Downtown Edinburgh

Before we left Scotland, we made a last day trip, this time to the capital of Edinburgh. We decided to drive the relatively easier roads to the airport and take a tram - this would give us practice getting to the airport at 5 am the next morning and avoid the congested roads of the big city... After seeing the non-stop busses, one-way streets and utter chaos typical of urban centers, we were so glad we didn't attempt to drive.

Edinburgh is a bustling place yet it still retains much of its historic charm. Many of the churches, cobblestone streets and old buildings have been very well preserved and restored. One interesting thing we noted was that many churches and historic buildings had been repurposed for commercial enterprise and we're now restaurants, meeting halls and storefronts. Below, we ate lunch in an old chapel.

We also toured the Edinburgh Castle, which was built in the 12th century though many of the buildings that still exist today date from the 16th century on. Perched high up on an abutment, the castle is surrounded by steep cliffs on 3 sides with a river below. Hard to believe that the castle could've been besieged by an enemy. Today the castle houses many history and military museums.

Above, a photo of the castle I borrowed from every castle.com and below, a connection of armor and weapons at the castle.

Below, the view from the castle would've given the army plenty of warning as to approaching enemies with a clear view of the surrounding land and sea.

Many historic buildings make up the skyline of Edinburgh's Old City. Below, a church and monument in the distance.

The old church below has been repurposed as a conference center. This was long the main shopping and tourist street below that lead up to the castle entrance. We tried fudge and most importantly got wool scarves bearing the MacFarlane clan plaid. Glad we opted not to get kilts...

Scotland was a blast and when people ask me the impossible question of what my favorite place or experience was, I rank Scotland right up there with any other place. 

Below, always on the lookout for a microbrewery, we obviously found one in St Andrews. Cheers to next time!

Back to My Roots

The MacFarlane clan traces their roots back to Scotland and one of my favorite days from all of my traveling was the visit to our ancestral lands near Loch Lomond in eastern Scotland. But before we paid respects to our ancestors, we decided to honor our modern overseas brethren by attending a "football" match or a soccer game as we might say in the states. We were lucky enough to be in the country when the Edinburgh Hibs took on the Glasgow Rangers FC team.

Not only are the two teams bitter rivals but the cities themselves are also longstanding foes. The cities have been rivals forever with the modern rivalry stemming from a blue-collar, impoverished Glasgow versus a white-collar Edinburgh. Separated by just 45 miles the ill will is very real - even in 2014 a man from Glasgow sued a business in Edinburgh because he felt discriminated against by his choice of condiments. One city prefers ketchup and another mayonnaise for their fish and chips and charging this man $0.25 for ketchup in Glasgow ignited old tensions between the two cities - thus triggering the lawsuit.

The teams and fans are divided too along religious lines; one fan base is Catholic, the other Protestant. The Edinburgh Hibs even attract a strong Irish following, further fueling tension. After a huge fight at the stadium several years ago, there is no longer alcohol for sale and visiting fans are kept strictly divided by a strong showing of riot police - at least 50 cops partitioned the small but noisy "away" section. When the home team lost 4-0, it got ugly though profanity with a thick Scottish accent was actually quite endearing.

The coolest part of the game was probably catching a fan bus from St Andrews to the Glasgow, a 2.5 hour trip, with a bunch of die-hard Rmagers FC fans. We took in the full local experience, drinking beers with the club members before the game at a local pub adorned with posters of former Rangers FC legends all over the walls. They even taught us their fight song, which the fans sang amongst many other enthusiastic chants at the game. I have to say an NFL game does not come close to generating the same passionate enthusiasm as European professional soccer.

Above, the visitor section completely surrounded by police in yellow jackets and several rows of empty seats. This was not done out of abundance of caution. When the visitors scored a goal, it looked like a riot might break out over there!

