back in the game

I realize I am not in Scotland anymore but the title still fits because it is literally all I can think about. I miss it so much and it literally hurts to be back at Georgetown. Of course, I am glad to see my friends, but I even miss the smelly fish shop I had to walk by to get to class in Edinburgh. Classes here are so-so as much of the time many of the students still like to pretend they are in High School. There is something truly wonderful about sitting in a classroom of people who have an avid interest in learning which is what I had in my 3rd/4th year class at Edinburgh. The professors at Georgetown are great, yet the students don't realize this and take advantage of them. I wish I could combine the two. Also, I have picked up a history major as of yesterday. So I mean...I guess that's cool. The stress weighs me down and honestly I don't see the importance of half of the stuff that seems so important to my peers. College isn't about when you want to party or who is dating who. It is about the learning process and getting an education. I feel like I have grown a lot being on my own for six months and don't want to revert back to the way I was.

The End

You may have noticed that my posts have been delayed...I don't always have reliable internet, then I forget as well. Anyway, enjoy!

So this is probably going to be the longest blog post ever. If you (the three of you that might look at this from time to time) have been keeping updated you know I have been traveling...by myself...through Europe. It was probably the scariest, but most enlightening experience I have ever had. Lot’s of crazy things have happened to me, but let’s be serious, I am my parent’s daughter and therefore attract the crazies. The first place I went was Brugge, as you know. It was a good place to start because it was small and very touristy. This meant that I didn’t get overwhelmed as much and my depressed state upon leaving Edinburgh, Scotland, and the UK in general wasn’t heightened. The hotel also had the BBC and Sky TV so I was able to keep up with British television (Ironically, I didn’t watch television while I was in Britain because I didn’t have it-oh well.) 

From Brugge I went to Lille and met up with my French teacher. I got lost trying to find my hotel because the roads weren’t marked well and my map didn’t list the roads that were marked. This led to a panicked call to my parents asking them to find me on google maps and direct me. Thank god for cell phones. I was still reeling from the fact I left Scotland while remembering my first experience in Paris which led to me not enjoying myself as much as I could have, but I still had fun and was able to get by with my french. I hadn’t heard in such a long time that it sort of washed over me, but I could read the signs and speak some, luckily no one wanted to talk about existentialism or something of that nature. My first day was literally spent in the art museum-I got there around 10:30/11 and stayed there until 4:30/5. It was lovely and not too crowded. The second day I met up with my teacher and she showed me around. She introduced me to Carrefour, the french grocery store. I have never seen anything like it, ever. The yogurt aisle is overwhelming and they actually have a butcher’s inside-like a real one. She said that they didn’t sell packaged meat until a few years ago; love from America. We then went to restaurant and tried a sort of french pizza called flam. It was delicious (no surprise) and I want to try to make it when I get home. One unfortunate thing though about France and Europe in general...no air conditioning. I had completely forgotten, and Lille was hot, especially after Scotland. Dr. Cassidy also asked how I was dealing with the no ice in your beverage issue. She said that after 15 or so years she has realized that she can’t do without it. 

From Lille I went to Antwerp, which proved to be somewhat of a fiasco. I was supposed to have a direct train, but in the end I had to travel on three different trains. When I was checking into my hotel, they said that I had made two reservations (which was not true) and I was freaking out that I was going to have to pay a heck ton of money. Let’s just say that when I got to my room I was a little bit crazed and collapsed. Antwerp was nice though, especially the old town. It wasn’t too busy and there were enough actual businesses that it didn’t feel like I was in tourist land. My favorite part, besides my waffle of course, was probably just walking around. The zoo was nice too though except for the whiny, smelly, loud, obnoxious, children. I also tried the most popular fast food restaurant in Europe called Quick. My french teacher had told me to so I felt like it was a must- and why not live up to the American stereotype I asked myself? Oh, and it is true what they say about Antwerp, there were literally diamond shops everywhere. Sadly,I did not invest in any while I was there (although, if you [whoever you are] are concerned with what I like, I am particularly fond of opals, emeralds, and rubies). Oh! I almost forgot smelly man! I have come to the conclusion that I must just have a friendly face and southern charm (bahahaha) because museum docents always like to talk to me. Well, at the Rubens museum I was walking through and looking at things when this 40/50ish year old man starting telling me about every room and showing me around. This wouldn’t have been that bad, but I couldn’t breath around him. However, I didn’t want to be rude and just ended up trying to breath through my mouth.

