One afternoon I took a trip out to Roslin to see the Roslyn Chapel--made famous by the
DaVinci Code book by Dan Brown. It is an amazing building, a 15th century chapel built by the St. Clair family. Every inch of it is intricately carved and symbolic. It is a very mysterious chapel with lots of interesting symbolism that can be dual Christian/Celtic symbols or Mason/Christian or even Priory/Christian symbolism. There are also some curious carvings like pictures of maize from the US even though, at the time the chapel was built, Columbus hadn't even been to the Americas yet.
Nonetheless, it is a chapel under repair and reconstruction, but an amazing place with some definite mystery and intrigue. Worth the visit.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
St. Andrews
One of my "Edinburgh days" I took a day trip out to St. Andrews. Unfortunately, it turned out be just an afternoon trip because the buses got messed up because of the wind (the wind knocked out all power to the bus station). But, when I got out to St. Andrews, it was worth all the hassle.
It turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day. I made my way around the Cathedral ruins (rather quickly) and the Castle ruins. Unfortunately, I only had an hour and a half to go to both places since my bus had been so delayed. But, I really did get to see everything I wanted to. The Cathedral Ruins are absolutely stunning!! There is a sense of peace there, kind of like the peace of Iona. It was a quiet day and I was alone in the ruins, walking around the old cathedral, the area of the cloisters, and the graveyards. And of course, the setting looking out on the water doesn't hurt a thing.
The Castle ruins were quite awesome as well. My favorite thing about this castle was the Tunnel and Counter-tunnel. You see, at one point a group of local lords had taken over the castle and killed the bishop (or archbishop...I can't remember) who lived in there. The Earl of Arran wanted to recapture the castle, but didn't want to do a full-on siege because they were holding his son captive and ransom in the castle. So, he and his men dug a tunnel under the castle. The plan was to get underneath and blow one of the side walls just enough so they could get in. But, the lords inside the castle figured out what they were doing and dug a counter-tunnel (with a couple of false starts), following the sound of the other guys. Eventually the two tunnels met and the defending lords were able to keep away the Earl and his men (at least for a time). The awesome part is you can actually go into the tunnels under the castle. What is most notable is how the Earl's tunnels are large and actually have carved-out steps (as they hoped to carry animals and supplies down there) while the counter-tunnel is tiny and rushed. You actually have to crouch down to get through (yes, even me...I know someone is bound to make a short joke).
While in St. Andrews I found a few more church ruins, watched some guys play the 18th hole at the golf course, and also followed the recommendation to a phenomenal fish and chips shop.
But, the most remarkable thing that happened was at the very end of my visit. I had about an hour left before my bus and I was kicking myself for not getting more organized and getting out to St. Andrews earlier to spend more time in the cathedral ruins. But, I decided to walk down to that end of town again. Though the gates would be closed, I would still be able to see over the wall and through the gates and get another view of the cathedral. So, as I walk up, I am taking it all in again and then out of nowhere (it seems) forms a complete rainbow from right to left. It arched over the whole of the ruins. I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful it was. It was like God was smiling down and assuring me that I had sen what I needed to see. I took as many pictures as I could (see photobucket) and then just stood and took it all in until it disappeared just before I had to head to my bus.
Amazing day, amazing place.
It turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day. I made my way around the Cathedral ruins (rather quickly) and the Castle ruins. Unfortunately, I only had an hour and a half to go to both places since my bus had been so delayed. But, I really did get to see everything I wanted to. The Cathedral Ruins are absolutely stunning!! There is a sense of peace there, kind of like the peace of Iona. It was a quiet day and I was alone in the ruins, walking around the old cathedral, the area of the cloisters, and the graveyards. And of course, the setting looking out on the water doesn't hurt a thing.
The Castle ruins were quite awesome as well. My favorite thing about this castle was the Tunnel and Counter-tunnel. You see, at one point a group of local lords had taken over the castle and killed the bishop (or archbishop...I can't remember) who lived in there. The Earl of Arran wanted to recapture the castle, but didn't want to do a full-on siege because they were holding his son captive and ransom in the castle. So, he and his men dug a tunnel under the castle. The plan was to get underneath and blow one of the side walls just enough so they could get in. But, the lords inside the castle figured out what they were doing and dug a counter-tunnel (with a couple of false starts), following the sound of the other guys. Eventually the two tunnels met and the defending lords were able to keep away the Earl and his men (at least for a time). The awesome part is you can actually go into the tunnels under the castle. What is most notable is how the Earl's tunnels are large and actually have carved-out steps (as they hoped to carry animals and supplies down there) while the counter-tunnel is tiny and rushed. You actually have to crouch down to get through (yes, even me...I know someone is bound to make a short joke).
