Our Edinburgh day!
Well it was my second time in Edingburgh so I was more of guide than exploring XD
The day began with an interesting surprise. Following the sun and sporadic rain yesterday this day it was snowing O.o Yes I do not joke, it was snowing and hailing. Scotish weather at its best XD It wasn't even only normal snow it was a whole snowstorm. Nearly couldn't see my hand in front of my face.
We went to Edinburgh early in the morning and I have to admit I slept for most of the ride. I woke up shortly to see the snowstorm but was out like a light a second later. =D
We parked near the St. James Center which is a shopping center right in the middle of Edinburgh.
After briefly looking through the shopping center we set off towards the castle. I coud only show my family the castle, the mill museum next to it and a game shop before my dad and brother got hungry. And hungry man want food. Fast. XD
So we headed to the Pizza Hut as my brother really didn't want to eat any english food and everyone else was okay with it (especially my mom as she got herself a new scarf XD).
The Pizza Hut has an all-you-can-eat buffet and I totaly overstuffed myself x.x I mean all you can eat pizza and pasta and salad. After we were finished there I rolled myself through Edinburgh XD
We then went to the game store as games and dvds are really, really cheap here in England and in Scotland too. I got an early Easter present in the form of 7 seasons of Scrubs =D (All together they onyl cost about 20 pounds!). I also got the fame Mirrors Edge for less than 5 pounds and as totally happy for the rest of my holidays XD
Afterwards we went straight to the shopping center and mum went crazy XD She looked through a lot of shops looking for a tea pot for a friend and then through some more to look for other stuff. The shop she really went crazy in was Poundland XD We got all kinds of stuff there and just picked up everything we thought could be usefull XD
After that we went to a totally new thing. A fish pedicure! The shop was called Appy Feet and it was amazing XD 10 minutes starter cost 10 pounds per person and you have to fill out a medical form and wash your feet beforehand (they have an extra foot shower for that XD).
The feeling of so many little fish nibbling on your feet is really something else =D At first I squeaked but after some time you get used to it and it's not tickling anymore. For this I have to admit that I'm super ticklish on my feet, so much that I won't even let people touch my feet. But the fish were okay after a minute or so XD
The ten minutes flew by with talking to my mum and observing the fish =D
Every tickling in the beginning is so worth it though! My feet felt like baby feet afterwards =D
That was the last thing we did in Edinburgh and we drove back home. On the way there we stopped by a Co-op to get some water and sandwichs. From there on I was allowed to drive =D I love to drive in Britain! XD Left sided traffic is just fun =D
The evening was relaxed again and we decided that the next day would be a "lazy day" meaning that we would start off around lunch and not as early as before =) Both my brother and me were grateful for that XD
Love
Thym
April 22, 2012
April 20, 2012
Scotland with family - Day 2
Hiking Day =D
On the second day we all got up early as we wanted to explore the surrounding area. We went to the Co-op in the village and I introduced my family to the "meal deals" you can get all over England and Scotland. A meal deal normally includes a sandwich, snack (chocolate or crisps) and a drink. The price of one ranges from 2 pounds to 5 pounds depending on where you get one and what is included (the most expensive ones were at the service station at the motorway).
Sadly they didn't have my favourite (Chicken salad) so I got one sandwich with chicken stuffing. It tasted different but still very nice =)
We then took off to explore the area. Our destination was Dalquhairn Castle and the manor as we had seen pictures on the internet and it's supposed to be hidden in the forest =D
The first problem was finding our hicking route has new buildings were build on it and the redirection was not mentioned anywhere XD We were quite lucky that a nice couple told us the "secret" way to the bridge to get in the path =D It's right around the houses hidden and only accessible by a small trail.
Once we got into the forrest we immediatly felt enchanted by it's wild beauty. The forest is relativley small but you can fell the history and some kind of magic in it. I wouldn't be surprised if at one point someone saw a fairy in there XD
On our way looking for the castle we came across an old graveyard/burial ground in the middle of the forrest. It was really creepy seeing age old graves and newer ones (around 1900) strewn around. Some were toppled over and some looked like children's graves. The common thing on all though was that they belonged to members of the Kennedy family. One grave was opened and emtpy which was really creepy. My first thought was to watch out for zombies O.o My brother and I investigated some more and took photos of all the gravestones. Maybe we can find out what happened to the family (if I find out anything I'll post it here =) ).
