The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

I attended a UCAS (British university system) conference in Birmingham in mid-February 2014.  All my Scottish and British friends warned me about Birmingham . . . be careful.  The conference, and my hotel were out near the International Airport, so I took a train into the city center.

I enjoy taking trains in Europe, even commuter trains.  It's a great way to travel.  I arrived at the New Street Station and wondered what I would see when I popped above the surface.

What I found was a grey and drizzly day . . . and a very pleasant walking street.

Beyond the clever and tasteful commercial redevelopment, I found public spaces filled with monumental art and sculpture.

Scattered about Victoria Square were many of the giant Sphinx-like creatures in stone.

Lovely metal sculpture . . . disintegrating in the weather . . . my favorite symbol.

Statue of The Explorer, my favorite.

High on the steps of the City Hall.

Victoria Square, Birmingham.

More monumental statuary and the Birmingham Council House on Victoria Square.

A terrible day for photography . . . but very beautiful public spaces and the Birmingham Town Hall (on left).

The Birmingham museum blocks.  I was very impressed with the museums here.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

There was a fine exhibition of Photorealism on at the Art Museum.

The brand new Birmingham Library.  In the digital age. Good.  The headless man (far right, bottom) was also interesting.

The old lady herself, Queen Victoria.

Alternating sunshine, clouds, drizzle, and rain for both days I spent in the city center.

There is a lot of nice architecture in Birmingham.

There was defiantly a police presence, and CCTV everywhere.

I took a shortcut through a galleria and was greeted with this amazing ceiling.  Thanks.

One end of New Street had old buildings and Victoria Square, the other end had The Bull Ring Mall. The urban planning here was excellent, the mall blended in seamlessly to the town.  They had not put a huge mall in the suburbs to suck the life out of the city center . . . they had integrated the mall into the city.  Outstanding.

I don't know if this is a franchise or not, but I loved the name.

You won't see these in Aberdeen, or in London for that matter, so it was nice to see these old friends.

I went in the Birmingham mall, known as The Bull Ring, and looked up to see a panoramic scene of the whole mall reflected in the ceiling.  Nice detail.

Although not technically a scholarly approach to learning about a city, I often find that a music store can lead me to certain understandings.  The Metal section was by far the largest section in the HMV store.  Stray from the Path indeed!

Panels of chrome cladding on the train station creating these wonderful distorted reflections.

I took many photos of this reflective surface.  This one is amazing.  I love the window in the middle of it all . . . a real window, that is.

Birmingham's Church of St Martin was at the far end of The Bull Ring.

England has had the wettest January since records were kept . . .  as evidenced by this coating of bright green moss on the Church of St Martin.

I love this style.

Facing the cathedral was the Birmingham Selfridges department store.  Also interesting.

Before I went to Birmingham I Googled it to see what there was to do.  When I lived in London in the late 80s my apartment was near a canal (Camdentown), so I took a walk to see if I could find the boat docks for a canal tour.  Along the way I saw several fine theatres and performance halls, here reflected.

I saw this poster on the wall of the concert hall . . . PLEASE, PLEASE let there still be tickets available for the Edinburgh show on May 17th!!! Robert Cray is one of my favorite blues artists.

On my way to the canals I passed this statue.  Early industrialists (including James Watt) looking over some plans or blueprints.  I wondered what they would have thought of the cheap Lowest Bidder Archeceture building that frames their statue.

Birmingham was one of the world's first industrial cities.  The Industrial Revolution began here.  Right here.

Although they did not keep my favored development style, dilapidation and decay, the canal side area was nevertheless tastefully redeveloped.

The dray horse paths have been developed into walks servicing shops and restaurants.

It might be fun to live in one of these canal houseboats.  A bit damp, I would imagine.

Some of the canal boats were very beautiful.

I paid a few pounds and joined six other tourists for a short one-hour tour up a canal.  Fun.

The canal paralleled a train line.  It is a strange feeling going through a tunnel in a boat.

A commuter train.  I waved at the train and ALL the passengers waved back.  A magic moment.

Our canal tour turning around spot was this 'canal boat camp ground' -- people stayed here for a week or two before put-putting up the canal to a new destination.  Hmmmm, this might be a retirement plan . . . .

A favorite photo: a man fishing in a Birmingham canal . . . in a tunnel.

