I will include a few separate posts about our trip to Scotland because I want to caption the pictures. This post is just narrative.
Glasgow, Scotland is an interesting place. It was really the birthplace of the industrial revolution, being the home of James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine. It is now a former industrial town looking for an identity in the computer age. The town is not as majestic, at least that's what I have heard, as Edinburgh. It is charming in its own right though. The Clyde River runs through the town and is where the name Clydesdale for the horses comes from. They actually have some living in one of the many public city parks. There is a restaurant there (also in Edinburgh) called The Mussel Inn that is phenomenal. As a person from a Gulf state I thought I had had the best oysters the world has to offer. I was very wrong. The ones that I had, fresh from the frigid waters off the coast of Scotland were simply amazing.
People of Ireland rejoice! Although Irish have a reputation for being pugnacious drunks, I think the people of Glasgow have them beaten. We saw a bunch of people get arrested, guys outside a bar punching each other, and of course the Harry Potter hecklers. Yes there we were standing on Argyle street in a que about 150 people deep and every car that drove by had something clever to yell at us. But, Nicole got her book.
Onward to the Highlands.
We took a coach tour (bus) of the Highlands and to Loch Ness and Inverness, the Capitol of the Scottish Highlands. I will attach some pictures but words cannot describe the beauty of the rolling hills, mountains, and rivers. In many fields the remains of long fallen walls dotted the countryside cutting a straight line through an otherwise asymmetric landscape. There are easily more sheep than people. At times the hillsides are a brilliant purple color from the blooming heather. At other times they are various shades of green and yellow from the grasses and grains growing on them.
The history of the area, as many people know, is bathed in bloodshed. Clan wars, viking invasions, English incursions, and civil wars all took place on this lush landscape. It is really amazing to think of all the history that has taken place. I can imagine those sheep, fields, and decaying brick walls could all tell very fascinating stories.
Our tour through the Highlands was highlighted by our trip to Loch Ness. The lake is cold. It is deeper than the North Sea. It is also very choppy. Since it is so deep, the water is very dark. So, every wave holds the promise to be Nessie until it crests and the white foam betrays the imagination. Also Castle Urquhart stands over looking the deepest point of the Loch. It is really a fantastic setting.
I also ate haggis. For those of you uninitiated, its basically sheep guts chopped up with oats and baked. Its actually better than it sounds, but its not really that good. It was mostly just a way to use an entire sheep, as it also used to be baked in a sheep's stomach.
Scotland was great, I would say if you have the chance to either go to Scotland, England, or Ireland, choose Scotland.
Stay tuned for pics.
Cheers
No comments:
Post a Comment