Travels with Charley

Ok, so I haven't actually travelled with anyone named Charley, especially recently.  In fact, I can only think of one Charlie known to me, and we've never spent any amount of time exploring the world.  For those fans of travel literature, you may recognize this as the title of a 1960's John Steinbeck book detailing the rediscovery of his country and himself as he spent months traversing America from east to west, and then back again with his French poodle, Charley.  Not only is it humorous and well-written, it chronicles classic 60's Americana unlike anything I've read before, and thus worth a read if you've not yet done so.

So why the allusion to such a work?  Three weeks ago my cousin and his wife, Joel and Allison, came for a visit, much needed at least on my part.  Now I've only been away from home for about 5 months, but those who have lived or are currently living abroad will recognize my need for the familiar, especially around the holidays.  That said, their arrival on the 24th of December was not only welcomed, but especially appreciated.  Christmas day was atypical to say the least.  Normally I would wake up to my parents and some combination of siblings and nieces and nephews, syrup-smothered waffles a Christmas tree by the fireplace and a stuffed stocking (yes, I'm 30 and still gladly receive a stocking).  This year I awoke to an apartment sans Christmasy decor and all of the other normalities of the holiday season, yet with new experiences awaiting me.  We ate a traditional Scottish breakfast of ham, eggs, sausage, black pudding, juice and coffee.  Delicious.  After allowing a few minutes for the food to settle, we headed out for hike up Arthurs Seat.  In what turned out to be about the funniest part of our trip, we chose one of the windiest days I've experienced in Scotland thus far to venture up the hill.  With hurricane-like wind speeds, we struggled to keep our feet on the ground.  After chasing hats, scarves and random papers that managed to escape our pockets, we finally summited the peak, grabbed a hold of something stable and enjoyed the breeze.  Though neither words nor pictures do justice, if you want to see the effects of such a wind, check out my Facebook page for pics of us leaning into the wind at crazy angles.

From Edinburgh we drove 3ish hours north to the city of Inverness on the shores of Loch Ness.  As it was my first trip as well, we all wanted to get a "real" Scottish experience so we headed to a local pub for a Christmas dinner.  Johnny Fox's pub was not to disappoint.  After a pint and a pizza, four young Invernessers (Invernessites?) sat next to us and only moments later joined our table.  In typical Scottish fashion, they'd already had their fair share of drinks so conversation was not lacking.  We had a great time questioning and responding in turn to questions of their own.  For those wondering about the Scottish demeanour and character, our Christmas evening exploits best describes it.  They're quick to start up a conversation, easy to engage and love a good laugh.  Now, like any description of an entire nation of people, that's vastly stereotyped, but true to a good extent.  Our new friends displayed this character to the utmost extent.  We had a great time joking with them, finding more out about the Inverness way of life and sharing of our own.  Though I miss the tradition and family of a normal Christmas, this was a great Christmas indeed!

The following day found us up early enough and out exploring the turbid waters of Loch Ness!  Like most Americans, my only knowledge of Loch Ness was heavily influence by the myth (or is it?) of its mysterious monster.  What most surprised me was the beauty of its mountainous surroundings and its HUGE waves!  Now we were there on a windy day, but because of the length of the loch (23 miles long, only a stones throw wide) waves build up to a thunderous height.  We spent most of the day exploring the ruins of Urqhart Castle on what turned out to be a free visit day.  Actually it was closed and we jumped the fence.  Still a free visit day for us though.  After the return trip to Edinburgh, we relaxed a bit, had a good Scottish meal and watched a few episodes of Dexter.

The following day, we awoke to as cloudy a day as ever, but without the customary drizzle of Scottish winters.  We decided to venture into old city Edinburgh, walking the hilly streets and seeing the antiquated buildings.  In the late morning we took part in the Scotch Whisky Experience, taking a ride in whisky barrel and experiencing the sights, smells, stories and history of the scotch whisky process.  After another short briefing on the different regions of Scotch whisky production, we had a small dram of the liquid gold and took off for the Edinburgh Castle.  With nearly a 1000 years of architectural history within it's stone walls, there was plenty to see and do.  More than a mere building, Edinburgh Castle is a city within a city.  Chapels and museums, military training posts and shops, houses and stables, everything exists, or more so existed, as a sustainable society within its four walls.  The hours of walking took their toll on our already-tired bodies, so we headed home for a break before going to the Sheeps Heid Inn for a pre-dinner pint.  I only mention because it is said to be the oldest pub in all of Scotland, established in 1360 (though not the original building).  It is a beautiful old building in the south-east corner of Edinburgh, tucked away on an inconspicuous side-street achievable only with prior knowledge of its existence.  Perfect for our last night in Scotland.  Inside it was highly typical of a Scottish pub, darkly lit and filled with tables, chairs and a bar made of all dark-woods.  Age and Character.

Our final morning was spent in two different castles.  First was Craigmillar Castle, a family-home for hundreds of years, now a tourist attraction located but a mile from my apartment.  This was much more "castle" like (at least in my mind), a single building with winding staircases and dozens of paths creating an intricate stone maze.  We explored for only a half-an-hour but all left feeling as if we'd just experienced something important.  It was a visceral experience, connecting us to a time and way of life subject to the harshness of weather and war.  We all also agreed that we'd love to live in a (modernized) home in similar fashion, only without the threat of war.  From there we took off for our final tour of Scotland, the infamous Stirling Castle, home of Robert the Bruce and at times, William Wallace.  Again, a city within a city, Stirling was vast, filled with similarly purposed buildings as Edinburgh Castle, but with a heavier touch of Royalty.  This was the home of the Kings and Queens of Scotland, and the size and splendour of its banquet halls, chapels and bedrooms reflected their royal residents.  Unfortunately, our last day was also spattered with cold, wind and rain, so the tour ended quickly by our own choosing and we headed for a meal of haggis, steak and ale pies and other such Scottish delicacies.  What a great end to a great trip in Scotland!

I'm sure your eyes are as sore as my fingers, so although the full story doesn't end here, today's telling of it will.  Stay tuned for part two of Travels with Charley!