The journey home

While most of Split was still asleep or just stumbling home from nightclubs, we walked down the gangway and into a taxi at 4:30 in the morning on the 20^th of October. Tony from our boat had arranged the pick up for us and though he told us it would cost 250 Kuna, the driver insisted on 300. Brandon asked him to stop at a bank then because we’d made it work that we only had exactly the cash we needed left. Instead, he pulled into a gas station, put 300 Kuna worth into the car and then had Brandon come in and pay for it. Works the same I guess!

 

We arrived at the Split airport which was in another town about 30 minutes from the port in lots of time - before the airline staff even got there. There was a long line up but we checked in alright and then sat at the gate waiting to board our short, 45 minute flight to Zagreb where we would then catch our connecting flight to London. We arrived, made it through passport control, and then managed to finally get the attention of the crazy busy lady at the one coffee shop to get some breakfast and water. We then proceeded to wait, and wait, and wait some more constantly watching the screen above our gate willing it to give us more information other than just the word DELAY. We were supposed to leave at 8:30 and finally, after a nap, more coffee, a complete game of crazy 8’s countdown with our trusty Canada flag cards, and a trip through the duty free shop, they announced that they would have an update at 10:00. Then they announced they would have an update at 10:30. And again at 11. At noon they started boarding our flight. And then, because the crew had worked their maximum 6 hours already, we had to wait for the replacement crew. We were finally off the ground just after 12:30 and everyone was plenty cranky. We stayed pretty calm though, figuring there was little point getting too upset when there was really nothing we could do about it anyway. Would’ve been nice to sleep a little later though.

 

Now we had planned on having those four hours we spent stuck in the Zagreb airport in London. We wanted to go to Hamley’s toy store again and we didn’t want to have to hurry to get our train at 3:40 to Manchester. As it turned out, we had an hour and a half to get from Heathrow to Euston station. When we landed we made it through the customs line in record time, waited very impatiently for our back packs at the baggage claim and then hurried through the airport trying to find the trains into the city. We paid 38 Pounds to take the express train to Paddington station which thankfully only took 15 minutes. There, we bought Tube tickets and then pushed our way onto the first car we could trying to make our way to Euston. What should’ve been very easy was complicated by closures on both lines we needed to take. Great! Three trains later we piled off the Tube and ran up all the escalators to get into the main Euston station. And somehow, though I’m still not sure how we were that lucky, we made it onto our Manchester bound train with just six, that’s 6, minutes to spare. We sat there for a moment and just laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation and were thankful that we weren’t like some of the people on our flight from Zagreb who’d missed their connecting flights to the States.

 

Thankfully there was a café on the train and we were able to get packaged sandwiches and bags of crisps to eat as lunch/dinner and when it came time to change at Crewe, we weren’t as stressed or worried anymore about time. We arrived in Manchester at the airport station and after eventually locating a phone, we called the hotel to send a shuttle to pick us up. We were so grateful to Brandon’s mom and dad for booking us that hotel for the night because at that point we were so tired and looking so forward to the idea of a hot tub and a hot meal. We got checked in after what felt like pulling teeth at the front desk only to find dried puke all over the toilet in our room. But rather than changing us to a different room, they just sent someone in to clean it. Great, but then we just had to deal with the stench of it all night. They offered us a free drink as compensation which we declined and then went in search of the pool. That at least was a relaxing hour.

 

We ordered room service and while I dozed in and out of sleep, Brandon accidentally pulled the emergency cord in the bathroom. Because they put us in a disabled friendly room there were two of these cords, one next to the bathtub and one next to the bed. It wasn’t all that horrible, just embarrassing to get a phone call and then a knock on the door to reset the alarm. Oops! We had a good night’s sleep and then went down to a hot breakfast. Then, trying to brush my hair before putting all the toiletries into my back pack, I pulled the emergency cord. Agghhh! Anyway, we checked out and got into the car that took us back to the airport where we got into the long line to check into our flight. Security took a long time too and by the time we got ourselves put back together, shopped and picked our way through all the duty free to find our gate, it was nearly time to start boarding. And though it was a good flight, it was much, much too long and squishy. Not so bad as the Thomas Cook flight to London last September, but bad enough.

 

We landed safely, though a little late in Calgary on October 21^st, a year and a month since we left. Going through customs was quick, they didn’t question any of our time away or the very small value we put down for what we were bringing back into the country. It then took forever and a day for our luggage to come down onto the belt. We were actually starting to worry when they finally appeared. Then through the last check point and we were officially in Calgary. Our parents and Brandon’s brother were there waiting for us, complete with a bright yellow sign welcoming us back. The hugs and the tears were worth the early morning, the long flight and the wait in the airport. The snow was a bit of a shock and the cold was not all that welcome.

 

Everything here remembers us as well as we remember it. We’ve moved into our house now and nearly everything went back into the place it was when we lived here last year. There are still a few pictures to put up, but all the boxes are unpacked and tomorrow the tv and internet will be hooked up. I start work on Monday, Brandon has an interview tomorrow, we’re going to band practice tonight…and as wonderful as it all is and as comfortable as we feel, I can’t help but wish that our address was still Elgin Terrace. I want to open my door and step out into Edinburgh. I want to go to Rosslyn Chapel or to Queensferry to take pictures of the bridge. I know I shouldn’t be sad and yet something in me is yearning already for the place we carved out for ourselves there. It’ll pass I’m sure, I just need a routine and some normalcy here that reminds me of how good it is to be in Canada. But I sure need to look a little harder for beauty here. It is good to be home.

November 1 - Catching up on the cruise

We’re home in Canada, the house is totally unpacked and we’re already sick of this cold weather. But before I get to that, I have to catch up on the last week of traveling. So, back to the boat and the salty Adriatic we go!

 

Rather than bore you with too much detail of each day’s events, especially since much of every day was spent lounging around and soaking up the sun, I’m going to try to describe the whole week in one shot. Sorry if it gets a little lengthy.

 

The first full day of sailing started early and after breakfast, we stopped to swim. Everyone was feeling a little more brave and Brandon got the jumping off the boat ball rolling by leaping from the front of the boat. This was quickly followed by a few other people, including me. I only did it the one time because I wasn’t smart enough to jump straight in - my entry was more on my bum and that hu-urt something fierce. It was an awful lot of fun though. The day was marked by really choppy water and I started to feel a little sick. I went down to our cabin to get something and made the mistake of laying down on my bed and then wasn’t able to get up. It was all I could do to talk myself out of throwing up and yet I couldn’t bring myself to get out of bed and get back out into the fresh air. Finally Brandon came down to get me and forced me up and outside. It was better then, but thankfully we were in port shortly after that and the solid ground did wonders. A few of us embarked on a hike up to where the map said was a little church. There wasn’t much of a church, but we did have a great walk. We climbed higher and higher up a gravel road to where we finally got a fabulous view of the bay down below. The people we met along our hike were very friendly, waving and saying hello as we passed by. The cats, that are everywhere in town, were also very friendly, though some were not very healthy. I felt bad for them because they were obviously strays but they didn’t look like they were starving so I guess they weren’t too bad off. We all stopped for a coffee at a little café at the bottom of the hill and those who had the ability made good use of the free wi-fi offered there. That night was the captain’s dinner on the boat but our package didn’t include this in the price because of the deal we got. We had dinner at a little restaurant in town instead which was nearly deserted and really quite romantic. We met a bunch of the others at a bar just beside the dock for cocktails. It was a tiny little place but the building had stood there for about 400 years. And since the tourist season had pretty much ended already, we had the place all to ourselves.

