A strawberry tree and a whole lot of orange ones

Barcelona!! Things seem to get a bit crazy when you are traveling. Time tends to go out the window, especially when you are both crossing time zones and remembering to spring forward an hour for daylight savings (totally forgot about that)! But I love traveling, and since I have three weeks for spring break, why not make use of it and travel?


So here I am on Barcelona! Currently sitting on the steps to the Art Musuem in Montjuic being serenaded by a street performer on guitar. He is actually quite good! And a guy just rode by on horseback. No joke. But back to the street performers, they are everywhere in Glasgow, but more so here! They even come on the metro with you- accordians, singers, clarinets, guitars you name it, they play it.


I have been in Barcelona for  four days so far and am on my fifth and final day here. Tomorrow I fly out to Milano, Italy! I'll be sad to leave Barcelona though, it's an absolutely gorgeous city.  The architecture of nearly every building is beautiful, even the streetlamps and the tiles under your feet have been carefully designed with swirls and flowers. And one of my favorite things about this city: there are orange trees EVERYWHERE!! somehow orange trees just make the city feel extremely tropical and Mediterranean. Everywhere the trees are green and leafy, bright plump oranges hanging from most branches. There are plats and flowers everywhere, on the streets and hanging down from the extremely Spanish balconies that can be found on just about every building.

Bikes EVERYWHERE!

This was a huge market with everytype of food imaginable, including fruit and delicious-looking smoothies. Still don't know how we managed to get out without buying anything...

Coming from Glasgow, the weather here has been incredible! Warm, sunny and clear blue skies everyday getting into the low 70s though it feels warmer. I even proudly got sunburn on day one! I'm staying with my friend Autumn here who is studying Spanish in Barcelona. The city is actually bilingual in Spanish and Catalan, so she has picked up some Catalan vocabulary as well. It really helpful exploring a city with someone who knows it pretty well nd can speak the language (although I felt rather brave today when I ordered my tortilla Espana y cafe con leche in Spanish).


We've done so many things in the past 5 days! Explored some cool street markets, seen the sea, gone to the History of Barcelona and the Picasso Museums, visited La Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell and eaten a lot of food!

Orange Trees!!!

Me in Park Guell with the adorable mosaic lizard

Montjuic!! At the top is an Art Gallery, and if you keep going you will eventually find the Olympic Stadium and Botanical Gardens!

The history of Barcelona museum was really interesting, going underneath the city to show the old Roman ruins Barcelona is built on. Ironically good timing for me because my archaeology class just covered museum presentations! The Picasso Museum was also really cool, showing how he developed his style over the years, spending a great deal of time in Barcelona. My favorite Picasso work is still his blue period, its really interesting to me how he can create entire portraits just using shades of one color.


Food! Barcelona has a lot of traditional Spanish food to offer, and I've tried a great deal so far! Paella, a rice and seafood dish was delicious- though it was odd seeing tentacles in my food... Xocolate con churros is also really good! Basically just fresh churros and a cup of really thick hot chocolate you dip them in! Cafe con leche, or coffee with milk is amazingly delicious here even though I've never been a huge coffee person. Tortillas Espana is delicious too, basically an omlette won potatoes in it on a baguette with tomato smeared on the bread. The last traditional dish that I can think of having was potatoes bravas which are fried potatoes with this reddish slightly spicy sauce on top!


The metro is how we have been getting around everywhere and is extremely easy to use, kind or like the DC metro for you Maryland people. Only be careful with your possessions- we met some other students here who got their bag with a passeport, cameras and iPods stolen.


Basically this city is amazing and I'm sad tolLeave! Can't wait for Italy though! Adios!

Sure as Eggs are Eggs & Cheap as chips!

Taking Archaeology is one of my favorite things about going to GU (yes there are about 50 ways of saying  University of Glasgow: Glasgow Uni, GU, U of Glasgow, etc...).


