Giants and Gaols

My final weekend in Ireland *sob* I went up to Northern Ireland to see the Giant's Causeway.  My friend Lauren and Calli, her friend from home who was visiting, came along too.  We bought our train tickets and took the bus into the Dublin station.  The train was packed for the first half hour so we camped out on the floor until a few seats opened up.  The rest of the trip went smoothly and we arrived in Belfast in the early evening.  Belfast has a really beautiful downtown with an elaborate city hall and long streets lined with huge shops.  The whole area felt rather eerie though.  We only passed a handful of people and all of the shops were locked up tight for the night.  It made me wonder if this was a lingering effect of the Troubles.  The silent streets did not encourage us to venture outside to explore so we stayed tucked away in our hostel for the night and went to bed early.

The next day Lauren, Calli, and I climbed aboard a tour bus that would take us to see the Giant's Causeway.  Our bus driver had a thick accent and was extremely funny.  He told all of his jokes completely deadpan so we had to pay close attention (especially to understand his accent).  We started off driving around Belfast.  There were some parades and protests going on so we had to take a lot of detours.  I'm not sure if I heard our guide correctly but, judging from the flags they carried, I believe the the people we saw parading were in support of Northern Ireland's relationship with England.  Armored police cars were everywhere to protect those walking in the parade and observing.  We also drove past the Titanic Museum.  Our guide told us that the engineer steered South and the captain steered East which put the iceberg directly in the center of ships path.  At the edge of the city was Carrickfergus Castle, an old Norman castle situated next to the harbor.  As we drove away from the castle and left the city, our guide pointed out to us that the bottom of the lampposts have different colors on them to show that the people living in that area are supporters of a unified Ireland or a Northern Ireland.

The coastal road we drove on offered beautiful views.  I loved peeking out the window at all of the tiny towns we passed.  Aunt Mary and Uncle Bruce would have drooled over the many golf courses that lined the road haha!  We briefly stopped at Bushmills, the famous whiskey distillery, and then headed back to the coast to see Dunluce Castle.  Apparently C.S. Lewis used this castle as a model for Cair Paravel from the Narnia books.  I could definitely see the resemblance!

Our next stop was the one we were all waiting for: the Giant's Causeway!  Ages ago, volcanic eruptions resulted in the tall, hexagonal pillars that make up the causeway.  Lauren, Calli, and I walked down a steep hill to get to the formations that seemed to fall into the ocean.  I was surprised by how large the causeway was.  From what I had heard, I expected it to be much smaller.

Legend tells us that a giant by the name of Finn MacCool built the causeway to connect Northern Ireland to Scotland.  A Scottish giant called Benandonner crossed the causeway to challenge MacCool.  Now Benandonner was extremely large, even for a giant, and MacCool wasn't sure that he could win.  Luckily, MacCool's clever wife Oonagh thought of a plan to help him out.  She had her husband dress as a baby and climb into a huge cradle.  When Benandonner arrived at the house Oonagh told him that her husband was out but asked him to wait inside until he returned.  She asked the Scottish giant to remain quiet so as not to wake her sleeping son.  When Benandonner saw what a massive baby was asleep in the cradle he quaked with fear at the thought of the father's size.  He waited not a moment longer but left the house and crossed back over the causeway smashing it to pieces behind him so that MacCool couldn't follow him.

After hopping from pillar to pillar we headed over to the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge.  Salmon fishers have been building bridges over to the island for more than 350 years but the bridge we crossed is only 4 years old.  I was nervous to go over but it was pretty stable and only bounced a little as we walked.  The tiny island of Carrickarede had really steep slopes since it reached so high out of the water.  I was afraid we might roll off the edge!  The day was so beautiful that we enjoyed just basking in the sunshine on the island.

The rope bridge was our last stop before heading back to Belfast.  Lauren, Calli, and I caught the train back to Dublin.  Our trip back was rather uneventful except for a few drunk knackers on the train who were chased off by Gardaí before we even departed, but not before they were inspired by the sound of our accents to regale us with the story of their holiday in America haha!

On my last day in Ireland, Lauren, Calli, and I headed back into Dublin where we visited the Kilmainham Gaol which housed almost every prominent nationalist who fought to free Ireland from England (including Éamon de Valera who I had just researched and written on for my Irish history final).  The gaol is now a museum filled with information on its famous inmates and their fight for independence.  The picture to the right shows the East Wing, but many prisoners were kept in other parts of the gaol made up of smaller, dank cells with little access to light.  I was surprised to learn that women, men, and children were not segregated in the gaol, and women and children experienced worse conditions than the men.  Children were most often incarcerated for petty theft.  The youngest prisoner was only five years old.

One of the most interesting stories we were told by our guide was that of Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford.  Joseph took part in the Easter Rising and was captured and sentenced to execution by firing squad.  Grace was his fiancee and though they had planned on being married on Easter of that year, they were forced to move up the wedding to just hours before the execution and were married in the chapel of the gaol.  Grace was an artist and, following her husband's execution, she began to use her art to promote the ideas of the political party Sinn Féin.  She also joined the Anti-Treaty IRA and was arrested and incarcerated in Kilmainham Gaol just like her husband.  During the four months she was in prison, she painted a mural of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus on the wall of her cell.  Grace never remarried.

