I know I should be finally updating you about my disasterous trip to Portugal but there are some more pressing matters at hand today. The weather.
For nine months, I have remained pretty accepting of Scottish weather. The freak January snow aside, I have survived and enjoyed living in this rather chilly country. My arrival in August meant a well needed escape from the heat and humidity of DC and I was never happier to embrace the 60's. Autumn is my favorite season so I enjoyed a prolonged one this year. And winter is winter. Frankly, it gets colder at home but for not as long. And the infamous Scottish "rain"? Hardly an issue. As stated in past blogs, it rains almost daily but rarely for the endless day(s) as seen in the movies. I have needed an umbrella twice...maybe...
It was two Fridays ago that I finally lost the plot (is that the phrase?). After a brief tease of nice weather (see Spring Break- Part 2) it has been cold. Scarves, winter jackets, gloves, hats cold. I picnicked a few weekends ago with Lou's family (sans Lou) at the lovely Glen Clova and all of us ended the day bundled up. So when I entered school on May 7th, I just lost it. I complained and whined and desperately begged anyone and everyone to give me hope that Spring would finally show its sunny face. This was May after all. Unfortunately, all my colleagues were feeling the same way.
And then last Saturday it happened. Hardly tropical weather but made it to the upper 50's and it was beautiful. Knowing that consistent weather is not a Scottish trait, I didn't have much hope that this break would last. And I was right! It got even better. The past three days have been in the mid-70's. Many of my colleagues have actually been caught complaining about doing work because it is so hot. But not me. I hated my kids so much on Tuesday but come Wednesday, very little dampened my spirits. I've been wearing skirts and flops at every opportunity. I'm outside as much as the midgies (little awful bugs that sent me inside today after only a 20 minute walk - did I say awful?) will allow because I know come Monday, I could be bundling up again.
As for now, I'm going to enjoy the Barbeque Weather (as people phrase this type of weather here) tomorrow by going to a Farm Fair (sort of like a Four H Fair) in Cupar with my friend Jenni. I might get burnt and eaten by midgies but I'll do it all with my toes hanging out and a spring in my step.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
The April Update 2 - Calm Before the Storm
Glad to think the worst of the worst was out of the way at the beginning of my spring break - and that is my two days of food poisoning - I was happily picked Cindy and Mike from the airport on Tuesday, April 6. Only a bit late, I was entertained at International Arrivals by a group of teenage footballers who came through customs a few at a time and were greeted by wild applause from waiting parents. When one of the kids showed up with a HUGE trophy it became evident that I was about to be disappointed by the appearance of Cindy and Mike. And sure enough, when Cindy and Mike finally made it to me, they were trophy-less thus confirming my suspicions. There had surely been a competition in customs and my friends lost to a large group of lanky Scots-boys. I could barely contain my disgust as I hugged them in greeting and escorted them out to the car.
My good friends had spent the better part of a day travelling from Baltimore so I thought the best thing to do once they arrived was immediately force them to sit for another 3 hours as we ventured up to Loch Ness. It may seem cruel but in reality, I have come to discover when people first arrive in Scotland from the States, they are more or less useless from the travel and time difference. Instead of wasting a day of rest, I thought we should cover some ground that first day to get us where we needed to be for the 7th. It turned out to be a good mood and Marvin got us to our B and B in record time (though he couldn't actually find our B and B - Cindy had to call and have them talk us in). Our family room was more like a huge suite where I had my own set of bunk beds and Cindy and Mike shared a huge king bed in a room with a full kitchen and hot tub out back. It was called the Great Glen B and B and all three of us would highly recommend it for those traveling up the Loch Ness way. Perfect location on a beautiful farm, reasonably priced, and a yummy breakfast. It was also only 5 minutes from the Loch Ness cruise we wanted to take in the morning.
When thinking of Loch Ness, the legend of a sea monster naturally comes to mind. Before actually seeing Loch Ness, I really couldn't understand how hard it could possibly be to NOT find a sea creature in a lake. And then I saw the lake. Over 20 miles long and as deep at 755 feet at its deepest (more than two Statue of Liberties with base put together). If you were to look at Loch Ness on a map, it almost separates the top third of Scotland off from the rest of the country. It holds the most volume of water out of all the Scottish lochs and, as if its sheer size isn't enough, it is BLACK. So though there are many dedicated scientists (and fanatics) who spend all their energies searching this massive black lake for a mystical sea creature, I have a much better understanding as to why very few people have claimed to glimpse it. Really an amazing body of water worth spending an afternoon exploring. And that's what we did. We took a rather chilly 30 minute boat ride down part of the lake before getting off to explore the Urquhart Castle ruins for an hour. A 30 minute boat ride back - this time opting for the lounge inside the boat - and we were on our way to the Isle of Skye.
Along the way, we came across Eilean Donan Castle. I loved this castle! I'm sure you've seen pictures of it (and I'll post some as well so you can have a look see - wait! - my camera was dead by then so Cindy and Mike will have to hook me up). This is probably the most photographed castle in Scotland and is used in many movies (so obviously I was intrigued). There's nothing like touring an old castle, reading about historical battles on one sign and finding pictures of Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert shooting Highlander on the opposite wall. My type of castle tour! Put this stop on your list.
We finally made it to Skye which now has a bridge connecting it to the main land. For years, you would have to have taken a ferry to Skye - maybe 300 meters. When the bridge was finally built, the toll was something ludicrous like 5 pounds one way. Needless to say, that fee was eventually eliminated and Skye remains one of the only Hebrides you can reach without needing a ferry. We drove about an hour north to the lovely Portree where we staying in a B & B I was hoping would be walking distance to town. Oh, well. Armed with Rick Steves, Mike found us a nice little restaurant right on the water in downtown Portree called Sea Breezes. At this point in the day, we realized how hungry we were! Known for its seafood, I bravely ordered the special of the day - langoustines. Oh my...they are basically mini-lobsters and absolutely delicious. Just writing about them now makes my mouth water and I think I am going to have to hunt down another restaurant where I can enjoy them for when my parents visit. Cindy enjoyed some mussels (so did I, she gave me one!) and Mike...well I can't remember what Mike had. Hm...
The biggest surprise in the evening came when we looked for a pub to whittle away the hours. Even Rick Steves warned us that there wasn't much of a night life in Portree but seeing how this is the major town on this touristy island, I think all three of us thought Rick didn't know what he was talking about. Oh, but he did! After wandering about, we found the one pub that looked open and, luckily, found it had a roaring fireplace, football match on TV, and a nice selection of whisky for me (as there was no other hard liquor to be had). Mike had the double excitement that night of driving in Scotland for the first as well driving my car for the first time. But he did great and we all crashed pretty hard in our family room knowing the next day would be long one.
Up and fed by 8:30ish, we hit the road and let Rick Steves do the steering. We visited most of the major sites on Skye that day starting with Kilt Rock. The Western Hebrides get significantly more rain than any other part of Scotland so we were very nervous our only real day on Skye would be miserable. Though some rain crept into our day, for the most part it only served to decorate the sky with beautiful rolling clouds. We were quite lucky. My car didn't appreciate all aspects of driving around the Isle but managed much better than I would have expected. We stopped by the Museum of Island Life where thatched cottages housed told the history of the island at the turn of the century. Perhaps the most exciting part of this excursion was that we heard islanders using Gaelic to chit chat in the gift shop while waiting for us to buy postcards. Still considered by many to be a dying language, there has been a recent effort in trying to preserve the language by enticing younger generations into using it more regularly. As of 2001, there were less than 60,000 Gaelic speakers left in the world.
Meandering about, we managed to plan everything perfectly so the real rainy bit of the day coincided with our trip to Tallisker distillery. I definitely whisky but mainly just the smoky and peaty ones. They are very warm and toasty in my belly. And Tallisker is a very smoky single malt. Yum Yum! Dinner was at a pub down the street from Tallisker before heading back the B & B. There was a brief consideration of heading out to that lone Portree pub again but we were knackered and decided to call it a night.