First of all, there is the fact that I could never take this at home, so it's a fantastic opportunity! And then, most importantly, I have an amazing professor. His name is Dr. Huggett: he is English (from York), hilarious, mentions Indiana Jones at least once a week and really knows his stuff. Basically, people actually all come to his lectures because he makes them interesting! He also throws in these British phrases I find hilarious and will randomly write down in the margins of my notes- excellent examples? 
Something was unquestionably true... in fact it was as.. "sure as eggs are eggs."
Another?
"by then, they will be as cheap as chips!" - obviously referring to the decreasing value of items over time as they become cost effective to produce (laser-scanners for archaeologists).


I really want to use these phrases at least once in my life. So be aware they may slip in at some point when you are least expecting it!


Yesterday was our required class field trip for Archaeology, which to be honest, everyone was looking forward to! It was a really cool trip, we got to see four completely different sites throughout the course of the day, learning about how the sites were (or were not) presented, and the history of them from our professors.


The first site we came to was Bar Hill, which required a bit of a trek up the hill, as per the name! The day dawned clear and bright- I even optimistically brought, and USED my sunglasses for the first time! Bar Hill is the location of an old Roman Fort, and also something even older built using earthworks. Unfortunately, we really have no idea what the older structure was, though there are several possible interpretations from it being a fortlet to and Iron Age settlement.

[A quick note on the word 'Forlet'. I think this is the most adorable word ever. Want to know what a fortlet is? ....a baby fort. I'm not kidding either]

remains of the Roman fort walls

Apparently all the trees were planted back in the early 1900s to make the place more aesthetically appealing. 

After learning about the fort's history and being set loose to explore the area and makes notes on the presentation for ourselves, we were herded back together through the use of a handy whistle and discussed things. Dr. Huggett posed the interesting question of how we would present the site if we had an unlimited budget. Now, had he mentioned unlimited advanced technology as well, I have the perfect solution to presenting all archaeological sites: AR.


What's this AR you ask? Augmented Reality. The tech world is buzzing with it- in fact they are already experimenting with some AR stuff for smart phones- basically they enable you to get information on your surroundings. I'm just excited for the potential of using AR for video games and sunglasses! Imagine wearing your typical glasses as you walk down a street in Europe. Information on the closest cash point pops up, a review of the cafe on the corner, and a arrow showing you where to turn to find your hostel. On an archaeological site, AR could be used to show multiple stages of reconstruction- what the site might have looked like at different points in history, while still leaving the area in it's 'authentic' condition. In addition to the virtual reconstructions, information on the uses of the site and history could appear for you to view, and perhaps you could choose to get more in-depth information if you wished!


Yes I'm a nerd. But how incredible will this technology be?? But to go back to the trip:


Our next stop was really cool, simply because very few people know about it or have actually visited it. And tramping through the magical pine forest on the way there I can see why- it's pretty isolated. But that just adds to it's sense of mystery. As if you were in on a special club that knows the secret. It was called Tappoch Broch, and though there is debate on what brochs were actually for, the two common interpretations are that it was used for defensive purposes or a demonstration of power and status.


The broch was round, shaped like an igloo almost with a long narrow passage to the interior. The wall were incredible thick- 20 feet at parts! Again we followed the same pattern of learning, exploring and regrouping. We were also on a quest to find these specific tool/ stone are marks by the stairwell, though we certinly didn't find any! One of the best parts of this particular stop was how we got back to the buses. Because this time, us students decided to lead, the professors were in the back. And we discovered a magical new route! Meaning that we went in completely the wrong direction, and started to realize we'd never seen this area before... And naturally the entire bus had followed us - the wrong way. Luckily, we found a way through a slightly boggy timber area on the edge of the forest to the road, and our bus was just a short distance away. Turns out the profs followed us too- better that we all get lost together they told me on the bus!

the Interior of the Broch

Doorway & Passage, looking out from the inside

After a lunch and coffee break, we swapped professors (bye Dr. Huggett!) and headed to our last two stops, in completely different levels of preservation than the first two. The first was Doune Castle, a gloriously well preserved castle, so nice and tidy in fact that it's been used for several films- Monty Python among them! It was a really cool castle, built by Robert the Duke of Albany who was sneakily keeping an eye on Stirling and somewhat running the country. My favorite part about the castle though was how much we could explore! I climbed every staircase I could find (extremely narrow and spiral) and went into every room, nook and cranny. Despite our professor's blatant warning and the signs, I really wanted to go on the roof too. No worries though, I was a good law abiding non-citizen of Scotland. I love old buildings, they are so interesting with all their secret rooms, huge chambers, and even hidden things which lead to yet more rooms!

