Ahhhhhh what a trip! I called a cab at four in the morning. When the driver arrived, he opened his trunk to load my backpack. I caught a glimpse of his bag, embroidered with a swastika. I felt very uncomfortable getting into the cab with this individual, but nonetheless needed to catch my flight. Suddenly, I looked out the window and started to panic. I realized that I did not recognize where we were going. I started flashing on all the terrible things that were about to happen to me. Then... we were at the Haupbahnhof (main station). It turns out that he took me the most direct route and charged me about five Euros less than any other taxi driver had previously charged.
Leaving Germany in the dead of winter really leaves something to be desired. I spent a little extra money on a ticket with KLM Airlines to avoid flying with RyanAire. RyanAir is a cheap airline that has a nack for having planes catch on fire and charging for such things as using the toilet on board. However, flying on the more expensive airline did not eliminate the fact that I had to walk outside to board my plane. It was cold and windy when I boarded at seven in the morning. The airport did not seem to know how to deal with the cold weather in any efficient sort of manner, so the flight was delayed while I waited for the company to de-ice the wings. Finally, I was off to Scotland for a visit with Angela.
When I arrived in Edinburgh, I was met by strong winds and later snow. The temperature was about zero degrees C for my entire stay. However, it felt much colder with the damp climate and wind. the streets were all incredibly icy and it appears that there are no rules requiring anybody to shovel or de-ice sidewalks. It was like walking across a city made of ice. It was hard to look up and see the city when you're focusing on the ice beneath your shoes. I will certainly return for another visit in a slightly warmer season.
On my first day, Angela and I grabbed lunch at a pie shop. It was a real treat since pie doesn't really exist in Germany. I was sick with a terrible cough (which I ended up giving to poor Angela) and so we rested for a great deal more of the day, then met up with her friend Nick for the start of Hogmanay. We walked to the center of town and met a large parade of thousands of people carrying torches. We followed the torches up the hill where a giant X was burned in tradition, accompanied by the sound of bagpipes and men in Kilts. After the bonfire, a fireworks show was displayed over the city. It was something far more impressive than any fourth of July fireworks display I had ever seen. After that, each night seemed to focus around some sort of fire burning ritual. I suppose that this was a display of old Pagan traditions carried on.
Over the next few days, Angela and I visited Roslyn Chapel, took a ghost tour, walked around much of the city center, had a nice Scottish breakfast and hiked to the castle. We also ate a great deal. It was such a treat after having been living in Germany where the Menus are in German and almost every meal consists f potatoes and pork. Roslyn Chapel was truly a work of art. I was mesmerised by the detailed stone carvings throughout the entire structure. The ghost tour was freezing, though an interesting opportunity to go to the famous haunted Grey Friars Graveyard.
For New Years, I joined Angela and her friends at a traditional Scottish Ceilidh. For those of you who don't know, this is like a Celtic "square dance". A huge group of strangers and friends joined each other to dance traditional group dances with live Scottish music. The music was great and the whole experience was a real hoot. I really hate any sort of dancing that requires choreography because I am far to discombobulated to remember left from right while putting my feet down in certain directions. Watching everyone was slightly more entertaining for me, but I managed to get lost from the group by doing this. I stood in the same place the majority of the night, knowing right where everyone was. However, they moved while looking for me and I couldn't find them anymore. I knew that one of them had seen me standing (at the highest point in area), so I assumed they all knew where I was. Apparently they had walked right by me and we had not seen each other. Anyway, after frightening Angela to death, we watched the fireworks at midnight, danced a bit more and walked back home.
Overall, the trip was fantastic. I wish it had been warmer, but Angela was a great tour guide and her friend Nick was a great pub guide. Nick took us to all sorts of interesting pubs across Edinburgh. One place called Jackyl and Hide was even equipped with a secret bookshelf passage into the bathrooms. He also took us to two fantastic live Celtic music pubs. The first one we entered was tiny inside. The music was varied and the people were jolly. We moved on to a place with more space called the Black Oak. They had a group of ten or more fiddlers and other accompaniments playing Scottish reels and jigs. Being a fiddler myself, I nearly melted in enjoyment. Here I tasted a bit of Scotch and some great hard apple cider.
It was three thirty in the morning when I left for the airport to return home. Angela and Nick stayed up with me since it seemed pointless to try sleeping for such a short time. The taxi driver thanked me for not being another drunk customer and ended up giving me a discount on my cab fare, then I checked in for my flight and had some breakfast. I boarded my flight, then fell asleep instantly. I woke up to hear the announcement for takeoff, and realized that the flight had been delayed and I had slept through the hour wait on the plane. I arrived in Berlin nearly two hours late and made it home to crash into my lovely, warm bed.
