Days 3 & 4, October 2, 3

While England was basking in sunshine and record temperatures, we were getting drenched.  To the bone. Good thing we had planned on taking a bus tour to get as close as possible to the Highlands without being on the road all day.  We joined about a dozen other tourists for a trip to a couple of lochs and another castle.

Thank goodness for sturdy umbrellas and waterproof shoes.

Our congenial kilt-clad driver and guide drove us west from Edinburgh to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.  Unfortunately the rain, although lighter, was still coming down and the view of Loch Lomond was limited at best.  Still, if brooding atmosphere was our goal, we had it in spades.

The driver entertained us with stories and ballads of Scotland.  He played Runrig's version of "Loch Lomond" and said that this music was often played at weddings when guests would circle around the bride and groom. I'm a bit surprised since the lyrics talk about the separation of true lovers.  Runrig's version of the song and images of Loch Lomond under more favorable conditions is at the youtube site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbb9aRSQpsY.

Our next stop was a bit more visible.  

Posing with the Highland Cows ("Heeland Coos")

Hamish

Highland Cows, the oldest pedigree breed in the world, are bred to withstand the harsh living conditions of the Highlands.  They have no layer of fat but have an extra coat which they shed in the spring that keeps them warm and dry.

Fortunately by the time we reached our next destination, Loch Katrine, the rain had stopped and we were able to take a boat ride without fear of getting wet.

Our boat--the Sir Walter Scott

Despite the overcast day, the reflections on the loch were crystal clear.  This quiet boat ride over the glassy lake reminded us of our trip on the Koenigsee in southeastern Bavaria (near Berchtesgarten) only this time there was no picturesque Kapelle at the end.

One landmark that we saw at various times on the trip was a castle turned guesthouse.

These turrets reminded us of castles we had seen in France.  Several times on this visit we have been told of Scotland's affinity for France--perhaps because France was so often an enemy of England and Scotland sought alliances against England.

By late afternoon with the sun breaking through the clouds we reached Stirling Castle.  It was in this area   that the Battle of Bannockburn was fought when Robert the Bruce defeated the English army of King Edward II.  Stirling Castle sits high above the town on a volcanic crag, very similar to the Edinburgh Castle.  Since we had spent so much time at the Edinburgh site and since we had very limited time to see Stirling, we decided to simply take in the views and walk around the town instead.

View towards Stirling Castle from the town

One sight that was unique to Stirling was the monument to Robert the Bruce. 

Heading back to Edinburgh our driver took us by the Firth of Forth and the bridges that span it.  I had always heard of the bridge (I didn't know there were two and in the future there will be a third) and had wanted to see it.  Maybe it's the alliterative name that makes it sound appealing.  The actual bridges were even more than appealing.

The Firth of Forth Rail Bridge (trains only).  It's been a never-ending job to keep the bridge painted but perhaps with the new paint that has been used, it won't be necessary to paint the bridge for anther 20-25 years.

The Firth of Forth Road Bridge

Lochs, cows, castles, bridges: it had been a full day and we still hadn't seen all of the Royal Mile attractions.  Perhaps another trip another day.


October 3--time to head home.  Our final day in Edinburgh was sunny and bright.  We had a little time in the city before we headed to the train.  One last fitting image and sound (which you will have to imagine!)

The Solitary Bagpiper

Scotland--Day 2, October 1

Fortified by a not quite-full Scottish breakfast (no beans, tomatoes, or mushrooms), we headed to the Royal Mile, Edinburgh's walk through history.  It is also full of shops selling whiskey, shortbread, kilts, and cashmere sweaters, which we did visit.   We started at the top of the mile, the Edinburgh Castle which sits high above the city on an extinct volcanic rock.  From the moment we stepped inside the gate we were exposed to Scotland's long history, a story of people trying to control their own destiny.  In the long run, the Scots have had more success maintaining their culture, if not their government.

Guarding the entrance to the castle are statues of two figures dominant in Scotland's determination for self rule.

Edinburgh Castle

Robert the Bruce

William Wallace

In the late 1200s William Wallace ("Braveheart") fought King Edward I of England who had assumed power  in Scotland. Wallace was eventually killed for his efforts but in time his actions inspired Robert the Bruce to continue the fight against England.  England was finally expelled from Scotland in 1314 and Robert the Bruce's descendants ruled Scotland for the next 400 years.  England obtained control of Scotland  not in battle but when King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England due to the fact that Elizabeth I had left no direct heirs and James, son of Mary Queen of Scots whom Elizabeth had put to death, was the next eligible heir.  

