Hi Everyone, just a note before my next post: I'm not sure if you've noticed, but my Flickr photo albums can only show the 200 most recent photos. Any photos past 200 are archived, and unavailable for viewing. (Hence why you can no longer visit any albums before my spring break!)
This weekend I had the chance to visit Bath and go on another school hike around the countryside of Surrey. It was a busy, fun-filled weekend with lots of photos. Unfortunately, uploading these photos would mean my spring break photos would no longer be available. I want people to have a chance to look at the spring break pictures before they disappear!
So I'm giving you FOUR DAYS to look at the Spring Break photos before I upload the pics from Bath/Hiking. On Friday I will be posting last weekends adventures (with pictures) and some of the Scotland photos will no longer be available for viewing. Keep this in mind and check out the photos before its too late!
Of course, the blog posts will still be available for reading, it's just the pictures that will get archived. And if you want to see the pictures after they disappear, just let me know and I'll e-mail them to you. This is just a heads up before they start to be archived!
3/29/2010
3/23/2010
Spring Break in Scotland - Day 5
Day 5 - Hiking Ben Vrackie in Pitlochry: On my last day in Pitlochry, I decided to try my most challenging hike yet. The mountain peak of Ben Vrackie is 2,000ft over the valley floor, and hikers can take a well-laid but steep path up, over the moor, and all the way to the top of the mountain for great views in all directions.
Though I had hoped to have as clear, sunny, and beautiful weather as the day before, my last day turned out to be rainy and overcast. Low-hanging clouds covered the top of the mountain - even reaching to Clunie on the other side - making the thought of a hike seem rather daunting. However, I had been told the path was very clear and well marked, so I shouldn't have a problem due to rain or fog (except maybe when trying to enjoy the view at the end).
So I started my hike. The path started in the same direction as my first hike (Craigower) but turned to the left to climb up the shoulders of the mountain and up towards the summit. First I crossed some hilly moorland, which stretched over the smaller peak of Bealach, and then made it to the small Loch a'Choire - a beautiful mountain lake which was covered in a thin sheet of ice. This lake was very pristine and perfect, with the tall mountain of Ben Vrackie just on the other side. From Loch a'Choire I could see the stair-case like path up to the top of the mountain. Unfortunately the top of the mountain couldn't be seen because of the clouds!
Passing by the Loch, I began to ascent the mountain itself. There were occasionally patches of snow which I needed to trudge over in order to continue up the path. At one point the path was even covered by a stream, originating from the winter snowmelt. The hardest part was making it over the slick icy patches, and not falling through where the snow was soft and melting. There were often points where I would step, break through the top foot of snow and end up in a hidden stream which was eroding the underside of the snow bank. Naturally my shoes and legs got very wet! At one point I was crossing a medium-sized snow field to reach the path I could see on the other side. I paused for a moment and listened... there was a gurgling, gushing river sound - but I couldn't see the stream. Then I realized: The river was under my feet! There was a big snowmelt, likely with waterfalls and a good stream, just under the surface of the snow. I moved very quickly (but carefully) to try and get out of the "danger zone" and on to solid ground before any snow gave way and left me falling into the river below.
At about 1/2-2/3 up the mountain climb the entire path became covered with a snow field. I couldn't see where to go, but there were a few footsteps leading up and back through the snow. I began to continue, following these footprints, but realized that I was losing good vision ahead due to the dense clouds. While I may have had these few footprints, I didn't even know if they were going in the right direction! What made it worse was, at the point I decided to turn around, the frozen surface of ice had made it difficult to get a good foothold. It was just not my day to make it to the top of the mountain. I have to console myself with the idea that A) It just would not have been safe for me to go forward into the clouds/snow, and B) I probably wouldn't have had any kind of view, because the top of the mountain was in a cloud bank.
And so I made my way back down to Loch a'Choire, and decided to take the optional side path around the Loch, over Bealach ridge, and back towards the city. However, this proved difficult due to yet more snow-melt streams, mud, and at one point I even lost the path because of a snow bank! Fortunately I could see the sign post at the top of Bealach, and so trudged through the heather until I got back onto the main path. I was a little worried, though, that I would have had to backtrack a long way to make it to where I had begun the hike.