Approaching another tunnel, I quickly snapped this photo.  I did not realize what a good shot I had until I got home and looked at it.  Amazing light reflecting off the canal onto the man's face and ceiling.  Nice.

Some sections of the canal had wild graffiti.

I guess If I grew up in a 6X6 room in one of those flats in the background, I might become a graffiti artist too. 

Fortunately, I was able to indulge my love of unmaintained walls . . . Wall History Portraits I call them. 

I had a pretty good Birmingham burrito in the canal walk area, then walked back downtown where I encountered this busker bank playing red hot raz-a-ma-taz on the street.  They were very charismatic and the crowd loved them.

When I came out of The Bull Ring it was getting dark.

The lights were on the cathedral . . . .

. . . the streets were damp and glowing  . . . .

. . . and everyone was heading home or to the train station, like me.  I enjoyed my couple of days in the Birmingham city center.

New Slains Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland is perched on cliffs above the crashing waves of the wild North Sea.

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Just outside of the little Scottish village of Cruden Bay, on a muddy track, sits the amazing New Slains Castle . . . the true home of Dracula.

On a very cold, clear, and windy morning I walked out to a seaside promontory where the [intentional] ruins of Slains Castle was situated.  It was the first sunny day in weeks, so I grabbed my camera for the opportunity for a castle shoot.

New Slains Castle is privately owned and is not developed for visitors.  Heavy rains over the past week made the walking torturous.  In fact, the entry was blocked by a fence, a cliff, and this wooden barricade.  But . . . . .

I found an inviting entry point to the castle property and went in.  I walked along a path that took me by some of what I thought might be out buildings.  I wanted to see the North Sea before I entered the ruins.

As I walked up on the North Sea cliffs, I could see the rough waters.

New Slains Castle sits high on the edge of cliffs that look down on a craggy coast pounded by the wild North Sea winter surf.

The waves were ferocious!  The wind at the edge of the cliffs was powerful: I could barely brace myself enough to take a photo.  What DRAMA!  What inspiration!

I was riveted by the constant pounding of the huge surf on the rocks.

Is there nothing more infatuating than watching big surf crashing on the seaside, with the wind blowing the tops off of the waves?  I do not think so.  I must have taken 100 photos here . . . and thinking each time that I had captured a momentous occasion of extreme importance . . . the Sea and Land in rough embrace.

The castle placement atop cliffs above the wild sea . . . a marvel.

I walked along the windy narrow strip of long grass between the castle on my right, and . . .

. . . the jagged rocks at the base of the cliffs on my left.

Forced to stand so close to the castle, I studied the construction detail.

The weathered plaster-over-stone construction method was coated in sea salt deposits.

I entered the ruins of 'Dracula's Castle.'  I say Dracula's Castle because  . . ." On [Bram] Stoker’s return to Cruden Bay in the summer of 1895, ‘the’ book [Dracula] was written. It is said that when the winds blow into Cruden Bay, the sea is churned into such violence that it fills the onlooker with fear. It was on such a day that Stoker sat near Slains Castle in the wind and rain like some sea bird perched on a rock and slowly, his creation, Count Dracula began to emerge in his mind’s eye... “... I saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window and began to crawl down the castle wall over that dreadful abyss, face down, with his clock spreading around him like great wings...” [ Citation ]

"That Dreadful Abyss" that Bram Stoker saw from the window of New Slains Castle.

Dracula's view!

"In her book The Essential Dracula, Clare Haword-Maden opined the castle of Count Dracula was inspired by Slains Castle, at which Bram Stoker was a guest of the 19th Earl of Erroll. According to Miller, he first visited Cruden Bay in 1893, three years after work on Dracula had begun. Haining and Tremaine maintain that during this visit, Stoker was especially impressed by Slains Castle's interior and the surrounding landscape." (Citation)

"In 1925 the roof was removed to avoid taxes,   and the building has deteriorated since. It is now a roofless shell, with most of the outer and inner walls standing to full height. In 2004 it was reported that the Slains Partnership was preparing plans for restoration of the building and conversion into 35 holiday apartments.   In August 2007 the scheme was granted outline planning permission by Aberdeenshire Council, but the plans were put on hold in 2009 due to the economic downturn." ^[Citation]

The tower of New Slains Castle was begun in 1597, and was built, remodeled, and rebuilt for many centuries afterward.  It was occupied up until 1906.

