Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Woke up with some energy and excitement this morning!! We knew breakfast was included in the price of our hostel but we were expecting the standard toast and cereal. Oh wow, we were in for a treat! We had a full English breakfast which included, toast, eggs, back bacon, sausage and beans...sooo good!!! After we were loaded with all of our “essential vitamins” we were off on yet another adventure, this one was planned and guided though so how much trouble could we get into??? So we started the day meeting our bus driver Ian, who was this enthusiastic old Irishman. He was very chatty and we enjoyed his love for his job! Throughout the day we made several stops at castles and scenic areas and drove along the Northern coast of Ireland which has some fantastic views. We also stopped at the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge which was really neat. It was about a 1km walk to the bridge where you crossed, took some pictures and ended up having to run back to the bus so we weren’t left behind. Next stop was “the big show”, the Giant’s causeway which is the 8th wonder of the world. It was really neat to climb along the rocks and we have a lot of pictures of the area and of course, us!! Our final stop of the day was at Bushmills Distillery, it was a really quick stop so we didn’t really get to see or do anything and decided not to taste the Irish Whiskey. After a long day, we were headed back to Belfast with a long night ahead of us! We stopped for a bite to eat at a local pub that the hostel endorsed and gave us 10% off of. It was here that we first enjoyed a pint of Irish Guinness...it is far better than the motor oil they pass off as Guinness at home. It’s much lighter and just plain yummy. We then went and got a couple of bottles of vino to enjoy while we changed and got ready for our night on the town. We were greeted back at the hostel by the owner who is a 40 something South African fellow named Willem (pronounced William), with a taste of “the good stuff”. We were drinking some Irish Whiskey and coke with a few of the guys who worked at the hostel but weren’t on duty. We also met a couple girls from Edmonton who turned out to be turbo Debbie downers...oy vei!!! Anywho, Willem took us girls and Mark (or Laura Ferry Bell /Tinkerbell) to Fibber McGee’s for some traditional Irish music, pints of Guinness and some good times. Willem decided to take a cab instead of our plan of walking, so we all piled into the cab and headed to the pub. When we arrived, the cab driver opened the sliding van door and out falls Meghan. We are still unsure how this even happened because it was some time after he opened the door and I more so fell straight down on my bum instead of my usual tuck and roll. Oh well, no harm, no foul! So we headed in, grabbed some drinks and started dancing to the music. We had some girls up highland dancing, we danced a jig with Willem and Tinkerbell as well as getting drinks from the 60+ crowd!! Good times! Next stop, since the band ended their set and we had already met them as the bar was shutting down, was to Thompsons. What a dead place! It was more of a dance club than anything and was the only place open after midnight. We were just a short walk from our hostel and had a handy map to guide us back, HOWEVER, because we had some angry whiskey on board, Heather decided she is going to find the way eventhough we were nicely headed in the proper direction. Lets just say it ended with a ripped up map, us falling to the ground on top of each other and a broken camera strap...which was the end of Heather`s life!!! Haha she was pretty broken up inside about the death of her camera strap. We were able to cheer her up with some za and chips and curry. Mmm...the curry and chips was way better than Onesti`s, we even got fake roses from the creepy owners. We then headed home (mapless) but with good direction and headed to bed.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Ahhh, not a pleasant morning...good thing we had a greasy full English breakfast to prepare us for the day. Today we took another walking tour (self guided) after we of course found a camera shop and replacement camera strap for Heather. We decided to take a walk into the West end of town where there is continuing political unrest between the Catholics and the Protestants. We were assured that it is in fact safe in that area of town but we were on guard and kept to ourselves. It was a pretty sketchy part of town anyhow. Along the route that the lady at the tourist centre told us to take, we were able to see and take pictures of these huge murals painted by local artists. The murals were all different but were a dedication to the unrest and troubles that have plagued Belfast for many years. It was really cool to see and we got a bit of an explanation from Neil at the hostel after we returned about what really went on and what it`s like today. Very interesting!!! We wandered around Belfast for a little while, grabbed some food from our new favourite grocer (TESCO`S)!!! We then stopped into the Crown pub for a pint and caught a bit of Tennis on the tele. Haha. The Crown bar is one of Belfast`s oldest pubs and is a traditional style pub with really neat stained glass throughout and booths around the bar that were like little rooms. It was also a really neat place. It was here that we came to the conclusion that there is a good chance that my left foot has been broken. The story for this one starts back in Edinburgh, on the pub crawl, we ended at some club that was really neat. It had different areas that were cave like and the end one had ``old school`` music like Aqua and hanson and backstreet boys, which ended up being our favourite. So during one song that everyone was particularly enjoying, some really drunk girl in heels was jumping and just so happened to land on the top of my foot...TWICE before I was able to shove her off. It really wasn`t too bad and did get a pretty nasty bruise but didn’t think much of it. I clearly wasn`t thinking properly because for the following few days, I was getting what I thought were `cramps’ in my feet nearing the end of the day and having to stretch them without much relief. So it dawns on Heather today that maybe the cramping is actually pain and it`s not my arches that are hurting but rather my `broken foot`. I am thinking that she is probably correct in this thought as the bruise is still as blue and big as ever and after walking all day, my left foot does get really sore. So I suppose we will have to see what comes of it but if it is in fact a broken bone or two in my foot, it will not likely heal too quickly of at all as we have no plans of taking it easy and staying off of it. Great!! Oh well on we went to pick up our packs and head for our first train ride. Our Eurorail passes are finally coming in handy and we can use this really expensive piece of paper instead of paying for buses. Tonight we are heading into Derry, just for a quick visit before we head to Dublin tomorrow for CANADA DAY!!! Woot!! We have been warned to collect alcohol in Derry before heading to Dublin as the prices in Dublin are ridiculous. Pints of beer cost 7 or 8 euro...good thing the economy isn`t booming right now or that would be way worse than it already is.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Return to Motherwell
