Wednesday & Thursday, July 13th-14th - Good-bye Scotland, but Not Forever

I must mention the rain again. It did rain while we were in Scotland. In fact, it rained a lot. Miraculously though, it only rained while we were on the bus. Every time we arrived at a stopping point and got off, the rain had stopped. On the Old Man of Storr, it was absolutely beautiful, but then rained as we drove to our next destination. I would not bank on this happening if you are planning a trip to Scotland, the best I can figure is that the Scottish weather was smiling down on us because we had a Scot with us.

We ended our last tour day with a quick stop at a bakery so we could have lunch on the beach because the weather was so nice. Of course, by the time we got there the sky had clouded over, but the beach was still packed with pale Scottish children learning to kayak, playing cricket, or braving the cold water. The sand was coarse, like river sand where I’m from, and it was a really lovely lunch.

During the long drive back to our initial starting spot, Andy had the tour group decide on a clan name. We became the MacGaryLeftOurLuggageBehind Clan because, as we pulled away from our last hostel another guide chased the bus, banging on the side of it. Turns out our bus driver, Gary, had left the back open and luggage was spilling out. I was elected to draw a coat of arms for our clan in a large book that the Haggis Tour keeps for comments, and I drew a bus driving across a Scottish sword (with luggage falling out) with our clan name and the date of our tour encircling it. In the four spaces I drew a hairy coo, a white horse, a Scottish flag, and a stuffed sheep that rode at the front of the bus. Meanwhile, Andy counted up the points (he had been awarding points to the various countries aboard the bus if the members of that country did things like remember important dates or tried haggis, etc.) and the top 3 countries - Australia, US, and UK all had to elect one member to compete for the winning title. We elected Mc and Andy announced . . . a dance-off. The UK girl sat down almost immediately, but Mc and the Aussie gave it a real go. In the end, the Aussies won, but the real winners were M and V who have a video of Mc dancing in the aisle of the bus.

We arrived back in Edinburgh at about 5:30pm, and when we showed Andy the address of our hotel and asked how much he thought a taxi would cost to get there, he offered to just have the bus drop us off, which was amazingly kind. We dropped our things off at the Edinburgh House Hotel (I have no idea what that means) and headed back into the city center for dinner, just a 10 min walk according to the website (who remembers my SuperNova Travel Observation about times in the UK?). 30 min later we finally reached the main drag and found a lovely restaurant on High Street (a little less spendy than Princes Street) and had our last haggis and shepherd’s pie. Then M and V went exploring while Mc and I started the long walk back.

*SuperNova Travel Tip:  Book your accommodations close to where you want to explore. This is sometimes hard to figure out when you’re looking at a very large city and don’t know exactly what you want to see. But if you have limited time and want to see/do just a few things, then try to get a hotel close to that. It will likely be more expensive, but the extra expense is worth the extra hours spent sleeping or at the sight (instead of commuting to your hotel). We made this mistake twice on this trip; we could’ve gotten more sleep in London if our hotel had been closer to the Globe and we could have explored Edinburgh a little more if our hotel had been near downtown. Do not trust the website description. As I mentioned before, the website said that Edinburgh was a short 10 min walk from our hotel (the hotel, by the way, was perfectly nice with a fantastic English breakfast). Always map the hotel and the areas you want to sightsee; GoogleMaps even has a “walking” setting so you can see how long it’ll take to walk. I actually really like walking and don’t mind long walks, but when you have so little time to see something, I’d rather spend less time getting there and more time seeing.

The next morning, Mc and I made a quick trip to Princes Street to see if we could find something with the Mc tartan on it. We went to lots of shops and even found a swatch of the Mc tartan, but no one carried it in stock. It is possible that it’s very obscure, or it’s possible that you just have to go to the area of Scotland where the Mcs are from to find it more prevalent. Mc did stop to buy me a beautiful silver necklace of a Celtic knot, which I’d planned to cherish forever (more on that later), so we didn’t go back completely empty handed. We got back just in time to jump in the taxi and head to the airport for Germany.

This is our tour route, starting and ending in Edinburgh

Tuesday & Wednesday, July 12th-13th - Drop Your Drawers

The 2^nd day of our tour of Scotland involved a quick jaunt up to see The Old Man of Storr. Or so Andy would have us believe. Turns out that The Old Man of Storr is 719 meters (2,359 feet) high and involves little to no path, but only at the really steep part. Whilst wheezing at the base of the pathless bit and wondering if the view would really live up to the hype, Mc and I encountered an Australian gentleman who informed us that not only had he, in his younger days, hiked up to the Old Man, but he had then rock climbed the sheer face of it. Upon wondering aloud whether or not we should hike up, he smiled and said, “Of course you have to hike up there! You can do it, no problem.” Thus encouraged, we made it up to the top, where M and V had already set up a spot for lunch.

*SuperNova Travel Tip:  Take advantage of Scottish bakeries! They have so much more than pastries, they have meat pies and sausage rolls and filled rolls (crispy rolls stuffed with chicken salad, tuna, etc.), treats, drinks; Mc and I got lunch for the both of us on 2 different days for less than 6 pounds!