After the burial ground and finding my mother that dissapeared while we were investigating the graves we went on towards the ruins of Dalquhairn Castle.
It only takes about 2 minutes from the graves to the castle.
The castle itself is nothing but a ruin anymore and apparently a place for the teens to hang out as we found quite a lot of beer bottles and other things that indicated such.
My brother and I tried to explore some more but my mother was really adamant on us keeping our clothes clean and not doing anything dangerous. So we could only explore the outer parts and catch a small glimpse of the inner castle that is only accesible by climbing up on of the old towers and then entering thorugh the upper floor. All normal staircases were either destroyed or to instable to use. This is one of the places I definatly want to come back to and explore some more. But next time without my mothers that worries over everything ;-D
We decided to follow the trail some more to see if it would bring us to the mansion. Sadly we found out that the trail that is supposed to be accesible for wheelchars is really hard to walk on O.o
For a while we followed the river that goes around part of the forrest until my brother and I realized that the entrance gate we saw at the castle is probably the only way to the mansion. We turned back around and went through the remains of the gate.
The path to the mansion is very broad in the beginning and has beautiful plant on either side. At one point the trial turns right and right into the bushed and plants. That goes on for a minute or so and than your on a wide open grassy field that leads right to the main entrance of the mansion. =D
The history of the mansion is quite interesting. The following facts and informations are given to me by a local that knows quite a lot about the area and the mansion itself =)
At first there was the Dalquhairn castle. The Kennedy family lived in there for a long time. Then at one point around 1780 the mansion was to be built as the family wanted to move. One branch of the family stayed at the castle and the others moved to the mansion. At first they only build the inner part but later the two wings to the side were added to give more space. Shortly the before the second world war the mansion was ment to become one of Scotland's biggest youth hostels. But with the war starting its prupose was changed to become one of the shelters for children during the war. These shelters were often buildings far away from important strategic points and children from all over the area and even further away were brought to these safe places to protect them from the war (Think of the situation in the Narnia books).
During that time they even had a small building a little bit off from the main building to produce their own oil for heating.
After the war the building was used as a youth hostel well into the sixties but then closed due to monetary problems. Even before that they started to barricade some windows and make them unusable as you had to pay taxes on your house depending on how many windows it had. (In the beginning Dalquharran Mansion had 365 windows-one for every day of the year). As more and more money got lost and the taxes became to much eventually the roof got taken off as that was another way to lower the taxes you had to pay in the old laws. (Nowadays the laws are changed).
The mansion is truly magnificent and right now in the process of being rebuild to become an attraction on a golf course.
The mansion has a cellar and had a ground, first and second floor. I imagine it was quite an imposing building back when it was build. Some spiral staircases and old ornaments are still preserved.
You can even see some of the old fire places on the walls.
The local person I talked with also told me that the basement was nearly only occupied by the servants and maids of the castle and that they had their own corridors under the mansion that led to staircases and small lifts that allowed them to bring food and other things to the house owner.
The Kennedy family is something that we encountered very often on our travels through Ayrshire. The family is even mentioned in one of my ghost books that have stories about different ghosts in Scotland. I realy want to look deeper into their family history as they seemed very important and branched out into all the different areas in Ayrshire.
While we kept walking around the mansion (entry is strictly forbidden) we got lost at one point. XD We were jsut walking around without a care in the world and the we looked up again and the mansion had disappeared O.o
It was really creepy as we all were really sure that we had walked in a circle around it and the mansion is not so small that you could just loose it. Luckily for us Gee, the security man of the mansion, found us wandering around and was so nice to show us the way back to the entrance =D We had to go through a deep and creepy jungle with upturned trees and mud and everything but in the other side, just 50 metres distance, was the mansion. I have to say, whoever started this garden was damn good at hiding a whole mansion with just a few bushes O.o
After thanking Gee for saving us, thank you again Gee!, we went back to the track. On our way there we saw a deer right next to us! *__* I just love deer, they have this aura of a wild animal that you can just not tame.
We then kept walking until we were back on the trail =D At that point we were all starving and devoured our late lunch.
After all this excitement and the rain that seemed to close for comfort we got back to our car and drove back to our cottage. Embarrassing thing is that it's only like a 15 minutes walk from our cottage to the castle but we only realized that on our way back home. It honestly looked further away on the map!
