The title of this draft was originally “Lake District National Park” because until just a few days ago, that’s where I thought I would end up. But upon realizing the cost of the only vacant room in the bed and breakfast, I decided to go to the Peak District instead. You’re confused, though, isn’t the title of this post “Stirling?” Yes it is, because I didn’t make it to the Peak District either. Exhausted from the several days of living without a change of clothes and all the walking (over 13 miles one day) in Edinburgh, I knew I needed a short break before I arrived in London “for good.” My friend Lizzie was actually celebrating her birthday the night after she left Edinburgh, so I shot over to her home-base, Stirling, Scotland where I stayed for two nights.
Stirling is so incredibly lovely. The nature surrounding the campus, far away from the downtown area, caught my breath – as well as students who had already been there a week. From Lizzie’s window, a viewer can see a mountain and ancient castle looming above a thick forest of trees. From the other side of the building, a picturesque bridge spans the width of the university’s loch (lake).
We spent the evening eating and drinking in local pubs before coming back for the night. The next morning, we toured downtown Stirling, walked up to the castle, Old Jail, and Church of the Holy Rude, and did a little bit of shopping. After a nap when we returned to the university, I spent some time catching up on email and some administrative tasks. Interestingly, my wifi only allowed me to use google apps – so gmail, google docs, and youtube all worked fine, but nothing else. If you’re wondering why you haven’t heard from me (or why you’re seeing three posts today), that’s the reason.
I left early in the morning for the train station, which will take me to….(bum bum bum!)…LONDON! Cheers!
Mary M. McConnaha 