Wandering, part 2: Scotland and England

I should probably mention that I have changed the way I make and take tea after this trip. Some of you may be aware that I am NOT a coffee drinker; going to the plantation in Jamaica and sipping the Blue Mountain Coffee is the exception that proves the rule, and I will still only say that the Blue Mountain Coffee, widely regarded as some of the best in the world is merely the best of a bad bunch. I am and will always be a tea drinker, and we've often sat at family dinners with the tea pot rather than the coffee pot. Regardless, I now have my loose leaf tea from Fortnum and Mason's (Royal Wedding Breakfast blend, in honor of my love for Will and Kate) and a collection of strainers. Also, lots of scones have been consumed during this process and I will endeavour to make some replicas and see if any of them turn out well. Also, attempting to make clotted cream in the US...that will be interesting. Keep posted!

Regardless, I left off when I left King's Cross to Edinburgh. This was my first real train trip (besides the one to Windsor, which was about half an hour) and so I was quite intrigued by the idea. I love train travel now and wish we used it more in the US, but that's a whole 'nother thing (also our country is FAR bigger than Great Britain!). I made it to Edinburgh about midday and tracked down my hostel, learning quickly about how Edinburgh is built on a volcanic site and one end of the city is at the top of the hill and the rest is all downhill. AKA Edinburg Castle is at the top, Holyrood House is at the bottom and enjoy your exercise. The hostel was incredibly well placed along the Royal Mile, and I was charmed to walk past the infamous At World's End tavern while locating the hostel.

I quickly set off to the National Museum of Scotland, which I was disappointed in because it wasn't what I  had thought it would be, but there were some treasures there--Dolly the sheep has been stuffed and is there, copies of Harry Potter, and a walkman from Sony is on the wall in one exhibit, which made me feel old.

Headed out of there and went to the Elephant House cafe, which is where many writers have written stories--most famously J.K. Rowling. Delicious lunch--bacon and brie baked potato (tattie).

I then headed down the Royal Mile, taking advantage of the good weather to go to Arthur's Seat and climb it. Arthur's Seat is near Holyrood House and it's 251m or 823 feet high. I am not a mountain climber. I also had my bag with all my electronics in it (the hostel can't guarantee security so I often wandered around with all kinds of expensive things in my capacious bag/purse). I also did not have tennis shoes on. I made it, however, not without much cursing and pausing to 'take photos' aka catch my breath (I was/am likely anemic from the travelling and lack of iron and B vitamins in my diet while in Jamaica and then London--there were rather annoying signs popping up as I travelled and I tried ignoring them, but I resumed my vitamins when I got home).

Not at the peak yet, but a nice view of the Firth of Forth beyond the city

Triumphant that I made it, wind attempting to knock me over

I totally bought an ice cream at the bottom and I know that guy must make bank by positioning himself there. It was absolutely delicious. Also, I popped in and out of all the tourist shops on my way back up the Royal Mile, looking for a hat of some sort to control the hair/wind situation. I am a MacDougall descendant, and named for my great-grandma 'Mac' (if anyone's ever noticed the L engraved on a necklace I wear, it's hers and it's for my middle name Louise). I tracked down a tam, which makes some appearances at Loch Ness.

I also learned that the MacDougall motto is 'Conquer or die.' Rock on.

I headed to Edinburgh castle in the rainy morning, starting up the hill and planning to work my way down in the afternoon. Nice stories about the Bruce and Wallace, a very moving National Scottish Memorial there. Also, a fun little exhibit to the bagpipers attached to the armies over the years and also to some of the memorable Scottish platoons over the years. Very moving history and very current, as they've an exhibit on the Afghanistan and Iraqi conflicts.

Dried out and picked up a friend from the hostel and we headed to Holyrood House. It's the palace the Queen uses in the summer for vacation, but it's also famously where Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed during the '45 Jacobite rebellion. I loved that they had a painting of him on the wall in the dining room, like 'no hard feelings, Charlie.' The Brits can feel that way, since they defeated the rebellious Jacobite.

It's also fun because I had forgotten that the Holyrood was one of the palaces that contains one of those collections of paintings where the artist had to make up how the ancestors look and make them all look the same, so that the king had a family on the walls. That was funny to realize.