Monday, June 28th
The conclusion was made long ago by both of us that we WAY over packed...it was difficult because it is sooo bloody cold in the UK and we will be entering some really hot weather in Europe in a few weeks. So essentially we had to pack for all weathers. However, today we decided it was time to cut out some things...we had to be ruthless and just get rid of the excess. The shipments are en route...not too expensive either!! Anyhow, we went into Motherwell and shipped our treasured goods back to Canada, picked up some essentials (food, converters, gravol) and were headed back to Motherwell. Just as an aside...we must tell you how difficult our search for Gravol was. I had gotten nauseated on the bus the other day and usually I bring Gravol to sedate myself on plane rides but I was running low and only had one Gravol left. So, we decided that while we were near a drugstore we should pick up an anti-nauseant. Being as worldly and culturally competent as we are, we figured that we may not have luck asking for Gravol but rather ask what they take for nausea...we were greeted with blank looks and jaws we had to pick up off the floor. haha. The lady looked absolutely blankly at us as if we were not speaking English. We tried to ask what they took for nausea and for some suggestions...we were told Gavisgon or antacids which are pretty much useless for nausea. When we asked Carol Ann and Margaret, they had no idea either...apparently Scots don’t have nausea...or in their words, they just throw up. Moving on...we went back home and made stir fry which was a nice treat to be able to make something that wasn’t pre-packaged and had some good flavour. We also made a pizza that we ate cold on the bus at night. While I was showering and packing, Heather went to her Aunt Jana’s for a quick visit. They had a nice time and got some pictures together to show the family back home. Francis, Clare, Orla, and Kiera also came by to say farwell and to meet us as well. Francis came by himself the other times and we wanted to meet Clare and the girls. So Aunt Margaret hurried us off to the bus stop so we didn’t miss our bus. Off to Ireland!! We had pre-booked a bus to the ferry, the ferry ride and figured we would take a taxi to the hostel as it was late at night and as I am sure you are all aware of, our navigational skills are touch and go. So we get to the bus terminal and don’t you know it, the bus goes to Belfast, so once we got across on the ferry, we could have picked up back on the bus and got into Belfast...oh well you win some and you lose some. So we had the worst bus ride so far, of course being as it is our last. The bus was full!! Heather and I had a great system working where we could sleep if we had our own two seats and could ride comfortably. Also, we had figured out from previous experiences that the middle to front of the bus is best as the bathroom usually smells pretty foul by the time you get to your destination. EW!!! Anyhow, small price to pay...the ferry was really nice though! We got on the 8pm ferry from Stranraer to Belfast and enjoyed a cappuccino and some tunes. Once we got to Belfast we easily found a taxi and actually shared it with a couple of Scottish girls who were living and working in Belfast. We arrived at our hostel and were greeted by a cute young Irish boy who was just started working there and it was his first night working and he was on his own. He did really well and gave us the low down on what to see and do while in Belfast. We packed it in for the night pretty early as we had decided to do the Giant’s causeway tour the following day.
The conclusion was made long ago by both of us that we WAY over packed...it was difficult because it is sooo bloody cold in the UK and we will be entering some really hot weather in Europe in a few weeks. So essentially we had to pack for all weathers. However, today we decided it was time to cut out some things...we had to be ruthless and just get rid of the excess. The shipments are en route...not too expensive either!! Anyhow, we went into Motherwell and shipped our treasured goods back to Canada, picked up some essentials (food, converters, gravol) and were headed back to Motherwell. Just as an aside...we must tell you how difficult our search for Gravol was. I had gotten nauseated on the bus the other day and usually I bring Gravol to sedate myself on plane rides but I was running low and only had one Gravol left. So, we decided that while we were near a drugstore we should pick up an anti-nauseant. Being as worldly and culturally competent as we are, we figured that we may not have luck asking for Gravol but rather ask what they take for nausea...we were greeted with blank looks and jaws we had to pick up off the floor. haha. The lady looked absolutely blankly at us as if we were not speaking English. We tried to ask what they took for nausea and for some suggestions...we were told Gavisgon or antacids which are pretty much useless for nausea. When we asked Carol Ann and Margaret, they had no idea either...apparently Scots don’t have nausea...or in their words, they just throw up. Moving on...we went back home and made stir fry which was a nice treat to be able to make something that wasn’t pre-packaged and had some good flavour. We also made a pizza that we ate cold on the bus at night. While I was showering and packing, Heather went to her Aunt Jana’s for a quick visit. They had a nice time and got some pictures together to show the family back home. Francis, Clare, Orla, and Kiera also came by to say farwell and to meet us as well. Francis came by himself the other times and we wanted to meet Clare and the girls. So Aunt Margaret hurried us off to the bus stop so we didn’t miss our bus. Off to Ireland!! We had pre-booked a bus to the ferry, the ferry ride and figured we would take a taxi to the hostel as it was late at night and as I am sure you are all aware of, our navigational skills are touch and go. So we get to the bus terminal and don’t you know it, the bus goes to Belfast, so once we got across on the ferry, we could have picked up back on the bus and got into Belfast...oh well you win some and you lose some. So we had the worst bus ride so far, of course being as it is our last. The bus was full!! Heather and I had a great system working where we could sleep if we had our own two seats and could ride comfortably. Also, we had figured out from previous experiences that the middle to front of the bus is best as the bathroom usually smells pretty foul by the time you get to your destination. EW!!! Anyhow, small price to pay...the ferry was really nice though! We got on the 8pm ferry from Stranraer to Belfast and enjoyed a cappuccino and some tunes. Once we got to Belfast we easily found a taxi and actually shared it with a couple of Scottish girls who were living and working in Belfast. We arrived at our hostel and were greeted by a cute young Irish boy who was just started working there and it was his first night working and he was on his own. He did really well and gave us the low down on what to see and do while in Belfast. We packed it in for the night pretty early as we had decided to do the Giant’s causeway tour the following day.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Fort William and Oban
June 25th continued...