Now Amsterdam...and it was even more fun getting there. My train left in the morning and I was supposed to get to Amsterdam around 9:45 - I did not. I eventually just quit looking at the time because I got frustrated. The train ended up in a standstill for a half an hour and then the police had to investigate something at the airport stop. I thought I was going to die. I eventually made it and finally saw a familiar face. Leesha, and two of her friends from home were in Amsterdam as well. Her friends were lovely and I think we all got along well. Her friend Sammie had been studying in Strasbourg and Alex had flown over to travel around with them. Our first day we went to find our hostel and ended up finding two wonderful Scottish men as well. Leesha and I just ended up wanting to listen to them all day. The hostel was really cute and quirky with big paper maché animals. We got settled then went into Amsterdam. We got important things done such as eating Pancakes and seeing the Anne Frank house. The second day was spent at the zoo, the museum square, and dun dun dun...the red light district. Leesha and I were very frightened, but Sammie and Alex wanted to see it. Leesha and I put our hoods up and stared at the ground the entire way through. It was not an experience I wish to repeat...and I smelled more pot than I ever have in my entire life. Needless to say, I got a massive headache and thought I was going to die. Our last day there we went to the Lake near our hostel then I headed out to Delft.

The train to Delft was the first direct train that worked out for me. However, I got there, couldn’t find the street I was meant to get to and ended up getting a taxi to my B&B. The B&B was neat as it was situated on a horse farm. The owners Patty and Maarten were very accommodating and friendly. The first day I was there I didn’t do much as I slept for fourteen hours. The second day I rode my bike in Delft itself and saw the churches, vermeer museum, and such. I hate to say this, but everything had started to look the same to me. The buildings followed the same sort of plan and lined up along the canals. I enjoyed it but, Scotland was different. Everything there was exciting for me and each time I stepped out it was new, but comfortable. I did enjoy Delft and being outside of a big city was peaceful although I did come across another crazy docent. He was an old indian man who ended up giving me his phone number, address, and email. I am supposed to email him about america-no worries, I did not give him similar info. 

My train to Brussels from Delft was good as well, but I missed the connecting train because I couldn’t find it in the five minutes I had to get there. I spent an hour in the Rotterdam train station which was a sort of a weird deja vu moment. My dad and I had waited there for our ride to the Rotterdam port. I almost wanted to run to the P and O port and find my way back to Scotland, but I knew I would eventually see Leesha in Brussels so I refrained. I got to Brussels, was paranoid about the fact that they kept talking about pick-pockets, but made it safely to the hostel and Leesha. We decided to try to find our way to the Grand place and made it about two feet before we got confused and sought help from the first friendly face we saw. The kind woman ended up just taking us and giving us step by step directions (in french) on how to get there by metro. We looked around and then decided it was time to start our gastronomic tour of brussels. We found a waffle place that was established over 100 years ago and had our first waffle from Brussels. We decided that the guy there could be my best friend because he had sweet dreads and called me “My Queen”, Leesha was “Little Princess”. They had a special at the belgian beer shop where you bought 5 and got the 6^th one free. We took advantage of that and stocked up on fruit beers. I felt bad a** carrying it around, but they only have like 3.2% alcohol content. We ate at Paul for dinner, a french cafe chain and then headed back to our hostel. The next day we explored some more, got a little lost, and ate the best mussels I have ever had in my life. It was then time to go back and pack our suitcases as the next day (today) we had to catch an early flight out. 

I will probably write more later, but right now, I am done and becoming anxious as I sit in the Brussels airport waiting on my flight to Paris.

I made it. I am guessing that whoever is reading this is wondering where I have made it to? Well, I am currently in Lille and it was a journey to get here...but I should probably describe what I have been doing before I got to Lille. I spent some time in Brugge after leaving Hull on a P & O ferry. Brugge is lovely, but so different from Scotland. The land is much flatter and the buildings look different as well. They use a lot of brick instead of stone and most buildings have a red colored roof. It’s lovely, but so different. After spending so much time in Edinburgh buildings and such in the UK started to look familiar...not so here. It is weird to travel by myself. I am having a good time, but I realize that I generally end my day around 4 or 5 because I get up and go early. I do things at my own pace now which is nice but sometimes I see something and wish I had someone to share it with. Oh well, eventually I will be in Amsterdam and will be traveling with Leesha. 

