Edinburgh Adventures - 2nd/3rd/4th (5th/6th/7th) January

Holy Mary Queen of Scots.

Took part in my first proper tourist-y experience today, which was the absolute delight that is Edinburgh Castle. And in the opinion of this broke traveler, it was worth every penny of the £16 entry fee.

Edinburgh Castle

That tall spire is the Hub, our NYE venue

Arthur's Seat, as seen from the Castle

But let me backtrack a bit and tell you about my day.

Shortly after I posted my last entry (c. 11:30am this morning), it began to snow. Or, I should say, sleet. Actually, the weather had an episode, much like I would have in the KFC drive thru, and couldn't make up its damn mind. In the space of roughly three hours, it went from sunny blue skies, to sleet, to snow, roughly eight times.

The oncoming storm from the Upper Ward

Calton Hill from the Upper Ward
(that tower on top is the Nelson Monument, as typically, I forgot to take a photo of it when I was there!)

The One O'Clock Gun (through the snow)

Unfortunately for me, the eighth time was as I waited for the firing of the one o'clock gun up at the castle, and consequently, caused me to freeze three-quarters (half is too-mild a description here) to death, forcing me to warm up with a mocha, walking tour, and a whiskey liquer tasting (where I met a Man Utd supporter who, upon finding out my father was a Scouse and a Liverpool supporter, told me to tell him "20-18". I'm not sure what this means but I'll presume upon reading that Dad will become quite riled up).

The walking tour, while I'm in the spirit of making recommendations, was fantastic, and I'd highly recommend taking part, should you plan on visiting. Our guide, Gary, had a thick enough accent to be authentic, but not so thick as to be incomprehensible, and was full of good cheer and even better humour, despite the atrocious Scottish weather. The tour lasted about 40 minutes and covered the outside areas of the castle, while filling us in on what each building contained, so that we could choose whether to bother with it after the tour had finished.

Foog's Gate (named after a Dutch architect), the entrance to the Upper Ward

Saint Margaret's Chapel (the oldest building in Edinburgh Castle, and indeed the whole of Edinburgh), built by her son David I, for his mother, after she died of a broken heart upon losing her husband in battle. c. 1130

The first building I should mention was the Crown Jewel Exhibit, which was housed in a beautiful museum that opened onto Crown Square, at the very heart of the castle. The exhibit was interesting, but I'll admit, I soon became tired of reading all the plaques (you would too if you'd seen how many there were!), and lack of heating, and skim-read my way through the remainder to get to the shiny bits (which, as terrible as it sounds, were a slight let down after reading eight hundred years or so of history that pertained to them). (I kid, I kid, they were great).

From there it was on to the Royal Apartments and the birthing suite used by Mary, Queen of Scots. Again, a lot of fanfare over a fairly small and empty room (blasphemous of me I know, maybe if I'd done Level 3 History I'd have appreciated it more), but the architecture and ceiling moldings were quite lovely, and at least these were heated! Following this I had a quick look around the Great Hall, which was beautiful (and dated back to the 16th century!), but was really too crowded to enjoy properly (and it wasn't the one from Harry Potter, so....).

The last building I visited in this part of the castle was the Scottish National War Memorial, and this was a very solemn visit. Built in 1927 after the Great War, it now contains alcoves dedicated to every regiment of the Scottish infantry. In each alcove stands a book (or series of books) containing the names of all the soldiers who perished in any particular conflict. The book(s) from the First World War have over 150,000 names in them, and the remaining books, from the Second World War (and every conflict since), still contain 50,000 names, the last of which was added only last year. My few minutes spent in the memorial reduced me to tears, and it is a very worthwhile, humbling experience for anyone visiting Edinburgh.

The Scottish National War Memorial (about 12:45pm)

The Scottish National War Memorial (about 1:45pm). What a difference!