Doune Castle!

View from the top down the river, a very strategic position for a caslte

Note the Scottish Flag!

Our final stop was Dunblane Cathedral- a gorgeous gothic building from the 13th century and an incorporated tower from even earlier. It was enormous, and there was a continuous chorus of bells ringing out the entire time we were there- though you couldn't hear this inside the Cathedral. What was most fascinating to me was the incredible wood carvings. There were carvings in everything from the choir stalls, to pews to the baptism and lattice screen to the Chorus area. It was pretty awe-inspiring. This level of detail must have taken months if not years!

Tradition was that the closer you were buried to the church the better- you would get to heaven faster if you were touching the church walls say that way out past the gates! The really wealthy were buried under the actual church.

Stained glass windows of the Choir area! 

One of the hundreds of beautifully intricate wood carvings

After some final explorations around the outside of the building it was time to head home. All together, a good trip with a variety of sights from the lost and nearly forgotten to the contested to the restored and well maintained. 


Basically, archaeology rules.

A Fake Debate and Japan

Last Tuesday I decided to attend this Lecturers vs. Students University Challenge event, mostly because my French professor was on the team of lecturers to face off with the students! But also because the £3 to get in was to raise money for SVA Senegal (Student Volunteers Abroad), which goes towards eradicating forced child begging and exploitation in Senegal- a pretty worthy cause!


So the challenge was set to be in the GUU Debates chamber- I wasn't quite sure what the even would entail, probably some sort of debate on current issues. However, as I went alone that evening, things were starting late and I happened to have my iTouch on me, I wrote down my thoughts or first impressions...


"Well I've never been to a debate before, so this is all a rather new experience! Since this one is especially to raise money for Senegal, I figured I would come to support the project and check out the whole debate thing that the GUU is so famous for. The being said, this is in the GUU building, in the actual debate hall to be specific. More and more people keep pouring in, some sitting here in front of the stage like me, others going through some secret passage that takes them upstairs to the balcony seating. Most people have drinks that they bought downstairs (actually, across the hall) and then brought up. It's always interesting to me that alcohol is simply part of the Uni functions! There are even professors here whom I'm sure will grab a pint later [they did]. Back home the idea of drinking with your professors is pretty unheard of. Things are running late, or perhaps they are just hoping more people will show. Anyhow, we are half and hour late! The stage is set up just like the movies, with two tables with four chairs each for the competing teams, and two old-fashioned microphones on them. In the middle is the host's table and the scoreboard. Look like we are finally starting!"


So a couple notes on this... first off, it was not actually a debate! Turns out the evening was more of a jeopardy-quiz-trivia affair. Questions went from "Saved by the Bell" topics to European geography and everywhere in-between, there were even questions about the US! (and no I still don't know what the national beverage of the US is... any takers?). There is also the fact that what I originally thought were old-fashioned microphones... were actually horns. As in once somebody knew the answer, they reached out and squeezed the top for a loud noise.


 First the four goofy, but amazingly smart student teams battled it out. The last team then went on to face the lecturers...


Who lost spectacularly! But it was all in good fun (they had the misfortune to get all the Saved by the Bell questions, a show I've never seen, but apparently is more our generation), and they graciously accepted their stunning prizes: a toothbrush per professor.




All in all, it was a fun evening, where I met some girls from Paris and Frankfurt, learned some new facts and gave to a worthy cause. Not bad for a night at Uni.


