the land of braveheart, tartans, kilts and clans

this is just a continuation of my previous blog. i wanted to put it up here because scotland is, for me, the best place i've been to when i visited the uk. it's such a pleasant place, where you are just a stone's throw away a mountain where you can be quiet and think, or a castle where you can reflect on history. i also like the people -- it seems they are friendlier way up there than people in the south (they are busier people, i would guess). well, that's just my opinion. don't get me wrong though. all my friends in that country live way down south :)

*****

 

Esplanade, Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

where does the bedrock end and the castle wall begins?

Edinburgh Castle from Princes Street

Holyrood abbey ruins at the Holyrood grounds 

(just at the opposite end of the road leading to Edinburgh Castle)

the best thing i saw in the national museum, aside from the egyptian mummy and casket, was this millennium clock that is turned by wheels from the bottom up

spring 2004. on my own, i made a weekend trip to edinburgh. started out friday afternoon from cambridge, took a bus at victoria coach station in london and an eight hour long trip to edinburgh. made this trip on my second weekend (i think) in the uk. it was scary, yet exciting. around 2 am saturday, our bus had some problems so we were made to wait outside the stop station where it was freezing cold. we could see the very air we breathe out turn to visible air right away. it was like breathing in ice. luckily, after about thirty minutes of waiting in the outside cold (it seemed like forever at that time), the replacement bus arrived and we were made to go inside right away with the bus driver shouting at us: "mind the gap, please." upon arrival at the edinburgh coach station, i had a quick fixing up to do, a little breakfast, then off i was to this solo adventure! i was just glad i could read a map or else i'd be lost for sure!