So my last day was certainly my most adventurous. Fortunately I made it back safely and with many good, wild pictures of the "gateway to the Highlands". Also, lucky for me, my B&B hosts were very generous to let me come back to the room, shower, nap, and dry my clothes by the fire even after checkout! They let me stay until my night train (10:45pm) came into Pitlochry.
The last part of my Spring Break Adventure was taking a sleeper train back to London. Silly me, I didn't book a sleeper berth, and therefore had to content myself with two extra-wide seats to curl up on. If I bent my knees and curled up a bit I could fit in my row of chairs just fine... It wasn't the most comfortable night's rest (we arrived in London at 7:45am), but it certainly beat just one chair, or no sleeping room at all! Maybe next time I will consider booking a berth, rather than a seat.
The following pictures conclude my epic adventure in Scotland. I hope you enjoyed!
Though I had hoped to have as clear, sunny, and beautiful weather as the day before, my last day turned out to be rainy and overcast. Low-hanging clouds covered the top of the mountain - even reaching to Clunie on the other side - making the thought of a hike seem rather daunting. However, I had been told the path was very clear and well marked, so I shouldn't have a problem due to rain or fog (except maybe when trying to enjoy the view at the end).
So I started my hike. The path started in the same direction as my first hike (Craigower) but turned to the left to climb up the shoulders of the mountain and up towards the summit. First I crossed some hilly moorland, which stretched over the smaller peak of Bealach, and then made it to the small Loch a'Choire - a beautiful mountain lake which was covered in a thin sheet of ice. This lake was very pristine and perfect, with the tall mountain of Ben Vrackie just on the other side. From Loch a'Choire I could see the stair-case like path up to the top of the mountain. Unfortunately the top of the mountain couldn't be seen because of the clouds!
Passing by the Loch, I began to ascent the mountain itself. There were occasionally patches of snow which I needed to trudge over in order to continue up the path. At one point the path was even covered by a stream, originating from the winter snowmelt. The hardest part was making it over the slick icy patches, and not falling through where the snow was soft and melting. There were often points where I would step, break through the top foot of snow and end up in a hidden stream which was eroding the underside of the snow bank. Naturally my shoes and legs got very wet! At one point I was crossing a medium-sized snow field to reach the path I could see on the other side. I paused for a moment and listened... there was a gurgling, gushing river sound - but I couldn't see the stream. Then I realized: The river was under my feet! There was a big snowmelt, likely with waterfalls and a good stream, just under the surface of the snow. I moved very quickly (but carefully) to try and get out of the "danger zone" and on to solid ground before any snow gave way and left me falling into the river below.
At about 1/2-2/3 up the mountain climb the entire path became covered with a snow field. I couldn't see where to go, but there were a few footsteps leading up and back through the snow. I began to continue, following these footprints, but realized that I was losing good vision ahead due to the dense clouds. While I may have had these few footprints, I didn't even know if they were going in the right direction! What made it worse was, at the point I decided to turn around, the frozen surface of ice had made it difficult to get a good foothold. It was just not my day to make it to the top of the mountain. I have to console myself with the idea that A) It just would not have been safe for me to go forward into the clouds/snow, and B) I probably wouldn't have had any kind of view, because the top of the mountain was in a cloud bank.
And so I made my way back down to Loch a'Choire, and decided to take the optional side path around the Loch, over Bealach ridge, and back towards the city. However, this proved difficult due to yet more snow-melt streams, mud, and at one point I even lost the path because of a snow bank! Fortunately I could see the sign post at the top of Bealach, and so trudged through the heather until I got back onto the main path. I was a little worried, though, that I would have had to backtrack a long way to make it to where I had begun the hike.
So my last day was certainly my most adventurous. Fortunately I made it back safely and with many good, wild pictures of the "gateway to the Highlands". Also, lucky for me, my B&B hosts were very generous to let me come back to the room, shower, nap, and dry my clothes by the fire even after checkout! They let me stay until my night train (10:45pm) came into Pitlochry.
The last part of my Spring Break Adventure was taking a sleeper train back to London. Silly me, I didn't book a sleeper berth, and therefore had to content myself with two extra-wide seats to curl up on. If I bent my knees and curled up a bit I could fit in my row of chairs just fine... It wasn't the most comfortable night's rest (we arrived in London at 7:45am), but it certainly beat just one chair, or no sleeping room at all! Maybe next time I will consider booking a berth, rather than a seat.
The following pictures conclude my epic adventure in Scotland. I hope you enjoyed!
