Kevin Surmay

List of names of other Surmay's: Kevin. We know of at least 650 other persons called Kevin. Name's ranking is 33. Common last names associated with the name Kevin are: Mcclyment, Guillon, Pinson, Pronk, Meisberger. It is believed that Saint Kevin was the one who popularized the name, although Kevin is not a biblical name. . In the United Kingdom, the popularity of the name Kevin peaked during the 1950s and 1960s, when it was frequently among the 20 most popular names.

Back home

Yeah, I'm making a break in my travels around the UK, so I'm back in London for the time being. Time to earn some money for the next travel. Where to? I don't know yet!

Also it's a good time to catch up with frieds, see who's doing what. I'm happy to see the expansion of StalkInfo, which belongs to a friend of mine. This service allows you to check who is googling your name. Cool, huh? It may help you find your stalkers if you have some, or it's just genuinely interestig who googles your name:)

Anyway, I have some other friends who make websites as well, so I might be writing about them too.

Fort William and Oban

Near Fort William is the highest mountain in the British Isles, already mentioned Ben Nevis (1,343 m). We pitched camp at the foot of the mountain, the valley of Glen Nevis, the famous that was filmed there, "Braveheart" and "Rob Roy". We were worried that the fickle Scottish weather does not allow us to gain the summit, but ultimately failed to do so. After five hours of walking we reached the target. It was worth it, because the view compensates for all the efforts in approach. On top of small mounds usypują tourists. Each arriving should make a stone. The apex is very flat and wide, looks a bit like the surface of the moon. You get to see the east coast and the island of Skye.

Going south-west not miss Oban. This is one of the many charming towns of the Scottish port, which stands a granite hilltop amphitheater built by the local rich man. The town is the starting point for hybrids. Just 40 minutes ferry ride to be on the neighboring island of Mull - called the rainy island. So we decided to take the ferry to the main port of Mull - Craignure. The island was only a stopover on our way to Iona, which lies about a mile from the south-western extremity of Mull. The beauty of the place enchanted us so much that we decided to stay longer. We spent the night in Fionnphort, a town at the point of the westernmost tip, stem, where ferries to Iona. Tent pitched on the shore, so as to have a view of one of the smallest, but most legendary Scottish islands. The road to it takes only several minutes. The same island can move up and down within a few hours (about 5 km long and 1.5 km wide). Ionia is located on the Abbey which commemorates the activities of St. Kolumby. He probably arrived in Ireland in the year 563 (as proclaim the legend, like all missionaries from the West, on a stone mill), to spread Christianity in the pagan Scotland. Soon, a small resort, which he was the creator of "radiate" throughout the country. Today it is a land of worship and the goal of many pilgrimages

Travel to Skye

About how little Scotland is demonstrated by the fact that the East to the West Coast drove the bus about three hours. The Isle of Skye przypłynęłyśmy ferry from Kyle of Lochalsh to Kyleakin. It was a cheaper way than the most expensive toll bridge in Europe. It turned out that the nearest official campsite is located a few kilometers from the port. Fortunately, there are many private Skye campsites may not of the highest standard, but relatively cheap. Eventually, we settled in the village Breakish at a campsite at Mrs. McCloud. Overnight accommodation in a tent is not a good idea to spend the night on Skye. It was very cold, and sleep does not always give beczące sheep. Declined while the number of stars and we saw probably the most beautiful sunset which you can imagine. Skye is a very mountainous island of coastal cliff, the beautiful especially in the north. Everywhere mountains surrounded us, so hungry for experience, we decided to get one of them. Except for their own misfortune we chose one that seemed to us is the highest in the area. Locals call it the Mountain of the Old Woman. Looking for a long road to the summit. At some point we realized that we were completely alone. The area was very wet, which complicated the entrance. Around there were no trees, just rocks, mountain streams and heather which fit landscape "typical Scottish word." Finding a way back turned out to be very difficult. We flew over the heads from time to time military aircraft flying low exercisers.

Loch Ness, Scotland

We were looking forward to meeting with the famous water monster living in Loch Ness. The first person who allegedly saw Nessie was St. Columbus, who Christianized Scotland in the sixth century. Since then, much time has passed, but the legend is still alive and frightening. It's hard not to succumb to the atmosphere of this place, where everyone and looks forward to monster. However, this is a very "commercial " area. Along the shores of the lake was built a lot of shops where you can buy, among other things, plastic monstrosities - toys.