We then enjoyed the late afternoon and evening talking and catching up (we hadn't seen each other for 3 months!) and a nice dinner consisting of oven cheese (kinda like fondue) =D
It was a great and adventurous day and I really hope to be able to go back to explore some more =)
Love
Thym
On the second day we all got up early as we wanted to explore the surrounding area. We went to the Co-op in the village and I introduced my family to the "meal deals" you can get all over England and Scotland. A meal deal normally includes a sandwich, snack (chocolate or crisps) and a drink. The price of one ranges from 2 pounds to 5 pounds depending on where you get one and what is included (the most expensive ones were at the service station at the motorway).
Sadly they didn't have my favourite (Chicken salad) so I got one sandwich with chicken stuffing. It tasted different but still very nice =)
We then took off to explore the area. Our destination was Dalquhairn Castle and the manor as we had seen pictures on the internet and it's supposed to be hidden in the forest =D
The first problem was finding our hicking route has new buildings were build on it and the redirection was not mentioned anywhere XD We were quite lucky that a nice couple told us the "secret" way to the bridge to get in the path =D It's right around the houses hidden and only accessible by a small trail.
Once we got into the forrest we immediatly felt enchanted by it's wild beauty. The forest is relativley small but you can fell the history and some kind of magic in it. I wouldn't be surprised if at one point someone saw a fairy in there XD
On our way looking for the castle we came across an old graveyard/burial ground in the middle of the forrest. It was really creepy seeing age old graves and newer ones (around 1900) strewn around. Some were toppled over and some looked like children's graves. The common thing on all though was that they belonged to members of the Kennedy family. One grave was opened and emtpy which was really creepy. My first thought was to watch out for zombies O.o My brother and I investigated some more and took photos of all the gravestones. Maybe we can find out what happened to the family (if I find out anything I'll post it here =) ).
After the burial ground and finding my mother that dissapeared while we were investigating the graves we went on towards the ruins of Dalquhairn Castle.
It only takes about 2 minutes from the graves to the castle.
The castle itself is nothing but a ruin anymore and apparently a place for the teens to hang out as we found quite a lot of beer bottles and other things that indicated such.
My brother and I tried to explore some more but my mother was really adamant on us keeping our clothes clean and not doing anything dangerous. So we could only explore the outer parts and catch a small glimpse of the inner castle that is only accesible by climbing up on of the old towers and then entering thorugh the upper floor. All normal staircases were either destroyed or to instable to use. This is one of the places I definatly want to come back to and explore some more. But next time without my mothers that worries over everything ;-D
 |
| I think everyone can see that the stability is... debatable XD |
We decided to follow the trail some more to see if it would bring us to the mansion. Sadly we found out that the trail that is supposed to be accesible for wheelchars is really hard to walk on O.o
 |
| yes, that is the wheelchair suited trail! |
For a while we followed the river that goes around part of the forrest until my brother and I realized that the entrance gate we saw at the castle is probably the only way to the mansion. We turned back around and went through the remains of the gate.
The path to the mansion is very broad in the beginning and has beautiful plant on either side. At one point the trial turns right and right into the bushed and plants. That goes on for a minute or so and than your on a wide open grassy field that leads right to the main entrance of the mansion. =D
The history of the mansion is quite interesting. The following facts and informations are given to me by a local that knows quite a lot about the area and the mansion itself =)
At first there was the Dalquhairn castle. The Kennedy family lived in there for a long time. Then at one point around 1780 the mansion was to be built as the family wanted to move. One branch of the family stayed at the castle and the others moved to the mansion. At first they only build the inner part but later the two wings to the side were added to give more space. Shortly the before the second world war the mansion was ment to become one of Scotland's biggest youth hostels. But with the war starting its prupose was changed to become one of the shelters for children during the war. These shelters were often buildings far away from important strategic points and children from all over the area and even further away were brought to these safe places to protect them from the war (Think of the situation in the Narnia books).
During that time they even had a small building a little bit off from the main building to produce their own oil for heating.
After the war the building was used as a youth hostel well into the sixties but then closed due to monetary problems. Even before that they started to barricade some windows and make them unusable as you had to pay taxes on your house depending on how many windows it had. (In the beginning Dalquharran Mansion had 365 windows-one for every day of the year). As more and more money got lost and the taxes became to much eventually the roof got taken off as that was another way to lower the taxes you had to pay in the old laws. (Nowadays the laws are changed).
