Last Post for Tusker7 ...

Incredible to think that we have now spent seven winters in Tuscany, but it's true ...

A Highland view - looking north up Strath Helmsdale from Jean's garden

It's lambing time in Caithness ... 

A pretty rough crossing on the MV Hamnavoe  - quite a lot of seasick sailors!
The cliffs of the island of Hoy to the right, with the flatter Orkney mainland visible in the distance

Better weather later that day, as the Hamnavoe sets out on her evening crossing - seen from our house

Newtonmore to Helmsdale

After a welcoming evening in Newtonmore from Lillias and Denise, we set off this morning via Inverness to get some seed tatties, to Helmsdale and Jean.  Storm clouds appeared to be gathering, but the rain held off and we managed a pre-prandial walk up the hill among the early flowering whin.

With Jake up the hill

A flowering currant gets in on the act

Roxburghshire to Perthshire

On Tuesday we headed off to Edinburgh to see Lynn, then on Wednesday, we travelled to Newtonmore to see Lillias and Denise, passing via Waterloo to see Dave (Donella was in Edinburgh).

Barbara drops a coin into the bagpipe case of the Piper on the Royal Mile

Barbara and Lynn on the Meadows, with the Castle in the distance

Classical themed Victorian tiling in Bennet's Bar where we stopped for a drink

With Dave at the new house in Waterloo

Lincolnshire to Roxburghshire

Yesterday we travelled up from Carol's to Betty's.  Quite long drive on the busy A1. The last bit however, is on the Roman road Dere Street(A68) and is a relatively calm rural road. 

On the Northumberland-Roxburghshire border, this bonny Scottish Blackface ewe was happy to pose ...

... but these ones were too busy

Daffodils in profusion all along the roadsides

We had a walk in the hinterlands of Jedburgh today

It's Scotland - the lion rampant gets everywhere ...

Frescoes in Lincolnshire

Arrived in Hull on time this morning, and were with Carol in Gainsborough for coffee.  In the afternoon we visited the country church of Clayworth.  The church was decorated with frescoes in 1904 by the prominent Scottish Arts and Crafts artist Phoebe Anna Traquhair.  The church itself is very old, mostly Norman.

The frescoes almost give the church an Italian feel

Norman heads on the columns

Outside the church

Exit - before Brexit ...

After four days of travel, we are now on our ship in Zeebrugge harbour - P&O's The Pride of Bruges.  I think a pretty calm crossing is expected ... 

Unfortunately, it's an overcast night over the North Sea so we'll miss out on the Worm Moon which we caught a tantalising glimpse of  in Luxembourg last night ...

A novelty for us - a red squirrel - there were two - in Marijke and Pietro's garden

Perfect driving conditions all the way, the worst traffic being on the Brussels ring road ...

... much duller weather in Zeebrugge - here two lorries reverse on at once

A very quiet port this time - it was quite hard to find a ship!

Luxembourg and Trier

We received a warm welcome form Pietro and Marijke at their home in Luxembourg on Tuesday evening. Germany is only 20 minutes away by car across the Moselle river, so on Wednesday we visited Trier - "the oldest town in Germany".  It was a major outpost of the Roman empire in the north and has many Roman remains.  Trier is also the birthplace of Karl Marx.

It was a beautiful day, and the town was busy with townspeople and sightseers.

Unfortunately, my camera decided to malfunction again, so I only managed to extract a couple of photos for the blog ...

The magnificent Roman gate of the ancient town

Blossom everywhere ...

Karl and Pietro ...