I made it through Heathrow and back to Brookline! This is going to be my last Scotland-related blog post and because I promised some people:
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Last day in Glasgow...
Today is my last day in Glasgow (assuming I make it out of here tomorrow...) and because of that I want to share what I will miss most about my semester in Glasgow.
1. The proximity of everything in Europe. It is so easy to travel around!
2. Having my own room/bathroom.
3. Megan and Aldonza.
4. Bagpiping class.
5. Hidden Lane Tearoom.
6. How everything is walking distance away from each other.
7. ScotRail.
8. 1 and 2 pound coins.
9. The sky and clouds.
10. Cheers!
Now, as long as my flight tomorrow isn't messed up and I don't have to sleep in Heathrow for 3 days, I will remember these good aspects of my semester and everything will be fine. Fingers crossed!!!!!
1. The proximity of everything in Europe. It is so easy to travel around!
2. Having my own room/bathroom.
3. Megan and Aldonza.
4. Bagpiping class.
5. Hidden Lane Tearoom.
6. How everything is walking distance away from each other.
7. ScotRail.
8. 1 and 2 pound coins.
9. The sky and clouds.
10. Cheers!
Now, as long as my flight tomorrow isn't messed up and I don't have to sleep in Heathrow for 3 days, I will remember these good aspects of my semester and everything will be fine. Fingers crossed!!!!!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Prince William Watch 2010
St Andrews is by far the most beautiful town everrr!!!!
Megan and I took the train up to St Andrews for a day. We started with the castle and then worked our way through the town. The castle was amazing. It is old and in ruins and it was so much fun to walk around. It is right on the water and was so beautiful.
After exploring the castle ruins we went down underneath the castle. There were these tunnels that were low and damp. It was kinda scary, but really fun to see how far they went.
When we were finished with the castle we went over to the cathedral and saw those ruins. They were exactly like the pictures. We walked around the cemetery and went up the tower and took a whole bunch of pictures. After the cathedral we walked over to the water.
After the pier thing we walked over to the beach and played there for a bit. There were some people in the water (who must've been crazy!) and dogs running up and down the beach. So adorable. After the beach we made our way into the town center and got some hot chocolate. We de-thawed and then continued to wander around the city, saw the old city limits, and found the university! No Prince William though :(
Megan and I took the train up to St Andrews for a day. We started with the castle and then worked our way through the town. The castle was amazing. It is old and in ruins and it was so much fun to walk around. It is right on the water and was so beautiful.
After exploring the castle ruins we went down underneath the castle. There were these tunnels that were low and damp. It was kinda scary, but really fun to see how far they went.
When we were finished with the castle we went over to the cathedral and saw those ruins. They were exactly like the pictures. We walked around the cemetery and went up the tower and took a whole bunch of pictures. After the cathedral we walked over to the water.
After the pier thing we walked over to the beach and played there for a bit. There were some people in the water (who must've been crazy!) and dogs running up and down the beach. So adorable. After the beach we made our way into the town center and got some hot chocolate. We de-thawed and then continued to wander around the city, saw the old city limits, and found the university! No Prince William though :(
Sunday, December 19, 2010
No Somos de Aqui
Megan and I went to Barcelona!!!
We got there late Friday night and didn't do much except get dinner and settle in at the hostel.
On Saturday morning La Sagrada Familia was our first stop. It is so beautiful. They started building in 100 years ago and still aren't done yet! How crazy is that.
The inside is just as amazing as the outside. It is huge and there are amazing stained glass windows and architecture. (Check out my facebook for pictures of the inside.) This was by far our favorite part of the trip. When going over our favorite and least favorite parts of the weekend, La Sagrada Familia was on the top of both of our lists.
After exploring the cathedral we took the train over to find the Parc Guell which was designed by Gaudi, the same person who designed the cathedral. It was a beautiful park with this flat part surrounded by benches that overlook the city. On this part there were a bunch of performers, musicians and dancers, as well as people selling little pieces of jewelry.
On our way out we passed by someone dressed as one of Gaudi's lizard things. So of course, I had to get a picture with it.