While in St. Andrews I found a few more church ruins, watched some guys play the 18th hole at the golf course, and also followed the recommendation to a phenomenal fish and chips shop.
But, the most remarkable thing that happened was at the very end of my visit. I had about an hour left before my bus and I was kicking myself for not getting more organized and getting out to St. Andrews earlier to spend more time in the cathedral ruins. But, I decided to walk down to that end of town again. Though the gates would be closed, I would still be able to see over the wall and through the gates and get another view of the cathedral. So, as I walk up, I am taking it all in again and then out of nowhere (it seems) forms a complete rainbow from right to left. It arched over the whole of the ruins. I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful it was. It was like God was smiling down and assuring me that I had sen what I needed to see. I took as many pictures as I could (see photobucket) and then just stood and took it all in until it disappeared just before I had to head to my bus.
Amazing day, amazing place.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
A Note About the Weather
Let me say this to start: I love Scotland.
But, I must say I have had the wackiest weather here that I have ever seen. First, there is not a day I haven't had a "wee bit" of rain at least. Some days it has poured. But, most days, there is this beautiful alternating of rain and sun. But, friends, we are not talking rain in the morning, sun in the afternoon. We are talking about rain for ten minutes, shining sun and blue skies for 10 minutes, rain for ten minutes, sun for ten minutes, cloud for ten minutes, rain for ten minutes, sun....you get the picture. It is wild. All I have to say is, layers are a good thing in clothing and ALWAYS carry your raincoat.
As if that wasn't weird enough, while I was in Edinburgh, we experienced hurricane-force winds across the entire of Scotland. In the Highlands gusts got up to 100 mph. However, in Edinburgh we only experienced gusts up to 65 or 70 mph. So glad I was on an outdoor walking tour for all this--definitely was an adventure.
And then, if that wasn't strange enough, we have been experiencing the ash cloud from the Iceland Volcano. It has canceled many flights going out of Scotland but I am hopeful it will clear by the time I have to leave.
P.S.-I had to add this. So, I was in my hostel in Edinburgh and it was another rainy morning (which of course turned sunny and rainy and sunny again) and a guy from Norway was having breakfast with his friend. His friend started complaining about not wanting to go out in the "bad weather." At that, the Norwegian guy popped up from his cereal bowl and replied without hesitation, "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing." I laughed so hard. But, a good rule to live by when traveling in Scotland!
But, I must say I have had the wackiest weather here that I have ever seen. First, there is not a day I haven't had a "wee bit" of rain at least. Some days it has poured. But, most days, there is this beautiful alternating of rain and sun. But, friends, we are not talking rain in the morning, sun in the afternoon. We are talking about rain for ten minutes, shining sun and blue skies for 10 minutes, rain for ten minutes, sun for ten minutes, cloud for ten minutes, rain for ten minutes, sun....you get the picture. It is wild. All I have to say is, layers are a good thing in clothing and ALWAYS carry your raincoat.
As if that wasn't weird enough, while I was in Edinburgh, we experienced hurricane-force winds across the entire of Scotland. In the Highlands gusts got up to 100 mph. However, in Edinburgh we only experienced gusts up to 65 or 70 mph. So glad I was on an outdoor walking tour for all this--definitely was an adventure.
And then, if that wasn't strange enough, we have been experiencing the ash cloud from the Iceland Volcano. It has canceled many flights going out of Scotland but I am hopeful it will clear by the time I have to leave.
P.S.-I had to add this. So, I was in my hostel in Edinburgh and it was another rainy morning (which of course turned sunny and rainy and sunny again) and a guy from Norway was having breakfast with his friend. His friend started complaining about not wanting to go out in the "bad weather." At that, the Norwegian guy popped up from his cereal bowl and replied without hesitation, "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing." I laughed so hard. But, a good rule to live by when traveling in Scotland!
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is officially my second favorite city in the world (next to Salzburg). (And if you know my love of Salzburg, that is saying a lot.)
Though the weather wasn't always ideal (see following entries), I had an amazing time exploring the city and taking in all the sights and experiences. I spent a total of 4 days in Edinburgh, 2 of which I took side trips to St. Andrews and Roslin (see following entries).
Here is a full, but incomplete list of all the things I discovered and loved about Edinburgh.
NEW FRIENDS: I have to start by saying I stayed in a rather good hostel with GREAT people. Among my new friends are 3 Canadians, 2 Finnish girls, and 1 Spanish girl. I especially became close with the 2 Finnish girls. We hit it off right away when they moved into the room (my second night). We enjoyed evenings out, card games, swapping stories, morning walks and cups of coffee and just a great exchange of culture and ideas. During the day we did different things, but it was always fun to come back and check in with one another.
