3/11

I’m finding it harder and harder to get the time to write in this thing. I apologize for my lack of action on the blogging field. Scotland was an incredible adventure. Freezing cold, but incredible nonetheless. I didn’t get to see much of Glasgow on account that we flew into Glasgow-Prestwick and immediately hopped on the train to the city centre and only hung out around there while waiting for our oncoming train to Edinburgh. I’ve since discovered that while it is spelled Edinburgh, it is pronounced “ed-in-burr-ah.” Don’t ask me why. I still haven’t figured that one out. Nevertheless, it was one of the nicest cities I’ve ever been in, if not THE nicest I’ve ever been in. Only thing holding me back from saying that was the ridiculous temperature/incedible winds. I told Fei Fei that it felt like we were in the damn arctic. The architecture was amazingly old, huge, and gothic to the extreme. All of the old stone has since been turned black from years of burning coal (they stopped and the air quality is incredible.) Tons of old, towering cathedrals and royal castles everywhere. Tons of history of the Scots fighting for their castle with the English, power being shifted back and forth over the generations and even a story of when the English had control over Edinburgh Castle - the Scottish scaled a gigantic, western wall secretly in the middle of the night to fight for their castle back. I learned at least 10 different ghost stories and walked the very same streets they used to hang grave robbers. Did you know that the reason we’re so advanced in anatomy now is because of two particular Scottish grave robbers who would sell the bodies to the medical students?

We happened to be in town on the same exact day that Scotland was playing England in the Six Nations Rugby match. A brief lesson here. Rugby is HUGE over here. Bigger than American football, if you can believe it. The Six Nations is a tournament held once a year between Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, France, and Italy. Scotland happens to be in last place at the moment while England is tied for second place with Ireland and France - Wales is undefeated. Well, as luck would have it - Scotland won that game and the whole city was in the best mood that night. Made for a great time walking around the streets/pubs/clubs of downtown Edinburgh. I’ve never seen so many kilts in my life or a group of people so happy all at the same time. It was incredible.

We also took a 12 hour bus tour (we stopped a lot for pictures) and had the opportunity to visit Loch Ness and sail across it. That was probably a bit overrated, but it still made for a good story to say that I once sailed Loch Ness. For the record, I didn’t see any monsters. My theory on that is, even if there was a monster there at one time (there’s no reason there couldn’t have been), it’s probably dead by now. It’s been hundreds of years and the thing probably croaked a long time ago and has since decayed and given food to millions of fish. That’s my take on it at least.

I’ve got two more days back here in Cork until we head to Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day weekend. It should be a blast. The plan as of right now is that when we get back from Dublin, we’re to pack our backpacks (i’ve still got to go buy one) and head off on our month long trip to continental Europe. We’ve for sure got a free place to stay in all Rome, Paris, London, Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Freiburg (Germany.) If I have the opportunity, I’d kill to see Athens, Lisbon, and Prague while I’m there. If I can’t - I guess that’s just one more reason to come back next time.