April 7th, 2014

This morning we had our continental breakfast at theCaledonian Backpackers Hostel. It wasn’t anything too fanc but it was good. Then we packed up our stuff and checked out. We still have tons of time until our flight so we decided to go see Edinburgh Castle. Since our CitySightseeing tickets were still valid, we walked to the nearest bus stop to catch the bus up the hill (we didn’t feel like carrying all our stuff up the hill).

Edinburgh Castle is absolutely spectacular! Set on top of a dead volcano, it overlooks the city. There is so much history in it and the architecture is spectacular. You can see the entire city, all the way down to the bay, from the castle walls. There really aren’t words to describe it, so here are some photos…

On our way back down the hill, Franny and I stopped in front of her grandparents old house for a photo. They lived in Edinburgh for 5 years some time ago and they are literally the last house before you reach the castle, it was incredible!

We had lunch in the old city at a nearby pub. We were both craving nachos so we stood outside the pub until it opened. We found out later that the pub opened late because the power had been out all morning. The nachos were amazing! Definitely hit the spot!

We still had three hours before we had to be at the airport for our flight so after lunch we walked back to St.Andrews Square to catch another in our line of bus tours, the Majestic line this time, which would take us down to the port to see the Royal Yacht Britannia, the queen’s old sailing vessel.

To get to the Royal Yacht, you have to go up to the top level of a mall in order to cross over to the ship. It was so cool to see it. The Royal Yacht Britannia was home to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family for over 40 years, sailing over 1,000,000 miles around the world. It hosted several honeymoons as well. It was beautiful inside, exactly what I would expect from Her Majesty’s Yacht.

On our way out of the mall, I had to run into a Build-A-Bear Workshop because I saw a Merida costume, something not yet available in Canada. As she is my favorite princess, and we are in Scotland I couldn’t resist! Then it was back on the Majestic Tour bus back to St. Andrews Square, then on to the Airport Shuttle to get us to our flight.

Going through security was a little more hectic this time. You can be a model citizen and security will still make you feel like you’re a secret terrorist or something. Franny even had to go into the full body X-ray!

I was struggling with some of my stuff (I bought a lot of souvenirs) so in the airport I decided to buy a bag with “Scotland” all over it, and on the way to the cash register I found a super cute change purse with a bunch of different cities and locations on it, including Ayr and Dundee where my ancestors are from, and Edinburgh and Loch Lomond where I visited on my trip. Unfortunately, my purchases forced us to have to run for the plane, it was on the other side of the airport and we didn’t realize it. Oh well, we made the flight all right.

We arrived in Dublin around supper time so on the way out we stopped at a little café for sandwhiches. We had to ask the information desk how to get to Galway from there (Galway is on the opposite side of the country from Dublin) and they told us not to worry, there were a couple different buses that would take us there in 2 ½ hours.

The bus ride was long and kinda boring, we took the most direct route so we didn’t get to see any of the beautiful spots in Ireland. Franny and I actually slept most of the way there. When we arrived, Franny’s friend Mel was waiting for us at the coach station. They both go to the University of Ottawa and both are on an international semester at the moment. We told her we were still ok carrying around our stuff so she took us to a local pub to meet up with her roommate (Gill) and a friend (Shelby) for some drinks and for some traditional Irish music.

It was a lot of fun, very cool to be in a traditional Irish pub, listening to Irish music, with Irish people in Ireland. There was one Irish man who was very fun, an older man, he was quite enjoying his whiskey. He asked us where we were from and where our families came from, and he swore up and down that I was nothing but Irish. It was very entertaining. We also met a couple who recently moved back to Galway from London and they were telling us of all the amazing places we needed to go in London, especially places that they weren’t able to get to.

I also found out that Galway is the home of the Claddagh rings, which is the ring that Loring gave to me before I left for my semester here.  Claddagh rings are traditional Irish rings given representing love, loyalty, and friendship (the hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty). The design and customs associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, located just outside the old city walls of Galway, now part of Galway City.

