I feel sorry for the 2 guys in my room with me last night. At about midnight, I developed a bit of a cough. If I wasn’t coughing, I was trying to clear my throat. Actually, I know Adam (the one from Ireland) was asleep because I could hear him snoring. I’m not sure if the other boy (the one who I think is from the US) could hear me or not. He’s a very quiet sleeper.
15:34
I walked into town in pursuit of a good breakfast. I ended up at Starbucks again. Not very original, I know. I was attracted, once again to their internet connection. I already pay for it, so I may as well use it. After my health, vitamin-packed nutritious meal, I decide to walk out to the ship docks. Tomorrow evening, I’ll be taking a ferry to my next destination, and I just wanted to know where to go exactly. It wasn’t difficult to find- but it’s going to be another mile and a half (or so) with my heavy pack. I should just break down and get a cab.
I started back through Aberdeen, following the River Dee… or is it called the Dee River? I’m not sure what the locals referred to as. I followed it for a bit, then headed north back into downtown. I found a Tesco and got some lunch to go. A chicken salad sandwich, some peach flavored sparkling water, and a Mars bar. I made my way back to the hostel and enjoyed lunch.
21:30
I took another nap today. It was only for about an hour, but it was great! Naps should be taken every day, I think. After that, I went down to the living room and read a book for awhile. It was so nice outside that when it came time for dinner, I strolled back into the city to find food. I went out to Indian food (again). I love the stuff. I think one of the reasons is because I can’t explain what it tastes like to me. As far as American food or Mexican food goes, you can pretty much take a look and guess what it’s going to taste like. But not Indian food. I can’t even describe the taste, but it’s good.
Adam told me tonight that he was very excited because he has a job offer. He’s been living in Aberdeen for the last five months trying to get work, but the economy sucks all over the world right now. He said the problem with Scotland is that everybody only wants to hire their own family here. I really can’t blame them, if the family member is at least as qualified as the nonfamily member.
Due to Adam’s got excitement, he ran to a local market and bought three cases of beer. He drinks like he’s from Ireland or something- it’s crazy. So he’s been a little tipsy most of the evening and pretty much making a fool of himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets himself kicked out of the hostel soon. Oh well, I’m off tomorrow so I probably won’t get to witness that.
Tomorrow I go north. The schedule says I’ll be on the North Sea for 12 hours or so. I have no idea if I’ll get seasick or not. I’m guessing that I’ll be fine since I am on planes and in vehicles all the time. Don’t seasick people usually get all kinds of motion sickness? I’ll let you know how it goes.
I’ve had a good morning, thus far. I woke up at about 08:00 and got my things together. I loaded up the backpack and checked out of the hostel. I think what I’ll miss the most about Dundee is the people who live in the hostel. There are about five people that I know of, who live there full-time. Some are students, some working and some looking for jobs. Most of them are from Australia but I know that at least one of them is from Canada. They are a fun group and act like brothers and sisters, complete with wrestling and pillow fights.
I checked out, left the hostel and went to the mall and grabbed some hot chocolate and an almond crescent (am I even spelling crescent right?). The Wi-Fi there allowed me to check my email and update this blog. I love it… this is something that the hostel in Dundee could never provide. They’ve been having issues, apparently.
At the moment I’m on the train. I can tell the ride to Aberdeen is going to be beautiful. I think we’ll be on the coast for most of the ride. I just wish my seat was on the other side of the train. I’m on the land side, but I’m sure there will still be some great views. Even if it’s not the beautiful on this side- it was a cheap seat, so it’s all good.
We just crossed next to a golf course. It’s too bad that I’m not into the game of golf. Someone told me that the game was invented in Saint Andrews, Scotland and so some of the oldest golf courses in the world are here. Maybe such facts should excite me, but all I have to say is MEH. The only thing more boring than playing golf is watching golf. I do, however, enjoy trying to run over others whilst driving the golf cart… so maybe there is something there for me after all.
Aberdeen Hostel |13:30
Aberdeen seems to be another nice little city. For some reason, the sandstone buildings here are grayer and less brown like in Edinburgh, or it could just be my imagination and the way the light happens to be hitting them.