After our tour of Kilmainham Gaol, we spent another hour in Dublin so I could get some last-minute presents for the family then headed home to Maynooth.  I ate dinner with my roommates and then the frisbee team came over to hang out for a while.  We walked into town to one of our favorite pubs, Brady's, and stayed until the barman kicked us out.  I didn't sleep a wink that night but spent the entire time packing and then repacking my bags to make everything fit.  I managed to get it all in there somehow.  In the morning, I said a final farewell to my roommates who were all  bawling.  I hadn't shed a tear yet because it still didn't feel real.  I also couldn't bear the thought of wasting any of my remaining time crying!  I took the buses into the airport for the final time and flew back where I met Mom and Dad at O'Hare.  It was definitely the worst flight I have ever been on (and probably will ever go on).  Now I'm just counting down the days until I can go back!

Jean Valjean, I Love You!

This blog post is by far the most overdue!  I give you my sincerest apologies, but school got the better of me and I had no time to write sooner.

 Back in May, I planned a trip to England with Gia, one of my Saint Mary's friends.  We had an easy and short flight over to London where we promptly exchanged our euros for pounds and caught a bus into the city.  The bus company had an excellent sense of humor and displayed it with a large sign on the sides of their buses proclaiming, "Even Ryanair passengers welcome!"  Gia and I died
                                                                                                               laughing!

Our bus dropped us off right across from the Sherlock Holmes Museum so of course we had to investigate.  The museum was a bit out of our price range but we did snoop around the gift shop which felt like a shrine to all things Sherlock.  There were detective hats, pipes, souvenirs, canes, and more!  There also had a collection of teapots including some shaped like toilets, baths, and sinks!

After poking around the gift shop we unfolded our map and set off to hostel.  We were deceived into thinking we didn't have a long way to walk, so we didn't get on the Tube immediately.  This quickly proved to be a mistake as it began to downpour.  We made it to the hostel eventually and after drying off and resting our feet for a little bit, we headed back out and made our way to the famous department store Harrods.  It had everything!  There were food, pets, furs, toys, sports equipment, jewelry, makeup, shoes, and accessories.  Gia and I even found bulletproof clothing!   My favorite area was of course the toys.  They had giant stuffed animals, intricate doll houses, Legos, remote-control helicopters, and William and Kate Barbies.  I also enjoyed petting the ermine fur coat (though I'm not sure that saleswomen appreciated that I did so).  As fun as it was to look at everything for sale, I loved just looking at the different rooms too.  Each one had a different theme.  There were mosaics of hunting parties, chandeliers of grapes, and escalators inspired by ancient Egypt.  I've never had so much fun shopping and not buying anything in my life!  When Harrods closed, Gia and I headed back to the hostel and got some sleep to prepare for our next day

We started off the morning by stopping at a grocery store to get some food for the day and then hopped on the Tube to go to Buckingham Palace.  We arrived just in time to get a good view of the changing of the guard.  Those tall, fuzzy hats must really slow the guards down because after watching for 30 minutes they still weren't finished.  Gia and I decided that we'd seen enough, so we took a stroll through St. James's Park where we saw some strange birds and got a lovely view of the London Eye.  This only inspired us to see it up close so we got back on the Tube again.  Standing by the London Eye we saw a beautiful view of Big Ben and the House of Parliament.  We crossed the River Thames and saw Westminster Abbey as well.

Tower Bridge

With all of these historical monuments impressing their greatness on our memories, we felt motivated to visit one more famous site: the London Bridge.  I must confess, there are few times when I can remember being more disappointed.  The London Bridge is a simple road crossing the River Thames.  It has no distinguishing features whatsoever.  I don't think anyone would really mind all that much if it fell down.  Although it does allow you a great view of the Tower Bridge.  It is very probable that the London Bridge has become an incredibly nasty and spiteful bridge over the years as it gazes at the glorious, beloved Tower Bridge and repeatedly realizes that it is only famous for collapsing.  Poor, ugly thing.

After being disappointed by the lack of grandeur possessed by the London Bridge, Gia and I decided to check out the site of the upcoming (now past) 2012 Olympics.  Of course we couldn't tour the grounds themselves since they were still under construction, but we did find another way to sneak a peek.  There is a huge, extremely fancy mall right next to the Olympic stadium and John Lewis, one of the department stores, offered a viewing room to tourists.  Gia and I headed up to the top floor and walked to the very end of the mall where three large, floor-to-ceiling windows displayed the stadium, the water polo arena, the aquatic center, and the orbit (whatever that is!).  The room wasn't too full when we were there, but I can just imagine how packed it was during the Olympics.

Gia and I next set off on a bit of a goose chase.  We wanted to find Abbey Road where the Beatles took their famous album cover photo.  Thinking that we were savvy travelers, we decided not to ask for directions but just consult our map.  Eureka!  Clearly marked was a Tube stop called Abbey Road.  I remembered another friend who had been to London telling me that Abbey Road was a couple blocks away from the Tube station, so when we arrived in a run-down neighborhood, I wasn't too concerned.  We found Abbey Road easily enough, but it looked nothing like the picture. There were no pretty houses, green trees, and white cross walk.  There were only sidewalks and sketchy apartment buildings.  Gia and I quickly realized that there must be another Abbey Road and we got back on the next train out of there.  Our search would just have to continue.

