Family

My sister arrived in Edinburgh on March 23rd with only a few bumps along the way.  Despite her flight delays because of bad, windy weather down in London, she managed to get here safe and sound.  It was interesting to see Edinburgh brand new again from someone else's point of view after having been here for almost four months already.  I was still getting used to a few things, but by this point I'd become so accustomed to living in Edinburgh that it felt like home.

We took a Highland tour the day after she got here with the Hairy Coo tour company.  It was a wonderful tour full of highland majesty and long-haired Highland cows.  Our first stop was at the loveliest rail bridge in the world: the Forth Bridge.  Despite having seen it twice already, it was still a sight to see.

We visited Doune Castle, which is where most of the Monty Python and the Holy Grail movie was filmed.  Appropriately, our tour guide offered us fake coconuts to use should we desire to recreate the horse riding scenes from the movie.  My sister and I chose a simple walk around the outside of the castle, as a tour inside required both money and time that we did not have.  As a fan of the film, I enjoyed even just standing in the spot outside where Arthur and his knights lost a verbal and mental battle with the French knight.  As others in our tour group gallivanted about the castle with fake coconuts, my sister and I posed for pictures in front of the castle.

The entrance to the castle

Doune Castle from the front

We made a stop at the Wallace Monument as well, situated on a tall hilltop overlooking the city of Stirling, so placed so that William Wallace can watch over this city he fought so hard to defend forever.  Telling the true story of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce is probably the favorite of Scottish tour guides - I heard it on every single tour I went on.  While Braveheart is an excellent movie in its own right, it has absolutely nothing on the real story.  I'd tell you the story here, but I feel I'd be doing it an injustice.  Also, there's nothing like having a Scotsman tell you the story from an honest, Scottish point of view while you stare out at the highland mountains passing by your bus window. (Also, I'm really lazy).

Stirling Castle from the Wallace Monument - an excellent view

Next we stopped for lunch in a small town called Callander, where I had the second best fish and chips I've ever had in the UK.  It was delightfully delicious, but I still argue that the fish caught, gutted, and prepared just moments before I stepped into the shop at Portree was the best I've ever had.

Delicious

The next stop would have been farther north in the Highlands, but because of the harsh weather our tour guide felt it would be too dangerous to travel up that way.  We did end up at the highlight of our tour - the hairy coos.  Our tour guide handed out slices of bread for us to feed them, and as I watched their huge pink tongues snatching bread out of everybody's hands I fell in love.  Despite the slobber and the smell, they are lovely creatures.  I'm especially fond of the way their hair falls over their eyes like teenagers ridden with angst and writing sad poetry in their spare time.

Hamish, the most famous Highland Cow

We took another highland tour farther up to Loch Ness later in the week.  We were unfortunately limited to what we could do together, as I still had lectures and tutorials to attend.  Luckily, there's plenty in Edinburgh to do when visiting, and we spent a fair amount of time together when I wasn't in class.  Our next tour first took us to Glencoe, which was just as beautiful as the first time I saw it.

We made another stop at Inverlochy Castle, a lovely little castle that has unfortunately fallen into ruins.  But the ruins give it an air of mystery and offer a link to the past that you can't really get at well-kept castles like Stirling or Edinburgh.

Next was Loch Ness - my second time here - for lunch.  My sister and I grabbed a quick lunch in town and then spent a few minutes gazing out at the fog rolling over the loch towards us.  It definitely set off the aura of mystery that surrounds the loch.  There was no sign of Nessy this time (second strike - I guess she doesn't like me for some reason), but I still hold hope.  Maybe there's some prehistoric creature that occasionally visits Loch Ness and that's where all the sightings have come from.  Or maybe everyone who saw the monster were actually drunk on whisky - it's Scotland, it could go either way.  Despite the lack of a monster emerging from the depths, it was still a lovely day next to a beautiful lake.

Our next adventure was touring the Caledonian Brewery.  It was interesting to see the process that beer goes through to become the beloved alcoholic beverage we know, especially considering that I've never toured a brewery before nor do I have any knowledge of beer beyond it's alcohol content.  After the tour, we were offered free beer and free pies.  The beer was good, and the pies had an interesting taste.  We found out after eating our pies that they were, in fact, filled with haggis.  I unknowingly ate haggis, three months into my time in Scotland, and perhaps that was the best way to try it.  I don't know if I would have eaten it otherwise.  While I wasn't a big fan of it, I could see how people could like it.