After spending some time at the park we headed back into the city and made our way to the Picasso Museum! It was a beautiful building. There was this courtyard thing and then the museum was inside the upstairs half. The museum was set up in a specific way. Each room was numbered and you were supposed to go through in order. I like this about museums in Europe. For dinner we went to a Tapas place!
On our second day in Barcelona we got up and went to the Joan Miro museum. On our way there we walked through this amazing park with flowers and fountains. In the park we found 2 cats and played with them for a bit. They were very friendly.
After making it through the park and up to the museum we looked around. Once again, the museum was ordered chronologically and it was really fun to see the progression of his art throughout time.
After the museum we got some lunch and went down to La Rambla, this street market thing with some food, little vendors, and performer people. One of the performers was floating somehow. Megan thinks she figured out how he was doing it, but it was still really cool.
After we walked up and down that street a couple times, we headed over to the water. There was this boat museum thing we went on by the dock.
Then we made it to the beach! The weather was really nice so Megan waded into the Mediterranean while I just touched it. Then we picked up some rocks, sat in the sand for a little while, and then hot chocolate and coffee. That weekend there was a petition going on for Catalan to gain independence from Spain. While we were walking around people kept stopping us and asking if we were from Barcelona. Did we really look like we were from there? We had a map, a book, and a giant camera. Really? Every time they stopped us I would respond with, "no somos de aqui." I hope that was correct!
While we had a little bit of sun left, we went over to look at some of Gaudi's houses. We got a little confused about where we were, mostly because the Lonely Planet maps aren't too great.
Then we had some paella for dinner and went to a Flamenco performance! It was a half hour long. The first few pieces were just music, and then the last one included the dancer. It was so pretty! Flamenco is a very serious dance. She looked almost angry for most of it, but she was moving so fast that I bet it's hard to keep calm while dancing like that.
After the performance Megan and I headed back to the hostel and turned in for the night.
It was a short trip, but we managed to see a lot of Barcelona, so, success!!
We got there late Friday night and didn't do much except get dinner and settle in at the hostel.
On Saturday morning La Sagrada Familia was our first stop. It is so beautiful. They started building in 100 years ago and still aren't done yet! How crazy is that.
The inside is just as amazing as the outside. It is huge and there are amazing stained glass windows and architecture. (Check out my facebook for pictures of the inside.) This was by far our favorite part of the trip. When going over our favorite and least favorite parts of the weekend, La Sagrada Familia was on the top of both of our lists.
After exploring the cathedral we took the train over to find the Parc Guell which was designed by Gaudi, the same person who designed the cathedral. It was a beautiful park with this flat part surrounded by benches that overlook the city. On this part there were a bunch of performers, musicians and dancers, as well as people selling little pieces of jewelry.
On our way out we passed by someone dressed as one of Gaudi's lizard things. So of course, I had to get a picture with it.
After spending some time at the park we headed back into the city and made our way to the Picasso Museum! It was a beautiful building. There was this courtyard thing and then the museum was inside the upstairs half. The museum was set up in a specific way. Each room was numbered and you were supposed to go through in order. I like this about museums in Europe. For dinner we went to a Tapas place!
On our second day in Barcelona we got up and went to the Joan Miro museum. On our way there we walked through this amazing park with flowers and fountains. In the park we found 2 cats and played with them for a bit. They were very friendly.
After making it through the park and up to the museum we looked around. Once again, the museum was ordered chronologically and it was really fun to see the progression of his art throughout time.
After the museum we got some lunch and went down to La Rambla, this street market thing with some food, little vendors, and performer people. One of the performers was floating somehow. Megan thinks she figured out how he was doing it, but it was still really cool.
After we walked up and down that street a couple times, we headed over to the water. There was this boat museum thing we went on by the dock.
Then we made it to the beach! The weather was really nice so Megan waded into the Mediterranean while I just touched it. Then we picked up some rocks, sat in the sand for a little while, and then hot chocolate and coffee. That weekend there was a petition going on for Catalan to gain independence from Spain. While we were walking around people kept stopping us and asking if we were from Barcelona. Did we really look like we were from there? We had a map, a book, and a giant camera. Really? Every time they stopped us I would respond with, "no somos de aqui." I hope that was correct!
