I've been in Edinburgh now for nearly 5 days and have been playing the part of tourist for most of that time, and I'm exhausted. I forgot how much energy it takes to properly visit a new city, checking off the sites and museums from the list of attractions to visit, stopping in every gift shop the city has to offer even though they all sell the same exact product, filling every moment of every day in with some sort of activity. Yet somehow, we can never get everything done. The good news is that I have all year to place my camera around my neck and strap a fanny pack around my waist (not really...just a tote bag over the shoulder), and finish up on those little adventures that didn't make it into the first few days of my time here.
I should go ahead and mention that my mom and my brother have been with me during beginning of this trip, so they've gotten the opportunity to partake in both the exhaustion and the excitement.
Seemingly, people inherently focus on the negative. I've heard so much about the bad weather in Edinburgh. Well, I guess I've been lucky because the weekend was absolutely gorgeous with sunny days and a nice breeze (which sometimes turned into surprising gusts of wind). But then today happened, with rain steadily sprinkling for a couple of hours at a time, intermittent with periods of overcast and wind. Delightful...for a frog. Fortunately for Edinburgh, it is an incredibly beautiful city that can withstand the less than kind rumors about its weather.
So thankfully, many of the museums in Edinburgh are free! The castle is not one of them. But the National Museum of Scotland is, and Dolly lives there. Do you remember Dolly, the sheep that was cloned in 1996? Well, I didn't see her on Friday. There's always tomorrow. But the rest of the museum was pretty cool. I was reminded that Alexander Graham Bell didn't actually invent the telephone; he just submitted his patent first. I learned about the Lewis Chessmen and their mysterious history. And I saw a steam engine that was powered by water. Ponder that one. All in all, a pretty good way to spend the afternoon.
On Saturday, we went to the castle. Wow. It's this huge building sitting on a hill, keeping watch over its little city. And after stepping through its iron gates that were once used to protect those inside the castle, we found a glorious old village around us with different buildings and vaults, all of which had been turned into some sort of museum. Of course we also joined the queue that herded us through the Royal Palace to see the Honours of Scotland, those fabulous jewels passed along and hidden through the ages. I'm always amazed at what people could create by hand hundreds of years ago. Upon leaving the castle, we strolled down the Royal Mile where we passed shop after shop of knick knacks and souvenirs. I restrained myself from buying anything. And eventually, at the bottom of the hill, we came to the Holyrood Palace, where the Queen stays when she's in Scotland. We toured around the palace and courtyard, through the abbey and the gardens. I'd live there, though I might buy a different bed. Those mattresses didn't look very comfy.
Today, Monday, my landlord drove my mom, brother, and me our of town and through the country to the Linlithgow Royal Palace, which was the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots. That was an old building, pieces of it having fallen off over time, rain and wind eroding and wearing at the stone walls. The palace looks over a wee loch at the foot of its stoop and is flanked by the old church. The church was originally built in 1241 (I think), and it's retained some of its aged character, even through the restoration and is a beautiful example of its architectural age. After leaving the palace, we drove back into town, over to Holyrood Park and up toward Arthur's Seat. (I'll have more to say about Arthur's Seat when I actually hike it.)
And then in came time to say goodbye to my mom and brother. It's been pretty easy being there because I've simply been on vacation with them. But as their vacation ends and they head back to Atlanta, mine also ends yet I'm staying here. It was a brief but difficult walk, leaving the train station alone after I saw them off, but I managed to suppress my emotion, pretend I'm okay, and move on with settling into the city on my own. This evening, I got my bank account, my cell phone, and went grocery shopping. I even started to unpack my stuff in my flat. It's really beginning, and I'm very torn. I'm so excited to be here, but I've never felt such a strong pull to go back home to what I know. It'll be a transition, a difficult transition, and I feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants. But I can't stop time, and I can't run home, so I better get ready because the adventure continues...tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment