Scotland

Scotland was an adventure, to say the least. We took a high-speed train into Edinburgh and stayed in a Marriot for a few nights. After living in a room the size of a closet, we were thrilled to see multiple outlets, a full size shower, and BIG beds. Edinburgh was absolutely beautiful and our agreeably favorite place so far. It is known for being an artsy area with a “small town” vibe.  The people (although more difficult to understand than in London) were very welcoming and always willing to help recommend local places to visit and eat. The first day we ate at a local restaurant with fresh catch of the day seafood—amazing. I can honestly say that it was probably the best meal I have ever had in my entire life. As a group, we walked around to the local vintage shops, down to the shore, and to a few of the sites recommended by our professor. It was nice to get out of London to a place where we could experience shoreline, mountains, snow, and sun all in one area. It was much easier to get around walking wise—in fact, Trevor tracked our day with an iPhone app and said we had walked ten miles! One evening, a few of us went to a bar called the Dropkick Murphy. Little did I know that the evening would result in (prepare yourself) a French girl head-butting me?  To make a long story short, I made friends with a French girl who had recently visited Ireland. As we were discussing the beautiful countryside, she grabbed an ice-cube out of my drink, placed it on my forehead, and proceeded to head-butt me. Most people have asked why I didn’t punch her back, but as you all know, I am the least confrontational person on this trip. I was in huge shock and decided to call it a night when she replied, “Wow, you don’t bleed as much as most people do.” Although it was slightly traumatizing, it definitely made a good story the following days.  I am still trying to figure out the entire reasoning for the incident, but at least it all turned out okay. I did wait a few days to break the news to mom. After having our share of Edinburgh, we took an hour bus ride to Glasgow for an evening. Glasgow is more Americanized and I felt like I was in Chicago the entire time. It was nice to see the Transport Museum designed by Zaha Hadid, an interiors project that was featured in the Interior Design magazine just a few months ago. Next weekend we will head to Paris for five days. I am anxious to get back to London but yet thankful for the weekend adventures.

 Outside the Parliament Building.

 I think I found Evan a rental car...

 We walked up in this area...the scenery was beautiful.

 Palace of Holyroadhouse.

 I loved the gold accents.

 We passed this park when searching for the shoreline.

Even in the cold, the flowers are blooming in Glasgow.

 As you can see, the construction is not up to standards.

 Human statue.

Casted model of the city. 

Lamp feature at the Modern Art Museum in Glascow.

 The museum itself.

 Transport Museum by Zaha Hadid.

 Zaha is known for having some crazy interiors...

 Framed exterior view.

The museum at night...

Edinburgh.

In Scotland, I finally see something I am familiar with...

Parliament Building in Edinburgh.

Streets of Edinburgh.

My amazing catch of the day.

A view from the restaurant.

Edinburgh Castle.

View from the castle.

On our walk down from the hill...

A Day in Brighton...

Yesterday we took a high-speed train to Brighton to see the shore. It was definitely a nice change in pace to get out of London into a smaller, artsy town. The train ride lasted an hour and provided wonderful scenery of British countryside. Once we arrived, we walked around and looked in all of the antique shops in the area. After lunch, we went to the beach, pier, and Royal Pavilion. It’s nice to see buildings in person that I was forced to learn in all of my architecture history classes (it makes me appreciate my education more, too :D). We ate at a lovely restaurant on the shore that provided a beautiful sunset. It was a relief to see really nice meals that were half the price of those in London. London is currently the most expensive city in the world, and we are definitely noticing it. After dinner we rode on a ferris wheel and saw the entire town of Brighton. We concluded that this little town was one that we must visit at least one more time before we go home in April.

There are a few things that we are still trying to adjust to in London. First off, their currency system is completely different than ours with more coins than we can interpret. People tend to laugh at us as we scramble through our coin bags. Secondly, it is fairly common for people to walk on the left side of the sidewalk (assuming since they drive that way). Our minds automatically force us to the right, which leads to a few issues in a town of 7 million people. This also results in us looking the wrong way when attempting to cross the street. Luckily there is normally one person out of the eight of us who pays full attention when walking. The Underground has been an absolutely wonderful way of getting around, especially in the evening when it is cold. They close at 12:30 am and open back up at 5:00 am. We have had to sprint a few times to make the last train on our way home from pubs, but it was well worth the story.

This trip has not only expanded my horizons with traveling, but also opened up a little bit more free time than I am used to having in the typical semester. We met with our professor today and started on our research projects. I will be studying the wayfinding design systems of the 2012 London Olympics as well as other Olympic sites in Europe such as Barcelona and Athens. I am very anxious, to say the least. It has been amazing to get the recommended hours of sleep every night as well as get a run in on occasion when it is warm enough. Although it was a culture shock at first, I am feeling blessed to have this once in a lifetime opportunity.  

 The shore of Brighton.

 The sun was out, so it felt a little bit warmer than London.

 A view of the shore from the pier.

 Breathtaking.

 Amusement park on the pier.

 It was pretty desolate.

 Lions seem to be popular here...

 Believe it or not, there were a few takers to sunbathe.

The Royal Pavilion.

 Such a nice resting spot :)

 The scale and style of the Islamic building definitely stood out in Brighton.

I wish cameras were allowed for the interior tour... 

 Rocky beach.

 Definitely a "post-card" town.

 I loved the textures.

 We rode this at sunset...beautiful view of the entire town.

 On the ride.

The amazing restaurant with an amazing view we ate at.