In other news, I've been closely following the situation in Japan. It's horrible. And I have a flat mate here from Japan as well who only just found out her family is okay. Yesterday many of the Japanese students were outside the library collecting donations for the British Red Cross, and I spotted a guy in my Photo class. His family is okay too, but things are clearly not good. Please donate if you get the chance to relief work in Japan! Students friends and families are counting on it!

Flying in the Skye & 40 Hours

It seems to be a common theme with me to simply travel like crazy over the weekend, and then write about it... This weekend was no exception. Only this time, I actually managed to go to the Isle of Skye! And I made sure I didn't miss-set my alarm clock...

The weekend was different from any trip I've gone on before, because for 40 hours before and partially during the start of the trip I was not eating! Sounds crazy eh? But actually, I was doing a 40 hour fast for a really good reason- to raise money for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders! Glasgow Uni just started up a group called Friends of MSF, and since I've heard of the humanitarian organization before and the good work they've done I decided to join up!

This was one of the first events we've done, a 40 hour sponsored fast. So I've literally been going around asking all my friends to help sponsor me for the fast, even if it was just a pound, all the could give really!  So far, I'm only up to £30 some, but hopefully I'll have a lot more by the end of this week! I started the fast Thursday night at 11pm and it went all the way through until Saturday afternoon at 3pm, drinking only water. I've done a 30 Hour Famine before (at least four or five times) to raise money for hunger relief, so I know that such a fast is very doable, although I'd always been allowed juice in the past.

This time, since I was largely alone and working on a paper, not as much fun- by Friday night I was really starting to feel my complete lack of energy. Which really makes you think. Some people have to go through that every day. For some, most of their lifetime. I can't imagine it. At one point I just gave up on the work and laid down on my bed for a bit, and realized this is why the kids have no energy to go to school. And why people have no energy to work because of hunger.

So that is why I fasted! It's surprisingly easy, and a very effective way of drawing people to a cause.

Needless to say though, the beginning of the trip being a rather long bus ride with stops for food I couldn't yet each was rather tedious...

But one of the best parts of this trip, was that loads of my friends came! So I had lots of people to talk to and hang out with! One of the stops on our way to Skye was Elandonan Castle, beautifully situated in the middle of a loch. It was lovely, and freezing cold outside! I was taking pictures for my photography class with my analogue camera, and my eyes started to tear while attempting to focus the photos!

Once we finally arrived at Skye, we settled into to our brilliantly colored hostel (which always seems to make things more cheerful somehow) and had a hot cup of tea before setting out to explore the town of Portree.

It is a small portside town, with a 'main square' with its one bar and cafe and then several shops dispersed around the streets. After investigating several such shops and wishing the ice cream parlors were still open in the winter (you can ALWAYS get ice cream), we ended up in your typical touristy shop to buy postcards. And, because Scotland is known for its shortbread, there is always Walkers shortbread in these. And it was looking particularly delicious at this point, not only because we had seen it so many times, but because it was on sale and we could have it with our tea in the hostel... so we bought some! Splitting two packs among the five of us was quite cheap and we eagerly awaited having some later.

But first- down to the dock! The boats were perfectly spaced out in the harbour, each bobbing beside their buoy. We also meandered up this hill overlooking the harbour to an old stone watch-tower (or something like that), which gave us a great view! We also discovered some rabbits.. the first ones I've seen in Scotland actually. But it was so cold by then we tromped back to the hostel for that aforementioned tea and biscuits!

It was actually quite cozy- everybody ended up in the spacious kitchen while people were making dinner and we all played whatever games the hostel had! From Star Wars Monopoly to Rummikub and cards.

The next day was to be our main tour of Skye, driving around a stopping at certain places to explore. This was the craziest drive ever as far as the weather was concerned. The day dawned dry and bright, and then we drove into... a blizzard. Honestly. Snow was flying everywhere and the wind was going nuts! And then we drove out of it and it was sunny again. Then rain! And some wind. Sun. Since Skye is an island, this made sense but it was still pretty funny- you looked down to get something and when you looked up, the weather had changed.

