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@rachel-drummond
First day jitters
Feb 25 marks day one back at uni. Iâm back to try finish my RN again through Vic Uni, a full time study load with a very different set up. We are doing one unit at a time, with four blocks in a semester. It sounds like something I would be comfortable with in theory; I guess weâll find out! So far, the pre-class requirements have been easy to understand. The only real issue is my computer has aâŠ
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We flew out of Edinburgh this morning, en route to Prague. It felt as though we had entered a completely different world in some ways. The clean modernity of Edinburgh was past. This was the first time I truly experienced what it was like to struggle with languages. Despite showing the taxi driver the address of the air BnB we were staying at,
The portable reception desk
and at one point stopping just down the road as we shortly discovered, he insisted there was âno hotel in the areaâ and drove us two blocks away to the tourist hotel and âhelpfullyâ pulled our bags out. Google maps then lead us on foot back to the place he had initially paused. Yes, there was a room there that we had rented, right above a hook-up bar. If there is a seedy part of Prague, I think we accidentally found it. The Warden style keyring hanging at our hostâs waist only highlighted the feeling. I was loving this!! Setting up his office on the tiny table offered by the room, he whipped out a map and spent 20 minutes exulting the main points of his city. It may
The room boasted a lovely collection of empty booze bottles displayed above the door, visible from the two single mattresses in a king frame.
not be the most progressive city, but it seems to engender a fierce pride in its citizens. Although according to the tour guide we spoke to on day two, there is still a significant way to go; it is clear that they are proud of how much they have managed to accomplish. According to our tour guide, they are still suffering economically, and in her words, class themselves as the second world.
Fighting the throng on Charles bridge. The featured image is Charles bridge from one bridge over.
A walk along the Charles bridge provides a fair cross-section of the peoples that make up Prague. Beggars line the sides, most on their knees with faces pressed to the cobblestones, palm up to receive anything that passersby might press into them. I asked the tour guide if there was a reason they all seemed to echo each other in this pose, the response was that the more pathetic the sight, the more likely they were to get tourists attention. If you are travelling, itâs worth noting that there is assistance made available, and it is advised not to give handouts on the street.
Prague Castle (Hrad) is on the other side of the river, Among its exhibitions is a small torture chamber. Hubby isnât into the guts and gore like me, so we compromised and went inside. Less gore than I would have liked FYI. Something like the Jorvik or Thackray displays would not have gone amiss.
The wine bar has some amazing views of the whole city.
After having lunch on a Wine bar burrowed into the side of the hill -definitely worth a visit- we walked back to old town, taking in the markets, and the buildings. The astronomical clock was sadly closed for refurbishment when we went, so we had to make do with the
Our scale replica of the astronomical clock
fabric covering on the building for scale, and models of the clock instead. Something to save for next time I guess. Prague is beautiful, and the people are very friendly. Fortunately, for the most part, everyone seems to understand English and is able to converse at least a little. I guess that goes hand in hand with being a tourist destination. I wish we had had more time to see the area around it, I would have loved to see the Sedlec Ossuary. Oh well, as I said, thereâs always next time!!
 Day 13: May 3 We flew out of Edinburgh this morning, en route to Prague. It felt as though we had entered a completely different world in some ways.
Day two in Edinburgh was more laid back in some ways, but no less strenuous. Braving the chilly rain, we walked to the botanical gardens and greenhouse, moving from climate to climate with each room. I think we both completely stripped to our singlets at one point in the tropical rooms. The gardens are lovely to walk through, but unless youâre an avid botanist, I think one visit would be enough. It was nice to step back into Australia, even if it was only to see the trees of home for a moment. My main reason for wanting to go to the gardens was the giant lily pads. Iâve never seen them before so wanted to take the chance offered, even if it wasnât in a place native to them. We walked back, the weather had cleared up nicely by this time, so we kept walking to Calton Hill to take in the view from there before dinner at the stunning Au Bar (great steak there) and heading back to our rooms.
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Day 12: May 2 Day two in Edinburgh was more laid back in some ways, but no less strenuous. Braving the chilly rain, we walked to the botanical gardens and greenhouse, moving from climate to climate with each room.