I suppose that that is enough of listening to me speak about how I am feeling etc. The real reason you are reading this blog is to see what I am up to. Well to begin, (and to repeat myself) Brugge is lovely. Everything is so picturesque and lovely, but rather small. I saw about everything I wanted to see in about two days. Admittedly, I didn’t do any of those boat tours or such, I am trying to save money after all. My favorite part of Brugge was the Basilica. I love churches/cathedrals ; they are probably my favorite part of traveling in Europe. I came across a beautiful Basilica that, if I hadn’t followed the large groups of people, I would not have seen it. All of it was painted, floor to ceiling, with decorative images and bible stories. On the top floor was the actual chapel with the relic of the holy blood. Beneath it was my favorite part. There was a stone chapel that was peaceful and had a certain feeling that permeated throughout. It is difficult to describe. My second day there I went to just about every museum. I would recommend the two hospital museums, both were very interesting and out of the ordinary. The last day I had there I did what any girl would do, I went to the chocolate museum. I saw how to make it and received some free chocolate. 

Let me just talk about the Chocolate...and the Waffles. Notice the capitals? That was done on purpose- that is how important both aspects were to my Brugge trip. I normally grabbed some bread or a sandwich during the day and then ate chocolate and waffles for dinner. It was wonderful. Absolutely, positively, wonderful. 

I am in Lille now, after being lost for some time. I was super stressed out and called my parents to see if they could google map me. They did and I finally made it to my hotel. As we speak I am chilling in my hotel, exhausted, watching all the good news that CNN has to offer. 

Good-bye Scotland

It’s over. My time at Edinburgh has come to a close. On January 5 when I said good-bye to my dad, I thought these past months would seem as if they would never end. Instead, with each passing day I grew to love Edinburgh a little bit more. Now, as I leave, I feel as if I am leaving the place that has become my second home. Tears stream down my face and I can’t seem to stem the flow now that I am in my room on the ferry. Part of me wants to go on deck and watch Britain as I drift farther and farther away, but the other part of me realizes that that would just be putting salt on the wound. I almost feel like it is worse now than when I was leaving home because it will be some time before I will ever see Edinburgh again. I knew when I left home how much time would pass before I came back, that can’t be said for Scotland. I don’t really want to write about what I have been up to, but there are some things that I want to remember. 

As term came to a close I spent my time trying to gather up as many memories as I possibly could. Leesha, Jenny, and I all headed out to St. Andrews for the day before Jenny and I had our exams. The town is absolutely beautiful and incredibly picturesque. From the tower of the abbey you can look out and see the either the sea or the coast. We saw all of the necessary things of course, such as the abbey and the castle. In the castle went into one of the tunnels that they had open to the public. It was tiny, close, and smelled strange, but neat none the less. We also found the original Bibi’s and of course got something. The day was perfect and seemed to be going off without a hitch. However, since it was us we did have a minor catastrophe. When we went to go get a train it appeared that there weren’t any to Edinburgh. Luckily, we jumped on the train that was heading to London Kings X and found our way back.

St. Andrews was the only real adventure we had, but we made multiple trips to Bruntsfield (our favorite neighborhood where we are each going to own a house one day) and various other areas around Edinburgh. I taught them all about Kentucky cooking and we had a Smosh night/stuff your face night. 

I truly am going to miss Edinburgh so much. I hear the ship’s engines gearing up...it won’t be too long before I leave British waters and say good-bye to the place that has been my home for 5 months. That’s all for now. My tears are abating somewhat and now I need a distraction.

Greece

So I realize that never wrote about Greece...and I probably should.
Anyway, Santorini was amazing and Athens was kind of sketch. Leesha and I saw about everything we were interested in one day (as well as things we were not interested in-don't get me started about the crazy old man in traditional greek garb getting stopped by the police or the 7 year old who tried to hit on Leesha and I.) We walked all around and being us we decided out next order of business was find somewhere delicious to eat. In the end we ended up eating at this small place down the road from our hostel which was fantastic considering we were afraid, very afraid. Earlier, when we had stopped to get some of these donut things they were selling on the side of the street, a woman in a pink velour sweet suit held out her hands to us while moaning and invading our personal space. Dinner was a much better experience if a little touristy; however, we did learn that we enjoy the Greek custom of giving complimentary dessert or wine.

