On to Endinburgh
On the third day of our trip, we were back on the bus to head on to Scotland. I was especially excited to see Edinburgh, as I had heard nothing but good things about it. We were up early again in order to have a 9am departure time from the town of Ambleside. Honestly, I was sad to say goodbye to this village and the lake district. This is definitely a place I want to return to. Not only is it beautiful but the people are so nice and accommodating.
One of the downsides to the UK is their lack of highways. This can prove an annoyance when travelling many miles by bus. The snaking back roads are riddled with potholes and the turns that jostle the passengers are felt much more when elevated another few metres. As I was one of the last on the bus, I had the misfortune of sitting at the very back of the bus, where the jostling and turns were felt the most. The four of us that sat in the back were left to huddle on top of each other in hope of sleep as a respite of the stomach-churning movements. We managed to make it from Ambleside to Hadrian's wall, our first stop of the trip that day.
Hadrian's wall is an old Roman creation that basically marked the end of Roman territory in Britain. everything to the North of it was seen as too wild. When the Romans invaded Britain, they were met with resistance from different groups, including the Picts to the north (modern day Scotland). It was started in 122 AD and is one of the largest Roman ruins that still exists. While the main wall is now no more than a few feet high in most areas, it would have been a sight to see back in its hayday. Nowadays this UNESCO site can be trecked. The total 80 miles is a popular multi-day backpacking expedition that takes adventurers through the very heart of English countryside. There are many different popular stopping points in towns and visitor centres where one can stop along the side of the road and see the wall. One of the main points to see is the Housestead and Roman fort. With a mini-museum and gift shop, this National Trust centre will help visitors look back at life thousands of years ago in the ancient British north. The Housestead is the location of one of the outposts where the soldiers had their barracks, one of the generals had his house, and many other citizens had settled. This village was the site of more than a few battles at the Roman soldiers would woudl defend sections along this region of the wall agaisnt attacks from the northern barbarians, as the Romans called them. On the other side of the wall lived the Scottish Celtic tribes who would routinely attack the wall in order to stake their claim on the land. To the Romans, this was the very edge of the world, any further could mean certain death. On an important side note, if you do happen to stop at the Housestead specifically to experience the wall, I woudl watch our for sheep poo, as the ruins are in an open field that seems to occasionally contain the wool-ridden animals.
The creation of Hadrian's wall has created a pretty significant political border. Though built in ancient times, this wall would pretty much stay the dividing line between England, and Scotland. It doesn't follow exactly but the fact that it gets very close shows the impact that the ancient peoples have had on the creation of what the United Kingdom is today. Every part of history I think plays a role in how we view countries, nations, and ethnicities. Over time, major events in history can be spun and woven into a myth of local history. The Romans left a very large historical footprint. Arguably without them, the United Kingdom, would not exist as it does today. Their invasion and introduction of advanced technologies into the region played an instrumental role in the history of the UK, and England specifically.
After visiting Hadrian's wall, we continued our journey North until we reached our destination of Edinburgh. Everyone, being exhausted from the long hike the day before and the uncomfortable coach ride went their separate ways for the evening. My friends and I ventured out into the city in order to find some worthwhile food. I was very determined to eat proper haggis. The others in my group of the evening were not as keen on the idea of eating sheep innards, so we had to find a place with a wider selection of foods on their menu. We eventually agreed on a place and not only did I get to eat Haggis, which came in the form of a burger (not something I suggest), but we also got to try a very Scottish beverage known as Irn bru. This pop has an odd flavour, that can only be described as an orange lollipop watered down and mixed with mineral water. It is such an odd thing. It is worth noting that there sadly this beverage is not widely available outside of the UK due to the nature of its chemical components, including a red food dye that has been banned from North America. I actually enjoyed the haggis that I ate, though I had deconstructed the burger. Honestly, it tastes like a sausage but it is very fatty. I could not finish all of it because it seemed to expand in my stomach.
Aside from what we had planned as part of the program, most of the students on the trip had a very specific location they wanted to see and experience. The Elephant House is a cafe in Edinburgh that has become very famous since it has been coined "the birthplace of Harry Potter." It was within this cafe and another one called Spoons that J K Rowling wrote a good majority of some of the Harry Potter books. Though the original birthplace of Harry Potter, arguably was the train that took her from Manchester to London, where she first had the idea for a boy wizard and a magical school. No matter though because this cafe has really good food, and the eclectic collection of elephant-themed artwork is enough to leave visitors with a calm vide one can only get from a good cafe. The cafe can get rather busy with Potter fans flocking in the tens at once, as well as other people who simply want to go for the good food and drinks. If you do go, I would suggest not using the bathroom. It has become a shrine to Harry Potter and J K Rowling with thousands of penned notes all across the walls. While some people may find it cool or interesting, I found it unnerving. I can't quite explain it but it's a little insane.