Flying

We made three stops in Skye, besides just touring around a seeing the awesome landscape from the shelter of the bus. The first was beautiful- the edge of a cliff and a waterfall cutting through the rocks, winding its way to the sea. The wind was rather incredible, so we all somehow ended up with pictures of us spreading our arms out like airplanes! You felt like you could start flying and any second. Sheep dotted the hills next to us, and snow started up out of the blue, whipping our coats around and stinging our eyes. The next stop was Kilt Rock, because it supposably looked like a kilt (I didn't quite see it). The cliffs were quite impressive though, and the sun came out to shine brilliantly, reflecting against the water. The most amazing part of this stop however, was the waterfall on the cliff edge! The water was so powerful there, it created this incredible wind- you could lean into it and still be held up!

Our final stop in Skye was home to some incredible mountains. All around Skye we saw these enormous snow-covered mountains, but through the windows of a bus. Here, we actually got to get out and see them for ourselves, framing a rushing stream crossing with old stone bridges. It was glorious. Mountains really do have this solemn majesty, looming silently in the background, assured of their own might. They are noble, especially covered with snow.

On the drive home, it had snowed a lot, the countryside was all white, from the mountains to the moors and everything in between. This made for some stunning scenery of streams cutting through the white and black cliffs being offset by blindingly white snow! Unfortunately, taking pictures through windows only gets you so far in terms of quality.

Winter Wonderland!

Now we're back in Glasgow, which didn't see that much snow, despite rumors of six inches. Another paper has been handed in, and now I only have one paper and two exams to go! There are also only 11 days until I fly out to Barcelona and then Milan for Spring break! Can't wait!

Arran 2: Stars and Roller-coaster buses

So I left you with the ultimate Jenga victory! But the evening on the Isle of Arran didn't end there, because I'm somewhat insatiably curious... and I had to check out the stars. Granted, it had been cloudy and foggy for the majority of the day, but I still was optimistic. There wasn't any light pollution here, so I imagined the stars to be brilliant.


 So my friend Ian went outside to check- "Nothing" he reported. I was slightly disappointed. How cool would it have been to stargaze by a loch and a castle? I couldn't resist checking for myself- so out I went into the night (in socks, I might add) and I took a few steps farther away from the hostel lights. Stars. 


I quickly called my friend back. we could only see a few a first, but the longer we stood there, more kept appearing. Eventually we called out the whole crew and stood against the bus, gazing upward. Thousands of stars! As our eyes adjusted, we started to pick our more than just the big dipper. We even wandered down to the castle to get a better view, away from the lights of the hostel.


It was probably one of the most amazing experiences I've had in Scotland so far. Standing with friends, next to a castle in the middle of a loch, cloaked by darkness. Stars really do twinkle, believe it or not. Sparkling like diamonds, or pricks of light in a dark velvet fabric, I began to wonder if there was any black in between. More and more stars kept showing up- and there was no moon to over-power them. I could have stayed there for ages. There's something about the infinite majesty of stars that makes people start thinking deeper questions, without fail, simply because you feel so small next to all that.


But eventually the cold and wind and fact that getting some sleep might be wise led us to turn back and warm up. The next morning, I got up ridiculously early in an attempt to catch the sunrise. Well, I caught it alright! ...I just couldn't actually see the sun because of all the clouds... It was still an amazingly peace walk to the castle- and there were sheep everywhere! I walked right through the middle of them on my way, and they all just kinda stared at me, as if waiting for me to make a move. But as soon as I stopped looking at them or moved on, they gave up interest and went back to munching.

We toured around the rest of the Isle that day, driving a bus where buses were never meant to go and should never go! But this made it loads of fun! Going up and down these hills and windy roads, we literally felt like we were on a roller-coaster. Some of us even got into the spirit and put our hands up in the air as we drove. The people in the very back of the bus weren't as happy...after the first flying jolt there were quite a few groans and sore behinds.


The mountains were incredible. Soaring cliffs right next to us on the left, and the rocky coast to our right, sometimes dispersing to become a sandy shoal. Fields were everywhere, as were their main inhabitants- sheep, go figure. And quite a few highlan' coos as well (highland cows for those unacquainted with the Scottish accent!).