We got off the Tube at Trafalgar Square and entered the National Gallery.  It was closing in ten minutes, so we were only able to look in a few rooms, but we liked what we saw and promised ourselves to come back tomorrow.  When we walked outside, Gia and I were consulting our map when we were approached by a group of school children asking us for help in a competition they were having with their classmates.  Apparently to pass the time, their teacher had created a scavenger hunt for them and they had to ask people outside the gallery different questions and be the first ones back with the correct answer.  Their current mission was to learn how to say "I love you" in a different language but it couldn't be English, Spanish, German, Italian, or French.  Gia and I admitted that we didn't know any other languages besides Spanish and the kids were about to turn and find someone else to ask when I remembered something.  "Wait!" I shouted.  And then I showed them how to say "I love you" in American Sign Language which my nieces had taught me once upon a time.  They quickly ran back to their teacher and Gia and I could see that they were the first ones there.  We saw the teach hesitate for a moment as they held up their hands saying "I love you," but then he nodded his head yes and smiled.  They had won!

Gia and I felt victorious as well as we headed towards the West End where all of the theaters were located.  We had gotten tickets to see the most fabulous of all the London musicals: Les Miserables!!!  We got settled into our seats and no sooner had the introductory music started then I died of happiness.  Someone must have brought me back from the dead because the next thing I know I'm watching Jean Valjean stealing from the bishop.  The entire musical was spectacular! The cast was perfect and the set genius!  The singing and music are still playing in my head!  Les Miserables is one of my favorite books, so seeing the musical was a dream come true!

I was in a happy daze when we left the theater, but somehow my feet followed Gia as we entered the M&M store.  One of the workers proudly informed us that they had three floors!  They also had an impressive wall of M&M dispensers of every color imaginable.  We had fun looking around at all of the M&M themed double-decker buses and other London icons.  We couldn't handle the chocolate temptation for too long so we headed back out and walked over to Piccadilly Circus which had giant, lit-up billboards making it look like a miniature Times Square.  We watched for a little bit as some street artists performed before finally calling it a night.

Our last full day in London was wonderfully sunny (in fact, we had beautiful weather the whole weekend except for that first rain shower).  Gia and I walked a couple blocks and had breakfast in Hyde Park.  Then we spent most of the rest of the morning walking around and seeing the swans, Kensington Palace, and the Peter Pan statue.  My favorite part was the beautiful garden around Kensington Palace.  The flowers were in blooming and filling the garden with bright colors.  We also solved the mystery of the mysterious Abbey Road while we were there.  We happened to pass a man who had a t-shirt with the picture of the Beatles on Abbey Road, so on a lark, I stopped him and asked him if he knew where it was.  He didn't, but he had a smart phone and quickly looked up the Tube stop we would need to get off on to see it.  We thanked him and decided that we would make that our next trip.

When we had seen all we could of Hyde Park, we hopped on the Tube and finally arrived at the real Abbey Road.  Gia and I, along with about five other tourists, took turns stopping traffic as we crossed the walk and tried to capture the perfect photo.  Our pictures didn't turn out exactly like the Beatles but we were happy with them and I think the passing cars were happy that could finally pass freely.  We also took a look at Abbey Road Studios and added our names to the list of many fans who had signed the white walls surrounding the property.

Afterwards, we headed over to see the Tower of London and while we didn't go inside, we were rather impressed by the how massive it was.  Gia and I made our way back to the National Gallery where we spent a couple hours looking at all the different paintings.  I was especially excited to see some works by J.M.W. Turner.  My English professor had incorporated Turner's paintings into some of his lectures on British literature and I loved seeing them in person rather than on a slide show.  The gallery put on a free concert too that Gia and I enjoyed a lot.

By the time we left the National Gallery, it had gotten pretty dark so Gia and I took the Tube to Kings Cross Station to visit Platform Nine and Three Quarters.  We had a little trouble finding it but once we spotted it, we wasted no time in grabbing our luggage carts and running through the magic wall to the Hogwarts Express.  Unfortunately we had just missed it so we decided to head over to Mayfair, an area filled with beautiful homes and shops, and walk around.  On our walk, we just happened to stumble upon the American embassy.  We were a bit turned around so we walked up to the fence and asked for directions from the heavily armed, mustachioed, and extremely friendly guard marching on the opposite side.  He helped point us in the right direction and our tired feet carried us back to the hostel where we slept soundly in preparation for our last day in London.

We started our last day much like the one before and breakfasted in Hyde Park.  We cut through the park and past the Prince Albert Memorial before walking a few more blocks to the National History Museum.  Unfortunately we didn't have a whole lot of time to explore but the different animals, fossils, volcanoes, and other exhibits were interesting to see.

