It was a dark and stormy night...

Edinburgh is incredibly eerily enchanting. By day, it is a beautiful cobble-stoned monument to everything Scottish. Kilts, whisky, shortbread, haggis, William Wallace figurines, and the like are being sold all along the Royal Mile. But by night, a mist falls over the city and gives everything a magical glow. While getting ready for bed my first night in town, I looked out the window and saw the mist enveloping Herriot's School (J.K. Rowlings inspiration for Hogwarts). I knew the city would look amazing so I put down my toothbrush and picked up my camera for some night time shooting.

Edinburgh is the most haunted city with paranormal occurrences daily. I could see why after hearing some of the stories about its dark past filled with torture, disease, witch trials, and serial killers. As you walk down the Royal Mile at night in Old Town, you get the feeling as if you're transported back to the days of the West Port murders when two Irish immigrants went around killing people and selling their corpses for dissection. If you step down one of the alleyways, just make sure there isn't a shadowy man with a top hat and cloak following you.

Eeriness aside, it is very romantic and St. Giles Cathedral was a perfect subject for my new photography obsession. Unfortunately I sent away my tripod so I had to make due with street lamps and my rock solid body (feel free to laugh, I am) for stability.

The next day I went on the New Edinburgh tour, sampled some scotch (if you ever get the chance to have the Dalmore Gran Reserva or Ardbeg Uigeadail, I highly suggest you try them), and had a deep fried mars bar (awesome!). 

I am getting a train back to Glasgow in an hour or two and plan on bumming around until tomorrow morning when I fly back to Boston and this chapter of my life is over. Until the next chapter, goodbye and thanks for reading!

It's official....I am an old man

To answer my dad (I assume that is who tklonick is), the terrain has been mostly roads, some trails, bridleways, bogs, rivers, and manure soaked fields that have literally made the rubber peel off my hiking boots. The lack of adequate footwear is no longer a problem though because...

I AM DONE!!!

Aside from 2 days in which I sherpaed (sherpa'd?) both of our gear from Barnoldswick to Ingleton to Kendall and a few bus backs, I walked from Cheltenham to Glasgow (350ish miles) in 20 days. From this experience I have come to a few conclusions.

1. British food is not the best. - It could even be the worst. But that would be saying a lot because there are a lot of other countries out there. They do have one thing going for them, breakfast. The idea of the full english breakfast is great: Bacon, sausage, egg, mushrooms, plum tomato, baked beans, toast, cereal, orange juice, and tea or coffee. I was never a big breakfast guy but it has been nice getting a belly full of food for a long day hiking. 

Unfortunately some people's idea of a full english breakfast also includes black pudding and haggis. Black pudding is absolutely horrid and haggis is just....well haggis. There is nothing like it. There is no reason to ever have anything like it. But that is the only gastronomical claim to fame the Scottish have because they can not cook. I could go on, but won't for fear of turning you off the UK. Which I don't want to do because it is great. Just bring lots of granola bars....lots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pudding

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis

2. The British are incredibly helpful, just don't ask them for directions - I could go on for pages describing the incidents where complete strangers have been shockingly friendly. I could also go on describing the incidents where complete strangers have no idea where they are, where they are coming from, where they are going, or what country they are in. I'll give you a bit of both.

I had just gotten on a bus to try and find the B&B we had booked because it was getting late and we were not going to make it in time. I soon realized I was screwed. No one on the bus had ever heard of the place, the embedded map on my laptop had disappeared, and it was starting to rain. Luckily I met a girl named Ali and her mom was on the way to drive me around to find the place. As we were waiting for her mom in the drizzle, a man walks up to me and asks if I am walking from Land's End. Needless to say, I was a bit thrown off. "Well I'm not, but my friend is...why do you ask?"

"Hi I am Phil and I own the B&B where you are staying tonight, I am your savior, I will drive you around the countryside so that you can walk without your packs for a day, my wife will give you homeopathic remedies to fix your broken legs, I will drop you by supermarkets to get food, I will print off and laminate maps for you to use so you don't get lost, and so on"

Obviously, I am paraphrasing. He did not say that. However he did do all that. Phil and Jennifer run a fantastic B&B in Hilderstone and I can not speak highly enough about it. If you are ever in the area, check it out.

http://www.highfieldsfarm.talktalk.net/index.htm

When going in to Carlisle a week or so later, Alex decided to run on ahead with the maps to make up some ground because I was a bit lame that day. I thought everything would be ok because coming in to Carlisle from the south I would pass through the fairly dense town of Diggby. However, due to lack of signs for the Carlisle town centre I had to ask a store clerk if they knew how to get there. 

"Hmm that's a tough one, I am not really sure. I think it is that way. Try going down that way and asking someone else for directions."

Ok, she wasn't the brightest. Maybe the next person I run in to will be able to help. Soon I came across two men walking a dog.

"Carlisle? Ooh yea, you probably shouldn't be on this road. You can go back to the motorway."

