Scottish Charms

 

 

Each stroll is singular.
Paved with autumn, crisped with frost or squelched
with an excess of rain. Today the path and its companion
snake unruly.

But there is a melting in this March-bound air that irrigates
the city's breath. Catches sun-shafts, the flicker-dance
of rising light which
etches pale shadows.
Celandines are stirring.

- Anne Connolly

If you have been to Scotland, you will know this already. The charms of Scotland are numerous, but the ones that stand out to a visitor I think the most are the people, the buildings (history and story), and the natural beauty.

On our last day in Iceland, we had lunch at Café Paris, and sitting next to us at lunch was a Scottish couple, who had grown children and were on holiday for a week in Iceland. They engaged us in easy, friendly conversion, and we came to find out that they were on the same flight as us, later that night into Edinburgh. They were so easy-going and friendly, it was fun to talk with them. When they left the café, we all said maybe we will see each other on the flight that night. Later that night, mum and I were sitting at the gate waiting for our plane to arrive, and sure enough, our new Scottish friends came right up to us, and sat with us. We all talked as if we had known each other for years. about travel, their children, our travels, where they live (in Fife, about 20 minutes from Edinburgh), and Edinburgh itself. 

I feel this was a perfect re-introduction back into Scotland, as I haven't been to Scotland since 2010. I have missed it very much, and I forgot how friendly and lovely the people are. This was a perfect reminder. 

The last time I was in Scotland, with my brother, we traveled the country by car, so it was full of nature and dramatic scenes of mountains and lochs. This time, we would be in the city of Edinburgh, which I did not get to explore too much on my last trip. 

It felt so great to be back in Scotland, and back in Edinburgh for a deeper exploration. We stayed on the Royal Mile, which is the main attraction street in the city. A lot of sights, restaurants, museums, and attractions are along this street, which goes from the Edinburgh Castle at the top of the hill, down a mile to the Royal Palace of Holyrood. Along the way, you have to pay attention to tiny narrow paths that lead off perpendicular to the Royal Mile, called closes. These tiny narrow closes sometimes lead downhill to the next street, some lead to a garden, or a view of New Town, or a courtyard where people live. They are really fun to explore.

One thing I love about Edinburgh is that you can walk everywhere. Yes, there are a lot of hills and stairs, so be prepared to climb, but that also leads to another thing I love about Edinburgh, is the views. Everywhere you go, just look around you and the views are breathtaking. Whether it is of the church steeples, the castle, the extinct volcano (Arthur's Seat), New College's towers, or the large monument to Sir Walter Scott, you can hardly take it all in. Along with the the ability to walk everywhere, it is all fairly close that you can get out of the city streets easily to a park or climb a hill for a view and nature. It's all right there, easy to get to. 

While I love to do some of the main attractions of a city (in this case the Edinburgh Castle was what we toured) which is touristy and busy, my goal is also always to get out of the main area to side streets and neighbourhoods where locals spend time. I want to see the daily pace, the bookshops, the coffee shops off the main trail. We got to do that, and I will share more later on.

As with English weather, Scottish weather is apt to change within a few minutes. I actually felt colder in Edinburgh than I did in Iceland. The wind and chill of Edinburgh was deeper. Good thing we did have some hills to climb to warm up. Also, a good selection of coffee shops that we could warm up in. But when you are at the top of a hill, it sure is windy and freezing cold, but I wasn't complaining as the city captured me. And yet, Spring was beginning to show up in the daffodils and snowdrops. 

South Coast of Iceland

A great mass of dark grey mountains worked into pyramids and shelves looking as if they had been built and half ruined.

- William Morris, on his travels in Iceland, 1871

I can hardly begin to describe the magnificence of Iceland. I haven't seen the whole island, but from what I saw on my full-day tour of the south coast, every inch of this dynamic place is stunning to the eye, and it stays with you long after in your heart. There are countless tours available all around Iceland, but I selected the south coast tour because it wasn't too far from Reykjavik (1.5 hours), and every single place we would see excited me beyond words. And I was not disappointed.

The day began early, when the bus picked us up from our hotel, and we got to the main bus terminal where all the different tours depart from. We hopped on our bus, and set off, quickly getting out of Reykjavik and out amongst lava fields and snow as we headed toward large, dark mountains. Our tour guide was born and raised in Iceland, and we actually passed through her home village, and she pointed out the small building that was the hospital where she was born. She had an expansive wealth of knowledge on the geology of Iceland and the stories of its past. I loved learning about it. One thing I did not realize to the full extent is how dangerous it is to live in Iceland. With an abundance of volcanoes and earthquakes, there are villages that we went through or stopped in that will be destroyed when the volcanoes erupt. And the three volcanoes that we were near are all ready to erupt.

We drove through vast lava fields. Miles and miles of black craggy bumps along the landscape, on which mossy green has since grown. Snow from recent storms still clung on because it was still so cold. Dramatic mountains loomed, dark and fog-laden. They grew closer soon enough, as we had to go across several mountains to get to the coast. The roads were windy, and rose high. The views made me hold my breath - stark huge mountains everywhere, seemingly rising up straight from the ground. 

