The last day in Barcelona we spent hanging out in the hostel, and for me... a tiny bit on the beach. We were waiting around for our flight to Edinburgh. We arrived in Scotland around midnight and walking up towards the Royal Mile I was glad I made a second trip back. It was fun to be back here shortly after leaving and it was a nice way to get back into the dreary northern weather compared to the Spanish weather we were in for a week.
The first day there we spent walking around the Royal Mile and venturing into the Elephant House for tea. We climbed Arthur's seat which was a feat. Arthur's Seat is basically just a large hill, but the wind that day was amazing. We nearly got blown off! And not just once. I loved being able to go for a hike though, it was a different change of pace compared to all the sight seeing we'd done. The city looked so small from the top, we could even see the sea. The wind added a bit of comic flair to the hike it was so strong. As Ally and I described it along the way, it made you feel alive. That scottish air was all around us and blowing right through us. It was an incredible feeling, it was almost like the city couldn't be tamed. That whole day made me love Edinburgh even more than I already had. I loved it even more because when I first visited I never imagined going back so soon and regretted not being able to do some things... like hiking.
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| Getting blown away in the wind |
The following day we took a tour of part of the highlands on the Hairy Coo tour. It was probably one of the best guided tours I've ever been on. It was so much fun and we got to go to places we never would have gone to. We got to see Wallace's Monument, Forth Bridge, beautiful loch's and even feed a hairy coo! For those that don't know, they look like this.....
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| Forth Bridge |
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| Wallace's Monument |
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| Biking Loch Katrine |
The last full day in Scotland, we thought it would be a good idea to take a 12 hour tour of the highlands. Once again, I'm not going to talk about everything we did that would be too long and boring. But, I did really enjoy going up to the highlands it was incredible. I never knew anything like this existed in the world. The views were spectacular and almost breathtaking. It still boggles my mind even today that there is a place on Earth that could be this pristine and this dramatic.
About midday we took an hour cruise of the Loch Ness. It was pretty, but to be honest it got dull real quick. The scenery was the same the entire hour and there really wasn't anything too exciting about the Loch Ness.
We ended the day by yet again, going to The Elephant House. This time for dinner. I think they were getting to know us by this point.
The flight back to Dublin was welcomed after three weeks of non-stop travelling. And the bus ride left time for me to reflect on the entire trip. It made me realize how much I love coming 'home' to Ireland. I missed it so much while I was away. The whole ride back to Cork I kept thinking of all the people we met and the cool places we'd been. But mostly, I thought about how much Cork was beginning to feel like a part of me. If I had the chance to come back here and live for a while I would do it in a heart beat.
I have about a week and half left of being in Cork and I can't bear the thought of leaving. Don't get me wrong, I AM looking forward to going back home but at the same time I'm leaving another home behind for who knows how long. It's been great craic Cork, and I'm looking forward to spending my last few days getting the chance to say goodbye for a while.
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