After the war memorial I wandered down to the war prison exhibit, which was rather surreal. Edinburgh Castle's war prison has three vaults, two of which were open to the public. From the prison's creation in the early 1500's, right through to World War II, these prisons were used to house up to 1000 prisoners at a time. Talk about overcrowding! In the adjacent building was the military prison, which was home to soldiers who had committed a variety of offenses (the most common ones being 'desertion', and 'drunk on duty'). These were much more modern facilities than the war prison, and in the late 1800's even had flushing toilets installed!

War Prison Vault One

War Prison Vault Two

Military Prison Cell - looks a bit more comfortable!

Following the prisons it was a short walk back to the gate, making the most of the now-setting sun to capture some beautiful photographs (It still feels weird to be taking pictures of the sunset at 3:30pm).

New Town from the Castle

Sunset from the Castle

Inside St Giles Cathedral (free entry, on the Royal Mile)

Then off back down towards my hostel - where I promptly got distracted and ventured into Primark.

A word to the wise: When entering a five story retail store with two floors reserved purely for women's clothing, there are a few checks that should be undertaken. You must ensure that your bladder is empty, your stomach is full, you have on you only the amount of money you wish to spend, and you have plenty of time (and patience) to spare. Otherwise, it is very easy to find yourself getting caught up in the atmosphere, and making impulse purchases. Having said this, I think I got off quite lightly, spending just over £20 and coming away with a beanie (worn several times since purchase), a cowlneck jumper (worn every day since purchase and without a doubt the best £7 I've ever spent - I'm wearing it right now), and a grey knit dress (not worn yet as I have to wash some make up off the collar, but I got it at a discounted price so I'm counting it as a win).

Then, finally, it was back to my hostel for a spot of journaling and a chat with the group of Australians in my room, who invited me to join them for dinner and a drink downstairs. However, their enthusiasm for drinking was not to be matched, so after a single beer I said goodnight and retreated to bed. With the other group of rowdy Australians having departed that morning, I assumed I was safe from anymore 'nocturnal shenanigans', as I'd taken to calling them. Oh how wrong I was. Stumbling into the bathrooms at 2am, I encountered one of the Australians (have you people no shame?) engaged in something that's not fit to detail here. We all stopped. The young man that was with her then seemed very offended when she dropped what she was doing (literally) to say to me "Oh my god, I am SO SORRY". I managed to stammer out an "It's fine, as you were", before gapping it to the toilet in what was certainly the fastest bathroom break of my life, and then fleeing to my bunk to sleep and hope that it had all been a dream.

Putting all thoughts of the previous night out of my mind, I woke on my last full day in Edinburgh full of determination to see as much of the city as possible. Packing away a hearty breakfast and grabbing a day bag, I set off to tackle Calton Hill, home to the National Monument and the Nelson Monument. I definitely picked the right day for this particular walk, as the weather was on my side, and I managed to get some gorgeous photos of the New Town, with not a cloud in the sky to dampen my spirit. Wanting to get the best views of the city (and to warm up a bit), I forked out the £4 fee to climb the Nelson Monument, emerging 143 steps later slightly sweaty, very much warmed up, and with a truer understanding of how Dad's clients feel after a class.

New Town from Calton Hill

New Town (and the Forth) from Calton Hill

National Monument

The view from the top was absolutely breathtaking, and definitely worth the hard slog it took to get there. Before I go any further, actually, I should share a few interesting facts about the buildings on Calton Hill. The Nelson Monument is home to a large cross, and a ball that gets hoisted to the top for one o'clock every day, which is let go to to coincide with the firing of the one o'clock gun. This tradition began as a time indicator for any ships that happened to be out in the Forth (The Firth of Forth, for anyone wanting to know, is the name given to estuary at the edge of Edinburgh, where the River Forth meets the North Sea. I have been assured by a local, however, that The Firth of Forth is a nightmare to try and say with a Scottish accent, so it is simply called 'The Forth'), so that they could set all their navigational tools correctly. The one o'clock gun was incorporated as an audio marker after it was noticed that in heavy fog, it was not possible to see the ball drop from the top of the cross. The other building I mentioned, the National Monument, was a tribute to the soldiers that fell in the Napoleanic Wars, and was begun in the style of the Greek Acropolis in 1822, but work ceased when the funds ran out in 1829, and it has never been completed. 

