Monthly Archives: July 2012
Estonia’s path to independence
Today was focused on learning about the country's busy history so I went to the Occupation Museum which touches on the German occupation and primary addresses Estonia under the Soviets. The one room museum held countless small artifacts from the country and capital city since the early twentieth century. A secret peep hole … Continue reading
Tallinn, Estonia
Before I arrived in Estonia, I knew that I knew almost nothing about this country. I knew this is where Skype was invented, that former pro cyclist Jaan Kirsipuu hails from here, and that it was once part of the USSR. After one full day just wandering around Tallinn's Old Town, I am starting to … Continue reading
Scotland miscellaneous
A few unorganized recollections of Scotland. Being so far north, especially in Turriff, the sun didn't set until well after 10:30 pm. This was novel and exciting the first night, but was less appealing just a few hours later when I was up with the sun at 4:00 am. In this photo, it's 4:16 am. … Continue reading
More Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle is surrounded by a cliff in three sides and the fourth side is reached by climbing uphill and entering a narrow gate. Scottish kings and queens reigned from here in centuries past. The Scottish Crown Jewels are on display, though they haven't been worn in a coronation ceremony for hundreds of years. St. … Continue reading
Edinburgh
With my aunt, cousin, and mom, I boarded the train from Aberdeen to Edinburgh. The ride lasted just a few hours and was scenic. We traveled past cute villages, the shore, and more rolling green hills with low stone walls and sheep (or cattle!) than you can imagine. In Edinburgh, we planned to see … Continue reading
Delgatie Castle, Scotland
It's not every day that you visit your family's former castle so the four of us were really looking forward to it. I scribbled about sixteen pages of notes during our visit, but I'll spare you the minute details and give you the highlights instead. Delgatie Castle is on the edge of Turriff in northeast … Continue reading
The Tower of London
On one side, my family is Scottish and despite the amount of travel we all do, none of us had been to see our family roots in decades. My mom decided to rectify this and organized a week long trip to London and Scotland for me, my aunt, cousin, and herself. At my request, … Continue reading
Special deliveries #3, 4, 5, & 6: Toronto
Loading my friend’s baby in the car, the three of us drove to the Greek neighborhood of Danforth to deliver my first Toronto-bound Galapagos postcard. I got really excited that someone might be home when I saw people in the yard, but they turned out to be working on the house, so I left the … Continue reading