Clave Cairns, Ben Nevis, River Ness

Near Culloden is equally important, because prehistoric site - the Temple 5,000 years before: Clave Cairns. Chris asked us to take off their shoes when entering the site, otherwise deptalibyśmy good fairies and spirits of Scotland. According to legend, the great, a Celtic god - Ben Nevis, long ago, threw them on the ground from the highest mountain in Scotland, and then turned into stones. Smaller stones are fairies, and more are good spirits. Later that same evening we arrived in the capital Highlands, Inverness. It is a small town, picturesquely situated on the River Ness. Bay in Inverness can be found even dolphins. The memory stuck in our particular unique atmosphere of local pubs. Scots are very entertaining people. They can spend long hours drinking beer or whiskey, talking, singing and dancing. Everywhere you can find traces of their great patriotism. People with our colleague has been compared to William Wallace, who this time would be designed to win independence for the Scots.

On the way to Glasgow we decided to stay on the shore of the largest in Scotland, Loch Lomond, as the text says one of the more popular songs among the Scots: "(...) but me and my true love will never meet again to thr bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. " From there we drove straight to Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, which in 1990 was selected for the European Capital of Culture. Its name comes allegedly from the Celtic word Glas-cu, which means "beloved green place." Unfortunately we spent only a few hours there. The city is famous not only soccer, but mainly from the industrial revolution, which has just begun there. It also made one of the most famous Scottish artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1862-1928). Imitation characteristic decorative motifs of the artist can be seen in almost every shop or bar in Scotland. One gets the impression that there is a kind of fashion for "Mackintosh". Village itself seems to be disorderly and depressing. Victorian architecture and Gothic churches co-operating factories with no unique atmosphere. It is cheaper here than in the rest of Scotland, perhaps because the area is considered extremely dangerous.

Scotland probably every tourist leaves the boundaries of its kind left wanting. For it is so interesting that it is not enough to go there only once. Unfortunately, our funds are not allowed to stay for longer. It is cheaper than England, but it is one of the most expensive European country. So if you imagine Scotland as a beautiful, mountainous country with numerous lakes and moors, and the Scots as przeuroczych, cheerful guest and certainly not stingy people (here, we want to disprove a stereotype). Just have a lot of desire, and a lot of money to find that out.

Edinburgh Festival

It all started in Edinburgh, which is the capital of Scotland. Luckily it happened that at the same time take place in the Edinburgh International Festival. Then comes to town a lot of theater and music groups to present themselves at local theaters and streets. The city is visited by then many thousands of tourists from all over the world. The international nature of this festival is an opportunity to showcase their native culture. In addition to the kilcie Scot, playing in the kobzie can see people in the ethnic African clothes. All provide an atmosphere of fun, music can be heard everywhere. In addition to attending the event may be amused to see the tired tourists in the gardens of dozing off Princes Street. In the early afternoon on the Royal Mile, which leads to the castle, they begin to arrive in numerous bands and theater. It happened to us to chase one of these teams up the Royal Mile in the rain, because the members of the corpses looked like a group of Scottish soldiers of the sixteenth century. The fact that the twentieth century we have witnessed only the sun glasses on the nose of one of the players on the drum. Everything that happens on the streets of Edinburgh at this time, the Scots refer to as "fringe". In addition to the theater festival is also the Military Tattoo Festival, which ends with a spectacular military parade. Yet returned to Edinburgh for the final of the festival, which usually takes place in early September. Organized the spectacular fireworks display at the castle, which is painted in the night a thousand colors.

The other legend of Giant's Causeway

The second legend is more romantic, though it's only a banal love story of a giant and the giant. This time, Fionn had to fall in love with a woman living on the Island of Staffa, near the Scottish coast (here, "the road" again emerges.) So he built the dam, and on her way to be able to move to his beloved home.

Before the place became a famous tourist attraction of the local villagers used the exposed gaps between the columns as reservoirs of salt. Filling them with sea water and, after evaporation of the sun scraping salt. Since the eighteenth century, began to appear there first tourists.
We stood on the black basalt columns, covered with yellowish brown and lichen. Patrzyłyśmy as foaming waves crashing on the shore. We felt a slight breeze on his face unique and admired the beauty arising from the forces of nature. When I left this piece of land there was no bitterness in me as in the eighteenth century writer William Makepeace Thackeray, who said: "My God! And I traveled 100 miles to see it. "I walked with a friend is not 150 and 1500 km and do not regret. Once again, the nature of mankind has proved that her works are not only subtle, multicolored, arousing awe and humility, but also finely made that no man is as creative as nature itself.

