Foot-loose in Scotland

This week I received a helping hand from my mum, who sent me some money to keep us going, suggesting hopefully that we could take another holiday down the line. This was such a relief that I nearly cried. Dale has been expressing the desire to go home for a while now, particularly mindful of our money, but there’s still so much to do and see. We hadn’t been getting anywhere in our discussions and it was incredibly frustrating. The money from Mum was a great relief. She gifted it with the uncertainty that she might get that money back in this year’s tax return, and I’m more grateful than she can imagine that I have her for a mother.

On Monday I went with Fionnuala to the local nurse and had my stitches removed. It was virtually painless and looked much nicer without the black, blood-clotted thread hanging in my hair. Then we played with Sennan a bit at the house before Vincent drove Dale and I back to the doctor to pick up some forms and then head home to Dublin. We had to pack our bags and make our way to USIT to print off our tickets to Edinburgh, then catch our bus and flight! The flight was so short it was almost a blink, and only cost us 40 euros each. We took the express bus to Edinburgh for half an hour and 4 euros each, and arrived at Budget Backpackers Hostel after a stop at another hostel along the cobbled streets to ask for directions. We saw Sydnee as soon as we walked in, and she told us we could hop on the hostel’s free pub crawl if we were quick to check-in!

Camille, Fanny, Aniol, Kata, and Lena had all come from Syd’s school in Wales, so we had a pretty large and fun group of friends to enjoy the pub crawl with. The pubs were pretty empty since it was Monday night, but the drinks were cheap and we had such a large group that it didn’t really matter. We chatted in the first pub, were dancing by the second (after a cider that tasted like cheese and a free Bloody Mary shot), watched metal karaoke in the third, then joined the club scene at the fourth. The night took a negative turn in between the last two stops because one of our number stepped hard on my heel twice in row, managing to rip the sole of my boot off right up to my arch. All he gave me was a cursory, “Pardonne,” before walking away (because all Canadians speak French). On the absolutely packed dance floor I was terrified to have my cheekbone hit, so I was on edge already while literally every second person spilled the drinks I was holding. I felt like I was in the ocean with waves crashing left and right. This was followed up by Dale pouring his cold and smelly beer all over the top of my head. Someone else did the same to Sydnee. I was ready to call it a night when we heard there was another section of the club playing ’90s music. On the way over Dale stood on my flapping sole and it wrenched right off my foot. It still makes me mad to think about. But when we turned the corner, sole in hand, we were met by “Footloose.” Syd pointed at me and burst out laughing. And thus, the night was saved.

Edinburgh

Dale had a nice hangover to enjoy the next day. I had slept on the top bunk in a room of 30 (15 on our level and 15 on a balcony upstairs that looked down on me), but my sleep was pretty sound with earplugs. He and I stopped over at Auld Jock’s Pie Shoppe for soft crescents that the girl behind the counter figured I could eat pretty easily. Then we met Sydnee and her classmates at the hostel for a free walking tour. Our guide said she was too hungover to take us out, but gave us directions when we said we didn’t mind. I limped my way in broken boots to our first stop, Greyfriars Cemetary, where thousands were burried in mass graves during the Plague, and where JK Rowling found the names “Tom Riddle” and “McGonagall.” The graveyard was strange with booth-like sections for families along the stone walls, but the day was gorgeous and made it picturesque.

The Elephant House, where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter

Edinburgh Castle from the hilltop

We took photos of Greyfriars Bobby nearby, a small terrier who is the most photographed statue in Scotland. Apparently the real Bobby sat by his owner’s grave for 14 years before he too died and was given a burial spot right beside him. Then Sydnee, Dale, and I stepped inside the Elephant House, a cute little red coffee shop where JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter books. There were pictures of the author hard at work in the shop, looking very young with long, wavy red hair. We continued to Edinburgh castle, which was in the centre of town and yet also perched on the edge of a cliff. We passed a kilt-clad bagpiper busking for money along the way. It was incredibly windy up there at the castle, but the views were stunning in the sunlight. I knew right away that Edinburgh was the most beautiful city I have ever visited. All the buildings looked so well preserved and cheerful! We went inside the courtyard for a closer look at the castle, but decided not to fork over the 16 pound student rate to go inside. From below the hill it really did look like Hogwarts.

Arthur's Seat

Sydnee and I overlooking Arthur's Seat

The gang

Next we stopped in the park below the castle to soak up the sun, followed by a visit to Penneys—well, Primark in Scotland and England—for a new pair of boots. Then we stopped for lunch in MacDonald’s, when it promptly turned cold and started snowing. It stopped as we left, and we journeyed up the nearby green hill to view the Nelson Monument and the Scotland Monument, not to mention the view of Arthur’s Seat. There was a great big rainbow as we looked out over the city and ocean. Sydnee and Dale even took my suggestion to roll down the hill like stupid logs, which was hilarious to watch.

