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I illegally moved into my flat in Edinburgh today, as in I can't legally move in until monday, but that's only due to complications with the stupid shmuck letting company. Anyway it's a lovely wee flat above a curtain shop, wooden floors, furnished, and 10 minutes walk from the main street. I was a wee bit concerned about moving into a place I'd never seen with people I'd never met, but my new flatmates are very cool and the flat is very nice. The letting company, as I said, are prats, but then I seem to have bad luck with property agencies. We seem to end up with mutual hate relationships.

Balloch was wet and miserable but very pretty, and I got to spend two nights in a castle. Not bad, no? Except it was an hour's walk into town from there, and it was almost always raining, and there was very little to do in Balloch. I did however get to stand upon the Bonnie Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond and sing the song of that name :p

Mission accomplished.





from 26/06

Wow I actually get some internet here, that's nice! Well, I'm feeling quite good because I've had plenty to do and I finally got to go to the one place on this earth that I wanted to visit above all others. Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye, stronghold of the MacLeods since pretty much the dawn of time :D I also have yet MORE photos for you! And here they are: SKYE AND GREAT GLEN PHOTOS.

Anyway onto the storytelling. I based myself in Portree, the biggest place in Skye and also the only place that can call itself a town, with a population of around 2000. Unfortunately it is hard to get around Skye without a car, so I didn't to see all that I wanted, but got the important bits done. I shared a room with a lovely German lady called Jenny, who decided it would be nice to visit Dunvegan too, and also wanted some company. So Jenny and I went to Dunvegan where I FINALLY got to see the magical, ancient and oh so special Fairy Flag, among a number of other interesting and awesome historic thingies. I also got to sign a book that you sign if you're a visiting MacLeod, I felt special :p I was sorely tempted to buy something nice from the gift shop which hosted an array of MacLeod themed souvenirs, but as I'm becoming poorer by the day, I held back. I did later buy a cd of the Corries because I heard it in the background of a shop and thought it sounded nice.

After that we had lunch in Skye's oldest bakery, then drove out to the Neist Point, Skye's western most point. It was really beautiful there and in the distance you could see other islands, which might have been one of the Uists.

Sheep ruled the road, and we were constantly dodging them as we drove down the single lane roads.

Jenny left and I made friends with a sparkly chap named Iain MacLeod from Australia, no relation but we got on really well and went for a lovely big walk around Portree. He's a mighty talented musician and has a brother in Eskimo Joe. On my last night in Skye I went to one of the local pubs, the town has alot of them considering it's very small population and size. I was introduced to a whole lot of people, most of which were named Mac-something, and received a very warm welcome from everyone there. Something like four people offered to buy me drinks, so about four gins later I was feeling a little wobbly but went with some newly made friends to another couple of pubs. At the last one I met up with Iain again, who happens to be an excellent tap-dancer, so he, a bloke named Bill, a bloke named John from Argyll, and myself got to dancing. It was a great way to finish up my stay in Portree.



Then I traveled on to Fort William, again an incredibly scenic drive. The drive from Inverness to Skye was absolutely spectacular, all enormous green hills covered in waterfalls and mist. It was the same coming into Fort William. The first thing I did when I got here was promptly trip over a steel rail and reinjure my already brutalised right leg, why oh why did I have to hit it in the exact same place again? So for a day I was hobbling around with my walking stick looking like a cripple. Anyway...

Today I wandered down to the bus station with intentions of taking a small day trip to nearby Glen Coe, the scene of a famous massacre, but being at the station itself was quite eventful. I first spotted a fantastic steam train (I love steam trains) which I think was the one used in the Harry Potter films. I watched it puff away, though it was hard to get a good photo of it, I tried anyway.

I was on the phone to my mum, and just after I hung up, a man standing nearby had a massive seizure. It was so scary to watch, and afterwards he just lay there twitching, but eventually an ambulance came for him.