So we went to Hootananny's pub last night in Inverness...super cool. It was a two storey bar and the main floor had a Scottish band playing and was a pretty mellow vibe but upstairs is where the action was. The second floor had a Ska band called Bombskare from Edinburgh playing. They were super cool and not sure the last time we had heard any Ska bands but it was a nice treat! We headed there with Colleen from California and Daniel from Germany. It was good times had by all!!! Tons of dancing and signing!!
Saturday, June 26th
Got the 1045 bus to Fort William this morning...both of us not feeling great with waves of nausea on the bus ride. Meghan was certain she was going to be sick but we made it!!! Feeling much better when we got some fresh Fort William air and a bit of lunch in us. Fort William is pretty small and not a whole lot going on but it does have some great scenery and Ben Nevis...the highest point in Scotland!! It is some 2400 ft to the top. We were a little intimidated by its height...it puts Arthur's seat to shame!! Needless to say we did not even attempt to climb it with the few hours we had in Fort William. We did however, do some adventure seeking...we headed to the Glen Nevis centre which is the starting point for the climb up big benny!! It was absolutely gorgeous...the hills/mountains are so overwhelming and just amazing to be so close to. The stream that ran along side was cool too. It was pretty rocky with some rapids and wildlife. We took a walk along the river path and adventured in for some neat scenery. We even stopped to touch the wishing rock...a little luck never hurts!! In no time we had made it back into town, grabbed a bite to eat and were back on the bus, this time heading to Oban. It was a short bus ride and we arrived at a small fishing town on the West coast of Scotland. Oban is small and quaint and just like the rest of Scotland, has long, long days!!! The sun doesn't set till midnight and is back up by 4ish. It makes it difficult to sleep in but who needs sleep when you are on an adventure!!!! We'll sleep when we're dead!!!
Sunday, June 27th
Early start in Oban, grabbed some breaky at the hostel and was off to make the 0955 ferry to Isle of Mull. In true Heather and Meghan fashion, they were calling final boarding as we showed up and therefore missed it. OOps!! So we had a couple of hours to kill before the noon ferry so we went to the tower at the top of the hill in Oban. It was a stone colluseum looking structure overlooking Oban and the water and was a memorial for the McCaig family built in 1897. It was pretty cool but Oban isn't teaming with things to do and see...so we hit up the war museum. For lunch we grabbed a seafood cup from a truck vendor. Oban is Scotland's seafood capital so it was only fitting that we had mussels, shrimp, lobster, and cockle's...mmm...so we had a 45 minute ferry ride to Isle of Mull and only had about 2 hours on the island. So more adventuring to be had...we didn't have enough time to go into the town of Tobermory or to make it over to Duart castle either, so we took a nature walk along the coast. There was a path that led us to a smaller castle that could only be viewed from the outside. We could however see Duart castle from the woods...pretty amazing even from afar. We met an older couple along our walk and they told us that there was a train to go back to the ferry. So we ventured along the path a bit further and found a 'mini train' and mini it was!!! It was a coal operated train that ran along the coast line. It was neat to take that back and we got some pretty hilarious photo's to boot. Then came the rain...lol we have had amazing weather "knock wood" the entire trip...until now!! We got poured on from the short walk from the train to the ferry and it continued off and on for the rest of the night. Back in Oban we grabbed our things and headed for dinner. We once again thought, if we are in the seafood capital of Scotland, seafood it shall be! The chowder was amazing and the fish was pretty good...just greasy is all! We had a bus to catch after that so we grabbed our things and headed to the bus station. Off to Glasgow...again! :) Carol Ann and Margaret kindly picked us up from the bus station again and family reunion part 2 commenced. Frances, Derek, Ashley and Jared all came over to say hi once again. We had roasted cheese...Heather wasn't kidding...soooooo good!!!! It was essentially melted cheese on a piece of bread but as heather puts it..."its the fattiness of the cheese and the thin bread that makes it taste so good". Anyhow, we headed to bed shortly after and had a jam packed day ahead!
