Edinburgh...Last Leg of the Great British Road Trip

Edinburgh was our last stop on the Great British Road Trip. I had never been to Scotland before so I was excited to see Edinburgh.

Scotland is known for many things.  Bagpipes, haggis, Lochness, etc. It is also where the television, the telephone, flush toilets, fridges and penicillin were invented along with many other things. Obviously, we have a lot to thank Scotland for.

Edinburgh was my absolute favorite part of our trip. Edinburgh castle overlooks and frames the city beautifully. Taryn and I got into Edinburgh from Liverpool pretty late so we decided to find our hostel and hit the sack. Navigating the streets of Edinburgh was a bit more difficult than we anticipated but our hostel ended up being really close to the castle. We tried to sleep, but once again, we were failed by our hostel because of the extremely loud partiers in the building.

The morning we woke up in Edinburgh we got an early start and headed to Edinburgh Castle.

Here are some fun facts about the amazing Edinburgh castle:

·         Edinburgh Castle is situated on top of Castle Rock, which falls in the Edinburgh city of Scotland.

·         Edinburgh Castle is the second-most-visited tourist attraction of Scotland.

·         It is believed that the castle was inhabited by human beings as far back as 900 BC, the late Bronze Age.

·         Edinburgh Castle became Scotland’s seat of royalty, headquarters of the sheriff of Edinburgh, military garrison and storehouse of the royal gun train, and repository of the nation’s crown jewels and state records, during the Middle Ages.

Also, Edinburgh castle was really great except for the price which will set you back about £17. Taryn and I spent about 3 hours in the castle. Afterwards, Taryn and I decided to take a tour around the countryside of Scotland trying to find castles and/or sheep. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep was waning on me. All I wanted was to sleep, sleep, and sleep. We decided to find a B&B as soon as possible. We ate lunch, found a B&B on the outskirts of town and when we found out it was full, a gracious man allowed us to stay at his house instead for 45 pounds. We took a long nap and then drove back to Edinburgh for a Ghost Tour.

Ghost Tour

Apparently Ghosts are very active in Edinburgh. If you believe in all that stuff I guess. ;). Taryn certainly does and after the tour…I am still a skeptic. We headed to the “vaults” of Edinburgh. In the 18^th century Edinburgh built its “South Bridge” to span the valley of Edinburgh. The bridge is built of 19 stone archways and underneath the archway were the chambers or “vaults.” Poorer people later moved in and used the vaults to live and die. Body snatchers were said to store their bodies in the vaults and later sell them to doctors that used them for medical research. Creepy. After the vaults we headed to Greyfriar’s graveyard. There were many reasons the graveyard was haunted but mainly it was

“best known as the burial ground for the 17th century Covenanters persecuted by "bloody" George Mackenzie in the Covenanters' Prison. Since then it has been the site of many hauntings and strange occurrences, including sightings of the ghost of Mackenzie himself"

http://www.edinburghnotes.com/places/greyfriars-cemetery.html

Our tour guide was very informative and also funny. He definitely tried to scare us by telling us about all of the experiences people have had in the vaults and the graveyard and I have to admit..I was a bit scared! However, nothing other than creepy feelings happened to me or Taryn. It was a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Edinburgh.

Here is a video of Ghost Adventures visit to Edinburgh. They are a bit crazy, but it gives a few cool historical facts about Edinburgh and they visited the same places Taryn and I did.

Gloucester

After Bath we headed to Gloucester. We had not heard much about the city and since we needed to get to Birmingham where we were staying Thursday night, we did not have much time. While driving in Gloucester we saw a large gothic Cathedral. Taryn and I looked at each other and decided “What the heck,” we would check it out. Gloucester Cathedral was amazing! It was large..really large. It was the first cathedral we had been in in which you did not have to either "pray privately" or pay so we looked around for a long time. There was one hidden hallway on the way to the bathroom that I had found. I showed it to Taryn and it led to a circular garden. It was not until we returned home that we found out that scenes shot for Harry potter were at the Cathedral.

