Studying? What Studying?

Hello all,

I know, I know, I'm behind on spring break updates and photos and everything, and I promise I'll get back to them later this week. In the meantime, I just got back from a trip to Skye and figured I should update you all on that before I forget everything! (Spring break memories are safely recorded in a travel journal, don't worry! Those stories aren't going anywhere...)

Anyway, last week was "Reading Week," set aside for studying, which naturally I did exactly none of. Instead, I met Margaret in Edinburgh on Monday, went to Loch Ness with her and Brandon overnight on Tuesday, then headed to Skye on my own for the rest of the week. Highlights are as follows.

Edinburgh--I haven't gotten to spend as much time as I would have liked in Edinburgh this semester, but at least this time it was partially sunny as opposed to the fog of the first trip! Basically we just wandered all over the place, which was not far because for a city, it's reasonably small. We did go to the National Gallery to see their dance exhibit, which was NOT as cool as their advertising promised! I mean seriously, only one Degas in the entire exhibit? Oh well, I guess I'll see more in Paris this summer, so I'll just have to wait until then for my dance-art fix.

We did wander down to Holyrood House, the Queen's residence in Edinburgh, but didn't bother going in. It's a pretty castle though, and there's a big green lawn where the corgis can play. Also, they sell stuff corgis on leashes as souvenirs. Creepy, yet awesome. We then decided to climb the wee hill behind Holyrood for a good view of Edinburgh...it was a long climb! Once we made it back down, we went for tea at a tea shop that looked like Prof. Umbridge's office. Despite the decor, it was pretty good. I love teatime. Definitely the best meal of the day.

And finally, the highlight of Edinburgh: I BOUGHT COO SLIPPERS. For you sad souls who don't know what a coo is, check out my pictures. Basically, a coo (pronounced "cow" in American...) is the cutest thing ever, and I now have coo slippers to remember them by.

On to Loch Ness. Since I'd been before, I wasn't terribly excited for it (and the weather was, surprisingly, better in February...oh well) but it was all worth it because the zoo was open and we got to meet the coos (named Katie and Donald). They were so adorable! However, we had sort of forgotten that they have vicious looking horns, so despite their cuddliness, we didn't pet them...but they were worth the trip.

From there, I went to the Isle of Skye, which really is one of the most beautiful places ever. Sadly, my photos do NOT do it justice because I was taking a lot of them from a bus, and the weather was dreadful on the day when I was taking most of them. But trust me when I say it's gorgeous and I want to go back for a much longer stay someday!

Even the ride there from Inverness through the Highlands to Kyle of Lochalsh was beautiful. I don't normally take pictures from trains or buses, but I made an exception in this case. I was lucky that my train arrived in Kyle early so I could catch the afternoon bus to Portree, the capital of the island, where I was staying. I arrived just in time for the early bird special at the best seafood restaurant in Skye, the Harbor View in Portree--it was amazing! Highly recommended, and not that expensive if you order before 6pm. I had mussels in cream, white wine, and garlic that were to die for, followed by my new favorite Scottish dessert, crannachan. It's raspberries in whipped cream flavored with honey, toasted oatmeal, and (naturally) whiskey. Clearly a Highland delicacy! It was a great way to start the trip.

Unfortunately, the next day was absolutely hideous weather-wise. It didn't actually rain except for an hour or so when I was inside a castle, but the clouds obscured a lot of the views. Guess I'll just have to go back someday and hope for clear skies! I couldn't do the boat trip I'd wanted because the sea was too rough, so instead I went to Dunvegan Castle, which, until its roof is repaired, is really not worth the trip. The castle has a giant white tent over the middle of it--not exactly photogenic! But I wandered up the mountainside to a standing stone, and then around the end of the loch for more pretty views (at least as far as I could see). I also discovered that sheep can be kind of scary, especially if you think you're alone in a field and suddenly turn a corner and there's one with horns staring at you! But I survived my run-in with the angry ram and made it into Dunvegan town (makes Hamilton look huge) for lunch, and, of course, more tea. Then back to Portree for more wandering around and some time to just sit and read and relax(!).

Friday morning I managed to fit everything in my bag somehow (this was a great trip for gift-shopping!) and caught the bus to Eilan Donan castle, on the mainland just across from Skye. It's actually one of the most beautiful places I've been, and ranks right up there with Loch Ness as a must-see place in Scotland. The castle looks like something out of a fairytale--it's built on an island in the loch and linked to the mainland by a simple but beautiful arched bridge. Reminds me of Chenonceau, actually, but not as frilly. I took SO many pictures of it that I've tried to only put the best ones up, but there are still a lot!

Then it was time for my 6hr train ride back to St A and the reality that I have finals this week...sigh. Oh well, volcano-permitting, I'll be home in under two weeks now and back at Colgate three weeks from today!

See you soon~

~L

Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=211777&id=579896063&l=d7dac93170