While we had a little bit of sun left, we went over to look at some of Gaudi's houses. We got a little confused about where we were, mostly because the Lonely Planet maps aren't too great.
Then we had some paella for dinner and went to a Flamenco performance! It was a half hour long. The first few pieces were just music, and then the last one included the dancer. It was so pretty! Flamenco is a very serious dance. She looked almost angry for most of it, but she was moving so fast that I bet it's hard to keep calm while dancing like that.
After the performance Megan and I headed back to the hostel and turned in for the night.
It was a short trip, but we managed to see a lot of Barcelona, so, success!!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Whoa man...look at the sky...
Lee thinks I'm on drugs every time I talk about how cool the sky is here. I'm sure the sky is cool at home too, but maybe I just never noticed? Anyway, I've gotten into the habit of taking pictures of the sky, both out my window and when I'm outside. Here are a couple of awesome ones!
Friday, December 17, 2010
The Bagpipe!
I played a real bagpipe! Well, played should probably be in quotes.... I manage to make a sound, which is more than some of the people in my class can say, but it was not a constant sound and did not sound good. I feel that I do not have the lung capacity to play the real bagpipes. It took me forever to inflate the bag, and every time I stopped to take a breath, the bag would start to deflate and I would have to start all over again. The best part of this, though, was that I brought my camera that day. Enjoy!
The Snow Can't Stop Us!
During Lee's last week in Glasgow, we made a point to try to stay in Glasgow so he could see it as well as the rest of Scotland. We started out by going to the Kelvingrove Museum. On the first day we went, we got kicked out 15 minutes before closing, so we had to go back the next day.
It was a lot of fun to show him around because I got to show him all of my favorite parts. We saw the section on Egypt and played with the hands-on activities. We also got to check out the science section and the animals. After going to that museum so many times I know my way around and I think that helped make the most out of our visits.
Another Glasgow activity during the week was the cathedral. It was covered in snow which was beautiful, but also slippery. I fell...only once though! Again, it was nice to be able to show Lee the cathedral. My Archeology class went on a field trip there, so I know some of the history which came in handy.
On Wednesday we went back to Edinburgh to see the palace since we didn't have time over the weekend. The night before we went, Lee and I did a lot of research on Scottish history, so we knew about some of the people that the audio guide covered. Even for my 3rd time going through, I still learned new things, crazy, no?
Edinburgh was really pretty in the snow, especially the castle. Lee and I went to get lunch at the Elephant House and had a nice view of the castle. Really the whole city turns into Christmas central during the winter. There is this whole Christmas village thing there! (stay tuned for more about that in a couple posts)
On Thursday in Glasgow I still had some classes, but at night we went to a comedy club. It was stand up night and since Lee and I got there after most other people, we had to sit in the front. And since we were sitting in the front, Lee got picked on (it didn't help that we are American). The comedians liked to keep pointing out that we were American and they made fun of us. Luckily, the jokes were funny, so we didn't mind so much.
On Friday, our last day together in Glasgow, Lee and I went to the Hidden Lane Tearoom for high tea. It was sooo good. We had little sandwiches, and scones, and desserts.
Unfortunately Lee had to leave the next morning. His journey home was a story by itself consisting of 6 hours total of delay and 4 days without his luggage. It all worked out though, so hooray!
It was a lot of fun to show him around because I got to show him all of my favorite parts. We saw the section on Egypt and played with the hands-on activities. We also got to check out the science section and the animals. After going to that museum so many times I know my way around and I think that helped make the most out of our visits.
Another Glasgow activity during the week was the cathedral. It was covered in snow which was beautiful, but also slippery. I fell...only once though! Again, it was nice to be able to show Lee the cathedral. My Archeology class went on a field trip there, so I know some of the history which came in handy.
On Wednesday we went back to Edinburgh to see the palace since we didn't have time over the weekend. The night before we went, Lee and I did a lot of research on Scottish history, so we knew about some of the people that the audio guide covered. Even for my 3rd time going through, I still learned new things, crazy, no?