The palace was built around an abbey, and the ruins were beautiful. As were the gardens. And the forecourt was where Zara Phillips had her wedding reception! Yay for more royal weddings.

The abbey ruins

Playing in the gardens ;)

Tracked down some whiskey ice cream on the way back to the hostel, and let me tell you: it gave me a buzz. No joke.

Headed to Stirling the next day, a light day on my schedule. Stirling Castle is famous for Mary, Queen of Scots being crowned there and it was really built up by her father. It's also very close to the site of William Wallace's stand at Bannockburn, and also Robert the Bruce had some history in the area--there's a very strategic ford there. Bonnie Prince Charlie also was there briefly. Anyway, the castle is nice. What was nicer was, it being Sunday, the bells in the Church of the Holy Rude next door were ringing all morning. After I got out of the palace, I headed there.

Standing in the spot where Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned

It was a beautiful church, and where James VI was crowned long before he eventually became James I of England.

Off to Inverness in the morning, straight to Loch Ness to go 'Nessie' spotting. Not really, actually--I'm not much of a proponent of the myths (isolated creatures don't go through evolution and may retain interesting features...that's all I'm saying), but of course you have to go out on the Loch!

Like I said, rocking the MacDougall tam. It was once again quite windy and chilly, but I manfully sat at the top of the boat and enjoyed the views of the Loch. Just like I enjoyed the views of the Loch later in the day from Urquhart Castle, some ruins on the edge of the Loch.

I will also say that I was really proud of myself this day--I have never had to catch the bus in America, yet I managed it in Scotland! I looked up the schedule, found the different departure and return spots and times and bought my ticket and everything.

The next morning, I headed out to Culloden. Anyone familiar with the Jacobites (or even just Dragonfly in Amber, the second Outlander book) will know about Culloden. It's the last battle fought on the British isles, and it was a civil war. Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Duke of Cumberland, the leaders on either side, were cousins. 1500 died, and all but 50 of them were Jacobites--and they're buried on the battlefield. As such, they treat the battlefield like the graveyard it is and it was a nice change from how we do things in America. Also, the tour guide dresses like the Government forces in the morning and a Jacobite in the afternoon.

I started working my way south after Culloden, stopping overnight in York. At this point, I gave up the ghost on one of my pairs of shoes--I tossed them. I'd ended up walking my way through them and with one real day left in my trip, I got rid of them. There were puncture holes from Arthur's Seat in them too!

So York...went into their Minster. It's nice, beautiful and stunning stained glass. It's amazing to consider their wall of kings ends with Henry VI. As in, mid-1500s. And there were a good 10-12 of them up there. I also climbed their tower, 275 steps. Not the view of London and I was rather hampered by having an asthma attack from the cold air, but it was still a beautiful church.

Ran to catch my train to Chesterfield (which will always make me laugh--I live in Chesterfield in the US!) and to Chatsworth House, aka Pemberley! I had really wanted to go to Highclere Castle, aka Downton Abbey, but they were totally sold out, being fairly new to the tourism game and the massive popularity of Downton. However, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire have been at it for awhile. Their house is massively impressive--400 years of collecting and it's all over the walls. Artwork, sculpture, books, furniture...your jaw is dropped throughout the duration of the tour.

It is also where the new (2005) version of Pride and Prejudice was filmed.

Anyone recognize the tiles, from when Lizzie enters the house?

The Matthew MacFayden/Darcy bust Lizzie contemplates...they left it as a souvenir at the house

I actually had to catch the bus in Chesterfield to a little town in Derbyshire, then walk 2km to the house through the gardens/parkland attached to the house--the estate was originally 1000 acres. It's phenomenal. It was also my Lizzie Bennett moment, strolling the grounds in a ramble.

Can you imagine living there?!

Anyway, I reversed my trip via walk, bus, to the train station, but continued to King's Cross in London. I met my cousin there for dinner and drinks and spent the last of my pounds (I literally came home with 22 pence). We also went specifically to a pub for Apple Toffee Cider that was delicious and made in Somerset--not that I haven't tried to track it down in the US!

