Scotland

We just arrived home from the land of kilts! It was a lot of hours on a bus, but worth it! We spent Friday in Edinburgh, which is the castle. It's also known as the birthplace of the famous book/movie series "Harry Potter." The author, J.K. Rowling, wrote the books in a cafe named the Elephant House; we stopped in and had some drinks. We then visited Grayfriar's Cemetery which inspired a couple names of characters in "Harry Potter", including (Professor) McGonagall and Tom Riddell. We also did a 3 hour walking tour of the city and saw the ugly and run down Edinburg Castle, St. Giles' Cathedral, the site of witch burnings (not presently!), and the original 'Hogwarts,' which was the school for wizars in "Harry Potter." We also saw a place called Meerkat Cross, which is where kings were coronated, but it was more commonly used as a place for punishment. If a merchant ripped off a customer or committed any other offense, his ear was nailed to the wooden door for all to see! It was a form of public humiliation punishment. Next to that, there's a heart shaped cobblestone design on the ground. This is where all the locals spit when they walk by because it represents the "Hearts," their rival football (soccer) team.

After our tour, we stopped in a place called The Last Drop. Years ago, those about to get hanged in public were given a last meal, which usually came from this restaurant, hence the name "The Last Drop." In addition, we tried a very popular Scottish dish called Haggis. It's their claim to fame. Before you get too excited, let me tell you what's in it...you'll be proud of me for just trying it! It consists of a sheep's pluck which is the heart, lungs, and liver cooked in the stomach!!! Surprisingly enough, it was much like taco meat and unusually tasty! We finished it all! We then went souvenir shopping and shopping for the cheapest dinner. We found a place offering a burger, chips (french fries), and a beer for 3 pound 50 (3.50)!!! That's extremely cheap!

On Saturday we went on a 12 hour bus tour of the Scottish countryside, which was also very beautiful! It gave Wales a run for its money! We ended up at a castle and at Loch Ness, home of "Nessie" the Loch Ness monster. F.Y.I. a loch is a deep inlet from the sea, much like a bay, but longer and narrower. The particular loch that the monster was spotted in is named Ness. It was a long day, but good to see the great countryside. When we got back, we saw a man in a kilt playing the bagpipe for money. I took a picture with him and threw him some spare change.

Speaking of kilts, apparently they are highly regarded there and quite formal. We saw a marriage ceremony ending and the groom and his men were all in kilts. On Sunday, we saw an old man dressed up for church in a kilt. They were always so humorous to me, but the Scots take them seriously! There are advertisements everywhere for posh kilts! All-in-all, it was a great trip and fun to see the different culture!