I chose to rise early again, but not so much early. It was half past six this time. I brushed my teeth and headed for one and only one: Tay Road Bridge. For a week and more, I've seen not a better present for my pa on this Fathers' Day but to call him on this day, standing in the middle of the Firth of Tay on the Tay Road Bridge. It was to be my way of letting him know that I'm proud to be his daughter. I hoped the message got through.
I thought I could walk the whole length of the bridge and back, but time was pressing and my heels were painful. I've decided to save myself, for I have more walking in the day to worry about. I'm not sure how much of the bridge I had covered, but I turned for shore at quarter to eight. Did I ever say? I really love my own smile, especially when I mean it.
Back in the city, I again confirm that getting early breakfast in an English (or Scottish) city on a Sunday proves to be of much pain! But the walk around the city when most fellow Dundonians were still in their cozy bed proves to be serene. After the walk, I went back to the hostel at about nine, to recharge my camera battery before I had to check out at ten.
At ten, after checkout, the only breakfast point that was open was still McDonald's in the corner, so if McDonald's breakfast meal was meant to be, then so be it. I'm starved after the long walk in the morning anyway. At breakfast, three tourist who spoke little English and had trouble ordering later came in and they chose to sit in the table next to mine. We had little eye contact, but from their conversations, came the stream of familiar Foochow dialect. A glance later made me decide that they must be, from the mainland of China, where my maternal grandparents had once called their home.
After breakfast, I visited the RSS Discovery Museum. It was the ship that was built for a South Pole Expedition. The ship was then trapped in ice for two years and later rescued by another ship. Captain Scott proves to be someone I find to slightly dislike, when a short film showed him to have distrust the ship (and the captain of the ship) which had came for his rescue. He was arrogant and proud and could not believe there was another better than he. He then later return to England, gaining instant fame, for successes in the Expedition which were not his (although that can not be all his fault). Although failing to claim as first at the North Pole, the Expedition was successful in various researches in Science, which I believe, were the greatest contribution of the ship to mankind, who had put so much into it.
The museum took about two hours of my time, which after that I spent another two and half hour or so in a train, leaving Dundee for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.
After arriving at Edinburgh and checking in at Edinburgh Backpackers Hostel, I headed straight for the Edinburgh Castle. I arrived one and a half hour to closing time and was charged thirteen pounds for admission, which I thought of as a rip off. One website mis-lead me to believe that it costs only three pounds. I soon find that the thirteen pounds within reasonable (but still slightly over) when I find the castle offering great views of the city, and several different museums of various subjects.
I met Nick at the National museum of war, where he worked. He caught me looking interestingly at a piece of description for a sporran and asked if I'm interested in the history of wars. He must have wondered why a single girl would be interested in war, most who showed up in the museum were accompanied by their significant other (or others, if their relationship had been fruitful to be blessed with a gift of a descendant). No, I told him I'm just looking, since I'm already at the castle. He shared some knowledge with me, that I doubted I would have gotten them any other way. But they would later contribute to my sentimentality at the war memorials everywhere that I visited.
The massive war memorial at the castle touched me deeply, for I could not understand the need for war -- source of pain. To me, there were all to lose and none to gain. I am, I guess not cut out for Lordship. Men, who were not in anyway related to me, died for the war; they were remembered for their bravery, celebrated for their sacrifice, but I thought they'd probably wished they could live, even anonymously. Ironically though, some couple got married outside the memorial building.
A light dinner of haggis fritters and a juice (of oranges, apple and cranberries) were to heal my body and soul for the day. Although I did not sleep early because my room was not equipted with electric points and therefore does not allow me to sleep with my electronic devices charging overnight. It was almost one o'clock, I recall, when I finally drift off to slumberland in the 8-bunked dorm.
At ten, after checkout, the only breakfast point that was open was still McDonald's in the corner, so if McDonald's breakfast meal was meant to be, then so be it. I'm starved after the long walk in the morning anyway. At breakfast, three tourist who spoke little English and had trouble ordering later came in and they chose to sit in the table next to mine. We had little eye contact, but from their conversations, came the stream of familiar Foochow dialect. A glance later made me decide that they must be, from the mainland of China, where my maternal grandparents had once called their home.After breakfast, I visited the RSS Discovery Museum. It was the ship that was built for a South Pole Expedition. The ship was then trapped in ice for two years and later rescued by another ship. Captain Scott proves to be someone I find to slightly dislike, when a short film showed him to have distrust the ship (and the captain of the ship) which had came for his rescue. He was arrogant and proud and could not believe there was another better than he. He then later return to England, gaining instant fame, for successes in the Expedition which were not his (although that can not be all his fault). Although failing to claim as first at the North Pole, the Expedition was successful in various researches in Science, which I believe, were the greatest contribution of the ship to mankind, who had put so much into it.
The museum took about two hours of my time, which after that I spent another two and half hour or so in a train, leaving Dundee for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.
After arriving at Edinburgh and checking in at Edinburgh Backpackers Hostel, I headed straight for the Edinburgh Castle. I arrived one and a half hour to closing time and was charged thirteen pounds for admission, which I thought of as a rip off. One website mis-lead me to believe that it costs only three pounds. I soon find that the thirteen pounds within reasonable (but still slightly over) when I find the castle offering great views of the city, and several different museums of various subjects.
The massive war memorial at the castle touched me deeply, for I could not understand the need for war -- source of pain. To me, there were all to lose and none to gain. I am, I guess not cut out for Lordship. Men, who were not in anyway related to me, died for the war; they were remembered for their bravery, celebrated for their sacrifice, but I thought they'd probably wished they could live, even anonymously. Ironically though, some couple got married outside the memorial building.
A light dinner of haggis fritters and a juice (of oranges, apple and cranberries) were to heal my body and soul for the day. Although I did not sleep early because my room was not equipted with electric points and therefore does not allow me to sleep with my electronic devices charging overnight. It was almost one o'clock, I recall, when I finally drift off to slumberland in the 8-bunked dorm.