Several hours drive from Kilconquhar, the MacFarlane clan traces their roots back to the late 12th century near Loch Lomond and the town of Arrochar. Over the centuries, the MacFarlanes had their ups and downs, at one point claiming Earldom of Lennox but after the entire family of the clan chief was murdered, fell into cattle thievery. During times of prominence, the MacFarlane clan had an army of four hundred men which fought against England under the Scottish crown. On our visit to Arrochar, we found the old clan meeting house ruins, dated several hundred years old surrounded by the graves of many clansmen, including that of William MacFarlane, the last government recognized clan chief who passed in 1866. Today, the clan chiefship is dormant, though it seems their is a movement only to have it restored. Exploring our ancestral lands and studying family history was without a doubt one the highlights of my entire trip.

Above, dad and me at a moment erected on the ruins of the MacFarlane clan former meeting house. And bello, mom and dad lead a hike near Arrochar. While beautiful, the cold was bone chilling and I can't imagine having to survive a winter here back in the 1400s...

Below, another shot of Loch Lomond. There is a tiny island on the lake that houses the remains of a small castle that was once property of the clan. Today, the island is completely overgrown and you can't see the castle from shore.

There was also supposed to be a MacFarlane clan museum in a bar out near Arrochar but all that was left of the museum was the sign out front.

On the way to Loch Lomond, we stopped at the William Wallace monument, a huge tower built to honor Scotland's most famous hero. After leading the Scots to an impossible victory against the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, Wallace rose through the ranks of the Scottish army. At the time, he was a young and experienced soldier of humble origins, yet his forces beat an English army that vastly outnumbered them. Ultimately, Wallace was captured, brutally tortured and killed for treason against England. If you've seen the movie Braveheart, you know his legend and reputation was well-earned.

You can climb to the top of the monument and inside is a museum. The view from the top looks out across the countryside. Below, the view from the monument looking down at the site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Scary Roads in Scotland

After our puddle jumper from Paris, we touched down in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Arriving just before sunset we headed over to our rental car, feeling a bit nervous about driving on the "wrong side of the road" as Scots drive on the left. How hard could it be!? Well, turns out pretty hard... It was incredibly scary making turns, driving through roundabouts in traffic, and navigating what would otherwise be routine driving- also our directions from Edinburgh to our small timeshare out in the country were terrible, turning what should have been a 1.5 hour drive into 3...

Dad freaking out inspecting our car... The steering wheel is on the wrong side! Luckily we calmed down for a few minutes before panicking again pulling out of the rental car lot...

We finally made it to our timeshare in Kilconquhar, a small hamlet of about 300 people and checked into our huge 3 bedroom house on the estate property. The main lodge was an old castle built in the 12th century and is the possible birthplace of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots in the early 14th century and one of Scotland's most famous warriors. 

The morning after our harrowing drive to Kilconquhar, this was taken out our living room window. Being in such a small town in the countryside, driving would be our main form of transportation for the next several days, though it never got much more comfortable. Getting around really became a team sport, with dad at the wheel, me giving turn by turn directions and basically teaching a driving lesson from the passenger seat and mom closing her eyes and praying in the back seat...

Don't see phone booths around too much any more...

About ten minutes down narrow country roads from Kilconquhar is the Firth of Forth, the huge estuary where the River Forth flows into the ocean. Along the Firth, are a few quaint port towns that seem to stand timeless against the harsh, gray weather. A one lane highway connects these towns along the coast until you reach the North Sea, the road turns northward and you arrive in St Andrews. We followed the highway, leisurely stopping in the small towns to enjoy their quiet charm and snack on some must-have fish and chips.

Looking at Elie from its harbor at low tide. And below, boat repair is pretty easy when you have 15 foot tide swings...

Above and below, the old stone buildings of Elie. They could have been built 15 years ago or 500- it's hard to tell. To me, their ageless stone masonry was some of the coolest architecture I'd seen.

We stopped in Pittenweem for lunch and then at Crail to check out their old castle. Below, mom and dad stand at the shore on the Firth of Forth at Crail with the castle on the hill above.

Above, small town port life on the Firth of Forth.

Arriving to St Andrews in one piece was a nice relief and we walked around the city, checking out the old church, castle and obviously, the golf course.