My hostel is located out of the city and it was quite a hike. I’m guessing I just walked about 2 miles from the train station. That’s no big deal unless you happen to be carrying a big ole backpack. I’m pretty sure I burned a few calories on my way out here. When I arrived, there were two guys from Ireland who greeted me. Very nice of them, as they don’t even work here.
Aberdeen Hostel
This time, I got an all-male dorm room. Usually, a mixed gender situation is cheaper, and so that’s what I’ve been doing up to this point (except in Glasgow where I’d booked my own private room). The disadvantage to this male-only room setup is the fact that the hallway outside my room smells a little bit like a men’s locker room. The lady at the front desk told me that there would be one other person in my room with me tonight, so here’s crossing my fingers that he isn’t a snorer.
My roommate is out now but I think he’s an American like me. This is because I see he wears Wrangler jeans (they’re hanging up- although they do sell Wranglers here in the UK, I’ve yet to see someone from the UK actually wearing them.) and also I can see a cell phone bill envelope with a return address of somewhere in California. Think I’ll get a wee nap.
18:47
I walked into the city to find something to eat, and I saw another La Tasca restaurant. This is the same restaurant that gave me the crappy service in Edinburgh. I thought I’d give it another chance. The exact same thing happened: I got my food and the server took off forever and even though I needed some more water, they wouldn’t even come to check on me- it’s so horrible. I do believe that I’m done eating at La Tasca for good. Two different cities- and the exact same customer service. What sucks is the fact that the food there is really good- at least what I ordered both times was very delicious. Never again… or until I get a craving that I can’t deny … whichever comes first.
Today has been quite good! I started this morning with a search for breakfast. I ended up at Starbucks so that I could use their internet connection, so breakfast was a butter crescent, a blueberry muffin, and a white hot chocolate- healthy AND well-balanced (not really). I needed the connection because the hostel’s is still borked.
I wanted to go pick up my train tickets since I go further north tomorrow. When I got down to the station, I walked around looking at the Tay Firth. Next, I headed back into the city and soon found the Dundee High School (Ages 5 to 18) and kept that direction, heading up the hill. A few minutes I found myself on the top of Dundee Law, which is a hill that overlooks the city.
While up there, I met an elderly couple who told me that they used to live in Canada, but now they lived close to Glasgow. They were in town to see one of their daughters who lived here now, and the lady told me that it had been 40 years since they’d last been to Dundee. They were quite nice as they wished me luck on my journey.
After hiking back down, I wanted to find some lunch. I finally was able to find a place, near the hostel, called The Town Bar and Restaurant. Can I tell you that the food was great (I had salmon) but the service sucked big time? My server kept forgetting that I was there, and so when I’d order a glass of water, it would take him 25 minutes to get it to me. After a bit, a different server started took over for him, but she also kept forgetting me. I don’t require much attention or anything but just don’t forget I exist. That’s my only request. No tip for you!
20:07
Dinner was a restaurant called Papa Joe’s. I had some a goat cheese parcel, some garlic bread, and a huge piece of lasagna. I almost had to roll out of the restaurant, I was so full! The food was great and the service was so much better than I’d experienced earlier in the day.
I totally lucked out in Dundee. I didn’t have to share my room with anybody at all. Yay for traveling now, and not being here during the summer! I’m sure they would have been a lot busier, had I come in the warmer months. Very restful sleep here.
Tomorrow I’m off to my next destination.
I have reached my next destination safely. My train left Edinburgh at 09:28 and even though it was only about 60 miles, it took about an hour and a half to get here. Dundee is located on the Tay Firth… I think that’s what it’s called, need to do some more research. This is my first time here and it’s lovely. Way smaller than Edinburgh, but still has a city feel.
When I first arrived, I dropped off my bags at the hostel front desk and walked around a bit. I soon stumbled upon another cemetery and walked through, finding more family names. I’m such a nerd! My hope is that these family names will entice my parents into coming to Scotland someday. They’re very into genealogy, especially my dad.