2. THE CASTLE: Wow! What an amazing place! I probably spent upwards of 4 hours my first day in Edinburgh exploring the castle. You can see the buildings themselves and places like St. Margaret's Chapel and the Feasting Hall recreated as it would have been in the Victorian Era. The grounds are beautiful and give panoramic views of the city from all angles. But, they have also used many of the castle buildings for museums. I had the opportunity to see the Scottish Crown Jewels (the scepter, crown, and sword) as well as the Stone of Destiny (which will be used in the coronation of the next King of England). They had an awesome exhibit on Prisons of War where they recreated the conditions for prisoners in the castle and had some artifacts from those prisoners. It was especially fascinating as many of the prisoners kept there would have been American. I went round and round the castle grounds trying to take it all in.
3. THE ROYAL MILE: I enjoyed strolling down the Royal Mile (yes, it is a mile and yes, I did the whole thing--a couple of times). There are shops and little stops along the way. It takes quite a while to walk as you pop in and out, but what a great place, so alive with life!
4. THE WALKING TOUR: My second day in Edinburgh, I took one of those "Free Walking Tours from New Europe." It is a three hour tour (yes, I start humming the theme song to Gilligan's Island too). We walked all around the city--both the Old Town and the New Town--and heard stories about the city and learned about many of the sites and buildings. Our tour guide, Izzy, was AWESOME. She had a great sense of humor which was really needed seeing that we were walking through screaming winds and alternating times of rain and sun. But, she made it fun and she was able to offer suggestions for places to go, things to do, etc... It was a great tour! At the end of the tour, Izzy took a small group of willing victims to her favorite restaurant for HAGGIS. I actually thought it was delicious--piled on mashed potatoes and turnips ("neeps and tatties"), it really just tasted like a spicy shepherd's pie.
5. EXPLORING THE CITY: I spent a good amount of time just walking around the city--Old Town and New Town. I popped my head into churches and old buildings, took in all the statues around and by the end of my visit, felt like I barely needed a map to get around! Go me!
Though the weather wasn't always ideal (see following entries), I had an amazing time exploring the city and taking in all the sights and experiences. I spent a total of 4 days in Edinburgh, 2 of which I took side trips to St. Andrews and Roslin (see following entries).
Here is a full, but incomplete list of all the things I discovered and loved about Edinburgh.
NEW FRIENDS: I have to start by saying I stayed in a rather good hostel with GREAT people. Among my new friends are 3 Canadians, 2 Finnish girls, and 1 Spanish girl. I especially became close with the 2 Finnish girls. We hit it off right away when they moved into the room (my second night). We enjoyed evenings out, card games, swapping stories, morning walks and cups of coffee and just a great exchange of culture and ideas. During the day we did different things, but it was always fun to come back and check in with one another.
2. THE CASTLE: Wow! What an amazing place! I probably spent upwards of 4 hours my first day in Edinburgh exploring the castle. You can see the buildings themselves and places like St. Margaret's Chapel and the Feasting Hall recreated as it would have been in the Victorian Era. The grounds are beautiful and give panoramic views of the city from all angles. But, they have also used many of the castle buildings for museums. I had the opportunity to see the Scottish Crown Jewels (the scepter, crown, and sword) as well as the Stone of Destiny (which will be used in the coronation of the next King of England). They had an awesome exhibit on Prisons of War where they recreated the conditions for prisoners in the castle and had some artifacts from those prisoners. It was especially fascinating as many of the prisoners kept there would have been American. I went round and round the castle grounds trying to take it all in.
3. THE ROYAL MILE: I enjoyed strolling down the Royal Mile (yes, it is a mile and yes, I did the whole thing--a couple of times). There are shops and little stops along the way. It takes quite a while to walk as you pop in and out, but what a great place, so alive with life!
4. THE WALKING TOUR: My second day in Edinburgh, I took one of those "Free Walking Tours from New Europe." It is a three hour tour (yes, I start humming the theme song to Gilligan's Island too). We walked all around the city--both the Old Town and the New Town--and heard stories about the city and learned about many of the sites and buildings. Our tour guide, Izzy, was AWESOME. She had a great sense of humor which was really needed seeing that we were walking through screaming winds and alternating times of rain and sun. But, she made it fun and she was able to offer suggestions for places to go, things to do, etc... It was a great tour! At the end of the tour, Izzy took a small group of willing victims to her favorite restaurant for HAGGIS. I actually thought it was delicious--piled on mashed potatoes and turnips ("neeps and tatties"), it really just tasted like a spicy shepherd's pie.