"I am walking there."

"Oh shit, that's at least a mile away. Get a cab."

I also didn't get anywhere with the rambling drunk scotsman. Words to the wise, when buying the granola bars get maps.

3. I am an old man - People have been telling me this for years but I never accepted it. I knew it though when I had to use my makeshift cane to hobble my achy bones up the stairs in a country estate to get a cup of tea and head to bed while the sun was still shining. It also doesn't help that I yell at people driving by and shake my cane because they are going "too dang fast....damn kids!" So to all those that call me an old man, you were/are right and I am accepting donations of prune juice and depends. 

As for now, I am in Glasgow. Tomorrow I am heading to Edinburgh for 3 days, then back to Glasgow to fly back to Boston on the 30th. The walk is over and the trip is nearing its end. The time has flown by and it has been great but I am looking forward to getting back to the Cape and my family and Cassie. Till next time, ta ta!

What do you want to hear about?

If you are interested in hearing more about the adventure that I am on with my friend Alex Lagina, check out his blog at www.alongwalkoffashortpier.wordpress.com . Also feel free to leave questions or comments about some of my posts or what I have been doing and I will be sure to respond. They can be about the European excursion with my sister as well because I know I skipped over a lot of stuff. Thanks!

Rain rain go away, come again some other month

After day 1 of hiking I was pretty sure this was the worst idea I had ever had. And that says a lot because I have had some real bad ideas in my life. Real bad. For example, when I was a wee lad I thought it would be fun to play around with a hatchet with my neighbor. I thought it was best that we not wear shoes. You can see where that one is going. Sorry Elias and I am sure it will grow back. 

I thought hiking this was a worse idea. But that is understandable. I was just at the peak of my cold symptoms. Very sore throat, achy, fever, chills, clogged nose, the works. Not to mention I had just walked about 17 miles with a very heavy pack on. I found out a few days later that it weighs close to 60 lbs. Anyone that has ever walked a considerable distance knows that is a ton. I had even gotten so depressed that I had e-mailed my parents and told them it was the first time I was homesick since my first encounter with scout camp some 10 years ago. I was in a bad state.

Things are considerably better now. My cold is all but kicked so I am feeling much better. The pack still weighs a ton and has now contributed to my feet being constantly sore and half blistered. The feet aren't the real problem though. It is my knee giving out. I tore my LCL a few years ago playing rugby and it seems like that is rearing its ugly head as my right knee is beginning to buckle. Going down hill is incredibly painful. Some proper walking poles would help immensely. Unfortunately, fund are limited so I will have to make due with a stick. 

But here I am just complaining about my problems. I haven't even told you about the glorious English weather. Probably because there isn't much. It rains everyday basically. And the lack of quality water proofing results in a water logged pack. Unfortunately  that doesn't mean the weight is watered down. 

We have had a few spots of sunshine and blue sky which has been great and you can really see how beautiful the English countryside is. So far we have walked from Cheltenham to Tewkesbury to Worcester (It has a shire that is famous for some sauce) to Cookley (story about that to come) to Wolverhampton to Hilderstone/Stafford (another story as well) and to Leek. Today we are going to try and make Buxton tonight and after that we start in to the Peaks district and on to the Pennine Way. Should be gorgeous.

There is no denying that this is a remarkable experience and I hope that my knees, legs, and feet hold up so I can properly finish it out in Glasgow by the 30th. 

 

The end of Europe and off to Merry ol' England

After sleeping through our stop in Berlin, we caught a bus back to our hostel and checked in. Our room could have been out of an ikea catalog. It was very nice and clean but nothing German. Even the name of the place, "Circus Hostel", wasn't special. At least in Munich the place was called Jaeger's. 

We went on the New Europe tour and checked out the East Side Gallery. It was interesting that they would patch up the wall and repaint it instead of letting it degrade naturally. But it makes sense that they would want to use a sign of their previous oppression as a canvas for expression.

Unfortunately we did not have enough time to get to any of the galleries or to really explore the city but I would definitely want to come back. 

We caught a train early the next morning for Amsterdam. The train itself was an experience. I went to the bar car to find some nibbles and unknowingly stumbled upon a German bachelorette party headed to the city of sin. They were nuts. Apparently it is customary for people to pay the bachelorette to let her do crazy stuff to them like cut out the tag of your underwear (or if you don't have a tag, a huge portion of the waistband...I am down to 2.5 pairs of boxers on the trip). Europeans are nuts.

Once into Amsterdam we spent about 3 hours trying to find a place to sleep for the night. We ended up staying in a real dive of a hostel called Bob's. I do not recommend the place. We then went out to see the Anne Frank House and explore the city. The smell of pot everywhere and y walking by a window and seeing a woman selling her services even put my sister out of her element. It seemed like everyone we met in the hostel or talked to was in a daze and had no other interests aside from sitting around, smoking weed, and playing video games. While very picturesque with all the canals, it is a filthy city with a very seedy side...rather a number of seedy sides. 

