Castles/Fortresses

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Morning At Tower Bridge

It’s a good thing this was my last full day in London since I’m exhausted and my legs hurt! 😀 Last night, other guests were extremely loud and traipsed up and down the stairs into the wee hours of the morning and then got up at the crack of dawn, so I didn’t get much sleep. I’m definitely ready to be in my own space again, and especially my own bathroom!

I spent some time on Google Maps last night trying to come up with an itinerary that would get me to Piccadilly for my 3:30 reservation for afternoon tea without spending a lot of time going between places and still allowing me to cross off a few things on my list of things I thought I might want to see while I’m here. I still had two big and expensive things left, the Tower of London and St. Paul’s. Having poked through ancient castles before, it was very easy to decide to just look at the exterior of the Tower of London. Plus, a fellow I met on the London Eye had told me that Tower Bridge, which should have been on my list, would be a great place to view St. Mary’s Axe/the Gherkin.

If I started my day at the Tower of London and ended it at Piccadilly, I could fit it in St. Paul’s and the Roman amphitheatre as they were right between the two points. So there was my plan for my last day!

To get to Tower Bridge, I rode the Bakerloo Line to Baker Street, then the Jubilee Line to London Bridge. There, I wandered around for a bit as the area was interesting.

The Shard rises above London Bridge Station.

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This was an interesting foot path. Don’t want to misstep!

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First glimpse of Tower Bridge.

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The Gherkin at last!

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A lot of folks think this is London Bridge, but it really is called the Tower Bridge.

 

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The Tower of London.

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Before crossing the bridge, I decided to explore this unusual street, Shad Thames.

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So much history in these worn steps…

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I think the Gherkin is rather beautiful…

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I hadn’t had coffee or breakfast yet and was starting to get peckish. I passed this restaurant on the way to a café that looked promising.

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Found a Café Rouge on the St. Katharine Dock and enjoyed breakfast while looking at the activity on the quay.

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Pain aux raisins and an Americano count as breakfast when you’re on vacation and spending a lot of time on your feet! The pastry was not what I was expecting at all, but dang was it yummy! I was surprised when the bill came since the coffee was about £3 and the pastry about the same, but my bill was only £3.85 with the service charge. Must be a coffee and pastry deal. I’m trying not to freak out over prices (and doing a really good job of it), but that was appreciated.

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After breakfast, it was already past 11:00 and so it was time to hoof it to the amphitheatre. But first, a few more glimpses of the Tower of London.

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And a purple cab for Vicki.

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And a closeup of the top of the Shard. Wow!

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Montezuma Castle National Monument

On the way to Phoenix tonight from Sedona, I stopped at the Montezuma Castle National Monument. Name for the Aztec ruler, even though there is no connection, this is an apartment-type complex carved out of the hills. It was built 1,000 years ago by people now called the Sinagua (for the Sierra Sin Agua mountains), who farmed the valley below, and eventually abandoned the site. To put this place into an historical context, it was built sometime in the middle to the end of Europe’s Middle Ages.

Until the 1950s, you could actually climb up and explore the ruins, but today you have to stand below and gaze up in awe while walking a short loop. Admission is $5 unless you have an interagency pass. 🙂

Of all the information panels, the one that struck me the most said that while the structure was made solidly and there were obvious signs of maintenance and repair, it was ultimately designed to be returned to the Earth when it was no longer needed. How many more of these structures existed, but have left no trace?

There was a nice diorama showing a cross-section of the complex. It really is built like a castle, complete with a fortified keep.

This site was amazing and I wish I had more time to write about it, but the Starbucks is about to close. I invite you to follow the link at the beginning of the post to get more information.

 

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Stirling Castle and Falkirk

8:34 AM

A note from yesterday: I rode on a second floor of a double decker bus on the way back from the Bannockburn Heritage Centre! Sure, it wasn’t a red one (it was cream and blue), but it was cool riding up there! The view was magnificent!!!

I’ve had a good morning. The breakfast here was great and served with a smile and ‘good morning’. Rather than icky processed cheese, we were offered a strong, white, real cheese. Of course, there was too much for one meal, so I have lunch too! (Great money saver, making two meals out of breakfast, but I did feel a little silly carrying a sandwich through the hostel! At least, I had baggies!)

It’s too early to ‘do’ anything so I think I’ll head for the bus station to enquire about buses to and from Falkirk as well as buses to Melrose. (Don’t ask when a decision between going to Ayr or Dumfries led to a decision to go to Melrose!)

Time?

I’ve misplaced and most likely lost my watch, darn it! (It was just a cheap one I use for travelling. The bracelet broke during my Ben Nevis climb, and I was just carrying the time piece in my pocket. I did end up finding the watch later that evening.)

After 5, most likely 7ish.

