My college here at Van Mildert has seven blocks of dorms, each having a different reputation. Some are average, some are supposed to be really worn down and junky, and one is renowned for being by far the best. I happen to be in that building, Deerness as it's known. I'll post more about my room soon, but for now, the important part is that we have an elevator, or "lift" as it's known here.
I think we are the only building to actually have an elevator. As I live on the third floor, I don't really bother taking it. I much prefer walking up the stairs than waiting for the lift. Occasionally after an especially tiring day, or after football practice I take it, but very sparingly. A couple of nights ago, for whatever reason, I felt like taking the lift. I just couldn't be bothered to walk up three flights of stairs, it must have been after football or something. Anyway, I pushed the button and waited. Nothing happened. I noticed the button hadn't even lit up. I pushed it again. Nothing happened. I gave up and began walking up the stairs.
When I got to my floor I saw a girl sitting on the ground next to the elevator, looking distressed. One of the college porters (men who work the front desk at night) was standing around somewhat awkwardly.
"Chris, are you still okay?" he yelled, to what seemed to be nobody in particular. Surely he wasn't talking to the girl, she was only feet from him, why was he yelling? Entranced by the scene, I stopped to see what was going on.
And then came a partially muffled voice from somewhere deep inside the elevator shaft,
"Yeah, I think so... It's really dark" said the voice of a desperately unlucky person, apparently known as 'Chris'.
"You're okay, just sit tight, I've been on the phone with the repair guys from Newcastle, they should be here in around a half hour" said the porter.
I'd seen enough. Without saying anything I snuck out of the corridor and into my room. I knew full well it could have been me if I'd only arrived a few minutes before. I never heard what happened to the kid, "Chris", but I haven't taken the lift since and don't have any plans to in the near future.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Brrrr...
The weather. One of my biggest concerns about spending the year in England. For someone who gets cold in the moderate climate of Santa Cruz, the idea of spending 9 months in a place with real seasons was daunting. I prefer 35 Celsius thanks, not 35 Fahrenheit. It hasn't been that cold yet, but we're getting there.
The truth is, it really hasn't been too bad so far. For the first couple weeks I was able to get away with jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt and a warm sweater or sweatshirt. Of course locals would be walking by in shorts and tee's or short skirts and sleeveless tops for girls. But I wasn't trying to compete, I was just happy it wasn't snowing yet. We have even had lots of sun.
In the past few days however, it has started to get much colder. Now during the days I have to go outside in a long sleeve shirt, a sweater, and a heavy sweatshirt or vest. In the evenings a jacket is a must. I think the average high in the days is around 50, with generally partly cloudy skies. In the nights it is normally in the mid 40s. It hasn't got to the point of long underwear, gloves or hats yet, but it won't be long I'm afraid.
The rain hasn't been as bad as I anticipated, so far at least- knock on wood. I think my whole time in England (3 weeks) it's rained probably about 7 days. 33% is pretty low. I have learned however, that a storm can come from nowhere. Imagine a completely sunny day- cold of course- but not a cloud in the sky. You go into your lecture and then emerge an hour later, not into that sunny afternoon, but instead into a pouring rainstorm. You learn quickly to always carry an umbrella.
Funnily enough, the locals rarely seem to have umbrellas. For living in a country where rain is always a possibility, its baffling how little of the population seem to be prepared for this. I don't know if it's optimism, toughness, forgetfulness, or just en vogue to be soaking wet, but umbrellas really are pretty rare.
While I'm freezing and cowering under my umbrella, the locals still insist on wearing what seems like shockingly out of season clothes. People also love to tell me that I've seen nothing yet, and that it will soon get much worse. For example, during a recent football (soccer) match, I was still on the bench midway through the second half, and itching to get into the game. Not because I was dying to play, but because I was dying of cold! My teammates all seemed to get a laugh out of this, and asked me how I was possibly going to survive the winter. The answer is, in Pasadena. I'll be home for one month during December and January, on Christmas break, ideally missing some of winter's worst. Hopefully I can soak up enough warmish weather to get me through February and March upon my return.
The truth is, it really hasn't been too bad so far. For the first couple weeks I was able to get away with jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt and a warm sweater or sweatshirt. Of course locals would be walking by in shorts and tee's or short skirts and sleeveless tops for girls. But I wasn't trying to compete, I was just happy it wasn't snowing yet. We have even had lots of sun.