I got to Glen Coe, which was very beautiful and peaceful. It was all quaint wee cottages set in a frame of great big mountains, lakes and rivers. I went for a short walk and found the Massacre Monument, placed there to remember the Massacre of Glencoe. So I spent the day there, and although it was sunny, it sprinkled with rain three times. It was a very pleasant day, and tomorrow I continue on to Balloch and the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. So that's all fer noo folks, and now to leave you with a pretty song about the Massacre of Glencoe....



Cruel is the snow that sweeps Glencoe

And covers the grave o' Donald

And cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe

And murdered the house of MacDonald



They came in a blizzard, we offered them heat

A roof o'er their heads, dry shoes for their feet

We wined them and dined them, they ate of our meat

And they slept in the house of MacDonald



They came from Fort William, wi' murder in mind

The Campbells had orders King William had signed

Put all to the sword, these words were underlined

And leave none alive called MacDonald



They came in the night, when the men were asleep

This band o' Argylls, through snow soft and deep

Like murdering foxes among helpless sheep

They slaughtered the house of MacDonald



Some died in their beds, at the hand of the foe

Some fled in the night, and were lost in the snow

Some lived to accuse him, that struck the first blow

But gone was the house of MacDonald

"There was a monster, a Scottish monster

Who lives in far Loch Ness, a very fine address

All the hoteliers and postcard selliers

Are making fortunes every year"



'Ello again my little lovelies, I have yet more photos for you, this time of mighty Scotland aswell as one from Northern Ireland. SCOTLAND PHOTOS.

Today I took a three hour boat trip out onto Loch Ness, it was great! Did I see the legendary monster? Well just look at my photos to find out! Firstly the bus driver who took us to the boat was a real character and told us all about the history of Inverness in brief, it's so old and has connections to Macbeth, you know, from Shakespeare. He really lived here and was King in like the 1100s or something. This is also the place that St Columba came to, yes the very same man that my old school was named after (Columba College). Lol! It was in the year 565AD that he reportedly saw the monster, so you see what I mean by old.

The boat I took was called the Jacobite Queen, and I spent the entire three hours standing near the bow, even though a wave came and got me at one point! I took a few good photos but the experience itself was fantastic, the weather was nice though a bit misty at one point (which only added to the atmosphere) and I got to see two castles and a venetian estate on the way. It was a cool feeling to be sailing over one of the most famous and mysterious stretches of water in the world, and there was a commentary which told us when we were over the deepest part, which is where most of the sightings of the monster have been. Inside there was a sonar which showed what was beneath the boat under the water!

Tomorrow I head for the Isle of Skye, seriously can't believe I'm actually going there. Then it's on to Fort William and Glen Coe, then Balloch and Loch Lomond. I've had a great experience in Inverness, it's truely a magical place, surrounded by stories of fairies, kings, monsters, seers, and so much more.



From 18/06/08

Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing

"Onward!" the sailors cry

Carry the lad that's born to be King

Over the sea to Skye.



Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar

Thunder clouds rend the air

Baffled, our foes stand on the shore

Follow they will not dare.

Through the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep

Ocean's a royal bed

Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep

Watch by your wary head.

Many's the lad that fought on that day

Well the claymore could wield

When the night came, they silently lay

Dead on Culloden Field.

Burned are our homes, exile and death

Scatter the loyal men

Yet e'er the sword cool in the sheath

Charlie will come again.



That's always been a favourite song of mine, and has always had a very special place in my heart. For a long time it made me cry whenever I heard it, because it was played on the bagpipes at both of my grandparent's funrerals. If you actually took the time to read it just now, you'll know why today for me was one of those moving experiences that I won't quickly forget. I visited Culloden Field, where 1500 Jacobites were killed in hand-to-hand battle (and are still buried there in mass graves) aswell as 50 government men or 'red coats'.

I learned alot more about the Jacobites and that wonderful Bonnie Prince Charlie. It was a very strange feeling that was hard to wrap my brain around, standing on that field and picturing the battle that happened right where I stood so many years ago. After the Prince was defeated he fled (along with his followers) to Skye, which rather coincidentally, is where I am heading to next, so I inadvertently find myself following in his footsteps.

I felt strange walking over the field, and even stranger walking over the mass graves of so many now nameless Highland men. I even felt a little moved to poetry. I also watched an excellent reenactment of the battle which was projected onto all four walls of a room. I was surprised how good it actually was.