Edinburgh. Beautiful Edinburgh! Started the day before hubby, I left him in bed to grab a coffee and a pastry. While still chilly, and fiercely windy, there was that faint hint of spring on the air. Even the shadow of rain did nothing to take away from any excitement. After he woke up, we traipsed through the West End, immersing ourselves in the beautiful buildings, overshadowed by Edinburgh castle where it overlooked the city. Edinburghâs pubs seemed to compete for style and wit, the war of the chalkboards leading us through the cobblestone streets and up through Old town and the Royal Mile. Bracketed by Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood house, the mile is a press of every Scottish Stereotype I could think of. Tartan decorates every window you pass in one fashion or another. I made it my mission to find a Drummond tartan blanket but was told by one
my scarf
sympathetic shop owner that all the tartan shops are owned by only two businesses, so if I didnât find it in the first few shops we went into, chances were we wouldnât find it. I did find the obligatory scarf and settled for festooning my neck in clan loyalty instead.
At the Edinburgh castle end of the mile, there is a tartan factory that has two floors of clan history, Harry Potter, Lord of the rings and Game of Thrones. It was here I found that Scots may have unrealistic expectations of those that enter their doors. Hung between the life-size, replicas on the wall beside the stairs was a rule I donât believe anyone has adhered to since Gandalfâs sword was mounted within touching distance. I touched.
The queue to get into Edinburgh Castle was surprisingly long. I think we spent easily half an hour in it. It did, however, give us a chance to appreciate the view from the wall. Even before entering, you get an idea of how impressive everything is. Edinburgh castle is a city on its own. there is so much to look through itâs better to plan to spend a full day up there. The displays, the history, the art and sculptures are so well laid out that you arenât likely to miss anything, and if there is one part of history that you are more interested in, you arenât forced to endure the parts that donât hold your attention. Up at this height, the wind held a bite, but we only had to brace between buildings. I think one of the highlights for me was finding proof that somewhere way back in history, I had royal roots. If you ignore the makeup-less face (not wearing slap when hubby says I donât need it) I think I see the resemblance, now where do I get my crown?
The rest of the day was spent taking in the Royal mile and having a quick peek at Holyrood house, before heading back towards our Edinburgh Home.
Scott Monement. 297 stairs to the top.
 We paused on the way to enjoy the beautifully kept park, with its breathtaking statues, monuments and sculptures dotted throughout. Keeping with the stair theme, we had somehow started, we found our way into the Scott monument. 297 incredibly tight stairs later, we were enjoying the chilly viewpoints afforded by the spires. Hubby suffers more from the tightness. His shoulders take up most of the space on offer.
 our ghost tour. Thank you Rizzio!
 Hubby surprised me with a ghost tour after dinner. Sadly, we didnât see anything, though that didnât stop two of our party screaming at every bump, scrape or footstep they heard. The guides did well in building the scene around each stop we went to, explaining the history behind the âhauntingsâ instead of relying on cheap jump scares. I would have preferred a little more history and less empty rooms, but it was still enjoyable, even if it wasnât all that scary.
       Day 11: May 1 Edinburgh. Beautiful Edinburgh! Started the day before hubby, I left him in bed to grab a coffee and a pastry.
The special.
There is no set day for a nurse. Every day brings a new challenge, even if youâre working in an environment where the patients are the same and they have established a routine of some sort. My job at the moment is one that every nurse will inevitably come across. The âspecialâ.
This is a one on one care situation where, either due to the patients acuity, or behaviours -acute or chronic- theâŠ
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Itâs possible I have been remiss in saying how stunning Scotland is in the spring. The pictures really fall far short of how it feels to stretch your legs walking around a lake that is so still, it reflects everything around it, while on your other side is a dense wood that would not be out of place in a Brothers Grim tale. Perhaps Iâm still Enchanted from Skye?
Glencoe Lochan Trail
Hubby was feeling particularly generous because todayâs side trip was to see a certain
the âpotter trainâ!!
train drenched in magic. Well, he tried his best, apparently, it is quite the popular side trip and it is near impossible to manoeuvre traffic, find a park, and make it to the optimal viewing point in a timely
Glenfinnan monument
manner. We still saw it, just from a little further away than we had hoped. I would suggest getting there a good half an hour before
the next postcard
the train is due and grabbing a coffee in the souvenir shop there. I should point out that the shop is not just there for the train. The point at which we stopped is also where you can find Glenfinnan monument, honouring the Jacobite clansmen. While youâre there, Hike up to the top of the hill and take in the amazing view from there.
The snow was still on the peaks of the mountains even as the weather warmed up, so we headed off to Ben Nevis. Hiking was again mentioned, but we compromised and took the lift. Have I mentioned the beauty of Scotland? Also, hiking boots! The paragliders had the right idea for getting the full experience.