In the past few days however, it has started to get much colder. Now during the days I have to go outside in a long sleeve shirt, a sweater, and a heavy sweatshirt or vest. In the evenings a jacket is a must. I think the average high in the days is around 50, with generally partly cloudy skies. In the nights it is normally in the mid 40s. It hasn't got to the point of long underwear, gloves or hats yet, but it won't be long I'm afraid.
The rain hasn't been as bad as I anticipated, so far at least- knock on wood. I think my whole time in England (3 weeks) it's rained probably about 7 days. 33% is pretty low. I have learned however, that a storm can come from nowhere. Imagine a completely sunny day- cold of course- but not a cloud in the sky. You go into your lecture and then emerge an hour later, not into that sunny afternoon, but instead into a pouring rainstorm. You learn quickly to always carry an umbrella.
Funnily enough, the locals rarely seem to have umbrellas. For living in a country where rain is always a possibility, its baffling how little of the population seem to be prepared for this. I don't know if it's optimism, toughness, forgetfulness, or just en vogue to be soaking wet, but umbrellas really are pretty rare.
While I'm freezing and cowering under my umbrella, the locals still insist on wearing what seems like shockingly out of season clothes. People also love to tell me that I've seen nothing yet, and that it will soon get much worse. For example, during a recent football (soccer) match, I was still on the bench midway through the second half, and itching to get into the game. Not because I was dying to play, but because I was dying of cold! My teammates all seemed to get a laugh out of this, and asked me how I was possibly going to survive the winter. The answer is, in Pasadena. I'll be home for one month during December and January, on Christmas break, ideally missing some of winter's worst. Hopefully I can soak up enough warmish weather to get me through February and March upon my return.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Food
One of the main reasons I decided to study here in England was their great reputation for cooking. Everyone has heard stories about great English food, and loves eating at their local British restaurant... Right? Or maybe I'm thinking of Italy or something...
In all seriousness, British cuisine's less than sterling reputation is a bit unfair. So far, most of the food I've had has been different and enjoyable. In Edinburgh we were treated to two meals as part of the orientation. We had dinner at a nice French restaurant which was in cozy, cellar-like setting. The French waiter jokingly chided me for ordering my steak "medium", which is ironic in Britain where they famously overcook anything. He brought it out rare anyways of course. The following night we ate dinner at a very authentic Indian restaurant. British Indian food is typically accepted as an exception to the bad and boring English fare stereotype, and this may be fair. The food was spectacular. Easily the best Indian food I've ever had.
Of course, dining hall cuisine is a whole different topic. The whole dining hall system here is different than in Santa Cruz, and I would venture, most American dining halls. Rather than whatever you want, whenever you want, the system here is much more structured. Meal times are set: 1 hour each for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner every day. And the fare is not unlimited, you are only allowed 1 main dish and a few sides. It's an adjustment, and I do often find myself hungry, being a physically active person. The food itself however, is decent, if not very British. Meals normally consist of some sort of meat, vegetables, french fries (or "chips") and then at least one more type of potato. They really like their potatoes here.
Outside of the dining hall, I have only tried a few different things here in Durham so far. There are no McDonalds thankfully, but there are at least two Subways. There is a cheap, local bakery which I've popped into a few times to pick up a "pasty" for a snack or light meal. It's just a counter service place, and they put your food in a bag to take to-go. It looks quite like this:
A pasty is basically a sort of meat pie. It has a breaded, pie like crust, and some sort of warm meat, potato or cheese filling. I'm partial to the corned beef and potato ones, but only because they are the cheapest on the menu, at 75 pence. I tried their "chicken bake" pasty today, splurging for the 95p option, and now probably won't be able to go back to the cheap stuff. It was great, basically a chicken pot pie in to-go form. It's the perfect hot and filling snack to eat while walking through the cold streets.
I've been to a few other places, including a corner cafe that stays open very late at night, and is the perfect place to get a late night pizza or side of chips (fries).
However, maybe the most interesting place I've been to is Durham's local Mexican Restaurant. I want with a couple other Californian friends on a night our dining hall was closed for an event. We weren't necessarily craving Mexican already, we were just too surprised and excited to pass this place up. I didn't know there would be any Mexican food in England, let alone in tiny Durham. It turned out to be a bit expensive, the type of place you might bring your parents too if they visited. There was a 25% Durham Uni student discount though, which definitely helped. But onto the important stuff, the food. I ordered enchiladas, thinking that was the quintessential dish I would miss. Of course they came with french fries, not beans and rice. My initial remark to my dining companions after my first bite was, "well... we are pretty far from Mexico". But it wasn't too bad, just distinctly average and not very authentic, though that's hardly surprising. If I ever have a serious craving for Mexican food I know where to go at least...