The mansion is truly magnificent and right now in the process of being rebuild to become an attraction on a golf course.
The mansion has a cellar and had a ground, first and second floor. I imagine it was quite an imposing building back when it was build. Some spiral staircases and old ornaments are still preserved.
You can even see some of the old fire places on the walls.
The local person I talked with also told me that the basement was nearly only occupied by the servants and maids of the castle and that they had their own corridors under the mansion that led to staircases and small lifts that allowed them to bring food and other things to the house owner.
The Kennedy family is something that we encountered very often on our travels through Ayrshire. The family is even mentioned in one of my ghost books that have stories about different ghosts in Scotland. I realy want to look deeper into their family history as they seemed very important and branched out into all the different areas in Ayrshire.
While we kept walking around the mansion (entry is strictly forbidden) we got lost at one point. XD We were jsut walking around without a care in the world and the we looked up again and the mansion had disappeared O.o
It was really creepy as we all were really sure that we had walked in a circle around it and the mansion is not so small that you could just loose it. Luckily for us Gee, the security man of the mansion, found us wandering around and was so nice to show us the way back to the entrance =D We had to go through a deep and creepy jungle with upturned trees and mud and everything but in the other side, just 50 metres distance, was the mansion. I have to say, whoever started this garden was damn good at hiding a whole mansion with just a few bushes O.o
After thanking Gee for saving us, thank you again Gee!, we went back to the track. On our way there we saw a deer right next to us! *__* I just love deer, they have this aura of a wild animal that you can just not tame.
 |
| best lunch bench ever =D |
After all this excitement and the rain that seemed to close for comfort we got back to our car and drove back to our cottage. Embarrassing thing is that it's only like a 15 minutes walk from our cottage to the castle but we only realized that on our way back home. It honestly looked further away on the map!
We then enjoyed the late afternoon and evening talking and catching up (we hadn't seen each other for 3 months!) and a nice dinner consisting of oven cheese (kinda like fondue) =D
It was a great and adventurous day and I really hope to be able to go back to explore some more =)
Love
Thym
April 18, 2012
Scotland with family - Day 1
Day one of my Scotland adventure witth my parents started early in the morning when my brother and I went over to their hotel so that we could all eat breakfast together. After my brother got his first glimpse of a real English breakfast and picking up all our stuff we took of straight in the direction of "The North" (Yes, this is actually what is written on the street signs XD).
We drove on the motorway and stopped by the Lake District. Or we planned to get off at Windermere, missed the exit and had to take the next one. Which is at the top of the Lake District. 20 km past Winderemere. Meaning we had to drive back down to Windermere but that was okay as we got to see the beautiful landscape of the District and enjoy the way that you meet nearly no other car on the little road we took.
Finally we arrived at Windermere. We explored the town a bit and I showed my family where my friends and I went last autumn (minus the boat ride to the other side as we had no time for that). For lunch we went to a little restaurant to get some Fish n' Chips and burgers. The Fish n' Chips was really nice (my mom had that) and the burgers were huge O.o My brother, dad and me all struggled to eat it and I think only my dad and I finished ours.
We then took of again as we wanted to arrive in Dailly (the village where our holiday cottage was) before it was too late.
The funny thing is that you can actually see when you cross the border over to Scotland. It's not only the sign but also the amount of sheep that nearly doubles as soon as you cross it XD
We were merrily on our way, enjoying the view, when we left the motorway and quite literaly were in nowhere. Really as soon as we left it there were small villages and even more sheep everywhere.
At one point we were driving along the road when it suddenly lost one lane (becoming only wide enough to fit one car) and the next moment we were inside an enclosure for the sheep. At first we were discussing if we actually were in one but the discussion was cut short when there were sheep in front of our car with no fence in sight XD
After much excitement from my brother and way too many stops to look at sheep we finally got out of the enclosure just to be inside another one again. This went on for 30 minutes until we arrived at a normal road again XD
But is has to be said that even the normal roads are not as wide or well kept as others we've driven on. So if you ever drive through Scotland be prepared for very narrow roads!
After a long drive we finally arrived at the very, very small village Dailly. (I mean, small enough so that there is only one pub!).