Dale rolling

Syd rolling

Afterwards we visited a tourist information booth and sat in a nearby mall for hot chocolate while it poured and we tried to decide what ghost walking tour to do in the evening as well as what bus tour to take the next day. The rain stopped and the sun came out, so we bought our tours, then stopped at a Tesco Express to buy our meals for dinner and the next day. Dale also picked up "The Shining" from a nearby bookstore. Dale and I packed sandwich after sandwich back into the bread bag as Sydnee and the group made the pasta in the hostel’s kitchen. We ate and washed our dishes, then dressed as warmly as possible for the Mercat Ghosts and Ghouls tour, which cost us 12 pounds each. The tour gave us a demonstration of torture on poor Aniol and another guy, and then took us into the underground vaults below Edinburgh. The vaults were used to store such things as textiles and leather, and operated as work spaces until the water and human waste poured in and they were abandoned. For a while they housed the “seedy underworld,” but eventually were even abandoned by the poor. It was interesting to know we were so deep under the city considering the buildings used to rise 14 stories above ground! The ghost stories were fun to listen to, including; the one about the piper who soldiers sent into the secret passageway in the castle playing his way so that they could follow him above, only to disappear. The soldiers then hurried into the passage to help him only to find a brick wall, as if he never existed in the first place; another good story was the reason they only use candles in the vaults. The lights once went out while a troop of boy scouts were inside, all of whom were equipped with their own flashlights, none of which would work. The boys had to feel their way out, hearing stomping behind them all the way.

The Highlands in February

Afterwards we hurried back to the hostel because it was so cold and windy outside in the dark. We ended up going to bed because we had a tour to get to very early in the morning. Dale and I hung our blankets all around our beds so that I wouldn’t be stuck with the balcony people looking down on me while I slept. Even so, and I think this was because of my injury, I was unable to keep my eyes open on the bus. All I wanted to do was sleep. But then so did Sydnee. The driver took us into the Highlands, pointing out where they filmed “Skyfall” and a bit of “Harry Potter,” although we weren’t sure which movie exactly. We made it into the mountains after a stop at a gift shift where I found a silver necklace with a purple thistle on it that was really pretty. I saw it a few times that day in different gift shops, since that was what our bus tour mainly consisted of, but I resisted the urge to buy it. The mountains were stunning in snow, and it really felt like a breath of fresh air to see them. Neither Sydnee or myself realized how much mountains were missing from our lives. As we passed through snowy Glencoe, the driver also told us the sad story of the MacDonalds, a family who welcomed the Campbells into their home. Seven days later the Campbells received the order from the king to slaughter the entire family, and then did so.

Urquhart Castle

We stopped, and so did the rain, for a sunlit view of Urquhart Castle. The driver, who didn’t stop talking once on the twelve hour tour, except to play a song or two, came over to tell me a little about the history of the castle. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, albeit a little awkward at regular conversation. We were all very disappointed to find out it cost an extra 12 pounds to go on the boat tour, which we were under the impression was included in the 45 pound Timberbush tour. This meant we ended up at another gift/coffee shop with hot chocolates. There wasn’t even anywhere for us to walk along the lake, which was interestingly black as a pupil right from the shore. We amused ourselves throwing rocks into the lake to make it look like Nessie was emerging. On the drive home we passed Inverness, which looked very pretty and bright, and was described a surprising amount like home. In the dark we made a stop for dinner, in which Dale bought chips and gravy instead of eating our packed food, and led Sydnee to describe poutine to the server, which we then shared as well. If I have one thing to say about this bus tour and Scotland, it's that I have never seen so many brilliant rainbows in one day!

We spotted Nessie!

Edinburgh Castle at night

When we returned to the hostel and found Kata, who had stayed behind, we decided to find a pub with live music. There was one nearby, and the two singers inside were very enjoyable. I sipped some whiskey and ginger with lime, which I really enjoy, and Aniol joined the whiskey-train in a slightly more hard-core fashion. Lena, unfortunately, had to go back to the hostel for her ID, which the bar staff insisted on seeing even though she only wanted a tea. Apparently it’s the law in Scotland.

People's Palace and Winter Gardens

The next day we took the bus to Glasgow, where it rained almost all day. We found a mall to eat lunch in, Camille and Fanny (Camille's shoe broke!), and myself getting told off for having outside food. I had “take away” food from the café, while the other two girls were no longer laughing at our sandwich packing idea and were making their own. We didn’t leave until I was finished everything but my hot chocolate anyways, and that takes some time considering I can’t chew very well! The next step was to do some shopping. We split up, Sydnee, Dale, Camille, and I heading to Forever 21 and Primark. Dale and I didn’t buy anything. We later met up with the others across Glasgow Green inside the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens. The building was brick at the front and huge greenhouse at the back. We sat in the garden-section and watched hail start to pound down on the glass, then visited the free museum upstairs. Afterwards we headed back into the town and on a whim visited the art gallery. Inside was drywall with art hanging from it. In one segment we found the longest, circular movie about various soldiers coming home to their dysfunctional families (all of whom were the same people). It was the strangest thing to watch, and I wish the maker could have been there to explain it better. We walked out under lights strung across the buildings on either side like a ceiling. Sydnee, Dale, and I said goodbye to the Wales gang, and got on our bus to Manchester.