We had to catch the bus back to the airport but we arrived a little early for it, so we stopped in a Beatles themed store to kill some time.  Our flight back was pretty smooth except that for the first time during my entire year of traveling, Ryanair landed late.  I was actually a little sad not to hear the jubilant trumpets they always play when they land early.  Still, it was a pretty fun weekend and one of my friends from frisbee even picked us up from the airport so we were saved from the Dublin bus system.  I was happy to be home!

Aran Islands

We just had our last Roberta trip :(  Eugene picked us up outside our apartments and we drove to the little town of Doolin where Mary Ellen and I had our adventure with Frank, Christy, and the cows.  All of us girls headed to Gus O'Connor's for a pint and to listen to the music.  Frank was at home watching his kid, but I was able to meet up with Christy (who was looking spiffy in the Secret Service jacket that Mary Ellen had sent him) and his friend Leo.  The music was excellent!  There was even a song that one of the local musicians had composed about Doolin.  We didn't stay until closing this because we had an early start the next morning, so we headed back to the hostel
around midnight and crashed.

The next morning we rushed to catch the ferry over to Inis Mhór, the largest of the Aran Islands.  Our ferry was named the Happy Hooker haha!  We pulled up to the dock and moved our bags into the hostel.  A few of us headed to the beach and played frisbee while we waited for the kitchen to clear so we could make lunch.  After grabbing a quick bite, we rented some bikes and started cycling along the coast of the island.  We made friends with some ponies and stopped at a few beaches on our way.  We even saw three seals swimming in the water!  We ended up at Dún Aonghasa an old fort perched on the edge of a cliff.  A few of us sat on the edge with our feet dangling off throwing rocks to see how big of a splash they would make.

On our last day at the island I went for a walk with my friends Lauren and Emily.  We found a beautiful, long stretch of beach and played frisbee there for a while despite the strong wind.  As we continued on our walk a few of the other SMC girls cycled by followed by a small black and white dog (whom we later named Toby).  Toby was super sweet and and he turned out to be a great frisbee player too!  I kept throwing the disc to him and he would jump up and catch it in the air then trot back to me with it in his mouth.  After a while Toby tried to change our game to tug-of-war, so we decided to continue our walk in order to protect my disc and Toby ran off in the other direction.  We reached a hill and headed up it to check out the temple ruins at the top.  Unfortunately as we crossed a small stone wall used to keep the cows away, one of the large boulders fell off and landed on Lauren's foot, breaking three of her toes.  However, because Lauren is an absolute champ, we continued on up to the top of the hill and got to see the ruins as well as a magnificent view of the island.

On the way home we made a quick stop to see the Cliffs of Moher.  It was an absolutely radiant day so the cliffs looked beautiful!

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit Inis Mhór.  It really gave me time to relax and spend time with my friends whom with I have spent the year traveling and exploring.  It was a truly perfect final end to our Roberta trips.

Boom! Mountain!

Hiking on the Trotternish Ridge

Early Friday morning, Claire, Erin, and I walked over to another hostel to meet the rest of our MacBackpackers group and board the large bus awaited to whisk us off to tour the Scottish countryside.  Our bus driver and guide's name was Richard and he greeted us at the door with a thick accent and a plaid kilt that went just past his knees.  Richard drove us out of Edinburgh passing many of the monuments and sites that we had seen the day before.  He also gave us a very brief introduction to the Scotland’s history and its relationship with England.  Throughout our trip, Richard seemed to be always telling us a story or joke.   I’ll try my best to relay them as he told them, but I can’t possibly remember them all.  When he wasn’t talking, Richard would play us music by Scottish bands, including a few humorous songs by Billy Conolly.  I really liked one band in particular called the Peatbog Faeries.  They are from the Isle of Skye and they combine traditional Scottish music with house music.  Have a listen for yourself and let me know what you think.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-g2pg1Gt4k

River Tummel

Our first stop was a small town a little ways outside of Edinburgh to grab supplies for lunch.  We also had time to stroll by a beautiful church at the edge of a lake.  Shortly after, we took a longer walk at the Linn of Tummel, a wooded area where the Rivers Tummel and Garry meet.  There is a large bridge for cars and a smaller one for pedestrians that cross the rivers.  A large cage was hanging under the bigger bridge and a group of bungee jumpers were leaping from the cage and plunging headfirst towards the waterbed.  I wish I could have joined them!  Instead I followed the rest of the group along a path running parallel to the river.  It was a pretty walk and I appreciated being able to stretch my legs before loading back onto the bus.

Our next stop was the Ruthven Barracks which were built on the site of a ruined castle.  The barracks were built after a Jacobite uprising to try and control those living in the Highlands.  It was interesting to see the remnants of something other than a castle.  The barracks were obviously more modern with many windows and a kitchen equipped with a stone oven and chimney.  Erin even scaled part of the chimney just for the heck of it!

After Erin safely made her way back to solid ground, we headed to Balnuaran of Clava, a cemetery from the Bronze Age.  The cemetery is home to three tombs that reminded me a lot of Newgrange.   Like Newgrange, the tombs are circular, thick-walled, and have a narrow passage leading to a small, circular space at the center.  However, the tombs lack a roof and are much smaller in comparison.  Only two people would have been buried in them.  Across from the passage are several large stones that are gray with sparkling flecks scattered about.  Since the passage is aligned with the winter sunset, the setting sunlight can travel down the passage and reflect off of the stones.

