The Museum Trail

Were you worried when you didn't see a new post?  Or, were you relieved to not have to read another novel?

I'll make every attempt at keeping this post shorter, although it really is quite difficult when there are so many moments that I'd love to share with you.

As mentioned in my last post, I decided that it was time for me to diverge from the nature side of Scotland, and delve into the historical side by visiting museums instead of trudging through isolated countryside.  But don't for one minute presume that walking the streets of Edinburgh is safer than traipsing through a field.  One must always be aware of surroundings.  Luckily, there are fewer people in the city at this time of year, making it a bit easier to get around, and opening up the possibility of more photos of this lovely old town.

I headed down the Royal Mile towards some museums that I had not yet explored.  On the way, I passed the Mercat with the Unicorn standing stately on top.

I made my way to the People's Story, housed in the Canongate Tollbooth which was built in 1591.The staff was very friendly and I had the place to myself to explore.

The museum presented information on the everyday lives of the ordinary people of Edinburgh, from the 18th century through today.  It was set up so that the visitor could understand the conditions of the people and how they changed over time.  The museum pretty much immerses one into the lives of the people who worked  in the town giving a perspective that we often miss.  In other words, you walked in the shoes of various professions so that you could understand what life was like for them.

Directly across the street is the Museum of Edinburgh.  There wasn't quite as much information as I had expected to find in this museum.  I learned that Silver was a big industry in Edinburgh and several rooms had displays of silver from as early as the 16th century.

                                       

But, the most endearing part of this museum is the information surrounding the legend of Greyfriar's Bobby, the story of a Skye Terrier who was so attached to his owner, that he wouldn't leave his grave in Greyfriar's cemetery.  The year was 1858, and the locals were so touched at this wee dog's devotion, that they rallied together to feed him and made him a shelter so that he could stay close to his master's grave, which he did for 14 years.  He is buried outside the cemetery since animals cannot be in the church graveyard.

The museum has a replica of the statue that stands near the Greyfriar's church, as well as  Bobby's original collar and the bowl from which he ate at the local bar.  It is obvious that the local townspeople were quite taken by this dog, and there is even a copy of a photo that was made of him at the time. 

The next stop on the Royal Mile was the Children's Museum. Now this place was Fabulous!  From the minute I walked in the door, I couldn't help but be fascinated by the large collection of toys and memorabilia that were displayed. I can't imagine anyone not being delighted by this place.  I found myself laughing out loud at some of the comical items.

How can you resist the cuteness of this little elephant toy?

There was a large collection of tea sets, but this fairy tale set sure had me laughing:

I was kind of surprised to find a Chemistry game from old:

as well as this 1901 Construction set: Engineering for Boys.

There was a room filled with dolls:  from tiny to life size.  I laughed when I saw Rex Harrison, the Dr. Doolittle Doll:

and I'll admit that this was the first time that I ever saw a nun doll:

I could go on and on, but it would probably be better for you to check out my flickr photos to see some of the highlights of the toys that this museum featured or this post will never end.

By this time, the museums were near closing and my feet had just about enough of traipsing around the town, so I decided to head back to the train for the ride back to the hotel.

But on the way, I couldn't resist snapping this photo of a giraffe all decked out in Tartan Plaid.

You gotta love the shop owner's sense of humor!

Travels over Hill and Dale

You may not realize this, but when I travel, I like to have a plan.  A detailed list of things to do with maps and directions to make things simpler.  But, this trip was a last minute decision on my part so I have had to adjust to just "winging" it.  The woman at the local information center was a huge help in giving me ideas and brochures with maps to help me stay oriented.  But it didn't take long before I had exhausted all of her ideas.

So, today, I headed off to Cupar, a bit nervous, since I had no plan.  The train has limited stops in this town, so I had to plan my trip accordingly.  I wanted to be certain to catch the 3:55 train back to the local station. 

I walked into Cupar from the station with the hopes of finding an information center, and what did I see just down the block?  The local library.  Now, that seemed like a great place to ask for a map or some sort of info on the town.  

So, I went to the desk and explained my dilemma, and the woman gave me a Cupar Heritage Trail brochure, complete with a marked map to follow as well as a brochure on Cupar Trail walks.  I thanked her and headed out of the door, ready to investigate the town.

