Blog Postcards Part III- Of Myths, Mysteries and Magic

Dear D and S

Today we crossed ‘The Last Cafe in England’ and entered Scotland. It wouldn’t be premature for me to announce that I will be shifting to this country the moment I get a chance! Their national animal is the Unicorn. They have towns called Nessieland. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons is here. The Parliament looks like an old cinema hall. And they have deep fried Mars bars. I love this country.

Edinburgh was built over an extinct volcano. The Castle sits strategically at the top with the earliest skyscrapers developing close to it because of the fertile land around it and more spaced out houses downhill- a mullet styled plan of a city. The imposing castle’s entrance is flanked by the statues of its heroes- Sir William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. The canyons all along the castle walls were installed before the visit of Queen Victoria because she desired them but have never been fired. The ‘One o’ clock’ Canyon fires a blank shot daily 7 minutes before 1 pm. The Scottish Crown jewels are housed here as is the Stone of Destiny.

Also known as the Coronation Stone, the Stone of Destiny weighs 152 kg and is made of red sandstone. It has been used for centuries for the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. In 1296, Edward I of England captured the stone and brought it to Westminster Abbey and built his chair over it. Since then it has been used for the coronation of the kings and queens of England. In 1328, the Kingdom of England agreed to return the Stone to the Kingdom of Scotland by signing the Treaty of Northampton…but did not specify when. It remained in Westminster Abbey for nearly seven centuries before it finally arrived back in Scotland in 1996…except for a brief period in 1950. On Christmas day, four Scottish youths, including Ian Hamilton, decided to return the Stone of Destiny to its homeland. They hid inside the Westminster Abbey till everyone had left. In their dream of becoming national heroes, they had overlooked an important detail, it was heavy!!! While trying to carry the Stone, they happened to drop it and it broke in two pieces. Ian managed to wrap it in his cloak and drag it to his car. As he reached the Scottish border, he saw the police cars for the news of the missing Stone had spread. Panicking, he dug a hole in a nearby field and buried the larger piece. The smaller piece he took to a stone mason to find out if he could fix a broken stone, and on being questioned, finally confessed that it was none other than the Coronation Stone. The mason was frightened to his wits for a very dry piece of sandstone would have by then absorbed enough moisture from the fertile ground and it would be impossible to carry it back. They rushed back to the site and managed to retrieve it. Having got it repaired, Ian went and kept it in the altar of Arbroath Abbey. The Priest, an honest fellow, on finding the Stone ,called the Police and it came back to Westminster Abbey after 4 months of returning home!!!

Edinburgh is best explored on foot and that is what we did. It is one of the most diverse cities. The lanes, which are called alleys in England, become ‘Close’ in Scotland. The people here are super friendly and warm. They not only help you out but also give you advice and love to talk about their country and lores. And the accent…aah!!! The rolling ‘r’s just sound divine! It supposedly gets stronger as you move up to the north so that by the time we reach Inverness, we might not even understand half of what they  speak.

You have the old- the St. Giles Cathedral with its stained glass walls, the Palace and Sir Walter Scott’s Statue who romanticized the Jacobite uprising with his Waverly novels. The national animal, the unicorn can be found almost everywhere, in the castle, on the walls and atop columns across the city. This unicorn has a collar around its neck. While one theory is about the English trying to keep the Scots in shackles, the other theory is that the House of Stewarts of Scotland was the only one who could tame this mythical and untamable creature.

There is the new- the colourful shops, pubs and restaurants. The Royal Mile leading from the Edinburgh Castle to the Holyrood Palace has all the touristy shops selling tartans belonging to the different clans of Scotland. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is going on now so there are street performances, plays, stand up comedies and musicals happening throughout the day and the city is teeming with maximum tourists that it ever hosts in a year. It is one of the largest festivals celebrating art and creativity with thousands of artists performing on hundreds of stages across the city from all over the World.

 Holyrood Palace

Sir Walter Scott and St. Giles Cathedral

Edinburgh has something for the nature lovers. A hike up the Arthur’s Seat offers incredible views of both the Old and the New Town. The Princes’ Garden is wonderful for a lazy afternoon stroll.

And of course, Edinburgh has its fair share of magic. The Elephant House is the famous café where J. K. Rowling sat with a cup of coffee and wrote the first two books. A visit to this popular café is a must for a pilgrim. A long queue is worth the wait because not only is the food excellent, but you also end up visiting the restroom…and that you must not miss! Every bit of the walls is covered with fans paying their homage with notes to their favourite characters and the author herself!!! Overlooking the café is the Greyfriar’s Kirk. I walked through the graveyard and in a moment of solitude, I could feel the goosebumps creeping up and a chill spreading down my spine as I read the epitaphs on the tombstones, with the brown leaves crunching under my feet and a black raven being my only companion in my field of vision. It wasn’t fear, hell no! It was just me, understanding how Rowling must have been inspired here and what fueled her vast imagination. There was McGonagall, Black, Hufflepuff and Dumbledore. There was also the tomb of Thomas Riddell, who gave both his bones and name rather unwillingly!! It was here that I saw him again. It took me a while to figure out where I had met him before… it was in York. Was he following me? It was probably just my imagination running wild! The scenario was perfect! I quickly turned and started walking away. Fortunately, a friend found me just then and I wasn’t alone anymore. Good thing, otherwise I would have sat under a tree there waiting for an apple, sorry, inspiration to hit me!

Bathroom wall in The Elephant Cafe

The Greyfriar’s Bobby, a statue erected in memory of Greyfriar’s faithful dog who hung around his master’s grave until his death after 16 years, is a charm for the city that makes you promise you’ll be back again.