Here is a you tube video of the Cathedral we were in. How cool!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThHCqLSYy5c

Birmingham and Liverpool

From Gloucester Taryn and I had a small stopover in Birmingham at a hostel to sleep for the night. The hostel was supposedly the top voted in the UK. We were tired and while everyone else partied..we slept. Ahem, we WOULD have slept except the annoying green light on the ceiling kept us awake.

The next morning  after a restless sleep we got in our car and headed to Liverpool. I have always wanted to travel to Liverpool. With the strange accents, Beatles’ history, and the incredible buildings what else could you ask more in a city? Even though we only spent around 4 hours in Liverpool..I felt a sense of the city while I was there. We visited the Beatles history museum, saw another cathedral, went to chinatown, and walked around what felt like the entire city. I loved it!

Here is a famous Scouser, liverpudlian, or if easier to understand, a man from Liverpool. John Bishop.

Great British Road Trip (a.k.a. Don't die while driving in Britain)

Great British Road Trip

Taryn has already gone home and I am already lonely without her here. Our last hurrah in our Great British Road Trip was the most I have seen of England and I am so glad she was here to experience it with me.

We left on Thursday the 16^th of February. After getting up really early (7am!) we walked to the rental office to pick up our car. Luckily, Taryn is over 25 and knows how to drive a stick shift so renting a car was easy. Driving, however, was a bit trickier. You should all know by now that Brits drive on the opposite side of the road. Yes it is confusing at first and I felt like we may crash 10 times in the first hour we were driving but Taryn acclimated quickly.

Our first stop was Stonehenge. It was not far away from Bath so we decided to stop there first. Stonehenge is one of the most famous places in Britain.

Stonehenge is about 5,000 years old. According to www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge,

“The true meaning of this ancient, awe-inspiring creation has been lost in the mists of time. Was Stonehenge a temple for sun worship, a healing centre, a burial site or perhaps a huge calendar? How did our ancestors manage to carry the mighty stones from so far away and then, using only the most primitive of tools, build this amazing structure? Surrounded by mystery, Stonehenge never fails to impress."

Even though Stonehenge’s history is interesting, paying 9 pounds each to walk on one side of the fence where you are not allowed to get close to the rocks is not fun. Taryn and I shot a few pics, took a moment to soak it in, then headed to Bath.

Bath

Bath is best known for its Roman remains. The name Bath originated from its hot springs. During the Roman period, grand temples and bathing complexes were built around the natural hot springs. Taryn and I visited these on our trip to Bath and saw the baths. The history behind how they were made was the really interesting part of visiting the baths. Everything was so complex.

After the Roman baths Taryn and I walked around the town which is very beautiful. All of the buildings were a pretty, peachy colored limestone. The buildings and houses scale the hill Bath sits on and the roads are small and windy. It really was amazing.

Taryn at the Roman Baths

Statues at top of roman baths

The "great bath"





Winchester and Great British Road Trip

Winchester and Great British Road Trip (GBRT)

On Saturday the 10^th I wanted to show Taryn Winchester. As I have stated before in my blogs, Winchester is one of my favorite places to visit that is close to Southampton. It is quaint and lovely. Our friend Harold owns a car and offered to drive us to Winchester. It is about 20 miles or so from Southampton.

We walked the streets of Winchester, went to the Cathedral, visited King Arthur’s round table and ate lunch at a great pub. It was a great day.

Great British Road Trip.

Tomorrow, Thursday the 16^th of February, Taryn and I are heading out on our Great British Road Trip. We are renting a car and driving to Bath, Gloucester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Chesterfield and back to Southampton. We picked out some things we want to do and we will be on our way!

TaryninLondon

London

Taryn and I decided before she came over that we wanted to go to Wicked when we visited London. Wicked, in case you did not know, is a musical based on a book by the same name and is also loosely based on the Wizard of Oz. It is a story of the Wicked witch. Taryn and I both read the book and both had wanted to see the musical.

