Dean Castle Took a trip down the West Coast and managed to visit four castles in twenty-four hours, with a fifth on the way back the following day. I will blog about each one in turn, starting with the first on route, Dean Castle. Set in a country park in Kilmarnock, this 14th century castle … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 183
Kinderdijk Windmills Last leg of the Rhine journey on way to Amsterdam and a flight back, allowed for a stop in Kinderdijk in the Netherlands. In previous posts I have mentioned some of the windmills I’ve visited in Scotland and noted these in Part 110 and Part 135 of this blog series. This time I … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 182
Museum Wallraf Having visited the Ludwig, I managed to fit in the Wallraf on the same day. This had a different vibe and was so worthwhile. Again, I’m only scratching the surface here. As with all the galleries and museums I’ve visited, there is so much to take in. So, in keeping with earlier posts, … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 180
Museum Ludwig While in Cologne, I discovered two art museums in close proximity to each other and with limited time, these were the obvious ones to visit. The first of these was the Museum Ludwig, which was perfect given my love of modern art and the collection it houses. The second was the Wallraf, which … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 179
Cologne Cathedral If there is one thing you need to see when visiting Cologne, it is Cologne Cathedral. At 157 m (515 ft), it is the tallest twin-spired cathedral in the world, the second tallest church in Europe after Ulm Minster in Germany, and it is the third tallest church building of any type in the world. … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 178
Koblenz The weather had been very hot on this trip, but on arriving in Koblenz, the rain came down in an absolute deluge. With limited time, there were a couple of things to see, so despite a little flooding here and there, it was a matter of getting on with it. The town is a … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 177
The Clydeside Distillery Took a trip through to Glasgow on Friday last week to visit the Clydeside Distillery. I started the day by taking some time to wander around Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. I saw the Dali again as usual – see Part 139 of this blog – along with Van Gogh’s Portrait of … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 176
Lake Windermere This summer I made my first trip to the Lake District. Staying in Windermere, England, it was a short walk to the town centre and then down towards the lake itself. I was really taken with the area. It wasn’t too busy, though clearly most folk there were tourists. It has a real … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 175
Castles of the Middle Rhine The Upper Middle Rhine Valley, between Rudesheim and Koblenz, is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its castles, fortresses, and vineyards. As a huge fan of castles this was the highlight of highlights. I’m not going to list the castles here, as apparently there is more than twenty-eight according to … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 174
Imperial Cathedral of Speyer Leaving Strasbourg, I returned to Kehl, and then back on the boat, with the next stop Speyer in Germany. The highlight here was a visit to see the Imperial Cathedral of Speyer, which is one of the world’s finest and largest Romanesque cathedrals and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 173
The Fiction Factory 