5. EXPLORING THE CITY: I spent a good amount of time just walking around the city--Old Town and New Town. I popped my head into churches and old buildings, took in all the statues around and by the end of my visit, felt like I barely needed a map to get around! Go me!
Apologies
I know it's been a while since I have updated my blog...my apologies. Things have been going well over here and moving quickly. It seems that each day is a new adventure and I am in a new city. Also, internet has not been the most reliable.
Excuses aside, I hope that the following entries will make up for the lack of communication over the last week. Also, I have added more pictures in my album on photobucket.
Here is the link: http://s1206.photobucket.com/home/Wagnerkr15906/index
Excuses aside, I hope that the following entries will make up for the lack of communication over the last week. Also, I have added more pictures in my album on photobucket.
Here is the link: http://s1206.photobucket.com/home/Wagnerkr15906/index
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Stirling
Traveled from Inverness to Stirling first ting in the morning. I got to ride in the first class of the train--it was SO NICE. Plus it was a large train headed to King's Cross Station in London. So, the chairs were cushy and they brought by a paper, coffee and tea constantly, and even a croissant with cheese and tomato. THAT is the way to travel.
Got to Stirling at around 10:30 and immediately found my hostel. After dropping off my stuff, I got a map and went out. I climbed up to the top of the hill and paid for my entry and tour through Stirling Castle. It was AWESOME. the tour was great and I'm more and more able to understand the Scottish history. The only bummer is that I am two weeks too early to see the newly-refinished throne room/palace. But, what I got to see was awesome nonetheless. They have reproductions of the larger kitchens, they have refinished the banquet hall, the Chapel Royal, and the Tapestry studio. In the tapestry studio they are redoing the tapestries that they believe would have hung in the Palace Hall. The man was giving a little talk about it and showing us how they did it. It a was fascinating and sounded like grueling work.
After the castle, I walked through this beautiful old graveyard and then into the Church of the Holy Rude. It is one of the oldest medieval cathedrals in Scotland or something like that. The church is absolutely beautiful and has quite the history. My favorite part of their history is when the pastors disagreed and put up a wall in the middle of the church and two separate congregations met. For more than 200 years, two Church of Scotland congregations would show up at the same building, go to two different churches, and stared at the wall that divided them. Finally, in the early 20th century, the wall came down and the two congregations have been worshipping together ever since.
This cathedral is full of history--windows and decorations ripped out and destroyed during the Reformation and now beautiful stained glass windows and decor. Not only was the cathedral beautiful, the people who were working or volunteering there were incredibly nice and anxious to tell you all about the cathedral. By far, my favorite comment was a guy who pointed me to look at the timbered ceiling. "That ceiling was built before America was founded. Did you know that?" Crazy.
After the church, I took a few more steps down the hill and went to the Old Town Jail. The tour was interesting, but the actor who walks you through the whole thing was HILARIOUS and a little scary. Throughout the course of all of it, he plays 4 different characters, treating you like inmates, making fun of people and just being very convincing. I was impressed.
Since it was cold and pouring rain, I decided to go back to the hostel and take advantage of the free cup of hot tea. Once I got there, I began talking with some of the staff and folks who were staying there. They showed me such great hospitality. They invited me to join them in a pot of soup they were making and to join in their card games in the evening. So, I ended up staying up til the wee hours of the morning talking and laughing and joking with these people. They almost have a little family there and they were more than willing to welcome me into it even though I was only staying in the hostel one night. Shouldn't the church be more like that? Just a thought.
Got to Stirling at around 10:30 and immediately found my hostel. After dropping off my stuff, I got a map and went out. I climbed up to the top of the hill and paid for my entry and tour through Stirling Castle. It was AWESOME. the tour was great and I'm more and more able to understand the Scottish history. The only bummer is that I am two weeks too early to see the newly-refinished throne room/palace. But, what I got to see was awesome nonetheless. They have reproductions of the larger kitchens, they have refinished the banquet hall, the Chapel Royal, and the Tapestry studio. In the tapestry studio they are redoing the tapestries that they believe would have hung in the Palace Hall. The man was giving a little talk about it and showing us how they did it. It a was fascinating and sounded like grueling work.
After the castle, I walked through this beautiful old graveyard and then into the Church of the Holy Rude. It is one of the oldest medieval cathedrals in Scotland or something like that. The church is absolutely beautiful and has quite the history. My favorite part of their history is when the pastors disagreed and put up a wall in the middle of the church and two separate congregations met. For more than 200 years, two Church of Scotland congregations would show up at the same building, go to two different churches, and stared at the wall that divided them. Finally, in the early 20th century, the wall came down and the two congregations have been worshipping together ever since.