So we went to Hootananny's pub last night in Inverness...super cool. It was a two storey bar and the main floor had a Scottish band playing and was a pretty mellow vibe but upstairs is where the action was. The second floor had a Ska band called Bombskare from Edinburgh playing. They were super cool and not sure the last time we had heard any Ska bands but it was a nice treat! We headed there with Colleen from California and Daniel from Germany. It was good times had by all!!! Tons of dancing and signing!!
Saturday, June 26th
Got the 1045 bus to Fort William this morning...both of us not feeling great with waves of nausea on the bus ride. Meghan was certain she was going to be sick but we made it!!! Feeling much better when we got some fresh Fort William air and a bit of lunch in us. Fort William is pretty small and not a whole lot going on but it does have some great scenery and Ben Nevis...the highest point in Scotland!! It is some 2400 ft to the top. We were a little intimidated by its height...it puts Arthur's seat to shame!! Needless to say we did not even attempt to climb it with the few hours we had in Fort William. We did however, do some adventure seeking...we headed to the Glen Nevis centre which is the starting point for the climb up big benny!! It was absolutely gorgeous...the hills/mountains are so overwhelming and just amazing to be so close to. The stream that ran along side was cool too. It was pretty rocky with some rapids and wildlife. We took a walk along the river path and adventured in for some neat scenery. We even stopped to touch the wishing rock...a little luck never hurts!! In no time we had made it back into town, grabbed a bite to eat and were back on the bus, this time heading to Oban. It was a short bus ride and we arrived at a small fishing town on the West coast of Scotland. Oban is small and quaint and just like the rest of Scotland, has long, long days!!! The sun doesn't set till midnight and is back up by 4ish. It makes it difficult to sleep in but who needs sleep when you are on an adventure!!!! We'll sleep when we're dead!!!
Sunday, June 27th
Early start in Oban, grabbed some breaky at the hostel and was off to make the 0955 ferry to Isle of Mull. In true Heather and Meghan fashion, they were calling final boarding as we showed up and therefore missed it. OOps!! So we had a couple of hours to kill before the noon ferry so we went to the tower at the top of the hill in Oban. It was a stone colluseum looking structure overlooking Oban and the water and was a memorial for the McCaig family built in 1897. It was pretty cool but Oban isn't teaming with things to do and see...so we hit up the war museum. For lunch we grabbed a seafood cup from a truck vendor. Oban is Scotland's seafood capital so it was only fitting that we had mussels, shrimp, lobster, and cockle's...mmm...so we had a 45 minute ferry ride to Isle of Mull and only had about 2 hours on the island. So more adventuring to be had...we didn't have enough time to go into the town of Tobermory or to make it over to Duart castle either, so we took a nature walk along the coast. There was a path that led us to a smaller castle that could only be viewed from the outside. We could however see Duart castle from the woods...pretty amazing even from afar. We met an older couple along our walk and they told us that there was a train to go back to the ferry. So we ventured along the path a bit further and found a 'mini train' and mini it was!!! It was a coal operated train that ran along the coast line. It was neat to take that back and we got some pretty hilarious photo's to boot. Then came the rain...lol we have had amazing weather "knock wood" the entire trip...until now!! We got poured on from the short walk from the train to the ferry and it continued off and on for the rest of the night. Back in Oban we grabbed our things and headed for dinner. We once again thought, if we are in the seafood capital of Scotland, seafood it shall be! The chowder was amazing and the fish was pretty good...just greasy is all! We had a bus to catch after that so we grabbed our things and headed to the bus station. Off to Glasgow...again! :) Carol Ann and Margaret kindly picked us up from the bus station again and family reunion part 2 commenced. Frances, Derek, Ashley and Jared all came over to say hi once again. We had roasted cheese...Heather wasn't kidding...soooooo good!!!! It was essentially melted cheese on a piece of bread but as heather puts it..."its the fattiness of the cheese and the thin bread that makes it taste so good". Anyhow, we headed to bed shortly after and had a jam packed day ahead!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Edinburgh and Inverness
Wednesday, June 23rd
Early morning wake up in Motherwell. Uncle John was picking us up in Motherwell at "745 and we "know what Uncle John is like if you're late" or so we were told!!! So an early morning start to Peebles where he and Aunt Helen live. They have a beautiful view of the mountains and countryside. It's about 20 mins from Edinburgh. They live on sheep and chicken farmland...the views were incredible. Uncle John made us a hearty breakfast and took us on a tour of the chicken farm. It was really neat to see the egg harvesting process...the last thing we thought we would do in Scotland would be to hang on a farm. lol. John and Helen were kind to drive us into Edinburgh. Another adventure to be had when we were dropped off at Waverley stn. The thing about Edinburgh that we soon discovered is that the streets are not level and have steep inclines and declines. It was a hike up and down no matter where you were heading. So touristy us, are following our map and end up on the 'high' streets instead of the 'low' ones where our hostel is located. It didn't take us long to realize our error and get back on the right path...we were greeted with about 100 stairs though that we never had to take!!! Packs and stairs are not a good combination but we are definately getting our exercise and getting a good sweat on (SWODY). We arrived at our hostel at about 1245 and were glad to see that our room was ready and we could officially check in. Cute little hostel with a lot of common rooms and 'chill out' spaces. We settled in and did some more planning for the coming weeks. We are now booked up until July 1st, CANADA DAY, in Dublin. So we wanted to see a bit of Edinburgh before dark and get an authentic Scottish dinner. We wanted to go to Holyrood Park and climbed up to Arthur's seat which is the highest point of the hills in Holyrood and is 820 feet. It was amazing!!! We could see all of Edinburgh and had amazing views of beyond the city. After a few whipe out's and a very windy top, we were headed out for supper. We used our handy dandy Europe guide (thanks grandma and grandpa Wilson)and found a quaint little place called the Monster Mash just up from our hostel (and yes it was literally up, crazy Edinburgh streets). We decided that we couldn't go to Scotland and not try some Haggis so we had Haggis and Shepard's pie. The haggis was surprisingly good and was just like ground beef with spices and was served with mash and turnip or neeps.