After drinks, we caught the last bus back to the girls apartment. Basically just hung out for a few hours, trying to decide what to do tomorrow. Franny and I both wanted to do a day trip and there were two really good ones we had to decide between. We could either go to the Cliffs of Moher, or AranIslands. Both were stunningly beautiful, rich in history, and locations of movie scenes. After asking a bunch of people over Facebook who had done both, everyone was telling us to do Aran Islands, so that’s what we decided. It meant we had to be up and in the city centre for 9 am to buy tickets and catch the shuttle bus.

We spent the night at their place, sleeping on their couches. I slept on the loveseat and it wasn’t too bad. 

April 6th, 2014

Today, Franny and I took a day tour to Loch Lomond! We started our day with an early breakfast at the Caledonian. They had toast & jam, fresh fruit, yoghurt, lots of different stuff. I had toast and jam. Then Franny and I walked up near the castle to the rendez-vous spot for the tour. We were early so we walked around the shops a bit, looked around a bit. We went with the Timberbush Tour Company. Our driver’s name was Eric. He was amazing, we couldn't have asked for a better driver! He gave us history on the area, told stories, played traditional music. 

On the way to Sterling Castle he played “Caledonia” by Frankie Miller  I believe, it was a good song. Our first stop was Stirling Castle, the castle where Mary Queen of Scots lived. It’s a beautiful castle set on top of a huge hill overlooking plains. A great spot for a castle if I do say so myself. The Castle was absolutely stunning. We took a tour of the castle and even saw dressed up interpreters! It’s definitely worth a look. 

We stopped for lunch in Callandar, known as the gateway to the Highlands as it’s the last town between the highlands and the lowlands of Scotland. Franny and I had lunch at a small restaurant called Munchies. It was really good, and frequented by locals. On the way out of the village, we stopped quick to see some Highland Cows. They are so cute and shaggy! 

The roads up to the highlands are very windy, kinda made me nauseous a bit unfortunately. But we saw some pretty cool sights along the way, like an old Duke’s house that has been turned into a private resort, and Loch Drunken where they used to store old whiskey barrels (they whiskey leaked out of the barrels into the Loch). We also stopped at a lookout where we had an amazing view of the foggy highlands.

We finally reached Loch Lomond and it was pouring rain! Like coming down in buckets! But luckily we had a boat cruise so we didn’t have to walk around in it. It was amazing being in a place I sang about in choir for years! Loch Lomond is beautiful! Half-way through the cruise the sun came out and we even saw a rainbow! Ben Lomond (the mountain) was beautiful as well.

We stopped in the small village to grab some postcards and souvenirs quickly before we had to return to Edinburgh. The guy behind the cash register was very chatty. Apparently lots of famous people had passed through such as Micheal Jackson, so that was really cool.

On the way back to Edinburgh, our guide took a detour because he wanted to show us the Forth Bridges. I’m glad he did because they were beautiful! He also played us a different version of  “500 Miles” from movie Sunshine on Leigh. It was an amazing rendition of it! I didn’t know I could love that song even more than I already do. So the guide gave us two options for drop offs, where we met or on Princes Street. Franny and I were the only one who wanted Princes Street (it was closer to the hostel) so the guide decided he’d just drop us off at our hostel, which was so nice!

For supper we went to a local pub and I had a ceasar salad, it was very good. Then back to the Caledonian to hang out. Although Franny lost her key so we had to get new ones! 

April 5th, 2014

So today was the first day of mine and Franny’s European Tour. We met at the train station to take the 8:45 train to Brussels-Charleroi Airport to catch our first flight to Edinburgh, Scotland. I managed to pack everything in a single backpack because I was under the impression that we were only allowed one cary-on with Ryanair. When I arrive at the airport, Franny had a backpack and a suitcase. Turns out, we are allowed a carry-on and a personal bag… oh well!

