Reader's & writers paradise

https://youtu.be/bLMzzX8VuBg

This is one of the best films after Dickens. Very good choice indeed. Thank you very much!

I wish you a Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year.
 Don't eat too much chocolate, Don't drink too much beer.
 You might be teetotal & not drink alcohol at all.
 Some people believe 3 wise men visited Jesus with gifts & on their knees did fall.
 The gifts they brought were Frankincense, Myrrh & gold.
 We still have gifts at Xmas now as in days of old.
 We also Carol sing.
 We sing of heaven's King.
 The church bells ring.
 We remember the message the angel Gabriel did bring.
 We remember the Magi following that star.
 We remember the story of people for the census walking or riding donkeys so far.
 We know this story whatever we believe & whoever we are.
 We remember being told about St. Nicholas who is also known as Father Xmas or Santa Claus.
 Some people believe (I don't) he brings good girls & boys Xmas presents & mine & yours.

Merry Xmas everyone!

The Highlands of Scotland/Hielands of Caledonia

 I've been to the Hielands of Caledonia many times. The 1st time I went I stayed in a Hotel overlooking both Ben Lomond & Loch Lomond. Loch Lomond is supposed to be the largest area of freshwater in Scotland. Loch Lomond is part of the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. There was Hieland Ceilidh entertainment on all week & the song "Loch Lomond" was on the repertoire all week. It is supposed to be about a man who has done something wrong to the English who the Scots were at War with at the time. The words "you take the high road & I'll take the low road & I'll be in Scotland afore ye but me & my true love will never meet again on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond" is supposed to mean "you come to Scotland from England on earth & I'll come from Hell from England & I'll get to Scotland before you but me & my true love will never meet again on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond. The full words of the song are below & I'll share the song in video format too.

 Loch Lomond

 By yon bonnie banks & by yon bonnie braes
 Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond.
 Where me & my true love were ever want to gae
 On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

 Chorus
 O' ye tak' the hie road
 & I'll tak' the low road
 & I'll be in Scotland afore ye.
 But me & my true love'll never meet again on the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

 'Twas there that we parted on yon shady Glen
 By the steep, steep sides o' Ben Lomond,
 Wherein purple hues the Hieland hills we viewed
 Wi' the sun coming up in the gloaming.

 Repeat chorus

 There the wee birdies sing
 & the wild flowers ring
 & in sunshine the waters are gleaming.
 but the broken hairt it kens nae second spring so reserved we must be while we're greeting.

 N.B. greeting in Scots means crying.

 I also went on a cruise on Loch Lomond.

 I also went to Fort William on the West Highland railway line which is 1 of the most if not the most scenic railway journeys in the world. We passed Rannoch Moor to get to Fort William where the Battle of Rannoch Moor took place. Fort William is where Britain's Highest Mountain, Ben Nevis stands at 4,406 ft. Every year there is the Ben Nevis race that starts from the other end of Fort William goes through the town & all the way up Ben Nevis before going back down Ben Nevis & to the other side of the town. It often rains in Fort William, though when we stayed the week it was bright & sunny. Fort William is a nice town. We came back on the coach passing through Glencoe which was the site of the massacre of the McDonalds of Glencoe by the Campbell's on 13//2/1692.

https://youtu.be/XuujJ27eXJM

 We also went to Dunoon & Inveraray which are beautiful towns.

 We've been to Mallaig & Oban too which are 2 beautiful little villages where you can see Mull, Skye & Iona by the road. I tried Oban's smoked salmon which was gorgeous.

 We also went to Dornoch which is a beautiful town & Tain which is a very small village. We went to Inverness too which is a lovely shopping town near the River Ness not to be mistaken for the nearby Loch Ness which is the deepest Loch in Scotland & where some people claimed to have spotted a monster.

 We've also been to Callander which is a beautiful town & Luss as well as Balloch which is near Loch Lomond like the place I mentioned before. Luss was often shown on an old T.V. programme called "Take the High Road" as well as Helensburgh.

 We also went to Pitlochry which is a nice, small town. In some parts of Pitlochry you can see salmon jumping in summer. There is a factory & shop in Pitlochry where you can see jewellery being made from heather. We went to nearby Blair Atholl & went in the castle. It's my favourite castle. https://blair-castle.co.uk/

 We went to Braemar where the Highland games takes place each year but we just went shopping. Braemar inspired Andy Stewart to write this song.

https://youtu.be/SCSB_BiNSZo


 We also went to Perth which is a beautiful city with something for everyone, shops, art galleries, museums & pubs.