The cottage we got was really nice and spacious. It had 3 bedrooms , one bathroom, an extra toilette, living room and an open kitchen. (We actually got a cottage for 6 people and only lived in it with 4 people so there was really loooots of room XD). Everything was nice and comfy and the kitchen already had some plates, cuttlery, sponges, dishwash and other stuff. So my parents brought many things which we didn't need in the end but that just means more stuff for me when I'm back in my flat ;-D We got comfortable in the house and then jsut relaxed for the rest of the evening. (The cottage had a TV! XD)
That's how the first day went =)
Love
Thym
We drove on the motorway and stopped by the Lake District. Or we planned to get off at Windermere, missed the exit and had to take the next one. Which is at the top of the Lake District. 20 km past Winderemere. Meaning we had to drive back down to Windermere but that was okay as we got to see the beautiful landscape of the District and enjoy the way that you meet nearly no other car on the little road we took.
Finally we arrived at Windermere. We explored the town a bit and I showed my family where my friends and I went last autumn (minus the boat ride to the other side as we had no time for that). For lunch we went to a little restaurant to get some Fish n' Chips and burgers. The Fish n' Chips was really nice (my mom had that) and the burgers were huge O.o My brother, dad and me all struggled to eat it and I think only my dad and I finished ours.
We then took of again as we wanted to arrive in Dailly (the village where our holiday cottage was) before it was too late.
The funny thing is that you can actually see when you cross the border over to Scotland. It's not only the sign but also the amount of sheep that nearly doubles as soon as you cross it XD
We were merrily on our way, enjoying the view, when we left the motorway and quite literaly were in nowhere. Really as soon as we left it there were small villages and even more sheep everywhere.
At one point we were driving along the road when it suddenly lost one lane (becoming only wide enough to fit one car) and the next moment we were inside an enclosure for the sheep. At first we were discussing if we actually were in one but the discussion was cut short when there were sheep in front of our car with no fence in sight XD
 |
| try to find any fences XD |
After much excitement from my brother and way too many stops to look at sheep we finally got out of the enclosure just to be inside another one again. This went on for 30 minutes until we arrived at a normal road again XD
But is has to be said that even the normal roads are not as wide or well kept as others we've driven on. So if you ever drive through Scotland be prepared for very narrow roads!
After a long drive we finally arrived at the very, very small village Dailly. (I mean, small enough so that there is only one pub!).
The cottage we got was really nice and spacious. It had 3 bedrooms , one bathroom, an extra toilette, living room and an open kitchen. (We actually got a cottage for 6 people and only lived in it with 4 people so there was really loooots of room XD). Everything was nice and comfy and the kitchen already had some plates, cuttlery, sponges, dishwash and other stuff. So my parents brought many things which we didn't need in the end but that just means more stuff for me when I'm back in my flat ;-D We got comfortable in the house and then jsut relaxed for the rest of the evening. (The cottage had a TV! XD)
That's how the first day went =)
Love
Thym
April 11, 2012
General things I saw in Scotland
Alrightyyy. Before I give you an account of the things I experienced during the holiday with my family I want to mention some general stuff I saw and learned in Scotland =)
Most important of all: Scotland has more sheep than any country I've every seen before XD They are everywhere! On the fields, on the streets, inbetween fields and streets, in front yards and even on some random sheep on the top of mountains with no others anywhere close XD I thinks this is amazing as I love fluffly sheep *__* Expecially as there were lots of little lambs during the time we were there and they were so cute :3 Always running and jumping around jollily and follwoing they're mother when she moved =D
Another animal that is present nearly everywhere and in big amounts are pheasants. Yes, you're read right, bright, colourfull pheasants everywhere XD Between sheep and on the street. They are really beautiful but quite stupid XD My brother and father tried to catch some and they nearly got one with their bare hands O.o Stupid birds. They reminded me of dodos as they have nearly no fear of cars. Of humans yes, well somewhat, but not of cars. My mother nearly killed one by driving over it but stopped right in time. Though not even honking could get the bird to move O.o So my dad and brother once again stepped out of the car and tried to catch a pheasant XD There actually is a hunting season from October 1 to February 1. I think my dad and brother want to come back during that time as they really want one of those colourfull feathers. I have to admit I wouldn't say no to a nice pheasant feather either.
