June 22nd - Day 79

[Post updated with photographs on June 27th.]
Another early rising day, at six today. Having brushed my teeth, my mission was to see the city before the city came alive.

I took the bridge across to the new town and find myself at a very different place. The streets were cleaner and very much wider than the old town I was from. Although similarly, on the streets of this early hours scattered sleepers who had no home to go to. Edinburgh was the city in United Kingdom with the most "strays" I have ever seen.

I stumble upon Clinton Hill, which I walked and saw a view of the city, North and South, and several monuments of note. The National monument looked incomplete, while the Dugald Steward monument means nothing to me, although massive and beautiful. The walk along the Royal Mile back to the hostel portrayed different architechtures that aroused mixed feelings.

Breakfast was a full Scottish breakfast from the cafe next door, while I charge my camera before I check out. Check out was at ten, after which I walked the other half of the Royal Mile towards the castle before heading for the station. With my shoulders starting to show significant fatigue, I decided to skip a visit to Prices Street Garden and wait for the train due for London Kings Cross instead. My next destination would be the city of York, in which I shall spend my afternoon.

York's the city I had planned least, out of all three cities. I had only planned to drop by on Friday, when Pauline suggested it in out morning conversation over the door. The destination I picked was Clifford's Tower, after an hour maximum of surfing. But on the way to York, with internet connection, I got a few suggestions from Nick, my new friend from Edinburgh.

At the station, I got a free copy of the city map. With it, planned my walk through York Minster and Trinity Holy Church before heading for Clifford's Tower, all in one line. The minster was sweeping, it swept me off my feet and on my buttock! Ha ha ha... I had to sit down on the grass and stare at the beauty, although I remembered that time was pressing. The Holy Trinity Church is closed every Monday. Too bad. The view from Clifford's Tower was as promised - scenic. And absolutely the entire city.

Had dinner at a recommended pub (in the city guide which map i refer to) called the Old Swan. Decided to go for the most English dish ever that I know of: fish and chips. This is a Pollock variant battered with beer, served with mushy peas. I would have enjoyed garden peas much more. And to be honest I can't really taste any beer in the batter. And the fish was really porous, as in I don't have to use my knife, my fork can break the fish. Well, it looks great in a picture anyhow. The couple sitting at the next table laughed when I got my camera out to take a picture of my fish and chips. I just smiled at them and said "Sorry, I do this all the time."

Left York on a train at seven. The following paragraphs were written on the train.

I'm going to have to write some time anyway, so why not in the train? The 18:31 train from york to London was delayed. I managed to get on at 19:04. Last I heard, the 19:35 was cancelled. I don't know if that's good or bad, really. Anyway, I don't know the status of connecting trains in Peterborough, but I've pretty much mad up my mind to change there.

Comparing the three cities that I've visited throughout the lengthened weekend, I've had to summarize as such: York was the city in red, Edinburgh is the city in yellow and Dundee is the city in gray. A view of the city atop the Clifford's Tower in York fills your eyes with fiery red, as if you were in the midst of the unfortunate event in history when the tower burned into ruins. The view of Edinburgh city from atop Edinburgh Castle drenches you eyes with warm yellow, as if you were frolicking in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The view of Dundee city from the Tay Road Bridge covers your eyes with cold grey, as if you were working in piles of soot and cinders. Three very different cities, which told distinctly different stories, were all worth the visit -- even if it tired me so much.

The wifi on this train obviously sucked. I've been trying for the past hour to find out if I'll be able to change at Peterborough, through Ely, but the connection sucked big time and I could not even get the page on the National Rail to load. As the train was approaching Peterborough, the train guide suggested that passenger for Cambridge change at Stevenage. I guess I will follow their advice, since I managed to see that the train passing Ely (to Norwich) has already departed at Peterborough. So I'm hoping to follow the route of change as if I caught the 19:35 from York instead. I sure hope we're not going to be late enough to miss that connecting train!

With Stevenage being the next calling station, I'd better unplug the power. It's no wonder people find delays frustrating in travels, it's very much so if you have appointments down the line or connecting transportations arranged. All in all, this trip has been way too tiring. I'm going for a soak tonight when I get back to the house. And I hope there's nobody to mind me having a long one! Cheers.

At Stevenage, I got a direct train to Cambridge,what a relief! And that got me to Cambridge at 22:00 sharp! Well, give or take a minute. =) Back at home, I was welcome with nice clean sheets. And after a bath, I only got into bed at about 1:30. Amazing...

June 21st - Day 78

[Post updated with photographs on June 27th.]
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.