Giant's Causeway

Giant's Causeway greeted us with a breathtaking picture - a small piece of land as if made ​​by human hands, and whose creation had nothing to do with human activity! We saw a regular, hexagonal columns of descending stairs into the depths of the ocean. They were about 60 million years ago during a volcanic eruption that formed the Antrim plateau. The middle part of the effluent stream from the crust of lava stygła slower than the outer layers. Solidify lava shrank, resulting in tension and tension arose, which led to the formation of cracks in hexagonal and 37,000 regular basalt columns. Only some of them are five and a seven, and two, the key and the chair of the octagonal wishlist.

Otherwise explain the rise of the Irish legend of the island. According to the most popular version of the island once lived a giant called the Ulster warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill. He had scores to settle with his friend from Scotland. To meet with a rival and fight a duel with him on the fists began to build the road to Scotland throwing in the sea pulled from the earth, stone pillars. When he saw the enemy, but he threw himself to escape. Scot followed him. Fionn he came to his house, he put the child's cradle. When Scot came home and saw Fionna "child" of his enemy as a giant, said that the father should be even greater. So scared of that vision, that he fled to Scotland and did not appear again. Built if the road still exists and is called the Giant's Causeway.

Irish impressions

Ireland has charmed us with its wealth of landscapes. Lush green grass, steep rugged cliffs, dive into the waves of the sea, the old mountain ranges covered with heath and the blue glacial lakes in the ruins of old castles and the remains of the Celtic culture still draw in my imagination the image of the island. Wandering through the rarely visited, Irish routes, away from human settlements established close contact with nature, I had time for reflection and inner calm.
Thoughts often go back to the moments in this wonderful country. Before my eyes there is a breathtaking sight of a small portion of the coast, which takes only 2 ha in size and is called the Giant's Causeway - Giant Road. It is located in the northern part of Ulster, belonging to Great Britain. For Northern Ireland, we got a hitch from Donegal situated in the Republic of Ireland. Hitch-hiking provides not only economic benefits. It's a great way to closer to understanding the country's population, their mentality and everyday life, not written anywhere customs and traditions, as well as an excellent opportunity to learn the language.

National Health Service in the UK

For health care, you can use services institutions the National Health Service - NHS (National Health Service) - general practitioners (GPs), GP (Walkin Centres NHS) and NHS hospitals. Please show the doctor the European Health Insurance Card and identity card. For specialist treatment and hospital referral is needed, but in emergencies can be reported directly to the hospital emergency department (Accident and Emergency Department). NHS doctors' addresses can be obtained by phone NHS Direct - 0845 46 47 (Web address: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk), and the local authority for health care (in England are the Primary Care Trusts in Wales - Local Health Boards in Scotland - Health Boards in Northern Ireland - Health and Social Services Boards. Fees for medical services: prescription drugs are issued free of charge to children under the age of 16, pupils aged 18, pregnant women and people over 60 years of age, the other person must pay a fee lump sum of 6.50 pound sterling (GBP) for each prescription. authorized to issue prescriptions covered by the refund is a physician practicing in the NHS. Part of the costs you incur for dental treatment: a flat fee for the examination and 80 percent. the cost of treatment. The fees are exempt pregnant women and up to 1 year after childbirth, as well as children under 16 or to 18 years (if they are learning.) Transportation to the Polish health is fully paid by the patient. Private treatment: if you use care centers operating outside the NHS must pay the full cost of treatment, without the right to return them. emergency number - 999 or 112 documents necessary to obtain reimbursement of the original invoices, proof of payment. When in doubt, information can be obtained from the Department for Work and Pensions, The Pension Service, International Pension Centre, Tyneview Park, NE98 1BA Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom, Tel: 0044 191 2187547, fax 0044 191 2187375 or NHS Direct on tel 08,454,647th Jersey and Guernsey should be reckon with limited access to social benefits. doing the work, you must register with a GP, which will provide access to National Health Service. The European Health Insurance Card is not accepted.

Cost of living in the UK

Credit cards are widely accepted. Same with traveler's checks, which is best to use in pounds sterling (avoided in this way, additional commission fees.)

Example prices in the UK: a loaf of bread - on average £ 1 a liter of milk - about 60 pence, 1 kg of apples - about 1.5 GBP.

Renting in London in a double room will cost about 200 GBP per week and more. Prices depend on location and standard of accommodation, often requires a deposit for 1, 2, weeks or months in advance. The current minimum wage per hour is £ 5.05 for workers aged 22 and above.

A weekly bus ticket in London costs £ 13.5; day - £ 3.5; a single journey - 1.5 GBP. Tickets for the metro and train are much more expensive, such as single Tube journey will cost £ 3 a week travelcard (on the train, metro and buses) on the 4 zones will cost £ 31.6.

