A week in review

As I began to realize how little time I have left here (no, we are not allowed to talk about it), I started taking advantage of Scotland, its ease of travel, and the things Edinburgh has to offer. Now more than ever, I do not want to leave.

Last Friday, I went to visit Hanna and Steve, two friends from Wooster. They are both studying in Freiburg, Germany, about an hour train ride from the Swiss border, and right in the middle of wine country. After a few hours of travel (including running through Dublin Airport so I could catch my flight in my 1-hour layover), I arrived at the Karlsruhe Baden-Baden Airpark, a 2-hour bus/train ride from Freiburg. I got off the plane smiling, excited to see Hanna, who was supposed to pick me up... but when I got out of the gate she wasn't there. I waited a couple of minutes - maybe I just didn't see her. Still not there. Luckily, I'd had the foresight to ask her what her cell number was, so I gave her a call from a pay phone. "I'm all alone in a foreign country where I don't know the language!" I said. She told me that the trains had been striking, so she had to get on one that was a half hour later than her initial one, and arrived in another 20 minutes. I sat for a bit, bought a croissant for lunch (I didn't know how to order anything else), and finally she arrived. Lesson 1: "I would like to have" is "Ich hete gairn".

By the time we reached Freiburg (after waiting forever for a bus to the train station), it was dark. We stopped at a grocery store on the way to Hanna's flat and got a couple of cheap - but good - bottles of red wine. At 2 Euros each, I started to appreciate the perks of being in wine country. We then met up with Steve at an Indian restaurant, where I treated them to dinner (both of them thanked Pepe, who financed this wonderful trip), and then we went back to Hanna's to drink the wine together before going to visit one of Steve's friends in the dorms.

The next morning we got up early so that we could go to the farmer's market before heading to Switzerland. This market was enormous, and had everything from toys to spices to bratwursts to roses. Tons of gorgeous roses. The market takes place every day, but is especially large on Saturdays. It was a really cool experience walking through the market, eating roasted chestnuts and bratwursts, listening to people talk around me.

We then headed to the train station, where we caught a train to Basel, Switzerland. A few stops in, we realized that Steve didn't have his passport with him, but it turned out not to be a problem because nobody ever checked them anyway. We walked to the river, took a ferry across, and explored a street that reminded me very much of the Champs Elysees before going to a grocery store and stocking up on chocolate. We were basically just a few kids running around in a foreign country, acting as though we did it every day. It was pretty cool. We then stopped at a gay bar (Steve's was eager to go to one in a foreign country), then caught the train back.

We returned to Freiburg, where we drank the other bottle of wine and watched a movie before falling asleep. The next morning was another early morning, and we stopped at a cafe for coffee, muesli with milk and yoghurt, and rolls with lots of jam and butter. We then walked halfway up a big hill in the middle of Freiburg for some cool views of the city, but had to leave pretty quickly so Hanna and I could catch the train to get me back to the airport. Leaving them behind, who I've known for a couple of years instead of a couple of months, was really hard, but I was excited to get back to my mates here in Edinburgh.

When I walked into the flat, I looked around, saw Kate sitting on the floor watching TV, and saw a street barrier in our kitchen. "What did you DO this weekend?" I asked.

"That's Freddie, don't you like him?" she said.

"Well yeah, it's cool, but don't you think we might get in trouble?"

Solution to that, I guess, was hide it whenever the cleaners come. Freddie is a really good coat/scarf rack.

The next day, I made hot chocolate from scratch (99% dark chocolate, whole milk, and honey) with the chocolate I'd gotten in Switzerland for me and my flatmates. They said I should go to Switzerland more often so that I could make them hot chocolate - which pretty much means they liked it a lot.

Thursday was Thanksgiving, so on Wednesday I walked two miles uphill both ways in the rain to get turkey from M&S. It was worth it, because I got to wear my pink plaid wellies and our Thanksgiving feast was so amazing - six Americans, me, and ten Brits getting together for a huge potluck feast. People started showing up at 6 with food and drink in hands, and by about 6:30 we were sitting around in a huge mob with plates on our laps and cups of wine, beer, and cider at our sides. We all went around telling everyone what we were thankful for (I got a few "aww"s when I said "I'm thankful for the new friends I've made here and the old friends I've left behind"), then played flip cup and went to see the lights at the Winter Festival.

Yesterday morning, I got up early to go to Craigmillar Castle with a few friends. The castle is a 10-minute bus ride away. When we arrived, we found out that through the winter, the castle is closed on Thursdays and Fridays. Sitting around and contemplating whether to walk through the park to get back to our bus stop or down Death Lane (a really narrow street with no sidewalks), some men who were doing renovation work drove up in their van, ready to go on a lunch break, and told us that we could go in even though it was closed. None of the lights were on, but it was a sunny day and we were welcome to go explore.

This is the point where the four of us (Ricky, Carolyn, Lauren, and I, none of us British) decided that we love Scottish people and their super-accommodating hospitality.