He walked me to my hostel near the train station and we said our goodbyes. I finally had a top bunk in this hostel and that was rather not fun, but it was only for one night, since I headed out in the morning. Couldn't buy an whiskey in the duty free that I couldn't get in the US or could afford, so I bought some Pimm's and embarked on a lovely 8 hour plane flight home with screaming children. But mommy was waiting and we GPSed our way out of DC traffic.

And that was that. I came home, headed down to VA beach to clean up Mom's condo for the summer season, then went and graduated med school (no big deal, y'all *wink wink*), packed up my moving truck and unpacked it in a new apartment. Went back and got my cat. Spent this week transferring my permanent residence to the new state and unpacking. I finally have finished hanging most of the pictures on the wall, and am waiting on the first paycheck to buy some real furniture.

But I have lots of recipes to share, once I get back to a calmer life here. No more international travel, the passport is safely stowed. I promise.

These were the trips of a lifetime. I will forever be changed by my experiences in Jamaica, both as a physician and a person. It's eye opening to consider the developing world...it will color how I act forever. And then there's the UK...my trip of a lifetime. It was the South Africa trip airline tickets switched over to London, and all the money I've socked away from various grandparents--to see everything. Absolutely everything. I spent over $300 on admission tickets alone, but I have absolutely no regrets and a heart full of memories. And 1600 pictures to remind of all the good times and steps climbed.

Now on to the new adventure of being a doctor.

Wandering across Great Britain, part 1: London

Apologies for the long delay! I have been quite, quite busy. I shall endeavour (hint hint!) to make up for that with a long entry now that has been weeks in the making: my journeying across the great island of Great Britain.

So to recap, I made it back from Montego Bay at 2am on Sunday morning. I left for London 6pm eastern time on Wednesday. I took care of all the odds and ends of being out of the country and getting a new job in those three days, in addition to buying a new watch because I had ruined mine swimming in the Caribbean.

Mom dropped me off at Dulles and I easily made it through security and to my gate for my lovely Virgin Atlantic flight to London. An overnight flight, I had anticipated sleeping and maybe I did okay for not having someone sitting next to me, but it was still rather rough. They take excellent care of you on Virgin flights, though.

Made it through immigration easily, though I can tell you they did not approve of 'just visiting' as an appropriate answer for a young woman travelling alone. The looks that I got! Luckily, I have a cousin in London and was able to claim him as a reason to visit. Managed to find the tube okay and get on it and to Bayswater, which was where my hostel was. It was very well placed along Bayswater Road, right across from Kensington Gardens. Dropped off my LLBean backpack containing all my belonging and set right back out to the glories of London.

It was raining, by the way. How apropos!

As a note as I go along, I had a Travelcard and a London Pass. What are they? The travelcard was prepurchased for one week of travel throughout London, free on any public transport. The London Pass was a pass into specific places of interest; it also allowed me to bypass lines, get discounts, and frequently free audio guides.

Also note: I have a degree in history, focused on British history. That will be relevant; it's also how I can remember so many details and also why I saw so many things. I thought I had broken my foot at one point, it was so painful and I had done so much walking (I hadn't, but ankle braces came in handy!).

Onwards! Rainy, rainy London. Where else to start but Trafalgar Square? Specifically, the Charing Cross tube station so you come up right by Nelson's Column. Nothing like the experience of walking into bright Times Square, but quintessentially London with the dreary rain and red buses and black taxis everywhere.

I walked down Whitehall, passing 10 Downing Street, the Cenotaph, Household Cavalry and Horse Guards...lots of Governmental buildings as you're heading in the general direction of Parliament and the Palace. I crossed over at St. James Park to walk Pall Mall, bypassing some giant pelicans specifically owned by the Queen. They have their own fountain designed by Tiffany. Anyway, I walked down Pall Mall to Buckingham Palace.

I was attempting to be there for the changing of the guards at 11:30--but that was quickly derailed. Not because I'm not tall enough to see over the people who were staking out the gates, but because they cancelled it because of the rain! So I missed out on that spectacle, and my plans were slightly derailed.