Mighty impregnable Stirling castle. Not much of it remains. What’s left dates from the time of the Stewarts (about the sixteenth century). The oldest feature of the castle is from the reign of Robert II (late fourteenth). Unfortunately, the castle is under going major restoration so a lot of it was inaccessible and what was accessible had yet to be restored! Still, it was fun walking the ramparts, almost crawling into dungeons.

Included in the price of the castle ticket was ‘Argyll’s Lodging’, a fine Renaissance home. I got to explore at my leisure.

Then came the Old Town Jail. Now that was worth £2!!! My tour included myself and a guy from Holland, so it was even better. One man enacted several characters very convincingly (you’d forget it was the same guy playing each part!). The jail was reminiscent of the Ottawa-Carleton jail.

Then, a bus to Falkirk (Scots for ‘speckled church’, isn’t that bonnie?) where I visited Callendar House. I went for the battle of 1298 exhibition and am glad there was other stuff, too, because the exhibition wasn’t great. It was more of a ‘Braveheart’ exhibition and pre-wars of Independence show than anything else. They had a reproduction of the Wallace ‘portrait’.

But the rest of the museum! 1) a working Georgian kitchen where I sampled sponge cake and a lettuce and spinach soup, which was very palatable ! 2) a clock maker’s shop where, in costume, using old tools, a man repairs clocks for the museum. 3) a general store where we sampled ‘sucre d’orge’ [barley sugar, a rock hard candy]. 4) a printer’s shop. Of course, there was more to the museum than that, but I really like the living history ‘stuff’.

Since no one knows where the battle really happened, I didn’t bother heading for the ‘Wallacestone’ where Wallace was supposed to have commanded the battle.

Returning to the bus station, I asked about Melrose. ‘The Borders?!’ the man exclaimed (not rudely). I could have sworn I said a bad name/word, etc!!! Turns out no buses run there, so I was told to go to the train station. ‘Take a train to Berwick (England!!!)’ That would have cost £19 and I would still have to catch a local bus to Melrose! So, tomorrow, I’ll head back to the bus station and ask about other places of interest, Ayr, most likely. I have to be frugal! It’s sort of pleasant not knowing where I’m heading to next. I just have to make sure I have a bed at the other end!

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Edinburgh Castle and a Wild Night on the Town

5:30 pm

Edinburgh… I came to Scotland expecting to dislike Glasgow and fall in love with Edinburgh. The opposite happened. Edinburgh is cold, creepy, dirty, and smelly. It’s full of steep cobblestone streets and dank closes. Yuck. Blech. I can’t say I’m disappointed since I wasn’t really expecting anything but what I mentioned at the beginning of this entry. Still, I never anticipated this ‘malaise’ that walking these streets brings.

I did have a perfectly incredible day, though. It took me almost 3.5 hours to get through Edinburgh Castle (a walloping £6—but worth it!!!) The entrance fee includes an audio tour. There was so much material I ended up skipping some of the less interesting (to me) bits.

I can’t believe how emotional I got when I entered an exhibition that eventually led to a chamber holding the Scottish honours and the Stone of Destiny. First, there was a mural of each Scottish monarch up to and including Robert I, then there was a statue of the coronation of Robert I. I almost broke down seeing all this history I’ve been studying come to life. And when I came face to face with the Honours themselves…

But that was nothing compared to how I felt walking into St-Margaret’s chapel. She’s my ‘favourite’ Queen and to stand where she prayed… I also saw the chamber where Mary Stewart’s son James (1st and 6th) was born. Wow. At one point, a guard noticed how, um, awestruck I was, standing by the walls listening to recordings of a history I know very well, and asked if I was okay. I could only nod. If this is how I react to Edinburgh Castle, can you imagine me at Stirling and Bannockburn?!

After, I walked around for hours looking for cheap grub. I ended up having pizza at a decent price. After, I saw the grave of ‘Grey Friar’s Bobby’ as well as that of his master John Gray. Then, I nosed through a used book shop and ended an exhausting day at the Royal Museum for a 1.5 hour whirlwind tour of the most amazing collection of stuff I’ve ever seen (even in my own room!!!).

I hadn’t sat down since I left at 9 :00 this morning (not even for lunch!), so I figured it was time to come in and get off my feet for a few hours. I think I pulled a muscle at one point during my Ben Nevis adventure. Going down stairs has been excruciating today. Oh, and in the Edinburgh castle gift shop, I found my favourite whisky to date. It’s sweet and not too ‘alcoholicky’. It’s name? Unbelievably: Wallace, and made at Stirling!!!

Tomorrow, I’d like to try the Whisky Heritage Centre. I really am growing fond of the stuff! The lady who offered a very wee dram of ‘Wallace’ didn’t seem too keen to answer my questions about the whisky like: how’s it made? what type is it? etc. Either she didn’t know or she couldn’t be bothered with someone who was obviously new to the whisky tasting business.

One thing I find unbelievable about staying here is how late the sun sets and how early it rises. I mean, there were still red streaks in the sky at 12:30 AM and when I woke up at 5:00, the sun was totally up! By 7:00, it was quite literally cooking me!