We headed across the country again, getting attacked by a rock in the process (Thank
Damn truck kicked a rock at us
God for insurance!) and found our way to the William Wallace Monument. Sadly, by the time we reached it, it had closed its doors to the last visitors. The gardens and viewpoints didnât disappoint, however. I loved the sculpture trail on the way up as well, absolutely enchanting. I feel like Iâm using that word and itâs synonyms a lot, but they fit. Scotland is a land of beauty and enchantment.
Day ten: April 30 It's possible I have been remiss in saying how stunning Scotland is in the spring. The pictures really fall far short of how it feels to stretch your legs walking around a lake that is so still, it reflects everything around it, while on your other side is a dense wood that would not be out of place in a Brothers Grim tale.
Hubby was still feeling under the weather (which had itself turned the corner to give us a beautiful day), but being the trooper he is, let me drive on. Today was dedicated to the Isle of Skye. We made our first stop at Allt Coirâ aâ Mhadaidh, home of the Fairy Pools. I mentioned before that I was a little disappointed in the devilâs cauldron, this was not the case here. If anything, the photos fall far short of reality. The pools here are so clear and turquoise that it is a genuine disappointment when you reach the end. Hubby and I had a bit of a laugh at the people who took the hiking portion so seriously, plunging hiking poles into the flat ground while others bounded past on runners. I was not one in runners, again, three cheers for hiking boots, Especially in the boggy ground that had been churned up by thousands of walkers ahead of us.
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We headed to Talisker brewery for a tour of the building, and to pick up the whisky dad had asked for before we left. Neither hubby or I are big spirit drinkers, so we werenât tempted to indulge. Even though it wasnât a subject dear to our hearts, it was still a very interesting tour, good for anyone with even a passing interest in drinking, even if only for the gift shop discount and the tasting table at the end. The charmed feel of Skye carried through to our next stop at Uig. The Fairies here are awfully busy, the geometric swirls of rocks and the precariously balanced stacks that seemed to defy gravity
were clearly the results of tiny hands that had no other purpose but to baffle the hapless humans that trekked daily up the hill to admire their work. There was something about the place that just made you happy, and want to believe if only for a minute. Perhaps the Island really is under some kind of enchantment.
Decidedly not fairy made, there are some wonders that showcase pure nature. Hubby and I followed a mountain goat trail (no really, there was mountain goats that kept us company) to the foot of a cliff hidden below the road. I think that many people stopped at the first waterfall and didnât pursue the path. The top falls are spectacular but not as good as what we found at the bottom. Thank God the bottom falls were beautiful and I had a chance to appreciate them, because I nearly died trying to climb back up the cliff. Pretty sure Hubby is actually part mountain goat though, he barely broke a sweat. I knew I should have snuck âpiggybacks on demandâ into our vows.
Day nine: April 29 Hubby was still feeling under the weather (which had itself turned the corner to give us a beautiful day), but being the trooper he is, let me drive on.
Near Largo house, if you take a walk on the rocky beach, you will find part of the seaboard sculpture trail. There, atop Clach Dubh youâll find the âmermaid of the northâ. This is apparently the northernmost mermaid in the UK. Not tempted to try to copy her wardrobe in the still cold weather, we rugged up and bade farewell to the BnB. I posted another postcard to my niece from here, but Iâm not holding my breath.
Putting the East coast behind us, we headed West. Amid the snow-topped mountains, we could see signs of spring, especially when we stopped at Rogie Falls. The colours were amazing, the air smelled so fresh and the waterfalls provided the perfect soundtrack. I was so thankful for my hiking boots in the mud, though Iâm not sure the car rental company was so enthusiastic about our hiking proclivities. From here, we took the chance to go monster hunting at Loch Ness. Sadly we left without seeing more than a few shadows that turned out to be boat wakes but the tour through the Nessie museum was reassuring, we werenât the only ones to strike out. I
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did, however, find a yellow submarine, so that was something.
Urquhart Castle, on the bank of the Loch, was stunning, and the sun had come out to play by the time we got out of the museum. The grounds and what remains of the castle are beautifully maintained, and within the grounds, the good weather brought out the reenactors. I did try to get hubby to don the chain mail, but after experiencing the authentic materials in the armouries in Leeds, that was apparently the closest he was willing to get.
Side note: I was happy to find a connection with the Drummond clan and Urquhart castle, however small. Small things make me happy.
From Urquhart castle, we drove on to Eilean Donan castle in Kyle of Lochalsh. Perched on a small Islett at the junction of three Lochs, this beautiful castle offered amazing views of the lochs, The displays inside are so well kept, that it is easy to imagine the past owners just stepped out not long ago. In fact, there is a current ancestor of Eilean castle that lives just on the mainland within view of the castle. Tonightâs stay was at a BnB in Kyle of Lochalsh. Hubby wasnât feeling well when we turned in, so we elected to stay inside and finish off the snacks that survived the car ride.