Cupar has existed since the 7th or 8th century.  It was created a royal burgh in 1328 and was once extremely prosperous since it lay on the main road from Edinburgh to Dundee and Aberdeen.

A Mercat cross stands in the center of town, symbolizing the burgh's right to hold a market.. Several of the towns that we visited had a Mercat Cross in the middle of the streets that were lined with shops although I don't know the significance of the unicorn that always stands on top. It's always difficult to photograph the top since my camera doesn't seem to adjust well to the lighting.

Down the street there is a lovely winged angel that stands in tribute to the fallen soldiers from this town.  

One of the distinguishing features of Cupar is the number of churches that it holds in its few blocks. Each is certainly unique.  St. John's, Free Church of Scotland boasts a 160 ft. spire looming over the town. Quite an impressive sight while walking along the street.

Contrast that with St. Columba Roman Catholic Church, built in 1964 on the edge of town. 

Looking down the road from this church, I couldn't help but take a detour to admire the view.

                                      

Isn't it gorgeous?  Well, I certainly thought so.  Those little white flecks at the top were sheep grazing on the hillside. It just seemed so picturesque.

And it was at this point that I came to a sudden realization.  When one walks around a town with a map in hand, here in Scotland, the locals presume that you are lost.  In nearly every town where I used a map to determine my whereabouts, a kindly person approached me and asked if I needed direction.  Today was no exception.  When asked if I needed help, I mentioned that I was enjoying the beautiful view.  The woman then said, "So, you're enjoying being lost then?"  I nodded and she went on her way.  That's when I stashed the map in my purse. 

It was early yet, and I had hours to go until my intended departure, so I headed to a tea room that I had spotted while walking around town. "The Best Tea Room in Scotland" it was called. It was a tiny establishment, run by a woman and her daughter and I received a welcome greeting when I walked through the door.  I decided to try the cream tea for comparison and was certainly not disappointed.  Unlike yesterday, there was a small pot of sweet cream,  a warm pancake, a tender and tasty scone that was obviously recently baked, and chocolate treat that melted in my mouth. It was FABulous!

Ok, so by now I was feeling a bit guilty about partaking of this extreme indulgence. But that would change in short time.  While enjoying this treat, I looked through the walking tours brochure that I was handed at the library and decided that I had plenty of time to follow the trail to the little town of Ceres which the brochure made out to be quaint and lovely.

Before I go any further, let me assure you that  these are approved Scottish walks that take one into the countryside.  I just don't want you thinking that I decided to truck through a field on my own accord.

So, I set off on the road, following the directions for Walking Tour #13.

The tour involved walking on a footpath that connected the two towns.  When I arrived at the entrance to the footpath, I was amused by a sign that stated that no horses, cattle or sheep were permitted on the trail.  It was strictly for walkers.

The path was lined on one side by a rock wall  and a tree line on the other.  Some of the trees had fallen against the wall, and I needed to duck under them in order to continue along.  I noticed that I was climbing up at a pretty quick pace, and about half way up the hill, the trail became increasingly muddy.

I thought about turning around, but I had already walked pretty far, and I was sure that I had to be near the top.  The brochure implies that once at the top, one begins to descend into the town, so I was eager to finally get to the top.  By this time, I found the trail to be very muddy, and I was slipping a little, so I had to slow my pace.  The last thing I needed to do was to slip and fall on this trail, literally in the middle of nowhere.  I trudged along, passing a couple of horses, behind a fence in the field, who seemed to be curious as to why I was walking by. Perhaps it was my bright red coat.  Most people here seem to where dark, drab colors.

Then, I finally made it to the wooden gate mentioned in the brochure, eager to see spectacular view of the town of Ceres.   I made my way down the trail which, by this time, was extremely muddy, carefully stepping as to not fall along the way. I was so busy watching where I was walking that I missed any vistas that would have taken my breath away, according to the brochure.  It seemed to me that I lost most of my breath climbing the grade of that hill anyway, so there really wasn't much to spare at this point.

Finally, I found myself on pavement, making my way into the town.