3/22/2010
Spring Break in Scotland - Day 4
Day 4 (Wednesday) - More Hiking around Pitlochry On day 4 I took one, longer hike rather than two short ones. Since walking is so popular in the highlands - and around Britain in general! - there were many options I could have hiked during my trip to Pitlochry. I chose the Clunie Walk, which went in the opposite direction of Craigower, on the other side of the valley in which Pitlochry sits.
The walk started out normal enough, the path wound steeply through forests which looked a lot like the Oregon cascades. Birds were singing in the trees and the sun started to come out, which was very nice as the forecast predicted rain. And even though the day was warm (about 45-50 degrees), there was still snow on much of the path and old logging road which the walk followed.
When I reached the top of the Carra Beag hillside I expected to reach a viewpoint, just like the day before. However, what I found was far more breathtaking and awe-inspiring. I had finally reached the Scottish Highlands. I had wound farther around the mountainside than I expected, and found myself facing a wide open plateau covered in ankle-high purple heather. There were a few small foothills once in a while, with tall highland peaks wherever one looked. Because the clouds had cleared up I had a perfect view of Ben Vrackie, the nearest snow-capped peak to Pitlochry. I even had a spectacular view down onto Pitlochry far below! I took a small side-path to the top of a rocky outcropping and had lunch, watching the river, clouds, and mountains on all sides.
Suffice it to say the path, winding through the heather and over the hills, was fantastic. I had never been in such a foreign environment - but it was all SO BEAUTIFUL! The pictures hardly do it justice. Eventually the Clunie path left the plateau and wound back down, through the woods, and into the city. I returned in time to take a nap at the B&B before dinner, and yet again curl up by the fire with a borrowed book for the evening.
I think this walk had to have been my favorite. The sunshine, new scenery, and great views all made it the perfect easy hike. See the pictures below!
Side Note: Classes start back up again tomorrow. I only have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, though, which means I have a lot of free time to do homework and explore the city!
I also received my grades from last term and was happy to see As for all three classes. I'm especially proud to receive an A from a professor who outright stated "I don't give As"! Since the grading system in Britain is different - a B is the equivalent to an American A - I didn't expect to do as well as I did. Pity this whole semester doesn't factor into my GW GPA!
The walk started out normal enough, the path wound steeply through forests which looked a lot like the Oregon cascades. Birds were singing in the trees and the sun started to come out, which was very nice as the forecast predicted rain. And even though the day was warm (about 45-50 degrees), there was still snow on much of the path and old logging road which the walk followed.
When I reached the top of the Carra Beag hillside I expected to reach a viewpoint, just like the day before. However, what I found was far more breathtaking and awe-inspiring. I had finally reached the Scottish Highlands. I had wound farther around the mountainside than I expected, and found myself facing a wide open plateau covered in ankle-high purple heather. There were a few small foothills once in a while, with tall highland peaks wherever one looked. Because the clouds had cleared up I had a perfect view of Ben Vrackie, the nearest snow-capped peak to Pitlochry. I even had a spectacular view down onto Pitlochry far below! I took a small side-path to the top of a rocky outcropping and had lunch, watching the river, clouds, and mountains on all sides.
Suffice it to say the path, winding through the heather and over the hills, was fantastic. I had never been in such a foreign environment - but it was all SO BEAUTIFUL! The pictures hardly do it justice. Eventually the Clunie path left the plateau and wound back down, through the woods, and into the city. I returned in time to take a nap at the B&B before dinner, and yet again curl up by the fire with a borrowed book for the evening.
I think this walk had to have been my favorite. The sunshine, new scenery, and great views all made it the perfect easy hike. See the pictures below!
Side Note: Classes start back up again tomorrow. I only have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, though, which means I have a lot of free time to do homework and explore the city!
I also received my grades from last term and was happy to see As for all three classes. I'm especially proud to receive an A from a professor who outright stated "I don't give As"! Since the grading system in Britain is different - a B is the equivalent to an American A - I didn't expect to do as well as I did. Pity this whole semester doesn't factor into my GW GPA!
