Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in Edinburgh. On Tuesday I decided to reread Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, partially in the coffee shop where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter & the Sorcerers Stone. As a side note, during an Edinburgh walking tour the guide asked "Why is Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone called Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone in America?" "Because Americans don't know what a Philosopher is." I've encountered these America jokes over and over, as I knew I would, but while in Scotland and Ireland I suppressed the urge to retort with "Guess which one of our countries fought the British for Independence and won?" Something tells me I should not be bringing up three hundred year old sore wounds so usually I laugh and think about how great the Revolutionary War was.
The Castle Hostel I stayed in is so comfortable and fun that there are about thirty "long termers" who have been living there a few months or even a few years. I can see how the place can draw one in - there are cool people to spend time with every night, a great city to explore every day, and the atmosphere in the hostel is basically worry free. On the other hand, I felt a bit like I was living in an ersatz hedonistic utopia - as unique and friendly as the place might be I think there's a reason most people over the age of forty don't live in hostels. As the most obscure reference yet & only for Reedies - the people there reminded me of those who try to live in the Student Union after they graduate or continually attend RennFayre with the vigor of a thesis student and the age of a pensioner.
As much as I enjoyed Edinburgh I had to be back in London by Thursday night to have dinner with some friends I met on the Ireland tour. I checked the Internet when I got to Edinburgh and found a plane ticket to London for £50, a train ticket for £40, and a bus ticket for £20. the train is 5 hours and supposed to be very scenic. After taking a day to think about it I decided the train sounded like the best option - I went to book and it had gone up to £90. The flight was now £95. The 10 hour overnight bus was still £20. When you wait long enough everything gets decided.
On Wednesday night I took a ghost tour through the graveyards of Edinburgh. It was recommended to me and only £6.50. Apparently before television the only form of entertainment was murder - like William Burke who murdered prostitutes and sold them to the medical college (£7 a body -good wages!) or Bloody Mackenzie who brutally murdered people seeking freedom of religion in Scotland (they should have tried a boat). Bloody Mackenzie's tomb is apparently the most haunted place in all of Great Britain and boasts scary events such as people leaving with bruises and cuts from ghost attacks. About 10 minutes into the tour I remembered that I am the biggest scaredy-cat and I don't even watch horror movies so why the hell am I in a graveyard after dark with a guide trying to invoke a spirit and telling 40 people to get inside a tomb in a formerly locked area of the grave yard? This is the point where I could not tell if I was feeling ghostly sensation in my feet or a strange coolness on my neck since I was hunched over with my eyes closed and my fingers in my ears. I was one the only females who did not scream when a man in a mask jumped out at us from behind a tree - to which the guide said "you guys had to have expected that." Fair enough guide, fair enough.
About equally scary was the bus ride back to London. I boarded the bus at 10:30pm. Another person from my hostel was there and when he asked me if I sleep well on buses I gave the honest answer of "yes, with the help of sleeping pills." He noted that he does not believe in taking pills but prefers to leave the body in its natural state. Once on the bus I fell asleep nearly instantly and only woke up when the bus driver announced we were in London. I asked my hostel-mate how he slept and he looked at me with baggy eyes and slight disdain and said "not at all."
Yesterday I booked the continuation of my journey through to October. London is now my home base and I'll be flying back here after Berlin. I'm only staying two days (as I told my Aunt - enough time to do laundry and eat all your food) and then heading to Spain. If you're interested, all this can be found on my updated Calendar on the right.
Happy belated labour day everyone! I hope you enjoyed your paid vacation and used the time to pack up your white shoes!
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Asking the wrong questions
3 days ago
4 comments:
"Guess which one of our countries fought the British for Independence and won?" - Still laughing over that one! Excellent! I knew I could count on you to defend America!
So nostalgic! Love the pictures! You are definitely a woman who knows how to travel right! Glad to hear your bunkmate was not actually having sex. Have a delicious time in Spain!!!
You could also have pointed out that your uncle is an American, has a Ph.D. in philosophy, and teaches at Oxford every few years. Or you could have done something much more American, like taking out a gun and shooting the guide. Now that would have been funny!
Did you call the holiday "labour" day? That country is butchering your command of our language.
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