We caught a train the following morning to Brussels, set our bags down in a hostel, and headed back out for Bruges. 

Bruges is gorgeous, clean, and incredibly touristy. We went on a brewery tour, sampled the local cuisine of fries with seasoned mayonnaise (sounds gross but was great), and checked out some old windmills.

Came back to Brussels real late and called it a night. The next day we wanted to wander around and check out Brussels but everything was closed for some national holiday. It was very eery walking around a major metropolitan area in the middle of a weekday and seeing everything closed up and no one around. It reminded me of a horror movie and I was waiting for zombies to pop out from around a corner and start chasing us. Anyway I got the flight to Manchester later that day and took a train to Leeds. I have been here the past few days with a great friend of mine from Australia, Jo Minnitt , and she's been showing me around the countryside, university, and english culture. It has been a great time and I am catching a train in a few hours to Cheltenham where I am meeting up with Alex and to start walking. The weather has been amazing and hasn't rained a drop so I don't know why everyone complains about English weather. I am going to regret saying that because I believe its supposed to rain soon. Oh well.

Pip pip cheerio!

Beer beer everywhere but caution you'll be drunk

I like Germany. More specifically I like Bavaria. The Bavarians rock. They have beer houses everywhere. Literally everywhere. We hopped a train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and after some amazing strudel at a local cafe we caught a gondola from the olympic stadium to Eckbauer on top of the mountain. As far as I could tell Eckbauer consisted of the lift station, a dirt trail to a private house and another trail that passed by a beer house (everywhere). Since we were thoroughly exhausted from sitting all day we grabbed a couple beers and took in the Bavarian Alps which included the largest mountain in Germany (Zugspitze).

After the beers, Kate was in her happy place. This happy place led to sliding down the mountain side on her butt and tripping a lot. The picture below is her after the first of her many shortcuts down the mountain. The flower in her hair adds class.

We soon made out way to the next sign of civilization, Forsthaus Graseck, which had 2 or 3 houses and...I bet you can guess what else...a beer house. Kate still feeling happy decided to forego more beer and chase goats instead.

After getting a little lost and hiking unnecessarily up a mountain, we found our way down to the Partnach Gorge and hiked through. It was breathtaking and the serene aqua glow emitted from the glacial water was interrupted only by the roar of the water.

After we exited the gorge there was only a ticket booth and...yea you should know by now...a beer house. The guys there were great and we had a broken conversation with them and bought a bottle of moonshine made specially by the owner. He claimed it was so great that it will never make you throw up no matter how much you drink. Either that or it will make you throw up if you drink it at all. I couldn't tell. He was speaking German and I was kind of drunk at that point. Did I mention I love Germany?

Beautiful scenery + hiking + lots of great beer = great day

We headed back to Munich and caught the night train to Berlin. Time to go have some more beer.

Walker Florence Ranger

The next day Kate and I took a day trip to Lucca. Lucca is famous for its intact renaissance era city walls that surround the city. After having the best salami in Italy and walking half way around the city, we climbed a tower that had gorgeous views of the city.  (Kate taking in the scenery...and a good book)

After walking around the rest of the city we caught a train back to Florence. We got a quick dinner that wasn't so quick at Club Paradiso, a small restaurant that was down the street from the hostel. Great meal. When the owner wasn't sitting with us and discussing how the only way out of the American depression now is to start a world war, he was whistling the Addams Family theme, Super Marios Bros. and Manama Na from the Muppets. The restaurant used to be convent and had all its original tile, beams, and apparently flat screen tv that had Chuck Norris kicking butt and taking names. It was a once in a lifetime experience and just what we needed before hopping a night train to Munich.

Once in Munich we crashed in the lobby of the Jaeger Hostel until Frances woke up and we began the less than stellar New Munich tour. The New Europe tours are great in general but the tour guide does make a huge difference. Just so happens we got a dud this time. No worries because after we went to the Englischer Gardens and saw some surfers and enjoyed a meal at a beer garden. Surfing... not something you would expect to see in the middle of Munich.

After outrunning a cyclone and having some kebabs we all headed out to find a bar. Apparently the concierge at the hostel thought Sunny played for the other team because she sent him and consequently us to the gay bars. After another failed attempt to find a beer hall, we copped out and went for the touristy Hofbrauhaus. We made it just in time for a round of beers and went back to the hostel.

Today we went to Dachau Concentration Camp. It was incredibly sobering and was without a doubt the most moving experience I have had yet on this trip. The most chilling moment was when I heard how the statue by Glid Nandor depicted the twisted bodies of prisoners that decided to take their own lives by crawling into the electrified barbed wire fence.

We came back to Munich, indulged in the Augustiner Braustubl beer hall  (liverwurst isn't bad, blood sausage is horrendous), and relaxed around the hostel and watched the final of Champions League. Tomorrow we wrap up Munich, head to Berlin on a night train and head out to Amsterdam the following day. 

Gute Nacht!