Old Town from the Nelson Monument

Arthur's Seat from the Nelson Monument

New Town from the Nelson Monument

While I was at the top, wishing there was someone to take a photo of me (only to prove that I actually climbed all those stairs and didn't just grab photos off Google Images, I ran into a young American man (who I incorrectly guessed was Canadian, but only after he'd guessed that I was Australian, so we were both equally offended), who offered to take my picture. We got to talking, and after establishing that neither of us had any definite plans for the day, decided to wander around Edinburgh together.

It's 11:30am in this picture... How???

Oh hey! At the top of the Nelson Monument (with Arthur's Seat behind)

Graham, as it turned out, was a law student on a study abroad program from Boston College, staying in London for five months, and had been in Edinburgh for roughly an hour when I met him. We ended up doing a large loop of Edinburgh, stopping off at the free museum in Canongate (which had a fantastic section on the Old Town, complete with authentic artifacts, one of which I found particularly amusing), and then carrying on up the Royal Mile. 

I'm pretty sure everyone around me wondered why I was cackling at some old silverware...

The original plans for the construction of New Town, drawn by architect James Craig in 1767 (!!!)

The Burns Monument (because you can't go to Scotland without paying tribute to Robert Burns)

We did a complete lap of Edinburgh Castle, throughout which I attempted to play tour guide by recalling what few facts I'd picked up on my trip there (a good summary would be; it's really old). My cool and knowledgeable exterior fell to pieces, however, when we strolled past a park, and I freaked and grabbed my camera to take a picture of... A squirrel. Before you mock me, as Graham did, for getting so excited, keep in mind that this was the first squirrel I'd ever seen in my life, so I think a little bit of excitement was warranted.

Edinburgh Castle from below

My first squirrel (the real star of the show here)

After we'd wandered a wee bit further and worked up quite an appetite, we ducked into a pub off Princes St called the Rose and Crown, where I promptly became the one-man enforcer of a rule I've just introduced: you must try haggis on your first day in Scotland. Needless to say, Graham was not particularly enthused about eating a sheep's stomach (neither was I but it's tradition), but when he spotted a deep fried option on the menu, he became much more agreeable and in the end said he had really enjoyed it. We lingered in the warmth of a pub for about an hour before venturing back out into the cold, where we took in the Christmas markets, and all the weird and wonderful wares they had to offer, before we parted ways, swapping details and promising to get in touch should we ever end up in the same place again.

I'd had a rather long day out and about at this point, and was absolutely craving a nap, but there were showers to be endured (and endured is DEFINITELY the correct term here), and ciders to be had. My last evening in Edinburgh was an absolute delight as I managed to catch up with my friend Caroline, who I met working in Wellington back in 2013. It was absolutely brilliant to see her, and we had a fantastic gossip session over a couple of Magners, before she dashed off to a glamorous party, bottle of Moët in hand, and I hustled back to my damp, dark and generally disgusting hostel for a final night of (un)rest.

I made my departure from Edinburgh the next morning, and headed for Balloch (near Loch Lomond), where I've been staying the past few days with my pal Jim (#forthejohn) and his girlfriend Melissa. It's been absolutely lovely to slow the pace a bit, and get some R&R before I continue on my merry way. Unfortunately, I've been indulging in a bit too much R&R, and have subsequently not written anything for you all while I've been here (not that I've done anything of note - I'm sure none of you want to hear about all the washing I've been doing). So for the moment, this is where I'll leave you. I'm headed off to Liverpool tomorrow and I'm sure that will yield plenty of adventure; for now, Edinburgh is the best adventure I've ever had.

The Castle at Sunset

Hogmanay - 31st December/1st/2nd January

How is Edinburgh real?

As much as I might have a case of the blues, there's no denying that it is incredibly beautiful here. The landscape is rugged, and definitely reminds me of parts of New Zealand, but the buildings are nothing like I've ever seen before.

