RTW ’23: Week 14

Week 14 of RTW was a resounding success! I started the week in Edinburgh, filling my time there with new friends and new experiences. For those of you who know me, you will not at all be surprised to learn that I stood in solidarity with other women during one of my days there in a demonstration to promote peace. It never ceases to amaze me how incredible people continue to cross my path, and my experience in Edinburgh was certainly no different! I closed out the week in a brand new country, the Netherlands, and even got some bike miles under my feet! RTW ’23 is really coming along beautifully, and I find myself in a continuous state of gratitude and awe.

Wednesday started week 14 of RTW with a bang! After a good breakfast at the hostel, I headed towards Holyrood Park to hike up to Arthur’s Seat. It was definitely one of the highlights of my overall trip so far! Arthur’s Seat is the highest point in Edinburgh, and I was excited to see the views. It was a challenge to deal with the slippery and icy rocks, and several times I lost my footing. I even fell straight onto my butt once! As I kept climbing up to the summit, part of me knew each step up would mean an equal number of steps down on the same slippery rocks. But, I had come so far, so what was a few more scrambles to complete the task at hand, anyway? Once I got to the top, it made the challenging trek well worth it! It was breathtaking to see the castle and the entire city surrounding it. I could see the ground formation that had been created by a volcano 300 million years ago, and I could imagine the first time someone had climbed this peak and thought “ah, that hill over there would make for a great defensive fort!”. I had given myself plenty of time before sunset at 3:30, so I took my time going down. I met a man from Atlanta who was walking with a stick– he had two hip implants, so he was being careful– and a lovely couple from Pakistan who introduced themselves as we were coming down an especially steep section on our hands and feet. It was a beautifully clear day, albeit a bit frosty. There were no facilities on the trail to Arthur’s Seat, so when I reached the bottom I went in the first public building I could find to use the toilet. This happened to be the Parliament House, and I saw a sign for a toilet, but I didn’t notice the x-ray (airport security) station. Once I went in, there was no way to exit. So, I went through. I had my day backpack, which meant I had my Swiss Army Knife. I told the guard and he took it until I exited. I took off my coat, hat, and watch, and went through. They stopped my bag for two padlocks, and held the knife and padlocks until I left the building. Thankfully, they returned them. I warmed up in the cafe with a pot of tea and ate my PB&J sandwich. It was definitely a lot of effort to use the toilet, but it’s all in a day’s adventure! In the evening, I went to a storytellers event, and I’m so glad that I did. I met a lovely couple who sat at my table, Jo and her husband, Neil. They were both really friendly and we chatted before the event started. Jo had worked at the storytelling center previously, so I got the full background on how it works and what to expect for the rest of the evening. She also mentioned that this event was a ceilidh, a gathering that could be dance, music, or in this case, storytelling. It was so wonderful to get to experience a different form of ceilidh than I experienced weeks ago! I told them the tale of my travels before the first teller started, then we settled in to hear the stories. The storytellers were all very entertaining, and time passed quickly. I was so drawn into the Scottish tales and loved that I had been to many of the places that were referenced: Glencoe, Skye, and Glasgow, to name a few. Some of the tellers sang and wove the characters voices into their tales. All of the stories were wintry tales to commemorate St. Nicholas Day (December 6th), and it was truly entertaining. Halfway through the event, there was an intermission and the group had their latest book, From the Burgh and Beyond, for sale. When I was at the loo, Jo bought the book for me! It was such a nice gesture, especially since we had only just met! Though the weather was cold and dark, the hospitality and welcoming during the gathering warmed my spirits. As I left the building and walked up the Royal Mile past the twinkling Christmas lights, I soaked up the music spilling out of the pubs, and felt the magic of St. Nicholas in the air.