Edinburgh was really pretty in the snow, especially the castle. Lee and I went to get lunch at the Elephant House and had a nice view of the castle. Really the whole city turns into Christmas central during the winter. There is this whole Christmas village thing there! (stay tuned for more about that in a couple posts)
On Thursday in Glasgow I still had some classes, but at night we went to a comedy club. It was stand up night and since Lee and I got there after most other people, we had to sit in the front. And since we were sitting in the front, Lee got picked on (it didn't help that we are American). The comedians liked to keep pointing out that we were American and they made fun of us. Luckily, the jokes were funny, so we didn't mind so much.
On Friday, our last day together in Glasgow, Lee and I went to the Hidden Lane Tearoom for high tea. It was sooo good. We had little sandwiches, and scones, and desserts.
Unfortunately Lee had to leave the next morning. His journey home was a story by itself consisting of 6 hours total of delay and 4 days without his luggage. It all worked out though, so hooray!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Master of the Snow
During the weekend while Lee was in Scotland we went to Edinburgh and up to the highlands!
Our first stop in Edinburgh (after dropping our stuff of at the B&B) was the castle! We walked over there, up the hill and once again, were amazed by the weather we were having.
We started off inside the castle, looking around at the exhibits and reading the information around the castle. Lee had a really great time reading more about Scottish history after our first educational trip in Stirling.
We spent the rest of the day walking up and down the Royal Mile. We got lunch at a pizza place and dinner at the Elephant House. It was fun being there at night because we had a good view of the castle at night, with all the lights and stuff.
In the middle of the night it snowed! It was really cool (and freezing!) to wake up to Edinburgh covered in snow. It wasn't a lot of snow, just enough to make it pretty, and a little slippery.
In the morning we went back to the Royal Mile to meet up with our highland tour. Lee and I were expecting to be the youngest ones on the tour by at least 20 years, but there was another couple from America (studying abroad also) and some guy from Germany who was probably in his mid-20s. Our guide's name was Steve and he wore a kilt the whole time, even in the snow! Our first stop on the tour was Doune Castle, the castle from Monty Python and the Holy Grail!
The gift shop had the coconuts from the movie, so Steve asked if we could see them and then took pictures of us playing with them!
As we continued up into the highlands we saw some highland cows (I got to feed one!).
The mountains got continually larger and steeper as we moved up north. It was so beautiful, especially with the snow. We passed through Glen Coe and heard the story of the masacre (Steve told us about more Scottish history throughout the weekend). Basically the day was awesome and beautiful and we got to see the amazing highlands.
As the sun was starting to go down, we made the quick decision to detour over to the Harry Potter bridge! This isn't actually it's name, of course. It's the bridge that Ron flies through in the second movie in the flying car. We got to walk down to the bridge from the road and see it as the sun was setting. It was beautiful, but made it a little difficult for the pictures.
Our second day in the highlands was more exciting, but not necessarily in a good way. It had snowed more the night we were there which made the roads a little more slippery. We started off by going to this Loch Ness exhibition center thing that had exhibits about the past monster sightings and the general geography of the lake. Then we stopped by the side of the lake to do a little hunting ourselves.
As we continued back down to Edinburgh, the snow picked up quickly and heavily. Eventually the roads were completely blocked and cars were getting stuck left and right. Soon enough, we were stuck too. Steve got out and helped push some cars as they tried to drive past. Then the tractor came and pulled us out.
Basically, it was a disaster. The police officers on the streets were telling us to find a hotel because there was no way we would make it back to Edinburgh before morning. Once we got to the hotel we were going to stay at for the night, Steve got a call from his boss telling him to try to get down to Edinburgh anyway. Luckily, Steve knew some back-roads that bypassed a big accident on the highway so we ended up making it to Edinburgh with 10 minutes to spare before the last train to Glasgow. Despite the drama, still an awesome weekend!
So I haven't done this in a while, and this blog post is really long anyway but I need to do a thank you. Thank you to Steve for knowing Scotland well enough to get us home safely after making our weekend in the highlands truly memorable.