3/21/2010
Spring Break in Scotland - Day 3
Day 3 (Tuesday) - Hiking in Pitlochry On Tuesday I woke up to enjoy my first Scottish Breakfast at the B&B. The food was DELICIOUS! Probably one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. The only way it couldn't compare to Ireland is that famous Irish Brown Bread - but otherwise... That breakfast is probably one of the things I miss most about Scotland. There were yogurts, fruit, cereal, juices, AND a platter breakfast of various things like roasted tomatoes, haggis, "tattie scone" -a potato pancake, eggs sunny-side up, toast, sausage, and black pudding. Dad and I had black pudding in Ireland, but it was in no way nearly as good as the black pudding at Carra Beag. I actually LIKED it! Of course, not all of these foods were served together, but you got to have your pick from all of them. As you can tell, the breakfasts were so filling that I never really got hungry for lunch, which meant that all I had to take hiking with me was some veggies (in a little snack bag I bought) and crackers - just in case. I had energy for the whole day!
After that wonderful breakfast I took my first hike: Craigower. "Craig" means rock in Scottish, so anything with Craig means "on a rock" or "by a rock" or "rocky", etc. Craigower was a very nice, slightly hilly walk up to a lookout point over the Garry river. The path was nice and even all the way to the top, and walked through trees, forests, and some small glens. The first part even went through the Pitlochry Golf Course! I took pictures of the great golf course views for Keith. Overall, the terrain reminded me very much of Washington State. There were tall pine trees and more hilly mountains (like the northern Cascades, or San Juan Islands) with a little bit of left over snow from the winter.
Since Craigower was a short day hike, I managed to make it back to Pitlochry in time to take another short walk before dark. This time I walked around Loch Faskally. Again, very much like the pacific northwest, Pitlochry derives their power from a hydroelectric dam on the river Garry. Loch Faskally was formed when the dam was installed into the river. And, just like Washington and Oregon, Pitlochry's dam incorporates a fish ladder for migrating salmon! Pitlochry was one of the very first cities in Scotland to have a fish ladder, and it is one of their prize "sites". I thought this was funny, considering I come from a land where fish ladders are also very important! Just another coincidence which made me think that Pitlochry felt a lot like home...
When I had finished walking around Loch Faskally, admiring the lake, woods, and local buildings, I went home and ate dinner (chicken and ham "pie" with roasted leeks and "tattie mash" - YUM!) and then curled up by the fire to read a book from the B&B.
One thing I should mention about Pitlochry is that it happens to lie in the path of the Royal Air Force training route. This means that 4-6 times per day, jet fighters (between one and three) come screaming through the valley, rounding the hills and tracing the path of the river. When I was walking the hills, they were so close I could see the pilots! I think I was only 500ft away from the jets at one point. Naturally, this was VERY loud, and kind of an annoyance when you weren't awed by how fast and agile these planes were... but fortunately they went by infrequently, were gone in a matter of seconds, and never flew at night! My B&B hostess said that they probably flew more on the nice days because they had such a great view of the beautiful highlands. I think she's right: jet fighter is probably one of the best ways to see Scotland! I'm jealous of all the beautiful scenery they saw from the planes.
That's it for Day 2, check out the pictures by clicking below:
After that wonderful breakfast I took my first hike: Craigower. "Craig" means rock in Scottish, so anything with Craig means "on a rock" or "by a rock" or "rocky", etc. Craigower was a very nice, slightly hilly walk up to a lookout point over the Garry river. The path was nice and even all the way to the top, and walked through trees, forests, and some small glens. The first part even went through the Pitlochry Golf Course! I took pictures of the great golf course views for Keith. Overall, the terrain reminded me very much of Washington State. There were tall pine trees and more hilly mountains (like the northern Cascades, or San Juan Islands) with a little bit of left over snow from the winter.
Since Craigower was a short day hike, I managed to make it back to Pitlochry in time to take another short walk before dark. This time I walked around Loch Faskally. Again, very much like the pacific northwest, Pitlochry derives their power from a hydroelectric dam on the river Garry. Loch Faskally was formed when the dam was installed into the river. And, just like Washington and Oregon, Pitlochry's dam incorporates a fish ladder for migrating salmon! Pitlochry was one of the very first cities in Scotland to have a fish ladder, and it is one of their prize "sites". I thought this was funny, considering I come from a land where fish ladders are also very important! Just another coincidence which made me think that Pitlochry felt a lot like home...
When I had finished walking around Loch Faskally, admiring the lake, woods, and local buildings, I went home and ate dinner (chicken and ham "pie" with roasted leeks and "tattie mash" - YUM!) and then curled up by the fire to read a book from the B&B.