I wander around for a bit, and eventually tracked down the Imperial War Museum--Churchill's War Rooms. It's the underground bunker from which Churchill ran the war effort and it's been left the way it was in 1945, or recreated as such. Rather chilling to see that and a reminder of how WWII touched Great Britain in a very personal way, as it didn't touch America. This was something that would recur all across the country, as there are markers of bombings and plaques for all the lost soldiers in every town and church.

I also hit the National Gallery, which is a bit like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in its vastness and collection of notables. Luckily, I collected a guide which was their version of the top 100 and just circled through those. It was fun to begin the seeing pictures I've only seen in textbooks in person....there's the notable painting of Charles I on horseback, and it's absolutely huge! (like Washington Crossing the Delaware huge!)

Next door is the National Portrait Gallery, where you start at the top with the Tudors and Stuarts and work your way down to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. It was like walking through a yearbook, seeing all those paintings of monarchs I recognize and many, many paintings I've seen in textbooks throughout the years.

I was really starting to get tired at this point, so I headed back to Bayswater and my hostel. I was in one of those old row houses that had been converted at some point, and I'm pretty sure I was up in the servant's quarters at the very top of the house--about five floors up.

I headed to Westminster and then Greenwich as planned for Friday, but that was not to be. I walked up to Westminster Abbey, and I was not happily surprised to see closed for services sign on the front door! But I'm flexible, I'll head to Greenwich in the morning and then back to Westminster in the afternoon. This was not to be, I realized slightly later, as Westminster closes at about 3. But we'll get to that.

It was another rainy, chilly, and windy day in Londontown. But I was embracing it for every experience possible--so I got on a boat to head down the Thames to Greenwich. Which was of course a lovely experience as I froze on the observation deck--all kinds of museums and monuments (including the oldest in the world, Cleopatra's Needle, once in Turkey, now in London). You can see the Traitor's Arch, now bricked in, but imagine entering the Tower that way. They pointed out the spot where the Mayflower was berthed before taking off for the 'New World;' there's also the spot where Pepys watched London burn. There's St. Paul's dome, Christopher Wren's masterpiece hovering over all of London. Glorious.

Greenwich itself is lovely, and the Royal Observatory is on top of a hill. First of many climbs I did in Great Britain...but I knew I wanted to stand on the Meridian Line. And I did! Also, since it's on top of a hill, it offers a great view of London from St. Paul's down to the Olympic Stadium.

It was on the trip back to Westminster that I realized that it would be closed, and I was scanning my itinerary for movable trips. Oh! The British Library and the British Museum! I could do that. Also, I could get off at Tower Pier and scope it out for the upcoming visit to the Tower, and then go to the BL in Bloomsbury. Done.

I am still in raptures over the glorious treasures in the British Library. I even bought the coffee table book so I can look at them myself in the years to come. I wrote down what they had on display, all originals:

Thomas Tallis

Henry Purcell

JS Bach

Handel

Mozart

Arne (the original copy of God Save the Queen)

Gluck

Beethoven

Chopin

Debussy

Bartok

Stravinsky

Puccini

Elger (Pomp and Circumstance)

Beowulf

Thomas Wyatt

Laurence Sterne

Sir Walter Raleigh

Austen

Shelley

Dickens

Charlotte Bronte

Hardy

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Wilde

William Morris

Auden

Plath

Olivier's Macbeth script

Also:

warrant for the execution of the Earl of Essex

speech from George III

Lady Jane Grey AND Elizabeth I's prayer book (Elizabeth had amazing handwriting)

letters from Princess Elizabeth to Edward VI, from Newton, from Cromwell, from Darwin, from Napoleon

Edward VI's biblical translation

letters from Queen Mary I to Thomas Seymour, and Henry VIII to Philip of Burgundy

and oh yeah A GUTENBERG BIBLE. oh hey there's the MAGNA CARTA. Fleming's notebooks on the discovery of penicillin, Shakespeare's first folio, da Vinci's notes....

So I'm a musician, a scientist, a reader, and a historian...can you see why I was in love? I'm sighing over the Tyndale bible, and then there's the Gutenberg bible. I was flipping out inside.

And it only got better. So my senior year at William and Mary (and they got to provide lots of geeky moments too), I did a paper on the development of public health in Victorian Britain, which was started through the work of John Snow and cholera epidemics.