Since it was our only night in Edinburgh we had decided that we should go out and get out on the town. The hostel that we were staying at had a pub crawl everynight and was led by the employees. So we thought it would be a great and cheap way to see the town and a great way to meet people at the hostel. So at 9pm we meet in the lobby and surprise, surprise, DJ Alex, our guide is Australian. I don't think anyone else works in the UK. So we met some friends from all over, Orangeville, Quebec City, France, and of course Australia. It was a really cool night. We went to an Oz bar first and the Australia-Serbia game was playing...needless to say it was BUSY!!! Next stop was an Irish pub and they had a great little band who played a lot of Irish tunes but to our great surprise they played Barrett's Privateer...you better believe we sang and danced along. We then went to some metal bar...slightly sketchy but they had really cheap drinks...mixed drinks were a pound each. Final stop was a dance club that was more like a sauna, but we had a great time anyhow.
Thursday, June 24
Edinburgh adventuring day. We set out for Mary King's close which is the underground city that was build on top of. It was really neat to be down in the old city but they have a lot of ghost stories and such...a little eerie but also very corny. Next we were off to Edinburgh castle...wow what a huge thing that is to see...there is so much history that you cannot possibly take it all in, in just one day. It was really cool to see though and learn a bit of the history. We were then on the move again...this time we were heading to Inverness. We said fairwell to our Edinburgh mates and to the highlands we go!!! We hopped on the bus and away we went!! We arrived in Inverness just shortly after 9 and we found the hostel in no time. It really did help that it was a stones throw away from the bus station...you can literally see the hostel from the bus station!! Came in, was greeted by yet another Australian working at the hostel and settled in. I then had the chance to Skype with my Mom, Dad and Max which was really cool!!! The common room did start to fill up and get pretty noisy. The hostel has a guitar, piano and didge that were all being played so it was a quick but good skype. We met a few other people staying at the hostel and ended up heading out to the pub with them...so much for a quiet night in! We went to a really small place that had a live band but was for the most part locals only. To our surprise we were sitting amoung a local celebrity. Duncan was a young Invernesion who recently was filmed in the Robin Hood movie. It was cool to hear about filming and he actually had a battle wound...they didn't find out till much later though as his screaming appeared as acting amoungst the battle scene. We then headed back to our hostel for an impromptu jam session...Heather and I were vocalists...:)!!!bahaha!
Friday, June 25
Slept in a bit today but got out of bed and ready for about lunch time. We had mentioned that we have not yet had pizza, which is a staple for an afterbar snack, but everything closes early that it just hasn't happened. So, for "brunch" today we ordered a pizza and were in heaven!!!! We decided that today was the day we had to hunt for 'Nessie'. So we booked a cruise to Loch Ness that ended at Urquhart castle. It was a really nice boat ride on the water and we found nessie beached on the coast (pictures to come soon). Hooray, we saw nessie!!! Thought that would never happen!! hehe Urquhart was really neat although it was ruins from the bombing of the castle. There was even a wedding there today...Heather was right in the action photographing the bagpiper (don't worry Mom, I didn't crash another wedding). We then headed back home to grab some dinner and beer (have I mentioned how cheap beers are here?). Tonight we are heading out to Hootananny's (sp?)an Scotish pub here in Inverness!!! But for now we are just chillin out watching the Spain and Chile game with a ton of Spanards...should be entertaining!!! Tomorrow we are off to Fort William and Oban...lets hope for continued good weather and good times!!!!