One thing I should mention about Pitlochry is that it happens to lie in the path of the Royal Air Force training route. This means that 4-6 times per day, jet fighters (between one and three) come screaming through the valley, rounding the hills and tracing the path of the river. When I was walking the hills, they were so close I could see the pilots! I think I was only 500ft away from the jets at one point. Naturally, this was VERY loud, and kind of an annoyance when you weren't awed by how fast and agile these planes were... but fortunately they went by infrequently, were gone in a matter of seconds, and never flew at night! My B&B hostess said that they probably flew more on the nice days because they had such a great view of the beautiful highlands. I think she's right: jet fighter is probably one of the best ways to see Scotland! I'm jealous of all the beautiful scenery they saw from the planes.
That's it for Day 2, check out the pictures by clicking below:
3/20/2010
Spring Break in Scotland - Day 2
Day 2 (Monday) - Arthur's Seat and Train to Pitlochry - on Day 2 of my break I woke up, checked out of the hostel, and went to go hike on Edinburgh's dormant volcano: Arthur's Seat. Arthur's Seat is located in the larger Hollyrood Park, which belongs to the Queen. It's essentially a large expanse of rugged hills, grass, and lakes right in the middle of Edinburgh. There are a number of paths (hundreds, maybe?) which loop around and cross the park, making it a hikers paradise. Most of these paths are well worn by tourists climbing up to the summit of the volcano for the absolute best view of Edinburgh, as well as the surrounding Scottish countryside.
I took a number of different paths to try and cover as much of the park as I could until 4pm, when I had to catch a train to Pitlochry. One of the paths I picked had a recent rock slide, so in order to go on I had to do a bit of climbing boulders, which was fun. The rest of the time I wandered from area to area in the park, taking LOTS of pictures of the scenery. The park is very rugged and hilly, but most everything is covered with soft peat moss and grass.
Though the clouds were heavy, there wasn't any rain (fortunately). The only problem of the day was very strong winds. I would guess that it was constantly 30mph, with gusts up to 80mph. I was almost knocked off of my feet a couple of times! This was especially scary at the very top of the mountain, where a stumble could have meant falling back down the rock face. I clung to a tall rock when taking pictures, just to make sure I didn't fall over! For the last part of the hike I chose a path that went right along the edge of some steep cliffs (the same ones I had walked next to at the beginning of the day). My heart was in my throat, peering over the edge. I was just glad that the winds were blowing AWAY from the edge, not towards it!
After the hike, when I was tired and hungry, I went back to the city to sit in a Starbucks, read my book, and wait for the train to Pitlochry. The train itself was pretty quick, only 1.5 hours or so. Since Pitlochry is a relatively small town of 3,000 it was easy to find my B&B just off of the main road. The B&B is owned by two Austrialian expats (a few of many that I met on my trip. I think I met more Aussies than Scotsmen!) who now live in Pitlochry while their daughter has started her first year of University in Aberdeen. The B&B - called "Carra Beag", after a nearby peak - is very cute. I had a single room upstairs with an ensuite bathroom. Downstairs there was a small library with a fireplace and comfy couches. I enjoyed reading books and relaxing by the fire when I was done with my hiking!
That's it for the second day. Click below to see pictures of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.
I took a number of different paths to try and cover as much of the park as I could until 4pm, when I had to catch a train to Pitlochry. One of the paths I picked had a recent rock slide, so in order to go on I had to do a bit of climbing boulders, which was fun. The rest of the time I wandered from area to area in the park, taking LOTS of pictures of the scenery. The park is very rugged and hilly, but most everything is covered with soft peat moss and grass.
Though the clouds were heavy, there wasn't any rain (fortunately). The only problem of the day was very strong winds. I would guess that it was constantly 30mph, with gusts up to 80mph. I was almost knocked off of my feet a couple of times! This was especially scary at the very top of the mountain, where a stumble could have meant falling back down the rock face. I clung to a tall rock when taking pictures, just to make sure I didn't fall over! For the last part of the hike I chose a path that went right along the edge of some steep cliffs (the same ones I had walked next to at the beginning of the day). My heart was in my throat, peering over the edge. I was just glad that the winds were blowing AWAY from the edge, not towards it!