So if anything, don't worry about me starving on the terrible English food- I'm doing okay. The food is different, and that makes it exciting... for now at least. If anything, worry about me freezing over here, and it's only October. I'll be back with more about the weather tomorrow.
In all seriousness, British cuisine's less than sterling reputation is a bit unfair. So far, most of the food I've had has been different and enjoyable. In Edinburgh we were treated to two meals as part of the orientation. We had dinner at a nice French restaurant which was in cozy, cellar-like setting. The French waiter jokingly chided me for ordering my steak "medium", which is ironic in Britain where they famously overcook anything. He brought it out rare anyways of course. The following night we ate dinner at a very authentic Indian restaurant. British Indian food is typically accepted as an exception to the bad and boring English fare stereotype, and this may be fair. The food was spectacular. Easily the best Indian food I've ever had.
Of course, dining hall cuisine is a whole different topic. The whole dining hall system here is different than in Santa Cruz, and I would venture, most American dining halls. Rather than whatever you want, whenever you want, the system here is much more structured. Meal times are set: 1 hour each for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner every day. And the fare is not unlimited, you are only allowed 1 main dish and a few sides. It's an adjustment, and I do often find myself hungry, being a physically active person. The food itself however, is decent, if not very British. Meals normally consist of some sort of meat, vegetables, french fries (or "chips") and then at least one more type of potato. They really like their potatoes here.
Outside of the dining hall, I have only tried a few different things here in Durham so far. There are no McDonalds thankfully, but there are at least two Subways. There is a cheap, local bakery which I've popped into a few times to pick up a "pasty" for a snack or light meal. It's just a counter service place, and they put your food in a bag to take to-go. It looks quite like this:
A pasty is basically a sort of meat pie. It has a breaded, pie like crust, and some sort of warm meat, potato or cheese filling. I'm partial to the corned beef and potato ones, but only because they are the cheapest on the menu, at 75 pence. I tried their "chicken bake" pasty today, splurging for the 95p option, and now probably won't be able to go back to the cheap stuff. It was great, basically a chicken pot pie in to-go form. It's the perfect hot and filling snack to eat while walking through the cold streets.I've been to a few other places, including a corner cafe that stays open very late at night, and is the perfect place to get a late night pizza or side of chips (fries).
However, maybe the most interesting place I've been to is Durham's local Mexican Restaurant. I want with a couple other Californian friends on a night our dining hall was closed for an event. We weren't necessarily craving Mexican already, we were just too surprised and excited to pass this place up. I didn't know there would be any Mexican food in England, let alone in tiny Durham. It turned out to be a bit expensive, the type of place you might bring your parents too if they visited. There was a 25% Durham Uni student discount though, which definitely helped. But onto the important stuff, the food. I ordered enchiladas, thinking that was the quintessential dish I would miss. Of course they came with french fries, not beans and rice. My initial remark to my dining companions after my first bite was, "well... we are pretty far from Mexico". But it wasn't too bad, just distinctly average and not very authentic, though that's hardly surprising. If I ever have a serious craving for Mexican food I know where to go at least...
So if anything, don't worry about me starving on the terrible English food- I'm doing okay. The food is different, and that makes it exciting... for now at least. If anything, worry about me freezing over here, and it's only October. I'll be back with more about the weather tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Around Durham
I just can't believe how beautiful Durham is, especially when the weather is nice. I must say I've been very lucky to live in Santa Cruz (where I walked through 200 foot redwoods and saw the sunset on my way to the dining hall) and now Durham, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I guess it beats going to school in... Well I don't want to insult anyone, so you can fill in that blank with what you will.