Thursday was a quiet and rainy day without any real tourist agenda. After yesterday’s busy day hiking and going out to ceilidh, I was happy with a lowkey day. After breakfast at the hostel, I wandered around the city before it rained. I did get semi lost, but I found new closes to discover and a wide variety of shops to explore. I was vaguely looking for a vintage outfit to wear at next week’s J&J event, and it was a good excuse to get out of the weather and duck into vintage clothing shops, book stores, and cafes. I didn’t buy anything, but that’s okay! It was fun to browse! I also wandered around the Christmas Market, which was less crowded in the early afternoon. I went into the Writer’s Museum to get warm, and found out more about three famous Scottish writers: Robert Lewis Stevenson, Robert Burns, and Sir Walter Scott. I had heard of all three of them, but didn’t know the extent they influenced Scottish culture and literature around the world. I especially enjoyed Robert Lewis Stenson, since he was a traveler, and I loved Treasure Island as a kid, so it’s no surprise! At 3 p.m., I met Jo, my new friend from storytelling, for coffee. We continued our conversation from last night, and I really enjoyed our time together. It’s so nice to be able to make friends in new cities around the world! Jo has lived in Edinburgh for many years. She’s a retired teacher, with many varied interests and causes she’s passionate about. From our first conversation, I knew that we shared an interest in women’s causes, but I learned so much more today about her involvement in the Human Library. She’s actually in a book and sings in a political community choir. I loved that she found her singing voice late in life and is using it for social and political impact. She’s performed at the Fringe Festival (https://www.edfringe.com/), which is very impressive to me. She also invited me to join her on Saturday for “Women in Black” (https://womeninblack.org/vigils-arround-the-world/europa/united-kingdom/edinburgh/). Making a new friend with the same passion about women’s issues was really a treat, especially on RTW! It felt like meeting up with a long time friend to catch up on things. As good friends do, she also corrected my spelling of whisky (no “e” in Scotland, “e” is only for Irish) and showed me a few restaurants to get an authentic haggis meal. We hugged goodbye in the pouring rain, and went our separate ways. Meeting up with her was truly the highlight of my day!

Friday was another eventful day in Edinburgh! I booked an Outlander bus tour, so I assumed that the guide would be an enthusiastic Outlander fan, and that all of the commentary would be Outlander related. However, the tour guide (in a very heavy Scottish accent) admitted that he was currently only working on season 3 of the series, so that wasn’t quite the case. I spent the driving portions looking up information online, and found pics of the series so that I could take similar photos once the bus stopped at each location. To be honest, the free walking tours that I’ve been on were better than this particular guide was– he would drop us off, tell us when to return, and then left us on our own. It was relaxing to not have to deal with driving directions or parking– it was easy to just get on and off the bus at the decided time– but I would have liked a little more commentary. I could have probably done this particular tour by myself, just as I had on the other Outlander stops. In (mostly) chronological order, we went to Falkland (the stand in for Inverness where Claire & Frank honeymooned), Culross (the Palace and Abbey closes), Linlithgow Palace (the birthplace to Mary Queen of Scots, and Wentworth Prison in the series), Blackness Castle (Fort William in the series), and Midhope Castle (Lallybroch). Falkland is one of the first scenes in Outlander, used to portray 1940’s Scotland and 1960’s Inverness in various episodes of the series. The Covenanter Hotel was also used for Mrs. Baird’s, and the fountain was featured in the scene where Jamie’s ghost can be seen looking up at Claire. Culross Village was one of my favorite stops of the day, especially the garden that was Claire’s herb garden in the series. I also loved Linlithgow Palace– climbing up to the top tower gave me a birds eye view of the center court. The indentations of the stairs made it apparent that I was walking where royals had actually walked 800 years ago. The palace was closed for the winter, so I couldn’t get any inside pictures, but what I could view was well worth the visit. I even found a new pilgrim path, Fife Pilgrim Way in Culross. I get so excited when I find a marking pole with a new logo and discover another reason to return to Scotland one day! There are so many pilgrim paths on my list! Quick fun fact: “Fife” is a word in the English and Scots languages used to denote various coastal waters in the United Kingdom. Blackness Castle is where many Fort Williams scenes are portrayed in the series. Similarly, Linlithgow Palace was used to portray Wentworth Prison– a gruesome series of events from the series, indeed. Overall, it was really cool to be able to see so many various locations from Outlander in one stop, and I was thankful for the nostalgia! In the evening, I went to Luckenbooth for a delicious dinner, and to try haggis and whisky, per Jo’s recommendation. It was a delicious way to end a rather productive day!