Our first stop in Edinburgh (after dropping our stuff of at the B&B) was the castle! We walked over there, up the hill and once again, were amazed by the weather we were having.
We started off inside the castle, looking around at the exhibits and reading the information around the castle. Lee had a really great time reading more about Scottish history after our first educational trip in Stirling.
We spent the rest of the day walking up and down the Royal Mile. We got lunch at a pizza place and dinner at the Elephant House. It was fun being there at night because we had a good view of the castle at night, with all the lights and stuff.
In the middle of the night it snowed! It was really cool (and freezing!) to wake up to Edinburgh covered in snow. It wasn't a lot of snow, just enough to make it pretty, and a little slippery.
In the morning we went back to the Royal Mile to meet up with our highland tour. Lee and I were expecting to be the youngest ones on the tour by at least 20 years, but there was another couple from America (studying abroad also) and some guy from Germany who was probably in his mid-20s. Our guide's name was Steve and he wore a kilt the whole time, even in the snow! Our first stop on the tour was Doune Castle, the castle from Monty Python and the Holy Grail!
The gift shop had the coconuts from the movie, so Steve asked if we could see them and then took pictures of us playing with them!
As we continued up into the highlands we saw some highland cows (I got to feed one!).
The mountains got continually larger and steeper as we moved up north. It was so beautiful, especially with the snow. We passed through Glen Coe and heard the story of the masacre (Steve told us about more Scottish history throughout the weekend). Basically the day was awesome and beautiful and we got to see the amazing highlands.
As the sun was starting to go down, we made the quick decision to detour over to the Harry Potter bridge! This isn't actually it's name, of course. It's the bridge that Ron flies through in the second movie in the flying car. We got to walk down to the bridge from the road and see it as the sun was setting. It was beautiful, but made it a little difficult for the pictures.
Our second day in the highlands was more exciting, but not necessarily in a good way. It had snowed more the night we were there which made the roads a little more slippery. We started off by going to this Loch Ness exhibition center thing that had exhibits about the past monster sightings and the general geography of the lake. Then we stopped by the side of the lake to do a little hunting ourselves.
As we continued back down to Edinburgh, the snow picked up quickly and heavily. Eventually the roads were completely blocked and cars were getting stuck left and right. Soon enough, we were stuck too. Steve got out and helped push some cars as they tried to drive past. Then the tractor came and pulled us out.
Basically, it was a disaster. The police officers on the streets were telling us to find a hotel because there was no way we would make it back to Edinburgh before morning. Once we got to the hotel we were going to stay at for the night, Steve got a call from his boss telling him to try to get down to Edinburgh anyway. Luckily, Steve knew some back-roads that bypassed a big accident on the highway so we ended up making it to Edinburgh with 10 minutes to spare before the last train to Glasgow. Despite the drama, still an awesome weekend!
So I haven't done this in a while, and this blog post is really long anyway but I need to do a thank you. Thank you to Steve for knowing Scotland well enough to get us home safely after making our weekend in the highlands truly memorable.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Thanksgiving, Scotland Style
Another exciting event that occurred recently (kind of recently, I'm very behind on this blog...) was Thanksgiving!
It was a weird day, mostly because my classes weren't cancelled. So I had my classes in the morning and then went to the grocery store to pick up some fixings for the pumpkin pie I made! Once again, it was ghetto cooking. Lee stirred the pie mix in the pan.
Luckily, we figured it all out and the pie turned out well!!
This year my Thanksgiving was split into two parts. In the first part Lee and I went over to Megan's flat for a party she was having. There were a bunch of Americans, but also a lot of international students. It was really interesting to have them there because they had never celebrated Thanksgiving before. Everyone brought food (I brought a pie) and we had a really nice time. Then we all went around and shared what we were thankful for. Then, of course, we took a group picture! (thanks Megan!)
The second part of the Thanksgiving evening consisted of a new tradition that Lee and I started in honor of our first Thanksgiving together. Well, when we made the pumpkin pie, we actually made 2! I brought one to Megan's and saved the second for ourselves.