Anyway, simply walking around Durham it's easy to see why UNESCO has protected it as a "heritage site". I'm sure these pictures won't do it justice, but here goes, just a few of my favorite photos I've taken in the first few days:
just any old (pun intended) street in Durham
Inside the grounds of Durham Castle
Durham Cathedral
Rowers on the river
More of the Cathedral
Courtyard inside the Cathedral (Scenes from Harry Potter were filmed here)
More of the Harry Potter Courtyard
My view as I walk to class... Really
Anyway, simply walking around Durham it's easy to see why UNESCO has protected it as a "heritage site". I'm sure these pictures won't do it justice, but here goes, just a few of my favorite photos I've taken in the first few days:
just any old (pun intended) street in Durham
Inside the grounds of Durham Castle
Durham Cathedral
Rowers on the river
More of the Cathedral
Courtyard inside the Cathedral (Scenes from Harry Potter were filmed here)
More of the Harry Potter Courtyard
My view as I walk to class... ReallyI'll be back soon with more about the weather, my room, food, etc. I'll try to post again tonight or tomorrow. Also, if there is anything you want to know about that I'm not talking about on the blog, make a comment or send me an email, and I'll answer it either in email form or here on the blog.
More soon,
Gabe
More soon,
Gabe
Hello from Durham
Sorry you haven't heard from me in so long. It has been pretty hectic settling in here in Durham, though not in a bad way. It's been exciting, but I just haven't found the time to make a couple posts on here.
Instead of a huge post about all I've done in the past week, I thought I would make a few smaller posts. I want to try to get in the habit of putting out a small blog update every couple days instead of a long winded post once a week. I will certainly have more time to post now that I'm fairly settled in here, however my subject matter to write about will admittedly decline. This is not to say I won't be doing anything, but as I'll mostly be in the same place and doing the same things for the next couple of months, it won't be as easy to figure out what to post about. Nevertheless, I'll try to give updates on how I'm doing, things I've noticed and other observations every few days, so you'll have reason to check here regularly.
With that said, I'll convey what Durham's been like the past week in my next few posts, hopefully soon.
Instead of a huge post about all I've done in the past week, I thought I would make a few smaller posts. I want to try to get in the habit of putting out a small blog update every couple days instead of a long winded post once a week. I will certainly have more time to post now that I'm fairly settled in here, however my subject matter to write about will admittedly decline. This is not to say I won't be doing anything, but as I'll mostly be in the same place and doing the same things for the next couple of months, it won't be as easy to figure out what to post about. Nevertheless, I'll try to give updates on how I'm doing, things I've noticed and other observations every few days, so you'll have reason to check here regularly.
With that said, I'll convey what Durham's been like the past week in my next few posts, hopefully soon.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Edinburgh
After getting a restful night of sleep- actually, it wasn't quite so restful. I wasn't used to the time change at all. So although I was able to easily fall asleep before 10:00, something I haven't been able to do in years, it was the other end of the night that was more troublesome. I woke up around 3AM, and couldn't fall back asleep for an hour. I finally woke up around 8:30 and was laying in bed contemplating getting up when the fire alarm went off. I wasn't sure if it was sleep in my eyes or a blurry peephole, but when I looked out the peephole, I was sure I saw smoke in the hallway. Needless to say that started off my day with some excitement.
(the "fire drill")
Of course there wasn't actually a fire, but the whole hotel had to evacuate and the firetrucks did come. This whole procedure happened again only 2 nights later.
I obviously couldn't go back to sleep after the firedrill, so I set off to explore the city. The University of California orientation didn't start until the afternoon, so I had much of the day to myself. In the sunshine of a nice day I got a new perspective on the city I had barely glimpsed the previous night. It was amazing. My only complaint was that I didn't know what to take pictures of, because literally everything was worth a photograph.
(as always, click for a larger photo)
The orientation itself started with a meet and greet of sorts with the other UC students. There are 8 of us in total going to Durham, with most of the other UC's- Santa Barbara, San Diego, Davis, Berkeley all represented. There are 5 girls and 3 boys. We met the study center directors (one of whom was an American professor from UC San Diego, and one a local from Edinburgh), who are basically our representatives to the UC whilst we are abroad. After they took us out to dinner, the study center director's son, who is just above college age and living in Edinburgh for the year with his dad, took us out around the town. The highlight was watching the Liverpool soccer (football!) game at a local pub. That was certainly an experience, and I now can't wait to go to see some games in person.
The following day, Thursday, we met at the study center, which is in the campus of the University of Edinburgh, for a meeting about logistics and advice. The rest of the day was spent touring the city with the highlights being a tour of Edinburgh Castle, and a hike up Arthur's Seat- which upon summiting produced a fabulous view of the entire city and surrounding area.