15:43
I met a group of people from Australia who are living at this hostel for a full year. Two of them are working, while a third is looking for work. They seem very nice and invited me to play some football. I’d have joined them and gotten my butt kicked, but I needed a nap in the worse way. Part of me feels guilty for napping, this being my first time in Dundee, but the other part of me knows that I’m on vacation and it’s okay to get some relaxation time in.
20:06
After hanging out with the Aussies for a little while, I set out to find some dinner. It amazed me at how many restaurants this town DOESN’T have. I walked around for what seemed like an eternity (mostly because I was hungry at the time) and other than pub food, I came across one kabob shop. I wasn’t in the mood for that, so I kept walking. I ended up at a Turkish restaurant that was quite good. I probably spent a little more than I should have on dinner, but I can now say I’ve had Turkish food.
It’s looking like I may have this room to myself tonight. I thought that for sure I’d have at least a couple roommates tonight since there are eight beds in this room. I don’t think anyone else is even staying on this side of the hostel… that means my own bathroom and everything. Wahoo!
It’s another beautiful, rainy Edinburgh morning! I’m sitting in the hostel lounge, waiting for my laundry to finish, deciding what to do for breakfast- I’d better decide soon as I’m very hungry!
11:40
After eating breakfast at “Always Sunday”, I walked down to the train station to pick up my train ticket for tomorrow. Even though I’ve prepaid for all my tickets, I didn’t have them sent internationally because I worried they wouldn’t arrive in time. Each train station has a kiosk where you can go pick up your prepaid tickets- it’s genius. This way I don’t really have time to lose my ticket before I board the train.
Today is officially the rainiest day I’ve ever experienced in Scotland. I’ve lucked out when traveling in April. It has often been rainy in the morning but by about 0800 or so, it starts to clear up and might rain a tiny bit throughout the day. We’ve had a rather heavy rain since I woke up this morning- and right now it’s showing no signs of stopping or slowing. But the weather changes so fast here, it will no doubt be sunny again soon.
I’m downloading the rest of General Conference at the moment. This has been an ordeal that has taken several days. If I were home on my faster connection I could have downloaded it in a matter of minutes, I’m sure. Here, the wifi is slower (but free so I won’t complain), plus I can’t just leave it downloading when I leave the hostel- the wireless signal won’t reach into my room. So when I’m not here, my iPad has to be locked up in my room. I don’t trust these people enough to leave it out. Do you blame me?
23:30
Well, I found a place to sing karaoke. I sang “From This Moment” by Shania Twain. Don’t judge me. I was good, though it was the very top end of my range and I couldn’t stylize it very well. It was still fun, however. The fact that most of the group had already had a couple pints is why I got most of my applause. I’m still thankful for it. It feeds my ever-growing ego.
Last night I accidentally left my jacket, camera, and umbrella in the lounge here at the hostel. The good news is that they didn’t steal the jacket or the camera. Someone did steal the umbrella, however. I guess that’s what happens when it’s raining out. Yes, it rained again this morning, but by the time I left the hostel, about 08:30, it had already stopped, and the sun even came out.
I came down this morning and asked the desk clerk where I should get breakfast, and he suggested I walk across to New Town to a place called Snax. I followed his directions. It was a hearty meal, but not the best I’ve had over here- far from it. It was very traditional with the fried egg and the bacon (think Canadian-style bacon over here), a roll (which was more like a salted hamburger bun), some baked beans, and hash browns. Once again, I had them hold the black pudding. None for me, thanks.
Snax
I wanted to check out the cemetery that is right in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. I was excited to find a couple ‘Watsons’ buried there. I shot a little video while I read the headstones… I am not sure if they’re my ancestors, but maybe when I get back to the states, I can Google the names and dates or something.
While reading about one of the Watsons, a squirrel came up with a peanut in its mouth. It got so close to me that I actually reached and pet it’s little head. It walked away for a second, dropped the peanut that was in its mouth, and came back to me. Now, this meant either of these two things:
This squirrel is relatively tame, and thought that I may have some food for it. or
This squirrel was the reincarnation of the same ‘William Watson’ that I happened to be reading about at the very moment of its approach. Even though I don’t believe in reincarnation, I have decided to name it William Watson-Squirrel.