June 27th, 1998 1:17 AM (note that technically this is the same day!)

Well… I’ve had a most unusual night (for me, for others it was really quite normal). It started at a pub around 8 where 3 of us got carded. We chose to leave and actually had to search for another one! In Scotland, imagine ! Anyway, we found one and settled down to watch the match (by the way, ‘us’ refers to the 3 South African girls and on Australian guy, Jason, and me).

In my case, a pint of Guinness later, we headed off to the Mercat Cross at Saint Giles in order to join a tour about Edinburgh’s creepy, supernatural, and darker side.

We were led down into these catacomb like vaults where our guide succeeded in scaring us s—s by telling us about supposed malevolent spirits, etc. down there. Let’s just say that the place was claustrophobic (to say the least) and gave off very bad vibes. I was glad to end the tour at a cemetery where the vibes were better.

The tour then dispersed and we (the gang I’d been following all night) ended up on a bench outside the cemetery where we shared a joint (my first).

After that, we headed back for the pub that had carded us. Only two of us ordered drinks (I couldn’t afford anything else by that point!), but Jason got fed up with his Guinness (it was like his fourth that night!) and I ended up finishing it for him. By that time, I was loosened up to the max, but I’d had enough ‘fun’ for the night. They wanted to go clubbing, so we went our separate ways.

I enjoyed this evening very much (although I was worried about getting caught by the authorities with the ‘you-know-what’) but I’d had enough. The lifestyle is brainnumbing! To think that my idea of ‘fun’ is a movie (at home) and my knitting! It still is, but I’ve tasted another world. I wouldn’t want to join it with any regularity, but now I know that occasionally it can be rather enjoyable to almost let down the little hair I have!

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Glen Nevis to Edinburgh By Way of Oban

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12:28 pm

I just passed (on the way to Oban) the castle used in the ‘cow-throwing’ scene in ‘Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail’!

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I saw my third stop sign in more than three weeks!

My fourth in Oban!

My fifth in Edinburgh!

7:31 pm

I’m in Edinburgh. Where else but at Yvonne’s would I be greeted with a cup of hot tea and shortbread cookies?! I’m sorry I was unable to stay in Oban; it sure was bonnie! The Scots sure know how to reuse, reduce, and recycle! I had a veggie burger and chips for lunch. Reuse: the newspaper the food was wrapped in. Recycle: the outside paper, which wasn’t greasy. Reduce: the amount of time it takes to eat; you get to read the comics at the same time! Later, Yvonne’s offered me some supper!

8:01 pm

That had to be the best meal I’ve had since getting to Scotland! Lots of veggies and pasta, yum!

 

Today I’ve only spent £11.85 on meals and board. Try to get that anywhere else!

I went to the tourist info centre to get, what else, info on buses to Stirling and other places that interest me. It looks like getting to Stirling might be long, but not too complicated. I’ll check out other companies, but I get a 30% rebate with Citylink… (It’s too bad I hadn’t yet discovered that trains are quicker and cost almost the same as buses!)

Right by Oban, directly under the bridge, there’s an honest to goodness whirlpool! Supposedly, it’s caused by two opposing tides and it’s treacherous. Oban, unlike Kyleakin, actually has a (albeit minor) smell of the sea. What I wanted to do in Oban was catch a ferry tour to the islands, Mull, Iona, etc., but I discovered that the ferry broke down today and many people were stranded for several days—without their packs!!!

Glencoe, I’m told, isn’t nearly as bonnie as it’s made out to be. I saw Inveraray Castle, albeit out of the corner of my eye!

In a way, I’m sorry to be done with Haggis since they brought such security and less hassle to my travels. I was disappointed with today’s driver, William, who didn’t yak it up much. I think that John was my favourite, although Claire’s accent made her jokes and stories all the better! Craig never shut up, but he said tons of cool stuff. As for Malcolm, I think he was a happy medium between all… 4, was it? Haggis was great in that instead of just taking us from place to place, they told us about the stuff in between. I never once had to ask: ‘What’s with that castle/ruin/tower/cairn/plaque, etc.’. And the stories were always told in the liveliest of fashion.

So, now I’m in Edinburgh, sitting at Yvonne’s kitchen table while her daughter (Mhari, pronounced Ma-ri, like the French but with a Scots accent) is drawing me a picture. Now that’s a souvenir I won’t mind ‘dragging’ home with me (I still have as of posting in 2016!). That’s enough for tonight, tomorrow!

11:30 pm

I’ve come so far in these past two weeks!!! I went into a pub all by my lonesome, ordered a beer, sipped it, and stayed long enough to see Yugoslavia (how the world has changed…) score a goal against the U.S.A. I’m now in a room with three African girls who are great. It’s very late, so good-night. Oh, and I had fun getting thoroughly misplaced in Edinburgh at 10:00pm !