So, we ate a pie and.....watched How I Met Your Mother! A wonderful Thanksgiving!
It was a weird day, mostly because my classes weren't cancelled. So I had my classes in the morning and then went to the grocery store to pick up some fixings for the pumpkin pie I made! Once again, it was ghetto cooking. Lee stirred the pie mix in the pan.
Luckily, we figured it all out and the pie turned out well!!
This year my Thanksgiving was split into two parts. In the first part Lee and I went over to Megan's flat for a party she was having. There were a bunch of Americans, but also a lot of international students. It was really interesting to have them there because they had never celebrated Thanksgiving before. Everyone brought food (I brought a pie) and we had a really nice time. Then we all went around and shared what we were thankful for. Then, of course, we took a group picture! (thanks Megan!)
The second part of the Thanksgiving evening consisted of a new tradition that Lee and I started in honor of our first Thanksgiving together. Well, when we made the pumpkin pie, we actually made 2! I brought one to Megan's and saved the second for ourselves.
So, we ate a pie and.....watched How I Met Your Mother! A wonderful Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Freedom!!
Lee came to visit!
It was so great having him and being able to show him around and introduce him to my new friends. One of the first activities we all did together was go see Harry Potter. Megan and Colleen got very into it and wore their Gryffindor scarves!
One of the downsides of that first week was that I still had my regular classes. Lee came to my Sociology class with me, but we didn't really have time to explore Glasgow right at the beginning of his visit.
We did, however, have time to go to Stirling on one of my days off. The first thing we did was go to the Castle. We did the audio tour and learned all about the history of the castle. I really enjoyed listening to all of the information because the first time I was there I didn't get the audio part. When we were in the great hall we sat in the thrones. Just like a king and queen! So cool!
Something that I had been nervous about for a while was the weather. I have had some good luck with it this semester, but I was so worried that the weather would be bad for Lee's visit and we wouldn't get to do everything we wanted to. Boy was I wrong (at least the first week...). When we went to Stirling the weather was amazing! We had a terrific view around the castle which made the whole trip even better.
Our second stop in Stirling was the Wallace Monument. This was by far Lee's favorite part of the day. We got to do a short, 10 minute, hike up from the visitor's center to the monument which was a lot of fun because of the whole nature thing. Then when we got to the monument we began up the stairs to the top. The stairs were in a spiral which was a little dizzying, but we survived. To help the spiral-ness, there were a couple of platforms on the way up so we could stop and get some history before continuing up.
On the first landing there were these large signs explaining the life of William Wallace. There was also his sword (6 feet long!), a weird video with disembodied heads explaining his life, and a life-size, scary figure.
I thought all of the history and explanations were interesting, but what I really loved, again, was the view from the top of the monument. Once again, I couldn't help but being thankful for the amazing luck we were having.
Stirling was definitely the perfect first stop for us on our tour around Scotland and I'm glad we had such good weather and such a good time.
On a slightly different note, when we got back to the train station in Glasgow I saw this sign on the wall. :)
It was so great having him and being able to show him around and introduce him to my new friends. One of the first activities we all did together was go see Harry Potter. Megan and Colleen got very into it and wore their Gryffindor scarves!
One of the downsides of that first week was that I still had my regular classes. Lee came to my Sociology class with me, but we didn't really have time to explore Glasgow right at the beginning of his visit.
We did, however, have time to go to Stirling on one of my days off. The first thing we did was go to the Castle. We did the audio tour and learned all about the history of the castle. I really enjoyed listening to all of the information because the first time I was there I didn't get the audio part. When we were in the great hall we sat in the thrones. Just like a king and queen! So cool!
Something that I had been nervous about for a while was the weather. I have had some good luck with it this semester, but I was so worried that the weather would be bad for Lee's visit and we wouldn't get to do everything we wanted to. Boy was I wrong (at least the first week...). When we went to Stirling the weather was amazing! We had a terrific view around the castle which made the whole trip even better.