One night we went out for a traditional Scottish evening with a hilarious bagpiper not sparing anyone with his scathing remarks. While some find the sound of bagpipes similar to a wailing cat, I personally quite enjoyed it. And I was completely blown away by more than 250 bagpipers playing in harmony! This we got to witness in the Military Tattoo festival. In the Edinburgh Castle esplanade, a stadium had been built. Tattoo means an evening drum or bugle signal recalling the soldiers to their quarters. It is like our Beating the Retreat but with military bands of several countries performing. It was a spectacle to behold. I have probably filmed all the bands to show you, but it does not come anywhere close to the experience of witnessing the performance live. What grace, coordination and harmony… Truly a celebration of cultures across the globe with countries like France, England, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Ghana, Oman, Mexico and  USA performing and showcasing their history projected on the walls of the castle. With India’s flag flying among the other nations, I really wished there had been a performance by our nation. With our history, talent, natural and cultural diversity, it could be one of the best performances here!

Edinburgh! Edinburgh! Edinburgh! You are unique and special! Remember my friend from Columbia whom I had met in Hong Kong? He has travelled a lot, been to various countries and he was the one who actually inspired me to pack my bags and see the world. He had told me that Edinburgh was one of his favourite cities. It definitely is one of mine! I wish we could have spent more time here…but isn’t that true for every place that I have visited?

Love

M

Dear D and S

Do you believe in Nessie? If someone had asked me before the trip, I would have said no without a second thought. But, then we went on a cruise on the Jacobite Warrior on the great Loch Ness looking for Nessie.

The Loch Ness is one of the fresh water lakes forming an interconnected network of waterways across Scotland. Located close to Inverness, it has the largest volume among all lakes in England and Wales combined. The weather was just perfect, a light drizzle, cool wind blowing through your hair, stronger than a breeze but softer than a gust.

As we went on our search of this mythical creature, they told us tales about its sightings and why the people here do believe that it exists. Earliest reports of the existence of this mythical marine creature go back to some stone carvings by the Picts. In 1933, a couple in a car saw a strange creature crossing the street and disappearing into the lake. It looked like a dragon with no legs and a long neck. This sighting was reported in a newspaper which used the word ‘Monster’, adding mystery to the legend. The same year, The Daily Mail commissioned the great game-hunter, Marmaduke Wetherell, to track the monster. He found footprints of a large creature which was later proved to be a hoax. In 1934, an English Physician, Robert Kenneth Wilson captured the small head and a long slender neck in an iconic photograph, which came to be known as the ‘Surgeon’s Photograph’. Years later it was revealed that this photograph was in fact created using a wooden head with a toy submarine! Several SONAR expeditions have been launched but they haven’t been successful. However, they did admit that there was one part of the lake, the deepest portion where they had not been able to reach. The dark waters is ideal for it to remain unseen in this part, also called Nessie’s Lair.

So, does that mean that Nessie does not exist? Consider this, in a duathlon conducted in 2007, the participants were insured against bites by the Loch-ness Monster for a sum of 1.9 million USD. In a survey conducted in 2006, the people were questioned to find out the most famous Scotsman. Nessie emerged as the clear winner beating the likes of Robert Burns, Sean Connery and Andy Murray! During the cruise, we were taken off-guard by a huge splash of wave from an unusually calm body of water! Where did that come from? We were staying in The Loch-ness Lodge in Drumnodrochit, an old lodge with a lovely reading room and a fire place. There is a museum on Nessie just next to it. At night, some of us went for a walk to the Urquhart Castle. Apart from the five of us, the whole town was asleep. And there, on top of a tree we spotted something that had a long neck and a dinosaur like body.

Was it just the leaves? Or was it something else? Wasn’t Nessie spotted crossing the road? So, Nessie is an amphibian! We should be searching for him on land as well as water! Did Nessie just appear on that tree to tell us we were right? Some questions are best left unanswered.

Love

#IBelieveInNessie

Dear D and S

The highlands are enigmatic. You see the beautiful hills against the azure sky, the green blending with the purple hue of the bushes of the highlands known as heather gems. The Scottish pines fill the spaces left between the streaks of waterfalls. But they guard within them, secrets that we may only imagine. Witches throwing rocks a teach other and resulting in a small island, seals taking the form of beautiful maidens and the fairies of the Isle of Skye…where does the dream end and reality begin?

We visited the 13th century Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most iconic and photographed castles in Scotland situated on an island where three great sea lochs meet. It was partially destroyed during the Jacobite uprising but was restored by Lt. Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap.

The Monument dedicated to Sir William Wallace is situated close to the Stirling Castle and a visit to both these places is sure to increase your ‘Braveheart-rate’! A movie made on the patriot, starring and directed by an Australian, shot in Ireland is bound to get a few facts twisted… and it is no surprise that it is not amongst the favorite movies of the Scots. While Wallace did win the ‘Battle of Stirrrrling’, it was actually the narrow bridge over the Forth that hid his men from the English soldiers crossing it following the only order that they had received- do not turn back! The English were slaughtered, and Wallace captured the Stirling Castle. After his defeat in Falkirk, Wallace felt humiliated and became a fugitive for almost 7 years before he was caught and taken to England. Here he was ‘Hung, drawn and quartered’ and his head was displayed on a pike on the Tower Bridge as a warning to the traitors.