Other animals also seemed to dislike their fields so we saw them on or next to the street pretty often. The animals ranged from cats and dogs to cows and horses XD
Something else that ought to be mentioned are the hedges. They are always perfectly cut, Always and anywhere! It was quite disturbing to see perfectly cut hedges somewhere on the top of a mountain were only sheep live XD We had theories ranging from sheep that eat hedges to make them seem cut to hedges that just grow in that form XD In the end it is just a quirk of the Scots that they want their hedges nice and orderly as, otherwise, they would have overgrown hedges everywhere. That's their opinion. It is nice to look at but a reason for me not to move to the coutryside of Scotland as I hate gardening XD I would be the shame of the whole village with overgrown hedges and not mowed garden.
Oh another thing worth mentioning that is connected to animals is the fact that some streets go right through enclosures. At one random moment there is a sign telling you that you're entering an enclosure and the next moment you're surrounded by sheep XD I loved it *__* The sheep were so close! Though they wouldn't let us touch them. They have quite an interesting way of reacting. They totally ignore cars and horns but as soon as a window scrolls down they look at you and are wary XD It was a really interesting experience and my brother quite accuratly compared the feeling to a safari tour with only sheep XD The fact that only one car could fit on the street and the passing places were few and inbetween seemed to support this statement =D
Another intersting thing are the dead moles on some of the fences in the very rural areas. Yes, you're read right. Dead moles strung up by their feet on fences surrounding the sheep fields. They were not everywhere and we only saw them while following really small roads through some mountain areas and off the tourist routes. I read up on it and it seems to be an old tradition of the groundskeepers to show that they're doing their job. I have to admit, as gruesome as it might look for some, it is an effective way to prove to everyone that you're doing your job. And the moles were not disfigured or anything just dead and hanging there. It amazes me that they even got to catch them without any big, ovious wounds as I can imagine that's not easy.
All in all Scotland is really a beautiful country with lots of interesting quirks. Especially in the rural areas =D The mountains and sea are just as picturesque as the castles and ruins you can find everywhere! Even the small village we stayed at (around 1000 residents) had a castle ruin and a huge old manor in a 10 minutes walking distance. Most of the forests seem bewitched and magical and the lochs really make you belive there could be a monster in them =D Especially when there's no wind but you see a hugle ripple on the surface by the deep parts of the lake!
Oh and a thing that I enjoyed very much was the fact that I got to watch Merlin on TV *___* Quote of myself: It's like watching on the internet! But without buffering! And it's legal!
This stemmed from the fact that I only saw it on the german TV or on internet streams before. I just love the english voices of the actors. The german dubs on TV don't quite fit in my opinion. This is totally normal for others who have a TV here but as I don't have one I was quite excited to watch Merlin, Scrubs and other series on the Scottish/English TV XD
That's all about the general things I saw in Scottland. Anything I forgot to mention will be mentioned in the following entries, if I can think of something that I missed XD Otherwise just look forward to more stories about not only crazy me in Scotland but with the support of my just as crazy family ;-D
Love
Thym
Most important of all: Scotland has more sheep than any country I've every seen before XD They are everywhere! On the fields, on the streets, inbetween fields and streets, in front yards and even on some random sheep on the top of mountains with no others anywhere close XD I thinks this is amazing as I love fluffly sheep *__* Expecially as there were lots of little lambs during the time we were there and they were so cute :3 Always running and jumping around jollily and follwoing they're mother when she moved =D
Another animal that is present nearly everywhere and in big amounts are pheasants. Yes, you're read right, bright, colourfull pheasants everywhere XD Between sheep and on the street. They are really beautiful but quite stupid XD My brother and father tried to catch some and they nearly got one with their bare hands O.o Stupid birds. They reminded me of dodos as they have nearly no fear of cars. Of humans yes, well somewhat, but not of cars. My mother nearly killed one by driving over it but stopped right in time. Though not even honking could get the bird to move O.o So my dad and brother once again stepped out of the car and tried to catch a pheasant XD There actually is a hunting season from October 1 to February 1. I think my dad and brother want to come back during that time as they really want one of those colourfull feathers. I have to admit I wouldn't say no to a nice pheasant feather either.
Other animals also seemed to dislike their fields so we saw them on or next to the street pretty often. The animals ranged from cats and dogs to cows and horses XD
Something else that ought to be mentioned are the hedges. They are always perfectly cut, Always and anywhere! It was quite disturbing to see perfectly cut hedges somewhere on the top of a mountain were only sheep live XD We had theories ranging from sheep that eat hedges to make them seem cut to hedges that just grow in that form XD In the end it is just a quirk of the Scots that they want their hedges nice and orderly as, otherwise, they would have overgrown hedges everywhere. That's their opinion. It is nice to look at but a reason for me not to move to the coutryside of Scotland as I hate gardening XD I would be the shame of the whole village with overgrown hedges and not mowed garden.
