More from Glasgow and Edinburgh

So I have been in Scotland for three weeks and I finally feel like I have found my stride in the city. Coming to a campus in such a large city is very new to me because the only college campus I know is a tiny town in southwest Virginia. Glasgow is a very different city than I am used to. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but I am pleasantly surprised. Although areas of the city are grimy and dirty, there are some very beautiful parts of the city. Part of me feels like I have been here months and have already done so much, but I also feel like I haven't even begun to explore and experience Scotland yet. I'm getting there though, especially after this past weekend.

Last week I was still kind of settling in and getting adjusted to my new life. It is truly remarkable the feeling of satisfaction after all the grueling hours of work that I put into setting up my study abroad experience. It all seems so trivial now that I am actually getting to enjoy the work of many months of preparation that led to this. Most of my second week was spent figuring out how to do some of the basic necessities that come with living by yourself in a large city. Laundry, groceries, cooking, doctor's visits, banking, cell phones, gym, subway all seemed impossible to tackle at once and all seemed very foreign. I've taken many of these things for granted, especially groceries and cooking. There are no dining halls on campus so I either have to cook my own meals or find local restaurants to eat at. I have found that frozen meals are very easy to make and work wonders for my figure. Anyways, I think I've taken care of all the essentials here and can start really enjoying myself.

Last weekend, my flat mate and I went back to the West End of Glasgow to check out some places that we didn't get to see the first trip. It was very cold when we left on the subway and by the time we got off, there was a blizzard. We stopped at a wee pub on a cool street called Ashton Lane that was full of nice little stores and shops. I was confused by how hard it was to find a normal lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Either places weren't serving food or had ridiculously priced Sunday brunches, but we finally found a place that served sandwiches and beer so we were content with that. We walked through Kelvingrove Park, which had some interesting statues and landscapes along the River. Then, we walked to the Museum of Transport, one of my favorite museums of all time. They had hundreds of antique cars, real trolleys and trains used in town, airplanes, and my personal favorite, an exhibit on model ships. There was a huge room full of ornately decorated and incredibly detailed model ships. From ancient Viking longboats to giant Titanic-like cruisers to high tech naval destroyers to old dredging boats, this museum had everything. This was the first museum of its kind that I have ever seen. They even had the magical flying car fom the Harry Potter movie on display.

It was a fun trip and I am glad to have figured out the underground (metro).

Yesterday was probably the highlight of the trip so far. Unfortunately, the first time we made the trip to Edinburgh, we got to the castle at 4:15 right as they were closing the gates. This time, the only objective was to go to the castle. It was incredible! This fortress is truly impenetrable. It is perched on a huge cliff overlooking the entire expanse of the city. You can even see miles into sea from the top of the castle. The inner workings of the castle are very fascinating too. The Scottish National War Memorial is a huge sandstone building honoring all the noble Scots who died in battle, a very moving exhibit. The Great Hall is an impressive specimen of Scottish architecture with a very royal feel. The vaulted ceilings and hammer-beam roof along with the countless swords and pieces of armor make me think about the many uses of the castle as a fortress, royal palace, and Parliament meeting place. Looking out the North edge of the castle is a giant 6 ton cannon called Mons Meg. This thing is gigantic! It hurled 300-pound cannon balls over two miles! It was used until 1682 as both a military weapon and for celebratory salutes. The most impressive part of the castle is the Royal Palace which houses the Royal Scottish Crown Jewels. The set of Honours includes the Crown of Scotland, Sceptre, Sword of State, and a huge collection of jewelry. Just taking a glimpse at the gleaming gold and shiny jewels of the crown, it is easy to see why Scotland has had such a violent history. Here is an online picture of the Scottish Crown Jewels because they don't allow cameras into the safe where they are kept.

Favorite picture of the castle lit up at night.
After leaving the castle, we tried to make it to the Palace of Holyroodhouse before closing, but just missed it. The palace is where Queen Elizabeth stays when she travels to Scotland and is a very regal stone building. Originally built in 1498, it has some great history as the royal palace of many kings and queens of Scotland. We got there right about dusk which doesn't show up very well on camera.
Right across the street from this remarkable palace is a very ugly looking Parliament building. Designed by the Spanish architect who built many of 1992 Barcelona Olympics buildings, it marks the first official Scottish Parliament separate from British Parliament. It is an important building, but it looks completely out of place with the beautiful medieval architecture throughout the city. After it got dark, we ended up stopping by one of the only pubs that was still serving dinner. Little did we know that this was actually one of a select few "classic pubs of Britain". It is a very old-looking bar that is supposedly haunted by the bishop of St Andrews. It was a great deal, two meals for 10 pounds and of course they had great Scottish lagers. That was the end of a very worthwhile trip and we headed back to Glasgow on the train.

There are some exciting upcoming events in Glasgow including the annual film festival all this week, rugby tournament at the end of February, and comedy festival in March. Also, the international adviser is setting up various trips to the Scottish highlands later in the semester. There is a weekend trip to a few castles scheduled in about a month so I am definitely looking forward to that. I feel empowered after seeing the castle. I am following the wise words of my Grandpa Jack to "not knock up any Scottish girls." Thanks grampa...