Robert the Bruce was a nobleman and a claimant to the Scottish throne. He had initially made truce with the then king Edward Longshanks, but changed his allegiance later. He defeated the army of Edward II at the battle of Bannockburn and was the King of Scotland from 1306-1329. After his death, while his body was buried in the Dunfermline Abbey, his heart was removed and carried in a casket across the country, to inspire people and later buried in Melrose Abbey. So, who’s ‘Braveheart’ was it anyway?

Stirling Castle

We stopped for a while at the university town of St. Andrew’s. Since it was holiday season, the town was almost deserted. The famous golf course, the scenic coastline, quaint cafes and old ruins of churches truly make St Andrew’s a lovely place for both the students and the tourists. The North Point café proudly proclaims that Will and Kate met there! Scotland's flag bears the white cross of St Andrew who also happens to be the patron saint of whooping cough!

At Oban, they have built a Colosseum which nobody has any idea why it was built! Anyway, we enjoyed our stay in Oban very much, for we went for Scottish dance lessons! It was sweaty, noisy and… one of the best nights! I still can’t get the sound of the bagpipes out of my head!

The cuties of Scotland are the one and only, Highland Cows. They are called the Hairy Coos! We fed one, Black Hamish was his name… and I found my doppelganger.

In the beginning of the trip itself, our trip manager had told us that U.K. is not a place you to visit for the food. But I have absolutely no complaints. I love the food!!! The roast and pies are traditional and tasty. You cannot go to U.K. and come back without having the shepherd’s pie! But if you want to experiment, a macaroni and cheese pie is a nice twist. The Haggis is made of sheep’s heart, liver and minced meat mixed with an assortment of spices. While it sounds repelling, it is nothing but sausage with a detailed description and without the packaging. You can have Haggis for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Haggis with neeps and tatties (that’s turnips and potatoes) is in one word…delicious! I, however, cannot say the same thing about the black pudding! I tried it and did not really like it, but that’s my opinion. I will not explain what it is, but I will leave you to try it in future and judge for yourself. The Scots love their porridge and shortbread. Their traditional dessert is called cranachan and is made of fresh fruits, oats and lots of whipped cream. I shall skip my dinner for a cranachan every day if I can. And if you ask for whipped cream with your coffee, it’s not a dollop but a mountain that you get! Everything is deep fried here, sausages, fish, potatoes and even Mars bars…and I think that’s why it’s so tasty! They love to have fries (finger chips) with almost everything. Sausages with beans and chips, fish and chips, chips and chips. I think the best fish and chips I had was at McKays in Pitlochry and adding vinegar really gives it a different flavour altogether. The Irn-bru is a drink that the Scots devour. It is like Fanta, but with more sugar. Any food minus healthy is good! When in Scotland, have a Scotch! Ideally single malt, not mixed with anything, without ice. An interesting combination is Bailey’s with hot chocolate. Oh, and one night when we went out for dinner, the Aussies went looking for an Indian restaurant because they love curries, butter chicken and kebabs!!!

The pubs are always alive, and the people here are always ready for a wee drink. The inns and pubs in U.K. have simple, to the point and often strange names and a signboard with the literal picture of that name. It is similar to playing Pictionary. For instance- The Golden Boot will have a board with a golden boot drawn on it, or The Crossed Keys or The Lion and the Dog and so on. A common joke is that when all the countries were selecting their national flowers, the Scots were busy drinking in a pub. By the time they reached, all that was left was the Thistle, and thus this thorny plant became the national flower of Scotland.

 Thistle

Haggis with neeps and tatties

While I can go on and on about Scotland, I must sleep now, for I return back to London from Glasgow tomorrow by an early morning train. As my last night with my Contiki gang comes to an end, I am truly grateful to all the people for this journey of a lifetime and teaching me the meaning of the word…

FREEEEDOOOM!!!

Lots of Love

Dear D and S

I must say I miss my group. Now I have to plan my day’s schedule, nobody to give you a day sheet, nobody to tell you what time to be ready and when to leave, good places to eat and stories of each place. But you would be pleased to know that I managed… and quite well!!!

I’m staying at Paddington. It’s centrally located and very well connected. After checking in, I left almost immediately which was a good thing because I lost my way…but made it in time to get the ticket for the Sherlock Holmes Museum!!! I bowed my head in reverence at the lifelike statue of Sherlock Holmes right outside the Baker Street underground station.

I honestly felt I was going to consult The Detective as I entered through the doors of 221B Baker Street. The flight of steps led into the study of SH and JW. The details are remarkable! They have actually made the most famous fictional Victorian address real. Holmes’ couch is towards the window and his client had to sit on the chair placed opposite so that the light would fall on his face and he could study every detail. The violin is placed on a small table nearby. The desk has a newspaper from the year 1888. The photograph of The Woman, Irene Adler sits on the mantel. It was as if I had walked into The Study in Scarlet and was silently witnessing the story unfold. There is Holmes’ bedroom with his deerstalker hat, pipe, magnifying glass, watch and gun. It’s almost as if he actually lived here and they have just preserved the things rather that creating them. All his enemies have been given a wall, with their pictures. The bedside table holds all the volumes of The History of England and Wales. On the desk lies an unsent letter to Dr Watson, signed SH! The floor above has Mrs Hudson’s room and Dr Watson’s bedroom. The diary of Dr Watson lies open, with entry from Dartmoor. A book on the vascular anatomy of the head and neck lies on the desk. Even the Baker Street Irregulars have not been forgotten. The top floor has the wax figures of several characters including the Napoleon of Crime and Charles Augustus Milverton. All the memories just came flooding in and the only reason I left was because they were about to close and asked me to!