It took a little over an hour to get to Brussels, then the shuttle to the airport was another 15 minutes. We arrived at the airport several hours early so we had time to grab some lunch and chill before out flight. In the airport duty free shop we found Jelly Bellies… my downfall. But not only did we find Jelly Bellies, we found Jelly Belly Uno… so of course I had to buy it! The box came with a package of Jelly Bellies and jelly bean shaped UNO cards.

We sat and played UNO until the flight. After checking our boarding passes, we had to go downstairs to the tarmac to climb the stairs to the airplane.

We arrived in Edinburgh mid-afternoon. When going through customs it was actually a blessing we weren’t citizens of the EU. The line for customs for them was an hour long, we were the only ones in our line. After customs, we headed straight to the Information desk to grab info about things to do in Scotland as well as info on how to get downtown where we could find our hostel.

We caught the CityLink 100 bus to the city centre, planning on going to the hostel first. When we arrived at Waverly Station (the last bus stop) we saw that there were a couple of sightseeing buses in front of us. Franny said she didn’t mind keeping her luggage with her for a few more hours so we bought tickets and hopped on. The tickets we bought were valid for 48hrs on all 5 sightseeing lines with the bus company as well as free, fast-pass entries into Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Yacht Britannia (the queen’s old private yacht), and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

We got on the green line first and sat on the top deck of the double decker. The tour had an older woman commentating and she was absolutely hilarious, telling jokes as well as the history of Edinburgh. We arrived back at the starting point with enough time to catch the red line and the last tour of the day. This tour we also sat on the top deck, but it was a pre-recorded tours with headphones. It also took a lightly different route of the city. Both tours were absolutely fantastic! CitySightseeing Tours Edinburgh

After the tour Franny and I were starving so we quickly went to the hostel to drop off our stuff before finding a pub for supper. We stayed at the Caledonian Backpackers Hostel. The hostel was so cool! We got lockers and duvets, there was a continental breakfast included as well. Plus the place was really nice and everyone was friendly. It had a very cool vibe. If you ever need a hostel in Edinburgh, definitely stay at the Caledonian. You can see Edinburgh Castle on the hill from the window.

We headed up Rose Street to find a pub. Initially we tried “Dirty Dicks” but the kitchen was closed so we went to a restaurant nearby. So far, Edinburgh is beautiful!

March 22nd, 2014

So today I went to Brugge, a city in Northern Belgium (in Flanders specifically), nicknamed "The Venice of the North". I went with my friend Franny (Toronto), Elene (Flanders), Alice (Paris), and Emil (Sweden). We took the 11 am train to Brugge. When we arrived we grabbed a couple maps at the Visitor Info booth in the train station, and we got information about the boat tours.

Then we decided to walk towards the city centre (closer to where the boat tours started) and to grab some lunch at a cafe somewhere. I say cafe lightly, we stopped at what looked like a nice cafe, but when we went in and looked at the menu, it was overly fancy. The cheap meal was a three course dinner. Starting with soup, then a choice of chicken, steak, salmon, or pork chops, and either ice cream of cream puffs for dessert. I had the chicken, and boy it was amazing!

After lunch, we bought tickets for the boat tours. It was so cool! We got to see the entire downtown from the vantage point of the rivers, streams, and locks that run through the city. It's almost impossible to describe.

We walked around the city, stopping to shop in some of the stores, looking at the brewery and the convent as well. We ran into Elene's brother as well! She's from Leuven on Erasmus to Liege (so not too far) and it was nice to meet some of her family. We also stopped to see a free harp concert.

(The Brewery)

Brugge is a beautiful city. It definitely lives up to its name of Venice of the North.

March 9th, 2014

So today I went to Luxembourg!! It was amazing! I went with Franny and Elena (Franny and I met her on the ESN Lille trip). We met at the train station at 6:45 to take the 7:15 train from Liege to Luxembourg city. I bought a GoPass, which is a train pass good for 10 rides in Belgium. It was cheaper to do it this way, take a train to the border and buy an in-country ticket for Luxembourg. So the trip cost 10 euros (there & back) instead of 60, so I think it was a very good idea!