It seemed rather bizarre to come from a field onto a road with lights!  By this time I decided that there was no way that I was going back the way I came, so I headed into town to find the shops that were mentioned in the walking tour.  I noticed some bus stops along the walk, and it was my intention to find a bus that would take me back into the town of Cupar so that I could take the train back since I had purchased a round trip ticket.

I walked pretty far into town, waiting for "charming" to pop out and greet me, but such was not the case.  I found myself in front of the Fife Folk Museum, only to see the Closed sign hanging on every door.  I never did find the quaint little shops mentioned in the brochure. Come to think of it, I didn't have a map of the town of Ceres.  Not that it would have made much difference.  There were no people walking around to tell me that I looked lost.

I finally found a post office/grocery store and asked two of the employees there if they could help me.  I mentioned having taken the footpath and neither of them seemed very daunted by that admission on my part.  I then said that I did not want to go back the way that I had come, and could they help me out with the bus schedule?  Apparently the bus isn't too popular in Ceres, because neither of them could offer any insight to help me.   

I then asked if I could walk the road back to Cupar, not being familiar with the road laws in Scotland.   I was told that it was a 2 3/4 mile walk and that it would take me about 40 min.  I would be perfectly safe walking along the road, and I was told that I would be easily spotted due to my bright red coat. Suddenly, I remembered the comments of several people this week, whom had checked my coat, saying, "Your's is the bright red one, right?"  

 I'll admit that this wasn't the course of events that I had hoped for, but it seemed a far better option than climbing through the mud in the middle of nowhere, especially with the skies getting darker already. My bright red coat might make me visible to a passing farmer, but I wasn't taking that chance.

Do you see those trees in the background?  That is the tree line that I had followed into town.  Sure, they look lovely, but I appreciated them more from a distance.

I passed the last cottage in Ceres and headed along the road to Cupar. One thing  that  I noted in the town was that each of the houses had a name, similar to the beach when people name their beach houses. Each one was designated by the word "Cottage" with a unique name inscribed on a plaque on the front of the house. I'll chock that up to "quaintness", but really, if I'm going to hike a trail I'd like a better reward at the other end!

 

Since the people in Scotland drive on the opposite side of the road,  I was walking into traffic, which seemed the safest way to travel on this country road.  At first, cars would give me plenty of room by moving into the opposite lane until they passed me.

Soon, I noticed a definite trend in driving patterns.  The older the car, the nicer the driver.  When a newer sports car was headed towards me, I knew to jump up onto the green.  At first, I was a bit shocked at the boldness of these drivers who actually seemed to enjoy my hopping into the field.  My mind began to envision a bull and matador, and I remembered that the matador wore bright red, similar to my coat.  I likened these drivers to the bull!

So, I carefully continued along the road and only had one bus pass me. I had envisioned a parade of them heading towards town while I was trotting along the path, envious of the possibility of being able to rest my feet. But it appeared that I had made the right decision.

  A short way out of town, a path showed up for walking, and I could relax a bit and not worry so much about oncoming traffic. I could even take a photo without fearing for my life.

When I rounded the corner, just at the point where the footpath had originated, nothing looked better to me than the welcoming sign of Cupar.

 I had made the journey with plenty of time to spare until the train departure.  That being said, I didn't waste any time heading right for the station and collapsing on a bench until the train arrived.  The ride back was completely uneventful, but really, did I need anymore excitement for the day?

I think NOT!

So, I've decided that my walking adventures have come to a close here in Scotland.  Although each was beautiful in its own right, my feet are tired and I just don't want to tempt fate.  No more traipsing through the countryside on my own. I think I'll spend the remaining days walking through museums.

I just hope that I can come up with something exciting enough to write about!

Haiku and History: A Poetic Adventure

Meet Dave, our friendly waiter who greets us each morning:

There's nothing like seeing the smile on his face and hearing the lull of his Scottish accent when we come down for breakfast.  Today I asked for pancakes, and I could see the worry in his face at my request. But he came out with a beautifully presented plate with what looked  like crepes.

They were fabulous!  When I told him so, he breathed a sigh of relief, and he admitted to me that this was only the second time that he had ever made pancakes.  Believe me, you'd never have guessed that as these were incredibly light and tender.  The perfect way to begin the day!