The following are some of the best pictures from my few days in Edinburgh, but there are literally over 100 omitted. I am looking into a photo sharing website in order to display more of the photos I've taken, but in the meantime, enjoy these starters:
(the Royal Mile)
(same spot, looking the other direction)
(a photo through one of the many "closes" or alleys of Edinburgh)
(Michael, the study center director, at right with some of the other UC students in the castle)
(the gate)
(at the summit of arthur's seat)
( we got hot climbing up, but it was freezing at the top)
All for now, I'll be back with more from Durham soon,
-Gabe
(the "fire drill")Of course there wasn't actually a fire, but the whole hotel had to evacuate and the firetrucks did come. This whole procedure happened again only 2 nights later.
I obviously couldn't go back to sleep after the firedrill, so I set off to explore the city. The University of California orientation didn't start until the afternoon, so I had much of the day to myself. In the sunshine of a nice day I got a new perspective on the city I had barely glimpsed the previous night. It was amazing. My only complaint was that I didn't know what to take pictures of, because literally everything was worth a photograph.
(as always, click for a larger photo)I grabbed lunch (chips and curry) at a place where I saw lots of locals going, and took it outside and sat on a nice bench to eat. It wasn't too bad and was only about 2 quid.
The orientation itself started with a meet and greet of sorts with the other UC students. There are 8 of us in total going to Durham, with most of the other UC's- Santa Barbara, San Diego, Davis, Berkeley all represented. There are 5 girls and 3 boys. We met the study center directors (one of whom was an American professor from UC San Diego, and one a local from Edinburgh), who are basically our representatives to the UC whilst we are abroad. After they took us out to dinner, the study center director's son, who is just above college age and living in Edinburgh for the year with his dad, took us out around the town. The highlight was watching the Liverpool soccer (football!) game at a local pub. That was certainly an experience, and I now can't wait to go to see some games in person.
The following day, Thursday, we met at the study center, which is in the campus of the University of Edinburgh, for a meeting about logistics and advice. The rest of the day was spent touring the city with the highlights being a tour of Edinburgh Castle, and a hike up Arthur's Seat- which upon summiting produced a fabulous view of the entire city and surrounding area.
The following are some of the best pictures from my few days in Edinburgh, but there are literally over 100 omitted. I am looking into a photo sharing website in order to display more of the photos I've taken, but in the meantime, enjoy these starters:
(the Royal Mile)
(same spot, looking the other direction)
(a photo through one of the many "closes" or alleys of Edinburgh)
(Michael, the study center director, at right with some of the other UC students in the castle)
(the gate)
(at the summit of arthur's seat)
( we got hot climbing up, but it was freezing at the top)
All for now, I'll be back with more from Durham soon,
-Gabe
Saturday, October 4, 2008
A Crazy Start
Sorry about the lack of posts lately, I haven't had internet access in the past few days, and as you could imagine, I've been a bit busy. I'll get you up to date by writing about the flight to London, the train ride to Edinburgh, and my first few days in the UK. I left on Monday September 29th, early in the morning. We (my parents, who were both seeing me, off and I) had to leave home at 6:00 AM, after getting up at 5:00AM- essentially the middle of the night. I had a flight to NYC, a short layover and then a flight to London. From London the plan was to take a train to Edinburgh for the 3 night University of California orientation.
Everything started off according to plan. My Delta flight to JFK airport in New York City was fine, although lacking a bit of leg room. Everything was on time however, and the check-in desk at LAX assured me I wouldn't see my checked bags again until London. The bags actually turned out to be 47 and 49 pounds each, just under the maximum limit of 50 pounds.
I arrived at JFK airport around 5:00PM Eastern Time, and was immediately confused. It's a huge airport with many different terminals, separated by what seemed like miles between them. After asking several securities guards for directions, I made it to the Virgin Airlines terminal via a subway like train. However, upon arrival at Terminal 4, I discovered my flight was delayed from 7:30PM to 9:30PM. Not a huge deal, it just meant I would have to rush to catch my noon train the next morning in London.
Of course, the plane did not take off at 9:30. All 400 or so of the mostly British passengers began to get more and more exasperated, as we sat around for what turned into a five hour delay.
(The delay)
Everything started off according to plan. My Delta flight to JFK airport in New York City was fine, although lacking a bit of leg room. Everything was on time however, and the check-in desk at LAX assured me I wouldn't see my checked bags again until London. The bags actually turned out to be 47 and 49 pounds each, just under the maximum limit of 50 pounds.
