The Wallace Monument
St. Andrews
After an almost impossible morning of sitting in class, we boarded the bus for the trip that would change my school experience for the next five months. I never imagined that a voyage to Scotland with my classmates would strengthen friendships and create new ones, making school so much better. I saw so many beautiful castles, foggy lochs, fluffy sheep and old towns.
We drove through Belgium and stopped in Holland to board a ferry. I was with all my classmates and other exchange students, Miso, Franco and Sofie. Miso, Sofie and I had no problem getting through UK Immigration and then Franco ran into some problems. Since he is Peruvian and is not the age of majority he was supposed to have a Visa. The lady at the boarder made an exception because he was with a school trip but he almost had to take the train back to Lille. The trip started with a bang and only got more exciting from there.
We all got rooms on the ship and organized ourselves before dinner. Everyone explored the boat and then we helped ourselves to an English buffet, Miso and some of the boys wanted to gamble so we played American Roulette. I am not normally the type to throw my money away but after seeing Miso win so much, I was tempted. I started off strong then ended up losing 10 pounds. I was not impressed. We listened to a live band and they wanted people to dance... since we were the only crazy group, we got up and tried to start a movement. It didn't work, only one person joined. Miso and I were dancing and an old man came up to us. Miso was not expecting it and was scared. She ended up on the floor, laughing. We finally went to bed really late to get rest for the next day.
We arrived at the Port of Hull in England and traversed up to Scotland. There were sheep everywhere. Everywhere. Out the bus window, there was always something to look at. Whether it was rolling fields that fell into the sea, mountains covered in snow, or little rivers flowing through the land. We arrived in Glasgow and had lunch in an Italian restaurant. We had some free time where we explored the town and shopped a little. We went to ‘Pound Land’ which was great because there is no ‘Euro Store’ here and I miss my dollar store deals. Our special friend, Noémie got lost in the city and we had to send a small search team out to find her.
We headed to Edinburgh and checked into our Youth Hostel called, ‘Smart City Hostels.’ It was just off the main street and down a brick road. I shared a room with seven other girls which got a little hectic in the mornings and was certainly crazy at night. We had dinner at the buffet downstairs then hung out in the bar for a bit.
The next day we went to Loch Lomond, which is the biggest loch in Scotland and we went on a little boat cruise. It was freezing cold and pouring rain, but wasn’t possible to take pictures of the beautiful islands surrounded in mist because the windows were so foggy. There were about 5 of us who actually cared and went out on the front deck, in the rain, to enjoy the sites and take photos. We went to a town called, ‘Sterling’ next where we visited the Wallace Monument. It was at the summit of a big hill and overlooked miles of Scotland with mountains in the distance. It was so beautiful. The castle has 246 steps to get to the top so we were pretty tired after. We visited another castle quickly then headed back to Edinburgh and had a little free time. We visited “The Elephant House” which is the birthplace of Harry Potter. It was a little coffee shop where J.K. Rowling's wrote a lot of the book. One girl in my class is a huge fan and she cried. I ate Haggis for the first and last time that evening. Haggis is a sheep’s heart, liver and lungs that are cooked in the stomach. It was not terrible, but I was grossed out. Everyone hung out in our room that night and we played games and had fun.
We woke up early and spent the day in Glamis, Dundee and St. Andrews. We started at Glamis Castle which is a really beautiful castle that is still in the Scottish Royal Family. It is still truly a family home, unlike the château de Versailles, with a lot of pictures of the family and a very comfortable feeling. Our guide told us some ghost stories about the castle so I was freaked out. We then went to Dundee and went to Discovery Point which is a boat that was on an exhibition in the Antarctic for many years. Dundee was a small town, on the water which had a beautiful view. We then headed to St. Andrews and saw ‘the home of golf’ the beautiful beaches and the old town. We spent a lot of time on the bus this day, so we were all well rested and we had another good night in Scotland.
Our last morning in Scotland consisted of going out and exploring Edinburgh for a bit, shopping and then boarding the bus. The bus ride from the hostel to the ferry was perfect. We drove along the water and it was absolutely beautiful. A classmate, Armand, and I tried to take a lot of pictures and we were glued to the window. Picture this: Off in the distance there are glowing mountains with snow frosting the tips. In front of that is a sea that sparkles in the gloomy sunlight. Rolling fields connect the winding road with the sea. On that green grass there are a countless number for sheep, eating and sleeping. It was bliss.
We said goodbye to the United Kingdom and got back on the ferry. Miso, Sofie, Noémie and I shared a room which was quite fun. After dinner, I organized a group photo and while we were waiting for everyone to assemble, Miso took a picture with Mr. Joly, our normally very serious teacher, in a Disney cut out. They put their faces in the holes of a pirate and princess. It was so funny. Then we convinced the female teacher, Mme. Houillion, to take one with Mr. Joly. It was perfect. The group pictures turned out well and everyone was happy to have the pictures. Our last night together consisted of gambling, dancing, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.
This trip opened me up and allowed my classmates to get to know the real me. I was myself with them finally and this made friendships that will last forever. Scotland was beautiful and is one of my favorite countries; it was something very special for me. That probably had to do with the people I was with. It was a trip I will never forget and I am so grateful I had the chance to go!
