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