbert in Albi
was built in the 16th century.

Albi was once the capital of Gallo-Roman Albigenses and its history is steeped in religion and religious conflict. It's a beautiful city, full of red brick and colombage structures. It contains plenty of lively bars and restaurants and squares for relaxing and people-watching. For our purposes, we've chosen Albi to be our base for exploring some nearby villages in the Tarn, which is the topic of my next blog post.

We couldn't have asked for better weather than we had for our return to Albi.