“We lost your car.” I suppressed an eye roll and forced an insincere giggle as I humored what I thought were the late-night flirtations of the sixty-something year-old ticket-taker and tried to edge past him toward the waiting sleeper train. “No, really.” No, really: my train car was bust, and not only would I and…
Tag: Scotland
Two-Day Wander: Oban, Scotland
I still can’t fully explain why visiting Scotland feels like I’m mainlining some missing part of my soul, but my trip to Oban last fall was no exception. Located on the west coast of Scotland (the Firth of Lorn, to be exact – isn’t that a lovely name?), Oban’s an easy, scenic train ride from…
Time Travel: October 2009, June 2010, October 2013– Magical Edinburgh
During the high season, Edinburgh can feel very tourist-trappy– perhaps this is inevitable in a place widely known for kilts, Harry Potter, and bagpipes. But like some overplayed songs derided by music snobs, Edinburgh’s tourist epicenter is more catchy than trite, and popular for good reason. Visiting Edinburgh is like stepping into a storybook, but not the amusement park sort of storybook in the…
Scotland Forever
In Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson writes, “I suppose everybody has a piece of landscape somewhere that he finds captivating beyond words.” For Bryson it’s the Yorkshire Dales– he can’t quite explain why they resonate with him so deeply. I know exactly what he means. Although I’ve seen more than my fair share of beautiful landscapes,…