And speaking of perfect, the weather was quite accommodating once again today, with a brilliant blue sky and lots of sunshine.  Nary a cloud in the sky to be seen.  Thank goodness for that because the temperatures were below freezing and there was an icy coating that lay upon the ground most of the day.

Today's adventure found me in Aberdour.  It is just three stations away from Kirkcaldy and all of the trains to Edinburgh stop here.  But not all stop in Aberdour.  And, it's not that easy to spot the difference.  So, I was certain to ask the ticket man if I was on the right train.  And, when he assured me that I was, I asked him some questions regarding departing from the train.  Well, he was so concerned about me that he actually told me when to get off, and stood near the door to be certain that I made it safely to my location.  You can't beat that, can you?

I think that I was the only passenger who hopped off of the train in Aberdour.  It is a very small, beautiful town, along the coast of the Firth of Forth.  The oldest Scottish Castle continues to stand within feet of the train station.  It doesn't get much easier than that when one is traveling alone!

 The castle ruins looked lovely with the bright blue sky behind and the frosty grass in front.  I headed to the visitor's center to purchase a ticket for admittance to the grounds.  The man behind the desk was so thrilled to see a patron, that he popped a sign in the window, locked up the office, and escorted me to St. Fillian's church, behind the castle, for a personal tour of the place.

It was obvious that this man was proud of his history and he pointed out all kinds of details inside the church.  This was once a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to St. Fillian and there was an Augustinian order associated with it.  Because Aberdour is across the firth from Edinburgh, St. Margaret (whom I spoke of in the Dunfermline post) set up a free ferry from Edinburgh so that pilgrims could travel from that town to Aberdour and then up the coast to St. Andrews, which was a mecca for pilgrims in the past.

I don't know about you, but I certainly found it fascinating to discover just how all of these towns were sort of tied together religiously.  I had never realized that there was so strong a connection before.  Apparently King Robert the Bruce stayed here, as he had in Dunfermline.  Since he wasn't all that popular in his day, he had to be very careful where he traveled.

The church itself dates back to 700.  The hall house, part of the castle, dates back to the 12th century, making it the oldest castle in all of Scotland.  This man was eager to share that information with me as well.  He was delightful and I appreciated him taking the time to show me around.  I would have missed a lot of details that he was eager to point out.

One of the features that I have noticed on several scottish castles is the existence of a structure that resembles a beehive.

This is called a dovecot and there are 600+ nests around the interior walls, in tiers.  I didn't have the nerve to step down into the dark space, so we'll just have to take the visitor guide's word for that.  It housed pigeons or doves, which provided food for the people of the castle.  Apparently we can attribute the word pigeon-hole to the dovecot structure. Just a little piece of trivia to add to your day.

Several days ago, I had picked up a brochure entitled Aberdour Poetry Trail. It had a small map for maneuvering around town, and I found the premise to be interesting.  Several years ago, a group of local townsmen wrote haiku poems about places in the town that had special meaning to them.  Each poem is displayed in a location that the writer was inspired by.

Since brochures of this town are hard to come by, this seemed the perfect way to see the highlights of the town while following a designated map so that I didn't have to worry about getting lost in my travels.

The first poem that I found was outside St. Fillian's chapel.  It was difficult to read inscribed in stone:

Peace of earth and sky

a ships bell calling down the years

a pilgrim's rest

Moving along, I was in the bowling green courtyard which joins the castle to the town:

I then headed down towards the firth which was strikingly beautiful today in the sunshine.

Do you see those houses and pier in the distance?  I would make my way to that spot walking along the trail. But at this point, the poem was inscribed on an oar:

Rather clever, don't you think?  Then, just along the firth: 

On my way out to the old harbor the view to the town was spectacular.  

And, when I got to the old harbor,  I was taken aback by the huge cliffs that seemed to loom up from nowhere.

A hike back up the hill to the town led me to the local bakery where I found this haiku:

The place was bustling with activity and could I resist the tempting aromas that were teasing my senses?  Heck no!  So, I popped inside and picked out two very delectable looking treats for later this evening when I can share them with Marty.   

Then I headed to the Castle tea room where I ordered the cream tea.  The lady told me, quite apologetically, that she didn't have any cream to go with the cream tea.  Although I found that to be amusing, I told the lady not to worry and that I was sure that I'd get by without it.