Our stop was at these famous Machrie Moor's standing stones. It was quite a trek through farmlands and roads to actually get there, taking us about 45 minutes. We kept coming across really small stone circles and thinking... this is it? Pretty pathetic. But it would always turn out to be a stone cairn, an old roundhouse, or quite simply, a rock. The really interesting thing about this for me was its connection to my Archaeology course! We looked at the techniques for identifying and preserving such site, and these were maintained by Historic Scotland, a group I've done research on! So it was pretty neat to be able to see some actually sites were ancient burials and houses had been built.

Finally we reached....the Standing Stones!! Which are basically... really tall stones that are standing upright. But they have a unique sort of majesty about them. Tall and solemn, and backed by an impressive landscape of moorland and mountains the stones were in a group of three, and one farther away standing alone. 

We were feeling pretty goofy and windswept by this point, and somewhat childish. And so we (or should I just say I?) proceed to run to all the upcoming monuments! We even got a sheep running with us at one point... A cold walk and bus ride down the coast later, we were back in the port of Brodick.


Time for lunch take two in a little Italian place and then a walk to Brodick Castle! We went all along the beach, finding some sea glass along the way, over the 'Dead Marshes' (a swamp-like area which was weirdly similar to the marshes in Lord of the Rings... thus our new name for it), through a golf course and up mountain. On our way up the stairs and paths to the Castle, we basically went through a tropical forest. There were blooming rhododendrons, palm trees and ferns everywhere. Pretty incredible for Scotland. The Castle grounds were essentially one big garden, and the plants were from all over- we even think there might have been a redwood!

Tropical forest!

Brodick Castle

Bamboo!!

The hike through the tropical forest definitely made the expedition worth it- and especially the fact that the sun was starting to come out! Once we made it back to Brodick, the sun broke out gloriously over the town, although just across the bay the Castle and mountains were still shrouded in clouds and darkness. I also convinced the guys I was with to quest for ice cream, because apparently the Isle of Arran is famous for it... and finally we found some! It ended up being at the last possible moment- on the ferry, but we still got some! And it was delicious! 

Ice cream!!

The sun finally came out!

Back in Glasgow now, with another essay deadline fast approaching. On the plus side, I managed to get a ticket for the Isle of Skye trip this weekend! My original class trip was postponed because the bus driver couldn't make it. So Skye it is!

Lochranza, the football playing sheep, and how we defeated Jenga.

Palm Trees! In Scotland! (Gulf Stream)

The last couple of days I had the great fortune to go to the Isle of Arran! Great fortune because this time I set my alarm clock for the right time- meaning AM instead of PM, unlike my attempt to go to the Isle of Skye the weekend before...  As my German friend Martin said, there are some advantages to a 24 hour clock! Luckily, the International Society officers were very kind and understanding, and so I went to Arran instead.


Arran is a lot closer than Skye, just a 45 minute bus ride and 45 minute ferry to get to the Isle, landing in the port city of Brodick. It reminded me a bit of Oban, a very small village with a ferry as its main source of transportation. It was lovely though! We had nearly two hours to fill in the town before checking into our hostel, enough time to peek into shops and eat our lunch, but not enough to walk to Brodick Castle. 

Brodick! 

My two favorite stops: James' Chocolate Shop, and the Sheepskin Shop! All you need to do is look at the photos to understand why the chocolate shop was amazing. I was delighted that there was actually a local place that make their own chocolates (Chocolat anybody??), and I couldn't resist trying some of them... In order of the best: Almond Praline, Coffee, Hazelnut Praline and they were all delicious! Sheepskin Shop? Never felt anything so soft in my life- and was sorely tempted to get a pair of their slippers or gloves, they felt AMAZING!
  

yum! Note the chocolate frogs on the bottom.