Having paid my Holmage at the Temple, I headed off to the Cathedral of St Paul. Having been struck by lightning and engulfed in flames, Christopher Wren’s architectural masterpiece lives up to its name of The Phoenix!

The people of London love to give nicknames to their buildings- they have the Cheese grater, the Walkie-talkie and the Gherkin! I decided to enjoy London by night from the top of Shard. Taking the advice of my Contiki trip manager, I confidently went up to the bar so that with a drink I could get a free access to the view. When you don’t have the swag, it’s best to take the straighter route! In my torn jeans, sweatshirt, backpack, camera, a severely tanned face and tangled wild hair, I went to the bar where people had come in their best evening attire! I was politely told that they did not allow entry without reservation! Bruahaha!!! I went down and stood in the queue that took me two and a half hours to finally make it to the top, the72nd floor! I shall turn to Bono to help me put my feelings to words-

“The more you see the less you know
The less you find out as you go
I knew much more then than I do now

Neon heart, day-glow eyes
The city lit by fireflies

Oh you look so beautiful tonight...tonight
In the city of blinding lights”

Next morning I took a big red London bus to catch the Knight Bus to reach the Warner Bros Studios for the Making of Harry Potter Tour. The next few lines that you read have been written under the influence of an amalgamation of Butterbeer, Felix Felicis, Veitaserum and a fearfully strong Imperius curse… so I cannot be held responsible for my words! THIS WAS PARADISE!!!!!!! They have all the sets used in the movies, from the Great Hall, the Common room, the Burrow, Dumbledore’s Office, Hagrid’s hut to the Forbidden Forest, Snape’s dungeon, Privet Drive, Knight Bus, Godric’s Hollow, Diagon Alley…EVERYTHING! And they have explained how it was all shot, the special effects, the science and art behind it all. I took Quidditch lessons! The wigs, masks, hats, clothes, the Basilisk, Buckbeak and Whomping Willow have been showcased! Every crew member involved in the making of the films has been immortalized in the paintings hung on the walls of Hogwarts and the wands in Ollivander’s wand shop. The real Hogwarts Express is also there in a replica of Platform 9 ^3/4 in King’s Cross station. The Butterbeer was the best thing that I have tasted so far, spreading its warmth as I gulped it down!  I don’t think the recipes on the internet can ever come close to this! A huge replica of the Hogwarts Castle is displayed that has been used for several shots in the movies. And in the midst of all the witches, wizards, robes and brooms, I saw him again. Now I was certain he was following me. He was really good looking and seemed to be drawing me to him. But I resisted again. I turned my back to temptation, picked up a chocolate frog and ran out in the nick of time to get on to the bus again!

The rest of the day I spent under the overcast London sky, amidst pouring rain, engrossed in the tales of the Tower of London. The Yoemen Warders are the ceremonial guardians of the Tower. They are retired officers from the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth Realms. More people have gone to the moon than the total number of Warders in history! They are also referred to as Beefeaters, though they are themselves unsure about the origin of this word. They believe that most probably the people outside would call them this because in the olden times they were paid in beef which was a priced commodity to the ordinary people. It is actually a fortress, but gets its name from the White Tower built by William the Conqueror in 1078. In the pages of its bloody history with several famous prisoners and executions including that of Anne Boleyn and her brother, William Hastings and Guy Fawkes, a young queen of mere 16 years is often forgotten. Her name was Jane Grey. A Protestant, she was the great-granddaughter of Henry VII and she was queen for a total of 9 days, still uncrowned, before she was dethroned and imprisoned by the catholic Mary Tudor. She and her husband were executed later, the same year. The Crown Jewels are the prized possessions and lie under the watchful eyes of the Beefeaters… and several layers of heavy security and locks. The Koh-i-noor is displayed here, the sparkling diamond on the crown of the Queen Mother.

The iconic bridge that we see in magazines and movies is not the London Bridge but the Tower Bridge. It is currently painted in a sky blue shade, also known as Elizabeth blue after Her Majesty’s favourite colour. It will be painted in a new colour once the new monarch comes to throne. The Buckingham Palace is honestly quite a let down after everything that I have seen this far and can be captured in a single frame in my camera. No wonder, the Queen and Prince Philip never really wanted to live here. Hyde Park is huge, I don’t think I managed to cover even one fourth. But it was a wonderful walk.

I have a lot more to write, for my heart and head are overflowing with thoughts and memories. I shall tell you all in detail once I reach home. Like all good things, this trip too has come to an end. I am satisfied and satiated… for now. But I cannot wait to start planning for my next trip no matter when I actually manage to go!!! And as I sit in the airport and pen down my last few lines, I see him again… there he is, he won’t let me go! That’s it, I can’t hold myself any longer. I am his and he is mine… my wand!!!! York, Edinburgh, London…I stopped myself like a blithering fool everywhere…and finally bought it at Heathrow ! It is made of holly, 11 inches long with a single feather from the tail of a phoenix. The wand had chosen me, and I was powerless!

Can’t wait to be back home

Hugs and kisses

Yours, charmed and stupefied

M

Blog Postcards Part II- Poetry in Motion

Dear D

I am where you would have found true bliss. I am in the land of the Poet Laureates who introduced Romanticism. I am in the land of Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey! The Lake District in the county of Cumbria, north west part of England. 

Remember, how all of us have drawn, with crayons and water colours, a pond with a duck swimming in it surrounded by soft round and green hills, flowers of all colours dotting the hills, and the sun peeping out from behind the clouds. Well just imagine walking into a drawing like that! It is exactly how you would have dreamt or imagined it to be…picturesque!