 

The next morning we had just a short sail to Dubrovnik. It was rough water again but because the weather report was promising worse weather, the captain made short time of it and we were there before noon. We spent the afternoon in the old town walking along the top of the city walls to see the breathtaking views of the sea and all the orange roofs down below. We also had a guided walking tour where we learned all about the narrow little streets - much like the closes in Edinburgh - and all the hundreds of steps people walk every day to get to and from their homes in the old town. We also saw some of the evidence and left over damage from the war in the early nineties. Dubrovnik suffered badly and though much has been done in the way of repair, it’s hard not to notice the replaced roofs and scarred walls. We broke with the group for a little while to walk through a small museum and then to get some chips to tide us over until dinner. We found everyone then at Buza, a pub that sits just outside the old town wall where the tables and chairs are perched on the rocks just above the sea. The waves crash into the cliff below you and you can watch the brilliant sunsets there with an unobstructed view. Brandon and I walked back to the boat then and got dinner at a gyro place just on the dock.

 

At breakfast the next day we got the news that we were staying in Dubrovnik another night. The water was going to be much too rough for us to sail and in the interest of safety and comfort, the captain decided to stay put. Fine by me considering my minor bout of sea sickness! We unfortunately also got a message that morning to call home to Brandon’s dad asap. Thankfully there was a shop right on the dock that offered international calling and we were able to get in touch with Alan quickly. That’s when we got the sad, sad news that Brandon’s Great Grandma Bryce had passed away. The grey sky and light rain seemed rather fitting just then. We couldn’t believe that we’d made it the whole year without any family catastrophes and now, one week before we were due home, we were faced with this devastating news. I asked Brandon if we should pack up and head to the airport but he decided that it was a better tribute to her 104 years for us to continue on and see as much as we could see as we’d planned. We joined with the rest of the group then and took the bus into the old town where we too connected to a coffee shop wi-fi network and sent some emails home. We pushed on, visiting a pharmacy museum and monastery cloister garden, a war photo exhibit that was very, very difficult to see, and then made our way back to the boat for lunch. We did a lot of just wandering around that afternoon, shopping, eating chips, and then Brandon and I went back to Buza for another look at the sunset. There, we toasted to Grandma Bryce and her fabulous life. We’d booked to have dinner on the boat so we went back there for what turned out to be a really great bbq. We met everyone back in town for a glass of wine and then ended up going to a local bar not far from the boat. We were guided there by a really nice Croatian man who then told us all about what it’s like living in Dubrovnik. I was struck by how open and willing to just visit with us he was. He walked with us part of the way back to the dock and we all appreciated how genuinely nice he was. Tony, the bartender on the boat was in fine form when we got back and he proceeded to show off a bit of his skill. He ended up pouring us a cocktail in which flames and a whole lot of alcohol were involved. It was a night full of much laughter, a few tears, and a wee bit too much liquor. But it sure was fun!

 

It was a little tough to get out of bed the next morning but we made it up to breakfast where we were met with a few nasty looks and comments about the noise level from the night before. Oh well, we had fun! Our first stop was Mjet and though we only had a short time here, we made the most of it. Nine of us rented bicycles and made our way through the national park to see the stunning salt water lakes on the island. With sore bums and aching legs we made our way back to the boat and onward we went to the island of Korcula. Here we bought much needed toothpaste and sunglasses (Brandon’s third pair since leaving Edinburgh) and found a bakery to fortify us with sugary dough before we hit the water for a rather chilly swim. We joined our usual group for a bit of a picnic on the top of the boat and then went in search of pizza for supper. We then climbed to the top of one of the old Roman towers for a cocktail delivered via a rope and pulley system from the main floor bar. Everyone was rather early to bed that night.

 

The next morning we once again stopped for a swim after breakfast and once again had a great lunch on the boat on our way to the next port. When we landed at Hvar we found this apparently bustling and very touristy town nearly deserted. But we made the most of the lack of crowds and hiked up the hill to the old fort to look around and take in the views. Brandon and I made our way back down and then found a great spot to perch and watch the sunset. We went back to the boat for drinks as Tony promised us two for one happy hour to try to clean out his bar. Being the last cruise of the season, he wanted as many empty bottles as possible. We went for dinner that night with what turned out to be a large group. I think we were 11 in total and we had a feast. Brandon and I shared a pot of garlicky mussels and then the catch of the day which was one of the best fish I’ve ever tasted. The restaurant grilled everything in an open fire oven on the outside wall and we sat on their patio watching a giant orange moon come up over the water. Brandon proceeded to win a rather intense game of Uno against Tony and one of our boat mates. It was a great evening.

 

Our last full day of cruising began beautifully with breakfast and then a nice long swimming break just off a rather popular beach called Zlatni Rat. It was a gorgeous spot and swimming to the beach from the boat was great fun. The beaches aren’t sandy though, they’re all just rocks and pebbles and therefore a little rough on the feet if you don’t have water shoes to swim in. I didn’t go up onto the beach, just stayed in the shallow water where the little fish could check out my toes and nibble at my ankles. I got chilly though and the fish wouldn’t stop bumping into me so I made it back to the boat before Brandon did and proceeded to warm up in the hot sunshine at the front of the boat. It was glorious. We were soon on our way again though and the last few hours went by quickly with lunch and showers and we were all of a sudden back in Split. Brandon and I spent about an hour getting our cabin in some sort of order and packing most of our things back into the back packs. Then we went into the old town to shop a bit and spend some time on wi-fi before going back to the boat to toast the sunset with our sailing friends. Dinner was pizza and chips with the group and since we had such a crazy early start to the next day, we played a few hands of Uno and then went to bed early. We had to say goodbye to all our new friends though which was too bad since most of them would get to at least spend breakfast the next day together. But it was such a good time and we agreed the very best way we could’ve spent our last week in Europe. And when you read about how stressful the next day went, you’ll understand why we were ready to jump on a flight and head back there if we could to do it all over again!

October 13 - Awake in Croatia

We woke up this morning to the sound of someone walking by knocking on doors to tell us all to get up. Then there was a rather violent and noisy shuddering signaling we were docking. It was a good thing we had set the alarm clock though because this docking was half an hour ahead of schedule. Apparently there was an intercom announcement waking everyone up and telling drivers to head to their cars but we didn’t get one in our room. No bother, we returned our room key to get my passport back and we quickly found the exit, back through the car level onto land. We had to line up to go through passport control which didn’t take too long and then we were officially on Croatian soil, in the bright sunshine of Split harbor.

 

It wasn’t hard to find our boat, all of the cruise companies and people with private yachts moor up and dock just up from the ferry terminal. We were really, really early though so we had to store our back packs with a guy on the street (he had a shed set up along side all the tourist vendors) for 15 kuna each. That’s equivalent to about $2. We set off in search of breakfast next and eventually found bread stuffed with a feta-like cheese that were really good. We climbed a staircase back out onto the street and found ourselves in the middle of a bustling market filled with just about anything you could ask for. Which was great considering this is where we found Brandon’s much, much needed pair of sandals. But there was fruit and veggies and meat and cheese alongside clothing, dishes, underwear and shoes. It was great.

 

We just kept walking for a while but without our guidebook which I so helpfully left in my backpack, we didn’t really know what we should be looking for. We wound our way through dirty and rough looking residential streets before we finally stopped to take a break in a park. From there we kind of headed towards a bell tower which turned out to be in the centre of the old town, exactly what you’re supposed to see in Split. Bright, sunlit, skinny streets full of tourists being ferried in from the massive cruise ship sitting just outside the harbor were lined with cafes and little shops. We climbed a load of steps up to the top of the bell tower to get a good view of the red and orange rooftops and sea down below. Then we slowly made our way back through the crowd and sat for a while at the harbor front before making out way to our boat to see if we could get checked in.

 

Our boat is called Eos and there were already quite a few people onboard. We were a little worried at the beginning since everyone sitting there looked about 65 years old! But then as more people boarded the average age started to drop. There’s a good mix of nationalities, mostly Aussies though, and about half a dozen people in our age range that will be fun to hang around with.

 

After a briefing by the cruise line rep and introductions to our crew, we soon set sail on our way south. We had lunch, which was salad, soup, pork with potatoes and tomato sauce, and banana splits for dessert. Then we stopped to swim in the sea which was cold, really salty, but so, so much fun. No one jumped from the top of the boat but I’m pretty sure that is to come!

