Alive, Alive, I promise!
Sep. 16th, 2007 08:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
windemereSo, we're in Edinburgh and it is (or was before the sun set) sunny and pretty damn pleasant. Had a wonderful dinner 50 feet from the hostel and tomorrow we set out for our tour of Scotland.
Well, it's been a whirlwind few days. After leaving Glastonbury at 6am and spending the day train hoping across England, we arrived in Hexham. Val, the nice lady who runs the Gibbs Hill hostel, told us to take the bus to Once Brewed (20 minutes away) and that she'd pick us up from there. We were so very grateful after a long day (not too many taxies around those parts keep in mind).
Northumberland is beautiful. Spectacular rolling hills and pasture beautiful. If you have a car, it's fine, but without a car the only mode of transportation is walking. And it's all hills. We got up a little later than normal Friday, because we had no reason to rush. Val packed us lunch, and so we headed off.
Let me put this in perspective. The driveway for Gibbs Hill is a mile long....UPHILL. Then another mile to Once Brewed to catch the bus that runs the wall. From there we walked the 1.5 mile to Vindolanda, the largest of the Roman fort sites in the area that pre-dates the wall. Stopped for lunch and then caught the bus 5 miles to Housesteads, the only Roman Garrison fort attached to the wall. Then walked the 0.5 miles uphill to the fort, and the 0.5 miles back down. But what a view! Then we took the bus back to Once Brewed and walked back to the hostel. Total miles: 6.5 (10km) - not including fort walking
Sunday we got up earlier and set off because it was forcast to rain for the afternoon and we wanted to get the most of the walking done before then. So, off we went to Steel Rig (1.5 miles uphill) and then took the Wall trail out towards Housesteads (3 miles) Halfway along this trail which goes UP and DOWN, UP and DOWN on very steep steps, we got to the Tree. This tree is famous as it was used for a scene in Robin Hood (watch the movie, you'll find it). Then it started to rain, so we took the meadow trail back (the steps are deadly when wet) and nixed the rest of the walk (we had planned to walk out to the lookout, the highest point along the wall, another 3 miles) and instead headed back to the hostel for lunch. Total miles: 6.5 (10km)
We spent the afternoon reading saved fanfic and relaxing because we felt we deserved it!
This morning we got up and got a ride back to the bus stop, in the sleet and caught the bus back to Newcastle to get the train. Which went from Newcastle through Hexham to Carlisle before going up to Edinburgh.
And now I'm sitting in the Castle Rock Hostel, at the base of the castle, and it was sunny all day here, and the lights outside are magnificent. And it's full of Americans! So weird. Tomorrow we start the backpacking tour, with only once piece of luggage in tow this time. We packed light and locked the rest of our stuff up here in storage. Thankfully. Carrying my bag up and down stairs has basically destroyed my back. But I am still in less pain than Kate, so I figure I'm doing good. Also, twenty kilometers yesterday! Feel like I might actually be in shape by the end of this.
Back to Edinburgh on Friday and then Moot for a week! And then school. Finally.
I love it here.
Well, it's been a whirlwind few days. After leaving Glastonbury at 6am and spending the day train hoping across England, we arrived in Hexham. Val, the nice lady who runs the Gibbs Hill hostel, told us to take the bus to Once Brewed (20 minutes away) and that she'd pick us up from there. We were so very grateful after a long day (not too many taxies around those parts keep in mind).
Northumberland is beautiful. Spectacular rolling hills and pasture beautiful. If you have a car, it's fine, but without a car the only mode of transportation is walking. And it's all hills. We got up a little later than normal Friday, because we had no reason to rush. Val packed us lunch, and so we headed off.
Let me put this in perspective. The driveway for Gibbs Hill is a mile long....UPHILL. Then another mile to Once Brewed to catch the bus that runs the wall. From there we walked the 1.5 mile to Vindolanda, the largest of the Roman fort sites in the area that pre-dates the wall. Stopped for lunch and then caught the bus 5 miles to Housesteads, the only Roman Garrison fort attached to the wall. Then walked the 0.5 miles uphill to the fort, and the 0.5 miles back down. But what a view! Then we took the bus back to Once Brewed and walked back to the hostel. Total miles: 6.5 (10km) - not including fort walking
Sunday we got up earlier and set off because it was forcast to rain for the afternoon and we wanted to get the most of the walking done before then. So, off we went to Steel Rig (1.5 miles uphill) and then took the Wall trail out towards Housesteads (3 miles) Halfway along this trail which goes UP and DOWN, UP and DOWN on very steep steps, we got to the Tree. This tree is famous as it was used for a scene in Robin Hood (watch the movie, you'll find it). Then it started to rain, so we took the meadow trail back (the steps are deadly when wet) and nixed the rest of the walk (we had planned to walk out to the lookout, the highest point along the wall, another 3 miles) and instead headed back to the hostel for lunch. Total miles: 6.5 (10km)
We spent the afternoon reading saved fanfic and relaxing because we felt we deserved it!
This morning we got up and got a ride back to the bus stop, in the sleet and caught the bus back to Newcastle to get the train. Which went from Newcastle through Hexham to Carlisle before going up to Edinburgh.
And now I'm sitting in the Castle Rock Hostel, at the base of the castle, and it was sunny all day here, and the lights outside are magnificent. And it's full of Americans! So weird. Tomorrow we start the backpacking tour, with only once piece of luggage in tow this time. We packed light and locked the rest of our stuff up here in storage. Thankfully. Carrying my bag up and down stairs has basically destroyed my back. But I am still in less pain than Kate, so I figure I'm doing good. Also, twenty kilometers yesterday! Feel like I might actually be in shape by the end of this.
Back to Edinburgh on Friday and then Moot for a week! And then school. Finally.
I love it here.
