Happy Easter

Norway, along with many European countries, shuts down over the Easter holidays. Stores are closed. No one goes to work. I'm pretty sure that the mail doesn't come as well.

The entire country just stops, packs up and heads out of town.

So we are too.

For the first half of the week, we're going to a friend's ski cabin. The we'll be back in Stavanger for a night.

On Wednesday of that week, we're leaving for Scotland and will spend about a day or so driving around the Highlands and then to Edinburgh for four days.

Husband wants to see the Highlands for the landscape and history.

Me, I am dying to go to Loch Ness. Yep, it will be touristy and perhaps even cheesy, but I grew up on a diet of monster stories and folklore. I soaked up everything about the Yeti and the vampires and the Frankensteins. And really for all their creepiness (and occasional murders and blood-drinking), they always seemed a little bit lonely.

One of my absolute favorites was the Loch Ness monster, Nessie, for those in the know...

Who is Nessie, you wonder???

The thought of taking a boat tour of the loch with the (yes, I know it's slim to none, but humor me for a moment, please) possibility of a sighting is too scary and delicious to even fathom.

I don't care a bit if every shop for kilometers will be hawking Nessie goods or if it's like the Disneyland of mythical creatures.

I'm lobbying to stay at the B&B overlooking the lake.

Loch Ness Clansman Hotel

Then we'll head south to spend a few days sipping on whiskey and shopping in Edinburgh.

Though, I also saw a note that Scotland may shut down for Easter as well. If so, we'll just keep driving to England.