November

I apologize for not posting as regularly as I would like, time has been flying and nothing too notable has happened. I have one essay done at least in first draft form (on WSIS and Internet Governance), and am compiling research for my second now (on the UN General Assembly). I hope to get the second done this week and the third the week after - because then my mom and sister come to Edinburgh and we are off to Italy for Christmas!

Scotland doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving (obviously), and thus we have no break from classes, however I decided to take my own vacation. My friend Zak and I ventured to Barcelona, Spain! We left in the evening on 17 Nov and flew back the night of 21 Nov. It was a phenomenal trip - among other things, we wandered all around the city, saw a lot of Gaudi architecture, explored museums and shops in the Gothic District, ate some authentic Catalan and Spanish food, traveled outside the city to a beach town called Sitges, and had a little taste of Barcelona night life. My favorite Gaudi site was definitely the Sagrada Familia. Construction began on the huge cathedral-esque building in 1909 and it is still in the process of being completed! Aside from Spain just being gorgeous, it was also warm and sunny- A great break from Scotland, where we had left a long stretch of cold, rainy days! I had two friends in Barcelona, one studying there for a semester and the other visiting him for a few weeks. It was really nice to spend some time with home friends, it made the whole trip extra exciting.

Although I was very stressed about taking a vacation in the middle of essay writing, and I was exhausted right when I got back, I have actually felt surprisingly refreshed since returning. I was so bogged down in work right before I left that taking a complete break allowed me to come back to my essays with a renewed energy. I am back to the grind now, however.

Another update, last night was the first snow here! We had heard it was snowing farther north already, but we had yet to get any flakes. Last night what started as a light flurry turned into a decent snow that actually stuck. Now the roads, rooftops and hills are all coated with a light layer of snow, and the snow dusted city is absolutely stunning. Think 101 Dalmatians. Last night I was out with friends and our long walk across the meadows to a party turned into a winter wonderland photo shoot. Luckily while I was in Barcelona (and taking advantage of the Euro exchange rate) I picked up a new winter jacket that is complete with a sturdy zipper, toggles and a big hood. The weather has been surprisingly nice lately, cold for sure but otherwise sunny and dry with little wind. I hope it lasts! My camera memory card isn't working right now, but when it decides to cooperate I will update with pictures of the first snow that I took last night!

Edinburgh is currently transforming into Christmas-land which, along with the snow, makes the city feel even more like a story book. They have a 4th of July style carnival here (still not sure why carnivals in winter are considered a good idea) and set up a whole outdoor ice skating ring down in the New Town. We were going to go check it out last night, but decided to postpone it until next week since one of my friends had to pack for a weekend in London. I accidentally admitted I used to figure skate, as most young girls do growing up in Lexington, but I am pretty sure I am just as uncomfortable on skates as if I had never donned a pair in my life. Edinburgh is also preparing for its HUGE New Years Eve festival, which I am very much looking forward to. They have a big street party and a concert, and tickets are not too expensive. Apparently they spend so much money on the festival that it is getting to be a controversial subject, especially since many locals complain about having to pay to be in the streets of their own city. I think this year they have downsized a bit, but I am glad they they didn't scrap the party all together at least while I'm here! If you want to do some reading on another controversial subject in Edinburgh, look up the debate surrounding the impending tram system!

Friends from my accommodation has a Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday that was great, and another set of friends is having a big dinner tonight. Funny enough, though, I did not actually celebrate Thanksgiving on the 25th. I did get to Skype with my mom, Carly, and with my dad's side of the family. (Dad - don't worry, I will call you after this and we can find time to Skype!) Tonight should be a great feast, I am currently distracting myself from the urge to snack so I can be ready for all the delicious food later! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving back in the U.S., survived Black Friday, and is getting ready for the winter holidays!

Highlands Trip Day 2

On Day 2 of my Highlands trip, we all woke up early to board the bus at half eight. We first went back to Loch Ness to have a second look and take pictures in the daylight- as last time we visited it was nearly 6pm and the sun was started to go down. No swimming this time around! From Loch Ness we traveled down a long, windy road along the Loch until we reached the very other end (it is nearly 22 miles long!) and stopped off at a cafe for some tea. Continuing on the windy road we passed through several hilly/mountain areas and passed by a few other famous lakes (err lochs). We then stopped off at an area with a huge supermarket to pick up some lunch before heading to Glen Coe. On the way to the famous U-shaped secluded valley we stopped off at a little hiking area where one path lead down to a huge waterfall! At the glen we did a little hillwalking and had a chance to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Scottish Highlands. The mountains are mostly grassy and barren and thus expose the gorgeous waterfalls that flow down and around them. Before re-boarding the bus, our tour guides whipped out a bottle of whiskey and passed it around for a mid afternoon morale-booster (it is Scotland after all!).