We spent much of the next day meandering back to Fife. Though I had hoped for more time to show off my neck of the woods, the trip back from Skye was longer than expected and we didn't get a good start after poking around the shops of Portree. Lunch was at pottery store half way home and by the time we reached Fife, I figured we could still venture to St. Andrews. Though all the shops would be closed, I figured we could still walk through the ruins of the cathedral, one of my favorite places to visit in the city. Alas, disappointment. Who knew they could lock up ruins! But it was a gorgeous evening and we were able to meander along the coast enjoying the warm breeze and sunset. The temperature differential between Skye and St. Andrews (really opposite sides of the country - look on a map) was significant. I think the three of us were sad to admit hunger was getting the better of us and head back to the car.
I took us to Anstruther where Jen and I had okay fish and chips at the award winning Fish and Chip Bar. The line was out the door and I really had my heart set on trying the Wee Chippy as recommended by Andrea and Brian as well as being the locals' favorite. Cindy put up a bit of resistance knowing this other place has won tons of awards but I was driving and won that dispute. The Wee Chippy is just a counter where you place your order, watch your food get dumped in a big box, and pay. Most of the customers were locals - you could tell by their level of informality with the staff and their annoyance with our cluelessness during ordering. But 3 fish dinners and an order of onion rings (I like to live on the edge!) later, we parked ourselves outside hoping the Wee Chippy was not a mistake. This is what fish and chips should taste like!! Everything was so good. Plus we didn't have to wait in a long line and were able to eat while watching the sun set over Anstruther harbor. When we finally got back to my place, Mike consulted with Rick Steves and it turns out Lisa Mueller is quite the good tour guide of Fife. Just saying...for those on the fence about having a good time over here that is...
Two days of sight-seeing in Edinburgh were highlighted with an ambitious ramble up Arthur's Seat on Saturday afternoon. Before I talk about that rather difficult hike, let me convey how beautiful the weather was. Mid-60's and bright sunshine. It was lovely at the time, and looking back, I am glad I took advantage of it while we had it. Because, since then, it has been freezing. Literally, Edinburgh got snow this morning (May 13th). I have been fine with the weather this whole year but last Friday I finally lost it and was in a temper about it at school. I WANT SPRING!!! SUN does not equal SPRING. I suppose, if forced to choose, I would prefer this cold raw weather to the 90 degree weather DC got a week or so ago but still. So this one weekend sightseeing with Mike and Cindy was the most perfect weather I've had all year.
We headed up Arthur's Seat in the late afternoon so we could watch the sunset. It's not an easy walk. I've done it before, in 1997 and though it sucked then. But surely, I am in better shape now, right? Apparently not. So after huffing and puffing, we did reach the top and had a beautiful view over the city. I could even point out my Lomond Hills (I live just off the base of the East Lomond). We took an "interesting" route back down that required a bit of rock climbing skills but felt quite proud of our efforts. In a fine moment of spontaneity, we ventured into a vegetarian restaurant recommended by, you guessed it, Rick Steves. I can't remember its name - I'll get back to you. It was delicious and hit the spot. We even enjoyed a little dessert in a post-hike celebration.
Sadly, Sunday came quickly and I was soon dropping Mike and Cindy off at the trust Travelodge next to the airport. They left too early the next morning and I had yet to prepare for my trip to Portugal. There are certain people you can vacation with well and Cindy and Mike are two of those people. I think after 10 years of raiding the lake house together we know what to expect from spending so much time in each other's company. I loved having them visit and was sad to see them go. Had I known how the rest of the month would turn out, I would have been even sadder and begged them to come with me. But, at this point, I was still optimistic and excited about my first jaunt to mainland Europe in this year abroad. Looking back, the best I can say about that trip to Portugal is that I am finally in a position to look back on it. bum bum bum
My good friends had spent the better part of a day travelling from Baltimore so I thought the best thing to do once they arrived was immediately force them to sit for another 3 hours as we ventured up to Loch Ness. It may seem cruel but in reality, I have come to discover when people first arrive in Scotland from the States, they are more or less useless from the travel and time difference. Instead of wasting a day of rest, I thought we should cover some ground that first day to get us where we needed to be for the 7th. It turned out to be a good mood and Marvin got us to our B and B in record time (though he couldn't actually find our B and B - Cindy had to call and have them talk us in). Our family room was more like a huge suite where I had my own set of bunk beds and Cindy and Mike shared a huge king bed in a room with a full kitchen and hot tub out back. It was called the Great Glen B and B and all three of us would highly recommend it for those traveling up the Loch Ness way. Perfect location on a beautiful farm, reasonably priced, and a yummy breakfast. It was also only 5 minutes from the Loch Ness cruise we wanted to take in the morning.