So I'm seeing now what this special song is really about, today was a good day.







From 17/06/08

Ah, there I knew everything would get better once I left Dublin. I just really, really didn't like it there. The atmosphere or something perhaps. There also seemed to be a lack of actual Irish people and a takeover of foreigners. I'm in Belfast now, and it just has a nice feel to it. I'm sad that I won't be here for the upcoming Maritime Festival which looks seriously awesome with nine old sailing ships, but I'll be in mighty Alba by then doing the highland fling or something :p

The place I'm staying is nice, I had wonderfully greasy fish and chips for dinner, and I discovered a brilliant pub that does affordable Irish Stew that I plan on going to tomorrow. This one, and it's just as pretty on the inside!







So I'm here for two nights, which I think will be long enough to see a few things. They also have a giant ferris wheel like the London Eye only this one I can actually afford to go on. Then... mark the date... June 12th...

FREYJA GOES TO SCOTLAND. I'll have to be sure to wear some waterproof mascara incase I cry tears of happiness. Ah, I'm so lame. OK Well I just discovered that this hostel has Blackadder so that should keep me entertained for a while, byeeee!



CON'T 12 June...



Yesterday was a good day! I finally got my Irish Stew, went on the big Belfast Wheel, and spent the evening at a show of Irish music and dancing which was very entertaining. So my last day in Ireland was better than all the others combined really. Anyway, know what day it is today? The day I go to SCOTLAND! I take the ferry just after midday today, and will arrive in Stranraer. Almost immediately after that I catch a bus to Edinburgh where I'll be for four days, before heading up to Inverness. The knowledge that I'm about to achieve a life long dream is hard to grasp, but perhaps it'll hit me tomorrow morning when I wake up to a view of Edinburgh. *shiver*

Wish me luck!

Here you go me lovelies, a few photos for you. Some from Ireland so far, one from Wales, and a wee few from Chester. Enjoy!



FEW PHOTOS FROM UK AND IRELAND



OH YEAH, I've been really upset all day today. Why? Because some great divine entity has set out to spoil my fun. I got up at 5.30am to get the bus to Blarney Castle, only to arrive at the stop and be told that the trip's been cancelled. THANKS FOR FUCKING TELLING ME YOU BASTARDS. The one thing I really wanted to do whilst in Ireland and they go cancel it for some reason. So thanks fuckers for buggering everything up. I've had a miserable day today because of it, but tomorrow I'm going to (somehow) go to Belfast, and hopefully things will improve. *thumbs up*

COMMENTS

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Maledicta
13:52 Jun 10 2008

Woohoo Chester! A gorgeous city and also my nearest. I only live about 12 miles from it :-)

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Freyja has arrived in Ireland! Fiddle-dee-dee potatoes! Well it's been a unique experience so far and I only arrived yesterday, now let me tell you why. Last night, being my first ever night in Ireland, I thought to myself, "Hmm, what should I do? I'll get a pint of Guinness!". So I went to this really exciting big bar two doors down from my hostel and got myself a pint. Then three blokes spotted me and invited me to join at their table cause the place was packed. Well, I liked the Guinness, but it did not like me. The blokes kept buying me more, and four pints of Guinness and a glass of gin later, I was feeling thoroughly ill and drunker than I've been for ages. When I got back to my hostel, I tried to sleep, but when I got to that "Shit I'm about to be sick!" point, I ended up running down the hallway in my underwear to the bathroom to throw up, while security cameras were watching. I didn't really care, but I was still throwing up the next morning, yuck!

Anyway, I booked myself a tour cause I thought it would be a good way to see the country aswell as learn about it as I go. I wanted a week long tour but could only book a two-day one. So this morning I joined a tour with three other people and we left Dublin for Galway. Charlie the tour guide told me all sorts of excellent stories, like how Leprechauns are definitely real, aswell as lots of great eerie ghost stories. The bus trip was very nice, but I might have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been feeling like a sack of shit. I saw hundreds of stone walls that criss-cross the country side, and learned about how people were forced to build them to be kept busy, and how many of the workers died and their bodies were buried inside the walls. I also learned several more reasons why Oliver Cromwell was a big stupid bastard.

