If you’ve never been to Nova Scotia, start making your plans now. Trust me on this one. This is my fourth visit to “Canada’s Ocean Playground”, and I love it just as much as I did the first time around. Sunny, cloud-dappled skies, crisp autumn temperatures, and huge ocean swells with crashing waves made for a perfect day along Nova Scotia’s southern shore.
I made the most of my last day in Scotland, doing lots of walking and enjoying some amazing music along the way. I didn’t really have a set plan for the day other than that I wanted to see the lower end of the Royal Mile this morning and hear the Barnsley Youth Choir this afternoon. I stopped at the Fringe box office and got a ticket for the concert as well as a ticket for another concert late morning. Then I walked the length of the Royal Mile down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh). I had to walk quickly to make it back to the “Best of Broadway” concert by American Performing Arts International. The concert was excellent, with seven men and women singing tunes from lesser known and newer Broadway musicals. I didn’t know many of the songs, but the singers were great and the hour passed quickly.
I managed to pack a lot into the day today… and I still love Edinburgh, despite all the crowds! I started the morning at Mary King’s Close. This was one of the things I was most looking forward to in Edinburgh. Mary King’s Close is one of the tiny alleyways off the Royal Mile that has been preserved and turned into a museum of sorts. Sadly no photographs are allowed inside. The tour winds its way down through the close stopping at various points for some background on the locations, conditions, and families who lived in the closely packed tenement buildings (some could be as tall as 10 stories!). The tour lasted about an hour and was a neat way to see some of the original parts of the city. After the close, it was off to see the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This particular performance was staged by an American high school acting group. It was my second time seeing the play and I laughed several times and had forgotten a few of the scenes, so it was a good choice.
Edinburgh… this is the Scotland I’ve been waiting for! I took the 8AM train from Glasgow (just 45 minutes), dropped off my luggage at the hotel, then set out to explore the Old Town. I just got here, and already I don’t want to leave. This is everything I’d been hoping for in Glasgow. A woman sitting at a table next to me the other night said that Glasgow has a more trendy/hip vibe, while Edinburgh is more posh. I’m not sure I’d use the word “posh”, but I know exactly what she meant. Pubs galore, cobblestone streets, and just a more traditional British feel. I had a ticket to the castle, so I made that my first stop. I took a quick 30 minute guided tour before exploring on my own. I got to see the Scottish crown jewels and heard the 1 o’clock gun which is fired daily to allow mariners in the nearby Firth of Forth to set their clocks. I should probably mention there are tons of people here. With multiple festivals on and the military tattoo (I’ll be going to that tomorrow), Edinburgh is certainly a busy place. The Fringe Festival alone has more than 50,000 shows on over the next 3 weeks.
I’m not feeling a long blog post today – primarily because I didn’t do very much – so here are the highlights:
Today was a mix of sightseeing and gymnastics. If I was only visiting Glasgow on this trip – and aside from the gymnastics – I’d say I was ready to go home. This city just doesn’t interest me, plus the weather has been gloomy since I got here (though the sun came out this afternoon for a bit). But I’m heading to Edinburgh on Monday for three days at the Fringe Festival, and I have a feeling Edinburgh will be more my type of city.
Another day of gymnastics. Since I hadn’t decided whether to do a day trip today or go to the Junior Women’s gymnastics, I waited to buy my ticket until yesterday and was in the very back row on one side of the arena. Hardly close enough to see anything. People don’t seem to show up for all of the sessions, so there were plenty of empty seats and I was able to move closer for all of the sessions.
Today was the first day of the European Gymnastics Championships, so I spent most of the day at the SSE Hydro arena taking in the action. I didn’t feel like I was missing very much sightseeing-wise. As a city, I feel like there isn’t a whole lot to interest me in Glasgow, and I saw the highlights I wanted to see yesterday. Anything else will be a bonus. Contrary to yesterday’s prediction, I slept pretty well, save for about 3 hours in the middle of the night when I couldn’t fall back to sleep. So I slept from about 4:30 to 9 last night, and again from midnight til about 5:45 this morning. Not too bad.
So, Scotland again… for 2 reasons this time:
1. I had to include the U.K. in my “Year of Travel”
2. The European Gymnastics Championships (Euros) are taking place in Glasgow this week.
In fact, the Euros were my motivation for booking the trip in the first place. Even though I’m here for the gymnastics, the European Championships actually encompasses 7 different sports and includes 4,500 athletes from all across Europe.
I spent the day among the redwoods and along the coast today. After a rejuvenating ten hours of sleep, I went for a non-sugary breakfast (I know, what’s wrong with me?!) at the hotel and then set out for Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Guerneville. I have been to Muir Woods before, and Armstrong Redwoods has the same beauty without the crowds. There are several trails you can take, but I settled for a loop walk on a couple of shorter trails. I am always amazed by the sheer size of the giant trees and the knowledge that those same trees have been in the same spot for centuries.
Traveling with Laura 