After the hike, when I was tired and hungry, I went back to the city to sit in a Starbucks, read my book, and wait for the train to Pitlochry. The train itself was pretty quick, only 1.5 hours or so. Since Pitlochry is a relatively small town of 3,000 it was easy to find my B&B just off of the main road. The B&B is owned by two Austrialian expats (a few of many that I met on my trip. I think I met more Aussies than Scotsmen!) who now live in Pitlochry while their daughter has started her first year of University in Aberdeen. The B&B - called "Carra Beag", after a nearby peak - is very cute. I had a single room upstairs with an ensuite bathroom. Downstairs there was a small library with a fireplace and comfy couches. I enjoyed reading books and relaxing by the fire when I was done with my hiking!
That's it for the second day. Click below to see pictures of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.
3/19/2010
Back from Spring Break: Scotland!
Hello Loyal Readers. Hopefully you're all ready for spring! I just returned from a wonderful five days up in Scotland, where I hiked, climbed, and relaxed by the fire. The vacation was exactly what I needed after my first term in London. Not to mention the highland scenery was breathtaking!
Over the next couple of posts I'll go day-by-day over my adventures in Scotland - from Edinburgh to Pitlochry - and provide plenty of pictures as well!
Today I will go over Day 1 (Sunday) - Arrival at Edinburgh: On the morning of Sunday I woke up early and took a 5 hour train trip to Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. I arrived to sunshine and warm weather for the rest of the afternoon as I walked around Old Town, the Royal Mile, and visited Edinburgh Castle.
First I checked into my hostel for the night. I've never stayed in a hostel before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I had reserved a bed in a 4-person all-female room, and lucked out that (because it was a Sunday) I only had one roomie. I never even got to know her name, as she was in bed when I came home, and got up at 4am the next day to catch her flight! But the hostel itself was nice, colorful, relaxed, and definitely catering to the college crowd.
Walking around Edinburgh, I was surprised how OLD everything feels. While in some ways it could be a European city, with cobblestone streets, villas, verandas, and stately buildings - it still has a very British(or perhaps Scottish) feel. I've never been in a city quite like it. There was a great sense of history to the place!
The terrain of Edinburgh is very unique too. The city is built upon the remains of an old dormant volcano. The high grounds provided great lookout points over the Frith of Forth (bay) and the surrounding lowlands. Edinburgh castle itself is built on one of the old volcano "peaks", while Arthur's Seat (discussed tomorrow) is the tallest mountain and sits right in the middle of the city! The streets are, obviously, steep and rolling. Everywhere you look up you see buildings stacked upon buildings, with the castle and Arthur's Seat looming above everything.
I walked for a bit around the Royal Mile and Old Town, which make up Edinburgh's city center. Then I went up to tour Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle is Scotland's version of the Tower of London. It's not just one castle, but a bunch of fortifications, castles, and other administrative buildings built on a central point - over a span of many years.
Just like the Tower, Edinburgh Castle holds the Scottish Crown jewels, and was the seat of power for a long time. The Scottish Crown jewels are much older than the English Crown Jewels because they were secreted away and hidden from Cromwell, who would have melted them down like he did the jewels in England. For this reason, Scotland's crown jewels are less "sparkly" but much older. Along with the Crown Jewels, Edinburgh Castle holds the Stone of Scone, a large square boulder which was believed to be sacred. All the kings of Scotland, and even some kings of England (when the stone was taken by the English), were crowned while seated on the Stone of Scone.
Unlike the Tower of London, though, Edinburgh Castle has fantastic views of lower Scotland from its ramparts. I was lucky it was sunny, and could see for miles in each direction - even to Fife over the Frith of Forth (say that one ten times fast. =P ) The castle is very scenic, a great reminder of Scottish history. I'm not surprised they used it extensively in the filming of "Braveheart".
When it was time for dinner, I went to a cheap traveler's restaurant - recommended by the hostel - where I had my first Haggis. The food was actually very good, almost gourmet! I know many people are turned off by the idea of haggis, but if you ignore how its made, it is actually rich and delicious. I would describe it like a meatloaf with rich gravy and added "stew" ingredients like barley and carrots. Not as "meaty" but instead more savory. I liked it! Which is good, because haggis is a staple of Scottish cuisine both morning and night. It's traditionally served, at dinner, with "neeps and tatties" or mashed turnips and potatoes.