18:50
This afternoon was frigid. The hostel I’m staying at offers a free tour of Old Town. Even though I’ve been on guided tours in my past trips to Scotland, I wanted to learn more about this fascinating city. Our guide was Paul, who is actually from England but has traveled the world over. Other than the familiar Scottish tales and places, he would tell us about his world travels.
So many fascinating stories! I hope I’m getting some of my own to share with friends and family. The tour ended up lasting about 6 hours. Now I’m kind of happy to be off my feet for a little while.
Edinburgh has such a rich history! We walked by the church graveyard, where Charles Dickens is said to have seen one of the headstones, which inspired his famous character, Ebenezer Scrooge. Also, we walked by a pub named for Deacon Brodie, a man who was a church-attending, god fearing man by day, and at night, he would burglarize people’s homes and live a secret life. His real-life story inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write the famous store, “Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde.”
Images from the Tour
Dinner was at a Thai restaurant that was hidden in a narrow close. I went back and found it again for dinner. Curry is so good. I’m sure to have plenty of gas later.
I woke up pretty early this morning and wanted breakfast but didn’t want to go alone. Since I’d made friends with a 19-year-old Swiss guy, who was sleeping in the bunk above me, I decided to wake him up and take him with me to find food. He wasn’t into breakfast like me, so we ended up at a Starbucks. So breakfast was a hot chocolate and a muffin for me. Swiss boy got a double espresso shot and an almond pastry. We headed back to the hostel.
It’s quite windy and rainy today, so it took a while for me to build up the courage to go out. I wanted to go look at some souvenir shops and run around for a bit. Then it was time to grab some lunch. I went to a pub/restaurant called Whiski. I had this dish that was goat cheese on top of bread, topped with a chutney jelly. Then I had a side salad. It was very delicious!
At the moment I’m waiting for the front desk to send me a new towel because the cleaning person took mine. Rude! Once he does, I’ll run and take a shower. I think I need a nap.
19:51
I had the most awesome dinner tonight! My friend Gwen (a Southwest Airlines customer service from Baltimore) came to Scotland last year, and she told me about a restaurant called “The Witchery.” She talked it up, and so I thought I’d get dressed up and give it a try. OH, MY COW! It was by far the best meal I’ve had on the trip up to this point.
The decor is as if you’re stepping back in time. I’m not sure what style or period but has such character. I don’t drink alcohol, but this restaurant apparently has one of the best wine selections in all of Scotland. That may impress some you, at least.
23:25
I just got back from seeing a movie called Source Code– it was terrific! It made me think… and thinking is always a good thing. Now I’m sitting around, charging my iPad, and waiting for podcasts to download. The signal at this hostel isn’t very strong, and there are about 9 people trying to use it at the same time.
I had a good evening! I went to the cinema and saw Sucker Punch. That was action-packed and very, very messed up. I think I will go to sleep now.
09:01
Last night I slept surprisingly well. I’ve been stressing this whole room-share situation. At this time I would like to thank the inventor of earplugs, whomever he/she may be. Words cannot express the deep gratitude that fills my soul today… especially with 8 other guys in the room with me.
12:13
Since today is Sunday, I wanted to make things a little different this morning. I walked to Holyrood Park, just on the edge of Edinburgh and while listening to some good, sabbath-appropriate music, hiked up the hills behind the park. It was beautiful and I got my heart rate going for a bit. Now I’m going to go take a nap.
14:31
It was still nice to get a bit of rest off my feet, even if I was unable get any sleep. This is because the new hostel mates are all checking in now. Mike and I are still here but everyone else is going to be new. I’ve met a gal from the Czech Republic named Silva, two guys from Italy and two guys from South Korea- everyone seems nice.
22:53
Not much happened this afternoon. I did get some dinner at a great Italian restaurant that I remember going to last time I was here. I walked around the city some more as well. I’m going to look around some more and try to find Saturday’s conference talks.
I had to wake up a bit early this morning to get my train to Edinburgh. Edinburgh is my favorite city! The train is supposed to leave in two minutes. I can hardly stand it. On my way over here, I stopped for some breakfast at the K.F.C.