The first 'made-me-gape-out-the-window' sight was, strangely enough, Durham. I didn't manage to grab any pictures as I was crammed into the aisle seat, but I'll definitely say that it's worth a google image search. After Durham we passed Berwick-upon-Tweed, and that was also a sight to behold. But Edinburgh. Edinburgh is something else.

I wasn't ever expecting clear weather in Edinburgh in the middle of winter, but I was amazed that it was 10℃ when I got here (as opposed to 1℃ in Osmotherley, the last place I'd been before getting on the train). And in all honestly, the overcast sky when I got to Edinburgh made the skyline all the more impressive.

Yesterday was definitely the most obnoxious I've been as a tourist since I've been here, but in my defense, have you ever seen Christmas markets as pretty as these?

(If you have I don’t want to hear about it. No one likes a braggart).

I spent the afternoon wandering through the gardens and up and down the Royal Mile. That was followed by a vain attempt at napping in my dorm room, but when you’re surrounded by rowdy Australians (and boy, were they everywhere), attempting sleep is futile. So instead I went in search of wifi, and spent a tearful hour messaging home while yet another group of Australians played Kings Cup next to me (it’s amazing how major holidays and events can make you feel the distance that much more).

Thankfully, nearing eight o’clock I had actual plans to distract myself with. Having long since abandoned my plan of going to the street party (I might have paid twenty quid for a ticket but I was not prepared to wait three hours in line just to collect it), I’d also been invited to ‘Helen’s Hogmanay Hoolie, a private party hosted by my friend Jim’s aunt, and held at The Hub, an old converted church that serves as Edinburgh’s festival hub on the Royal Mile.

The end of the line to collect street party tickets...

...which continued all the way up and around that church tower in the distance

Being piped into a church was enough to make me giddy (and no I don’t mean physically squeezed in, I mean there was a guy in full regalia at the door who played his bagpipes while guests entered), and by the time we got inside and received our glass of champagne, I was practically shaking with excitement. The band was good, the company fantastic, and by the time the buffet opened, I was even game to try some haggis! (What’s even weirder is – I actually enjoyed it!)

The rest of the night was a whirl of ceilidh dances, fireworks and Drambuie, the latter two going together beautifully as we stood under Edinburgh castle to take them in. Following the celebrations it was home to bed for me, as jet lag was working its magic, and I was fearful of falling asleep on the street. Unfortunately, an easy sleep was not in the cards for me, as the first thing I saw upon opening the door to my room, was a penis, glaringly obvious in the light from the open doorway. “Well” I hear you saying, “some people enjoy sleeping naked.” And I concur. Some people do. But usually, in an all girl dorm, a penis is not what you’d expect to see if that was the case.

It became quickly apparent, while I searched desperately for my earplugs, that my suspicions were correct, and someone had brought company back to the room. And whether it was because they were absolutely trashed, or because they were Australian, they didn’t seem worried about being quiet (oh bite me all you Aussies, you know you’re bloody loud). Happy New Year to me.

The interruptions continued well through the night, with people trickling in until 5am (Obviously this meant that I was justified in sleeping until 2pm the next day). Even when I did venture out, the weather was not on my side, and all my walkabout achieved was landing me in a pub where I paid more money than I want to think about for a delicious burger and beer combo (pricey but worth it).

Then, once again, it was home to bed, or at least home to wifi, to plan out my next few days in Edinburgh, and my next few weeks beyond. I still managed to be tucked up in my bunk by 9pm though, and had probably the most continuous, restful sleep I’ve had since arriving (thank god for earplugs).

So now I’m contemplating breakfast and planning out the days activities, before another surely early bedtime this evening. I am planning on a haunted underground tour though, so who knows if I’ll even make it back at all…

Northallerton - 29th/30th/31st December

Ah, the ancient city of York.

Hey, don’t laugh, that’s what Sarah called it.

Hang on, maybe I should backtrack a bit.