For my last night in Scotland, on Saturday I decided to treat myself to a solo guest house room, which meant that I was between places from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. During those moments especially, I have a lot of sympathy when I pass a homeless person. I have the luxury of going into a coffee shop or store to warm up and get out of the weather, while they have to endure the elements. Seeing someone sitting on the cold, wet pavement really hits homes on days like this, and my heart breaks. I find myself wondering what their story is. Where did they come from? What happened that led to this moment? They are, after all, someone’s sons and daughters. I don’t carry spare coins, and normally, I don’t trust giving a person cash, but after all the traveling I’ve done, I see them quite differently now. Saturday was a very powerful day for me. I stood with Jo and the Women in Black during their Saturday demonstration. It was a very powerful and moving experience, and I am thankful that I was able to participate. I was a little nervous to do it because there were other demonstrations going on as well– Ukraine and Palestine both had a presence within the Waverly/Balmoral hotel blocks. At first, I went to the wrong side of the street, but then as I was walking back, I saw several women in black wearing placards and standing side by side in silence. I found Jo, and she helped me get a placard that resonated with me. Then I joined the group for the rest of the hour. I loved that we were all standing together in silence and solidarity for peace. It was pouring rain, and there was a continual stream of people on their way to and from the train station doing holiday shopping, or going to Christmas Market, or running their weekend errands. The people watching was rich, and being silent gave me the space to really see how people reacted to our signs and presence. Some people slowed down to read the placards, while others just passed us by. Some made eye contact, and some wouldn’t even try. The ones who made eye contact were the most interesting to me, because it varied from a nodding acknowledgement, to looking down at the ground, to mumbling something sarcastic. It reminded me of what I learned in yoga training– set an intention, and by dedicating the time to something outside of my own interests or wants, the collective physical/emotional energy put into the moment elevates that intention. Several women standing together with an intention for peace contributes to this cause in the same way. It was an honor to stand with Jo and these women. Afterwards, Jo and I spoke with Janet, one of the group’s organizers. Women in Black have chapters around the world, and the Edinburgh group started in 2002 to demonstrate against the war in Iraq. This group meets every single Saturday, for one hour, to stand for peace in solidarity. I’ll be adding this organization to my list of activities to find as I travel! I’m so grateful to have met Jo, and I know that we will stay in touch. She is an inspiration to me, and a shining example of someone who puts passion into actions, making a real difference in the world! Jo and Neil even made a generous donation to the World Bicycle Relief organization, and for that, I am so grateful!

On Sunday’s episode of Amazing Race from Edinburgh to London, some things went right… and the rest worked out, eventually. After leaving the hostel in the morning, I went to Waverly and got some coffee instead of stopping somewhere along the way. In hindsight, it proved to be a good decision. At the coffee shop, Waverly Coastal Coffee, I overheard someone say that the train to London was cancelled. More specifically, my train. I had been checking the ScotRail app for strike cancellations, but hadn’t seen anything, so I felt a little panicked. I went directly to the info desk, and anxiously got in the queue. Once I got to the counter, it was confirmed: the east coast train (Lumo) was cancelled late the night before due to overhead line damage– not the strike. The LNR train person told me to contact the train company and relayed that it would be best to not travel at all this day. It was confusing to me when he mentioned all of the different train lines, telling me to contact each one directly. I had been using the ScotRail app thus far, irrespective of which train company I was traveling with, with no issues at all. After doing some research, the next train to Rotterdam wasn’t until Monday at 6 a.m., and I had nowhere to stay for the night, so waiting wasn’t an option. I quickly started taking notes on my phone and spelled out the train lines and stations he was mentioning. When I spelled “Houston”, he corrected my spelling to “Euston”, which was helpful. When I showed him my ticket, he said it *should* be good for an earlier train to Euston, since my ticket was “anytime day, single”. He advised me to head to platform 8/9 to confirm with the Avanti conductor, so off I went to find the platform, which was laid out in a very confusing order. There was an Avanti train pulling into platform 9, so I got on that train and showed him my ticket. He said that the car was unreserved, and my ticket would work, so I parked my big bag and found a window seat! And just like that, it was sorted! The train ride itself was really good– which was much welcomed after the hustle of the morning. I had everything I needed: a book, Spotify, snacks, and a seat with a view. I worked on Africa plans, watched the English countryside from my window, checked my travel plans for the Netherlands, and inventoried my travel thus far. Once I arrived in London, I navigated to my hostel for the night and settled into my pod. I had a moment during the day where I realized that this trip is quite literally my dream come true, hiccups and all! I get to navigate tricky travel connections like the train, while planning an amazing African safari, while seeing brand new scenery whiz by from the window. I’m so, so grateful for days like these! I’m actually living my dream! Yes, I’m tired. Yes, it was a hassle to get on the train. Yes, it was a struggle to figure out a new city in the dark, with two packs in tow, deciding on a taxi or an Uber. But even in the challenging moments, I’m here. I’m doing it. I’m traveling the world, with all of my belongings on my back, and nothing but good intentions in my heart.