Driving in Great Britain

In the UK drive on the left. It is compulsory to wear seat belts in the front and rear seats. Talking on the phone while driving is prohibited. The permissible blood alcohol level driving a vehicle is 0.8 per mil. A green card is not obligatory, but still, it serves as proof of insurance in case of an accident makes it easier to obtain compensation, it is desirable to purchase insurance hull. There is no obligation to replace the Polish law for a British one, but it can be done. To do this, get in the mail form D1, fill it out and send to the DVLA (Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea, SA99 1BT, www.dvla.gov.uk) together with the Polish driver's license, evidence of identity and a fee of EUR 38 British pounds (GBP). Please also enclose a letter confirming the application that the director knows that the exchange is not mandatory, and does so at his own request.

Great Britain

Great Britain, nineteenth-century maritime power and industrial, has played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and literature and science. At the height of his power, the British empire rule the one-quarter of Earth's surface. In the first half of the twentieth century the power of Britain seriously eroded the two world wars. In the second half of the century colonial empire collapsed and the United Kingdom has undergone transformation into a prosperous, modern state. Currently the UK is considering to what extent to integrate with the mainland. The UK is a member of the European Union, but decided not to join the European Monetary Union. Important for the country's constitutional reform. In 1999 in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland regional parliamentary assemblies built with different permissions.

Scotland - general information

Scotland is one of the regions of the United Kingdom, which enjoys a relatively high degree of autonomy. In 1999. as a result of devolution in Scotland was given the right to create their own parliament and executive authorities. Decisions on such matters as education, transport and health are made in Scotland. The country has a different legal and court system than other parts of the United Kingdom.

In Scotland, Many religions are practiced, and its inhabitants speak mostly English. Some Scots speak Halicki, belongs to the Celtic language group.

Due to cultural differences, some institutions operate differently in Scotland than in other parts of the United Królestwa.Władze local communities are responsible for many services that the State provides mieszkańcom.ozwolonej speed.
Do not talk on the phone while driving.
Seatbelts must be worn and children must sit in special seats.

Traffic offences in Scotland

Traffic offenders are treated very harshly in Scotland, so be careful and know the rules.

- Do not drink and drive
- Do not exceed the speed limit
- Do not talk on the phone while driving
- Seatbelts must be worn and children must sit in baby seats
- Do not drive without valid insurance

Driving in Scotland

- If the signs do not indicate otherwise, drive on the left side of the road.
- You must have valid insurance. All drivers on the road must be insured.
- The car should have a a valid MOT test certificate issued by an authorized garage. MOT is valid for twelve months.
- You must have a disc supporting the payment of road tax (Tax Disc). The disc is valid for six or twelve months and must be placed on the windscreen. Driving without a disc or an invalid disc is a criminal offense. Tax rates depend on the size and age of car and can be checked on the DVLA website or at the local post office
- If you have a car, you must register it in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Pitlochry and Perthshire

Pitlochry is not only an excellent base for exploring Scotland. The same is also offered numerous attractions in the area because there are several excellent hiking trails offering magnificent opportunity to commune with nature and Scottish culture. Easily reached Perthsire capital - known for Scone Palace Perth. However, an unforgettable experience was nearly 18-mile hike to the castle in Blair Athol (Blair Castle). The beautiful whitewashed castle was built in the thirteenth century and for over 700 years the house was the residence of Atholl. His Prince is the only one in Scotland is entitled to possession, moreover, only in Europe, a private army. Hiking trail to the castle by Killiecrankie beautiful gorge, which in 1689 witnessed a dramatic, bloody battle between the Orangemen and jakobitami. The gorge is a center dedicated to the event. Another interesting town in the area is Castle Menzies Aberfeldy of the sixteenth century, built on the set Z. flows through the town of Loch Tay. Go to the other side can be a stone bridge dating from 1733 years - Wade's Bridge. There is also ominęliśmy journey to the Tay Forest Park. The heart of this beautiful park is the Queen's View Centre - one of the most popular beauty spots of Scotland, and this is due to Queen Victoria, who liked to spend time here sipping tea and admiring nature unsullied mountain in the valley of Loch Tummel.

Inverness, Scotland

Another goal of our trip was located in the north of Inverness. The city is no longer in the mountainous area of Highland. There is m.in nineteenth-century red sandstone castle, which is a reconstruction of Shakespeare's Macbeth's castle. The town is pleasantly situated on the picturesque River Ness, joining up with the famous lake, the "dungeon" Ness. We went on a 3-hour cruise on the lake in the hope that maybe we will see the famous Nessie monster. Finding the monster can take some time, because the lake is very long - more than 35 km and deep - 200 meters. The surrounding hills and the wonderful, very romantic ruins located on the rock of the thirteenth-century Castle Urguhart make the existence of the monster can easily believe it.