The next day, because we were so wary of Athens we went on a tour of Delphi. I don't think the guide liked us very much after we told him we were American-he just gave us a weird look and ignored us. The fact that we saw the entire museum at delphi in about 30 minutes didn't endear us to him either. Both Leesha and I have been to countless other museums and have seen similar objects. It was interesting, I am not one to stand in front of an artifact for 10 minutes in less it is absolutely astounding. The ruins at Delphi were incredible and it is amazing that the Greeks managed to build something like that on the side of a mountain. The real experience of Greece came at Santorini.

Santorini is the Greek Island with the blue roofs that is always seen plastered in tourists books and such. We stayed in the same area of the Island with Perissa beach (one of the black sand beaches). The best thing about this location? There was a bakery near by and not too many things were open in the area as it wasn't tourist season. It was nice, relaxing, and sunny. Sunny, as in when the sun beats down on your neck and you can actually feel the warmth is not something that is common in Scotland. The sun shines and it is beautiful, but actual heat?...not so much. I managed to get an awesome sunburn that looks incredibly weird. The second day there I paid an outrageous amount of money for sunscreen so I wouldn't come back to Scotland with blisters. Probably one of the highlights for both Leesha and I were the donkeys. I saw one that looked like Casper (my donkey) although the one in Greece was far better trained. We also went out to the Caldera and saw some amazing sites. Overall, Santorini was amazing and relaxing, so much so that we wanted to stay there an extra night (this also meant we wouldn't even have to go into Athens). I crushed the dream though because my ticket was too.

It turns out that we were frightened enough and our parents were understanding enough that we were able to stay at the airport hotel. When I say airport hotel, I mean there is one and it is a luxury hotel. We were going to go to the airport and just get cheap food, but we decided to live it up and get the American TV dinner. It was the most wonderful things ever. Leesha and I both had to take a break because there was so much food and we weren't willing to waste a single bit. After we were done we didn't know what to do with the massive rolling service the had brought it in on. Like adults, we skyped my parents who then said you just wheel it outside. We weren't entirely sure about that, but we checked the hallway for people then moved it on out.

Even though Athens was scary, it can't be said that we didn't eat well.

Losing time...

I am beginning to realize more and more that nothing is permanent, that something that seemed impossible 4 months ago is actual a reality and coming to an end. I still have some time-over a month in fact to say my goodbyes to Edinburgh, but it is hard to say goodbye to a place that has welcomed you and given you a home. Before I sound too maudlin as I mourn the loss of yesteryear (like some sort of Lifetime movie) I do want to state that here, like back in Kentucky, things can be bad. I don't even want to think back to the nights that never seemed end as I inserted as many flowery words into my writing as possible to make my essay reach the word count. Nor am I particularly fond of the day I was walking back to my dorm and it was raining so hard that my legs started to go numb. However, these have all been a part of the experience and I do love Edinburgh for each second because things always do get better. This post wasn't really supposed to start off like this, rather it was supposed to be a summary of my spring break. I guess I can do that too...so here it goes.

Shetland Islands:
They are a perfectly quaint place to be. In some cases I felt like I was stepping back through time as I looked at the fishing nets strung over the gates or when I stumbled upon the old viking settlement a short walk from my B&B. I felt torn between two times as I tried to grasp what it was like for the people who lived out their lives on this small Island that I decided to visit for a holiday. On one hand the old fascinated me while the new drew me in through it's convenience. For the short time I was there I lived off of Tesco food that I bought when I got there because being without a car is a lot more inconvenient than one would expect. I bought some bread, the makings for a sandwich, pears, and water- all of this I  sat outside on my windows ledge (I wonder what the B&B owners thought?). I did of course have breakfast prepared for me. Before I get caught up in highlighting every detail I will just say that I it was nice, truly nice. I like to be alone and the Shetlands are the type of place where it feels nice to be alone.

