Edinburgh and Caernarfon. I could probably end this post there, but that would be boring for you and displeasing to the Valpo Voyager Blog-Gods, so I won’t.
Quick note: the last entry was a bit of a downer. Sorry about that. This one should be much better.
London was also a highlight of sorts. I’m not going to talk about it though. It’s one of the biggest places in the world, and definitely worth a visit. However, the abundance of literature about the place doesn’t merit my musings. Just go there.
Also, enjoy some pictures.
Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, and uncharacteristically nice weather for London.
I got carried away, and took this illegal photo inside St. Pauls Cathedral in the City of London.
What can I say, it’s London. Here’s your seat-of-the-british-government photo.
Coventry Cathedral gets a definitive stamp of approval, though that’s more than can be said for the rest of the town. The medieval church was destroyed during the Blitz, but instead of knocking the ruins down, they were incorporated into the new structure, in a very cool way. After getting a tour of the new building (led by a Roman Catholic lady from Plochingen, 20 minutes away from Reutlingen), I spent some time enjoying this holy and wholly photogenic space.
Creation mosaic window, Coventry Cathedral
Ecumenical Chapel, Coventry Cathedral
Looking Down (or up?) the nave in Coventry Cathedral.
The ruins of the medieval Coventry Cathedral.
Edinburgh is a wonderfully distinct place. It’s built on and around the remains of a volcano, and it that alone doesn’t make you want to visit, I’m not sure what will (fine print: you can’t really see the volcano, but you can see the volcanic basalt, and you can imagine what it might have looked like millennia ago). If you’re interested in literature, your options include Robert Louis Stevenson, Sirs Arthur Conan Doyle and Walter Scott, and JK Rowling. If architecture and city planning is your cup of tea, there are fascinating contrasts to be found between the old and new cities, and plenty of history to explore in the valley between the two. If you’re fond of whiskey, old enough to buy it, and mature enough to actually enjoy it, Edinburgh can be pretty good (though this is only because it’s the capital – the best whiskey experiences are farther north, apparently).
The castle provided plenty of information and wonderful views of the city and the surroundings. I arrived right after it opened, and was able to walk right in. By the time I left an hour and a half later, the line was well out the gate. Suckers.
When I got to the castle, I was able to look to the south and see mountains covered in snow. As soon as I snapped some pictures and thought to myself, “Wow, I wish it would snow here!” it started sleeting, and did not stop for the rest of the day. This time the sucker was I.
The old city is very pedestrian friendly. It’s full of “closes,” which look like sketchy alleys but are far from sketchy. Go down any one of these to escape the tourists and see another part of the city, even if only to see something different. It’s a great place to “get lost” because you’ll never be too far from where you need to be, and yet you’d never be able to guess it by just looking at your surroundings.
One of the super highlights for me was meeting people from England, New Zealand, and Alaska in the hostel, and spending the evenings with them. Fred, Dom, Ant, Alicia, Reid, and Daena sucked me into a game of Scrabble in the lounge, and Jack and Jenna were soon to follow. We split the costs of drinks, but the conversation was free. And it was well worth it. Cultural compare-and-contrast, discussion of the New Zealand Flag Referendum, and discussions of the impacts the refugee crisis has on day-to-day lives in London, Nottingham, and Reutlingen were all punctuated by juggling and puzzles and more Scrabble. I even considered adjusting the end of my itinerary to get to see the Nottingham people again, but it turned out not to be feasible on my end, so I dropped the investigation before asking them if any of them could spare a couch for a night.
We also came across some Germans in the hostel. The couple was from Herrenberg, which is like half an hour away from Reutlingen. It was pretty refreshing to get to talk German with somebody for the first time in a week. However, they were interested in what I’m going to call ‘chemical tourism,’ and the conversation fizzled out after they asked us, “Nimmt ihr Drogen?”
Admittedly, Edinburgh probably appealed to me as much as it did because it immediately followed Dublin, which did not appeal at all. I think I would still have enjoyed the city on its own, and the experience in general – even without the comparison to Dublin. The strong winds grayness provided a perfect contrast to the warmth of the architecture, and the weather made that warmth feel doubly welcoming once you got inside.
I found out after visiting that, like Cincinnati, Edinburgh has Munich as a sister city. However, Edinburgh and Cincinnati are not sister cities. I think I’ve exposed a serious flaw in the sister city system. Also: sister city system. Say that five times fast.
Edinburgh at sunset, taken from Arthur’s Seat. Really, this is mostly just sunset taken from Arthur’s seat, but there IS some Edinburgh somewhere in there, I swear!
Looking south from Arthur’s Seat. There’s some fire/ice something or other here, but I don’t feel like being metaphorical and verbose at the moment.
They say that sunset is supposed to have the best lighting. I used to think that this was true, but now I’m not so certain.
Part II continues with Northern Wales, and an awakening of sorts.
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