Arriving at the glacier hike, we took to a trail that leads through the valley toward the receding glacier tongue that is part of the fourth largest glacier in Iceland, which sits on top of a volcano. Our guide told us if we saw smoke rising from the mountain or heard rumbles from the ground, to run, because the volcano was erupting. She was being serious. Aside from feeling a bit nervous about the volcano erupting, I spent the rest of my energy being in awe of God's creation. It captures you when you are experiencing it. You feel so tiny in the midst of God's vast imaginative creation.

The small village of Vík í Mýrdal is the southernmost village in Iceland, and it sits on the coast, and in the shadow of the volcano Katla, as well as the glacier Mýrdalsjökull, which means it is one of the most dangerous places to live. When the volcano erupts, the village will be washed away by the melting glacier. We stopped in this village for lunch. Mum and I grabbed a wrap from the local grocery store, and I got my favourite treat of Iceland, their Skyr yogurt.

Reynisfjara is the black sand beach that attracts hoards of tourists. And for good reason. There are several amazing things to see. I only took a photo of one small warning sign, but there are about 5-8 warning signs before you enter the beach area, telling you not to swim or get close to the mighty waves. They will sweep you out to sea, due to rough Atlantic waters, as well as sneaker waves that come in behind a seemingly gentle wave (thanks to a steep drop right off the coast). While we were there some very large, powerful waves came in, and I could certainly see how people have died there, from getting swept away. 

But as long as you stay on dry, black sand, you can enjoy the gigantically tall basalt columns, towering cliffs, rocks formations off shore (the legend is that they are trolls that were pulling boats in and got caught by the rising sun, and turned to stone), and the two dragon lairs (caves with intricate formations on the inside). My imagination has so much fodder in Iceland. All the landscapes have legends, stories, and interesting shapes to get your creativity going. I could have sat there and written pages and pages of creative writings.

I loved the moody, misty atmosphere, and was so glad it was overcast all day. We had some rain while we hiked back from the glacier, but gladly that was about all the rain we had.

The two waterfalls we stopped at are Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Each one is breathtaking. The Seljalandsfoss waterfall comes straight from the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajökull, which is the volcano that erupted in 2010 and halted all air traffic around Europe. You can walk behind that tall waterfall, but you will get very wet. Skógafoss is a bit more misty and atmospheric, and we walked up close to the cascading water and got quite damp (and cold). But it was majestic.

Iceland is a moody, mystical, mysterious place, and I love it so much. The more I reflect and think about Iceland, the more I respect and stand in awe of God's creation and the power of nature. I have a deep level of appreciation for the people and the landscapes of Iceland and nature itself. It stays with you. Those surreal moments like walking to the tip of a glacier that sits on an active volcano ready to erupt. When you feel so tiny and the mountains rise all around you, you are getting a glimpse of God's glory, a bit of who He is.

A Long Tale of Travels

How do I begin? After such a journey to three of the most beautiful countries in the world (I haven't seen the whole world, but I have a hunch), it is almost an insurmountable task to tell the tales. I feel like I am sitting down to write the next Dostoevsky novel. But how does one write a long novel? Simply by starting and taking it one page at a time. So here I go...

I will be reflecting and writing about my travel journeys, and sharing them on here, with many photos included. It is something that takes time, and care, because I don't travel with a flippant notion of one who seeks to see the main attraction and move along quickly. I prefer to stay and linger in a place, to notice the nuances and the attitude of the space. I feel the same about writing. When I write, I linger with a thought and a feeling, which hopefully portrays the place, the scene, the story I am trying to tell. Here will be a test of those things, so thank you for reading, and joining along. 

I started to tell the tale with the first day of Reykjavik (see previous post). And I will continue that tale. I just got home and am in the recovery- get back to the normal- phase at home. It feels so good to be home, and I am deeply thankful to God for the safe, long journey home and for the amazing travels I got to experience and now get to share with others.

I love all the places we went. There will always be a special place in my heart for each one. Iceland is the most stunning and dramatic of all the nature scenery I have seen. So much of God's glorious ever-present-changing landscapes is everywhere you look. I respect the country so much in so many ways. It is actually a very dangerous place, with active volcanoes that are ready to erupt, and earthquakes happening all the time. The natives know this, and they are joyful and happy in the present moment. And even with the danger, you must venture out to see these jaw-dropping places that are unlike anything you will see in the world. 

Scotland is absolutely beautiful with an extinct volcano and hills right in the center of Edinburgh, which means you can walk there and climb to the top of all such places. The whole city is walkable. I love the Scottish people, and we made some Scottish friends. They are so friendly and chatty, and so very proud of their Scottish heritage. You will see men walking around in kilts. I love the history and story of the whole place. I've seen the rest of the country on my trip with my brother years ago, but we had not explored Edinburgh with much depth. There are many writers who lived here and their stories I was eager to learn.

Oh, and England. My second home. England is where I feel like I fit right in without much effort, but it is also the place I've been to the most. It's a place where you walk/train/bus everywhere and where coffee shops and book shops abound. The rolling hills and countryside offer scenery so gentle and earth-toned, which differ among different counties. Here, history is tucked in every city and town. Taking long walks is a favourite pastime of almost everyone, with good reason, as there is such lovely nature, woods, and flowers to observe along the way. 

For now, here are a few photos from each place. Stay tuned for the stories behind the scenes...