 

Our cabin is a lot more spacious that I expected it to be. We didn’t luck out and get a double bed but we’re below deck and I think only the above deck rooms have the doubles. We have our own bathroom complete with a shower that’s bigger than ours was in the Edinburgh flat and though not very big or bright, we have two porthole windows.

 

We got to know each other, traded names and travel stories and made plans for what to do for dinner. By the time we docked for the night we were feeling pretty comfy on the boat. So far the water’s been smooth and the sun was nice and warm. We went with the group for dinner tonight, starting in one place for a drink and pizzas to share and then made our way to another restaurant for main courses. The food’s been great and there’s nothing too out of the ordinary on the menus. Not much was going on in town, other than a wedding just ending as our boat pulled into port. We thought about going to find it and crash the party but thought that might not be the best idea. After ice cream and a short walk around the main part of town we decided to head back to the boat. Brandon and I climbed up to the top-most deck and lounged on the sun beds to watch the stars for a little while before going to bed. It was a great first day.

October 12 - A train and a boat

Right now I’m sitting on the built in chair in the cabin Brandon and I are sharing on the ferry to Split, Croatia. He’s already claimed the top bunk and we’re winding down, ready to sleep away most of the voyage.

 

Yesterday, we arrived in Ancona after a four hour train journey from Rome. There was supposed to be someone from our B&B there to meet us, but we couldn’t find anyone. We tried calling, there was no answer. We eventually ended up taking a 25 Euro taxi there and were met by a very apologetic owner who promised to pay us back because she’d gone to bed with a headache and forgot to come get us. She spoke very good English which is a treat lately and she was crazy helpful and really, really nice. She let us go down and eat in the breakfast room from the little buffet since all the restaurants wouldn’t start serving dinner for another three hours, and she offered that we could stay till 5:30 the next morning instead of checking out at 11 and having to take our back packs with us all day. She also promised us a free ride to the ferry terminal which was all so, so welcoming. Up in our room we were met with the best accommodations we’d seen yet on this adventure. Our room would easily rent for 350 - 400 Pounds back in Edinburgh. It had a kitchenette complete with a fridge, gas stove and all the pots and dishes we’d need for a stay at least a week long. We kind of regretted not coming here a day or so earlier!

 

We napped, got cleaned up and then went up the road to where the lady recommended we go for a real Italian dinner. And holy crap, what a dinner we had. There were no menus, just a little old man telling us with absolutely no English the types of pasta we could have. We kind of repeated back what we though would be good but we think he kind of just told us no, he’d bring us this instead. It’s okay though, because what he brought was a bowl full of tortellini for us to share that was filled with ricotta and spinach in a creamy, buttery sauce with fresh green peas and mushrooms. It was ridiculously good. Next he brought us a pizza that had prosccuto, mushrooms and capers on it that though not totally to Brandon’s taste, it was fabulous to me. We drank a liter of red wine along with this all and he offered to bring us more food but we politely declined since there was no way we were going to be able to eat more. We went to the counter to pay and somehow ended up getting a shot of espresso to drink before he wrote our our bill, but it he was so happy and so nice we just didn’t fight anything. It was by far one of the best experiences in Italy.

 

This morning we slept in a bit and had breakfast downstairs before heading first to the little grocery store up the street to buy some food to take on the ferry with us. Then we decided to walk down to the beach even though it was kind of rainy and not very nice today. We walked along in the sand for a bit and out on a pier before venturing on to find some lunch. We walked for what seemed like miles before we eventually found a much larger grocery store and bought some pizza to eat while we walked back and some other provisions to make supper in our room. Almost an hour later we were home and after we both showered and packed our back packs yet again Brandon made us some pasta before we had to leave for the port.

 

We went downstairs and had to ring the outside buzzer to get someone to come to the desk. Unfortunately it was the cleaning lady who speaks no English at all who came and she had to call someone to come and pick us up, who also didn’t speak any English. We eventually gestured and pointed enough to tell him where we wanted to go and we loaded into his car headed for the terminal. We got there but of course he wanted paid and we had no way to tell him that the lady told us it would be a free ride. We ended up paying him 10 Euros grudgingly but what else could we do? We got checked in at the ticket counter and then on a shuttle bus that took us to our pier. A little confusion, the strangest way to get onto a ferry ever (no gangway - you walk up the ramp that the cars drive on) and we were on our boat. I’m annoyed that they’ve kept my passport for the night until we give the key for our cabin back in the morning, but I’m trying to keep calm about that. We ate the snacks we packed and sat outside watching as Italy slowly sank away into the blackness around us. The lights on the decks are almost too bright to see any stars which is a bit disappointing, but it’s still quite warm outside so we sat out there for quite a while before heading in for what will probably be an early night. The bunks are small but we’re both really glad that we sprung for the cabin instead of just seats in one of the lounges. They don’t look terribly comfy. I’m feeling a little dizzy being inside the boat with all the motion so I’m hopeful I’ll sleep okay, but I guess this is good practice for the week to come!

 

Country number 3 of 5 for this vacation will be on the horizon when the sun comes up tomorrow!

October 10 - Dry socks and a fountain

Today was kind of a lower key day. We did some catching up on things, first of which was to go up the block to Termini Station to buy our train tickets to Ancona, where we catch our ferry to Split, Croatia. Second, we stopped in at McDonald’s for brunch and were quite surprised to see a completely separate counter for ordering lattes, cappuccinos and baked goodies. It was kind of cool to order a cup of tiramisu at mickey d’s. Next, and most importantly, we made our way to the Laundromat up down from our hotel to get some washing done. It was pricey, 3.50 for a wash and 2.00 for a dry, but at least everything was clean and oh man! How I have missed a tumble drier! This one was pretty high powered since it only took 20 minutes to get the whole load dried. But folding socks together without having to hope the damp spots would just work themselves out was fabulous.

 

While I was waiting on the laundry Brandon ventured out in search of a bank machine. The Rome hotel was the only place we couldn’t pay for on online in advance and they would only take cash. We had kind of forgotten about this and didn’t plan for it when we exchanged money back in Edinburgh when we left. He tried three different bank machines and none of them would allow the transaction. A bit worried, he went back to the hotel to check the balances and do some research on how we could access our money. The website for our UK account stated that we could go into a bank branch and using our passport as proof of identity they would be able to give us cash using our card. Once we dropped the (dry!) laundry back at the hotel, we set off in search of a bank branch. Found one quite easily but had to wait for the staff to come back from lunch so we sat at a nearby café for a glass of wine. When in Rome and all that… Anyway, they came back, we went in, asked if they could help us because the machine wouldn’t work. All the lady said was, “use machine outside”. I asked if she had any ideas what we could do and she said, “no” and turned away. Nice! (As a side note, this is pretty much the level of friendliness we’ve experienced from all but a precious few Italians so far.) We eventually got the problem sorted out by getting the money from a Western Union place who charged us a 6% handling fee, but at least we could pay for the hotel room.

 

After that was all done and settled, we hopped onto a bus tour. It was only 10 Euros each because by this time it was after 3, but it was nice to see some sights without sore feet. We were technically supposed to stay on until we were back at Temini again but I wanted to go back to Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain so we jumped off at the Navona stop. Only problem was, we’d lost our map in the process of the day and had no idea where to go. We stopped in at a little shop and asked if they had one to which he replied, “Four Euros!” Um, no thanks. Only then, as we were walking out, did he offer us one for one Euro. Taking that, somehow we still got all turned around and ended up walking in a big circle back to where the bus let us off and still no nearer the Piazza Navona. Finally on the right track though, we did eventually make our way and took a bunch of photos and bought two little water colour paintings.