I want to mention, more than the sights and sounds, some of the people I met there. First of all the bus driver. I know that normally bus drivers appeared almost as robots handing us our tickets then taking us to our desired destinations, but the bus driver in the shetlands was not like this. He did of course do the standard bus driver-ish things, yet he also did more. He had a deep brogue so I really had to listen to understand him but he told me about where I was going and what to watch out for. He also made sure I would get back safe and sound as the bus timetable I had been given was out of date. I don't remember much of him, just the gray hair and work-worn arthritic hands but I remember our conversation. It was short sweet and to the point. He gave me the best route to take to get up to the lighthouse and then proceeded to tell me to be careful because people die up there. "Stay on the left side of the fence", he said, "and you will be fine". I nodded my understanding. He finished with the statement, "I don't want to hear of a young kentucky girl getting washed up after being lost for weeks." I responded that I wouldn't either, but he informed me I probably would because you know well...I would be dead. So with these instructions in my head I walked up to the lighthouse past some angry dogs, a farmer who smiled and commented on the weather, and some geese that were very irritated with me. However, I did make it and was just astounded. My pictures don't do it just and neither will my words so I am not even going to try. The lighthouse itself was rather eerie and when I first got up there and old man was standing outside his car staring out into the distance. It turned out that he was watching out for the orcas spotted by the ferry to Fair Isle, but the warnings of the bus driver accompanied by my active imagination had me a wee bit worried. Anywho, it was, as I said, amazing. I even saw some see birds which were scared off when my mother decided to call me. Oh well, they weren't puffins.

On my last day on the Island I went on a boat around Bressey, an island that is only populated in the summer. I was on a boat with a bunch of Norwegian students who were in the Shetlands for internships (I didn't know there were enough businesses in the Shetlands to provide internships...). They were pretty entertaining to watch with their ultra fancy outdoor wear and high-tech cameras as I stood there in my jeans, organic shoes, and raincoat I got at Zappos. Yeah, I guess you could say I am pretty fly. The highlight of the day, despite the Norwegians and the puffin I saw (though that is a close second) would be the captains impression from a couple from Alabama. The captain is a marine biologist who takes out tourists to make money and share his passion, but apparently last year a couple from the south took exception. As he was talking about evolution and how we can learn so much from the sea, the wife apparently looked at him and said, "Boy, don't you ever read your biiiiible?". It was both entertaining to hear his southern impression and to realize that as a Kentuckian I am hopefully not embarrassing my fellow citizens at home and abroad.

The last person I met was rather unexpected. After searching for a pub (who knew one would be so hard to find?) I settled on an Indian restaurant which was, after all, just as good. The waiter there was actual from India so I really had no idea how he ended up in the Shetlands, but we started to chat. He asked me all about Kentucky I asked him about his home in India. He lives in the north of India in the mountains which apparently makes him comfortable with the weather in the Shetlands. He asked me what it is like in Kentucky in Spring and I said it is warming up and it even got up to seventy. However, I screwed up on the conversion and I think that he now believes that Kentucky is as hot as death valley with people dropping dead all over the place. If he ever stumbles across my blog in the wide world of cyberspace I can only say I am sorry for being so horrible at math.

The adventure back to Edinburgh was entertaining as the ferry crossing was calmer and I didn't have to wait forever for my train. It was on to athens after that, but I am tired of writing now so more to come at a later date.

Whisky is Better than Guiness

I haven’t updated in a really long time because well...school has been school. I had essays to write and the only time I really left my dorm was to A. get coffee B. go to class or C. go over to Jenny’s to hang out with both she and Leesha. However, that is all over now (until exams) and I am on my way to the Shetland Islands. The weather is supposed to be terrible, but I am still very excited to be going. 

Yesterday, I got back from Ireland. Allison Julander and I flew into Dublin for a whirlwind look at Ireland and the countryside. The first day we decided to have a look around the parks and explore central Dublin. First of all, Trinity College is absolutely beautiful. The college has a large square ringed with classic academic buildings. Large oak doors and huge brass doorknobs lead to the entrance of each building-intimidating, but fantastic. I wanted to bring up the doors because I have realized that I am obsessed with doors and windows. The archways and the decorations are some of my favorite things to photograph because they have such character. Back to my main topic. The parks/gardens were lush and very green, but that is to be expected. I saw a swan and remembered to stay away after my last run in with one. Let’s just say I am lucky to still have my fingers. 