The Lake District National Park and the surrounding fells and lakes, meres and waters are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of these places have been able to retain their natural charm because of the efforts of people like Beatrix Potter, the author of the children’s Peter Rabbit series. While only the Bassenthwaite Lake is called a lake here, the others are referred to as waters or meres. We visited Bowness- on- Windermere beside one of the largest water bodies, the Lake Windermere. It derives its name from Vinandr mere which translates to Vinandr’s lake. 

A walk in this town will leave you spellbound by its pristine beauty. You have the clear waters of the lake with ducks, geese and swans swimming and crackling merrily in it beside a backdrop of rolling lush green hills. The houses are quaint cottages made of stone with vines hanging down from the sides. For us tourists, there are multiple cute ice cream stalls, cafes and souvenir shops. The Cornish Bakery is the ideal place to get a taste of the typical and the not so typical British Pies. We also found a stall with rescued owls. You could hold and pet any of the owls, the big tawny ones to the tiny spotted ones and donate whatever you want for their well- being. Oh, and the dogs here, cuteness overload. They seem the true owners of this picture- perfect place. They are so well behaved and friendly. 

We went for a cruise on Lake Windermere and the weather could not have been more perfect. It was drizzling, the dark clouds had gathered overhead forming a canopy but allowing some warm rays to pierce through. It was windy and chilly. A rainbow just completed the painting.

And now I truly understand where the poets drew their inspiration from. Wordsworth defined poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.” D, if we had also been born in Cockermouth and lived in Dove Cottage, I think it would have been possible, no no, I am quite certain we would have been able to pen something worthwhile to stir a flurry of emotions among a few people!

From Bowness, we made our way to Keswick. Here you can take part in some adventure activities like high ropes, rock climbing or archery. But if the romantic in you is brimming and bursting forth, a walk up to the Castlerigg stone circle is a better option. Like many other stone circles in U.K. (about 300 of them), including the most famous Stonehenge, this one’s origin is debatable. While the arrangement of the stones has astronomical significance, some believe that it belonged to the druids. This set of circle dates back to 3000 B.C. Although much smaller in scale than the Stonehenge, you still feel as if you have been transported into another time. It could be because of the weather, the dramatic backdrop of mountains of High Seat and Helvellyn or just your imagination having an unfenced field to play around! A drive through the county is likely to bring joy to even the most heartless and emotionless human, if alive. The woolly sheep are a familiar sight looking like polka dots on a green velvet cloth.

We have to come here together once and just capture every moment with every blink of our eyelids. Till then, I shall send you photographs as I wander lonely as a cloud…

Love

M

Dear D and S

Today I have helped two young lovers elope and witnessed their union, till death do them ‘part, by the Blacksmith’s anvil! Just kidding!!! 

We visited Gretna Green today. And yes, two from our group, an eligible bachelor and a blooming beautiful bachelorette did indeed get married here! Ha ha!! 

Situated just at the border of England and Scotland, this place is famous for runaway marriages. The Marriage Act of 1754 in England could veto the marriage of minors below 21 years of age if it was against the will of a parent. In Scotland, however, no such law was binding and anybody could conduct the ceremony if the declaration was made before two witnesses. The blacksmith realized he could make a fair amount of money and thus began the tradition of sealing the marriage with the strike of his hammer on the anvil. The law was once modified in Scotland such that it required the couple to have resided in Scotland for at least a period of 21 days. 

With an archway made of two hands joined in union, love-locks forming the four lettered word and a scandalous history, Gretna Green still remains a popular and one of the most romantic destinations for weddings.

We then headed off to see the remains of the most powerful empire in the history, the Romans. While the Romans conquered many lands in the British Isles and expanded their kingdom far and wide, they met their match in Scotland. The strategic and decisive Roman army were taken off-guard by the guerilla tactics of the Scots and the Picts. Emperor Hadrian then decided to step back and built a wall to mark the boundary of their empire and keep off the barbaric native tribes. The Hadrian’s Wall and the Housesteads Fort now remain faint memories of an age forgotten…except probably by George R.R. Martin who drew his inspiration of The Wall, built to safeguard against the Wildlings and the White Walkers, from these ruins. Looking at the remains of what must have been their granary, bathrooms and watchtower, you marvel at the engineering capabilities and ideas of the civilizations of that era.

As I stood atop the Wall, with my brothers by my side, I saw the vast expanse of open fields and hills stretching far into the horizon as if challenging us to do something more than what we had thought for ourselves and dream beyond the boundaries that we had marked for ourselves. And as we placed our arms over each other’s shoulders for a group photograph, I felt the lands stretch out its arms for us…the World is our Canvas.

From the Wall

Your Imp

Dear D and S

You and I both thought that I was going on a solo trip this time. While you worried, I was excited, while you wanted me to book everything in advance, I wanted to go with the flow, while you expected me to make a few acquaintances on the way, I hoped to find a few friends. To the surprise of both of us, I now have a family of over 50 who are more than just friends on the way, my Contiki Family. 

When our tour operator recommended Contiki, a travel company for 18-35 year old like- minded travelers looking for adventure, I jumped at the prospect and agreed to it. I did read up reviews on their website but did not know of anyone who had done a Contiki before.  Few days before the beginning of the trip, I signed up for 'My Contiki' that lets you connect with your fellow travelers in advance. I realized that like me there would be many people travelling alone. Quite a few had done Contiki trips before. I was really looking forward to meeting everyone.

During these few days with my new friends I have come to know a lot about their lives in their countries and while there are a lot of differences, you won’t believe how similar some things are. The women are the majority in our coach! Our group comprises of a doctor, two pharmacists, one nurse, one paramedic and one physiotherapist…so we are medically insured! There are also a few teachers, a social worker, an electrician, an artist, a student of linguistics and some who were going to go back and join graduation programmes. One couple had come on their honeymoon, one girl had recently been through a break up, one had left her husband at home and few had come with their best friends or siblings. There was also a couple who clicked photographs of every place with a fairy doll to show their daughter back home that they had found this fairy and brought it for her. 

Many of them have taken a break of 6 months or 1 year to just travel, explore and figure out what they want to do…something which is still unconventional for us. In countries like Australia and Canada, the cost of living is so low, and their currency is so powerful that they mainly have part time jobs in department stores or restaurants and can go on long vacations over several months. Two of them had their luggage misplaced by the flights and they were least bothered. “It’s a good excuse for us to buy new clothes,” they said. I would have probably cancelled my trip had I reached London without my luggage! Our trip manager was explaining the custom of tipping here in U.K., especially to the Australians who were not familiar with it, when he remarked about the poor value of Rand against GBP to my friend from South Africa. I later found out from her that it was 1:20 for her. She was shocked to find out that I had to multiply each pound by almost 92 to convert to rupees!!! Quite a lavish gift to myself with what I had earned!

My roommate is from Australia and we have gelled incredibly well. Our morning and night routines happen smoothly, and we complement each other’s habits quite well. She works in a day care and has been teaching tennis at a summer camp in USA every year for the past 6 years. She says, because she spends so much time with small kids, she doesn’t fall sick when she goes overseas on trips, she’s got all the antibodies by now. I said working in a hospital has done the same trick for me.

Can you imagine so many women travelling and staying together without arguing or fighting? Haha!!! People are very understanding and adaptive. Here, they also express themselves freely and do not shy away from showering compliments genuinely. Strangers greet you on the streets and hotels with warm smiles and kind words. 

I have learnt music and Harry Potter are two of the best ice breakers and can be used to start off a conversation with anyone. While everyone is equally friendly and considerate, some of us hang around together. There are the three ‘tokens’ from India, South Africa and Germany and two Australians. We end up going out together at nights, enjoying the same jokes and being crazy in our own way and have forged a special bond. Once we started talking, one in German, one in Afrikaans and one in Hindi, it was hilarious but probably only for us! I had one of the most meaningful conversations with the nurse one night. Not only was she the most stunning bride at the fun wedding we had, but she was truly beautiful inside. There is another girl whom I befriended while exploring a graveyard!!! It’s probably a sign that we will remain friends for a lifetime and beyond! D, do you know, her mother named her after one of our favourite characters, the heroine of Pride and Prejudice. She said even her father looks like Collin Firth…but she still hasn’t found her Mr. Darcy. I said they don’t make men like them anymore!!!

Jecinda, you beauty

But all this has been possible only because of our Trip Manager and Driver. Imagine ‘managing’ a diverse group like ours! We travel from place to place in our beautiful and stylish coach, who’s been named Jecinda and she’s our driver’s Gal. He is the friendliest and most cheerful man I’ve come across and takes care of her like a man in love! He had heard about Contiki since the time he was a kid because his brother-in-law worked there. As he grew older he realized that even though he was not very fluent in English, he could drive well and just last year he was voted Contiki’s best driver!

Our day sheet

Our Trip Manager told us that we have two dads on this trip but he will become mum if any of us are late at any point. Our ‘dads’ have found a day song for us so that we imagine bright blue sky and yellow sun. It’s called ‘Fly Away’ by Lenny Kravitz. And we have a wake-up song as well, ‘Paradise’ by George Ezra, that starts playing whenever we are approaching our destination. He painstakingly makes day sheets for our itinerary every day, helps us with everything, from withdrawing cash and exchanging old notes which are no longer accepted to getting local sim cards and finding pharmacies for those falling sick. Every day he thinks of ways that he can make this trip even more memorable than it already is. He gets us local things like shortbread and chocolates to munch in the bus, tells us about the good places to eat, and the tips and tricks about each new place we visit, gets us great deals in local pubs and has even arranged for tickets to the famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. He helps us to get to know each other, making us play interactive games, introducing our coach partners to the rest of the group in the bus and constantly reshuffling us so that we make as many friends as possible. He is originally from South Africa and rugby was his passion since he was a child. When he was seventeen, his father gave him a ticket to Europe and asked him to go out and write his own story. He played for Brighton’s Rugby team and had everything one could ever dream of. But when his passion became his profession, he wasn’t happy any more. He spent all his money to get out of the contract with his team and joined Contiki. The rest is history. He says he does not really have a home, so he doesn’t like it when he’s not on any trip because then he has to think about all the other things which is so important to all of us! He is what he himself would have described as a ‘Gangsta’! His motto-

“I’d fly above the trees

Over the seas in all degrees

To anywhere I please”

I don’t know if I will get a chance to do this again, but this has been truly a life changing experience for me. Just talking to new people changes your outlook and broadens your horizon. I believe everyone should venture out on a trip like this at least once in their life not only to know about other cultures and people but to get an insight and clarity into one’s own life and character!

Lots of love

A happy and content M

#NoRegrets

Blog Postcards Part I- With Love, From Me to You

Dear D and S

It’s the day after our 72nd Independence Day and ironically, I have landed safely on the British soil. The flight was good and overall uneventful. I watched two movies, had Rajkummar Rao and Joseph Gordon-Levitt for company and slept the rest of the journey. It was a rainy day in London when I landed and immediately I was a little skeptical about the weather in the following days of my stay here. But I have realized that worrying is of no use. As my driver explained while we were on our way to the hotel, “You can have all four weathers in a single day in London!”