 

Next we went in search of dinner and eventually decided on a little side street place. We shared a huge plate of caprese salad, a proscutto and mushroom pizza, and then each had a bowl of pasta. It was a really nice dinner and we were both totally stuffed when we left to visit the Trevi Fountain. Along the way we stopped back in at the Pantheon which was lovely lit up in the twilight but we didn’t stay long because some super annoying American tourists with their loud southern accents were bugging us.

 

The fountain tonight was much different that we found it yesterday morning. It was literally crawling with people and little brown guys trying to take Polaroid photos of everyone for a charge. We did eventually find a spot to sit and drink our tiny bottle of Lemoncello, and we did eventually give in and do the silly pictures of each other throwing a coin into the fountain, but the best was going around the right side where there was a place to drink from the fountain and stretch out on the stone. We stayed there for about an hour before making our way back to the hotel. It felt like a great way to spend our last day in Rome.

October 9 - Do you get a stamp in your passport at the Vatican?

This was our Vatican day and it started early. The ticket office to the museums opens at 9 and we planned to be there early enough to not have to stand in line for hours and hours. We left the hotel just after 7 and started our long walk there. We probably should’ve tried to take a bus or the metro because our feet were absolutely dead by mid day, but oh well. It was a good walk. Not too many people out yet and we stumbled upon the Trevi Fountain with absolutely no visitors which was kind of cool. We stopped in at a little café for panninis and lattes before continuing on the way.

 

There was very little line when we joined everyone else waiting for the doors to open. There were so, so many people trying to sell tours and postcards and avoiding eye contact with them was quite the challenge. But even though it makes you feel like kind of jerk you just have to be rude to them. We only had to wait about 35 minutes in what was thankfully the correct line since there was no signage at all. Once past the guard controlling the crowd we entered what we like to think was the customs line up for a bag search and trip through a metal detector. We were entering the smallest country in the world after all. Another quick line up for tickets and then up the stairs we went to start the long journey through the endless galleries of the museum. The ultimate goal of course is to make you way to the Sistine Chapel but every possible surface is painted, carved, filled with statues…it’s amazing.

 

We were herded along like sheep with the rest of the thousands of people (estimated 5 million in a year) until we finally reached the Michelangelo’s chapel. It really is beautiful, and I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but it’s kind of a let down. There were so, so many people in there that you could barely move and you’re pushed and pulled in various directions by everyone vying for a better spot to look up at the ceiling. The atmosphere is made ever worse by the security guards at the door shushing the crowd when the noise of 1500 people whispering started to get a little too high. It probably would’ve been worth it to get onto the tour that Scottish buy from the day before was selling that offered an hour in the chapel before the museums opened. We didn’t spend a whole lot of time there but made our way out into a couple more galleries and eventually to the café where we ate pizza before finding the exit.

 

Next stop was around the corner into St. Peter’s Square. The line snaking around the square to get into the Basilica looked terribly daunting, but we joined it and it moved quite quickly. Once inside our breath was taken away. We’ve seen a lot of churches this year but this one really does win as the most grandiose. Marble covering every surface, domes so tall you can barely see the top, monuments and statues so big you almost can’t fit them into a photo. The centre altar with the remains of St. Peter himself underneath is massive and ornately decorated to the point of overkill, but it is stunningly beautiful. We also saw the tomb of Pope John Paul II in front of which many people were stopped to pray.

 

We stumbled upon a staircase going down below a statue of St. Andrew which is an entrance into the grottoes, the lower floor beneath the church where the tombs of many popes are placed. This was kind of a blessing because there were many fewer people down there and it felt like we were in a very secluded and much more sacred place.

 

Back up the stairs took us to the area where we could line up to take the 500 or so steps to the top of the dome. We were ready to do it, but then were told that’s it, the dome is closed. No other reason, just that it’s closed. It was only just after 2 so maybe there were too many people already up there…not sure. It was disappointing though.

 

We sat on the steps in the square for quite a while resting our feet and planning to attack the walk back to the hotel. We’d stopped to talk to a lady on a Segway before we went into St. Peter’s about taking a tour and she gave us a business card with a number on it to call for booking. Brandon decided that he for sure wanted to do the tour but I was scared. Not knowing how hard it would be to ride one, I didn’t want to pay the money and then not be able to do it or hold up a whole tour group by going too slow. We finally figured out how to use a payphone and got the company on the line but were told we had to go to the office to buy the tickets. The office was close to the hotel so that was fine, but the tour took place closer to where we were which was kind of annoying. We started the long, long walk back and had to stop for a break along the way because I was absolutely done. My feet were burning, I was hot, I was tired…not a happy camper. Gelato made it better.

 

Ticket booked, we spent about an hour in the hotel taking naps and showers and then back out we ventured. I decided to go along with Brandon to at least see what it was like and then I was going to wait for him to do the tour in a restaurant. We finally, finally found the place where we were able to catch a bus to where we needed to be after getting very little help from an information booth. And when bus H finally got there, Brandon tried to ask the driver if we were in the right place and how long it would take but he just brushed us off and told us to hurry up and get on. People here are not that nice. There are very few seats on the buses so we had to hang on for dear life and sway back and forth as the bus sped away through traffic. We finally got out where we hoped was where we needed to be and tried to find the place where the tour started. We got horribly lost. Brandon got directions from a guy in the grocery store and that got us closer, but were still lost. Finally, 6 minutes late we ran into the office where a guy sat at a desk but there were no other people around. He quickly calmed us saying there was no one else on the tour! He let me try out the segway first and explained all the ins and outs so I decided I would do it too. And oh man that was fun! We had about an hour following Mario through the little streets and alleys of Trastevere which is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Rome. Sidewalk cafes, churches, balconies covered with vines…it was perfect. And riding the Segways was so, so much fun. Totally worth the money and not at all worth all the worry.

 

We asked Mario where to get some good but inexpensive dinner in the area and he took us around the corner to a local place where he told the waiter to speak English to us, which he didn’t. As he put it, it’s good food for cheap, but service - they don’t know what it is. We really felt like we were eating like locals for that meal. We had a liter of wine poured out of a jug into what we would use for juice glasses, pasta and a rolled beef dish each with a side of chicory (because that’s what everyone else was ordering and I wanted to try it) for 33 Euros. A really good deal, trust me.

 

It was a long walk home but filled with good, good food and wine, it didn’t seem to take nearly as long this time. It was a long, but really good day.

October 8 - When in Rome...

What a perfect way to start a Roman holiday - a gorgeous sunny day! We woke up feeling frustrated about not being able to check into our proper hotel but made the best of the tiny shower and hilariously small breakfast (cup of instant coffee, one croissant) but feeling the heat outside made up for it a little. We finally got to check into the right room and once here, we decided that there wasn’t an issue with the water at all since there are other people staying here, obviously had been last night too. We think the lady was just too lazy to walk us over here from where she lives. It’s less than a five minute walk away. Grrr. Anyway, we made it in and we’re much better off here.

We headed towards the Coliseum next and found it quite easily. Brandon’s sense of direction really is pretty amazing! The Forum is next to it and with the advice of websites and a guide book, we headed there to look for a combo ticket that would allow us to skip the line ups. There are so many people trying to sell tours and we tried really hard to avoid them, but were stopped by an accent that sounded normal - Scottish! The guy was from Glasgow, had been in Rome for about six months and was running a tour company with his friend from Ireland. We ended up agreeing to go with this company because it was a pretty good deal and not really knowing anything about Roman history, we figured it might be good to have someone tell us what we were looking at. We were told we’d start in the Forum then make our way into the Coliseum which is what I wanted because I thought we’d need the extra time there to explore on our own. When we joined the tour group though, we went the other way. The guide, who was local as all official guides have to be in Rome (and possess a degree in history or archaeology), lead us to the Coliseum and told us lots of information about it while we waited for the girl from the office to arrive with our tickets. Getting in was much more complicated that expected and the shear number of people there was unreal. It regularly sat 70,000 people and I’m sure the way they all got in was easier than the way it is now. But in we eventually got and we spent over an hour climbing up and wandering through the areas that are open to the public. There were also really good views from here of the square below, the Palatine Hill and some of the modern buildings that are built layer upon layer above ancient ruins.