This cathedral is full of history--windows and decorations ripped out and destroyed during the Reformation and now beautiful stained glass windows and decor. Not only was the cathedral beautiful, the people who were working or volunteering there were incredibly nice and anxious to tell you all about the cathedral. By far, my favorite comment was a guy who pointed me to look at the timbered ceiling. "That ceiling was built before America was founded. Did you know that?" Crazy.
After the church, I took a few more steps down the hill and went to the Old Town Jail. The tour was interesting, but the actor who walks you through the whole thing was HILARIOUS and a little scary. Throughout the course of all of it, he plays 4 different characters, treating you like inmates, making fun of people and just being very convincing. I was impressed.
Since it was cold and pouring rain, I decided to go back to the hostel and take advantage of the free cup of hot tea. Once I got there, I began talking with some of the staff and folks who were staying there. They showed me such great hospitality. They invited me to join them in a pot of soup they were making and to join in their card games in the evening. So, I ended up staying up til the wee hours of the morning talking and laughing and joking with these people. They almost have a little family there and they were more than willing to welcome me into it even though I was only staying in the hostel one night. Shouldn't the church be more like that? Just a thought.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Inverness
Spent two days in Inverness and enjoyed bot the town and the surrounding area. The first morning I got up and found a sweet little cafe to have some breakfast and an actually good cup of coffee. Wile the tea over here is wonderful, the coffee is not so good.
After breakfast, I went for a walk into old town Inverness and took a lovely walk along the river to see the islands and the park. The sun was actually shining and so it was absolutely beautiful. I probably took about a hundred pictures.
Then in the afternoon I went on a boat ride down the Caledonian canal and inti Loch Ness. Unfortunately didn't see Nessie. She must have been sleeping.
On the boat I met this kind and fascinating girl from Argentina. We instantly got along and later found out we were staying not only in the same hostel but in the same room in Inverness. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening together.
When the boat ride was over it docked at Urquhart Castle and we went around and had an hour to explore before our bus came to get us. Afterwards, we had dinner together and talked about everything from relationships to travel to politics. It was a fascinating conversation and she was amazing company.
I the evening some more folks from my room (2 girls from France and a couple from Canada) went out to hear a bagpipe/accordion duo. they were great!!
The next morning I woke up and my Argentinian friend was gone. It actually made me a little sad. I had so enjoyed getting to know her. But thank goodness for Facebook, we can stay in touch!
The second day I went out to Culloden Battlefield, the sight of the famous Jacobite uprising and defeat in Scotland. The museum if FANTASTIC and everything was very well done. I think I am starting to get a better grip on Scottish history. After getting back from the battlefield I took another walk around old town Inverness.
Inverness is an amazing city, someplace I would definitely come back to. I met some amazing people at my hostel and actually had a taste if sun both days (shocking!!!!)
The hostel was a little grungy and iffy, but the awesome people made up for it.
Now it is off to Stirling and Edinburgh. Yay for castles!!
After breakfast, I went for a walk into old town Inverness and took a lovely walk along the river to see the islands and the park. The sun was actually shining and so it was absolutely beautiful. I probably took about a hundred pictures.
Then in the afternoon I went on a boat ride down the Caledonian canal and inti Loch Ness. Unfortunately didn't see Nessie. She must have been sleeping.
On the boat I met this kind and fascinating girl from Argentina. We instantly got along and later found out we were staying not only in the same hostel but in the same room in Inverness. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening together.
When the boat ride was over it docked at Urquhart Castle and we went around and had an hour to explore before our bus came to get us. Afterwards, we had dinner together and talked about everything from relationships to travel to politics. It was a fascinating conversation and she was amazing company.
I the evening some more folks from my room (2 girls from France and a couple from Canada) went out to hear a bagpipe/accordion duo. they were great!!
The next morning I woke up and my Argentinian friend was gone. It actually made me a little sad. I had so enjoyed getting to know her. But thank goodness for Facebook, we can stay in touch!
The second day I went out to Culloden Battlefield, the sight of the famous Jacobite uprising and defeat in Scotland. The museum if FANTASTIC and everything was very well done. I think I am starting to get a better grip on Scottish history. After getting back from the battlefield I took another walk around old town Inverness.
Inverness is an amazing city, someplace I would definitely come back to. I met some amazing people at my hostel and actually had a taste if sun both days (shocking!!!!)
The hostel was a little grungy and iffy, but the awesome people made up for it.
Now it is off to Stirling and Edinburgh. Yay for castles!!
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