Leaving Germany in the dead of winter really leaves something to be desired. I spent a little extra money on a ticket with KLM Airlines to avoid flying with RyanAire. RyanAir is a cheap airline that has a nack for having planes catch on fire and charging for such things as using the toilet on board. However, flying on the more expensive airline did not eliminate the fact that I had to walk outside to board my plane. It was cold and windy when I boarded at seven in the morning. The airport did not seem to know how to deal with the cold weather in any efficient sort of manner, so the flight was delayed while I waited for the company to de-ice the wings. Finally, I was off to Scotland for a visit with Angela.
When I arrived in Edinburgh, I was met by strong winds and later snow. The temperature was about zero degrees C for my entire stay. However, it felt much colder with the damp climate and wind. the streets were all incredibly icy and it appears that there are no rules requiring anybody to shovel or de-ice sidewalks. It was like walking across a city made of ice. It was hard to look up and see the city when you're focusing on the ice beneath your shoes. I will certainly return for another visit in a slightly warmer season.
On my first day, Angela and I grabbed lunch at a pie shop. It was a real treat since pie doesn't really exist in Germany. I was sick with a terrible cough (which I ended up giving to poor Angela) and so we rested for a great deal more of the day, then met up with her friend Nick for the start of Hogmanay. We walked to the center of town and met a large parade of thousands of people carrying torches. We followed the torches up the hill where a giant X was burned in tradition, accompanied by the sound of bagpipes and men in Kilts. After the bonfire, a fireworks show was displayed over the city. It was something far more impressive than any fourth of July fireworks display I had ever seen. After that, each night seemed to focus around some sort of fire burning ritual. I suppose that this was a display of old Pagan traditions carried on.
Over the next few days, Angela and I visited Roslyn Chapel, took a ghost tour, walked around much of the city center, had a nice Scottish breakfast and hiked to the castle. We also ate a great deal. It was such a treat after having been living in Germany where the Menus are in German and almost every meal consists f potatoes and pork. Roslyn Chapel was truly a work of art. I was mesmerised by the detailed stone carvings throughout the entire structure. The ghost tour was freezing, though an interesting opportunity to go to the famous haunted Grey Friars Graveyard.
For New Years, I joined Angela and her friends at a traditional Scottish Ceilidh. For those of you who don't know, this is like a Celtic "square dance". A huge group of strangers and friends joined each other to dance traditional group dances with live Scottish music. The music was great and the whole experience was a real hoot. I really hate any sort of dancing that requires choreography because I am far to discombobulated to remember left from right while putting my feet down in certain directions. Watching everyone was slightly more entertaining for me, but I managed to get lost from the group by doing this. I stood in the same place the majority of the night, knowing right where everyone was. However, they moved while looking for me and I couldn't find them anymore. I knew that one of them had seen me standing (at the highest point in area), so I assumed they all knew where I was. Apparently they had walked right by me and we had not seen each other. Anyway, after frightening Angela to death, we watched the fireworks at midnight, danced a bit more and walked back home.
Overall, the trip was fantastic. I wish it had been warmer, but Angela was a great tour guide and her friend Nick was a great pub guide. Nick took us to all sorts of interesting pubs across Edinburgh. One place called Jackyl and Hide was even equipped with a secret bookshelf passage into the bathrooms. He also took us to two fantastic live Celtic music pubs. The first one we entered was tiny inside. The music was varied and the people were jolly. We moved on to a place with more space called the Black Oak. They had a group of ten or more fiddlers and other accompaniments playing Scottish reels and jigs. Being a fiddler myself, I nearly melted in enjoyment. Here I tasted a bit of Scotch and some great hard apple cider.
It was three thirty in the morning when I left for the airport to return home. Angela and Nick stayed up with me since it seemed pointless to try sleeping for such a short time. The taxi driver thanked me for not being another drunk customer and ended up giving me a discount on my cab fare, then I checked in for my flight and had some breakfast. I boarded my flight, then fell asleep instantly. I woke up to hear the announcement for takeoff, and realized that the flight had been delayed and I had slept through the hour wait on the plane. I arrived in Berlin nearly two hours late and made it home to crash into my lovely, warm bed.
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Funny thing...no ice in any of the pictures I took!
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