My First Week (and a half) in Scotland

Edinburgh... my new city.  What?  That doesn't even sound real.

I've been here just over a week now and still walk around with a silly grin, taking it all in... Scotland is my new home for the coming year.  It has been very refreshing (and rather exhausting) stepping back into university life, and it is truly amazing to join such a global learning community.  In my flat of 6, my roommates and I represent China, Japan, India, Austria and the US.  In my Sustainable Energy Systems Program of 57 students, we have Scotland, Indonesia, Nigeria, India, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Germany, UAE, Spain, Jordan, Colombia, Bolivia, Senegal, Malaysia and so many others...  just walking across campus you can hear at least four different languages along the way.

Spending time with Aberdeenshire friends before taking the train to Edinburgh last week and visiting Scotland last year really has helped me to get my bearings.  There are certainly plenty of things that I haven't done yet - big differences between good ol' West Lafayette (BOILER UP!!) and Scotland's capital - but it has been great fun finding my favorite Tidelines music played on the Royal Mile, eating Stornoway black pudding and enjoying my sherry-cask whiskies.

Here are some highlights since my arrival in Scotland -

• Seeing the Queen and members of the Royal Family at the Braemar Highland Games
• Celebrating Harper's 1st birthday with the Doig family (very special after meeting her this time last year)
• Enjoying Aberdeenshire's clean air, blue skies and beautiful hills
• Navigating the administrative processes to claim my UK student residence
• Meeting fantastic, supportive new roommates, classmates and faculty
• Watching Trainspotting (intense and eye-opening, SO serious)
• Finding Vin Diesel filming Fast & Furious 9 near the Edinburgh Meadows
• Immersing myself into the University of Edinburgh 
• Joining the Hillwalking and Country Dance Societies
• Exploring nearby Pentland Hills Regional Park (disregard my public transport struggles)
• Participating in the Edinburgh's largest ceilidh dance (video below) as part of the 2019 Riding of the Marches

... and the adventure is only just beginning.  We will see how things change once classes really pick up.  More soon!

Stay left! A Road Trip Through Ireland's West Coast

Next stop on my Irish adventure was to explore Ireland's west coast.  After picking up my rental car, I earned some honks in a couple roundabouts before getting my bearings.  Thankfully, adjusting to driving on the other side of the road didn't take too much time and soon I was truly appreciating the efficiency of the roundabouts and infrequent traffic lights / stop signs.

Multiple reminders to stay on the left side of the road

My first stop on the way to Killarney brought me to the Rock of Cashel also known as St. Patrick's Rock.  An early royal site, the Cashel of Kings saw St. Patrick "apparently" baptize King Aengus who was Ireland's first Christian ruler then Brian Boru who was crowned High King in 1002.  Brian Boru's grandson, Muircheartach Ua Brian King of Munster, gave the Rock to the Catholic Church.  The intertwined royal and religious history gave context to this beautiful location with its 13th-century Gothic cathedral.

Nearby Hore Abbey, a ruined Cistercian monastery

View of the Rock with one of its neighbors

After Cashel, I journeyed on to Killarney for a two-nights stay at Neptunes Hostel.  I then discovered the Carragh Restaurant (incredible fish and caring wait staff) which led to a fantastic night out with some wonderful Canadian and Californian fellow travelers!

The next day I explored the amazing Ring of Kerry, taking in many of the sights along the way.  Meanwhile I switched between two Irish music CDs and the All-Ireland Kerry / Dublin Gaelic Football game... spoiler, they ended in a draw and have a re-match on 14th September.  Ciarraí abú!!

Next stop on my road trip brought me to the Dingle Peninsula for a two-night stay at the Hideout Hostel (highly recommend!!).  Stunning landscapes, historical sites (Dunbeg, the Beehives and Famine Cottages), fantastic entertainment (found a Britain's Got Talent Star in The Dingle Pub) and unique bars (Foxy John's was a highlight) and some Star Wars fun (Last Jedi set).  A big highlight was finding a kindred spirit in a German fellow hosteler.  It is motivating when you find someone with a similar perspective on adventure!

Continuing on from Dingle, I walked from the town of Doolin down to the Cliffs of Moher.  Part of a UNESCO Geopark, this area is amazing.  I lucked out with the weather and had mostly clear skies on my hike.  I did not expect the sheer power of the Atlantic waves as they forced waterfalls to flow backward, creating ocean spray "rain" as I walked along the coast.  Photos simply don't do this area justice...

After exploring the Doolin area (and passing the Pence motorcade on the highway), I got to Galway.  Honestly by this time, I was exhausted and done with planning - I was thankful that my hostel (City Hostel, fantastic!) offered dinner and then a bar crawl.  Galway is an incredible city.  I walked The Salthill Prom (pretending to be a "Galway Girl"), briefly explored NUI's campus (definitely see some Hogwarts vibes), drove past Galways's beautiful cathedral (which unfortunately was closed) then joined in the hostel-planned activities, introducing me to Galway's nightlife and a great group of international travelers.  You definitely need more than a night to take in everything that this city offers... gotta save something for the next visit!

In a week, I have developed an appreciation for Ireland and its people - an amazing place with troubled history filled with great people.  With the Brexit mess looming, Ireland's delicate balance is threatened.  Here's hoping that things get sorted out in a way that can preserve the peace brought by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Next, onto SCOTLAND.

Dublin by Foot

Dublin - the very name conjures images of drunken Irish people wearing green as they insult each other and yell at the Gaelic football game. 

As you might guess, there is more to the story.  Originally home to ecclesiastical monks with a penchant for brewing beer on the River Liffey, the modern city of Dublin was founded by Vikings at the Black Pool.  The city is filled with churches that date back to 1030 (building of the orignal Christchurch cathedral), took the brunt of the 1840s Potato Famine which saw Ireland's population drop from 8.5 million down to 3.5 in a span of 50 years (Ireland is the only developed country to have a smaller population in the 21st century than it did in the 20th), hosted the bloody, but short-lived 1916 Irish revolution and subsequent 1922 independence struggle, Ireland's WWII neutrality followed by the Troubles (with the the 1966 destruction of the Nelson Tower) which all eventually led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the delicate peace that followed.

 

After spending a couple days here, I have a whole new respect for the Irish who have suffered so much... poor for so long, lost many people through famine and emigration, the British stomped on them and then civil war didn't make things easy.  In general, a very friendly people but definitely quieter than expected.  The crazy St Patty's day participants are the tourists... not the locals.  It was great fun to see Dublin through a local's eyes (by way of Belfast and Aberdeen) - thank you, Peter, for the connection!

I found an amazing free walking tour (Generation Tours, HIGHLY recommend!) which took me all over the city.  Extremely walkable and filled with interesting streets, Dublin has elements of many cities I've visited.  Grafton felt a bit like Edinburgh's Princes Street, Trinity College and Houston's Rice University are cousins, New Orleans and Dublin share windy streets and alleys while London has a similar buried history.  Unfortunately I didn't have time to visit the Kilmainham Gaol (book early for your visit) which inspired the song, "Grace", my new favorite.

Look out for my next post about my Irish road trip which followed my Dublin visit.