Scotland's 2022 Trip

 15/07/2022

On Friday we went to class and did some long listening exercises. Although they were very boring, we all got good grades so we were very happy.

After class, Marisa went with María and Omy to Saint Andrews to visit the cathedral, the university and the golf course and to have a walk around the main streets. They both loved the small city very much and had a nice time there. They also completed a series of tasks that they had to do around the city, like taking a photo on the Swilken Burn Bridge.

However, the kids had already gone there a few days before, so instead they went to a trampoline park, which was a really fun activity. 

After being in the trampoline park, we went home early that day, so Ana and Javier could do their luggage.

PS: Marisa now wants to live in Saint Andrews.

Scotland's 2022 Trip

 14/07/2022

On Thursday morning all of us met in Gallery 48 like every morning and we went to DUSA. Although we were very tired after the Highlands trip, we had to do some writing exercises. Each of us wrote about different topics: Marisa wrote about the best way to go by train from Dundee to the Highlands, Javier wrote about Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle, Ana wrote about what to do in Inverness and Henar wrote about Culloden's battle.

After class we played darts and pool and then we went home.

Scotland's 2022 Trip

 13/07/2022

All of us woke up in the Inverness hotel and had breakfast in Gavin's car while we headed to Loch Ness. When we got there, we went by boat to Urquhart Castle, which is a beautiful Middle Age's castle that has belonged to the Scottish nobility during ages. The trip by boat was also very beautiful, and although during the departure it was very cloudy, when we were arriving was sunny, so we could see the Highlands, the castle and even some fishes.

After that, we went to have lunch a lock of a river, where we could see how they made the tide go high and low for the boats to pass.

Later on, we went to another loch to go canoeing but it was very windy so sadly we decided not to do it. Therefore, we went to another village to have dinner, and we all tried fish and chips.

Finally, we arrived at Dundee exhausted but very happy after the trip.

Scotland's 2022 Trip

 12/07/2022

On Tuesday, at ten in the morning, María and Marisa took the train from Perth to Inverness. At the same time, Gavin, Henar, Javier, Ana and Mangel set off their way to the capital of Highlands by car.

From the windows of the train, María and Marisa could see the nice and "vintage" station of Pitlochry and the posh terminal of Aviemore. The two hour trip was very comfortable and pleasant.

When they got to Inverness, they looked in the Victorian Market, just in front of the main gate of Inverness station.

After a walk by the riverside, they found a small garden for lunch. Out of the blue, María produced a bottle of bubbly that matched perfectly with the strawberries that they both had for dessert! As Victorian ladies!!

Then they went to the hotel, a very nice place at the top of the city. One hour later, Gavin and the kids arrived at the hotel.

While Ana, Henar and Javier were having a walk in the town, Maria, Gavin and Marisa headed to Culloden Battlefield, not more than ten minutes from Inverness.

The battle of Culloden was a terrible confrontation between Jacobite Scottish army and the Red Coat. The wetlands of the moor shallowed the Scottish troops, sadly they couldn't do anything against the better armed English forces. The Scottish army was defeated and the victors took had measures against the defeaters.

Later, we went to a pub and had an enjoyable meal! A very long day.

Scotland's 2022 Trip

 11/07/2022

On Monday we went to Gallery 48 and after a coffee we went to DUSA. There we did a reading exercise to practise a little bit English and we also played pool and darts. After class was finished we went home to pack up our luggage for the trip to the Highlands that we would start the next day.  

Scotland's 2022 Trip

 09/07/2022

On Saturday we all went to Gallery 48 in the morning. All of us had plans for the afternoon: we were going to watch Elvis and Thor in the evening. Therefore, we had to decide what we were doing before and we ended up going to the McManus and the V and A museums.

We first went to the McManus museum, which was full of Scotland's and Dundee's history objects, pictures and drawings. We all enjoyed the visit very much and we also liked the museum's building, which looked like a palace.

After lunch we went to the V and A museum. Its building is modern and next to it there is a huge whale sculpture, so we thought that we were going to love the inside part as well. However, although it was very interesting, we realized there weren't many things to see for all the room that there was. There was a room dedicated to clothing and building design where you could see some old dresses and suits but also another room dedicated to clothing and building design where you could see some old dresses and suits but also some interactive construction models. In addition, there was also another room dedicated to a Scottish ballet dancer who travelled to London to have dance classes but he finished being the choreographer of a vanguardist and modern dance company that made controversial dance shows as it was very difficult to understand their meaning. In this room there was a projection of a documentary about this dancer and some TVs where you could see some extracts of his dances. Finally, there was another room where you could watch a documentary about a Dundee's postcard business that used to be during the las century. It became a really important business and there even where some examples of the postcards they made during the years and how they evolutionated from black and white postcards to colourful postcards and congratulations cards.

After the two visits, we went to the cinema. While Hugo, Marisa and Javier watched Thor and didn't like it very much; Ana, Mangel and Henar watched Elvis and loved it. Don't worry, we won't tell you any spoilers.

And, sadly, that evening we had to say goodbye to Hugo, who was going back to Madrid the next morning.

Scotland's 2022 trip

 08/07/2022

On Friday morning, at 09:00, Marisa arrived at Edinburgh airport. The new student had a really enjoyable first breakfast in Scotland. Gavin drove her to a pleasant restaurant where she tried for the first time crumpets, a traditional British kind of bread, a cross between a muffin and a pancake. Really delicious!

From Gavin's car, she was astonished by the Kelpies, two 30 metres high horse-head sculptures, built of steel, that portray the mythological Scottish horses that lived in the deepness of lochs and rivers.

After that, she joined us in Stirling, a small town really worth visiting. We looked in the Holy Rude - an ancient Scottish word for cross, a historical place associated with the monarchy and where king James VI, son of Mary Queen of Scots was crowned. The church contains many fine stained glass windows.

Besides the Holy Rude it is Stirling's castle. We spent almost two hours walking by the Castle. Very well preserved, and instils in the the visitors echoes at the royal Stuart's court, with lots of servants walking back and forth, cooers roasting big lambs and several gardeners taking care of the colourful Queen Anne Garden.

Also, we are able to imagine hard and bloody fights, at times in which bravery and courage were the lifeblood of this land.

It was a shame, but we couldn't visit William Wallace Monument, but we were against the clock due to the train strikes.

Well, then we have an excuse to come back Stirling!!!