Scotland Universities

One of the advantages to having an International Baccalaureate High School Diploma is that University options become much more broad. Different from 30 years ago when Tim and Lisa graduated, students today spend a significant amount of time and effort visiting and researching Universities before making application. Max, in Grade 11, has begun this process.

Max is interested in pursuing an engineering degree. So while in Scotland we visited two universities that offer Chemical and Mechanical Engineering. Heriot Watt University is located on the outskirts of Edinburgh and Strathclyde University is in downtown Glasgow.  Max spoke with professors, Admissions officers, and students about their experiences.

Scotland Activity

We arrived in Edinburgh during torrential rain -- after the driest September since 1910. It figures. So our first stop was to buy good quality waterproof coats and umbrellas; we didn't want anything to stop our sightseeing. Thankfully we were able to time our outings between downpours.

Instead of staying in a hotel we chose to rent an apartment for the week. This gave us space, a kitchen, and a location on the Royal Mile, just minutes from the Edinburgh Castle.

We actually spent a lot of time on the Royal Mile -- the road that links Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. It is filled with historical landmarks, sights, and shops. We visited a Tartan Factory, a kiltmaker shop, a Story Teller Museum, the Writer's Museum, and several cafes.

We were surprised to find this stone on the Royal Mile which states that near this spot in 1625, Sir William Alexander received lawful possession of the province of Nova Scotia from a representative of the King.

We spent a couple of hours wandering the Edinburgh Castle and listening on headphones to the history of the Castle and Edinburgh. It was a (surprisingly) beautiful day.

 We visited the Holyrood Palace which is the residence for the Royal Family when they are in Scotland. Every summer the Queen comes to Edinburgh for a number of official duties.

Holyrood Park, attached to the palace, is a beautiful area for hiking and walking. We climbed Arthur's Seat (a dormant volcano) for a spectacular view of the city.

Scotland Theater

While in Edinburgh we took advantage of the fantastic theater available. Many London West End shows travel to Edinburgh for limited performances. We were so happy to be able to attend a couple of these.

We saw two shows at the beautiful Edinburgh Playhouse. Jersey Boys was an amazing show! It is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. A great performance and lots of songs. The performers were remarkable actors and singers. We also attended A Vision of Elvis. It was a sing-along with a Scottish Elvis impersonator. Fun!

And we also went to the beautiful Festival Theater for opening night of Top Hat. It is the remake of a 1930s movie starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Again, the actors were very talented dancers and the sets were incredible. Since it was opening night we were invited to wear Top Hats and tiaras. Of course we did!

Scotland Food

Max and Deep Fried Mars Bar

With two growing teenage boys, it should not be surprising that we spent a lot of time eating and exploring food in Scotland. We ate at a variety of establishments -- from local pubs to the Queen's cafe at Holyrood Palace. It was an adventure to try haggis (a spicy pudding of sheep heart, liver, lungs), and Iron Bru (a soft drink), and Deep Fried Mars Bar (just like it sounds!).

Fish Pie

But mostly we ate fish -- Fish and Chips with tarter sauce and mushy peas, Fish Pie made with salmon and cod, Cullen Skink (a chowder made with smoked haddock), and more Fish and Chips.....

All mushy peas are not alike! Family recipes!

Scotland Reunion

This past week we traveled from Doha to Edinburgh, Scotland for a fun-filled week of activities. Over the next few days we will share some of our adventures!

One of the things that drew us to Edinburgh was the opportunity to visit with an old friend. Daryl was Tim's Best Man at our wedding in 1988 (26 years ago!). Tim and Daryl were in the Air Force together and we haven't seen him in 18 years. Daryl and his family moved to Edinburgh in 1999 where Daryl now works as a Social Worker in the Scottish Prison System. His wife, Ruiqing, is a nurse on a cardiology unit in a local hospital.

We had some wonderful time with Daryl and his family: a delicious meal and lots of laughter at their home; a drive through the Kingdom of Fife; a walk along the water in Musselburgh; a taste of St Luca ice cream; a walk on the Royal Mile in the rain; and a peek at Edinburgh Castle. Wonderful memories!

Allergies

Last spring Max had two serious bouts of bronchitis. After trying a variety of medications and the change of climate in Nova Scotia, our pulmonologist recommended allergy testing to try and decipher the trigger.

Max was tested for a variety of trees, molds, pollen, animals and insects. Max only mildly reacted to one item -- and it was not Muppy!! Mugwort (a pollen) is a very common cause of hayfever. Thankfully Max's reactive airways do not inhibit his swimming or basketball activities.