A Traveler Trying Not To Be A Tourist

Day 14 Walking, Wednesday, June 19.

Official Rest Day in Inverness, so no need to feel guilty over lack of mileage.  

18652 Steps

The fresh fruit platter brought to my table was amazingly large, and I ate it all, along with another warm crusty croissant.  

Used the last of the BioFreeze from home so another trip to Boots the pharmacy was needed. Got ibuprofen in gell form.  

First destination was along the path of the River Ness to the Cathedral.  Foundation stone was laid in 1866 by the Arch Bishop of Canterbury, Dr Charles Longley.  Cathedral was opened for worship in 1869, and services have been held here Every Day since.  

Continued along river path to the other pedestrian suspension bridge and crossed over on the wobbly structure.  A man had been fishing in the river wearing waders and when I came close he had just pulled in a large fish and was hitting it on the head to kill it.  I Witnessed a murder 😢

Had the apricot pastry in Mark’s and Spencer’s that I loved back in Manchester.  

Found the Public Library where a little display was set up in the reference room about an archaeological dig to the west of Inverness on the Black Isle.  It is called Tarradale Through Time.  They were finding flints, flint scrapers and arrowheads, and other things, from 8,500 years ago. Heard about it yesterday while at Castle Urquhart.  They were looking for volunteers to work there this summer.  That would have been interesting.  

Wandered through the Victorian Market, a covered shopping area that had been here since - Victorian times.  It was rather junky, but from the old photos was probably unique in its early days.  

Popped in to the Inverness Pram Store.  Amazing baby carriages.  Took lots of photos. Very European styles and hefty price tags.  http://invernesspramcentre.co.uk/

Bought an Italian Bruschetta from a little Italian shop.  Carryed it outside and placed the heated food on a table and was in the process of pulling out the phone to take a photo and just that quickly a sea gull swooped down, grabbed the bag and Bruschetta, and flew off.  A man at the next table began yelling at the bird who then dropped it top down on the cobblestones.  Then the man was concerned I had been hurt.  No...just my stomach which was hungry, and had just had its meal snatched by a very large white bird.  Went into a McDonald’s nearby and got a Spicy Vegetarian wrap that was rather tasty.  Was going to take it outside to eat, but once outside I realized the gulls were still on Food Potential Patrol.  Went back inside to eat in safety.  

Was lured into the Primo store by a pair of purple mens shoes in the window. The brand is Baker and they are made in England. Each pair is handmade and takes 6 weeks.  

Learned the meaning of the prefix of many of these towns names - Invermoriston, Inverness, etc - the Inver means ‘mouth of some river’.  

Went up the Inverness Castle mid day and saw the two Belgian guys who had been passing me a lot (yesterday back and forth on the path to Castle Urquhart). They had just completed the GGW. This morning.  When I approached them they said “oh, you again.”  Chatted a bit.  

Today the city had a European smell to it.  I loved it.  And it definitely was nothing like a Chicago smell.  

Sat on a bench in the sun to rest the heel. On the far end was an elderly man.  Soon his wife came and squeezed in between us. I started talking to them and asked if they knew where the second hand bookstore was located, that had been recommended.  No, but the little old lady, Isobele, pulled out her phone and said she would ‘Google’ it.  

We talked more and learned they now live in Portknockie on the northwest coast. But before that her husband Jock was an engineer at the Glenlivet Distillery.  He has a lifetime benefit of a reduced rate on all purchases. 🤗

Later found the Leakey’s Book Shop. What an experience.  The shop was in an old church and was completely stuffed with books.  Looked like something from a movie set.  

Spent a hour in the Inverness Historical Museum. So much information to read and learn about.  History of the early people in Scotland.  The Highlands were some of the original land 8 million years before the Ice Age happened.  

I tried on a tartan.  

At the end of all the displays were current native animals to Scotland and there were stuffed ones that we could pet to feel their fur.  I stroked an Otter, a Pine Martin, and a Badger.  The first two were incredibly soft, but Bucky had rather course hair.  

Found the Abertarff House - the Oldest Secular building in Inverness.  It was built in 1593 as a townhouse for Fraser’s of Lovat. 

Hazelnut gelato at Miele’s where they hand make 24 flavors fresh every day. 

Passed a cafe with a sign in the window saying that the Beatles played there May 21, 1960 as a cover band.  They were called the ‘Silver Beatles’ then.  

Went in the Old High Church of Inverness.  A church of the Reformation, and before that the Dominican religious order known as the Black Friars. Talked with a man who wanted to tell me all sorts of information about the church, the seating plan, the old method of charging parishioners a ‘pew rental fee’.  

They had a copy, under glass, of a First Edition of the King James Bible printed in 1611. 

Looked around the graveyard at the old stones. 

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”  Saint Augustine