The guide told us that unlike the movies portray, the gladiators and others who fought in the exhibitions in the Coliseum were performers; actors who went to school to train to fight. Slaves could choose to try their hand at fighting and if they survived their contracted term, they would be free men with money and fame. It’s worth noting however that only about 2% of the men who fought survived.

The next stop was the Palatine Hill, the choice neighbourhood of the emperors. There’s not much there today to suggest that this was where the richest and most important people lived. But at one time most of the entire area and even more down below was encompassed by Nero’s massive palace.

Down the hill on the other side we ventured into the Forum, the most important place in the centre of Ancient Rome. This is where everything happened. Government, markets, temples, and just plain gathering took place here. There are so many ruins it’s hard to really know what to make of it all. It’s good we took the tour otherwise it would not have meant much. One thing we learned here was the meaning behind the term basilica. It used to mean basically just a gathering place. But when Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity these round places turned into places of worship. From then on all churches built in that style were known as basilicas and it just kind of stuck.

One of the most important things we learned while on the tour was about water. There are fountains all over Rome and they are all safe to drink from. Everyone just fills their bottles wherever there’s a running tap. It’s the biggest, most important monument the ancients left because the water is flowing from nearly 3000 year old springs.

The tour ended here and we left the Forum walking towards a massive white building. We approached it from the back so we didn’t really know what it was, only that there was a regimental museum inside. We wandered all over, inside and out, and even ended up in a church next door for a while. When we left and turned around to see the front of the building we found out just how grand it really was. I still don’t know what it’s called, but there’s a war memorial that it is constantly guarded by Italian soldiers and it’s apparently where Mussolini gave speeches to rile up the people.

We walked to the Pantheon next and rested there for a little while. We probably should’ve gotten a guide book or audio tour because I don’t really know what it is we were seeing, but it was fabulous none the less. Aside from the crowd this was a really cool place.

We found ourselves down a side street where we stopped for gelato for me and pizza for Brandon. It’s really quite amazing to just wander down all the narrow little alleys that you think are going to lead one place and end up taking you somewhere completely different. We never felt uncomfortable though and even though it wasn’t terribly clean, it wasn’t dirty either.

Next was Piazza Navona where we sat in front of a fountain for a while and soaked up some atmosphere. The whole square is filled with artists selling pictures and drawing caricatures and there are cafes lining both sides. It was very much how I imagined Italy to look and feel. Brandon was nearly falling asleep by this point and we were starving so we left in search of dinner, stopping for yet another cup of gelato on the way. We wanted to stay away from such tourist trap places in the squares and on the main streets because we didn’t want to spend a fortune on frozen or pre-made pasta. We found a place down a dim little street and had a really nice, romantic dinner before the long walk back to the hotel where we had showers to take off the sunscreen and sweat and basically fell into bed. It was a great first day.

October 7 - Another day and a half

Yesterday was another great day here in Amsterdam. It was grey, windy and rainy when we woke up but by the time we got to the city centre it was clear and sunny.

 

We started the day with pastries from the bakery again and ate them on our way to the tram. Our first destination was the Hermitage Museum but it took us a while to get there. Along the way we stopped for fries with mayo and people watched a bit on Damark, one of the busiest streets. We wandered through Dam Square, found some cough medicine and sunglasses for Brandon, and browsed through a tourist shop before making our way further along to the museum.

 

Because we’d bought our tickets the day before we were able to skip the line completely and walk right in saving us a solid two hours. The reason for going there is really because the van Gogh museum is closed for renovation and the largest and most famous paintings have been moved there. And they’re beautiful. It was really busy so it was hard to really appreciate all the paintings the way they deserve, but I feel privileged to have seen them. There were a few missing I’d loved to have seen, Starry Night and Café Terrace in particular, but some I’d never seen pretty much made up for that.

 

We stopped for a coffee and then went through the rest of the museum where we saw paintings by Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and Degas. All of them amazing and beautiful.

 

We left there and headed back to the red light district to visit sex museum number two. This one wasn’t nearly as good as the first, but it did have a bicycle doing very naughty things to a mannequin girl which was rather funny. But we were really getting sick of seeing naked bodies and things made out of penises so we didn't spend too much time in the museum.

 

We’d kind of run out of ideas of what to do for not much money so we made a quick stop in at the Condomerie, a shop that sells every kind of prophylactic you can think of including novelty ones shaped like windmills and cows. We made our way back slowly to the tram and like the party animals we are, we went back to the hotel where we had dinner in our room, did some laundry in the sink and repacked our bags for checking out in the morning.

 

Sunday morning we kept with our theme of sleeping in and got everything sorted in our room before checking out at 11. The hotel stored our bags for us and we headed out into the city centre for the last time. We stopped at Westermarket again for breakfast at a pancake shop. We both had bacon and apple pancakes which were really, really good. Too small, but really good. We decided that we would shop for a few things to bring home so that’s how we spent about an hour wandering through some of the shops in Dam Square and back again through the red light district and then back up to Central Station. We stopped for a coffee there before getting back on the tram and heading back out the hotel.

 

Amsterdam was a great start to our vacation. It was comfortable, it was easy to get around in, people were mostly friendly and we felt safe everywhere we went. I didn't really know what to expect of the city, especially since it's reputation is mostly all about sex and drugs. But there's a huge art scene and it's so easy to just wander and spend time watching people and looking at the old buildings. The canals are beautiful and with something like 1200 bridges, there's always a photo waiting to be taken.

 

We bought tickets for the airport shuttle when we arrived and asked the front desk to arrange our pick up the night before. They were worried though that because we’d only given them 20 hours notice instead of 24 they might not be able to accommodate us, even though the driver on the way from the airport told us they only needed two hours notice. He was late, but our driver arrived in a Mercedes Benz sedan instead of the minibus we were expecting and even though he missed the exit for the airport, we arrived on time and in style.

 

The line up to check in and drop baggage was really long and by the time we were through we decided it best to go right through security and hope for food on the other side. There was some, but it just about cost more than the actual flights did and it was far from good. We had to wait for quite a while for them to announce our gate and when they did there was the requisite mad dash for the door that accompanies any discount airline flight with a rush seating policy. After making our way through two crazy lines, we were able to get seats together at the back of the very full plane which made me happy. The flight was about an hour and forty minutes long and even before we were on the ground we could feel the Roman warmth. 22 degrees at 9pm? Awesome! We got our back packs and quickly found our way to the train station where Brandon skipped the line by buying our tickets for the Leonardo da Vinci express to Termini Station and a little more than half an hour later we were in the centre of Rome.

 

Getting a little lost, we eventually found our way out of the station and to the condo complex where we were to check into our hotel. We were buzzed into a courtyard where eventually a girl came down in her slippers and pajamas (it was 11pm after all) only to tell us that there was a water issue at the other place where we were staying and that we’d be sleeping there, in another guest house for the night. Okay, a little annoying, but at least there was a bed for us. We got in, changed really quickly out of long sleeved shirts and went out for a quick dinner. It wasn’t very good but it wasn’t bad either and we were soon back in bed and quickly asleep, ready for the first full day in Rome to start!

October 6 - Amsterdam dag twee (day two)

**WARNING** This post contains details that may not be suitable for all readers. Your opinion of me might be changed if you continue to read!

 

We’re nearly to the end of our time in Amsterdam and already we’re both feeling so rested and we’re loving this vacation thing.

 

Yesterday we slept in and it felt great. We left the hotel just after Noon and stopped at the bakery for ham and cheese pastries and a little walnut cake that was really good. We headed into the centre of town in search of the place to buy discount tickets for the things we wanted to do. When we finally reached Central Station we stopped first to buy Starbucks and ten Euros later, we were outside and lost. It took us a little while but finally got onto what we thought was the correct street. A stop in at McDonald’s for some cheap lunch and we finally found the ticket shop and we got all of our entertainment sorted for the next two days.