We went on a walking tour that highlighted various parts of the castle.  As we walked up to the Crown Square, the most important part of the castle, the views of the city below were impressive even on a cloudy day.

Looking at Princes St. (with all the red and white construction barricades). The cannon is the "One o'clock" gun.  It is fired at precisely 1:00 to set the time daily.

Waverly Station (the train station) to the right.

On the Crown Square are a number of noteworthy buildings: the Crown jewels (No pictures allowed. One not so glamorous looking but very important item is the Stone of Destiny.  This gray rock is literally the seat of power--Scottish kings of old were crowned sitting on it.  It was taken by the British in 1296 and put underneath the the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey until Queen Elizabeth returned it to Scotland in 1996. It will be used in Westminster for future coronations but then returned to Scotland again.), the Royal Palace where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI (James I of England), the Scottish National War Memorial, St. Margaret's Chapel (the oldest building in Edinburgh, Romanesque style), and the Great Hall.

 

Interior, St. Margaret's Chapel

War Memorial

Great Hall

After hours of wandering over the Castle on increasingly tired legs, we decided it was finally time to leave and explore other areas of the Royal Mile.  We didn't have a plan other than to find the Writer's Museum which we eventually did.  This small museum, down a small street just off the Royal Mile, celebrates the Scottish authors Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and Robert Lewis Stevenson.  Another museum we happened upon was the National Museum of Scotland.  It's a very modern looking building containing exhibits of all kinds.  We were there for less than an hour but could have spent the whole day there as well.

A sign seen upon entering the Kingdom of Scots exhibit.  Things haven't turned out as out quite this way.

The Millennium Clock.  Weird--lots of skulls and grotesque figures.  It is supposed to represent the suffering of mankind during the 20th century.

A cast of the grave of Mary Queen of Scots.  Her image and story are everywhere.

As we were walking through the Great Hall, a huge Victorian space with large exhibits of machinery engineered by clever Scots and a Victorian garden gazebo, we saw a bride and groom having their picture taken in the gazebo.  I will say that Scottish grooms are every bit as interesting to look at as the brides.  Men are dressed in their colorful kilts and sport a purple thistle boutonniere--makes a black tuxedo seem downright boring.

We weren't making much progress towards Holyrood Palace at the end of the Royal Mile--too many places to look at.  We stopped in at the St. Giles Cathedral if only to rest our feet for a bit.

Luckily for us, there was a music recital going  on. This was a mixed choir singing not particularly religious songs but very joyful ones.  I don't remember anything more about the Cathedral other than it was a blessed rest.

The cloudy day was turning misty and rainy so we headed south for a pub dinner and and end to this day's exploration of the Royal Mile. 

Scotland-Day 1, September 30

We headed off for Scotland on a warm and sunny Friday.  We had planned to leave on Oct 1 but were advised that the train system is diverted to buses in many places on the weekends for repair work (the National Rail's version of orange barrels) so we opted for weekday travel instead.  The trip is about 5 1/4 hours long to Edinburgh so there was lots of time for reading and checking out the scenery.  We first headed northwest to Peterborough and then caught the connection for Edinburgh leaving the flat fields of Cambridgeshire behind for more rolling hills, sheep, and a view of the North Sea.  We had a few quick stops at some major cities where the landmarks were hard to miss.

Durham's impressive cathedral

Bridge over River Tyne in Newcastle

Sage Gateshead, Music Venue, Newcastle

And in the distance, a view of the North Sea

Walking out of the train station in Edinburgh and heading to the Tourist Information Center for maps of the city and local buses, we were greeted by a huge Gothic monument--our first acquaintance with one of Scotland's favorite sons--Sir Walter Scott, author of Ivanhoe and books about local characters like Rob Roy. 

    

The Memorial is in a lovely park right in the heart of the city between the Old Town (medieval) and New Town.  It's possible to climb to the top for great views of the city but considering we had backpacks and a suitcase, we didn't.

As it was, the views we had from the area around the Information Center were impressive in themselves.