The next day, our parents arrived in Edinburgh for their turn at a week adventuring with me.  The four of us spent our morning at Edinburgh Castle, and turned towards the Scotch Whiskey Experience tour of the making of scotch whiskey.  Another interesting tour, with an added taste testing at the end of the tour (my favorite part).  Could I replicate or repeat the process explained to me on the tour?  No, unfortunately, because my brain is not wired towards science and all that jazz.

The next day, my parents and I drove my sister to the airport and then departed off to Stirling for a tour of Stirling Castle.  It was an easy drive (despite the fact that my father was driving on the opposite side of the road, in a car with a stick shift on the opposite side he was used to), and we arrived early afternoon with plenty of time to spend in the castle.  Being Easter weekend, they had a good number of little events going on in the castle for children - firing mini crossbows in the queen's garden, hearing stories in the main hall, making cupcakes and other treats.  My parents seemed to enjoy the tour, and I will always enjoy seeing castles, even if I've visited them already.

The next day was a trip to St. Andrews to visit the golf course, castle, and cathedral.  My father is a big golf fan, so being able to walk on this huge golf course, in the country where golf originated, was a momentous occasion for him.  The castle is more of a ruin than the others we'd visited, but it was still lovely in its own way.  I personally enjoy looking at the castles that have fallen into ruin more than the ones that have been preserved and decorated as if in their prime.  Beyond the air of mystery around them, I see them as a link to the past that you can't get in a highly decorated castle.

I had lectures the next day (being a Monday), so my parents decided to explore the National Museum.  I've yet to wander this museum myself, but I've been told it's a wonderful museum, with three levels and copious amounts of things to see on each level.  Tuesday, my parents took a day trip to Loch Ness, which they enjoyed immensely and gave me a day to get my bearings - after spending almost two weeks doing tourist things, I was a bit tired out.

Wednesday, my parents toured the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith while I was busy in class.  After being decommissioned, the yacht stays as a tourist attraction outside of the ocean terminal mall at the Leith harbor.  Another place I did not get a chance to visit, but from what I've heard is a lovely tour.  Afterwards, we took a tour of Holyrood Palace, the palace at the opposite end of the Royal Mile from the castle, and situated next to Arthur's Seat.  There was no photography allowed inside, but I managed to get some photos in the gardens of Arthur's Seat.

Thursday, my parents met me at the Elephant House for breakfast, the cafe that J.K. Rowling first began to write her Harry Potter series in.  I can completely understand why, after dining there several times.  The window looks out onto Edinburgh Castle, offering plenty of inspiration for a magical world of witchcraft and wizardry in an ancient castle.  Despite J.K. Rowling making it famous, it has good tea and coffee and a good number of options for breakfast or a small snack to go with your tea.  After my one lecture at noon, my parents and I headed to the Royal Botanic Gardens for the afternoon.  We toured the greenhouses, which offer a plethora of different plants in different climates.

The Elephant House

We met again for breakfast on Friday, and after my only and final lecture (for the entire semester - freedom at last!) we took a trip to the Edinburgh Zoo.  The panda viewings were unfortunately all booked, but we made due with seeing the other animals.  The penguins were adorable, although we didn't get to see the walk they are allowed to do around the zoo.  My favorite was the monkeys - I spent at least twenty minutes watching a group of them fight over a cardboard box.

Early Saturday morning, my parents boarded their plane back home.  I enjoyed having my family visit, and I definitely felt a pang of homesickness once they left.  I missed home, and I missed the comfort of everything that came with it.  But at the same time, I didn't want to leave Edinburgh.  This city has so much charm and history that my little college town back home can barely compare.  Fredericksburg may have been a battle site during the Civil War, but Edinburgh was around when the plague ran rampant through Europe.  I will never see a castle or an ancient cathedral in America, and those are likely the parts I will miss most about Scotland - the historical pieces of the city that offer a glimpse into a past I can barely even imagine living in.

Edinburgh also has a touch of the mystical to it, and walking down the Royal Mile can easily offer insight into Rowling's inspiration for her books.  The highlands, just a few hours outside Edinburgh, are explanation enough for the dark, gothic nature of Walter Scott's novels.  It is a city of writers, which I supposed makes it the perfect city for an aspiring novelist such as myself!

I had the rest of my time in Scotland to better explore this city, a grand total of eight weeks.  My spring break had begun, two weeks of no worries before Reading Week and exams came creeping up in May.  But before I began revising (studying) for my exams, I had another adventure to partake of: my spring break trip to Rome, Italy.