We left our heroine on a fast train to Northallerton, speeding through the snow-covered fields of the English countryside. Shortly after my last entry the train I was on went through Doncaster, where I promptly lost my mind, for reasons I will not detail here (but which anyone who knows me well will be able to figure out). After we’d passed through here it was only about forty minutes to our destination, during which I experienced my first bout of homesickness (I don’t know if crying while listening to sad songs on your iPod and staring out the window actually counts as being homesick, but lets say I does so I feel better, shall we?).

Fortunately, this was cured almost instantly upon arrival in Northallerton, where I was met by one of the most beautiful sights I’d seen thus far; my friend Sarah, complete with a car. (Not that I don’t love public transport, I do, but sometimes home comforts are nice, you know?) My reunion with Sez was made even better when we arrived back at her place, and I a) got a piping hot cup of coffee, and b) got to see her dogs (a twelve year old black lab called Tara, and a nine-ish week old golden lab called Amber).

We didn’t hang about at the house for too long though, as we had business to attend to in the bustling centre of Northallerton (Sarah assures me it’s not that great – I, with no trace of irony at all, loved it). The first matter was sorting out my phone and getting it working over here (which in the end took two days, but no matter, we’re in business now), while the second, vastly more important matter, was getting some caffeine in me (jetlag’s a bitch). The prices are comparable to home ( 2.25 for a large mocha, but I think once my body’s got a handle on the time zone, coffee will unfortunately be getting the chop.

It was then off to get my first real taste of Britain’s chain stores. Oh sure, I’d done a quick Sainsbury’s stop in London (why was I paying $4 for a bottle of water at home, when I can get one here for 95p???), but I had yet to experience a Superdrug or a Tesco’s, both of which, in the end, are very normal places, with the only noticeable difference being that makeup doesn’t cost an arm and a leg here – a very welcome change.

Then home for tea (which I think I’m still full from now, two days later), and dessert (which I didn’t realize was a thing people did regularly – mum and dad successfully hid that from me), and I was in a definite food coma, and about ready to fall asleep (a feeling that hasn’t subsided, even after three days). Did some skyping (hi babe) and fell into a mostly restful sleep until 6am (which unfortunately seems to be the time my body clock has set itself to), when I did some further skyping (hi mum and dad) and continued my attempt to blog.

Made it out of the house around 11, just in time to catch the train to York. Twenty minutes later we were disembarking in the ancient city, where, upon passing under the equally ancient wall that surrounds it, I turned into a fantastically obnoxious tourist, and started taking pictures of everything, some of which I’ve included here for your viewing pleasure.

We wandered about the cobbled streets for a few hours, stopping in at a Sports Direct, TKMaxx, Poundland and Topshop (my British retail chain adventure continues), and soothing our grumbling stomachs with a tasty bite at a small café (Cajun chips & cheese washed down with a glass of mulled wine. As you can tell I’m really embracing the local cuisine).

Headed home shortly after our little lunch stop, as we wanted to beat the oncoming darkness. As it turned out, I didn’t beat much of anything, falling into a fitful sleep almost as soon as we were through the door. Homesickness definitely did hit me quite hard here, and my short appearance at dinner that night was cut even shorter by the need to go upstairs and cry into my laptop for a bit.

I won’t sugarcoat it, being a world away from people you love is hard enough, but as I always like to make things difficult for myself, I went and fell in love with someone (coughJarrydcough) before I left, and if I’m completely honest, that’s the worst part. It’s very strange to be travelling quite by yourself, when your first reaction upon encountering something new, or exciting or amusing, is to turn and share it with someone that isn’t there. I think that’s been the toughest pill to swallow thus far, and will probably be the biggest challenge I face on this trip (aside from sorting out my UK passport so that I don’t get deported lol).

The good news is, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are so many new and fascinating things to see and do that, even if I’m not quite sure what I’m doing here, I can at least distract myself from wondering.

So for the time being, it’s onwards and upwards (literally) to Edinburgh for me, and we’ll see how things pan out.

To everyone at home that’s already celebrating, Happy New Year, and I’m sure I’ll see you before it’s finished.

Bri xoxo