  

Bank of Scotland

Balmoral Hotel

The size of the buildings indicates wealth; the discoloration...coal?  Edinburgh has a gritty appearance.  I was reminded of Pittsburgh and how sooty the buildings were there in the height of its industrial past.  

After gathering our maps and getting directions for the bus, we headed off to our B&B, Dorstan's just off the Dalkeith Road and not far from downtown.  Rick Steves' recommendations have been valuable.  The room was tiny but clean and the proprietors outgoing.  After dinner at a local pub where we met a couple traveling from Toronto, we organized ourselves for the next day's assault on Edinburgh's favorite tourist spot, the Royal Mile.

Heat Wave!!

Britain has been basking in sunshine and temperatures close to 80 degrees F.  Yesterday, today, tomorrow and possibly into Saturday.  Jackets, umbrellas, scarves: OUT!  Spaghetti straps, sandals: IN! (Unfortunately I have neither of the latter but it's okay since there is little humidity and our apartment does not directly face the sun).  Students are returning for the start of the fall term so there are even more young people around.

People are queuing up for a try at punting.

So many punts on the Cam a collision is sure to occur.

The weather is so warm the porters have shed their jackets--but not their bowlers!

"No lad, this is Trinity College, not Trinity Hall."

We assume these young lovelies are definitely members of Trinity College 

and not disobeying the rules.

Too bad we will probably not experience all this very unusually dry, warm weather.  We're headed north for the weekend so we will pack our raincoats.  Three days of no rain in Scotland is too much to hope for.

King's Lynn and Hunstanton

In pursuit of seeing another part of England, we set off on Saturday Sept. 24 to see the coastal area called "The Wash."  This is area is due north of Cambridge and accessible via train to King's Ferry and then a bus to Hunstanton.  On a map of the UK The Wash looks like a little bay along the eastern coast which then flows into the North Sea.  We wandered around King's Lynn after about an hour's train ride from Cambridge.  The town is at the mouth of the Ouse River and once upon a time had been more prosperous than it is today due to its membership in the Hanseatic League.

Explorer George Vancouver in front of the Custom House (today's Tourist Information Center)

The Coasthopper (a bus, not an insect) took us from King's Lynn to Hunstanton, about 30 minutes away.  This is the westernmost resort town in Norfolk.  It did not disappoint.  It is billed as a Victorian resort and looked every bit the part from its neat homes to its lovely gardens.

One of the main attractions is the walk along the beach with the the water on one side and the striped cliffs on the other.

The red layer--called red chalk--is limestone and has many fossils as does the white layer of limestone above it.  We didn't see fossils but we did notice how lumpy the red rocks were--like bits of dough smooshed together.

Looking out to the sea, we saw birds that looked and acted like small pelicans diving straight down for a meal. Further in the distance we could faintly make out a cluster of wind turbines near Skegness on the western side of The Wash.

(The faint white images towards center left are the turbines.)

The cliffs dwindled away and we climbed up to the North Promenade for a different view of the sea and several other landmarks: the Lighthouse and the St. Edmund Chapel ruins.

We read a lot about St. Edmund in this area.  King Edmund of East Anglia was killed by the invading Danes in the 800s and was revered as the first patron saint of England.  

Trinity Hall

Grocery shopping is a daily activity since even though the number of items I need to purchase is small, their weight in my backpack is not insignificant.  The time required for  shopping is minimal so I usually meander through the town first before going to Sainsburys.  Last Friday the door to Trinity Hall (not to be confused with Trinity College, the biggest college and the one founded by Henry VIII) was open so I walked in.  A porter--or gatekeeper--is always nearby and I waited to ask--politely!--to visit but since he ignored me, I made my way to the door.  He certainly did not ignore me then but barked something that caught my attention.  I told him what I wanted to do and he cautioned me to stay on the footpaths.

Trinity Hall is one of the oldest and smallest colleges here in Cambridge.  It was founded in 1350 to train clergy after so many had died in the Black Plague. Like many of the colleges, the plain outside walls give no hint about the beauty of the courtyards inside.  One of the gardeners had been cutting the (perfect, green) lawn and I asked him about the flower beds.

The colors were extremely bright and this bed in particular caught my eye since it looked like sneezeweed had been planted there.  Other common flowers are sedum and verbena bonariensis--only it seems better behaved here and does not spread all over.

The gardner (much friendlier than the porter) said the flower beds can continue to look lovely until about mid-November.