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Parent Category: Travel Over There

Category: 2014 - Gap Year

Created: Wednesday, 09 July 2014 01:16

We flew to Edinburgh in May to catch up with a friend I made during my South American trip in 2011. We had stayed in contact and she offered to put us up in her apartment for our stay.

On our first day, we met my friend and dropped our bags off at her apartment before heading to a nearby pub for lunch. Over conversation and beer we learned that there was to be a whiskey tasting at 5pm, and so stayed on through the afternoon so that I could try a few Talisker whiskeys. There were two on offer that day that I had not tried before, including the Talisker Storm which was served poured over an oyster, which was a salty joy.

During our stay in Edinburgh, we took a Sandeman’s New Europe tour walking through parts of Edinburgh and hearing various tales of the city. The tour ended at the National Museum of Scotland which contained a rich and dense display of artefacts from Scotland’s history. We also took the opportunity to enjoy Passenger busking at Mercat Cross, raising awareness of the Big Issue (a publication to assist the homeless), adding to the day’s enjoyment. While staying with my friend and her flatmates, we made them homemade hamburgers in appreciation for their hospitality.

On the weekend we also took a road trip to Loch Lomond with her flatmates and had a great time, the story of which can be read here.

After Edinburgh, we headed south to York where we aimed to visit a friend in Tadcaster for his birthday and maybe go camping. Prior to heading to Tadcaster though we caught up with another friend I had met in South America for lunch before taking a stroll around the historic township. York is a much storied town with a rich history. We visited York Minster, an impressive and intricately detailed church, and one of the best I have seen. Beneath the Minster is an historical display of York since Roman occupation using the archaeological site as the guide. Much has been written of York and its history, and the Minster has been subject to millions of pictures, so I won’t go into detail here.

In Tadcaster, we met our friend and his wife at the Pub and caught up over a Samuel Smith beers. Sam Smiths is one of three local breweries, and I found it provided the better beers for my taste (But I acknowledge that beer is a deeply personal thing and what one person likes may not appeal to others). We spent a week in Tadcaster and ended up spending time with our friend at his garden nursery giving him a hand to get some of the odd jobs done. After the week, we went back to York to visit my friend again and relax before heading across to the Peaks District.

The Peaks district was home to two wonderful women we had met in Spain at Vaughan Town. We met them in the afternoon at the train station and proceeded to have a wonderful and relaxing weekend in their company. The Peaks District is apparently the most visited area in England, and I could see why. The area is the quintessential English countryside of green rolling hills with meadows and small forests interspersed with hamlets and villages. We drove out to Edale and took one of the trails to the Mam Tor, a Celtic archaeological site with excellent views of the area. After the walk we drove to Castleton, a nearby village, for some afternoon tea. In Castleton we visited the local church, dating back 9 centuries, which services the area as well as the cemetery with tombstones from the 18^th century to now.

Mam Tor, Castleton

It was great to meet all these people again in their homes, and learn more of their lives.

Other United Kingdom Articles:

A Hike to Ben Lomond