Daffodils & Thistle

Where were we? Oh, yes we had just arrived in York! York was a bit of a short trip, but it is a lovely city. Probably my favorite! We arrived in York on Saturday evening, and after dinner we went on a terrifying, spooky Ghost Walk. According to our guide, York's Ghost Walk was the first to ever exist. No, I don't remember seeing any ghost while we were out, but our tour guide did remind me of Count Dracula...

Sunday morning we attended church at York Minster. 

York Minster

After lunch we were off again! This time to Edinburgh, Scotland! We spent a lot of time on the bus that day. Pretty much, basically all day. As soon as we got into Scotland I began to see these bush-like things on the side of the road with yellow flowers on the end. Canary yellow. They were so beautiful! And they were everywhere! Well, apparently it's Thistle, and it's often used as a symbol for Scotland, which makes perfect sense seeing as how it's all over the place!

We made it!

My first look at Scotland. I think the long drive was more than worth it. 

We arrived in Edinburgh later that night exhausted, and maybe I was a little car sick. Anyway, the next day we had a tour of Edinburgh and the castle. Let me be the first to tell you. Scottish temperament is a bit different than English temperament. Actually, let me clarify, it is MUCH different. I met our tour guide for the day at breakfast Monday morning. Yes, he was wearing a kilt, high socks, and carrying bagpipes. Ok, okay, no bagpipes! But he did have a knife tucked into the top of his sock, which he later pulled out during the tour for whatever reason. I really don't remember, because I just happened to be standing right in front of him when he whipped it out! I think it's safe to say he is a true Scot. He was loud, demanded our attention, wasn't afraid to call someone out, abrupt, and just a tad hostile. Just a tad. I mean he would call people out and yell at them for being too loud. I don't remember his name, but oddly enough he has been to Abilene several times.

Jenna, Lindsay, Anna and me with our Scottish tour guide. 

Edinburgh, Scotland

We left Edinburgh around 1 p.m. and began our journey into the Scottish Highlands to Glencoe. Another long bus ride, but we made a few pit stops. One of which was at Loch Ness to visit Nessie! 

We didn't cross this bridge, but isn't it cool?!

Gorgeous!

Scottish Thistle

Lake Loch Ness

Dr. Tucker thinks he has spotted Nessie!

This is the best I can do to show you what Nessie looks like. 

It's inevitable. If you are going on a road trip the vehicle will break down. And our bus did. At about 9 p.m., 40 minutes from our hotel in Glencoe our bus broke down in rural Scotland. Luckily, we were only about 2 miles from a police station and about 200 yards from a bathroom. It took about an hour for another bus to come pick us up and drive us the last 40 minutes to our hotel. It was about 11 p.m. when we finally made it, and let me tell you, we were all dead tired! It had been a looooong day. 

But Glencoe was absolutely stunning! We were surrounded by huge mountains, clear lakes, and flowing rivers. Thankfully, we were given one full, free day to hike and explore. And so that's exactly what I did! Along with Anna, Jenna, Lindsay, Brandon and Ethan. We picked a mountain near our inn and just started climbing. No, I had not planned for this, so I was doing this in jeans and Vans. We only made it halfway up, but it was totally worth it. 

View from our inn.

The mountain we picked. It has a name, but I've forgotten what it was!

View from halfway up. Breathtaking, right?

It was really amazing being up so high in the midst of so much beauty. 

The four of us girls! 

One more thing. Where we were staying just happened to be about 100 yards from where Hagrid's hut was filmed for the Harry Potter movies. Unfortunately, the hut is no longer there, but the grass is still discolored from when it was. 

Cool, huh?

Next stop: Ambleside, England. Location: Lake District. Description: Heaven.

I wish I could tell with my words just how magnificently beautiful the Lake District is, but I will fail. Mountains and rolling hills, all covered in a thick, green carpet, streaked with stone fences and dotted with the fluffy bodies of sheep, winding roads and sprawling, glassy lakes. 

We visited Dove Cottage while we were there. Dove Cottage was the home of poet William Wordsworth. We were also given a free day in the Lake District to enjoy our surroundings. 

The backside of Dove Cottage

The Lake District

Sunset

We have just one more stop left! I'll tell you about it soon :)