When thinking of Loch Ness, the legend of a sea monster naturally comes to mind. Before actually seeing Loch Ness, I really couldn't understand how hard it could possibly be to NOT find a sea creature in a lake. And then I saw the lake. Over 20 miles long and as deep at 755 feet at its deepest (more than two Statue of Liberties with base put together). If you were to look at Loch Ness on a map, it almost separates the top third of Scotland off from the rest of the country. It holds the most volume of water out of all the Scottish lochs and, as if its sheer size isn't enough, it is BLACK. So though there are many dedicated scientists (and fanatics) who spend all their energies searching this massive black lake for a mystical sea creature, I have a much better understanding as to why very few people have claimed to glimpse it. Really an amazing body of water worth spending an afternoon exploring. And that's what we did. We took a rather chilly 30 minute boat ride down part of the lake before getting off to explore the Urquhart Castle ruins for an hour. A 30 minute boat ride back - this time opting for the lounge inside the boat - and we were on our way to the Isle of Skye.
Along the way, we came across Eilean Donan Castle. I loved this castle! I'm sure you've seen pictures of it (and I'll post some as well so you can have a look see - wait! - my camera was dead by then so Cindy and Mike will have to hook me up). This is probably the most photographed castle in Scotland and is used in many movies (so obviously I was intrigued). There's nothing like touring an old castle, reading about historical battles on one sign and finding pictures of Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert shooting Highlander on the opposite wall. My type of castle tour! Put this stop on your list.
We finally made it to Skye which now has a bridge connecting it to the main land. For years, you would have to have taken a ferry to Skye - maybe 300 meters. When the bridge was finally built, the toll was something ludicrous like 5 pounds one way. Needless to say, that fee was eventually eliminated and Skye remains one of the only Hebrides you can reach without needing a ferry. We drove about an hour north to the lovely Portree where we staying in a B & B I was hoping would be walking distance to town. Oh, well. Armed with Rick Steves, Mike found us a nice little restaurant right on the water in downtown Portree called Sea Breezes. At this point in the day, we realized how hungry we were! Known for its seafood, I bravely ordered the special of the day - langoustines. Oh my...they are basically mini-lobsters and absolutely delicious. Just writing about them now makes my mouth water and I think I am going to have to hunt down another restaurant where I can enjoy them for when my parents visit. Cindy enjoyed some mussels (so did I, she gave me one!) and Mike...well I can't remember what Mike had. Hm...
The biggest surprise in the evening came when we looked for a pub to whittle away the hours. Even Rick Steves warned us that there wasn't much of a night life in Portree but seeing how this is the major town on this touristy island, I think all three of us thought Rick didn't know what he was talking about. Oh, but he did! After wandering about, we found the one pub that looked open and, luckily, found it had a roaring fireplace, football match on TV, and a nice selection of whisky for me (as there was no other hard liquor to be had). Mike had the double excitement that night of driving in Scotland for the first as well driving my car for the first time. But he did great and we all crashed pretty hard in our family room knowing the next day would be long one.
Up and fed by 8:30ish, we hit the road and let Rick Steves do the steering. We visited most of the major sites on Skye that day starting with Kilt Rock. The Western Hebrides get significantly more rain than any other part of Scotland so we were very nervous our only real day on Skye would be miserable. Though some rain crept into our day, for the most part it only served to decorate the sky with beautiful rolling clouds. We were quite lucky. My car didn't appreciate all aspects of driving around the Isle but managed much better than I would have expected. We stopped by the Museum of Island Life where thatched cottages housed told the history of the island at the turn of the century. Perhaps the most exciting part of this excursion was that we heard islanders using Gaelic to chit chat in the gift shop while waiting for us to buy postcards. Still considered by many to be a dying language, there has been a recent effort in trying to preserve the language by enticing younger generations into using it more regularly. As of 2001, there were less than 60,000 Gaelic speakers left in the world.