Our second stop in Stirling was the Wallace Monument. This was by far Lee's favorite part of the day. We got to do a short, 10 minute, hike up from the visitor's center to the monument which was a lot of fun because of the whole nature thing. Then when we got to the monument we began up the stairs to the top. The stairs were in a spiral which was a little dizzying, but we survived. To help the spiral-ness, there were a couple of platforms on the way up so we could stop and get some history before continuing up.
On the first landing there were these large signs explaining the life of William Wallace. There was also his sword (6 feet long!), a weird video with disembodied heads explaining his life, and a life-size, scary figure.
I thought all of the history and explanations were interesting, but what I really loved, again, was the view from the top of the monument. Once again, I couldn't help but being thankful for the amazing luck we were having.
Stirling was definitely the perfect first stop for us on our tour around Scotland and I'm glad we had such good weather and such a good time.
On a slightly different note, when we got back to the train station in Glasgow I saw this sign on the wall. :)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
"I saw you walking with 2 older Americans, I assumed they're your parents"
Three weeks ago my parents came back from Dublin with me to spend the week in Glasgow! We explored the city and also went to Edinburgh for a day to see the sites over there. It was really great having them here and being able to show them around.
On Monday my parents came along with me to my bagpiping lesson. After that I had my sociology class, we all went to dinner and then walked around my end of the city.
On Tuesday we got up early and went to breakfast at the Hidden Lane Tearoom (one of my favorite places and now one of my dad's). We sat on the second floor so the view out the window was of the colorfully painted buildings along the hidden lane. After some amazing scones and porridge we walked through a park before I had to go to class again. Stupid classes...
On Wednesday we went to Edinburgh! First we went to the castle which is always fun because we get to learn about the history and stuff. It was here that my dad started to realize that he doesn't know that much about Scottish history. After the castle we went to lunch at The Elephant House (the birthplace of Harry Potter). I introduced them to the amazing caramel shortbread. Then we kept walking down the royal mile towards the palace. On the way we found Morrison's Close! When my mom and I went to Edinburgh the first time she was here we looked for it but didn't find it, so it was very exciting when we did this time.
I love the Palace of Holyroodhouse. It is definitely one of my favorite places to go in Edinburgh. It was a lot of fun to show my parents also, if not only because I enjoy it so much. Again, my dad realized how little he knows about the Scottish monarchy and all of that drama. After a lot of research and wikipedia, I've figured some of it out, but not completely yet. Another cool part of the Palace is that it is connected to a ruined abbey.
On Thursday I met up with my parents in the afternoon to go to the Willow Tea Rooms (a famous set of tea rooms designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh). After lunch we wandered around the city center area for a bit before I had to go to my bagpiping class. Again, stupid class....
Friday was my mom's birthday! I don't have classes on Fridays so I was able to spend the whole day with my parents and celebrate. The day started out with an assortment of Isle of Skye related gifts (magnet, calender, and magazine). After breakfast we went up to the University and looked in one of the little museums there. The museum is the collection of stuff that this guy Hunter had. He was a scientist and collected deformed animals and intestines in jars. Exactly what my mom wanted to look at on her birthday.
After that we went to this old converted church for lunch. They do a lunchtime play series called A Play, A Pie, and A Pint. We watched a little musical tribute to James Joyce, ate some pies, and drank some pints (my dad actually had beer, Mom and I had soda). After lunch we went over the Glasgow School of Art (also designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh) for a tour. It was a very cool building with a lot of neat, artistic pieces that you wouldn't always notice without a tour guide pointing them out.
For dinner we went to this nice restaurant called The Ubiquitous Chip. I had beets, my parents had haggis (Mom loves it). Towards the end of the meal we ordered some drinks and toasted to my grandfather. For those of you who don't know (which is probably most of you) my grandfather passed away while my parents and I were in Dublin. He had been sick for a while, but it is still never easy. His father was Scottish and from Glasgow, which is why I decided to come here. It was hard to lose that link, especially since I never got to talk to my grandfather about my experiences here. I know that he read this blog and loved reading about the adventures I've been having, but still... My mom got to visit him before they left for Dublin and he told her to have fun and to have a Scottish drink for him. My mom got something called Drambuie and my dad got a whisky called Laphroig. I tried them both (for Granders) and I'm sure he was laughing at the faces I made.