Early morning wake up in Motherwell. Uncle John was picking us up in Motherwell at "745 and we "know what Uncle John is like if you're late" or so we were told!!! So an early morning start to Peebles where he and Aunt Helen live. They have a beautiful view of the mountains and countryside. It's about 20 mins from Edinburgh. They live on sheep and chicken farmland...the views were incredible. Uncle John made us a hearty breakfast and took us on a tour of the chicken farm. It was really neat to see the egg harvesting process...the last thing we thought we would do in Scotland would be to hang on a farm. lol. John and Helen were kind to drive us into Edinburgh. Another adventure to be had when we were dropped off at Waverley stn. The thing about Edinburgh that we soon discovered is that the streets are not level and have steep inclines and declines. It was a hike up and down no matter where you were heading. So touristy us, are following our map and end up on the 'high' streets instead of the 'low' ones where our hostel is located. It didn't take us long to realize our error and get back on the right path...we were greeted with about 100 stairs though that we never had to take!!! Packs and stairs are not a good combination but we are definately getting our exercise and getting a good sweat on (SWODY). We arrived at our hostel at about 1245 and were glad to see that our room was ready and we could officially check in. Cute little hostel with a lot of common rooms and 'chill out' spaces. We settled in and did some more planning for the coming weeks. We are now booked up until July 1st, CANADA DAY, in Dublin. So we wanted to see a bit of Edinburgh before dark and get an authentic Scottish dinner. We wanted to go to Holyrood Park and climbed up to Arthur's seat which is the highest point of the hills in Holyrood and is 820 feet. It was amazing!!! We could see all of Edinburgh and had amazing views of beyond the city. After a few whipe out's and a very windy top, we were headed out for supper. We used our handy dandy Europe guide (thanks grandma and grandpa Wilson)and found a quaint little place called the Monster Mash just up from our hostel (and yes it was literally up, crazy Edinburgh streets). We decided that we couldn't go to Scotland and not try some Haggis so we had Haggis and Shepard's pie. The haggis was surprisingly good and was just like ground beef with spices and was served with mash and turnip or neeps.
Since it was our only night in Edinburgh we had decided that we should go out and get out on the town. The hostel that we were staying at had a pub crawl everynight and was led by the employees. So we thought it would be a great and cheap way to see the town and a great way to meet people at the hostel. So at 9pm we meet in the lobby and surprise, surprise, DJ Alex, our guide is Australian. I don't think anyone else works in the UK. So we met some friends from all over, Orangeville, Quebec City, France, and of course Australia. It was a really cool night. We went to an Oz bar first and the Australia-Serbia game was playing...needless to say it was BUSY!!! Next stop was an Irish pub and they had a great little band who played a lot of Irish tunes but to our great surprise they played Barrett's Privateer...you better believe we sang and danced along. We then went to some metal bar...slightly sketchy but they had really cheap drinks...mixed drinks were a pound each. Final stop was a dance club that was more like a sauna, but we had a great time anyhow.
Thursday, June 24
Edinburgh adventuring day. We set out for Mary King's close which is the underground city that was build on top of. It was really neat to be down in the old city but they have a lot of ghost stories and such...a little eerie but also very corny. Next we were off to Edinburgh castle...wow what a huge thing that is to see...there is so much history that you cannot possibly take it all in, in just one day. It was really cool to see though and learn a bit of the history. We were then on the move again...this time we were heading to Inverness. We said fairwell to our Edinburgh mates and to the highlands we go!!! We hopped on the bus and away we went!! We arrived in Inverness just shortly after 9 and we found the hostel in no time. It really did help that it was a stones throw away from the bus station...you can literally see the hostel from the bus station!! Came in, was greeted by yet another Australian working at the hostel and settled in. I then had the chance to Skype with my Mom, Dad and Max which was really cool!!! The common room did start to fill up and get pretty noisy. The hostel has a guitar, piano and didge that were all being played so it was a quick but good skype. We met a few other people staying at the hostel and ended up heading out to the pub with them...so much for a quiet night in! We went to a really small place that had a live band but was for the most part locals only. To our surprise we were sitting amoung a local celebrity. Duncan was a young Invernesion who recently was filmed in the Robin Hood movie. It was cool to hear about filming and he actually had a battle wound...they didn't find out till much later though as his screaming appeared as acting amoungst the battle scene. We then headed back to our hostel for an impromptu jam session...Heather and I were vocalists...:)!!!bahaha!
Friday, June 25
Slept in a bit today but got out of bed and ready for about lunch time. We had mentioned that we have not yet had pizza, which is a staple for an afterbar snack, but everything closes early that it just hasn't happened. So, for "brunch" today we ordered a pizza and were in heaven!!!! We decided that today was the day we had to hunt for 'Nessie'. So we booked a cruise to Loch Ness that ended at Urquhart castle. It was a really nice boat ride on the water and we found nessie beached on the coast (pictures to come soon). Hooray, we saw nessie!!! Thought that would never happen!! hehe Urquhart was really neat although it was ruins from the bombing of the castle. There was even a wedding there today...Heather was right in the action photographing the bagpiper (don't worry Mom, I didn't crash another wedding). We then headed back home to grab some dinner and beer (have I mentioned how cheap beers are here?). Tonight we are heading out to Hootananny's (sp?)an Scotish pub here in Inverness!!! But for now we are just chillin out watching the Spain and Chile game with a ton of Spanards...should be entertaining!!! Tomorrow we are off to Fort William and Oban...lets hope for continued good weather and good times!!!!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Glasgow and Motherwell
So we made it alive to Glasgow! We were greeted at the bus station by Heather's Aunt Margaret and cousin Carol Ann in the beemer! lol. It was just a short drive to Motherwell where we set up shop in her beautiful home. We were so glad to have a warm bed and not have to sleep with or lock up our valuables...the things we take for granted! We are able to call back home and talk to our family for a few minutes to check in and wish our Fausher's a Happy Father's Day...although Heather did have to email after as she forgot to wish her dad a good father's day. After a marvelous sleep in our own double bed...we were off to Glasgow. We took the local express bus into town (as we have now honed in on our navigation skills we felt confident hopin on a bus). We had some lunch at a pub and started our shopping and adventuring. We went to George's square, central station, there are lots of walking streets with good shopping, walked along the Clyde (river), found the tall ships, walked up to Glasgow University and found a patio to settle for Supper. The shopping in Glasgow was great and I (Meghan) did give in and make my first purchase...I should mention though that I justified my purchase by the fact that a) it was a gift and b) that it was size 6-12 mos so was small enough to fit in my overpacked bag. After supper we were then going to go out on the town till about 11 as thats when the last train leaves for Motherwell, but everything closed at 6 and we were bored. So, instead we grabbed some beers (super cheap booze fyi) and headed back to book more legs of our trip. So after much debate and planning we have now booked Edinburgh, Inverness, Fort William, Oban and then back to Glasgow to depart for Stranraer ferry to Belfast on Monday. VERY EXCITING!!!