We explored the castle a bit, all to ourselves, exploring even the pitch-dark staircases to see where they went, then returned to Edinburgh. Later in the day, after my lecture, Kate and I watched Grey's Anatomy, which I'd found streaming online.

Three weeks left. Totally not enough, but I'll make the best of it.

Three Days on a Bus

I told Kate at one point during our trip, "I've been cold and wet ever since we got on that bus. Under any other circumstances, I would be miserable, but I am having the time of my life." That, in essence, sums up my 3-day weekend in the Highlands.

We boarded the bus on the Royal Mile on Saturday morning at 8:15, after Kate and I had a quick stop at Starbucks to wake up and warm up. It was a slightly chilly day, but we were sure that as soon as we got on the bus we'd be alright. Not so. Kate, Ricky, and I took the seats in the very back of the bus, and if you didn't sit in one of the two middle seats, you would be absolutely freezing. The windows made you cold, and there wasn't a strong enough heater on the 16-seater to adequately warm the entire bus. We made the best of it, though, squeezing together and watching out the windows as the Scottish Highlands rolled out in front of us.

The first stop was the William Wallace memorial, where we climbed up a hill that felt like it rivaled Arthur's Seat. It has historical significance, but the monument itself is nothing really special unless you're looking at it from afar. Down below the monument, there is a more recent statue of William Wallace, based heavily on Mel Gibson. The locals hate it so much that they have to lock it up at night or it'll get majorly vandalized.

Back on the bus, and our tour guide, Marti (he only told us at the end that it's spelled with an I) does a quick head count and realizes that we, as 13, are one less than we should be. Did we leave someone behind in Edinburgh? Three of the people up front assured them that number 14 was their friend and had to cancel. Crisis averted.

A quick stop to see Hamish, the Heilan' Coo, and grab a cup of tea, and we were ready for another hour in the bus. We were off to Glencoe, a beautiful valley with bloody history: When William of Orange took over, he wanted all the clan chiefs to swear their allegiance to him. The MacDonalds were stubborn, and waited till the last minute. This is important later. One winter, a group of Campbells arrived in MacDonald territory. They were cold and sick. The MacDonalds honoured the long-standing tradition of Highland Hospitality, in which you show hospitality even to your enemies if they need it, and fed them and gave them beds for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, the Campbells started going through the village and killing MacDonalds. 38 were dead before other people heard the screams and escaped to the valley at Glencoe. About a hundred more died in the cold winter, without shelter.

You see, William ordered the Campbells to go and kill the MacDonalds because they had gone beyond the deadline to swear allegiance. Because the Campbells took advantage of Highland Hospitality like this (nobody had ever done that before, because most respect Highland Hospitality), there are still places in the area surrounding Glencoe who will refuse to serve you if they know you are a Campbell.

Off to Fort William for lunch (it's just called The Fort in Gallic because so many hated William), and we could see the Atlantic. We stopped only long enough to grab a bite to eat. Most of us had soup, because we were cold to the bone.

We passed Ben Nevis, the highest point in Britain at 4,406 feet above sea level. It was shrouded in clouds, and we were told that it is all but about 30 days of the year. As the sun set, we made our way toward the Isle of Skye, stopping for a view of the Eilean Donan castle at night. This castle is frequently used in movies, including one of the more recent Bond movies. It was raining, so we jumped out, took a picture, and jumped right back in the bus.

On the Isle of Skye, we were told a story about Saucy Mary, a Nordic woman who has a pub named after her. She would take a toll from anyone who passed her castle by sea. She would send out a bucket on a chain for the passers to pay, and if she thought that her customers were generous when she got the money back, she would flash them from her castle window. We thought it was 8:00 and way past dinner time, because the sun had set so long before, but a look at our watches told us that it was only 6. Just a little bit crazy.

We went to Saucy Mary for dinner (I had a venison burger, which was very good) and a few drinks. Kate made friends with a few of the locals while Ricky, Julia, and a couple of Aussies from our tour, Ross and Drew, played pool. Marti made an appearance and played a bit with us. It was time to go back to the hostel, though (right next door) when Carolyn was nodding off where she sat. She and I went back, had a cup of hot chocolate, and crawled into bed, only to be woken up when Ross got back to the room, followed quickly by the rest of our group. We had the seven of us (five Edinburgh students and the two Aussies, though Graylin stayed in a B&B with her boyfriend) in a room to ourselves, and good thing too, because we were pretty noisy.

Getting up the next morning was difficult. The room was cold, and we hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep, but we got out in time for Marti to pick us up with the bus. We toured around the Isle of Skye for a while, seeing some of the most breathtaking views that the Highlands has to offer. We then headed to Eilean Donan castle, which wasn't as impressive as we thought it would be. Most of it was rebuilt in the 1800s, and a woman lives there now. Our tour guide for the castle was wearing a kilt, and when I asked him if he was going true, he mooned us. He was great, though, letting us do a whole lot we wouldn't normally be able to do (like taking pictures with a sword and shield) just because we were the last tour of the day.