Above and below, the Cathedral at Saint Andrews built in 1158. It fell into ruin in the 16th century when Catholic mass was outlawed in Scotland and looks much the same today as it did then after it fell into disrepair.

We also explored the St Andrews Castle, a ruin on a bluff stretching out into the bay. During the 12th and 13th century, the castle was a major stronghold that the Scots and English seemed to trade back and forth depending on the won its control. In the 16the century during the Scottish Reformation, it was a center of religious struggle. During one battle, the outsiders dug a mine to try to get inside and sack the castle but the defenders dug a counter-mine and stopped them in their tracks. We got to go below ground and check the tunnels out. Not for the claustrophobic!

Similar to the point I made earlier juxtaposing France with Peru during the 16th century, it was also interesting to compare mainland Europe with Scotland. While France, Italy and Spain went through the amazing times of discovery, art and architecture during Enlightenment, Scotland was still building simple stone forts and fighting gruesome wars over subtle differences in the interpretation of Christianity.

But it's not all death and darkness in Scotland. We visited the famous St Andrews Old Course, perhaps the best known golf course on earth. Above is the new clubhouse and hotel and below is the renowned old clubhouse on the left side of the photo and view up the 18th fairway. The Scots we met were always baffled that we weren't in their country to play golf - seems like that was the only reason they fathomed Americans would be there. Glad we didn't play though, as the 10 foot deep sand traps on the Old Course would've been quite humbling...

While known as having terrible food, to me Scotland was heaven as I found they had excellent pub food consisting of fried fish, mashed potatoes, meatloaf and fries (or chips as they call them) all over the place with such unique dish names such as "mince and tatties." On one of our visits to St Andrews we ate some food to go on the famous of their university. With the old buildings and stone architecture it felt more like Hogwarts in Harry Potter than a world renowned institution.

Day Trip to Versailles

No wonder the French beheaded all their royals during the bloody French Revolution. Fed up with thepressures of royal life in Paris, King Louis XIII began building the Palace of Versailles in 1624 and his sons continued with the building for hundred years until it was a huge chateau stretching over 16 acres of statues, gardens, fountains, multiple mansions, and even a full size private hamlet to simulate country life. At a time when most people were simple, poor peasants, and Paris was becoming a dirty, crowded city, this excessive escape was even more egregious.

Today, Versailles is a short train ride from the city and a must-see tourist attraction. Luckily when the last monarchs, King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, were arrested and executed, the state had the foresight to preserve the palace as a museum and property of the government. For this, the estate remains in beautiful condition and offers an incredible peak into the lives of decadence enjoyed by absolute monarchs and their close ties.

Half of the front of the entrance to the Palace of Versailles and below, an even more pulled back view. It was hard to capture how truly enormous this place is.

Below is the king's bedroom. Dig that wallpaper!

One of the most magnificent buildings on the property is the Fourth Chapel, which is connected to the main estate. Noted for its high ceilings with impressive murals, it was where King Louis the XIV and select members of the royal family attended daily mass. King Louis XIV sat on the balcony of the second floor in the rear of the church and faced the alter, while the attendees below sat in pews facing the bak of the church to look up at King Louis while he worshipped... And we think our modern politicians are arrogant and self-serving!

Above is the Fourth Chapel. The photo is taken from underneath the balcony where the king would be seated. This chapel also served as the entryway to the royal cabinet area and meeting halls, this it is home to many important events in French history.

Above is the Hall of Mirrors, considered one of the most opulent rooms in the Palace of Versailles. At the time, mirrors were an expensive luxury for only the wealthiest in society. The full size mirrors on the interior wall that lined the entire hall were extraordinary for their time. The view out the windows overlooking the gardens wasn't too bad either...

We spent many hours wandering the gardens and grounds of the palace.

Below is the path to the Grand Trianon, another huge mansion on the property where the royal family could further escape reality.

Checking out the Grand Trianon. The King had servants change the flowers in the surrounding garden daily according to his whims.