Meandering about, we managed to plan everything perfectly so the real rainy bit of the day coincided with our trip to Tallisker distillery. I definitely whisky but mainly just the smoky and peaty ones. They are very warm and toasty in my belly. And Tallisker is a very smoky single malt. Yum Yum! Dinner was at a pub down the street from Tallisker before heading back the B & B. There was a brief consideration of heading out to that lone Portree pub again but we were knackered and decided to call it a night.
We spent much of the next day meandering back to Fife. Though I had hoped for more time to show off my neck of the woods, the trip back from Skye was longer than expected and we didn't get a good start after poking around the shops of Portree. Lunch was at pottery store half way home and by the time we reached Fife, I figured we could still venture to St. Andrews. Though all the shops would be closed, I figured we could still walk through the ruins of the cathedral, one of my favorite places to visit in the city. Alas, disappointment. Who knew they could lock up ruins! But it was a gorgeous evening and we were able to meander along the coast enjoying the warm breeze and sunset. The temperature differential between Skye and St. Andrews (really opposite sides of the country - look on a map) was significant. I think the three of us were sad to admit hunger was getting the better of us and head back to the car.
I took us to Anstruther where Jen and I had okay fish and chips at the award winning Fish and Chip Bar. The line was out the door and I really had my heart set on trying the Wee Chippy as recommended by Andrea and Brian as well as being the locals' favorite. Cindy put up a bit of resistance knowing this other place has won tons of awards but I was driving and won that dispute. The Wee Chippy is just a counter where you place your order, watch your food get dumped in a big box, and pay. Most of the customers were locals - you could tell by their level of informality with the staff and their annoyance with our cluelessness during ordering. But 3 fish dinners and an order of onion rings (I like to live on the edge!) later, we parked ourselves outside hoping the Wee Chippy was not a mistake. This is what fish and chips should taste like!! Everything was so good. Plus we didn't have to wait in a long line and were able to eat while watching the sun set over Anstruther harbor. When we finally got back to my place, Mike consulted with Rick Steves and it turns out Lisa Mueller is quite the good tour guide of Fife. Just saying...for those on the fence about having a good time over here that is...
Two days of sight-seeing in Edinburgh were highlighted with an ambitious ramble up Arthur's Seat on Saturday afternoon. Before I talk about that rather difficult hike, let me convey how beautiful the weather was. Mid-60's and bright sunshine. It was lovely at the time, and looking back, I am glad I took advantage of it while we had it. Because, since then, it has been freezing. Literally, Edinburgh got snow this morning (May 13th). I have been fine with the weather this whole year but last Friday I finally lost it and was in a temper about it at school. I WANT SPRING!!! SUN does not equal SPRING. I suppose, if forced to choose, I would prefer this cold raw weather to the 90 degree weather DC got a week or so ago but still. So this one weekend sightseeing with Mike and Cindy was the most perfect weather I've had all year.
We headed up Arthur's Seat in the late afternoon so we could watch the sunset. It's not an easy walk. I've done it before, in 1997 and though it sucked then. But surely, I am in better shape now, right? Apparently not. So after huffing and puffing, we did reach the top and had a beautiful view over the city. I could even point out my Lomond Hills (I live just off the base of the East Lomond). We took an "interesting" route back down that required a bit of rock climbing skills but felt quite proud of our efforts. In a fine moment of spontaneity, we ventured into a vegetarian restaurant recommended by, you guessed it, Rick Steves. I can't remember its name - I'll get back to you. It was delicious and hit the spot. We even enjoyed a little dessert in a post-hike celebration.
Sadly, Sunday came quickly and I was soon dropping Mike and Cindy off at the trust Travelodge next to the airport. They left too early the next morning and I had yet to prepare for my trip to Portugal. There are certain people you can vacation with well and Cindy and Mike are two of those people. I think after 10 years of raiding the lake house together we know what to expect from spending so much time in each other's company. I loved having them visit and was sad to see them go. Had I known how the rest of the month would turn out, I would have been even sadder and begged them to come with me. But, at this point, I was still optimistic and excited about my first jaunt to mainland Europe in this year abroad. Looking back, the best I can say about that trip to Portugal is that I am finally in a position to look back on it. bum bum bum
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