I was checking out a brief exhibit on science, and I turn around...and there is John Snow's original cholera map. THE ORIGINAL. Talk about primary sources!

I was duly excited. I was in raptures. So then I headed to the British Museum. Not so much in raptures. I had my first cream tea there, which means tea and scones with clotted cream and jam. Refreshing myself to check out the Parthenon that's in England, not Greece, and also the Rosetta Stone. It's a reminder of all the great archaeology that the British have done, but not exactly my cup of tea (pun fully intended).

So then it's Saturday, which I fully believe will be one of the coolest days of my life. The sun was up and it was glorious weather in London. Early start to get to the Tower before the hordes descend, and I enjoyed it. Lots about the history as a palace, not so much as its role as a prison, except for mentioning Raleigh. A small plaque to the princes, and a beautiful memorial to those executed there. But really, a showplace for the crown jewels, the armor of all the kings (including several sets that show how big Henry VIII was and became), and some really awesome Latin graffiti.

I headed up the Tower Bridge next--I'd gone under it, only right to go up it (plus free access with the London pass). I tracked down an old medical museum, which was highly disappointing except it also allowed me the track down the Southwark Cathedral, the Clink, and the Golden Hinde. I got lunch and sat overlooking the Thames, with St. Paul's everpresent dome on the other side.

I had reserved tickets to see Much Ado About Nothing in the actual Globe theater. To see a play in Shakespeare's playhouse, written by the bard, performed in true Elizabethan style with singing and music, and to do it all from the groundling perspective--priceless! 

Trekked across the Millennium Bridge (which Facebook would like to call the Harry Potter bridge!) towards St. Paul's, down Fleet Street towards Covent Garden, had a little Eliza Doolittle moment, down some great shopping around Covent Garden to the Leicester Square tube station because the Covent Garden one was closed. My feet were killing me, but I had seen London.

Sunday: off to Windsor! My first real train trip, and it departed from none other than Paddington station--and yes, there's a shop filled with merchandise about the bear. Windsor is spectacularly castle looking, and apparently the monarchs have made it look that way on purpose, and some really cool collections--random things, like the bullet that killed Admiral Nelson at Trafalgar. Pretty. I also had my first truly English dish of food here--a sausage pastry. Not that I can't get them in America, but we don't eat them like they do there (I ate meat while I was travelling to make it easier on myself).

I met up with my cousin that afternoon, and we did a mini-pub crawl. It was amazing to consider drinking alcohol early in the afternoon and also to not have to think about driving! He also showed me the Savoy while we were wandering, before we ended up hitting a local pub and I got to order bangers and mash. :) Also, he introduced me to Pimm's. Amazingness.

Onwards! Monday! Bank holiday Monday for the working British, just another day for me. Started out in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, wondering at the people swimming in the Serpentine. Fascinated by the duckling everywhere. And highly amused by the rider on Rotten Row, just like they would have done in the Regency. 

I found my way to Harrods...also mindboggling, like swimming in the Serpentine. Bought some food to take with me throughout my day because that was about all I could afford. I head over to the Victoria and Albert and was rather disappointed (though they have a cool glass sculpture in the entry hall) because the exhibit I wanted to see was closed for renovations, but they did have a temporary exhibit on Wedding Dresses, 1776-2014. I loved it. I knew a lot about how Victoria had changed traditions, but it was still cool. They had Camilla's dress from her wedding to Charles, near Gwen Stefani's. :) They also have a generally cool exhibit on fashion throughout the years, which was enjoyable.

Did a quick walk through of the Natural History and Science museum, and nerded out at Watson and Crick's DNA model.

Headed over to Kensington Palace...lovely. W&M lived there, and it was where Victoria lived pre-Queenship, and they have a nice display of the room where she held her first meeting as Queen, including the dress she was wearing. Also, fabulous fashion exhibit of QE2's dresses from the 50s on. Quite the fashionmonger, the Queen.

I met my cousin Joe again for tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace; it's quite famous for their tea. And they do it right--sandwiches, scones and clotted cream/jam, and desserts. Delicious! I have no idea why anyone would want to put mint and cucumber on sandwiches, but the ham and mustard and salmon and cream cheese were delicious (I premedicated against the allergens, fyi, but did not tempt fate with the egg and cress sandwich). Joe and I had a serious discussion about whether it should be jam then cream or cream then jam on the scones, and then we devoured the delicious desserts. Yum.