We arrived in London by bus on Monday, the 6^th of February around 5pm. We headed to our hotel where we would stay that night. Because we are traveling and cheap ;) we stayed at a very small hotel that cost us 33 pounds for our one night stay which is bloody good for London and how close it was to Victoria station and the sights.

We put on our dresses and high heels and headed to the Apollo Victoria theatre for Wicked. We paid 29 pounds for each ticket in the nosebleeds (again because we are cheap) hoping that not a lot of people would show up and we could move to better seats. Luckily, no one expected anything when we moved to the best seats in the balcony during the first part of the show. Then during intermission, we snuck even closer to the second row of chairs in the closest seating. We could see everything! The show was amazing however we realized that we were overdressed. People were wearing sweatpants to the theater, it was shameful! Taryn and I decided that we were definitely going to go to the Lion King in New York for our next musical because well, it would be awesome.

The next morning, we headed into London to the usual tourist sites. I had been to London last November when I first visited Harvey, so I somewhat knew where we were walking. We walked past Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square where we saw the Olympic clock which counts down until the 2012 London Olympics. We walked to the London eye saw Big Ben, the Houses of parliament, and Westminster abbey.

It was a long, cold, and beautiful day.

TaryninEngland

Hello Everyone! It has been awhile since my last post, sorry about that. My sister Taryn has come to Southampton!  She arrived to a bitter cold London on the 2^nd of February and leaves the 21^st. I have shown her around Southampton, we have visited London, and are planning our Great British Road Trip (GBRT) for Thursday through this Sunday.

Taryn and I had last spent real time together last May. It had been more than 8 months since I had seen her face (not counting Skype) and I imagine like most sisters, after a day it felt like we had never been apart.  The difference I did notice is not that she had changed or our relationship had changed but that maybe I have become a bit more English than I have anticipated. Things that seem strange to her seem now, ridiculously normal to me. I catch myself muttering pounds whenever she wrongly asks how many “dollars” a coffee is or how much dinner costs. I know the right price to pay and the good places to go for leggings or a roast dinner. I don’t even attempt confusing people by saying American words when I know full well the English equivalent. Shockingly, sometimes I even forget which words Americans use a z instead of an s. I use s for everything now. Recognise, realise……

Southampton

When I was in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, I found it strange when Harvey’s family would ask me if I was enjoying myself. They did it about once a day. After spending time with Taryn in England, I now understand why his family would question how much fun I was having. It might be a DeMers thing, but I don’t think we wear our emotions on our sleeves. When we were walking around Southampton, I was hoping Taryn would say “That is really cool” or “I am so excited” or “Wow, look at that old building!” It didn’t really happen. Not that I do not think she was enjoying herself, I am sure she was. I think her and I are the same in we might be squealing on the inside with excitement but on the outside we are cool, calm, and collected.

In Southampton, I showed Taryn around the marina walking around our apartment complex. I showed her the Bar gate in the center of town, the cruise ships, the mall, and my school. We relaxed the first night and let Taryn sleep through her jet lag.

The end...or maybe the beginning.

For me, visiting a new city and definitely a new country is completely terrifying but at the same time completely exhilarating. I have not found anything like the experience that boosts my anxiety but fuels my  happiness at the same time. For example, I am afraid of heights and elevators but I do not get any pleasure or sense of achievement from cramping myself in a tiny lift and heading 50 stories up a tall building. When I travel somewhere new however, especially somewhere completely unlike where I have been before, I feel invigorated. Deep down I am screaming with delight, even when I am trying to be calm and collected. Traveling can be definitely be addicting and there is a downside to this addiction.  Although I miss South Dakota, I know now that I won’t be satisfied there, at least this is how I feel now. I want to keep moving, seeing, learning. My sister Taryn recommended a book to me recently. Wanderlust is a story of a girl with the “lust” for travel. There are a few quotes in the book that remind me of my taste of travel so far. “Traveling makes men wiser, but less happy…..To have imagination is inevitably to be dissatisfied with where you live.”