Tonight I'm in a place called Doolin, which is a very small but very nice little village by the sea. Nearby are the Aran Islands where I'm told that they speak only Irish Gaelic. I love the fact that Irish Gaelic comes before the English on all signs aswell. Tomorrow I was hoping to visit there but it turns out it'll be too expensive and I'll only get to be there for two hours. Instead I might take a ferry to get a better view of the Cliffs of Moher.

There's a great little pub here that has live music every night, serves great food, and while I was there tonight, yet another person wanted a picture of me, why? Anyway, the plan is this...

I return to Dublin tomorrow evening, then the next morning I take a day trip to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. I really couldn't visit Ireland and not do that! I haven't really accepted the fact that I'm in a place that I've wanted to come to my entire life, but every time I do try to realise it, I almost cry great big tears of joy.

After Dublin (which is much bigger and scarier than I thought it would be) I'm going to try to head up to Belfast for a couple of days, and then take a boat to SCOTLAND!

You know, my Dad told me, "You can travel by yourself, but you're never alone" and it's true. I don't feel like I've really been alone yet, even though I've been traveling by myself for over a month. I can't walk down a street without someone stopping me, like yesterday I was stopped by a bunch of scene kids who gave me what felt like an interview.

Well I've taken a few pictures, but I can't upload them yet to show you. Fear not! I will put them up as soon as I get the chance. I think that's about all for now, byeeee!

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Sinora
11:19 Jun 08 2008

Four pints of the black stuff is a bit much for a beginer lol

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Oceanne
14:21 Jun 08 2008

Enjoy your trip ,lucky girl!

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I'm having a good time here so far, all by me onesies :p Tonight I'm in Chester, and oh what a pretty place! Tudor style buildings line the streets of Britain's only walled city, the wall which was originally built in about 70AD. I'm paying for my first night of accomodation though, but I have the whole dorm of a backpackers to myself with free internet and ensuite, nice! I spent today on the train drinking a whole bottle of sloe gin, I love the fact that you can drink on trains as long as you don't bother anyone.





Above: a small sample of the numerous Tudor style buildings of Chester.



I spent the last three nights with my friend Jennifer in Trowbridge. We had loads of fun, one day we visited Bath which was also very pretty with it's wicked Roman architecture, and the next day we met with her friend Bel, who took us to Glastonbury way then to Cheddar. So many of you would have loved Glastonbury, all new age with every shop selling crystals, magic things, and clairvoyant readings. We walked up to The Tor which is the remains of a 14th Century church. Then onto Cheddar which I just loved! A quaint town set in a gorge surrounded by billy-goats. You could buy cheese everywhere (surprise) aswell as everything yummy to munch on with cheese, and cider and other sweet goodies. Bel bought me the bottle of sloe gin to make my train trip more enjoyable (and it was), and Jennifer and I bought ourselves each a bottle of cider with honey. Then we made the world's tastiest french toast ever. It was great to hang out with Jennifer whom I haven't seen for over two years!

Before Trowbridge I spent two nights in Bristol staying with a bloke who was into poetry and meditation, but we had some good philosophical conversations. I didn't like Bristol particularly, but I did find a good pork pie there.

I missed one of my trains today by about 5 seconds which really shitted me off, but I got to Chester eventually. I was stuck in Wales for an extra half hour, but it was interesting because the signs at the train station had Welsh before the English.

For tomorrow I've booked myself a boat to Dublin (yarr Ireland!) but the first trick is getting the right train to Holyhead in time. Please wish me luck, I don't want a repeat of today! It occurred to me only today that Ireland uses Euros, not Pounds, so bugger it. I'm still looking forward to Ireland though and all the Irish Whisky I plan on drinking.

That's be about all fer now methinks, so wish me luck, will update next time I have free internet! Byee!

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Maledicta
13:53 Jun 10 2008

Yeah...perhaps I shoulda put my 'Woohoo Chester' comment here instead... :-S

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