Coming down was much easier, but the real accomplishment was that I made it to the top and back, through loose rock and bog, without getting my white capri pants dirty.

We spent the 2^nd night in Loch Ness at a very nice hostel with our own bathroom. The hostel also had a bar, featuring the live music of Donald “The Human iPod.” We had a few drinks and settled in to listen, but Donald did not appear to understand how microphones work and despite the fact that we were 10 feet away from him, still had it turned up to top volume. As the room packed with people, we shouted niceties across the table at Kiwi who was also on our tour with his Norwegian girlfriend. We eventually packed it in, ears ringing, and I tried to remember the last time I’d attempted conversation in a loud, crowded bar, screaming over the music in the background, and was not disappointed that I couldn’t remember.

Looking for the Loch Ness monster

Our Nessie spotting!

The morning of the 3^rd day, we went to see the Highland Show. We all crowded into a little traditional Highland hut and a man came out in traditional Highlander gear and told us about the traditional Highlander weapons and way of life. He asked for a volunteer to be dressed in a traditional kilt and Mc, being Scottish, volunteered. (He was the only volunteer, our tour group was kind of timid.) The man explained that, of course, nothing was worn under kilts, turned to Mc, and waited. Mc, being the rock star that he is, kicked off his shoes and unbuckled his shorts and stood there in his boxer-briefs waiting for the next direction, while cameras flashed throughout the crowd (that’s right, ladies). Then the man started the complicated method of turning 7 yards of wool into an intricate and impressive kilt. When he asked for a female volunteer, I clearly had to step up. I got to wear a giant white nighty. He waited for me to remove my clothes, but I am a teacher and easily out-stared him. The whole experience was unique and I recommend volunteering, but make sure you have on your best underpants. 

Sunday, July 10th - London Sightseeing

We had exactly 1 day to explore London before having to catch the overnight bus to Edinburgh at 11pm at Victoria Station. So, bleary eyed we packed up and headed to the station to stash our luggage. Victoria Station has a service where you can leave your luggage with a guy at a counter and they store it for you for 8.50 pounds per bag for the first 24 hours. The line for this was long. We took shifts - 2 of us would wait in line while the other 2 ran to find a sandwich for lunch - and had just enough time to get to Hyde Park to make the walking tour at 1pm. Sandeman’s New Europe does awesome free walking tours of a number of famous cities in Europe that last from 2-3 hours (www.neweuropetours.eu). I’ve done 3 and the guides have all been knowledgeable and helpful and work solely for tips. It’s a great way to see major sites and get some history in as well. We saw Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and a ton of other sites around the city. 

After the tour, we decided to try to see the Tower of London (or possibly the London Tower, a man we asked for directions was very annoyed that I said it the wrong way) and got to see some of the more graffitied areas of the city by cleverly getting lost for a bit.

*SuperNova Travel Tip: Being lost is part of traveling. I have a horrendous sense of direction and have spent large parts of my life lost, so I forget sometimes that being lost is a new and scary feeling for some people. Just remember to stay calm, take a deep breath, and look to see which side of the buildings the moss is growing on. Oh wait, no. I mean, remember that you’re in a city, not a desert. There’s food and water everywhere. If you have time, explore a little, you might find something awesome on your way to finding your way. If you’re pressed for time, then ask someone. If you refuse to ask someone, then you should have brought a map.

We eventually made it back over to the Thames, but by then had been walking for hours and decided we’d just take a picture of the London Tower from where we were. We were all getting hungry and assumed that there must be an English pub nearby where we could get a pint and some fish ‘n chips on our last day in London in this very popular and touristy area of the city. Now, for those of you who are loyal SuperNova followers, you know that whenever I make the mistake of "assuming" something I get universally spanked. This time, though, we actually weren’t wrong; there were several pubs along the many small streets we traversed. They were not, however, serving food on Sunday after 4pm. I don’t know how you’re supposed to know that or why that is the policy and we were too hungry to care about discovering the cultural intricacies of London pubs.

We stumbled down a cute cobblestone road thinking that there had to be a restaurant along it. And there were many store fronts that looked like they should be serving food, but they all appeared to be closed. We finally came to the end without having found even a fast food restaurant to lower our standards to. Tensions were getting high as the hunger delirium mounted.  We turned left and leaned on the railing above the river. We wearily turned our heads to the left and noticed that the way was lined with restaurants. We’d been walking along the back of the strip of restaurants. We quickly made our selection, got a table on the deck overlooking the river, and I had the most delicious shepherd’s pie while M, V, and Mc had the Sunday roast special with pints and ciders all around. Cheers!

Saturday, July 9th - Canterbury Cathedral

Saturday we were up early to go to the 8am service. Mc thought it would be interesting to actually go to an Anglican service in the cathedral and so did I. 

*SuperNova Travel Tip: If you go to a service in Canterbury Cathedral, then admission is free.