 

Right next door was the Sexmuseum and oh what a place. The galleries are filled with all sorts of displays showing things you wouldn’t believe. Pornographic photos from the early 1900’s, statues, paintings, cartoons…all showing the world’s fixation on sex. At first is was all very, very giggle worthy and a little embarrassing. But by the time we were about half way through the museum, it started to get actually rather interesting. There were displays from various cultures including Ancient Greek, African and Asian and all of them had surprisingly similar themes; fertility featuring heavily in all of them. We took some rather hilarious photos and had a good laugh at everything.

 

We quickly made our way across the street just in time to hop onto our canal cruise. It was an hour long and was so much fun. With recorded commentary, we learned how the city grew up around the canals and how they were used by all levels of society. The closer you lived to the innermost canal, and therefore the centre of the city, the wealthier you were. The owners of the Dutch East India trading company would’ve lived and worked right in the centre of town along with many, many other incredibly rich merchants. At one point they could be expected to make the equivalent to 700,000 Euros per month.

 

The best part of the views on the canals are the facades of the houses themselves. They’re all tall, most of them are really skinny, and some of them angle out a bit at the top. That’s because everyone was quietly trying to outdo each other and from the street, a house that tips out a bit looks bigger. Some of them are tilting to one side or the other, something caused by rotting timber foundations under the canal waters. The locals call one specific group of these homes the dancing houses. It was also neat to see the hoist beams at the top of each of the houses along the canals. Because the stairwells are so narrow and steep, furniture for homes and large, heavy items that were stored in warehouses would have to be lifted to upper levels of buildings by rope and pulley. They still use them today which I think is pretty cool and very efficient.

 

We got off the cruise and made our first trek into the red light district. We very quickly were walking past ladies in their windows as they tapped on the glass and beckoned to men who showed any interest. They were, as you would expect in various states of undress, most of them in bras and panties or skimpy little bikinis. There really is something for everyone in terms of taste; every size, nationality, hair colour…we saw it all and it was only about 4pm. I had a really hard time at first, not knowing where to look and not wanting the girls to see that I was looking at them. But it shortly became sort of normal to peek into the windows as you came across them. As Brandon put it, they’re for sale. You can’t think of it as odd or awkward because they are the product and they are okay with that so it’s okay for the passerby to think that. Very odd.

 

We headed back to our hotel to change and get ready for dinner and the evening’s entertainment. We were lucky enough to get into a Japanese restaurant for their all you can eat dinner. It was pricey but totally worth it for the feast of sushi, noodles, dumplings, and all sorts of other things we ate. From there though we walked back into the red light district to Cassa Rosso for our show.

 

A live sex show. Now I know this sounds really strange and a little gross to some. But this is a city that has been known to be open minded for centuries. And these shows have become a regular and very popular occurrence in Amsterdam for men and women alike. They start at 7pm and run till 1am with acts changing out every fifteen minutes or so. When we walked in a woman was just finishing up her act, smoking a cigar from someplace other than her mouth. Second came a couple who engaged in some very choreographed sex with some crazy positions. There was a dominatrix who pulled a “volunteer” from the audience, a striptease, two women, a pole dancer who was amazing, another very acrobatic couple, and two audience participation acts in which people from a Contiki tour group were pulled up on stage and given all sorts of lovely tasks to perform. But as shocking as it all sounds, and as real as I know it all was, it all seemed really fake. None of the performers really looked like they were having any fun and one act in particular was really rough and was kind of disturbing. Once you’re in you can stay as long as you like but we left after a little more than an hour. I think it was worth the really expensive ticket, but I wouldn’t have to do it again.

 

We made our way back to the hotel after that, mostly because the trams stop running at 11:30 and a taxi back to the hotel would cost a fortune. But it was a very eye opening and interesting night!

October 5 - Homeless

We are officially homeless again - or well, we’re not, we have a house to move in to when we arrive back in Calgary. But all we own is once again on our backs.

 

The past week has been draining both physically and emotionally. There were work parties and band parties and then cleaning at an almost breakneck speed. But on Monday we finished everything up in the flat and then spent the rest of the day closing up shop in Edinburgh. We mailed two boxes home totaling just about 25kg and bought health insurance from the post office. Never had I thought you could spend over 200 Pounds in a post office! Then we bought Euros and some last minute stuff from the everything store on Easter Road before heading to the internet café to print and organize all of our travel documents. And then, the rest of the day was spent roaming. Brandon had to drop some stuff off where he worked so I had a cup of tea in my favourite coffee shop on the Royal Mile and then we wandered up to the castle, down to the Grassmarket, back up to Princes Street and we met Lachie for dinner at the Conan Doyle pub. Took pictures of things in the dark, tried to go to a movie but they’d all finished, and finally took a bus home to pack our back packs. It was a crazy busy day!

 

Tuesday dawned much too early but it had to come. We had bacon rolls and lattes from Greg’s and then did our walk through with Ed from the letting agency. He didn’t say anything about the spots on the walls or the chipped paint on the coffee table, but he did manage to find some dust that had settled over the week on the top of a picture frame. He commented on how much effort we’d put in though and gave us our full damage deposit back. We left just as we’d arrived, with just what we could carry.

 

We headed for Waverly station and jumped on a train to Dunkeld where Jesse picked us up for what would be an evening and morning of total relaxation. We played with Eccles the cat, made dinner in a proper sized kitchen, drank wine, played music and went for a muddy walk in the dark. But back into the city we had to go and when we arrived back at Waverly, we stored our back packs at the station and headed out for the last of our running around. Up to the Royal Mile for one more stop at The Clam Shell for chips, cheese and gravy, a quick stop in at Primark to buy me pajamas because apparently I’d forgotten to keep any for the trip, and then over to Lachie’s flat to pick up Brandon’s uniform pieces before returning to Waverly and hopping on a bus to Calvin and Kirsten’s flat. Pizza, visiting and a lot of laughs and we were in bed by 11 for our early alarm at 4:15.

 

We had a quick and easy check in at the airport, really smooth considering all the people in there and that it was 5:30am, and then had some breakfast before going through security. We didn’t wait too long and were on the not quite full plane with a seat between us in our row of three. I had held it all together the entire time - through cleaning and packing and closing out our life - but I bawled as the plane took off and I saw my last glimpse of the Forth bridges. I suddenly thought that we’d just begun living our life there. We’d just begun to forge relationships with all our friends there. But there’s a life ahead and relationships that we’ll return to so no need to be unhappy. We were soon half way through our hour long flight and we both read some of my new book until we were on the ground in Amsterdam.

 

It was raining. But not cold and we found our way through to our bags and then to the stop where the hotel shuttle would meet us. We were the first drop off and our hotel is kind of blah from the outside, but it’s roomy and clean and really quite nice. We’re about a half an hour’s ride into the city centre by tram and that’s fine by us. We’re in the middle of a residential area which feels a little odd, but there’s a bakery on the way to the tram stop and a grocery store for snacks too.

 

We couldn’t check into the hotel when we arrived so we stored our luggage and made our way to the Anne Frank House. The line was not too bad and aside from the German man and his grandson’s that kept pushing us and trying to get in front, it went rather smoothly. Inside, it was hard to understand exactly what we were seeing. The descriptions in the rooms were a little vague and most of them are totally empty, as requested by Otto Frank. But as we moved along with the crowd we were eventually behind the bookcase and up the stairs into the secret annex where eight people lived so cramped and silent. I had imagined the rooms smaller when I read the book but without furniture it was hard to picture what life was truly like for them. There were pictures that Anne had pasted on the wall still there and quotations from her diary were stenciled on the walls to emphasize events and feelings. Coming to a large room at the end of the museum Anne’s actual diaries were displayed in glass cases under low light so that they will be preserved. Her registration card, along with those of her family, were also on display and a short film of a transport of people being loaded up from Westerbork camp was being played. We visited that camp when we were on the trip with the Highlanders in 2010. It was a very somber place to visit but one that I’m so thankful we got to go.