The castle has a very complex floor plan.

Wherever I went in the castle, I invariably came back around to a window opening that looked out onto the wild North Sea.

With the windows, doors, and interior wall panelling taken away, the spaces left were . . . quite spooky.

Long halls went off in all directions.

Halls everywhere.  You can see the joist supports coming out of the wall at right, indicating where the second floor would have been.

It was very interesting walking down these halls.  Openings would appear and new views would present themselves.  With the wind whistling through these passages, it was a very exciting experience.

One of the best things about the day was studying castle construction methods.

This must have been a Great Hall or Dining Room.

I had fun trying to figure out the intended use of each room.

Construction materials and methods varied throughout the castle.  I couldn't tell the difference between the 16th, 17th, or 18th century renovations and remodeling.

Previous doors and passages are bricked up here and there throughout.

I wondered if some walls were broken in order to get large fixtures out of the building, like fireplaces.

A rare historical photo of the interior of New Slains Castle while occupied (circa 1900).

This photo illustrates how wood panelling was attached to the stone and brick walls: wooden dowels were inserted in the stonework as it was being mortared so that panels could be affixed later.  They are still there, so presumably, they could be re-used.

It was such a beautiful day.

At this time of year, February, in the Northeast of Scotland the sun is always at a perfect angle for photography.

Of course, all of my wanderings were leading me to the feature that defines a castle, the tower.

The five-story tower in all its glory!

The tower spiral stairs.

The colors, textures, shapes, surfaces, and shadows in this scene create a complex and magnificent portrait.  The doorway to the castle tower steps.

The 'wall history' underneath the castle tower stairs.  At some point a plaster grout was trowelled in and something, perhaps tiles, were laid in, and since vanished.  Seeing the medieval craftsmen's scratches and marks humanizes these spaces.

The tower interior view from a different corner.

As it was getting late, and the sun was falling fast, I left the tower to go outside . . . .

I left New Slains Castle through this door.

I stepped out into the gale force winds to see the tall grass, laid over, where it met the weathered stone of the castle . . . too beautiful.  A still life portrait to remember.

A turreted element of the castle architecture.

The south exposure of New Slains Castle in all its glory.  The 14th century tower at right.

A similar view of New Slains Castle when it was still a living residence (circa 1900).

As I walked around the exterior of the castle, I realized these weren't the ruins of out buildings, but the exterior wall of yet another expansive renovation in the past.

I wanted to walk a way up the coast to get a long shot of the castle and it's precarious position on the cliffs . . . . when I turned around I saw this view . . .  WOW!  The tall grasses laid over in the ferocious wind.

It was a struggle walking in this slippery, grabby grass in such a strong wind.

I took my last photo of the rugged Scottish coast before walking back to the car and heading home.  It had been a magical day in a magical, if somewhat creepy, place.

As I drove back through the village of Cruden Bay I realized I hadn't eaten all day, so I stopped in at a small hotel and had a traditional Angus steak pie and tatties.  It was, of course, delicious.

I set the GPS to take me home . . . but I began to defy its instructions, making it compute an alternative route  in the hope that I might find something interesting on a new road.  I did.

The Belhelvie North Parish Church (circa 1870).  I was happy, the sky was beautiful, and I had spent the day outside on a wonderful winter day.

About 20 minutes south from my home in Aberdeen lies the charming seaside village of Stonehaven.  Stonehaven has a lot going for it, not the least is that it is the gateway to perhaps one of Scotland's most famous castles.

A couple of kilometers outside of Stonehaven is the amazing Dunnattar Castle, a truly significant place in the history of Scotland.  The approach to the castle requires a walk of about a half kilometer.  Read all about its history HERE.

The magnificence of the castle's location . . .

. . . dawns on you in degrees . . .

. . . until you realize . . .

. . . Dunnottar Castle sits high on a promontory of stone high above the crashing surf of the North Sea.  The first mention of a castle on this location was 681.

The Aberdeenshire coast is a series of steep cliffs and jutting headlands.

I have never seen architecture positioned on the landscape in such a dramatic way as this!

We walked down the well-worn path to the castle entrance, completely taken in by the view.

The Aberdeenshire headlands.