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 http://www.urquhart-castle.co.uk/
http://www.lochness.com/
Day Eight: April 28 Near Largo house, if you take a walk on the rocky beach, you will find part of the seaboard sculpture trail.
Day seven: April 27
Day seven: April 27
Scotland put on a brisk, but beautiful day for our first proper day there. We drove up past Loch Leven, to Drummond Castle. Iâve always wanted to go there, having grown up knowing we were Drummonds, and that somewhere out there was a castle wearing our name (Iâm sure we were the only Drummonds in the world with that thought). Sadly we were there slightly off-season, and so werenât able to go intoâŠ
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We left the lovely home of hubbyâs mates and headed off to the rest of our honeymoon. My birthday was spent driving through the beautiful green countryside.. well, on the highway anyway. Breaking up the monotony of blacktop with a side trip to see Hadrians Wall at Housesteads. Greatly diminished from the imposing structure it must have been, it was still amazing to stand on the rocks that had such an impact on history. The guide was very helpful in pointing out all the notable buildings of which the footprints are still clearly evident, Unfortunately, I canât remember her name. I would advise potential visitors to rug up! I made the mistake of leaving my heavier coat in the car and as the hills and trees block most of the icy wind, didnât realise how much it would be needed in the exposed paddocks! I would have taken more photos if my hands werenât busy trying to defrost between my pockets and hubbyâs. Be prepared for a bit of a walk, and to manoeuvre the natural landmines, it is a working farm after all.
http://hadrianswallcountry.co.uk/visit/housesteads-roman-fort-museum
Day six: April 26 We left the lovely home of hubby's mates and headed off to the rest of our honeymoon.
Taking a break from the norm, hubby and I went our separate ways temporarily. He, having already voiced a plan that I really wanted to not be included in (golf and a cricket
shop, no thank you), spent the day with the friend we were staying with, while I spent
the day with his amazing wife. Us girls took ourselves on a personal tour of Thackary medical museum (something hubby desperately wanted no not do). I think the UK museums must use the same perfumers because the âstreetscapeâ we walked through had the same, curl-your-toes smell that Jorvik boasted. The models seemed to be a similar style as well.
The museum was well done, I even got another wedding cake! Kind of.
our girls day not over, H took me out to Bettyâs cafe tea room. A far cry from the street we had just walked through. H clearly has a nurses iron stomach because she showed the barest queasiness at the life-size diorama, and it wasnât enough to stifle her appetite when it came to the amazing morning tea on offer. We met back up with the boys for lunch. the UK can do a good pub lunch!
https://www.thackraymedicalmuseum.co.uk/
   Day five: April 25 Taking a break from the norm, hubby and I went our separate ways temporarily. He, having already voiced a plan that I really wanted to not be included in (golf and a cricketâŠ
Any good books lately?: The girl with all the gifts.
Any good books lately?: The girl with all the gifts.
Title: The girl with all the gifts
Author: M.R. Carey
Audience: young adult and up. There is some mature content, in particular, gore and violence.
I have read reviews that say this is just another book jumping on the zombie bandwagon. Let me address this first. Zombies are a genre on their own. What makes a zombie story stand out is how the Author makes the genre their own. Whether that is byâŠ
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Another city day, this time we were in Leeds. Thankfully the public transport is easy to use and cheap, especially since neither of us really wanted to drive through cities and struggle with parking. We started with the armouries, an enormous collection of weapons spanning years of history and culture, I donât think a continent was overlooked. The displays are so minutely detailed and the table top displays so intricate that even those with only a vague grasp of what happened would be able to understand what was going on. We stumbled on what seemed to be a mini-lecture on the different types of sword and how effective they were against armour. Iâve never handled a genuine sword before that and it was surprising how heavy not only the weaponry, but the chain mail was. I shudder to imagine a day under that weight in the baking sun. The highlight for me was definitely the crossbow range upstairs. I may have found the one sport Iâm better at than hubby!! When we left, the weather had cooled, so we found shelter from the rain in a bookshop, a passion we can both claim. I think our wanderings wore him out because he was sleeping within five minutes of being back on the train.
https://royalarmouries.org/venue/royal-armouries-museum/
Day four: April 24 Another city day, this time we were in Leeds. Thankfully the public transport is easy to use and cheap, especially since neither of us really wanted to drive through cities and struggle with parking.