We finished exploring the cemetery and loaded back on the bus to head north.  Richard drove us through Inverness and up towards Loch Ness, the second largest but the deepest loch in Scotland.  A loch is the same thing as a lake except that a loch can be either freshwater or saltwater.  Loch Ness happens to be freshwater which might just be one of the reasons the infamous Nessie resides there.  Richard told us the story of the first sighting of the creature and it actually has its roots in Catholicism. Saint Columba was an Irish priest who came over to Scotland to evangelize the Picts.  He needed to get on the other side of Loch Ness but because the loch is so large, walking around it would have taken days.  St. Columba spotted a boat a short distance from the shore.  He sent his scribe out to fetch the boat so they could take it across the loch.  As the scribe swam towards the boat, Nessie surfaced with a great splash and snatched the scribe up.  St. Columba immediately made the sign of the cross and shouted out, "Thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man; go back with all speed."  The creature released the scribe and quickly dove back down to the depths of the loch, and the scribe made it safely back to shore.  After hearing this riveting account, Claire, Erin, and I didn't need much convincing to jump into Loch Ness and swim with its resident (well, the fact that our hostel promised to wash and dry our clothes for free if we went swimming helped too haha!).  We walked down to the edge of the water and waded in with three other members of our tour.  The water was FREEZING!  We didn't stay in for long, and a few people didn't even go in all the way.  Claire and I definitely dunked our heads and I swam out a little bit.  When we got out we hurried back to the bus and changed into dry clothes and Richard passed around a bottle of whiskey.  Everyone who had jumped in Loch Ness took a swig.  It warmed me right up!

After our chilly dip, we spent the rest of the afternoon driving to Skye.  The Highlands were absolutely beautiful.  Mountains, both green and snowcapped, rivers, and lochs ran along either side of the road.  I think now would be a good time to pause and tell you about Scottish weather.  The Scots say that if you don’t like the weather, just wait ten minutes.  They aren’t exaggerating either.  For ten minutes it’ll pour rain before it turns to hail.  Ten minutes later the sun peeks out from behind the clouds only to be quickly followed by snow and then more clouds, rain, hail, and sun.  Lather.  Rinse.  Repeat.  We experienced all kinds of weather quite frequently during our journey through the Highlands, but we were also rewarded with a rainbow.

We finally reached the Isle of Skye as the sun was setting.  Richard drove us across the long bridge that took us to the isle.  Before the bridge, residents and tourists had to rely on ferries.  Richard told us that the Bank of America financed the building of the bridge, but after residents refused to pay an outrageous toll to cross, it was sold and can now be used for free.  We passed over the bridge and immediately entered the tiny town of Kyleakin.  MacBackpackers has its own hostel on Skye and I must say it was nice sharing a room with people that I knew.  Everyone on the tour was super friendly and it was fun getting to know people from all over.  We cooked our meals, ate dinner, and went to Saucy Mary’s, the local pub, together.  The pub got its name from the Viking princess Mary who would charge a toll to ships passing through the narrow straight separating Skye from the mainland.  I’m guessing that those travelers responded rather differently to a toll imposed by a Viking than more recent travelers did to the Bank of America!  Since Kyleakin has only two pubs, Saucy Mary’s was pretty packed.  I met a local who claimed to have worked as a chef for Bono, but I think he may have been pulling my leg.  There was also a band playing called Cancel the Astronauts.  I liked them a lot and I have to give them credit for the best song title I have ever come across: “I Am the President of Your Fan Club and Last Night I Followed You Home.”  I dare you to find a better one!

Notice the "face" in the mountain.

The next morning we started early so we could see as much of Skye as possible.  Richard drove us first to a stream running along the base of several mountains.  I simply cannot remember the name of the stream, but I’ll tell you its legend.  The great Irish hero Cúchulainn travelled to Skye to battle the fierce warrior-woman Scáthach.  However, Cúchulainn did not know what Scáthach looked like nor where exactly she lived.  As he wandered around Skye, Cúchulainn happened upon a young woman tending sheep in the hills and he asked for direction to Scáthach’s home.  The young woman happened to be Uathach, the daughter of Scáthach, and knowing that Cúchulainn must be seeking her mother to prove himself in battle, Uathach refused to tell him.  Cúchulainn tried to shake the answer out of her but Uathach struck him with her staff before he could touch her.  Enraged, Cúchulainn overpowered and badly beat her.  Uathach escaped and ran to her mother who decided to fight Cúchulainn and punish him for his brutality.  The two warriors were evenly matched and the battle lasted for days.  Meanwhile, Uathach went down to the stream and wept at the sight of her disfigured reflection.  Moved by her tears, a faery rose out of the water and told Uathach to wash her face in the stream.  She did as she was told and as she looked back at her reflection she saw that her face was healed.  The faery also instructed her to cook a meal for Scáthach and Cúchulainn.  Uathach labored over the fire and smelling the delicious aroma, the two tired warriors agreed to adjourn their fight.  During the days of the battle, Scáthach and Cúchulainn had developed a lot of respect and attraction for each other.  As they filled their bellies, the fight seemed less and less important and it was never continued.  Instead Scáthach and Cúchulainn became lovers and Cúchulainn lived with Scáthach, her daughter, and their son for many years before returning to Ireland.  Well after hearing this legend, we all took turns holding our faces in the water for ten seconds.  Richard promised us that this would give us eternal beauty.  I can’t speak for the others, but I think I can confidently declare my dousing a success.