Walking around Edinburgh made me fall in love with it. There is something about the old stone buildings, with many of them having turrets, and the castle overlooking the city that makes it feel magical. I will make a note though that when visiting, make sure to bring a jacket as it can get very cold and windy very quickly.
One of the downsides to the UK is their lack of highways. This can prove an annoyance when travelling many miles by bus. The snaking back roads are riddled with potholes and the turns that jostle the passengers are felt much more when elevated another few metres. As I was one of the last on the bus, I had the misfortune of sitting at the very back of the bus, where the jostling and turns were felt the most. The four of us that sat in the back were left to huddle on top of each other in hope of sleep as a respite of the stomach-churning movements. We managed to make it from Ambleside to Hadrian's wall, our first stop of the trip that day.
Hadrian's wall is an old Roman creation that basically marked the end of Roman territory in Britain. everything to the North of it was seen as too wild. When the Romans invaded Britain, they were met with resistance from different groups, including the Picts to the north (modern day Scotland). It was started in 122 AD and is one of the largest Roman ruins that still exists. While the main wall is now no more than a few feet high in most areas, it would have been a sight to see back in its hayday. Nowadays this UNESCO site can be trecked. The total 80 miles is a popular multi-day backpacking expedition that takes adventurers through the very heart of English countryside. There are many different popular stopping points in towns and visitor centres where one can stop along the side of the road and see the wall. One of the main points to see is the Housestead and Roman fort. With a mini-museum and gift shop, this National Trust centre will help visitors look back at life thousands of years ago in the ancient British north. The Housestead is the location of one of the outposts where the soldiers had their barracks, one of the generals had his house, and many other citizens had settled. This village was the site of more than a few battles at the Roman soldiers would woudl defend sections along this region of the wall agaisnt attacks from the northern barbarians, as the Romans called them. On the other side of the wall lived the Scottish Celtic tribes who would routinely attack the wall in order to stake their claim on the land. To the Romans, this was the very edge of the world, any further could mean certain death. On an important side note, if you do happen to stop at the Housestead specifically to experience the wall, I woudl watch our for sheep poo, as the ruins are in an open field that seems to occasionally contain the wool-ridden animals.
The creation of Hadrian's wall has created a pretty significant political border. Though built in ancient times, this wall would pretty much stay the dividing line between England, and Scotland. It doesn't follow exactly but the fact that it gets very close shows the impact that the ancient peoples have had on the creation of what the United Kingdom is today. Every part of history I think plays a role in how we view countries, nations, and ethnicities. Over time, major events in history can be spun and woven into a myth of local history. The Romans left a very large historical footprint. Arguably without them, the United Kingdom, would not exist as it does today. Their invasion and introduction of advanced technologies into the region played an instrumental role in the history of the UK, and England specifically.
After visiting Hadrian's wall, we continued our journey North until we reached our destination of Edinburgh. Everyone, being exhausted from the long hike the day before and the uncomfortable coach ride went their separate ways for the evening. My friends and I ventured out into the city in order to find some worthwhile food. I was very determined to eat proper haggis. The others in my group of the evening were not as keen on the idea of eating sheep innards, so we had to find a place with a wider selection of foods on their menu. We eventually agreed on a place and not only did I get to eat Haggis, which came in the form of a burger (not something I suggest), but we also got to try a very Scottish beverage known as Irn bru. This pop has an odd flavour, that can only be described as an orange lollipop watered down and mixed with mineral water. It is such an odd thing. It is worth noting that there sadly this beverage is not widely available outside of the UK due to the nature of its chemical components, including a red food dye that has been banned from North America. I actually enjoyed the haggis that I ate, though I had deconstructed the burger. Honestly, it tastes like a sausage but it is very fatty. I could not finish all of it because it seemed to expand in my stomach.
Aside from what we had planned as part of the program, most of the students on the trip had a very specific location they wanted to see and experience. The Elephant House is a cafe in Edinburgh that has become very famous since it has been coined "the birthplace of Harry Potter." It was within this cafe and another one called Spoons that J K Rowling wrote a good majority of some of the Harry Potter books. Though the original birthplace of Harry Potter, arguably was the train that took her from Manchester to London, where she first had the idea for a boy wizard and a magical school. No matter though because this cafe has really good food, and the eclectic collection of elephant-themed artwork is enough to leave visitors with a calm vide one can only get from a good cafe. The cafe can get rather busy with Potter fans flocking in the tens at once, as well as other people who simply want to go for the good food and drinks. If you do go, I would suggest not using the bathroom. It has become a shrine to Harry Potter and J K Rowling with thousands of penned notes all across the walls. While some people may find it cool or interesting, I found it unnerving. I can't quite explain it but it's a little insane.
Walking around Edinburgh made me fall in love with it. There is something about the old stone buildings, with many of them having turrets, and the castle overlooking the city that makes it feel magical. I will make a note though that when visiting, make sure to bring a jacket as it can get very cold and windy very quickly.
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