There are some things I have not mentioned about my trip to the UAE yet.  Emirates palace is a 7 star hotel located in Abu Dhabi. If you have seen some of the pictures I have posted already, just look for gold-tinted scenes and it is probably of us at Emirates Palace. There were even real bits of gold on our cakes and cappuccinos!

Some of the best views of Abu Dhabi I had experienced were at the revolving restaurant.  Once you sat down you realized you were moving in a circular direction which didn’t help my motion sickness. Overall though, the food was delicious and the view made the experience worth it.

Harvey's dad Gerry eating at the revolving restaurant.

Saying goodbye to my “New Year” trip was difficult. I knew I had a long journey ahead of me and I also knew when I arrived back in England I would be awaiting University and cold and rainy weather. January marks 6 months of living in Southampton and while the days have disappeared unbelievably fast, I am already imagining my next step. I believe some of it is my urge to graduate. I dream of the day when the world opens up to me and I am not tied to Black Hills State or South Dakota or even America. A part might be that I know I am leaving and it is harder to stay when you know you are going to leave.  Whatever it is, with the time dwindling down there is still much for me to see.

Paris is essential. I will visit France before I leave England. I am also very keen on heading to Stockholm where my good friend Elli originates. I want to visit Scotland and Ireland. I would love to go somewhere in Italy or Greece. I also have much more of England to see. I still want to visit Bath, Manchester, and Liverpool. I need to go to London again..because I miss London! Only 5-6 months left here, the halfway mark has passed!

Me eating coldstone for the first time in 6 months!

Riding along the corniche

Dubai

Dubai

On Wednesday morning we headed to the club to have breakfast while Karen had a tennis lesson. After, we headed to Dubai.

Dubai is only 45 minutes from Abu Dhabi by car. From the moment we arrived in Dubai I was astonished. According to Karen, Dubai contains more of a younger crowd than Abu Dhabi. There are more bars and the people are much more liberal. The first stop we made was to a Souk which is a marketplace of sorts. We had to cross the ocean on abra boat to get to the Souk. There were lots of clothing, scarves, and other items you can buy from the marketplace. I bought some postcards and a pair of red shoes (Gerry haggled from 120 dirham’s down to 70 dirham’s!) from the Souk.

After the marketplace, we headed to the Dubai mall which is right next to the Burj Khalifa (world’s tallest building). The mall was amazing but by the time we arrived, we were starving. We headed to the food court and I searched everywhere for the Taco Bell that I had heard was there. In the end, I couldn’t find it and we settled for another taco place.

 After reviving ourselves with some food we headed outside to take pictures of the Khalifa. The world’s tallest building was quite impressive. I mean, it’s the world’s tallest building. And…Tom Cruise jumped off of in the newest Mission impossible. J. At 6pm, there is a light and fountain show at the base of the Burj Khalifa.

Harvey’s friend Christian lives in Dubai and picked us up from the mall around 615. We headed to his apartment that is around the marina. Christian lives on the 26^th floor of his building and it was not until I got up there did I realize how afraid of heights I was. My knees were knocking!  The view from his balcony was incredible.

After a drink, we headed to a bar called the barista for supper. Harvey had a seafood pizza (crab, shrimp, kalamari) while I had a beef pizza. After, we headed to the main part of the bar to have shisha (hooka). Grape and mint!

We met up with the rest of the family (Grace, James, Gerry, Karen) at a restaurant next to the Burj Al Arab which is a seven star hotel in Dubai. 7 stars out of 5, crazy! Apparently, having afternoon tea at the Al Arab will set you back about 70 pounds or 120ish dollars. The only other 7 star hotel is the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi which we are visiting on Sunday.

Dubai was in short, an enormously great experience. It ended as quickly as it started and I am determined to go back someday.