On Saturday we went to this huge library, the Mitchell Library, to look at their family history section. They have an entire area dedicated to tracing your Scottish heritage. We picked up a bunch of pamphlets and hopefully I'll have time to do a little snooping next week. Then we went back down to city center, picked up some things, and then came back to my room to get organized. Instead of that, my dad decided to play with my toy catapult.
I'm so glad that they came to visit. It was great to see them again and to show them around. Yay!
In memory of Donald Morrison Jr.
On Monday my parents came along with me to my bagpiping lesson. After that I had my sociology class, we all went to dinner and then walked around my end of the city.
On Tuesday we got up early and went to breakfast at the Hidden Lane Tearoom (one of my favorite places and now one of my dad's). We sat on the second floor so the view out the window was of the colorfully painted buildings along the hidden lane. After some amazing scones and porridge we walked through a park before I had to go to class again. Stupid classes...
On Wednesday we went to Edinburgh! First we went to the castle which is always fun because we get to learn about the history and stuff. It was here that my dad started to realize that he doesn't know that much about Scottish history. After the castle we went to lunch at The Elephant House (the birthplace of Harry Potter). I introduced them to the amazing caramel shortbread. Then we kept walking down the royal mile towards the palace. On the way we found Morrison's Close! When my mom and I went to Edinburgh the first time she was here we looked for it but didn't find it, so it was very exciting when we did this time.
I love the Palace of Holyroodhouse. It is definitely one of my favorite places to go in Edinburgh. It was a lot of fun to show my parents also, if not only because I enjoy it so much. Again, my dad realized how little he knows about the Scottish monarchy and all of that drama. After a lot of research and wikipedia, I've figured some of it out, but not completely yet. Another cool part of the Palace is that it is connected to a ruined abbey.
On Thursday I met up with my parents in the afternoon to go to the Willow Tea Rooms (a famous set of tea rooms designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh). After lunch we wandered around the city center area for a bit before I had to go to my bagpiping class. Again, stupid class....
Friday was my mom's birthday! I don't have classes on Fridays so I was able to spend the whole day with my parents and celebrate. The day started out with an assortment of Isle of Skye related gifts (magnet, calender, and magazine). After breakfast we went up to the University and looked in one of the little museums there. The museum is the collection of stuff that this guy Hunter had. He was a scientist and collected deformed animals and intestines in jars. Exactly what my mom wanted to look at on her birthday.
After that we went to this old converted church for lunch. They do a lunchtime play series called A Play, A Pie, and A Pint. We watched a little musical tribute to James Joyce, ate some pies, and drank some pints (my dad actually had beer, Mom and I had soda). After lunch we went over the Glasgow School of Art (also designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh) for a tour. It was a very cool building with a lot of neat, artistic pieces that you wouldn't always notice without a tour guide pointing them out.
For dinner we went to this nice restaurant called The Ubiquitous Chip. I had beets, my parents had haggis (Mom loves it). Towards the end of the meal we ordered some drinks and toasted to my grandfather. For those of you who don't know (which is probably most of you) my grandfather passed away while my parents and I were in Dublin. He had been sick for a while, but it is still never easy. His father was Scottish and from Glasgow, which is why I decided to come here. It was hard to lose that link, especially since I never got to talk to my grandfather about my experiences here. I know that he read this blog and loved reading about the adventures I've been having, but still... My mom got to visit him before they left for Dublin and he told her to have fun and to have a Scottish drink for him. My mom got something called Drambuie and my dad got a whisky called Laphroig. I tried them both (for Granders) and I'm sure he was laughing at the faces I made.
On Saturday we went to this huge library, the Mitchell Library, to look at their family history section. They have an entire area dedicated to tracing your Scottish heritage. We picked up a bunch of pamphlets and hopefully I'll have time to do a little snooping next week. Then we went back down to city center, picked up some things, and then came back to my room to get organized. Instead of that, my dad decided to play with my toy catapult.
I'm so glad that they came to visit. It was great to see them again and to show them around. Yay!
In memory of Donald Morrison Jr.
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