After our refreshing dunking in the stream, Richard drove us to Dùn Beag, a crumbling fort built high on a hill.  The fort is round and rather small in comparison to other forts I have seen.  However, when it was first built, Dun Beag had high walls and several stories which may explain its smaller size.  The best part was definitely the view.  Just look at this photo and you can see what I mean.  Afterwards we stopped in a small town with a bakery called MacKenzie’s.  They had the best meat and cheese pastries.  I can't remember exactly what they were called but I absolutely loved them!

I didn't get a picture of Macleod's Tables so
here is a sheep.

As we drove, we could see in the distance a couple flat mountains peaks nicknamed Macleod's Tables.  They received this name from a beloved leader of the Macleod clan.  While he was on a trip to the palace in Edinburgh, two courtiers invited Macleod to dinner in order to make fun of his savage ways and prove how much better they were.  They asked him if he had ever seen a more exquisite tablecloth, a more impressive candelabra, or more magnificent mural on a ceiling.  Macleod caught on to what they were up to and replied that his tablecloth, candelabra, and ceiling were more spectacular than the courtiers’.  The courtiers were enraged and bet Macleod a bag of gold that he was lying, so the clan chief invited them to Skye to see for themselves.  When they arrived on the isle, Macleod took them up to the mountain peaks along with his fellow clan men.  Macleod ordered his men to take off their kilts and lay them on the table, then he turned to the courtiers and asked them, if they thought an embroidered tablecloth was better than the kilts of loyal men (I don’t think the courtiers felt much like arguing with Macleod when they were surrounded by a bunch of imposing, strong, naked clan men).  The men began to feast but as the light faded, Macleod ordered his men to light torches, then he turned to courtiers and asked them if they thought a gold candelabra was better than the large circle of flesh and blood torch bearers (again, I think the big, mean-looking, naked guys kept them from arguing).  The feast continued as the sun began to set, and Macleod asked the courtiers to look out across the sky and tell him if they thought their tiny, man-made mural could compete with the vast, colorful one that God had just painted.  The courtiers replied by handing over the bag of gold.

Our next stop was the Old Man of Storr and the beautiful waterfall running down beside it.  The mountains got this name from the profile shape seen in their peaks.  Richard told us that according to legend, the Old Man was actually a giant who thought he was the biggest and baddest one around until God warned him to behave.  Three giantesses wanted to get rid of the Old Man so they tricked him into partying on Sunday and God turned him to stone.  Thus the mountains were made.  Now I haven’t been relaying every single story Richard told us, so maybe it’s not as clear to you as it is to me, but it seems like every Scottish myth, legend, and story focuses on a mountain.  It's as if their rule for storytelling was always, "Needs more mountains and shtuff."

After climbing around the waterfall and dunking our heads in the cascading water (because Richard assured us that it guaranteed seven years of good luck and, well, when in Scotland!) we drove a little further up the coast before pulling over to see the the town of Staffin's waterfall (aka Kilt Rock Waterfall).  Water pours off of the edge of a cliff and straight down into the ocean.  On either side of the waterfall, the cliff wall is made of rock shaped like pillars.  They reminded me of the rocks at the Giant’s Causeway.  Maybe this was once the other end of the legendary bridge connecting Scotland and Ireland haha!  Staffin is also famous for the dinosaur fossils found there.  In 2004 the world’s smallest dinosaur footprint was discovered in the area.

Our next stop was my favorite part of the tour.  Richard took us up Quiraing, a sort of valley sloping down towards Staffin, and we hiked along the Trotternish Ridge.  It wasn’t an incredibly difficult hike but it did get our blood pumping.  We had to go single file to walk on the skinny, muddy path that wound along the mountains’ slopes.  The scenery was breathtaking!  Richard told us that J.R.R. Tolkien had a vacation home on Skye and spent time writing The Lord of the Rings trilogy there.  I could see where he got a lot of his inspiration.  I felt like I was walking through the Misty Mountains and at any moment I would round a bend and see the gate into the Mines of Moria.  About halfway through our hike, Richard gathered us together on a wider stretch of mountain and whipped out the bottle of whiskey again.  We all patted ourselves on the back for making it this far and took a swig.  Richard turned around to get the bus and meet us at the end of the trail and we were left to find our way as best as we could.  The next leg of the hike was more difficult for me but I have only myself to blame.  As we descended towards a large, calm lake, there was some dissension among the troops as to which path was the right one to take.  Four of us chose the wrong one.  It curved around to the same place as the easier path but it was quite a bit rougher and steeper.  We made it back to the bus just fine though!