We had a direct train from Liege to Luxembourg and we arrived a little after 9 am. It was a Sunday so all the stores were closed, which is ok because the tourist spots and the museums were all open. From the train station, we walked 15 minutes to the Visitor Information Centre in downtown Luxembourg. The city is absolutely gorgeous!

The Visitor Information Centre gave us a walking tour guide for all the historic and interesting spots in the city centre. I bought a set of Luxembourg Euros at the VIC. In one of the more tourist areas, I stopped to buy postcards and other souvenirs. We did the first part of the walking tour and ended up in front of the Duke's palace. Luxembourg is ruled by a monarchy led by a Duke (instead of a King). Facing his residence was The Chocolate House, a small cafe & chocolatier, famous for their hot chocolate drinks. It was right around lunch time so we stopped for lunch. We had quiche and salad. For dessert, we had to try some of their famous hot chocolate and we shared a piece of cake. Their hot chocolate is famous because it arrives separately. They give you a large mug of hot milk, and  a lump of chocolate (with the flavour you chose) on a wooden spoon. You lower the spoon into the milk and stir until the chocolate all melts. There was over 20 flavours to choose from, plus alcoholic and childrens flavours. I have Almost Raspberry and Franny had Hot Chili Orange.

After lunch, we continued the walking tour, seeing the entire city centre of Luxembourg. I can't believe how stunning this city is! Everything in the main part of the city is ancient, like they built the new city in and on old castle walls. It's stunning.

Our next big stop was the Bock Casemates and Acheological Crypt, and underground defence works, built in the Spanish era. It houses the origins of the city. There were tunnels and crypts that zig zagged forever. It was a little scary being underground with the traffic rolling over,  but the scariest part was the spiral staircase on the tour the steps were maybe four inches wide at their widest, and you could tell they were well used because they were all slanted downwards, there were several occasions I thought I was going to fall. It was terrifying but I'm really glad I got to see it. The Casemates are a Unesco World Heritage Site.

We then finished the walking tour, through the valley and back up to the Visitor Information Centre. We were all getting really tired so we stopped at a cafe for something to drink, and stopped back at the Chocolate House to buy some souvenir chocolates.

We then headed back to the train station to see when the next train for Liege left. We had two options, one that left in a half hour and took 3 hours to Liege, with a transfer in Nemur, arriving at 9:15 pm in Liege. Or a train that left an hour and a half, took 2 1/2 hours, straight shot, arriving in Liege at 9:40 pm. We decided to wait for the second train and have supper before leaving Luxembourg. Across from the train station was a small restaurant in a Best Western, so we had supper there. I had an amazing lasagna and we had plenty of time to get to the train.

March 4th, 2014

So today I went to Carnaval with Franny and a bunch of other Erasmus students. We all met at the train station at 9:30 to go to Binche; the Carnaval there is recognized by UNESCO even! I wore jeans and a button up shirt in an attempt to be a cowgirl. Binche is two hours away by train so we all visited on the way.

The town was so cute! We followed the crowd down to the main street where all the action was. Everyone was milling around, eating, drinking, listening to music! It was a really great atmosphere. We walked through the crowds, stopping to buy souvenirs (I bought a cowboy hat to go with my costume) and lunch (pizza at a local baker). Franny, Alice, and I broke away from the rest of the group to wander around the town. The weather couldn't decide what it wanted to do, going from sunshine to rain and back to sunshine. 

We made our way to the main street where the parade was. We got really good spots against the guard rail. We stood and chatted and waited for the parade to start. And waited, and waited, and waited... Finally, an hour and a half late, the parade finally started. Lead by police on horses, there was a group of children in costumes throwing oranges into the crowd. No word of a lie, they were throwing oranges, blood oranges to be specific. They were followed by what I assume were their parents carrying backpacks full of oranges to refill the childrens' backpacks. Each group went like this, the groups getting progressively older. These were the costumes of the adults. They also had fluffly, plummed hats made of ostrich feathers. 