 

Next we just kind of wandered about in the Westermarket area. We ate really expensive hotdogs on the canal side and wandered through tulip, delftware and cheese shops. We sampled 4 year old gouda and a number of other really good - and not so good - cheeses before we went back to wandering along the canal and finding a paddle boat rental company.

 

Now I should mention that I like to be in control. I don’t like it when I don’t know what’s going to happen next or where I’m supposed to be going. It doesn’t always happen and lately I’m getting better at deferring to Brandon, but not always. I gave in and we got into our little boat with no instruction of how to properly steer it or where we should go. We started off okay but turns out they aren’t the easiest of boats to operate. We just could not stay in a straight line for more than about 2 feet at a time. We spent more time going around in circles and hitting the walls of the bridges than anything else. I was stressed and kept trying to pedal backwards when I should’ve just let Brandon tell me what to do…it was hilarious. If anyone was watching from above I’m sure we were quite the amusement! We didn’t get hit by any of the big canal boats so I guess that’s one accomplishment and eventually we did get back into the dock and now I can laugh. But oh what a disaster!

 

After that we were both pretty tired and Brandon was really not feeling well so we headed for the tram and home. We stopped in at the grocery store for some snacks and got comfy with a wee bed picnic. Eventually Brandon went down to the bar here in the hotel and got us some dinner but we were both asleep by 8:30. How crazy are we?

Hellos and goodbyes

The one year mark has come and past. On this day last year we had just arrived in Glasgow and spent a rather difficult day searching for bank accounts, national insurance numbers and cell phones. Rereading my post from that day brings back the overwhelming feelings I had of both frustration and hope.

 

We felt completely indestructible when we left Calgary that day a year ago. When we tearfully said goodbye to our families at the entrance to security in the airport, we looked at each other and said well, it’s you and me against the world now. And I have to say that we’ve done a pretty good job against this great big world.

 

Now on this blog I’ve kept everyone up to date with all the fun things and amazing places we’ve seen. It might seem like we’ve really just been on an extended vacation. And while this year has had elements of that, vacation is far, far from the reality that we’ve lived here. We had to start this life we’ve lived from the beginning. Everything that you take for granted back home like a bank account or a SIN number, those things that you got as you were growing up or your parents started for you, we had to do here all very quickly without any help. The first two banks we talked to basically told us no thanks, flat rental agencies were skeptical of us being foreign, the job centre people didn’t understand what it was we were doing trying to take jobs away from locals. And as much as this country speaks English, definitions, connotations and accents were far from easy to understand in the beginning.

 

My difficulty letting go of my identity as a Coast Paper employee lead to entirely too much time being unemployed. And even though I have had a job for the past ten months, that didn’t bring in nearly as much money as we’d hoped. We didn’t allow this to hold us back or keep us from doing the things that made us happy, but it definitely didn’t make it easy. Both of Brandon’s jobs have caused him so, so much stress and he’s been tired for an entire year. Physically and mentally he is exhausted. But he’s kept everything together and been an absolute rock this entire time.

 

Life here in Edinburgh has not been easy. But we have had a whole lot of fun. We’ve met some amazing people who have helped us through and given us so much. We were given some advice when we left Canada to get in a pipe band as soon as possible - that would ensure we had people. And that was really some of the best advice ever given. The friendships we made with the people in our respective bands (and a few that overlapped) have been essential to us. Without the girls in the tenor corps, I wouldn’t have had a social life. I wouldn’t have had people to text when I had exciting news, wouldn’t have someone to take me to the craft store, meet for lunch, go hike up a hill or sit in the pub with. Brandon wouldn’t have had someone to travel to practice with, go for cheeky MacDonald’s, attend games days and competitions, spend a week soaking up island life, or talk pipes with for hours on end. Saying goodbye to all of these people is going to be difficult. They’ve really made a difference in our lives that won’t ever be forgotten.

 

We’ve been so lucky to have entertained so many visitors in this year. The hellos at the airports and train stations were unforgettable. We’ve felt so loved and so missed this whole time and re-energized and re-excited to see the sights with each of our visitors, even though I could run my own tour company at this point! Each of my seven trips to Craigmillar Castle was worth it. I feel privileged to have introduced so many people to Scotland and to have shared my love of this magical place with them.

 

Our flat has been an adventure in itself. We’ve had to learn how to avoid dampness, to expect the hot water to take forever, how to bathe using an electric shower, heat an under insulated home so it doesn’t cost a fortune, how to cook without an oven, how to do laundry and get it dry when it’s almost always raining outside, and how to sleep in a seriously small bed. But it’s all taught us how to be comfortable with just what we actually need instead of all the things we want. And that the best way to keep warm in a cold, damp winter involves two people, a TV movie, a couch and a big cozy blanket!

 

We’ve lived life here. There are things we’re both going to miss, the very least of which is chips, cheese and gravy from The Clam Shell on the Royal Mile. We learned how to grocery shop when the shelves hold things very different from what we’re used to and the names are strange:

 

Courgette = Zucchini

Coriander = Cilantro

Aubergine = Eggplant

 

We say strange words and use inflections that are not Canadian at all. And we’ve learned how to live life without a car. Very little of what we’ve learned or come to love will be easy to do without.

 

This is our last week at 18 Elgin Terrace. We move out on Tuesday with just what we brought in - a backpack each. All of the extra bits and pieces that we acquired along the way are either back in Canada already, in a box ready to spend the next eight weeks in the care of the mail system, or in Ikea bags going to a friend who’s just setting up his new flat. And suddenly it feels like there’s not enough time. We’re being treated to some fun with work and pipe band friends this weekend and on Monday we’ll spend a few hours saying goodbye to the city that has given us so much and been such a character in so many of our stories.

 

Our memories of this year may fade. My ability to recall where every photo was taken may not last forever. But Edinburgh will never be far from our thoughts because this year has truly shaped who we now are. As individuals and as a couple. And I can truly say that we have lived here. We’ve experienced as much as we could and adapted ourselves as much as we could to a Scottish life.

 

~

 

But up next…vacation! Amsterdam, Rome, Ancona, and a Croatian cruise. And then, on October 21^st, that big Canadian flag on the wall in the customs hall in the Calgary airport will have never looked sweeter.

Handfast

Yesterday was a very important day. Not only did it mark the one year anniversary of our arrival in Great Britain, it was also the day that Brandon and I promised to marry each other in a Celtic handfasting ceremony.

 

First, a little background. For centuries, various groups of people and religions have used ceremonies that involved physically tying the couple's hands together as part of their marriage rites. I've read many, many stories explaining the background of this process, but the one I like the best stems from a time when priests would travel from village to village taking care of the religious needs of a very large area. Because it would often be a long time before a priest would be available to marry a couple, sometimes they would stand before their community and commit to live together as husband and wife for the time period of a year and a day. If the priest came by in that time, they'd be legally married and all would be well. If he didn't however, they could decide to either continue on as married or end the relationship and part ways. The tying of their hands together with a strip of cloth called a ban was symbolic of the joining of two lives and also of their commitment to each other.

 

Our good friends Jesse and Katie gave us the idea and the name of their wedding officiant, Scot, who tailors ceremonies to each couple he works with. He's a tradition keeper - a story teller. We placed a lot of trust in him and didn't actually meet or talk to him in person until we saw him at Craigmillar Park in our ceremony space yesterday. We didn't know what to expect the ceremony to be like, we didn't know what we were supposed to do or even wear. But what did happen was nothing short of perfect. We made promises to each other, exchanged small gifts, and created an experience that is truly unique and totally us.