And, just for the record, I managed just fine without it!  Yummy!

Frigid in Fife

Today we were once again blessed with a beautiful sunny day for traveling.  But, I will admit that the temperature was frigid and my fingertips were freezing despite the gloves that I wore to keep them warm.

We started out early in the morning, headed to St. Andrews, and it's a good thing that we allowed extra time because the GPS lady seemed to think that we wanted to take the scenic route, despite being on auto mode.  We had decided to attend 9:00 Mass at St. James Church in the town of St. Andrews, and we were about half way there in miles, when we realized that it was taking way too much time.  Luckily, I spotted a road sign with a route number on the map, and after redirecting and ignoring the calls to turn around, the device finally decided to relent and reroute us so that we managed to walk into church just as the little bell was ringing for everyone to stand.  Perfect timing!

Apparently this town is noted for Golf, but that would be of little interest to me.  It is rich in history and actually is the site of the very first University of Scotland, St. Andrews University, started in 1413.

 Legend has it that St. Rule brought the relics of St. Andrew to Scotland for safekeeping from the Romans.  They were placed in a special Chapel, later known as St. Andrews Cathedral, and the town became the religious capital of Scotland and thus became known by the Saint's name.

After Mass, Marty and I decided to venture out on foot and explore the castle first, which was nearby.  Marty commented on how we were the only patrons, and I reminded him that it was a Sunday morning, in January, and it was freezing cold outside.  Really, how many other people would be so crazy as to pick today to explore outdoor ruins?  So, we had the place to ourselves, and, luckily, the sun was shining which helped to make us think that we were warm, although my extremities definitely told me otherwise!

The castle ruins which exist today were fortified in the 1400's and they stand upon the rocky cliffs making it easily defended.  This castle also served as a prison, and it continues to hold a "bottle" dungeon, where prisoners were dropped through the neck into the 22 ft. deep hole, never to be seen again.  Pretty gruesome, if you ask me!  The man at the visitor center felt the need to explain the torment with details that made me shudder, but I'll spare you that. 

Another unique feature that the castle continues to have is the remains of a "seize" tunnel.  It was planned as a means of escape by one of the royal prisoners. While he and his cohorts were digging their way out of their confinement, the defenders of the town, who had imprisoned this royalty, managed to foil his plans of escape by digging their own underground tunnel that intercepted the intended means of escape.  The tunnel still exists today, and one could climb down and take a peek at one's own risk.  Luckily, Marty and I thought alike on this experience and decided to forego that adventure.

We headed out from the castle to explore the Cathedral ruins that had once made this town a pilgrimage mecca.  The site of St. Andrews Cathedral and Abbey was breathtaking.  One could hardly even begin to imagine the original size of this structure.  The two ends remain standing, with remnants of the huge pillars that would have stood along the length of the church.  

Behind this Cathedral ruins, closer to the sea, stands the remains of the original St. Rule Church and tower, once run by an Augustinian order.  During the reformation, John Knox preached a sermon that resulted in the local townspeople destroying the Cathedral.  It was never salvaged and all that remains are the ruins to gaze upon.  

By this time, we were really cold, so we jumped in the car and headed to the town of Anstruther on the Firth of Forth.  Marty could hardly contain his enthusiasm as he headed to the Scottish Fisheries Museum.  I was just looking forward to a place that was warm!  Unfortunately, the place was frigid, but I did manage to find a heater or two to rest upon while Marty got his fill of the environment. 

One thing that caught my eye was the role of the Fishwives.  I spotted an old photo with men in boats while the woman were in the water, and was shocked by what I read.  

Can you even imagine carrying your husband upon your back so that he wouldn't get wet?  Who in the world came up with that crazy idea?  On a day like today that idea seemed even more far-fetched.  Sure made me thankful to live in this era, that's for sure.

The town that holds the museum is really lovely.  Despite the cold, we ventured out a bit and took in some of the beauty.  

Once again, we found ourselves sitting in a restaurant, watching the sunset as we had a bite to eat.  Unfortunately the meal this time was a real disappointment.  

But we'll just focus on the beauty of the early evening and be grateful to have once again survived the driving experience that brought us back to our hotel without incident.