We gawked at the great castle overhead.

The castle walls were made for battle and sieges, as this cannon port attests.

The final 50 meters still had the medieval paving.

After many, many steps, we finally arrived at the flattened top and the interior of Dunnottar Castle.

Although Dunnottar was shelled from sea many times, the structures were quite well preserved.

Dunnottar Castle is actually privately owned!  This house is actually occupied periodically by the current owners.

Location, Location, Location!!!

The ruins of the Dunnottar Castle Chapel.

Dunnottar Castle Chapel interior.  The original chapel was founded in the 5th century.

A view from the chapel.

We were always being surprised by the sudden views of the North Sea.

Although overtaking a castle situate this far up steep cliffs would have been nearly impossible, it was vulnerable to bombardment from ships at sea.

There was more space up on top than I thought.  A whole village existed up here in the past.

We snooped around inside the buildings.

We found the medieval kitchen and its giant hearth.

Every once in a while we would see a bright passage leading up and out of the old stone structures.

The views, from the inside out, framed in stone, were beautiful.

Like a framed picture of Time itself.

Stairs to nowhere.

This row of rooms with fireplaces was reserved for knights and visiting royalty.

It must have been a very busy place to be in the year 1100.

The castle grounds were divided by a wall.  On one side were the living quarters of the royal inhabitants and the knights, and on the other were the work shops, horse stables, and military battlements.

Stores, stables, and the remains of the tower.

The ruins of the old blacksmith shop.  Everything had to be made on-site; from horse shoes to silverware to pots and pans.

The stables to the left and the castle tower to the right, where the soldiers would have been billeted.

Castle tower interior. 

The view from a castle tower port across the roof of the gate house.

A wonderful view back to the countryside of Aberdeenshire.

Now that my dilapidated door and window fetish was fully satisfied, we left the castle to walk back down the steep path to another view spot.

Even if there was no castle near nearby, it would have been a beautiful place to spend a perfect day.

The new viewpoint was windswept and wild.

The view of Dunnottar Castle that adorns a thousand Scotland calendars.

Castle, cliff, and sea.

Before I ever set foot in Scotland I learned about The Bay in Stonehaven.  Yes, it was awarded the Best Fish & Chips in Great Britain in 2013.  The best in a country that prides itself on fish and chips.  So, of course, we had to go and see what all the fuss was about.

What all the fuss was all about.

We ordered two box sets, with a side of Diet Coke to neutralize any fat we might accidently ingest.  "The UKs No. 1 Fish & Chip Shop".

It was amazingly good fish and chips.  Next time you are in Stonehaven you should stop in and have a box full!

Our holiday vacation actually began at the 17th century farm and workshops of our Swiss friend . . . in the countryside just outside of Geneva. We stayed with them before going off to Germany, and again coming back.

Their farm is surrounded by beautiful tree lines, country lanes, and wetlands.  I took an early morning walk one morning with my new Fuji X-A1.

It was a frosty morning when I headed out along the country lanes near Geneva.

The fallow fields were festooned in frost.

I walked about a kilometer to discover a frozen wetland pond.

Everything was covered in a delicate sheath of frost.

There was a fine old weathered shed in the morning light . . . along the way.

The yellow morning light shown on the barren tree line across the frozen field.

I walked back along the same country lane.  We were packing this morning for a drive to famous Swiss alpine village, Gstaad.

The drive along Lake Geneva was  . . . . well . . . . truly awesome.

One of the most beautiful sights of my life.

GSTAAD

We left the shores of Lake Geneva and headed up into the Alps, passing through small, old villages along the way.

As we drove higher and deeper into the Alps the scenery became more dramatic.

After several hours of driving we arrived in the Gstaad Valley.

What a beautiful place!

After so many years living in the perfectly flat swamp of Bangkok, the mountains were a revelation.

Our friends have an apartment in a wonderful chalet.  They planned some wonderful experiences for us that we were very grateful for.  One was a ride to the top of a mountain in a cable gondola.

I have to admit that this is not one of my favorite things to do . . . but with five of us squeezed into the little cabin, I hardly focussed on the imagined possibility of mechanical failure . . . .

We joined the skiers and visitors at the top for a wonderful meal with cheese in every dish!

A winter wonderland . . . and playground.

