We've been in Edinburgh, Scotland for exactly one week today.
A few days ago I found myself doing two unusual things: 1. I was doing homework. 2. I was cleaning my room. I thought, "Wait a second, I'm on vacation, so why the heck am I doing two of my least favorite things ever?"
Sometimes I forget that we are over here to actually have class, study, and receive 6 whole hours of credit. It's kind of funny - I think everyone forgets at times. I mean, we'd all rather spend our time outside enjoying everything Scotland has to offer - the scenery, the history, the culture, the shopping, the food, etc. But it's a good thing we DO have class three days a week, because otherwise, we would have all run out of money and things to do by now!
I can't believe this is the first time I've written since we got to Scotland. Actually, I guess I can - I've been so busy taking it in, that lately I've only been getting on my computer just to upload pictures and Skype with my parents and Patrick. So, I guess I haven't gotten to mention to you yet how much I absolutely ADORE Edinburgh (and the whole of this beautiful country)?
Let me just give you a quick run-down of what I've done and seen since I've been here:
Monday, July 12: We took a 5-hour train ride from King's Cross station in London to Waverly station in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a pretty train ride - lots of countryside. We arrived in Edinburgh late afternoon, took cabs to our apartment complex, and got settled in. We're staying at Darroch Court apartments, which is a part of Edinburgh University. The flats are great - Pam, Ashley, and myself are in one together, and we each have a bedroom to ourselves. We also have two bathrooms, a common room/dining room, and a full kitchen. I had to pay 20 pounds for internet access, but I think it was worth it. For dinner, we all went to a pub/restaurant called Deacon Brodie's and ate our first Scottish meal. I got Scottish steak pie and chips (which is basically like pot roast and big french fries) and a piece of forest fruits cheesecake. It was delicious and really hit the spot! I knew that the food here would be better than in London.
After dinner, we all dispersed to explore the city and find our way back to our apartments. We found a little grocery store called Sainsbury's that has the cheapest groceries and the best little bakery. And the best strawberry milk I've ever tasted! Then, trying to find our way back to our apartment (and not succeeding), we ran into some of the group at a pub called The Doctors (which has become a favorite hangout here) and stopped for a while. We eventually found our way back, and I slept very well that night, cuddled up in bed in my flannel pajamas and enjoying the cool weather, not having to worry about waking up in a puddle of sweat from having no air-conditioning.
Tuesday, July 13: We were told to meet at 10 a.m. for instructions on classes for the day. Instead, Tubbs and Mego decided to let us have the day to explore Edinburgh, get acquainted with the city , etc. because of the nice weather (it was supposed to rain the rest of the week). So, we did just that! I was excited to have a day out instead of class. Pam, Ashley, and I decided to do one of those double decker bus tours that went around Edinburgh, and we learned a lot. It was good for helping us see where everything is and figure out how to get to places. After that, our goal was to find the shopping areas because Pam and I wanted to find some comfortable shoes to walk around in. I got a new pair of Converses. We also went down the Royal Mile (it goes through the center of Old Town, and it's called the Royal Mile because Edinburgh Castle is at the top of it, and the Palace at Holyroodhouse is at the bottom) to find some sweatshirts (it's quite chilly here). After going in about 15 different souvenir shops, we finally found the kind we were looking for, and now I have a brand new navy University of Edinburgh sweatshirt to keep me warm. That night we went to The Doctors for dinner (it's very cheap and very good).
Wednesday, July 14: It rained the entire day. Our professors were right to let us have Tuesday off. We tried to get Italian food for dinner, but everywhere we went was packed - possibly because of the rain. Or maybe everybody wanted Italian that night? We ended up going to Pizza Express instead, and it was pretty good. It was pretty Italian, anyway.
Thursday, July 15: Another day of class. For dinner, a bunch of us went to a place called Mai Tai and had Thai food. After that, the entire group went to the Real Mary King's Close, which was a tour of some of underground Scotland. It was interesting - a little creepy, but interesting. Basically, much of the old city of Edinburgh that is long since not used anymore is underground now. After the tour, we all went to The Doctors and then some of us came back to our flat and visited for a while.
Friday, July 16: I climbed the mountain! Seriously. There's this mountain that we can see from our flat called Arthur's Seat, and from the top you can see the entirety of Edinburgh, and beyond. It was a little nerve-racking, and definitely adventurous, but I did it, and I am so proud of myself. (If you know me at all, you know I do NOT do well with heights.) I spent the afternoon relaxing until Pam and I went out the the Royal Mile to reserve our tickets for a Loch Ness trip and do a litte grocery shopping. When we got back to the flat, Pam cooked pasta and garlic bread for dinner and the guys came over. Right before dinner, I realized that I had lost my phone. Long story short, luckily I had dropped it in the Tesco store where we were getting groceries, and someone had picked it up and held it for me. We went out later to complete some stops on our pub trail and I picked up my phone. Lucky? Yes. Very. We all came back and played cards in our flat with the guys for a while.
Saturday, July 17: Lazy day in Scotland. I was exhausted after all the walking and climbing I did on Friday. I slept until almost noon. Ashley and I set out to find a cinema, and we went to see Eclipse. It was better than the first two. I will say that I prefer the movie-going experience in the States. The theaters here are nice, but the popcorn isn't fresh (or yummy like movie popcorn is supposed to be) and the prices are just as bad. See, food here is cheap - unless you're getting it from a cinema, apparently. We stopped at a Sainsbury's on the way back and got some food, then came back to the flat for dinner.
Sunday, July 18: Pam, Ashley and I went to the coast! And we figured out the Lothian bus system here (which is a lot slower than the underground in London, by the way). And the coast wasn't as pretty as I though it would be, but it was the beach, nonetheless. We got a few good pictures before the rain started, and then we darted into a little fish & chips place for some dinner. It was okay, but nothing like the fish & chips I had in Dublin. On our way back in, we completed a couple more stops on our pub trail map.
Monday, July 19: Did I mention, at this point, we haven't had hot water in our apartment since Saturday night? I got up extremely early and boiled water on the stove to wash my hair in the sink. This was the day that Pam and I went to Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands! It was the longest day trip every (12 hours to be exact), but it was SO worth it. The country here is absolutely stunning. The Highland country is so fresh, so crisp and beautiful. Loch Ness is quite a sight as well, and all the little villages we stopped in looked like they came straight out of a storybook. I can't even describe how majestic some of the mountains were. My camera couldn't quite capture it, either. I was you could all see them in person. After we got back to Edinburgh, the whole group met up to watch Braveheart, which seemed very appropriate after our trip that day. We were literally in the country where that movie and those events took place (however inaccurate that movie is).
Tuesday, July 20: Today. Class. Long class. Lots of studying going on, because we have a big quiz tomorrow over all the countries and capitals and locations in the entirety of Europe. As of a few minutes ago, too, we have hot water again. Now I can shower peacefully! Yay! Tomorrow, we're taking a tour of Scottish Parliament. Keep your fingers crossed that I do well on my map quiz tomorrow.
Now, I'll be taking a warm shower and studying some more. Hopefully (I'll do my best!) my next blog post won't be so long from now. We have about five days left in Edinburgh (and I'll be sad to leave). Our train leaves late Monday morning, July 26. After that, we're headed back to London for a day and then it's on to Paris! And then Germany! And then Spain! And then........ HOME! Two Wednesdays from now, I'll be back home, in the southern comfort of Tennessee, and I'm pretty sure I'll be ready for it. I miss everyone terribly, but I won't lie, I think I could get used to Scotland. Especially if everyone home just moved here :) More later! Love!
No comments:
Post a Comment