When I got to my train, there was a lady and her daughter sitting in my seat. I told her I had reserved this seat. I was very kind and smiled at her. She grabbed her daughter and moved to the seats adjacent. She wasn’t there for two minutes when somebody came up to her and told her that she and her daughter were sitting in their seats. She argued with them for a moment and then grabbed her daughter and had crossed to another position. Then it happened a third time- about five minutes later, a couple showed up and told her that she was in their seat. My question to her is this: What’s the point of getting a seat if she’s going to ignore her seat assignment? This isn’t Southwest Airlines, ma’am, we assign seats here.
I highly recommend Scotrail.com if you come this way. They’re not very expensive to book, and if you add a bus, they’ll take you just about anywhere you need to go. Also, you don’t have the hassle of messing with a rental car.
Edinburgh, Scotland | 1029
I arrived at my second destination safely. The funny thing: I meant to reserve the same hostel that I stayed in when I was last here last time. I didn’t realize till I was almost at that hostel, that I was booked somewhere else. Whoops! When I tried to check-in, they told me that they wouldn’t allow me to check-in until after 14:00. Now I get to hang out for a couple of hours. I would go and explore the city, but I don’t see a secure place to store my backpack. Perhaps I’ll find a quick lunch nearby. I’ll hold off my major explorations until later.
15:46
Lunch was at Monster Mash, which is where I ate my first haggis, the last time I was in here. I didn’t want to repeat the haggis experience, so I ordered the bangers and mash. The sausages of the day were venison and beef with tomato.
I came back to the hostel and met one of my ten roommates. Yes, there are ten people in the room. His name is Mike, and he’s from Pittsburgh. Mike is a student but he decided to take six months off of his studies and has been tooling around Europe. He says that he was recently in Norway, where he got a job as a construction worker, living with a coworker. He said Norway is still cold, but the weather frequently changes, just like Scotland.
Mike was just sitting up on his bed, looking bored, so I asked him if he wanted to walk up Calton Hill with me. Calton Hill overlooks the city and isn’t too tough of a hike. We made our way over to New Town and then hiked up.
He wanted to get back to find a pub because there was some game that he wanted to watch on T.V. I went to find some soap, a soap holder and a refill for my razor. I’m sure it’s not going to last long. The soap I bought was called Imperial Leather. It sounded manly- and that’s why I got it. I’m a manly man, after all.
I am sitting in a KFC, where I just had breakfast. It was pretty good… about what you’d expect from a KFC. It is a typical rainy Glasgow morning. That means it’s raining. It’s not as windy as it was yesterday, but it’s raining twice as hard. It’s a good thing I enjoy the rain.
Let me say that I’m so glad I brought my iPad on this trip. It’s the ultimate portable computer, and it’s small enough that I can just throw it into my bag and go. I also brought my Zagg to type on an actual keyboard rather than having to type on the iPad screen. It’s like a little laptop. Neither Apple nor Zagg has paid me for telling you this. Although, if they wanna make a deal, I wouldn’t mind getting paid for “converts.”
This is the perfect morning for rain. I’m going to be stuck at the hostel for a while, after all. I’m declaring this the first laundry day of my trip. No, I don’t have tons of laundry yet, but I do leave Glasgow for my next destination tomorrow, and it will be better to not have to carry stinky laundry with me.
Hostel Stays: Here’s a list of things to make sure your hostel has:
Free Internet- I didn’t look for this when I was booking, but it’s a must! Mine came with it, but you have to go down to the lobby in order to reach it. There is an option to have it in your room for 4 pounds a day, but they won’t guarantee the speed, so I just go down to the lobby when I need to.
Free Breakfast- This may be my only hostel that comes with the meal- this is another thing that I didn’t think about looking at when I booked. Here, it’s just a simple cereal bar that comes with toast and juice. It’s simple, but it’s good to not have to go out and find breakfast in the rain.
Private WC- The deal with hostels is that you’re saving tons of money, and if you get a shared room, there’s going to be total strangers sleeping in the bunk next to you and stuff. That’s not so bad, but I’m not for the whole community showering situation. At the very least, give me a private shower stall, that is, if you can’t give me my own bathroom. What some people won’t do to save a buck… just don’t drop the soap.