Of course, by the time we figured out where in this massive cathedral the service was being held, the only seats available were in the front row, directly in front of the priest. That's right, none of that sitting in the very back and doing whatever the people in front of us were doing for us!  I was a little bit worried that the priest would instantly realize that we had only a basic grasp on what we were doing and would be cold and put out. However, he couldn’t have been more kind and welcoming. As a teacher, I was wondering if it was similar to how I tend to view reading - what gets them into reading isn’t as important as the fact that they’re doing it. An excellent experience that I recommend.

After the service, we had a beautiful breakfast in our lodge and then wandered around town before the noon tour of the cathedral. Canterbury Cathedral has been around since the eleventh century. It is absolutely enormous and every corner is filled with history. I highly recommend a tour (just 5 pounds). It would be beautiful just to wander around, but knowing about the stories and architecture and being able to ask questions gives the experience so much depth. Plus, then you don’t have to research the history in advance, which feels a lot like homework. We were particularly struck by the martyrdom where Saint Thomas Beckett was murdered (knights murdered him inside the church, then took off the top of his head and stirred his brains around so he wouldn’t be able to tell God what they’d done, which I thought showed incredible forethought) and I very much enjoyed seeing the relics of the Black Prince. Halfway through our tour, the organ started to play, booming through the main area and leading me to wonder if the Phantom summered in Canterbury. Turns out the organist was just practicing (hey, when else are you going to practice?), but it did lend quite a bit of drama to our tour.

Our tour ran a little bit long because there was a wedding going on (can you imagine getting married in Canterbury Cathedral?!? Well, you have to do it in the crypt) and our guide showed us a few extra things to kill time before finally being able to show us the crypt. We had to hurry to catch our 2:02pm train back to London to meet M and V, but we could not leave without first taking our picture inside Starbucks. And this was important to us because there was a Starbucks built against the ancient wall comprising the gate into the cathedral grounds.  A Starbucks had a wall that was well over 600 years old. This is the sort of thing we find infinitely funny, and if you don’t understand why, then explaining it further would be wasted on you. Meanwhile, we have the coolest picture of us at a Starbucks in Canterbury.

Friday, July 8th - Canterbury

Mc has always dreamed of going to see the Canterbury Cathedral and so that was our number one destination while in the UK. We found that the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge was actually one of the best deals (you can get an “economy” room, meaning no/limited Cathedral view, for 60 pounds. It was located on the cathedral grounds and included admission to the cathedral and a lovely breakfast) and booked in advance.

*SuperNova Travel Tip:  When traveling to the UK, book as much in advance as you can. The UK, London in particular, is really expensive and you can often find good deals online at home before you go. Also, if you book and pay for things in advance then it won’t be such a shock or drain on your budget once you get there.

We managed to do the 2 ½ hour trip from the airport to the Canterbury train station without missing any stops, despite our fits of narcolepsy during the ride. The website told us that it was a mere 10 min. walk from the train station to the cathedral grounds and we set off (is it "luggage" because you lug it around?).

*SuperNova Travel Observation:  People in the UK have a different interpretation of how time works. We did a lot of research for this trip and while that was helpful, the number of minutes listed on websites that it took to walk from one spot to another was always off by anywhere from 10-20 min. Listed times became known to us as listed in “Imperial minutes.”

When we finally reached our lodge (and climbed 3 flights of stairs) and flopped on our beds (2 twins we just pushed together) with deliriously blurry visions of sleep in our heads, we looked at the time and realized it was 5pm and that we should just pony up and go explore the city a little and then go to bed at a normal bedtime.  So with more effort than should have been necessary, we headed out.

Canterbury is a lovely city, well worth the trek outside of London. It’s a walled city with cobblestone streets and a neat compilation of new and old shops. We wandered the streets for a while, holding hands and letting the fact that we were in another country sink in. Well, Mc was letting the fact that we were in another country sink in. I was letting the fact that we were in another country where they speak English set in. I was really looking forward to going to a restaurant and ordering without relying on my fluency in Gestures.  After wandering for awhile, we decided to have our first dinner at a restaurant called The Old Buttermarket in the square across from the cathedral.

*SuperNova Travel Tip: If unsure about which restaurant to pick in a new area, pick the one that has a lot of people.  If it's a normal eating hour and a restaurant is empty, keep looking.  Good smells are also excellent indicators.

Once seated, Mc ordered an English pear cider and I had my first imperial pint, which is 20 oz. instead 

of the usual 16. (In other not unrelated news, I do not have an imperial bladder.) Then we topped off our first night in England by ordering pizza. No, of course we had fish ‘n chips and bangers ‘n mash (actually, it was award winning Cumberland sausages and mash with onion rings and gravy, but that doesn’t sound as colloquial). I was surprised to discover that most fish ‘n chips we came across didn’t come with fish pieces like at home, but with one huge hunk of fish on top of a pile of chips. The fish ‘n chips also came with some mushy peas which were no better than they sound. But kudos to us for trying the local cuisine! After dinner we were finally, blissfully able to crash.