After our good stretch of the legs, we visited a faery glen.  Richard explained to us that the faeries of Scotland were no kin of Tinkerbell’s.  The faeries bear more of a resemblance to a leprechaun.  While there are also good faeries and bad ones, but they all tend to be a bit mischievous. Richard also told us that faeries no longer live in Scotland.  Apparently, residents began to disregard the faeries and the faeries would not live in a place where they were disrespected.  They all boarded a ship after promising the captain to use their magic to help it stay afloat and reach its destination safely despite all the extra weight.  Of course, a few faeries stayed behind, and Richard warned us to be respectful of the faery glen or else those who remained would “haunt” us for lack of a better word.  Past visitors who had taken things left for the faeries, even if it was just a simple penny, felt like they were being followed all the time and experienced horrible luck (and it didn’t end until they returned what they took).  I could definitely understand why people thought the area was a faery glen.  The hills were shaped in such a way that they looked like miniature mountains with tiny lakes tucked into the valleys between them.  There were also narrow paths winding up the mountains with different pockets suggesting entrances to tunnels inside.  Everything about the glen was the perfect size for faeries!  From atop one of the hills we saw rocks arranged in different patterns on the grass.  There were hearts, snakes, triangles, and more.  There was also a large spiral made out of the stones.  Richard told us that if you slowly walked into the center of the spiral thinking about all of your negative characteristics and then thought of all your good qualities on the way out, the faeries would take the bad and leave you only with the best of yourself.  I tried it but I can’t say it worked as well for me as the stream I dipped my face into.  The faery glen was our last stop for the day and we headed back to the hostel as sundown approached.
  

Claire, Erin, and I decided to do a little exploring before it got dark.  The tide was out so we walked over to Castle Moil where Saucy Mary used to charge her toll.  The castle isn’t much to look at but its perch above the water gives a magnificent view of Kyleakin and the surrounding landscape.  Eventually the chilly air convinced us to turn back, but I was able to pick up a few shells for Leigha, Kiera, and Fiona on the way.

Eilean Donan Castle

We left the lovely Isle of Skye early on our last morning and drove towards Loch Garry which is famous for being shaped like the outline of Scotland.  On the way we stopped to take pictures of the beautiful Eilean Donan Castle jutting out into Loch Duich.  We also took a quick drive up a mountain to gaze out at the Five Sisters, five mountain peaks with an interesting story behind them...There was a man who had six daughters, but no wife.  Despite this, the man did well raising them and they all grew up to be beautiful and accomplished.  An Irish sailor was passing through and fell in love with the youngest of the daughters, but the father did not wanted the elder sisters to be married before he gave the youngest away.  The sailor said that he had five brothers who would be happy to marry the other sisters if the father would allow the youngest to marry now.  The father thought this was a pretty good deal so he agreed.  However, the sailor took his wife and never returned with the promised brothers.  Fearing that his daughters would become old maids, the father went to see a witch for help.  The witch wanted to marry the father, so she agreed to help get the girls off of his hands.  The father celebrated that night at the pub and when he stumbled home hungover in the morning, a thick fog covered the earth and he could not find his daughters.  He went back to the witch and explained his problem.  She used her magic to clear the fog and showed the father that his five girls were now mountains (bet you didn’t see that one coming!).  Well needless to say the father was not pleased and he never did end up marrying the witch.  Now I haven’t been relaying every single story Richard told us, but I should hope that you are able to see a recurring theme in these tales.  Namely that they all focus on a mountain.  It's as if a Scotsman's rule for storytelling is always, "Needs more mountains and shtuff."

The Five Sisters

A little further along the highway we stopped at Inverlochy Castle which is near Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles.  The castle was in pretty decent shape in my opinion.  There were four or five local boys running around, climbing the walls, and having fun.  I was pretty jealous that they got such a cool playground to grow up with.  Our next stop was a little more somber.  We went to Glencoe which was once the site of a brutal massacre.  After the Glorious Revolution in England, all clans were required to pledge allegiance to William and Mary.  The Maclains of Glencoe signed their pledge, but due to an Englishman’s clerical error, the document arrived late.  The Campbell Clan used this mistake as an excuse to exact revenge on the Maclains for having previously looted their land.  They took advantage of a Highland tradition to offer hospitality to anyone (friend or foe) who might request it, and established themselves in the Maclains’ homes.  After two weeks, the Campbells ambushed the Maclains during the night and killed 38 men.  They burned down the houses and another 40 women and children died from exposure to the elements.  The effects of this massacre were long lasting.  Even today, if you have the name Campbell or are related to one, you are not allowed in some Glencoe pubs.

On a lighter note, we had the honor of being introduced to one of the most famous residents of Scotland.  Hamish is the most photographed long horned Highland cow in all of Scotland.  Originally, Hamish was supposed to be a breeding cow, but he was sterile and therefore doomed.  However, his field was right next to a nursery and the children had fallen in love with him.  The kids went door to door and raised the money to buy Hamish and keep him as their pet and school mascot.  He even got a wife named Heather so he wouldn’t be lonely.  Sometime later Heather gave birth to Honey (although Hamish still doesn’t know he isn’t the father!).  Heather wasn’t there when we visited, but we did get to see Hamish and Honey who was just adorable!