The second day was devoted to more touristy things. We went to the the two main cathedrals/churches (St. Patrick’s and Christ Church). Christ Church is the elder of the two and St. Patrick’s is of course built to commemorate the patron saint. We went to the Guiness storehouse as well. The exhibit was really neat, but I am going to be honest and say that I was not a fan. It was just way too bitter for me, however, I did manage to down more than Allison by taking huge gulps. Second on the list was Dublin Castle. It is strange because in Dublin there are a lot of brick buildings, but in Edinburgh all of the important buildings are stone. Dublin Castle had a brick facade. The castle in place right now is not the one built by the Normans, rather it is the replacement built in the 17^th/18^th century after an explosion destroyed the earlier one. Right now the castle is mainly used for banquets and ceremonial occasions (cool fact- Barack Obama will be there in May and then the Queen will make the first royal appearance in two generations the following week). What was really interesting was the fact that about 10 years ago remains of the earlier castle were found as well as viking remains that predate that-one civilization building upon the other. 

The following day we boarded a tour bus bright and early in the morning, as in 6ish (not vacation time). We toured the countryside up into the north to eventually arrive at the Giant’s Causeway. The coastline is breathtaking and rugged. One minute rolling hills are the only view you have then suddenly you reach a coastline that looks like someone took a jagged knife to it. I really can’t describe it, so if you want to see it either google it or look at my facebook pictures. The Giant’s Causeway was unbelievable...that is all I can say. I can’t imagine what people thought of it before science was able to explain how it was formed. 

The last day before we were due to leave we went on a tour or the Wicklow countryside.   The atmosphere was heavy with fog which made the bog lands appear rather sinister and mystical-that is until you come upon the other huge tour buses. Our guide, Keith, was quite nice and gave good insight into what to do around Dublin as well as Ireland in general. Out main destination was a monastery situated by two locks. The conclusion I came to after this brief outing were A. I want a baby sheep (I would say lamb, but that sounds like food) and B. despite the ruin the time create beauty can be found just about anywhere. 

I woke up on the last day with one purpose in mind: see the Book of Kells. I accomplished this despite how difficult all of the tour groups made it for me. It was so unreal to actually see THE book itself. My mind can’t really grasp the entire this, rather I keep seeing images flash in my head of the details of the page that was open. At the end of the Book of Kells exhibit the las room was the long room at the old library of Trinity College. I love old library and desperately wanted to wander around at will. However, everything was cordoned off and prevented this wish of mine. I still had time to spare before I had to check out of my hotel and meet Allison and went to St. Patricks Cathedral as well as Christ Church one more time. I arrived at St. Pat’s at the perfect moment. The boys choir school was holding a small service. I walked in quietly and took a seat. I am not Catholic, nor even Christian, however the beauty of it all is deeply inspiring and moving. Simply hearing these sort of choirs is not the same as experiencing it in a medieval church as they were meant to be heard. At Christ’s Church I had the same opportunity, but was running short on time. I did however get to explore the crypt. How lucky was I!? I got to see the mummified cat and rat mentioned by James Joyce on exhibit- as well as other priceless artifacts.

When I met back up with Allison we explored from O’Connell Bridge to the docks. Dublin has some amazing bridges. I wish my dad had been with me because he loves all those weird designs, but I did take pictures for him. I still struggle with the fact that Dublin is right on the ocean, as is Edinburgh. I wouldn’t realize except they both have those ridiculous sea gulls swarming around everywhere. 

I arrived back in Edinburgh last night then woke up bright and early this morning catch my train to Aberdeen. From there I boarded the Hrossey, a ferry run by the Northlink ferry system. I am currently sitting in my cabin on my way to Lerwick, the capital of the Shetland Islands. The weather is supposed to be dreadful, but I brought my wellies so hopefully I can manage. Well, I suppose this is it for now. I am, as Leesha says, popping these motion sickness pills like candy. The sea isn’t really bothering me, but I wanted to be on the safe side. I want to wake up tomorrow able to enjoy my wet Shetland adventure after my voyage on the “Big Blue Canoe”. (That is clerk at Boots Pharmacy called the ferry.)

Peace