During dinner I met a fellow traveler who was staying at the same hostel as me. She was an accountant from Australia who just recently moved to London, and took a week off to visit Scotland. You'd be surprised, but the most common tourists in Scotland are TONS of Australians and Spaniards! After dinner I went to a pub next to the hostel, and it was owned by an Australian expat. I continued to meet more and more Australians as the night went on.
While hanging out with other tourists at the pub was nice, my favorite part of the evening was playing chess with a Spanish college student. He spoke almost no English, so I had to dredge up what little I remembered of High School Spanish to speak with him. Good thing Chess needs no language to play! It was a very intense game. I have no doubt the Spanish kid was a better player than I am, but he made a mistake early in the game which lost him his queen, so I won in the end. (Hooray!!) It was very intense, however, with all of our other tourist friends coming over to check and see who was winning. After the game, I stayed and talked "Spanglish" with the Spanish student and his friends. They said I spoke good Spanish, but my accent was funny because it was from South America, not Spain. I think they were flattering me too much on the "good Spanish" part...
So I had a lot of fun for my first day. Meeting other tourists, exploring Edinburgh, and soaking in the first rays of springtime. For more info and details on my day of exploration, just click on the picture below!
Over the next couple of posts I'll go day-by-day over my adventures in Scotland - from Edinburgh to Pitlochry - and provide plenty of pictures as well!
Today I will go over Day 1 (Sunday) - Arrival at Edinburgh: On the morning of Sunday I woke up early and took a 5 hour train trip to Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. I arrived to sunshine and warm weather for the rest of the afternoon as I walked around Old Town, the Royal Mile, and visited Edinburgh Castle.
First I checked into my hostel for the night. I've never stayed in a hostel before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I had reserved a bed in a 4-person all-female room, and lucked out that (because it was a Sunday) I only had one roomie. I never even got to know her name, as she was in bed when I came home, and got up at 4am the next day to catch her flight! But the hostel itself was nice, colorful, relaxed, and definitely catering to the college crowd.
Walking around Edinburgh, I was surprised how OLD everything feels. While in some ways it could be a European city, with cobblestone streets, villas, verandas, and stately buildings - it still has a very British(or perhaps Scottish) feel. I've never been in a city quite like it. There was a great sense of history to the place!
The terrain of Edinburgh is very unique too. The city is built upon the remains of an old dormant volcano. The high grounds provided great lookout points over the Frith of Forth (bay) and the surrounding lowlands. Edinburgh castle itself is built on one of the old volcano "peaks", while Arthur's Seat (discussed tomorrow) is the tallest mountain and sits right in the middle of the city! The streets are, obviously, steep and rolling. Everywhere you look up you see buildings stacked upon buildings, with the castle and Arthur's Seat looming above everything.
I walked for a bit around the Royal Mile and Old Town, which make up Edinburgh's city center. Then I went up to tour Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle is Scotland's version of the Tower of London. It's not just one castle, but a bunch of fortifications, castles, and other administrative buildings built on a central point - over a span of many years.
Just like the Tower, Edinburgh Castle holds the Scottish Crown jewels, and was the seat of power for a long time. The Scottish Crown jewels are much older than the English Crown Jewels because they were secreted away and hidden from Cromwell, who would have melted them down like he did the jewels in England. For this reason, Scotland's crown jewels are less "sparkly" but much older. Along with the Crown Jewels, Edinburgh Castle holds the Stone of Scone, a large square boulder which was believed to be sacred. All the kings of Scotland, and even some kings of England (when the stone was taken by the English), were crowned while seated on the Stone of Scone.
Unlike the Tower of London, though, Edinburgh Castle has fantastic views of lower Scotland from its ramparts. I was lucky it was sunny, and could see for miles in each direction - even to Fife over the Frith of Forth (say that one ten times fast. =P ) The castle is very scenic, a great reminder of Scottish history. I'm not surprised they used it extensively in the filming of "Braveheart".
When it was time for dinner, I went to a cheap traveler's restaurant - recommended by the hostel - where I had my first Haggis. The food was actually very good, almost gourmet! I know many people are turned off by the idea of haggis, but if you ignore how its made, it is actually rich and delicious. I would describe it like a meatloaf with rich gravy and added "stew" ingredients like barley and carrots. Not as "meaty" but instead more savory. I liked it! Which is good, because haggis is a staple of Scottish cuisine both morning and night. It's traditionally served, at dinner, with "neeps and tatties" or mashed turnips and potatoes.