The last royals to live at the Palace of Versailles were King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette in the late 18th century. Marie-Antoinette always longed for the simple life of a country person, of course, without all the dirt, grime and disease that accompanied real rural France in the those days. For that reason, the King commissioned the construction of a tiny hamlet surrounding a small pond so that she could live out her misguided dream.

Versailles was an incredible place to marvel royal wealth and interesting juxtaposition to my experiences in Peru. People always marvel at the construction of Macchu Picchu and while I agree the setting, difficult access and materials of construction make it an impressive feat of architecture, it seems incredibly primitive compared to Versailles and the Louvre, both of which were constructed during the same era.

My opinion above might be controversial but I think everyone can agree that compared to the absolute authority and wasteful corruption and wealth of the royal families of 18th century Europe, our politicians don't seem so bad...

Family Time in Paris!

Leaving Munich behind, I caught a high speed train to Paris where I'd meet my parents for the last two weeks of my travels. Having been on the road for so long, most of the time alone, I was ready to see my family and finish out the trip in relative luxury courtesy of the parents' credit card. But the most exciting part of their visit was the chance to make some amazing memories with my parents on their first ever trip to Europe!

Notre Dame

For those of you that know my mom, she always plans the most intense vacations where we spend 10 hours a day visiting sights, eating at the most famous restaurants and maximizing our time wherever we are. This trip would be no exception! They arrived late at night and after walking to our very small one bedroom apartment in a quiet, working-class suburb in the rain, we caught many strange looks speaking English in the neighborhood restaurant and plotted our impending "attack" on Paris.

Mom and dad at Notre Dame

Up early the next morning, we grabbed croissants and bottled waters and hiked out into the city to our first stop, Notre Dame. One of the most well-known churches in the world, the cathedral was finished in the 14th century and is one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in France. With its flying buttress design, grand towers, ornate gargoyles, bright stained glass and beautiful surrounding gardens, it was an impressive sight. We followed a walking route suggested by one of our guide books and wound around the neighborhoods on the Seine River which runs through Paris.

The famous Shakespeare and Company book store, famous as a meeting place for several of the best writers of the 20th century. I picked up the Da Vinci Code, a fitting read for visiting Paris and London.

My chronological order is also screwed up but somewhere in our four days in the city, we checked out the Louvre and its many galleries. Originally built in the 12th century it has served as a fort and for several centuries was the center of French politics. Now it's one of the largest museums and the most heavily visited gallery on earth. That glass temple was obviously not built in the 12th century and is a controversial part of the Louvre's more modern history.

You can't visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower...

The above photo was taken from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. We decided to take in views from here rather than the Eiffel Tower as the wait would've been about two hours... From the Arc you get a 360 view of the city including down the famous Champs-Élysées- noted for its high end shopping, street cafes and as the finishing point for the Tour de France. Could also be famous for its intense traffic...

Towering high above Paris is the stunning Sacre-Cour, a huge church finished in the early 1900s, which sits atop Montmartre, the highest peak in Paris. The area around Montmartre is also noted as the place where many famous painters such as Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh lived and worked.

Above, the view of Montmartre and Sacre-Cour from the Arc de Triomphe. And below, up close at Sacre-Cour.

Parisians, especially waiters, have a reputation as being rude and abrupt, especially to tourists, though we found this want the case, at least where we eat. Having seen so much of the rest of the world, I don't think Paris food is particularly special, though I couldn't leave France without trying escargot. Soaked in butter and garlic, it had an amazing taste, even if the texture was a little gooier than one might hope for...

Eating escargot...

Before leaving town, we had one final stop in the catacombs below Paris. Underneath the city, there are many caves, tunnels and old mines which were repurposed as tombs during 18th century due to health threats and overcrowding in the cemeteries above ground. Now, they are a major tourist attraction and house the remains of an estimated 6 million people!

Small tunnels and human bones.... Creepy!

Glad to get above ground again, we bid farewell to Paris and hopped a quick flight headed to our ancestral lands of Scotland!