On the way to our hostel, we stopped at the Isle of Arran Whiskey distillery and did a tour; the setting for the distillery is pretty amazing with soaring mountains all around. On top one of these mountains, there are a pair of nesting golden eagles, for whom they stopped construction on the distillery for a bit so they could nest undisturbed. The distillery then took it as a sign of thanks when the eagles made a fly-by on the opening day, and so all the products have a eagle printed on them. Next to the visitors center was huge football field, with sheep all over it! Some were even standing in the goals! It made me really want to get a soccer ball and attempt to play a game around and with the sheep! It was pretty neat learning about how they actually make whiskey. Scotland is fiercely proud of its whiskey-making tradition and so is Arran, despite being a relatively new distillery.

Football-playing sheep!

Cask from the Distillery

Distillery and mountain setting!

The tour (led by our lovely Scottish tour guide, in a kilt and tartan tie, on whom it looked perfectly natural, even typically business wear), lead us through the distillery, and around the grounds showing us where they literally make the whiskey out of barley, wash and distill it, then place it in casks. At the end of the tour you get a small sample of the whiskey, as well as an explanation of how to test if you are getting good whiskey or not! Very fiery stuff, strong, but just a little sip can warm you up nicely. Which makes you understand why it's so popular in Scotland! 

Inside the Distillery

Barley! Malt, and Malt Chaft

Because my group was the second half of the tour, we got out later than everybody else...and found them all on the bus... and knew what would happen as soon as we got close.


Sure enough, the bus drove off with us standing at the door! We didn't even bother running, but just strolled leisurely behind it, waiting for it to stop- this has become a common occurrence on ISoc trip- especially when our bus driver is the crazy and amazingly talented John. He can get the bus in places I'm not sure I could squeeze a car! This also proved the case when we arrived at the hostel, how he got us up that tiny driveway, I cannot comprehend... I'm pretty sure he is secretly like the guy in "Taxi" and could swap out steering wheel to become this amazing race-car driver.

Lochranza Castle

This may have been the most amazing hostel I have ever stayed at. The one in Oban was really nice and cozy, but this was on another level. First of all, we were on a loch. Lochranza! And it was a five minute walk to Lochranza castle, which you could see from the road next to the charming, white-washed hostel. It was surround by looming mountains all around the loch, which opened out to the sea. And that was just the setting! Inside, everything was clean and relatively new, huge cook-off style kitchen with two dining areas full of mini tables and chairs, two lounges full of comfy couches and pillows, but all matching and very classy. One even had a TV set plus a bookcase full of games and books! Up a winding staircase, and through a glass door were our rooms. I shared with three other Chinese girls that I met for the first time, so we had two bunkbeds. And not just any bunk beds. These had a built-in shelf with a reading lamp and place for your alarm-clock or cell phone. Plus we had practically a bay window with table and chair, another window, wooden storage lockers and a sink and mirror. Classy. If you ever go to the Isle of Arran, stay at the youth hostel in Lochranza!

Amazing location for a hostel

My room!

View from the hostel

As there was still plenty of daylight left, we all trooped out to see the castle, and then were wonderfully surprised than the old keeper came and unlocked it for us! So not only did we get to walk around the outside, but explore the entire interior as well! Which resulted in some hilarious instances- like screams coming from the 'dungeon' when the ISoc President found a body. Also known as a mannequin, or puppet. Granted, it was pitch-black in there, but hearing him scream with a rather high-pitched quality for two minutes was pretty funny! As was realizing I could fit myself inside the window. And inspiring my two friends to photo-bomb others' pictures.

A lass and a loch :)

Random cool gate on our walk around the loch!

We also walked down to the other ferry port, where I discovered a swing set, and couldn't resist that either. Many of my child-like tendencies seemed to come out on this trip... strange. It was getting pretty cold by this point so we headed back to the hostel and warmed up with some tea while reading, talking and playing Jenga. Playing the most epic game of Jenga you have ever seen. Because in our second attempt, we defeated the game. There were literally no more moves you could possibly make, and the tower was at least twice as high as it originally had been. The four of us- Martin, Emmanuel, Ian and I were pretty impressed with ourselves. 

Jenga Champions!

As this is getting ridiculously long, I'll finish this off for now and post about the second half of the trip tomorrow!