I cant say that I was able to take in everything my friend brought me through about making of the pipe organs in the workshop. Just glad to actually see a pipe organ and a clavichord (a side project of my friend) in the making! Durham is a beautiful cathedral/university town. It was such a joy to see the Cathedral again, standing magnificently on a hill and the lovely streams around it. Had the pleasure of also experiencing the cathedral's children choir (apparently the one which sings in Harry Potter) performing on the Cathedral tower (...), a Gamelan performance from a group in Southbank (!!!) and also recorder consort practice. The trip up to Newcastle to visit the Baltic Museum and Lange Gallery was equally an eye-opening experience. All in all, it was an extremely marvellous musico-cultural induction to the beginning of a holiday.The next train stop was Edinburgh. Upon reaching, I was suddenly hit by waves of fatigue of travel (yeah I am abit slow) and just couldnt walk very much...which was a pity because this ancient city has such a picturesque view at every corner. This one for instance was taken while I was collapsing on a bench beside the National Art Gallery. I slept as early as 8.30pm that day (had wanted to go for the ghost walk but alas! the body is weak!) and woke up early the next day to start my adventure to the Isle of Skye. The coach trip there was long but the driver was extremely generous with the tales of Scotland. We were all sufficiently entertained by the tales of the hairy cool (cow), famous Scots (including Tony Blair) and why phrases like "daylight robbery" came from Scotland. I later came upon the information that Scotland is one of the earliest country that had instituted compulsory education for their children. Perhaps that could explain why they had in fact had an extraordinary no of noble prize winners, literary giants and educators for their population size? So after many glens and valleys (and tales of the clans), I finally landed in this nice little inn in Portree with excellent views:
[Stayed in the second house from the right "Cuilin View"] 
The rest of the journey in the Skye is like just living in air - literally...My journey to Germany's Rhineland began rather unauspiciously with two false landings in the wrong train station. I have learnt since there is a difference between Frankfurt Mainz and Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) which recurred again in Bingen. The reason I have learnt later, is that one probably refers to the "Main Street" while the other indeed refers to the "Main station". Anyhow I was glad to see my friend Siong Yee at the Bingen main station after what was a 2 hours delay caused by my boo boo. It was a real pity that I didnt get to see the famous Hildegard Von Bingen's museum though thanks to the advanced planning of my friend, the dinner at the hill top Klopp castle was amazing. From this point, I felt like I was transported to the fairytale land of the Match Stick Girl, the Swan Prince and Hansel and Gretel... the great river Rhine meandered around the most quaint townlet with the great castles looming at various strategic vantage points. I was glad for my friend's readiness to walk the talk - there is no better way of experiencing this cultural and natural sites before us. When awarding the world-heritage status to this upper section of the Middle Rhine, UNESCO paid tribute to the area's unusually rick cultural history and art. As the most prominent stretch of the river, it was chosen to represent the whole of the Rhine - and I have experienced all of this in the 2 days! I am so thankful!
A special tribute my friend's attempt at capturing a unique perspective of the Rhine from the Rheinstein Castle (somewhere between Bacharach and Bingen):
The trip back to Bonn was uneventful and I was glad for the chance to visit Beethoven's house and to experience the provinciality of a small town. It's a reminder that despite of who I am and where I am from, I am probably not well-suited to city life. I probably would be happier becoming a farmer if there could ever be such a job in Singapore. Perhaps also it has to do with whether I am living in the right time for who I could be.
Suffice to say London is the same as what I had known it to be like (only somewhat cleaner)... I stayed in this budget hotel outside Wembley Stadium. The last three days or so went by rather quickly with my visit to Cambridge, IoE and catching up with some shopping and dinner with an ex-student studying in Imperial College. Unlike the other cities I have been to, London always held a special place in my heart - probably because this is the first foreign city I have been on my own for a substantial time. This is a place where it is exceedingly cosmopolitan but sufficiently friendly; always eventful but not to the point of confusing and hurried; expensive ... but one can always live with a slightly lower expectation of quality of living. On this note, I do look forward to returning again rather soon.
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