The back roads lead us to a few more scenic spots for perfect photo opportunities, a small town with the famous Hamish the Hairy Coo (just a big Highland cow), and then it was on to Sirling to see the William Wallace monument. If you don't know who William Wallace is, I suggest you watch Braveheart. I suggest you watch it anyway - if you can bear the length and Mel Gibson - to get a better understanding of Scottish history. It may not be completely historically accurate, but the movie does drill in the fact that Scottish history is defined by constant bloody battles as the Scottish clans rebelled against the British. The Wallace monument is huge and is also on top small mountain, making it visible from a good distance away. We climbed to the top of it to have have a good look over the city of Stirling and appreciate the countryside one last time as the sun was beginning to set and we were to be heading back to Edinburgh. Needless to say, by the time we arrived back home everyone was exhausted and ready to shower and head off to bed. Overall it was a great weekend away, a good learning experience as well as a ton of fun!

Highlands Trip Day 1

Over Halloween weekend, I ventured up North to what is called the "Highlands" of Scotland. We took a bus tour that is geared towards students and traveled up to Inverness (the capital of the Highlands) and back - on the way we stopped at a bunch of sites ranging from small little rural towns to the William Wallace Monument in Stirling. We made kind of a loop, if you look at the map to the left, and at the top of the loop (Inverness) is where we stayed for the night at a hostel.

As you can see on the map, we drove through Perth all the way up to Loch Ness. Our first stop was at a small town called Dunkeld that was along a gorgeous river where there was a beautiful old cathedral. Edinburgh is a beautiful city in terms of architecture, but the whole city itself is quite gray. It was really nice to get out into the countryside and have a healthy dose of autumn!

The second stop was even better - we stopped at a placed called The Hermitage which is a National Trust for Scotland reserve located on the River Braan in the Craigvinean Forest. The area was originally discovered/claimed by the Dukes of Atholl in the 18th Century who built a house nearby and constructed a meditation place called Ossian's Hall overlooking a waterfall. Now the patch of forest is believed home to some of the tallest trees in the UK. We hiked up along the river to Ossian's Hall and Black Linn Falls and while I am used to lovely New England autumn, the scenery on this hike was breathtaking.

After The Hermitage we kept driving north to Ruthvan Barracks. The Ruthvan Barracks are located on a large hill that was an ideal strategic point for battle; the first castle was reported to have been built there in 1229 but it wasn't until the 1700's that the barracks were constructed by the British government and became a focal point in their continuous battle with the Highland's Jacobites (the Scottish rebel "army" that was in a perpetual fight for independence from England). The barrack ruins were interesting, however we got there just in time to get caught in a fleeting bout of wind and rain. I would almost say it was worth it, though, because we got to witness a lovely Scotland rainbow stretching across the countryside as we were boarding the bus.

Moving on from the barracks we stopped at some old stone structures in Killiecrankie and then moved on to Culloden Battlefield where a famous battle between the British Government and the Jacobite army took place in 1746. The field now is covered with stones marking mass grave sites where different Scottish clans were buried. Although the battlefield itself had a somber feel - the battle was extremely bloody and is a big part of Scottish history - we all stopped in the modern upscale information center and had a much needed afternoon tea. On a side note, I have definitely fallen into the British habit of drinking an obscene amount of tea each day. I usually have a cup when I wake up, meet up for tea/coffee with friends at some point in the day, have a cup when I get home before/after dinner, and then some before bed. A warm cup of tea has an addictive draw to it once you begin to indulge in the habit, but I think its a healthy addiction.

At this point in the trip we were all getting a bit tired (we were all up before half seven to get ready to meet the tour) and the sun was beginning to set. Luckily, our next stop was the much anticipated Loch Ness! The tour leader driving the bus grew up and still lives in Loch Ness, so it was nice having a guide that really knew the area and could add a personal touch to the visit. This is the part where some of you might cringe in horror...but I did decide to take a dip in the Loch. Although the weather was such that only a crazy person would choose to don a swimsuit, and the water was paralyzingly cold, I knew that I would always regret not swimming in Loch Ness when I had the chance. My friend Anke and I shed our winter jackets and boots just long enough to jump in the water, pose for a few pictures, and run out. The whole experience was very exhilarating and I did not even get nibbled on by the infamous Loch Ness monster. Next stop, finally, was our hostel in Inverness where we settled in, grabbed a bite for dinner at a local pub/restaurant, and had an early night.