Playing scary dress-up!

Betsy sweeping

Betsy sleeping

We split a 20 pound cab ride to Stockport, where we stayed at Ged and Sue’s. Annie was home, but Gabrielle was in Leeds for college, so there was just enough room in the house for three more of us. Our first day visiting had a nice lazy start, and then Sue dropped the three of us off at Staircase House, a type of museum dating back to 1460. It was really cool because it is essentially a house that was added to every few hundred years and we were able to tour it for 2 pounds each, walking through rooms that demonstrated different eras with nothing roped off. We sat on the chairs, dressed up in the clothes in the bedroom, and took so long writing in fancy old letters with quills and ink that an employee came by three times to check on us and then tell us we only had 15 minutes left. Dale then bought some badly needed shoes nearby and almost a complete new wardrobe at Primark, including another pair of shoes, two sweatshirts, a Game of Thrones t-shirt, and two thick sweaters all for 50 pounds. We walked home for a delicious pasta dinner with garlic bread. The family had to work in the evening, but Dale, Sydnee, and I went around the corner to The Nursery, the English pub our family has been going to for generations.

Betsy Writing

The dining room

"Our" pub

The next day Ged took us for a pleasant walk through the suburbs of Heaton Moor. He waved and greeted people as we went, stopping to treat us to coffee at a local shop. We sat outside enjoying the spring weather and were joined by Dollar, who we chatted and caught up with until we all finished our drinks. In the evening we piled into the car and Annie drove us to a Thai place where we sat with elbows touching and enjoyed our own wine. I struggled with the salad I ordered as a starter, my face burning red because it was so spicy. The wine did not help. Luckily next up was pad-thai, which took me a while to eat but was delicious. Returning home we started enjoying some drinks—Baileys for me—until we were joined for the evening by Mary, Mum’s pen pal since she left England at nine years old, and Siobhan and Ged, along with his parents who Dale and I had met in Sligo in the summer. It was a really good get-together, and I also enjoyed the company of their two dogs, Holly and Bella. Curly-haired Bella was curled up on little Mrs. Drugan, which was adorable.

In The Nursery

Relaxing in Stockport

That was the end of our vacation, as Annie drove Syd to the bus in the morning, and Sue took Dale and I to the airport for another very short and cheap—50 euro—flight to Dublin. I was pretty exhausted. The next day was my first day back at work after three weeks off. I was still nervous about the flying kitchen doors, but luckily wasn’t hurt. I received many well wishes throughout the day, and it was nice to see the friendly, sympathetic faces again. Plus it was a quiet day at work. I am only scheduled for four short days this week, late enough on Saturday for the bus, and not at all on Sunday. I’m fairly sure that was done on purpose, and I’m really thankful.






After work Heather and I went to Dublin Castle because Heather knew of a view I hadn’t seen before, and vice versa. It was a beautiful day, so it was worth the walk. Then we went to O’Neill’s for coffee and a visit to Anne, who got a job there. We walked home, then met up again at Fitz, where I had a soft vegetarian curry and an enjoyable night. KT, who is leaving with Becca for a Europe-trip and then Canada, donated her clothes to Heather and I. I’m excited to go through them tonight.

Dublin Castle

I still have many insurance forms to fill out and fax, but most of the information they need has to come from the hospital, so it will have to wait for my six week’s follow-up appointment, which they won’t cover the cost of since it isn’t an emergency. In the meantime other options and ideas have been falling into place. I chatted with Danielle online, and she agreed with me that Dale and I should give our notice for the flat, try living with friends for April, then do helpx.net stay for a month somewhere warm, followed by a Europe-trip of our own, and maybe home a little early. Dale seemed happy about this idea, so when our landlord knocked on our door mid-conversation, I explained about my accident and Dale’s maternity leave-cover ending this week, and we gave our notice! On top of that, Heather suggested we take a look at her attic to see if it’s liveable, so we may not have to camp outside or in her living room. Even further, Danielle offered us her old studio apartment in Abbotsford when we get back, at 200 dollars cheaper than it should be! I have my Teacher Education Program interview tomorrow night, which means all these plans may soon be settled upon. I finally felt immeasurably relieved that we had come to a decision, but the next day we realized Dale had thought this all meant we were going home in May because Danielle mentioned he could re-join her soccer team when we got back. Now everything feels unsettled and stressful again as Dale worries about money. I’ll have to try to focus on my TEP interview tomorrow instead of everything else!