Strictly Strauss

OH MY GOD!!! I loooove Strauss (senior and junior) and this concert was amazing! Though the orchestra was a little too small for Radetzky march, but anyway... Gaahhh, I am still incoherent!!! Must be the martinis I had at the casino afterwards.

Dufftown

I have made my pilgrimage and my soul is for the time being at peace. XD Dufftown is... well, what can one say about it? It is a small town  whose livelihood depends on whiskey distilleries. It is quite new (the town itself): founded in 1817 by James Duff, 4th Earl Fife *sqeals like the fan girl she is*. There is a castle, well, a very well kept ruins of one, and of course cattle!

The story of getting to the castle is ridiculous. Having lost our way in the forest surrouding a part of the hill on which it stands, we of course, came out on the side opposite to the entrance, to reach which we'd have had to circle back. The castle was right there on the hill, but there was a fence. So in the traditional manner of a Russian, I said: 'Screw going around, let's hop the damn fence and climb!' Once we reached the summit, I, a little breathless and dirty said: 'I just went up a steep castle hill with a bottle of whisky on my back, I feel truly Scottish'. ;)



As a souvenir I brought a bottle of whiskey from one of the smaller distilleries and a book, I paid a somewhat ridiculous amount for, but at least I got to pet the shopkeepers cat Sally, she tried to go to sleep on my five-pound note, but she was friendly so we'll forgive her that.:)
 

The book is: The Queen's Scotland: The North East by Nigel Tranter, published in 1974.

( Through here you can see how it all went. )