Globe pictures

Classes

I made it mandatory for my seniors to "follow" my blog. I have asked questions about some of the entries. What I did not expect? To forget what I wrote.
I went back today to read through everything. I think if my students asked I could spend a week just talking about my trip. Is that vanity?
Some things I miss about the United Kingdom:
1. just being on vacation
2. walking everywhere
3. meat pies
4. pubs
5. listening to the British slang
6. eating meat pies in pubs
7. the fact that everything closes at 6
8. having my breath taken away by the sheer magnitude and beauty of...everything
9. learning - I learned something new each day. It could be about myself or the UK, but it was always worth it.
10. the weather - it was just right in Scotland; I could go without the constant mist of London

Dollars and Pounds

The coins: top row: pence, two pence, five pence, 10 pence, 20 pence
bottom row: 50 pence, pound, two pounds.
The Pound is like our dollar. The pound is signified by what looks like a cursive capital L with a line through it. If there is any change it is signified by a lower case p. Pretty easy.
However, it is quite daunting trying to figure out which coin is which. First, the queen is on all the money. So, you cannot just look for the one with Lincoln. To an American the 5 pence looks like a dime and the pound is the about the size of a 10 pence.
To me, the pound as a coin makes it easy to spend. When you are letting go of a five pound note anything you get back is coin!
The notes, aka paper money, are different sizes and colors.
The money is really easy after a while. If you do not like to deal with the mess of carrying around lots of coins your credit and debit cards will work IF you contact your bank and credit card companies BEFORE you leave.
If you do not have a credit card or choose NOT to use it you can purchase a Cash Passport from any currency exchange vestibule in the airport.
Keep your reciepts. It is interesting to see where your money went.
Check for the VAT - value added tax. There is a lot about the VAT online so read it before you go to Europe. BTW a shop has to give you VAT paperwork.

Edinburgh by bus

Everything sounds better when you pay in pounds. It seems so cheap. 15 pounds for a city tour? Sure, but then you realize in dollars...about $27. I never really thought about the money unless I was buying souvenirs. The money spent on food, drink, and sight seeing seemed totally worth it whatever the cost.(see my money blog)
Travis, Ryan and I had been walking around and decided to check out the bus tours. We went to the visitor center located on Waverly Bridge connecting old town to the more modern areas.
We decided on the City sightseeing tour which started every 15 minutes or so. We climbed to the top of the double decker bus and I, of course, got my camera ready. We started by driving past the Princess Street Gardens. These gardens adorn an area which was once water and ice. We went around the palace getting a better look at how the palace was built/carved into a mountain/volcano. Gorgeous!
Some things I learned on this tour:
1. Scott Monument is the tallest tower in the world dedicated to an author.
2. Edinburg was home to Robert Louis Stevenson and current home to JK Rowling.
3. In the 1930's witches/clairvoyants were still prosecuted.
4. A close is a walkway or wind which opens into a courtyard.
5. Burking means murder
6. A man named William Bodie was the man behind the character Dr. Jeckell/Mr. Hyde written by Robert Louis Sevenson. William Bodie would make beautiful cabinets for the rich then rob them.
7. Hogwarts and the quiddage arena are based on the George Harriet Scool where JK Rowling's kids currently go to school.
8. Dr. Bell was a teacher of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in Edinburgh and Dr. Bell was the basis for the famous Sherlock Holmes.
9. The palace where the royal family stays is called Holyroodhouse and is defined by the use of crowns on street signs. The name translates to Holy Cross.
10. The saying "Where there is a will; there is a way" was started in Edinburgh. The story goes like this: the coaching road from Holyrood to London was a 4 day journey and due to the highwaymen (robbers/murderers) one had to make a will before embarking on the trip. If there was a will made out; there was a way to get to London.
11. Sean Connery was a milkman in Edinburgh when he was younger. He is said to have had the largest route in history because EVERYONE claims he was their milkman. lol

The Scott Monument

Sir Walter Scott was born on August 15 which is memorable to me because I was born on the 16th. Scott was a great writer who penned "Rob Roy" and "Ivanhoe".
The monument, which took four years to complete, is 200 feet 6 inches of sandstone adorned with characters from his stories.
From the outside the monument is dark and brooding - symbolic of some of Scott's stories. The inside has a spiral staircase of 287 steps with three levels to stop, rest, and take in the city. Ryan, Travis, and I decided to take on the daunting task of climbing to the top. We paid four pounds each and went on our way.
The steps to the first level were okay. The steps to the next level were okay. The steps to the last level were tight. There was barely room for one person to make the last 10-15 steps to the top finial. The final tier was lovely - I guess. I am afraid of heights and could not look down. It was enough for me and time to head down, but a "rush" of people decided to travel to the top too. Getting down was a job! I was on the verge of an anxiety attack but my friends kept me safe and sane with Travis often stopping in front of the windows so I did not have to see out.
We were told there was a certificate for each person who survived this daunting climb, so when we got to the bottom I wanted it. The certificate is pre-printed. I am number 0089100.
Only 89000 people have been up this monument since it's completion in 1844? Um...okay.
I was disappointed in the certificate; however, it was totally worth it. The sculpting alone is phenomenal; the detail and precision is breathtaking. I faced a fear and had friends there to help me through it.
How did I celebrate? Gellato

Tardis

What else is there to say other than the blue Police Box is all over Edinburgh. I love the Doctor Who series which has been on TV since I was a little girl.
The boxes are no longer used but were very necessary once.
In the past the boxes were used to house criminals while police got backup. The box was also used for emergency telephone calls.

John Knox House

Located on the Roal Mile this house has tricked travelers for years. This house is not actually the original home of John Knox. There are original pieces however. For example, the painted ceiling is original although the extensive drawings have lost their rich color.
On the first floor is a cafe and small book shop. I bought the cutest book by a local author titled "A Wee Moose in the Hoose". It is about a mouse in the house - it is a counting book. I read it to my brother's kids and they loved it.
Once you have paid the 4 pounds to view the home - you have free reign. The stairs are amazing. So many staircases in Edinburgh's historical buildings wind.
The house has lots of Christian references and copies of Bibles. John Knox was known for his undying faith.
If you are not busy take the tour. If you are busy just check out the book store and take home a little piece of Scottish speech.