Jan 22
Lazy day in Motherwell. We slept in today and then headed into Motherwell for the famous lunch at Onesti's!! Chips and curry was our mission and was not disappointed. We then checked out the town and library for some printing!! If anything we have had amazing weather!!! KNOCK WOOD!!! It has rained only once while we were in London and and it was for only 30 mins and we were indoors watching Football anyhow. Today the weather is beautiful sunny summer weather!! So we are drinking some cold beers and relaxing at the house. The family came over tonight and had dinner and a good visit. We had Indian food (soooo good) and we bought non-alcoholic Becks haha soooo not like us. We thought we were getting a really good deal...haha we were definately in for a surprise. Next stop Edinburgh!!!
Jan 22
Lazy day in Motherwell. We slept in today and then headed into Motherwell for the famous lunch at Onesti's!! Chips and curry was our mission and was not disappointed. We then checked out the town and library for some printing!! If anything we have had amazing weather!!! KNOCK WOOD!!! It has rained only once while we were in London and and it was for only 30 mins and we were indoors watching Football anyhow. Today the weather is beautiful sunny summer weather!! So we are drinking some cold beers and relaxing at the house. The family came over tonight and had dinner and a good visit. We had Indian food (soooo good) and we bought non-alcoholic Becks haha soooo not like us. We thought we were getting a really good deal...haha we were definately in for a surprise. Next stop Edinburgh!!!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Bye, bye London, Hellooooo Scotland!!!
Our last night in London included a visit from an old friend of Heather’s, Heather Macdonald. She is living in the southshore of England, about a 2 hr train ride to London. She met up with us and stayed at the hostel with us. We didn’t get into too much exciting that night but it was great for Heather and Heather to catch up and to get to meet her.
June 19th, last day in London
We had a late wake up this morning but were successfully packed up just in time for lunch. We had our very first meal of fish and chips in the UK. It was a place recommended by an Australian friend who has been living in London. It was really good haddock but also very filling. We said our goodbyes to our new friends at the hostel and the three of us headed to Victoria station where we then parted from Heather Macdonald. We were off to Manchester and really excited to be on the move again. We ended up driving through London and down Abbey road. I got to see Abbey Road studios which was disappointing but exciting none the less. The outside has a concrete wall around the base of it that is covered in spray paint and although you can see the front of it, had no write up or anything interesting to see. Anyhow back on the bus, we were exhausted and glad to have a 5 hour bus ride ahead of us. The bus ride has some beautiful scenery (thanks Jax!) and the countryside was a really nice route. When we arrived in Manchester, we were once again directionally challenged and unsure of where we were heading. We did soon figure it out and arrived at the “Hilton” hostel in no time. It was a really nice hostel and very clean but it was no Hilton. It was nice to know that we were in an 8 bed room tonight though and would definitely have some much needed beauty sleep. It was pretty late when we had gotten settled and everything closes early in England and dinner choices were quite limited. We did however, find a yummy kebab stand to have donner’s and salad at. Then we headed back to the hostel and met some of our roommates. We met a girl from Vancouver who worked for Simon Fraser University and her job is to set up international exchanges so she was there on business (sounds like a really cool job) and a 40 something Indian man from Glasgow who was a performer and quite popular from what we gathered in Asian and middle eastern television. He was getting ready for his big show tonight so us girls naturally had some input on his outfit and makeup. After we got everything organized for the following day we were tucked in and sleeping soundly.