 

I won't be able to describe the entire ceremony here, it was over much too quickly and I was so wrapped up in the moment that I'm actually having trouble remembering it all already. There is video! I'm so grateful for that. But a few highlights were Brandon promising to always provide me with potatoes, me promising to let him help with the housework, and Brandon lifting me up one handed for a grand celebratory kiss while our hands were still tied together. One moment I will never forget is how the wind picked up and blew hard through the tree in front of us as Scot called on the element of air to be a part of our ceremony. And then, as he called out fire, the clouds parted and the sun shone bright and hot. It felt like we were doing something powerful, something meaningful and perfect right in that moment.

 

But quite possibly the best part was Scot tying our hands together with the beautiful ban that Wendy helped me make. He had us close our eyes, focus on our own breath and heart beat and then change the focus to feel the other person's breath and heart beat fit in beside our own. Looking back on that today, I can't help but think that's really what being a partner to someone is all about. And how interesting that right from the beginning of our relationship I've said how perfectly Brandon fit into every empty little spot I had in my life. I feel like my spirit - or maybe it's the space I take up on the earth - is bigger and more important because he's beside me.

 

Brandon put it very well last night that he feels officially engaged now. And really, that's the perfect way to say it. We've really chosen each other and made it official that we will get married some day soon. Pictures to come!

Chop, chop, chop, chop, chopping!

I will never get tired of this TV commercial!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MspN-CBOTaw

Highland Road Trip

On Thursday the 30^th of August, Brandon, Sandy and I set out early in the morning for quite the adventure. The day started bright and early with a 6:15 taxi to Waverly Bridge where we boarded the airport shuttle bus. Coffee was the first order of the day and once we’d picked that up, we made our way to the car rental building. We had reserved a large compact but as luck would have it, they didn’t have one in that morning in automatic so they upgraded us for free to a four wheel drive Kia Sorento that we affectionately named Katie the Kia.

 

Happy to be driving!

Keeper of the map!

Katie the Kia

 

 

Feeling a little posh and brave in our big car, I, being the principle driver for the day, pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the motorway. Two roundabouts and an easy merge and away we went. We made for Stirling first where the roundabout situation got a little dicey. I had to go all the way around one because I missed the proper exit and then got honked at in another because I had no idea where I was going or even if I was in a lane. But eventually we found the last one and headed out of Stirling in the shadow of the castle on the way north to the highlands.

 

Only thing is, I took the wrong exit. The map we had was very small and most of the towns and roads we passed weren’t on it. So by the time we were starting to get worried about where we were we had no idea of how to find out. We pulled at a furniture maker’s shop in a tiny little town and Brandon got enough advice and directions to get us back onto a more major road. The one really good thing about our little detour is that we ended up eventually at Loch Lomond. Totally unplanned but really good none the less! We stopped for a few pictures and it’s just as gorgeous as I remember it from back in 2008 when I had a cruise on the loch with the bus tour I was on.

 

"You'll take the high road and I'll take the low road and I'll be in Scotland before you"...we sang it as we drove away!

 

 

From there we were back on the road and trucking along. We made a few photo stops, the best of which at Glencoe. We’d all been through here before but the view never disappoints. And being a warm, clear day it was nice to get out and stretch a bit. The sight, though famous for the massacre of the MacDonald clan by the Campbell’s, takes your breath away for it’s beauty instead of any monument to that tragedy.

 

Brandon took off down the hill to investigate this waterfall while Sandy and I stayed up above.

Would like to go back someday to hike along the trails all through the glen.

 

 

Back in the car and we were on the road a short time to Fort William where we got a quick lunch at McDonald’s and were on our way again. We made all the right turns coming out of town this time and were on the correct roads so we sailed up to our intended destination, Eilean Donan Castle.

 

 

It’s easy to see why this is one of the most photographed castles in the UK. It’s stunning and romantic and every bit a character in every fairy tale I’ve ever imagined. It sits at the meeting point of three lochs on it’s own small island. You cross a vaulted bridge to get to it and can see where the tidal flow surrounds it every evening. The structure, in some form, has been there on that island since the 13^th century. Because it holds such a strategic position at the meeting of the lochs, it has always been a stronghold and it has seen many battles. It was partially destroyed in 1719 during a Jacobite uprising and lay in ruins for nearly 200 years. The castle as it stands now has only been there since 1932,and that only after 20 years of restoration. The inside is not as dramatic as you’d kind of hope it to be and not at all like what it looks like in the movie Made of Honour. But the great hall is pretty cool and was once used as a chapel instead of a dining space, and there’s even a set of bag pipes hanging on the wall of the musicians loft ready to entertain. No photography allowed inside I’m afraid so I can’t show you what it looked like. But the pictures from outside were much more dramatic anyway. We made a quick phone call to my mom back in Canada so that we could wave at her on the webcam and then made our way back to the car.

 

 

From here we continued up the road just a bit into the town of Dornie. From memory and Google Earth, I had some idea of how to find a hill top view point that I’d seen on my tour of Scotland with my brother in 2008. At that time, even with a group of 30 other people around me, I knew that this was a magical place. I described it in my journal from that trip as a Place with a capital P. It’s where my heart felt happy and where I knew that once to this country was not going to be enough. Sitting there that day I felt absolute calm and I wanted to burn the sights I was seeing into my memory.

 

And we found it.

 

 

As we drove up the road, higher and higher and around tight turns praying not to meet another vehicle, I just felt like it was right. And rounding one bend, there it was! I pulled the car into a passing place and was crying before my feet hit the gravel. Built up anticipation and a little adrenalin kicked in and we quickly got through the gate and onto the grass and…I was home.

 

 

I don’t know if I can properly describe it. It’s…well, it’s where you’re supposed to be at that exact moment in your life and everything is absolutely right in that moment because you’re there. I was worried it wouldn’t feel the same but it did completely. And it was only better because I could share it with Brandon. This hill I’d been talking about for years and hoping for so long that we could find was finally real to him too and he understood exactly why it was such a magical place for me.

 

 

On my mom’s suggestion I took along something to represent me that I could bury and therefore leave a part of me in the highlands. So I took a tiny Canadian flag, dug a little hole with a spoon, added a piece of heather for good measure and covered it all back up again.

 

 

 

 I don’t know if I’ll be back there again but everything we’ve done this year, all the hardship we’ve seen and loneliness we’ve felt has been worth it just to see that place again. I bawled and laughed and time just kind of stood still for a bit as we held onto each other and marvelled at what we were seeing.

Sandy very sweetly named the spot Carmen's Peak before we left.

 

 

But we had to go. We made our way back up the car and just before getting in noticed some animals on their way to meet us. At first I couldn’t figure out what they were but as they got closer Sandy declared them wild boar! Not wanting to find out if they were friendly or if they would live up to their reputation, we all got in the car and took pictures from the windows. They didn’t seem all that interested in us and continued their way down the road. Brandon took over the driving for a bit here and as he passed them very cautiously as we drove away just in case they decided to jump in front of the car. How would you even begin to explain that story to the car rental guy?!?

 

 

All too soon we were back on the main road and we retraced our route back through Fort William and Glencoe, stopping now and then for really good photos. As night came on, and I was back behind the wheel, I got a little braver with driving. Maybe not seeing the edges of the road as clearly made it not as scary - not too sure. But after a few close calls during the day which had me rubbing curbs and freaking out as someone came around a corner over the centre line, I wasn’t going to complain too much about feeling more comfortable. We were all starting to get sleepy though and by the time we saw Stirling and found our way onto the motorway we were happy to be nearing home. We were also starting to understand why people thought we were crazy to take this journey all in one day. A long drive for locals is three hours - you would never attempt more than that in one day! Are you crazy? But although it doesn’t look that far on the map and the number of miles doesn’t seem all that bad, those no-shoulder twisty-up-and-down roads are stressful. I was glad to see the roundabout entrance for the airport and the exit to the Enterprise car drop off.

 

It was a long and emotional day but so worth every moment. And though we may have worn her out a little bit, I think it was a great way to start Sandy’s visit. And one of the very best of this year so far.