The origins of the Carnival of Binche are still unclear. The costumes of the men in the picture with Franny and I are called "Gille". The Gille's costume can only be worn for this special day (Carnaval goes over 4 days in total). It is also forbidden to leave the city with this costume, from the saying "a Gille never leaves". 

Click here if you would like more information on the Binche Carnaval

March 1st, 2014

Today was absolutely incredible. Today, my friend Camille and I went to the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, to see it and to fulfill my promise to Auntie Jean and Uncle Les about going to see the grave of Peter Schneider, a family member who fell during the war.

It started off well, woke up early to catch the train to Maastricht. When we arrived, we misread the train schedule. We thought our next train was leaving at 10:30 so we walked around Maastricht to kill time. Everything was decorated for Carnaval, which is basically a combination of Halloween and Mardi Gras, spanning the course of 4 days. Every city and town in Belgium and the southern Netherlands celebrates Carnaval, but each celebrates it on different days.

For example, Liege has Carnaval starting Monday this week. Anyways, when we got back to the train station we realized our mistake. Our train was arriving at its destination at 10:30, not leaving Maastricht... Luckily, trains in Europe are pretty flexible. As long as you have a ticket, it doesn't matter what time you get on the trains, as long as its on the same day. So we just took the next train.

We had to change trains in s'-hertogenbosch (yes that's actually its name) before we arrived in Nijmegen. We bought sandwiches there as it was just after noon, before catching bus number 5 to Groesbeek. Everyone in the Netherlands was very helpful. The bus driver told us which stop to get off at and he gave us directions from the bus stop to walk to the cemetery.

It was a beautiful walk, about 1 km along a country road with a gorgeous forest on one side of the road and a golf course on the other. The road was lined with stunning trees that curved in an arch over the road. The cemetery itself was sitting on top of a hill, with forest all around. Beautiful countryside. There were a few cars in the parking lot, but no visitors in the cemetery when we arrived.

I was a little stunned at first, walking into the cemetery. Thousands of white headstones sitting in rows in the green grass. It was a humbling experience. All those brave men who gave their lives for our freedom. I, of course, started crying. It was a heartbreaking experience, but I did feel a surge of pride for my countrymen.

With the ID and location number Auntie Jean gave me, I found Peter Schneider with no problem. He was tucked on the far left of the cemetery under the shade of a tree. It's still considered winter here so even though there's green grass, there aren't any flowers, and it slipped my mind to bring some. But in the spring his grave will be beautiful, under the shade of a tree, with a rose bush growing beside the stone.

After paying my respects to Peter, Camille and I walked around the rest of the cemetery. Looking at each of the headstones in turn, reading the quotes at the bottom, seeing the vary of the ages. The youngest we saw was 17. There were so many 18 and 19 year olds... Peter Schneider was only 19 when he fell.

More people started to arrive before we left. It started to rain and get cold at 3pm so we walked back to the bus, and took it back to the train station. Back in Nijmegen, everyone was wearing costumes! And I do mean everyone, from the stroller to the walker. It didn't matter what age you were, you dressed up for Carnaval. We didn't really feel like going back to Liege just yet so we  walked around Nijmegen for a while. We even stumbled onto a street market and fair. Games, concerts, vendors, it was really cool to see.

At 5:30, our legs were starting to ache so we decided to take an earlier train back to Liege, and it's a good thing we did too! Our first train was from Nijmegen to s'-hertogenbosch, with one stop in Oss. When we arrived in Oss, the conductor made an announcement over the intercom, in Dutch, obviously. Suddenly, everyone got up and exited the train. A young woman seated across from us leaned over and told us that there had been an accident on the tracks ahead and this train would no be going any further. She had heard us talking in English and assumed we wouldn't understand the Dutch! We followed her off the train and across the street where she told us the Train company had arranged for a shuttle bus to take us the rest of the way to s'-hertogenbosch. Like I said before, it's a good thing we took the earlier train because  we didn't miss the last trains back to Maastricht and Liege.

The rest of the night was uneventful, and we both arrived safely back in Liege by 10 pm!