I left almost immediately for the Kickstart meeting at the Contiki Basement. On my way, I stopped and had a sumptuous lunch, sitting on a bench in Russell Park. The pigeons are really fat and big here and so are the squirrels. They are not afraid of humans and let you touch them. 

In the meeting they just briefed us about when and where to meet tomorrow morning. There are about 40 of us, some will be joining us tomorrow. I am the only Indian here. Majority are from Australia and Canada. Most of them are travelling alone. It’ll take me some time to remember everyone’s names and I’m sure others would say the same about mine! But in general, everyone’s friendly. We went for a walk around West London. Lots of musicals going on in various theatres including Matilda, The Lion King and Sir Ian Mckellen as King Lear. I don’t know if I’ll have time to go watch any, maybe once I’m back from Scotland. Did you know, while they spell it as Thames, they pronounce it as Tems? During the Great Stink of 1858, the people threw everything into the river, including faeces from their windows. Post this they set up multiple fountains across the city to purify the water. 

The walk ended at Trafalgar Square. Nelson stands tall atop a straight column, sort of reminding you of his nickname 111 which he owed to having one eye, one arm...and umm... one testicle! When he was fatally wounded in the war with a bullet to his shoulder going through the length of his spine, he requested his soldiers to take back his body to be buried in London. In order to preserve their commander’s body, the sailors used the best and only available preservative in the vast seas, alcohol. His body was put in a cask of brandy. But after the battle was won and the boys were celebrating, as usual, ‘the rum is always gone!’ In their merriment the boys, not meaning any insult, did borrow brandy from their commander giving rise to the phrase, ‘tapping the Admiral!’ The column is guarded by 4 massive, yet disproportionate lions. The lion is the national animal of England overlooking the fact that this animal is not found in the country at all!

Post the group walk, I wandered around by myself. I have got myself an Oyster card so I can travel by the Tube. I made my way to the London Eye, a giant ferris wheel with 32 pods, each representing the 32 boroughs of London. I walked along the river Thames, watching the gulls posing for the tourists. The Big Ben is under renovation and will be under scaffolding for the next three years but according to the people here, it won’t be chiming for another 5-6 years. However, interestingly, it has a Twitter account that tweets every hour! The Palace of Westminster is grand. The Abbey however was closed by the time I reached. There is a statue of Winston Churchill which really reminded me of Gru! If he was offended by his portrait by the artist Sutherland on his 80^thbirthday, he certainly would not have been flattered by this statue! 

I’ll be leaving early tomorrow, by 6. So I shall call it a day now. It’s a beautiful place. The roads and houses are exactly how we’ve seen in The Crown, nothing has changed. I know you guys will worry, but try not to…I love it! I quite enjoy taking in the sights and sounds of a new place on my own. It’s liberating in a different sort of way. And I am ready for the adventure that is to begin tomorrow! 

Lots of love!

M

Dear S

You should have been the one here. I missed you the most today. Guess where I am? I am at Liverpool!! The football crazy town where the Beatles were born!!! 

Liverpool was once a thriving port city engaging in the triangle of trade of slaves, textile and tobacco. Nestled on the banks of river Mersey, the symbol of Liverpool is the Liver bird. We have all seen it on the logo of the city’s famous football club. It is supposed to be a mythical creature which even the Liverpuddlers consider quite ugly! It is sort of a hybrid between the Eagle, that was the symbol of King John, and a cormorant, that was commonly found near the sea. It carries a seaweed in its beak. The Royal Liver Building located near the pier has two statues of the Liver birds. The female Liver, Bella, faces the sea, to protect the men and to bring them back safely. Her mate, Bertie, the male Liver faces the city to take care of the wives and daughters the sailors are leaving behind. It is a common joke among the Liverpuddlers that if a pure woman walks past between the two Liver birds, the city shall fall…and well, it’s still standing!

 The Royal Liver Building with Bella and Bertie

The folks here are football fanatics! Football hooliganism is something very real. Liverpool and Everton are the two clubs, and both have together made Liverpool the city with maximum titles to its credit, but their rivalry is legendary. Forget cheering or talking about football, we were asked not to wear red or blue when we went out in the city. Nobody is allowed to keep red or blue dustbins here and that is why you get to see purple dustbins along every house, a mixture of the two colours of their clubs.

The purple dustbins

The accent here is strong and peculiar and is called the scouse and the people of Liverpool call themselves the scousers. The Anglican Liverpool Cathedral was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the same person who designed the iconic red telephone booth. One such telephone booth is also placed inside this Church! The Gothic architecture of this Church of England is in stark contrast to the Roman Catholic Church of Liverpool which looks more like a set from a sci-fi movie!

The Catholic Church of Liverpool, behind a veil of raindrops

But history, culture, architecture aside, this city beats, breathes and bleeds Beatles!!! We went on the Magical Mystery Tour with our guide, Jackie and she showed us where the Fab Four went to school, their houses and where they played their music. Ironically, Paul failed an audition for the choir of the Liverpool Cathedral! With their songs playing in the coach, the tour was nothing short of magical. As the coach turned into Penny Lane, I caught sight of the barber shop that Paul wrote about one night as he missed his hometown. As if John could read Paul’s mind, he wrote Strawberry Fields Forever in memory of a children’s home run by the Salvation Army in Liverpool. The two songs were released as a double A sided record. The blue suburban sky smiled down at us as we walked along Mersey on Albert Dock to reach the statues of the Boys from Liverpool. All of us are used to seeing their photo crossing the street on Abbey Road. But this statue captures their true spirit, you can see their boyish charm as the four walk, nonchalantly, with wind-ruffled hair, camera in hand and dreamy eyes looking at a distance, cool and unaffected by their influence in every corner of the world. 