I arrived at JFK airport around 5:00PM Eastern Time, and was immediately confused. It's a huge airport with many different terminals, separated by what seemed like miles between them. After asking several securities guards for directions, I made it to the Virgin Airlines terminal via a subway like train. However, upon arrival at Terminal 4, I discovered my flight was delayed from 7:30PM to 9:30PM. Not a huge deal, it just meant I would have to rush to catch my noon train the next morning in London.
Of course, the plane did not take off at 9:30. All 400 or so of the mostly British passengers began to get more and more exasperated, as we sat around for what turned into a five hour delay.
(The delay)During the delay, I ended up talking to a group of 5 London boys who were about my age, and it was a good way to pass the time. We talked about sports, the LA Galaxy, their trip to America, my upcoming trip to Durham, and of course we complained about the ridiculous delay.
The flight finally took off around 12:30AM and Virgin began to make up for the delay with their great service. I had much more legroom than Delta, got a free diner and breakfast, as well as a "goodie bag" of stuff- the best of which was a pair of purple socks.
(Flying over the mid-Atlantic at sunrise)
(Central London, note the Tower Bridge and the River Thames, from my window seat on the plane)
I landed at Heathrow at 11:30AM, knowing I was obviously going to miss my noon train, which departed from Kings Cross Train Station, and for which I had already purchased tickets. After an exhilarating 45 minute taxi ride, which featured pouring rain, driving on the wrong side of the road, a crazy London taxi driver and the midday traffic and confusion of London, we made it to the train station.
We arrived at the Kings Cross around 130pm, and despite my attempts at getting some sort of compensation, I was forced to buy a 101 pound ticket to Edinburgh. After purchasing the ticket, I asked the women at the desk what time she had gotten me a ticket for, she said 2:00pm. I looked up at the clock and realized it was 1:54. I ran over to platform 1 (no time to see platform 9 3/4) and jumped into the first compartment I could find that had available seats, just as the conductor was whistling last call. I sat down and was surprised at how comfortable and spacious the train was, as well as the amenities provided: free wireless internet, free snacks, coffee and tea, free newspaper and more. Of course it was all too good to be true, and I was soon kicked out of first class (which I had apparently unwittingly sat in) and had to move three cars over into general seating. The rest of the train ride was nice, and it seems that it will be a great way to travel when I know the system and don't have two giant bags.
After almost 48 hours of near nonstop "adventures" and little sleep, I finally arrived in Edinburgh around 7pm on Tuesday night. After carrying my two 50lb rolling bags up a 1/4 mile cobblestone hill, I made it to my hotel, and feel asleep within an hour.
More soon about Edinburgh,
Gabe
The flight finally took off around 12:30AM and Virgin began to make up for the delay with their great service. I had much more legroom than Delta, got a free diner and breakfast, as well as a "goodie bag" of stuff- the best of which was a pair of purple socks.
(Flying over the mid-Atlantic at sunrise)
(Central London, note the Tower Bridge and the River Thames, from my window seat on the plane)I landed at Heathrow at 11:30AM, knowing I was obviously going to miss my noon train, which departed from Kings Cross Train Station, and for which I had already purchased tickets. After an exhilarating 45 minute taxi ride, which featured pouring rain, driving on the wrong side of the road, a crazy London taxi driver and the midday traffic and confusion of London, we made it to the train station.
We arrived at the Kings Cross around 130pm, and despite my attempts at getting some sort of compensation, I was forced to buy a 101 pound ticket to Edinburgh. After purchasing the ticket, I asked the women at the desk what time she had gotten me a ticket for, she said 2:00pm. I looked up at the clock and realized it was 1:54. I ran over to platform 1 (no time to see platform 9 3/4) and jumped into the first compartment I could find that had available seats, just as the conductor was whistling last call. I sat down and was surprised at how comfortable and spacious the train was, as well as the amenities provided: free wireless internet, free snacks, coffee and tea, free newspaper and more. Of course it was all too good to be true, and I was soon kicked out of first class (which I had apparently unwittingly sat in) and had to move three cars over into general seating. The rest of the train ride was nice, and it seems that it will be a great way to travel when I know the system and don't have two giant bags.
After almost 48 hours of near nonstop "adventures" and little sleep, I finally arrived in Edinburgh around 7pm on Tuesday night. After carrying my two 50lb rolling bags up a 1/4 mile cobblestone hill, I made it to my hotel, and feel asleep within an hour.
More soon about Edinburgh,
Gabe
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