June 20th, Fathers day (and also a very interesting holiday)
We woke up this morning with not much planned but eager to see Manchester. Our first stop was the Manchester Cathedral which was large and nice looking from the street but after seeing St. Paul’s in London we weren’t quite as intrigued. We did however stay for mass! Shopping time!! The biggest disappointment yet! The shopping was so great and cheap and we had nowhere to put anything...I think I was the most disappointed but Heather did find some gems too. Oh well, next time!!! Next we used our newly found public transit knowledge to take the tram down to Old Trafford stadium in the southwest part of town. It was quite industrial and not much to look at however, the cricket stadium and Manchester United stadium was cool to see. I (Meghan) took a picture of some random Thompson footy players name hoping that he was the Thompson in my history that did play for Manchester...we shall see...:)! On our way back into town, we noticed a sign for Manchester day, wouldn’t you know it, it was Manchester day today!! Heather and I thought that today would be pretty dull and not much to see/do in Manchester since it is a Sunday but instead we watched the Manchester Day parade. It was really neat and quite the production. There were some lavish floats and some interesting performances. It was definitely the highlight of Heather’s day, it probably didn’t hurt that they were playing the bagpipes too. After the parade and a quick bite to eat it was time to grab our packs and head to the coach station for our next journey to Glasgow. We got in touch with Heather’s aunt Margaret who so kindly agreed to meet us at the coach station. So we are spending tonight in Motherwell, just outside of Glasgow and will be spending a few days in and around Glasgow. We are on the coach currently and having a nice tour through the lake district for another nice scenic route through the countryside. It is absolutely beautiful...excited for Scotland and visiting family. We will try to post pictures soon seeing as we are pretty camera happy it may be awhile. Now wish us luck as we brave the Scots and seek out some Haggis and chips of course!!!
Friday, June 18, 2010
London
So we made it alive...barely but we did! Our flight was great and we got a few little perks...it was long but good! Not surprisingly, we met a nurse on the flight who sat with us!!! We had an "interesting experience" at customs. Apparantly they don't like when Canadians show up with no visa or prospect of working and don't have a return flight...oops!!! The lady also asked me (Meghan) if Heather was my partner or just my friend...we had a good chuckle. We made it through though and we off to see England. We took our first train from Gatwick to Victoria stn in central London loaded down and already regretting packing those extras. We got into London with no clue where we were going but knowing our hostel was an 8 minute walk from the station and the address. Apparantly its not a well known street and our maps cut off the street. We circled around for like 90mins hating life with sore backs. Finally we found out that the street names change and we walked right by it. We made it and were definately ready for a brew...conveniently, the pub is the hostel. We instantly met up with some Aussies (one of whom works there) and had a "quiet" night in...we did however, squeeze in a trip to Battersea Park (gorgeous)!! The boys grabbed some brews and had a little "roadie" in the park.
930am Thursday we were up at on the town. The heather and meghan walking tour of London. Our Aussie friends Ben and Jake came along and we discovered that our navigation skills need some fine tuning but we accomplished a lot. We saw Oxford circus, trafalger square, covent gardern, and finally St. Paul's cathedral. St. Paul's was so amazing and we climbed the 500+ stairs to the look out and definately didn't regret it (thanks for the tip Bran). We also walked over the millenium bridge and hung out on the Thames. After St. Paul's it was time to take the tube across London to the cricket match!! hehe. The aussies know their cricket and were stoked! The best part about the brits is that you can bring a bottle of wine in the stadium with you!! BONUS! So we learned the game of cricket and enjoyed some vino...next stop...aussie bar!! lol. We finished the night singing and dancing with new friends that we met at the match (also aussies).
Friday the 18th...
Nice little sleep in this morning. We made it for the changing of the guards at buckingham palace...pretty cool!! It was crazy busy but neat to see...good thing we are tall :)!! The queen was home so we were hoping to see her little head "pokin out" but no such luck! She must not have known we were in town otherwise we would have been there heads out the window...we do hear she is coming to Wloo to meet Basili and Lazaradus. Must catch her back home. Next stop as per Heather's only request...THE LONDON EYE...what a view, however the best part was the free 4D video in the beginning. Following the eye, we hit up big ben...or rather we walked over Westminster bridge and waved to Benny!! I then had to hit up Abbey Rd. The tourist maps don't actually show it so we went on an "adventure"!!! We took the tube...which I should mention that we can now do without our lame tourist maps. So we didn't know where we were...other than Abbey Rd...we definately went the complete opposite was of Abbey rd studios when we were maybe 200ft to the left of it...majorly disappointing when we walked for 40 mins in the opposite direction. Oh well...next time in london!! Lol. It's apparantly a big disappointment. Anyhow, we made our way back after another few hours being completely lost. The people are very helpful and friendly and really know their tube system. So we came home and saw the big game tonight...London was a bit crazy and the brits are PASSIONATE about their footy.
Anyhow, we are just finishin up for the night and we are heading to Manchester for the night tomorrow. Having a blast and meeting great people. Will keep you updated as we go and sorry for such a delayed post.
p.s. I should mention the angry brits who were less than impressed when we blew the circuit with our laptop that was also connected to the screen half hour before the game started...hehe...I thought we were going to be departed...all is well...we just tripped the breaker and all is good.
Hope all is well at home and we'll catch up soon!!
Love,
H&M
Monday, June 14, 2010
Hey,
This is our travel blog for all of our family and friends to stay in contact and follow our adventures through Europe for the next 4 months. We leave tomorrow June 15th and will begin our fun in London, England early Wednesday morning!! Please provide feedback and any sweet spots or must sees along the way. See you soon!!!
H&M
This is our travel blog for all of our family and friends to stay in contact and follow our adventures through Europe for the next 4 months. We leave tomorrow June 15th and will begin our fun in London, England early Wednesday morning!! Please provide feedback and any sweet spots or must sees along the way. See you soon!!!
H&M
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