It was a perfect day on the mountain.  A perfect day for a walk DOWN the mountain . . . there was no other way!

And so, three of us walked down the five mile road, and two rented sleds for the descent.  I walked . . . and it was the most beautiful walk of my life.

Clear light and beautiful scenery, what more could I ask for?

I have so missed the mountains.

New views around every corner.  Fortunately we passed through Oregon last summer and visited a mountaineering store in Portland:  we had the right clothes for this kind of cold weather . .  and I had excellent weatherproof, insulated hiking boots with good tread for walking in the snow.

The 'trail' we walked down doubled as a sled run and emergency vehicle access to the top of the ski lifts. The walking was easy, the views fantastic . . . but . . .

You had to keep your ears pealed to hear the wild sledges speeding down the mountain.  Imagine, a five mile sled run!

This old chalet, from 1902, was about a third of the way down.  Nice weathered wood.

There were good views of the village of Gstaad all along the mountain trail.

Small chalets dotted the hillsides and hidden mountain valleys.

About half way down the mountain my friends decided to take a short-cut across one of the switchabacks in the road.  It didn't look too steep, or difficult . . . but I discovered that it was too steep and difficult as soon as I started down.  I was not used to walking in deep snow on a steep slope . . . with a camera in my hands . . . and a bad knee!  I made it down 'OK' . . . but fell in the snow numerous times.

After a couple of hours of walking, we drew near the valley floor.

We passed this new chalet on the way.

Some of the sled riders rode in a horse drawn sleigh the rest of the way back to the ski lift.  It was a great day.  We went back to the apartment completely exhausted . . but looking forward to the next day's adventure.

We stopped off at the village of Gstaad and ogled the Gstaad Palace Hotel.  Little did we know that we would be joining a New Years' party a stone's throw from there.

Old Gstaad village had some fine old architecture . . . and a few cranes hoisting up some new, large chalets.

The next day our generous hosts drove us all on a winding road to the top of another ski lift . .  for another fabulous, cheese filled lunch.

There were many beautiful winter scene nearby.

There were many fine chalets dotted about the area.

Like a scene from a post card.

Another fabulous Swiss chalet.

The next day we spent some time in Gstaad.  There were many pretty scenes to photograph there.

Gstaad also had what was described as "the most expensive grocery store in the world," the Pernet Comestibles.  It also had just about every luxury brand as well.  Gstaad, it seems, is the playground of the extremely rich and famous.

Gstaad horses.

Gstaad prancing horse . .  and horsepower: a 2013 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta.I want one.

Château de Gruyères

On our drive back to Geneva from Gstaad we passed by the Château de Gruyères, built around 1270, so we stopped in for a look.  The view of the countryside from the castle mount was fantastic.

There was a charming village within the castle walls.

The medieval atmosphere was very pronounced within the walls.

Château de Gruyères is in a very good state of restoration, as this fabulous door handle attests.

I was able to feed my obsession with weathered doors here as well.

The castle itself was very impressive.

There were many fine pieces of art on and around the castle. A medieval mandala?

The placement of the sculpture was very nice.  The whole village was full of art and art galleries.  The city fathers have made it a wonderful place to visit.

The castle itself sat on the highest point of the hill.

The Château de Gruyères is a fine fairy tale castle situated in a beautiful location in the foothills of the high Swiss Alps. 

A truly beautiful castle.

While walking back through the village, we were surprised to find a Tibet Museum!

The Tibetan prayer flags blew in the alpine breezes.

We were happy to discover the door was open.  We went in, made a donation, and saw the exhibition . . . .

The Buddha exhibit was actually in a converted/reclaimed christian chapel.  I was glad to see that.

It was an exquisite collection, although I immediately wondered how this particular 'museum' came by these Buddhas, satus, and monks.  I hope they were not purloined . . . sold as stolen treasure.  This place was not a Buddhist temple (wat) after all.

Yes, thank you Buddha for reminding me to vanquish Mara.

The lighting and arrangement of the exhibit was excellent.

I hope the museum procured these wonderful artifacts legitimately.  I will assume they did.

This was my favorite Buddha in the collection.  Very powerful.  We sat in the calm darkness of the 'temple' for some time enjoying the tranquility.

We went to Le Chalet for a tasty lunch that included lots of cheese . . . and amazing fresh raspberries and clotted cream.