Oh another thing worth mentioning that is connected to animals is the fact that some streets go right through enclosures. At one random moment there is a sign telling you that you're entering an enclosure and the next moment you're surrounded by sheep XD I loved it *__* The sheep were so close! Though they wouldn't let us touch them. They have quite an interesting way of reacting. They totally ignore cars and horns but as soon as a window scrolls down they look at you and are wary XD It was a really interesting experience and my brother quite accuratly compared the feeling to a safari tour with only sheep XD The fact that only one car could fit on the street and the passing places were few and inbetween seemed to support this statement =D
Another intersting thing are the dead moles on some of the fences in the very rural areas. Yes, you're read right. Dead moles strung up by their feet on fences surrounding the sheep fields. They were not everywhere and we only saw them while following really small roads through some mountain areas and off the tourist routes. I read up on it and it seems to be an old tradition of the groundskeepers to show that they're doing their job. I have to admit, as gruesome as it might look for some, it is an effective way to prove to everyone that you're doing your job. And the moles were not disfigured or anything just dead and hanging there. It amazes me that they even got to catch them without any big, ovious wounds as I can imagine that's not easy.
All in all Scotland is really a beautiful country with lots of interesting quirks. Especially in the rural areas =D The mountains and sea are just as picturesque as the castles and ruins you can find everywhere! Even the small village we stayed at (around 1000 residents) had a castle ruin and a huge old manor in a 10 minutes walking distance. Most of the forests seem bewitched and magical and the lochs really make you belive there could be a monster in them =D Especially when there's no wind but you see a hugle ripple on the surface by the deep parts of the lake!
Oh and a thing that I enjoyed very much was the fact that I got to watch Merlin on TV *___* Quote of myself: It's like watching on the internet! But without buffering! And it's legal!
This stemmed from the fact that I only saw it on the german TV or on internet streams before. I just love the english voices of the actors. The german dubs on TV don't quite fit in my opinion. This is totally normal for others who have a TV here but as I don't have one I was quite excited to watch Merlin, Scrubs and other series on the Scottish/English TV XD
That's all about the general things I saw in Scottland. Anything I forgot to mention will be mentioned in the following entries, if I can think of something that I missed XD Otherwise just look forward to more stories about not only crazy me in Scotland but with the support of my just as crazy family ;-D
Love
Thym
April 6, 2012
Paintballing
Warning: Some swearing is in this post and it'n not always mild ;-D You have been warned =)
Paintballing was awesome!! =D It was really exciting, funny and something new to experience =)
I was really tired on the day as mysli kept me up way too long the night before on icq ;-D But I just slept in the mini bus and that was totally okay ^.^
Salle picked me up at 8 am as the 50 metres to the meeting point were too far away for me to get there without getting lost ;-D
At 8: 20 everyone else had arrived (including some austria guys =D) and we got on to mini bus and set off to Chorley =)
It only took about 30 minutes or so (I nerver really looked at the clock XD) and we had the funniest navigation system ever as it spoke like an old pirate XD
On arrival we got through the registration and got our gear and went to the back of the rest area to get changed. The suit was way too large for us girls XD but just right for the boys ^.^ the breast and back plate was way too big too XD I felt like I was drowning in it O.o
After a lengthy discussion on ow many paintballs we might need I got 500 togehter with Salle and gave her 200. I can tell you at this point, you need more paintballs! 500 might have been enough but splitting them was no good idea =(
Once the instructions were done we got our yellow bands and got ready to fight =D
With our helmets secured we got our weapons and loaded them. Lucky me I lost my first hundred balls while loading the gone as the lid to the balls opened. This happened to me for 2 more times before I found out that I hadn't secured the lid enough. Sometimes I'm just stupid XD
The first game was scray XDAnd I was changed from yellow to purple along with Salle and Ness. During the game I just stood there trying to get my gun to work and evading bullets XD The second I got my gun to work I was shot XD
During the second round I was shot in the leg and that's when I lost all my fear of shooting others as it bloody hurt! It went like this:
Me getting shot in the leg from close call.
Me (thoughts): DIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE!! Die you asshole!! Die motherf*****!!!!