My mom calls this Where's Waldo went to Kensington

We wandered around Kensington for a bit, before I went off to walk around the City for a bit and then on a Jack the Ripper walking tour (walks.com, highly recommended!). They take you around to where the prostitutes were killed, showing you those narrow walkways and gates in the East End, and explaining how he could have gotten away. Gory and fun, especially for anyone familiar with the stories.

This is now on to Tuesday, where I made it back to Westminster. Glorious weather is continuing, and beautiful against the stonework of Westminster, Parliament, and Big Ben.

Westminster is glorious beautiful, as anyone who watched Will and Kate's wedding will know. The fabulous thing are the tombs of all the famous people buried there--did you know that Mary I and Elizabeth I share a tomb? And share a room with Mary, Queen of Scots? Who knew that Henry VII could create such a beautiful Lady's Chapel. And the genius buried there--Newton, Darwin...the poets and author in the Poet's corner...

Off to trek up the Monument's 311 steps, Christopher Wren's monument (and yes, it is called The Monument) to the Great Fire of 1666. Straight up, straight down. Whew.

A little refreshment before tackling St. Paul's--Victoria sponge and ginger beer. A little too gingery for me, but enough calories to fuel me for the 528 stairs to go.

St. Paul's in also a wonderment...Christopher Wren is a genius. Truly. And then there's the touches, like leaving the transept that was bombed in WW2 undecorated (there was a fire brigade stationed in St. Paul's every single night to prevent it being burned down--Winston Churchill knew not to let St. Paul's burn. And there's a plaque to those who protected it). Wellington and Nelson are both buried there, and Nelson is buried in Wolsley's sarcophagus! A great number of scientists, including Alexander Fleming, are buried in the chapel and that's also where Christopher Wren is buried (Lector si monumentum requiris circumspice!).

And then I climbed it. The dome, that is. All 528 steps.

I trekked over to the Museum of London for a bit, but went back to St. Paul's for evensong, which was quite the experience. The music was absolute phenomenal and the acoustics...it was spiritual and would have been so even if it hadn't been a church.

Okay onwards to Wednesday...the Cotswolds and Oxford. Cutesy little English villages and kissing gates and all that....fish and chips for lunch...and the glories of Oxford. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in Oxford. It's glorious, I'll not deny, but it's not like the scholarship is emblazoned on the buildings. More Wren architecture, and then there's the spots where Harry Potter was filmed...that was fun. Also briefly ducked into the Museum of the History of Science to check out a chalkboard Einstein wrote on while he gave a lecture at Oxford and also the equipment of Florry's purification and manufacture of penicillin (taking Fleming's work of the discovery of penicillin and making it the antibiotic we all know).

Thursday was my last day in London (day 8 of the trip, if you're keeping track), and I wandered. I headed to Grosvenor Square and walked up Brook Street, like I was in a Regency romance. I wandered up and down Oxford Street, Bond Street, Savile Row, and past all those designers...lusting after Alexander McQueen and Jimmy Choos, laughing that Tiffany's is beckoning at the end of one of the streets, imagining I could run into Kate doing a little shopping. I detoured into Soho to actually see the famous pump of the cholera epidemic, of John Snow's work and my paper in college... and then I wander through Piccadilly. I went into Fortnum and Mason's. I am a huge tea drinker (before I even got to England!) and I bought a LOT in F&M (I also bought a lot at the Globe, so that tells you what kind of souvenirs I have). I also had tea at F&M, because why not. No picnic hampers for me, but I could imagine picking one out.

By the way, the tea blend I bought for myself--Royal Wedding Breakfast.

Continued on to Hatchard's, a bookstore that has been there since the 1700s. I walked out without anything, but that took some willpower. Wandered back over to Buckingham and the queen was in residence this time! Said my goodbyes and headed to King's Cross...and platform 9 3/4.

I took 1600 photos during my trip and that is the only one my mom wants. :)

I wandered home, then back out to Westminster for the sunset photos of Parliament all lit up before setting an early alarm for my train to Scotland!