So, I'm officially a master now - graduation was last week, and it was great to see everyone together before the unfortunate scattering around the globe of great and talented friends. Thank goodness for technology and the seven thousand platforms humans have invented for staying in touch. That's the one thing I do like about modern technology - I may dislike a lot of cultural aspects that it has introduced [insert privacy issues rant], but there's something cheering and hopeful about the fact that so many of our efforts have gone into trying to bring people closer to us. (I'm mostly referring to free platforms like Whatsapp, Skype, and Snapchat, but yes, even dating (and "dating") apps count.)
My family came to see the graduation ceremony, and then do some hiking/touring in Scotland. We spent a few days in Edinburgh before driving around the Highlands and basing ourselves in Glencoe, a beautiful spot with plenty of good hikes and within driving distance from a lot of famous sites. The latter category is including, but not limited to: a bunch of castles where people were attacked, raided or slaughtered, such as Stirling, Doune, and Urquart; some feats of engineering like the Falkirk Wheel, Glenfinnan Viaduct, and canal locks (not to be confused with the actual lochs); a battlefield or two, and some ancient standing stones. To be honest I preferred just tramping around the misty green glens. Because it's high season, the castles were especially crowded. They were interesting, but why cram yourself in to another gift shop when there's enough open space around to lose complete track of civilization?
Edinburgh is a fun city to visit though, and it was nice to explore a bit more than the one afternoon I'd spent previously. I found some good coffee shops, and was glad to linger in the comfortable flat my family had rented. We did some of the galleries and had a breezy (return) trip up Arthur's Seat before happily crossing paths with a friend from the States for dinner. I only saw the train station of Glasgow as I returned south, but it too seemed a friendly city, and one to get back to.
I was intrigued by the personal memorials I found in different places in Scotland - there were flowers and a note by one of the Glencoe trailheads, and near Loch Lomond a fake-flower bouquet had been planted in a little copse, with a card dedicated to a lost grandfather. Tokens for recent losses make sense the world over, but there were also fresh tributes at the monument to a 400-year-old massacre. (I came upon a group taking a few wedding photos there, too, though that might have been entirely unrelated.) It seems like the memory of death and massacre - and there were certainly plenty of those through Scottish history - runs strong in the region.
I'm savoring my last few days with friends in London, and will have some things to say about Hampshire (and Jane Austen!) soon.
Love,
Annie
I was intrigued by the personal memorials I found in different places in Scotland - there were flowers and a note by one of the Glencoe trailheads, and near Loch Lomond a fake-flower bouquet had been planted in a little copse, with a card dedicated to a lost grandfather. Tokens for recent losses make sense the world over, but there were also fresh tributes at the monument to a 400-year-old massacre. (I came upon a group taking a few wedding photos there, too, though that might have been entirely unrelated.) It seems like the memory of death and massacre - and there were certainly plenty of those through Scottish history - runs strong in the region.
I'm savoring my last few days with friends in London, and will have some things to say about Hampshire (and Jane Austen!) soon.
Love,
Annie