I will forever be grateful to one of our fellow travelers because she badgered Richard until he finally broke down and agreed to take a detour to Doune Castle.  Doune is famous for being featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  Originally the Monty Python crew was going to film at several castles throughout Scotland but permission was withdrawn for all of them except Doune.  Since they were running out of time, the filmmakers decided to use close-ups of different parts of the castle to make it seem like several different castles in the movie.  It was pretty fun to see Doune and recognize it from the movie.  A couple of our new friends even pretended to gallop around the castle while Erin followed them banging two rocks together.

Our final stop was the William Wallace Memorial.  Richard lectured a good deal of history about William Wallace but I’m afraid I can’t remember most of it.  However the general idea was that Mel Gibson got it wrong.  The William Wallace Memorial was built with funds raised entirely by private donation (I doubt the English wanted to help build a monument for a rebel).  We had to walk up 246 steps to reach the top, but it was well worth it.  The memorial is shaped like a tower with an ornately carved roof.  Standing at the base of it, we could look out over the city of Stirling which was quite beautiful in the sunlight.

When we returned to Edinburgh, Claire, Erin, and I said goodbye to Richard and walked back to our hostel to drop off our bags.  Just across the street from our hostel were several restaurants and pubs.  We stopped in one of them for dinner.  Claire ordered haggis and let us try a bite.  It tasted like really spice beef to me.  Afterwards we went down the street to The Last Drop, a pub named because people sentenced to death would stop there to have a last pint before being hung in the plaza outside (the "last drop" get it?).  We even walked past a small stone dais where the criminals were hung.  A few of our fellow travelers met us at the pub and we all toasted our last night in Scotland.  It was a lot of fun and I loved hearing everyone's stories.  The next morning Claire, Erin, and I flew back to Dublin.  I was sorry to say goodbye to Scotland.  It has definitely been my favorite trip to date!

A Magical Day

My friends Claire and Erin and I flew to Scotland early Thursday morning to spend the day in Edinburgh before going on a three day tour around the Scottish countryside the next day.  Unfortunately when we landed the sky was cloudy and a misty rain was falling.  The weather didn't exactly encouraging our spirit of exploration, so we decided to forgo walking around the city and instead headed to the Elephant House Cafe which is where  J. K. Rowling first started writing the Harry Potter books.  The cafe is covered with elephant decorations, chairs, books, and paintings.  It also has a large window in the back with a great view of Edinburgh Castle, so we could see where Rowling got some of her inspiration.  Besides a small sign by the front door, the cafe really didn't seem to recognize its role in Harry Potter history.  However, when I entered the bathroom, I could see where Potter fans had left their mark.  The walls are absolutely covered in quotes from the books and messages from fans.  There is also a large table in the back room that has drawers filled with thank-you letters written to Rowling.  Claire, Erin, and I found a place in the corner of this room and settled in to chat, read, and write as we sipped on tea.  The tea tasted extra delicious since it was made from tea leaves instead of bags.  When I had finished my small pot, I dumped some of the leaves into my cup and rearranged them into the shape of a dog.  I announced to the other girls that I had read my tea leaves and had found the Grim!  My death was imminent haha!  (just a little Harry Potter humor)

The clouds cleared and the blue skies called us back outside.  Claire, Erin, and I walked behind the cafe to Greyfriar's Cemetery where Rowling got several of the names for her characters from the headstones.  We found several of these graves including the inspiration for Professor McGonagall's name, William McGonagall who is famous for being the worst poet ever.  No joke.  We also found some Potters, Moodies, and Scrymgeours.  We even spied Thomas Riddell Esq, the namesake for Tom Riddle a.k.a. Lord Voldemort.  Some fan had propped a Harry Potter VHS tape up against the headstone. I took the opportunity to show my loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix by spitting on the Dark Lord's grave haha!  In our search for the Harry Potter graves, I also stumbled upon a few William Wallaces as well.

Our next stop was Edinburgh Castle perched gloriously on the edge of a cliff that shot up high above the city.  We didn't go inside the castle because we had already seen so many in Ireland and the entrance fee was rather dear.  Instead we admired the view and then headed down the Royal Mile, Edinburgh's main street.  As we walked, we peeked in the many shop windows that lined the cobblestone road.  We even stopped inside St. Giles Cathedral which had beautiful stained glass windows. At the very end of the Royal Mile, we turned right and found ourselves at the base of Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano and popular hiking destination for tourists and Edinburgh's residents.  We climbed all the way to the top which was a lot tougher than I expected.  At the summit were two monuments: one white and one black.  If you stand on the white one you are at the highest point of Arthur's Seat.  Claire, Erin, and I all took turns standing up there and I must admit that I was pretty scared.  It was so windy that I felt I was going to fall!  Claire held onto my ankles to keep me from freaking out too much haha!  We spent forever on top of the mountain, but eventually the afternoon faded and turned chilly, so we hiked back down and went to bed early so we'd be well rested for our tour that started the next day.