One quick nap against the cold window later, we were at Loch Ness. We stopped to see the ruins of Castle Urquhart from afar, then Marti dropped us off at our hostel and took the three people staying in B&Bs away with him. The owner of our hostel told us it was great to go to Castle Urquhart at night, even though it's technically closed, so we walked a mile to a take-away for dinner and a convenience store for some drinks. Kate got whiskey, thinking that since she was in the Highlands, that would be the only thing appropriate to do. The rest of us got cheap champagne, wine, or beer.

All bundled up and laden with drinks, we began our walk to the castle, soon finding out that it was a mile away in just about the darkest fields ever. We felt safe, though, traveling in a group of nine (six Edinburgh students, Graylin's boyfriend, and the Aussies) and eventually found the place. We stormed the castle, which was lit up with floodlights, and had the coolest party I'd ever been to. Parties in castles are good times, and this one overlooked Loch Ness - even though we couldn't see it. Our ceiling was an impressive expanse of stars, and our entertainment was exploring the ruins. Cool stuff.

We got back safe, but didn't take off any of our clothes to go to bed, because it was SO COLD in the hostel. I woke up the next morning wearing two pairs of pants, four shirts, and a scarf. I also woke up to the first frost I've seen in Scotland, but I'm pretty sure Edinburgh still hasn't seen a frost yet. That morning, everyone was a bit iffy about going outside to get on the bus, and especially about getting a window seat on the bus.

We drove to the main street in Inverness to take a couple of pictures, stopping at Castle Inverness for five minutes, which was built in the Victorian era. We then hopped right back on the bus to go to Loch Ness.

We spent about 20 minutes at Loch Ness, throwing stones into the water and wishing that the "Ness-esary Research" man was around so that we could talk to him or buy a Nessie figurine from him. This man gave up his entire life to live on the banks of Loch Ness and be a full-time Nessie spotter. It's a little odd, but apparently he is completely sane, despite having lived in a little trailer just off of the most famous loch in the world for 30 years.

And no, unfortunately we did not see Nessie.

Back on the bus, and we went to Culloden battle field, the site of a devastating battle between the Jacobites (the Highlanders) and the English. While the Jacobites were following Bonny Prince Charlie and restoring the Stuart clan to royalty, the English got really angry. Battles were fought for a year, mostly in the highland hills where the Jacobites were used to fighting. This final battle, however, Charlie wanted to fight on the flat field at Culloden, but I forget why. It was a total massacre. The Jacobites were trying to use the same techniques they used in the hills to win battles, but their tactics didn't work in a muddy flat land. The English absolutely slaughtered them, and for days after the battle, they went through the dead bodies and bashed their faces in, stripping them of any item that would make anyone recognize them. No, this doesn't mean that they took off their kilts, because the idea that each clan should have its own tartan actually came about in the early 19th century, over 50 years after this battle.

After Culloden, we spent about a half hour at a park that was full of stone cairns. It was noon, but my pictures look like an autumn morning in Ohio, except that the shadows all point north instead of west. The sun was low in the southern sky, but there wasn't a single cloud, so walking around this ancient burial ground was absolutely breathtaking. I wanted to sit there with a thermos of hot chocolate for a few hours, just taking in the scenery of it all. Trees and leaves everywhere, and not an item of modern culture to be seen this place looked like it belonged in ancient times, and we were just intruders into some sort of time warp. True, the cairns looked much different back when they were first built (rather than open tops, they were actually domed shelters), but even so, all of us were touched by the ancient beauty we experienced at this park.

On the way back, we had a half-hour stop at Pitlochry, where a lot of us bought little Nessie dolls that say "Drunken-Ness" on their bellies to commemorate our party at Castle Urquhart. We then headed back to Edinburgh just as the rain started pouring down. We arrived at Waverly Bridge at 6:00 and went straight back to the flat, where I had a big bowl of hot porridge and almonds to warm my cold bones.

Basically one of the best weekends of my life, this Highlands trip was well worth the money I spent on it - and the class I missed for it - because I got to see this country in a way I'm not able to sitting here in urban Edinburgh. And tomorrow morning, I hop on a plane to go to Germany and Switzerland, so keep an eye out for more pictures and another blog post.

Bonfire Night Doesn't Necessarily Mean Bonfires

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent

To blow up King and Parliament.

Three-score barrels of powder below

To prove old England's overthrow;

By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

To remember, remember this fifth of November, Ricky, Christine, Eve, Anna and I hiked up to Holyrood in order to see what is hailed as the biggest fireworks show Edinburgh has to offer. On our way, we could see fireworks from all directions between buildings, and when we finally arrived, all bundled up and sitting in long grass, we could see fireworks being set off in all directions. The real show, though, was to our right, the major event of the evening. Most people pay five pounds to sit in an arena and see the show, some drive their cars onto the field opposite Holyrood, and students just march halfway up the mountain, pop a squat, and watch. Though chilly, it was quite a fun night.