The Museum of Liverpool is situated at the dock and they had a John and Yoko exhibition going on. Of course, the Beatles Story is a museum dedicated solely to them. But I felt the city itself was an ode to the Beatles, with a flower patch dedicated to Lennon here and a Beatles café there, the graffities on the walls shouting for an encore and the autographed Penny Lane signboard signaling for a photo. The cherry, oh sorry, strawberry on the cake was going to the Cavern Club that night, where the Beatles had played nearly 300 times! You can actually feel the Beatle mania as it would have been when the band actually played there as you step inside this tiny jam-packed club with every inch of the stone walls adorned with fans penning their love for them. The stuffiness, sweat and heat take a backseat as you find yourself swaying and crooning to their timeless songs strummed by the younger fans…

“He roller coaster
He got early warning
He got muddy water
He one Mojo filter
He say one and one and one is three
Got to be good looking
'Cause he's so hard to see
Come together right now
Over me”

 

As I write to you from my hotel room, I look up to find Paul, John, George and Ringo smiling at me, framed on the wall. For somebody who knows their every song by heart, had made a scrapbook with all the articles on them, had seen The Birth of Beatles for 5 consecutive days and cried when Lennon died, this is your Mecca S…and I will make sure you visit this lively, vibrant city one day (of course without your jersey). Till then…

“You say goodbye…I say hello…hello…hello.”

Dear D and S

Today I was at the designated Most Haunted City of the Europe, York! It is a city built by the Romans, ravaged by the Vikings, conquered by the Normans and passed on to the Tudors. Its bloody past has now become its novelty!!! There are tourists everywhere but you can feel eeriness of the old…and they make sure you do! The cobbled streets are a pleasure to walk on. Colourful flowers blossom from window sills and lamp-posts. Street performers enthral the crowd, umbrellas of all possible hues decorate a busy street and signboards lead you to York’s Chocolate Story shop, enchanting tea rooms and drool worthy fudge factories. 

York Minster is an imposing cathedral, a classic example of gothic architecture. You can spot the spire from far away, which is like a lighthouse signal for somebody like me with notorious orientation skills. Emperor Constantine sits majestically outside the cathedral. The magnificent stained glass wall softens the contour of the stone building with numerous gargoyles. The walk along the city walls is about 4 km and gives stunning views of both the city and the Minster. 

We visited the most famous street, the Shambles which is said to be one of the many inspirations for the Diagon Alley. Be on the lookout for these three things on this street- shelves, hooks and figures of cats, some climbing a wall, some peeking out from a window. Its name comes from the word ‘Shamles’ meaning slaughter house. Earlier this street was lined by the butcher shops and was built to allow the blood to flow down. But today, it’s very easy to see why this street inspired Rowling to write about a place in London where you can get everything from robes and quills to cauldrons and broomsticks. There are shops selling curios, pubs, chocolate stores, Viking stores, gin shops and three unmissable recent additions- The Boy Wizard, The World of Wizardry and the one and only The Shop that Must Not be Named. There was actually a long queue to get into the last shop…but you know the reason for the hype once you enter it. 

Shambles

We also had the famous Yorkshire pudding with a twist…we had the YorkPud wrap which is an absolute must for anybody visiting this town in north England. The savoury apple sauce will definitely leave you wanting for more even when you are satiated. You also get more than 50 different types of gin here and for the seekers of the spirit, the Evil Eye Gin Shop is the best stop. For a traditional Sunday roast, we went to the Lowther. A big thumbs up to this place situated next to the river Ouse.

Amidst all this, never does York fail to remind you of its dark history. The buildings and houses have never been changed over thousands of years. A visit to the Dungeons of York gives a chilling yet exciting account with characters like the Executioner, the Plague Doctor, the Highwayman, Guy Fawkes and the Torturer coming to life. The Jorvik Viking Centre gives a glimpse into the lives of the followers of the Norse Gods. The Clifford’s Tower stands atop a mound in silent testimony to the death of around 200 Jews within the York Castle. 

Clifford's Tower

The colourful flower lined lanes of York are criss-crossed by dark alley ways which hold secrets of which we can but get a hushed whisper during the Ghost Walk through the city. I have never been a believer in the supernatural, I am way too driven by science to be drawn to ghosts and spirits. But this was not something that I had expected. The Ghost Walk guide told us stories about real people- an earl, an innkeeper’s boy who ran out to be driven over by a carriage, a lady who held on to her catholic beliefs until her execution, people getting scared of a little girl suffering from epileptic attacks, naming the street the Mad Alice Lane, a sinister murder in Grape Lane, the Grope Lane of yesteryears, and crimes committed under the shadow of the York Minster. It’s not that they try to scare you with noises or people popping out from behind the walls. But it is a strange, unreal feeling, listening to the tales under a flickering lamp post, walking through the very alleys where the incidents took place and looking at the shadows growing longer as the dusk settles in, a stillness disturbed only by our trespassing footsteps…or probably it is just excellent narrative!!!

I have done my best to describe a city which is so embroiled in history and fiction and yet very much real…but I cannot do enough justice. York is a place that you should not visit but experience. It is as Captain Barbossa said, “You best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner…You are in one!”

Yours live and loving it,

M