2008: Week 39
A quick and scenic flight from Dublin, and we were in Edinburgh. And what a change! The accomodation helped - after 4 days in a hotel we had a serviced apartment and quite a bit more space. But the real change was the city. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but Edinburgh has a magic I just didn't feel in Dublin (or Glasgow). The first evening we went for a long walk around the castle, which sits on a massive rock in the centre of town. It's a spectacular sight, an ancient walled castle sitting on top of sheer granite cliffs. The next two days were spent exploring museums, visiting St Giles cathedral, walking in Holyrood Park, and visiting the castle.
Next up was Glasgow, a short bus trip away. Lyn and her friend met us at the bus station and joined us for lunch and a visit to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It was a quick visit for them; after an hour or so the bright young things ran off to do some shopping, leaving the old folks browsing the museum. Our second day was spent around St Mungo's cathedral visiting Provand's Lordship (the oldest house in town), the Museum of Religious Life and Art, and the cathedral itself.
We finished the week in Carlisle, a town just over the border into England. It was a quick visit, but we managed a stop at the cathedral and Tullie's House Museum, where we learned about the history of the region from roman times onwards (Carlisle is at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall). We also learned about the Border Reivers, families who lived in the lawless border region between Scotland and England and waged war on one another for 300 years. I was amused to note that Matt's family (on both sides it seems) were among the reivers.
Best of the week
- Edinburgh - the atmosphere, the castle, the contrast to Dublin
- National Gallery of Scotland
- Hanging out with Lynda and Yvonne in Glasgow
- Tullie House Museum in Carlisle
Worst of the week
- Discovering that the clothes dryer in our Edinburgh apartment didn't work - the night before we had to leave!
- Dragging my suitcase for what seemed like tens of kilometres. A backpack is looking like a great investment right now.
Next up was Glasgow, a short bus trip away. Lyn and her friend met us at the bus station and joined us for lunch and a visit to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It was a quick visit for them; after an hour or so the bright young things ran off to do some shopping, leaving the old folks browsing the museum. Our second day was spent around St Mungo's cathedral visiting Provand's Lordship (the oldest house in town), the Museum of Religious Life and Art, and the cathedral itself.
We finished the week in Carlisle, a town just over the border into England. It was a quick visit, but we managed a stop at the cathedral and Tullie's House Museum, where we learned about the history of the region from roman times onwards (Carlisle is at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall). We also learned about the Border Reivers, families who lived in the lawless border region between Scotland and England and waged war on one another for 300 years. I was amused to note that Matt's family (on both sides it seems) were among the reivers.
Best of the week
- Edinburgh - the atmosphere, the castle, the contrast to Dublin
- National Gallery of Scotland
- Hanging out with Lynda and Yvonne in Glasgow
- Tullie House Museum in Carlisle
Worst of the week
- Discovering that the clothes dryer in our Edinburgh apartment didn't work - the night before we had to leave!
- Dragging my suitcase for what seemed like tens of kilometres. A backpack is looking like a great investment right now.
posted by Julie at
2:12 am
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