Me (in the real world, having unlimited respawn): I will get you!! *starts shooting everything and everyone*
XD It was funny but my bruise is really big O.o Like size of my hand big. But its getting better already.
The next games were really funny and there was lots of shooting, mud, swearing and some tactics involved. But mostly mud XD
We got a break after 3 games with 2 rounds each and we went to eat at our mini bus.It was really nice to relax some before getting into the "war" again XD Not before getting a grou picture =)
During the last 3 games we actually managed to claim and protect a house in one scenario and I helped a guy with a really cool last 5 seconds of the scenario mad run to throw a grenade into the enemy base. We managed it and killed some in there =D He even got some extra points for our team for crazy run =D
In the end we were really close to having no balls at all and went into the last game with like 20 paintballs, 1 smoke and one paint grenade XD We threw and shot everything we had and enjoyed jsut having unlimited respawn while going crazy XD
After erything we got rid of our dirty clothes, the paint in our faces and some paint in our hair XD
I got 14 bruises plus the really big one and Salle got around the same amount of bruises I think XD BUt it was still super funny and I would do it again anytime!
That's it about the paintballing trip I went on =)
Right now I'm in Scotland with my family and only sporadic internet so I will update whenever I can get the computer and internet ;-D Latest though on monday as I'll be back home at that time =)
Oh and a very happy Easter to you all!
Love
Thym
Paintballing was awesome!! =D It was really exciting, funny and something new to experience =)
I was really tired on the day as mysli kept me up way too long the night before on icq ;-D But I just slept in the mini bus and that was totally okay ^.^
Salle picked me up at 8 am as the 50 metres to the meeting point were too far away for me to get there without getting lost ;-D
At 8: 20 everyone else had arrived (including some austria guys =D) and we got on to mini bus and set off to Chorley =)
It only took about 30 minutes or so (I nerver really looked at the clock XD) and we had the funniest navigation system ever as it spoke like an old pirate XD
On arrival we got through the registration and got our gear and went to the back of the rest area to get changed. The suit was way too large for us girls XD but just right for the boys ^.^ the breast and back plate was way too big too XD I felt like I was drowning in it O.o
After a lengthy discussion on ow many paintballs we might need I got 500 togehter with Salle and gave her 200. I can tell you at this point, you need more paintballs! 500 might have been enough but splitting them was no good idea =(
Once the instructions were done we got our yellow bands and got ready to fight =D
With our helmets secured we got our weapons and loaded them. Lucky me I lost my first hundred balls while loading the gone as the lid to the balls opened. This happened to me for 2 more times before I found out that I hadn't secured the lid enough. Sometimes I'm just stupid XD
The first game was scray XDAnd I was changed from yellow to purple along with Salle and Ness. During the game I just stood there trying to get my gun to work and evading bullets XD The second I got my gun to work I was shot XD
During the second round I was shot in the leg and that's when I lost all my fear of shooting others as it bloody hurt! It went like this:
Me getting shot in the leg from close call.
Me (thoughts): DIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE!! Die you asshole!! Die motherf*****!!!!
Me (in the real world, having unlimited respawn): I will get you!! *starts shooting everything and everyone*
XD It was funny but my bruise is really big O.o Like size of my hand big. But its getting better already.
The next games were really funny and there was lots of shooting, mud, swearing and some tactics involved. But mostly mud XD
We got a break after 3 games with 2 rounds each and we went to eat at our mini bus.It was really nice to relax some before getting into the "war" again XD Not before getting a grou picture =)
During the last 3 games we actually managed to claim and protect a house in one scenario and I helped a guy with a really cool last 5 seconds of the scenario mad run to throw a grenade into the enemy base. We managed it and killed some in there =D He even got some extra points for our team for crazy run =D
In the end we were really close to having no balls at all and went into the last game with like 20 paintballs, 1 smoke and one paint grenade XD We threw and shot everything we had and enjoyed jsut having unlimited respawn while going crazy XD
After erything we got rid of our dirty clothes, the paint in our faces and some paint in our hair XD
I got 14 bruises plus the really big one and Salle got around the same amount of bruises I think XD BUt it was still super funny and I would do it again anytime!
That's it about the paintballing trip I went on =)
Right now I'm in Scotland with my family and only sporadic internet so I will update whenever I can get the computer and internet ;-D Latest though on monday as I'll be back home at that time =)
Oh and a very happy Easter to you all!
Love
Thym
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