Clean- I’m not way picky about the places I stay in. My Glasgow hostel is one of the better hostels, not to mention the fact that I happen to have a private room at this stop. The need to be running the vacuum daily. I don’t even care if they change my sheets each day- I’m the only one sleeping in the bed, after all. You may have to deal with the smell of your roommates- so at least the room will be clean if not the others in the room.
And that’s about the extent of it. You don’t have to have these things, but it sure is helpful when you do. Keep in mind, hostels are only for those who don’t mind sharing a room. It saves me tons of money, though. I’m not here to “wine and dine” or hang out in my room all day. I wake up, get ready, and usually leave the hostel. I’m here to see Scotland, after all, not hang out inside the entire time. If that’s your plan, then go pay extra for that charming B&B or hotel room.
16:13
So far, my afternoon has been great! I wanted to go find a certain church, on the outskirts of downtown. When I searched, I saw that it was in West Glasgow. I had to do my stretches because it was 3 miles one way. Finding the church was mess.
I missed one of my turns and ended up about a mile in the wrong direction. I stopped to ask for directions and they basically pointed me back in the direction I had just come. I backtracked and after a lengthy search, found the address, which turned out to somebody’s house. You’d think there would be a sign out front or something, but there wasn’t one.
I stood around for a while, and this girl walked up and asked if I knew the way to the 7th Day Adventist Church. I just laughed and told her I was looking for a different church- we were both lost. I finally took a picture of the building and left. On my walk back to the hostel, I noticed how trendy and upper-class this portion of West Glasgow was. I hadn’t had lunch yet and decided to look for a place to eat.
I found a restaurant called Cail Bruich, which translates to “To Eat Well” in Gaelic. They sat me in the corner of the restaurant near this elderly couple. I heard the man speak and noticed his American accent. I thought immediately that the couple must be from the US, or perhaps Canada. I said hello and told them I was on vacation from the states. The man asked what part of the states I lived in, and I told him Kentucky. His eyes lit up! He said that he was initially from Paducah, Kentucky (not too far from where I live).
This couple, Mr. and Mrs. Reed, spend about 6 months in California a year and the other 6 months are spent in Glasgow near her side of the family. What a fantastic retirement this would be! Mr. Reed told me that the two of them had been married for 40 years now. He decided to take a Scottish country dance class near his home, and that’s where the couple met. She and one of her girlfriends decided to take that same class. He said he fell in love with here the moment they’d met. They were soon married in Santa Monica (near where my parents were married). He attended UCLA for a time but graduated at the U of A in Tucson, Arizona. We had a great conversation, but they had to leave about the time my dinner arrived.
I had the fish & chips. Oh, my cow! I’ve had fish & chips many times, but this was probably the best one thus far! The fish was beer-battered, and the chips were substantial potato wedges, also fried. The tartar sauce was the best I’ve ever tasted. Of course they made it there from scratch. Every time the lady would come by I told her how much I loved my meal. She probably thinks I’m a freak, but I had to let her know every time. I told her I’d be talking about this meal and that I’d surely come eat hear again the next time I come to Glasgow.
One of the servers came out and asked me about my blog. He was probably hoping that I was some vital food critic or something. I told him that it was just my personal blog so that friends and family (and total strangers) can keep up with me. He gave me a business card and told me I could share it with others- so here’s the information:
I just had a light snack for dinner. My lunch at Cail Bruich was later in the day and I was still full. Tonight I met a guy named Mark. He has come to Glasgow but is from Aberdeen, Scotland. He looked like he was stressing out just a bit, so I said hi. He told me that he’d come to Glasgow because his Uncle, who lived here, has lung cancer and it has spread all throughout his body. The doctors told him that he could die any day- they are sure that he’ll be gone within the week.
I didn’t know what to say to Mark, other than the fact that death is an unfortunately part of life. I don’t know his background or anything, and there wasn’t enough time to get into talking about theology. I’m not sure what his views of life and death are, but I wish I would have had time to speak with him about it.
DavTravels 