The streets were empty at 4:30 a.m. on Monday morning when I met my Uber driver for the shortest Uber ride of my life: a whopping half mile. Still, it was better to be safe than mugged, or worse! Though I felt comfortable inside of my hostel, I didn’t want to risk walking by myself, with all of my things, in an unfamiliar place, at 4:30 in the morning. The queue at the St Pancras train station security was shockingly long at 4:45 a.m. The British are brilliant at managing queues, so the lines moved swiftly. I planned to use up my 15£ to get water and something else, but the duty free and coffee shops didn’t take cash. Conveniently, there was a money exchange kiosk. Normally, I don’t use these on principle, since the rate is awful, but I’m not coming back this way on my RTW trip, so I asked to exchange the pounds to euros. The teller noticed that I had a 10€ Scottish note and said they wouldn’t exchange it, and 5 British pounds wasn’t enough for a transaction, so I’m keeping my Scottish note as a souvenir– a sure sign that I’ll return to Scotland, someday– and donated the change to a charity box. I made my way through the station, Swiss Army Knife safely in tow, and settled into my train for the duration of the ride. Once in Leiden, I found my hotel, settled in, and then eagerly explored my new town. It was raining, but I’m now prepared for that kind of weather, so it didn’t deter me from exploring. One of the first things I noticed was that there are far more bikes than cars, which I absolutely love! I’m definitely going to be looking for a bike rental shop to get some bike miles in while I’m here! For those that do drive cars, they drive on the side of the road that I’m used to in the US, and there are separate bike paths all throughout the town, at least where I’ve walked so far. The town has several canals with shops and cafes. I found a ramen noodle restaurant and enjoyed an early dinner, then walked back to the hotel and settled in for the night, excited to explore Leiden more in the morning.

I woke up on Tuesday excited to explore more of Leiden. I walked around town and found a bike rental shop that rented for multiple days. I was so excited to get back on a bike! The Netherlands is the third country that I’ve ridden a bike in during my RTW trip. The Netherlands does a really wonderful job with ensuring bikes, pedestrians, and cars each have their own space to travel on. I love that the bike paths are clearly marked with brick colored pavement, including arrows and crosswalks. The street crossing signals even include bike signals! My bike has 3 gears, upright handlebars, waterproof panniers, a bell, and lights. My bike looks like most of the bikes that I’ve seen the local people riding, and it’s a functional way to get around. The bike shop gave me some bike routes to try while I’m here, including one to the beach! The weather looked like rain may be coming, so I picked a route around the city’s canals to stay nearby. As expected, halfway through, it started to pour. I had my waterproofs, so I was prepared, but I didn’t stop to sight see or take photos. Nonetheless, I was happy to get a few bike miles on the books! In other RTW news, I did get an update from my cargo ship agent today. The Blue Master II is scheduled to arrive in Antwerp from January 5th-9th, with my embarkation on January 7th. I’ve been tracking its progress with the same app that I use at home, Marine Traffic. I’m getting really excited to start that part of my adventure, and to finalize my Africa plans with my friend, Karen! I really like Leiden so far, and I’m looking forward to visiting the J&J Mentor facility later this week. I’ll be in the Netherlands for three weeks, and if they are anything like today, I think I’ll really enjoy my time, here!

I am excited to start a new chapter of my journey in the Netherlands, but I was very sad to leave Scotland on Sunday. Over the last several weeks, I’ve explored its cities, drove its magnificent countryside and shoreline, climbed its mountains, attended a ceilidh, tried Haggis once and whiskey a time or two, and heard live music in pubs as well as on the streets. I participated in a demonstration for peace, I’ve gotten drenched more times than I can count, made some really wonderful new friends, and had many a blether. What is it about Scotland that, despite the weather and short days coupled with long nights, makes it hard to leave? For me, it’s been the kindness, openness, and generosity of the Scottish people, and the beauty of this land that will forever stay with me. It feels like the darker and stormier it is outside, the warmer and richer it is with the people of Alba. That hospitality glow is what I’ll miss most. Until next time, dear friends: stay safe, stay healthy, and always remember to make space for what brings you joy.

Traveling solo does not always mean you’re alone.
Most often, you meet marvelous people along the way
and make connections that last a lifetime.
-Jacqueline Boone