The restaurant had these cow bells hanging from the ceiling.

Our last stop, before driving on to Geneva, was at an art museum that featured these metal sculptures of aliens . . . erotic and otherwise . . . by the Swiss artist H. R. Giger (famous for his work on the movie Alien).  After the Buddhas, these seemed extra strange.  We humans like images.

This was the last image from our wonderful winter holiday. What a wonderfully humorous image it is . . .

We had a 3-day week-end and new cars . .  . what to do?  ROAD TRIP!  We headed up north for a week-end of trail walking, golf, and photography.  At Macduff, we discovered the Duff House forest grounds.  Very beautiful.

It was a grey day with cool air . . . perfect for a walk in the woodlands.

A week earlier there had been several nights of near-zero temperatures.  A few leaves had started to turn . . .

These ferns reminded me so much of my walks last summer in Washington State.

There is always so much of beauty to see on a forest walk.

After spending the last 17 years in tropical Thailand, the differences within this forest here held a strong fascination.

Wonderful old trees evoke old feelings.

The twist of this tree trunk tells the story of its taller neighbors come and gone.

We walked for over an hour in the coolness of this forest.

Shades of a coming Autumn.

A long, and warm-for-Scotland, summer has left the forest brimming with life.

These mushroom fungi seemed very brainy . . . too brainy!  Perhaps there has been an exchange of genetic material going on in this ecosystem!

We left the forest walk through this aged gate.

We found Duff Estate.

Mr. Duff made a lot of money when housing prices were lower than they are now. We wanted to go on the interior tour, but we got here too late.

The gift shop operator told us that Duff Estate "changed the way large estates were built in Great Britain after it's completion."

Although not of the estate-changing opulence of the Duff Estate, we were happy with The Knowes Hotel.  The room was clean and comfortable . . . . with . . .

. . . an excellent view of the North Sea and the Macduff harbour light.  I decided to grab my camera gear and headed out into the fading light.

Macduff and Banff are port towns.

Not much in Macduff has been modernized.  There are still old hovel homes left from an older time.

Although the stone houses seem cold, there are touches and flourishes of artistry set against the austere facades.

I turned left on Institution Street, and then on down the steep hill to the harbour, all the while wondering how the street got its name.

Macduff had a fine man-made harbour lined with Victorian era store fronts.

A girl was trying to fish for her supper in the Macduff sink . . . without luck.

A fine harbour light on a fine last day of summer in Macduff, Scotland.

I walked up the harbour road toward Banff, hoping I could get a photo of the old stone bridge.

On the way out of town I saw this image . . . telling the history of the internal landscapes of those residing below.

In the fading light the contrasts between light and shadow grew.

Perfect late light.

I  took many photos along the road and was infatuated with the church dome against the sky . . .

  . . . when I realized I was missing this old derelict building . .  my favorite subject: dilapidation!

Amazing dilapidation.

I kept walking along the road to Banff and took this photo of a friendly dancing bus mechanic.  He came over and said . . . "I hope my boss never sees this photo!"  So here is his photo . . . not the one of him dancing!

I got to than embankment in time to take this photo of Banff . . . unfortunately the old stone bridge was too far away to walk in the fading light.

I sat for a while on the a bank of the River Deveron estuary and watched the sun set.

It was a beautiful evening.

I climbed some steep steps and took a high road back to the hotel.  Along the way I shot this view of Macduff, Scotland in the last of the light.

 I reentered the town center from a side street.

Although Macduff is made of dark stone masonry, it is a habitable town.  People add color which, standing off the dark stone, make a beautiful effect.

Along "Main Street" Macduff.

Macduff streets are steep as they rise up from the catchment.

 I rounded the corner and went up Market Street to the hotel.  There were many pleasant architectural arrangements to enjoy along the way in the last of the light.

My last photo of the day was taken on the steps of the hotel.

The next morning broke clear and cold. This view of Banff was taken from my hotel window.

Macduff, Banff, Scottish coast.

It was time to leave Macduff.

The Knowes Hotel sits on high ground, but just above the hotel stood a Castle turret monument in remembrance of local war dead.

We spent the rest of the morning playing the very, very difficult, but very, very beautiful Royal Tarlair Golf Course.  The views were breathtaking!