During dinner I met a fellow traveler who was staying at the same hostel as me. She was an accountant from Australia who just recently moved to London, and took a week off to visit Scotland. You'd be surprised, but the most common tourists in Scotland are TONS of Australians and Spaniards! After dinner I went to a pub next to the hostel, and it was owned by an Australian expat. I continued to meet more and more Australians as the night went on.
While hanging out with other tourists at the pub was nice, my favorite part of the evening was playing chess with a Spanish college student. He spoke almost no English, so I had to dredge up what little I remembered of High School Spanish to speak with him. Good thing Chess needs no language to play! It was a very intense game. I have no doubt the Spanish kid was a better player than I am, but he made a mistake early in the game which lost him his queen, so I won in the end. (Hooray!!) It was very intense, however, with all of our other tourist friends coming over to check and see who was winning. After the game, I stayed and talked "Spanglish" with the Spanish student and his friends. They said I spoke good Spanish, but my accent was funny because it was from South America, not Spain. I think they were flattering me too much on the "good Spanish" part...
So I had a lot of fun for my first day. Meeting other tourists, exploring Edinburgh, and soaking in the first rays of springtime. For more info and details on my day of exploration, just click on the picture below!
3/06/2010
Goooaaaallll!!
Yet another weekly update from across the pond. It's Finals Week over here and everyone is busy working - whether on business presentations, fashion outfits, or house plans in AutoCAD - everyone has "hunkered down" and is working on their final projects. I have a lot to do this weekend as well, but I'm 99% sure I can get it all done in time!
The only big thing this week was going to see an England football/soccer game! England's national team (England United) qualified for the World Cup, and played Egypt last week as a "friendly" match, or warm-up game. AIU provided us with student tickets to the game for a good price, so I took the chance to see the national team play.
A few interesting facts:
- Wembley Stadium is the world's tallest stadium because of the giant structural arch going over the top. This can be seen from all over the city.
- Wembley Stadium holds over 100,000 people. There were 80,600 people in attendance during England vs. Egypt, making it my largest stadium experience ever. Bigger than the U2 concert, but not as big as the Inauguration!
- England United's colors are red and white, the same colors as the English flag. The Union Jack is the flag of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland). The English flag is white with a large red cross.
We had GREAT seats for the game, facing close to the middle of the field, but there's hardly a bad seat in the stadium. I was lucky that my seat was in the second row back from the balcony, so I had a nearly unobstructed view of the entire field. The game went well, and England won 3-1 (which was expected). However, it took nearly the same amount of time to get back from the game as it did to watch the match! This was because of the Looooong lines to get into the tube station. The good thing was - as we were CLEARLY Americans from our accents - lots of people asked us where we were from, how we liked the game, etc. Everyone was very friendly!
So that was my English soccer experience. While it wasn't a terribly exciting game (Beckham didn't even play!) it was still fun to go!
Well, off to write more papers. I'm so excited for Spring Break! Click below to see pictures from the game:
The only big thing this week was going to see an England football/soccer game! England's national team (England United) qualified for the World Cup, and played Egypt last week as a "friendly" match, or warm-up game. AIU provided us with student tickets to the game for a good price, so I took the chance to see the national team play.
A few interesting facts:
- Wembley Stadium is the world's tallest stadium because of the giant structural arch going over the top. This can be seen from all over the city.
- Wembley Stadium holds over 100,000 people. There were 80,600 people in attendance during England vs. Egypt, making it my largest stadium experience ever. Bigger than the U2 concert, but not as big as the Inauguration!
- England United's colors are red and white, the same colors as the English flag. The Union Jack is the flag of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland). The English flag is white with a large red cross.
We had GREAT seats for the game, facing close to the middle of the field, but there's hardly a bad seat in the stadium. I was lucky that my seat was in the second row back from the balcony, so I had a nearly unobstructed view of the entire field. The game went well, and England won 3-1 (which was expected). However, it took nearly the same amount of time to get back from the game as it did to watch the match! This was because of the Looooong lines to get into the tube station. The good thing was - as we were CLEARLY Americans from our accents - lots of people asked us where we were from, how we liked the game, etc. Everyone was very friendly!
So that was my English soccer experience. While it wasn't a terribly exciting game (Beckham didn't even play!) it was still fun to go!
Well, off to write more papers. I'm so excited for Spring Break! Click below to see pictures from the game:
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