It has been brought to my attention that I let this lapse a little, So Iâm taking advantage of my day off to post the third day.
The day started well with Hubby ducking off to get emergency clothes while I started the day right. Jumpers were definitely necessary! This time we left the ruined country for a day trip to the less ruined York. I say less ruined because in between the well-maintained roads, paths and buildings, there was still so many scars and markers of history. You can still find ruins in the city. York minster even has its own Roman roots, literally sprawled like a root system beneath the church. It was fascinating to see the timeline of progress, from the Vikings, through to the Romans and to the medieval history.
One of the ongoing themes in our Honeymoon quickly became âwhat can we climbâ I think York Minster was the first major climb we did, taking the numerous narrow, spiralled stairs as a challenge. The view was well worth it. Ensconced in a wire cage and braving the chilly spring wind, we could see as far as the Kilburn white horse.
York really has done a good job at protecting the history for this generation to enjoy. Ok âenjoyâ may not be the best term when describing the Jorvik stop. The curators have taken great pains to replicate a representation of what life was truly like back then. I will never complain about the stench of an alley again! Jorvik may be geared to the younger generation, but it truly feels as though youâre being immersed in history. I thoroughly enjoyed that break. I spoke with one of the employees there about how they replicated the smell. I meant how they knew what the smell would have been like, but he understood it as how the odour was manufactured. Apparently, they use a perfumery to create it. Given how sensitive the perfumerâs nose is famed to be, I feel so very sorry for the creator! I sent a scratch and sniff postcard home to my niece, it did not do justice to what we endured. I still wonder how they came up with what they believed the smell to be. I know that they would likely be using modern smells, and budgeting for the lack of waste disposal, as well as the lack of plumbing, and rampant illness. However nothing has ever come close to that smell that Iâve experienced, and I have smelled a lot working in health care. Please forgive the less than stellar photos, Jorvik is a ride and we were on moving seats as we toured the âfilthy streetsâ.
Leaving the bad smells behind us, Hubby treated me to a pub lunch and a wander through the shambles, our little nod to the influence behind Diagon Alley. Well worth a visit, Potterheads will likely love the shops that sprung up in tribute to this, I loved the first shop we visited, the others seemed like only slight variations on the theme. One of them did have hubby questioning whether they employed look-a-likes on purpose. I would have taken a photo of the doppelgangers, but thought it may be considered rude.
York is a beautiful place to visit. If you do find yourself there, donât miss the view. Itâs well worth the climb I promise! Iâve included some links down below if you were interested in more information.
https://www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk/
https://yorkminster.org/
http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/themes/medieval/the-shambles
Day three It has been brought to my attention that I let this lapse a little, So I'm taking advantage of my day off to post the third day.
Day two started with a visit to Knaresborough castle and itâs stunning surrounds. We were met within the walls by the resident ravens and their keeper, Izabella was completely silent, we canât confirm or deny that her mouth matches her fowl title, but her brother Emyrus was happy to say hello. It was quite windy that
day, Emyrus kept letting the wind take him to the range of his tether,
I think he was disappointed we didnât come bearing food, taking it out
on whatever finger was closer at the time. The nearby bridge is one hubby has been to each time he has visited England, he took his parents last time, and they have a similar photo on their wall that they showed me before we left. I can honestly say the pictures will never do the reality justice.
We left Knaresborough and spent the day in the beautiful grounds of fountains abbey. The fact that there is only a skeleton left of the building takes nothing away from its grandeur. It feels incredible to put your hands on history. To look at the outlines of rooms and speculate what they would have been used for (using the placards is cheating). Itâs easy to imagine how it would have looked when the monks still padded through the halls, what is not there helping as much as what is in mentally recreating the past. I do wish there had been a way to conserve what must have been a spectacular stained glass window.
By this time, it was getting a little late, and because everything was starting to close, we werenât able to go through Bolton Castle, it didnât stop us from grabbing a few nice shots from the outside before we scooted off to Richmond castle where we gatecrashed the tail end of a medieval festival. The tents still standing added a touch of the battlefield to the defence walls we stood on. Again, we found ourselves speculating on what the defences may have been, trying to imagine how they would have been used and creating mock battles to âtestâ the defences. I picked up the Leeds rock with the intention to leave it at one of the many places we were planning on visiting. Spoiler alert, it came home with me. I guess Iâll have to find somewhere adequately tourist-heavy to leave it.
Day two Day two started with a visit to Knaresborough castle and it's stunning surrounds. We were met within the walls by the resident ravens and their keeper, Izabella was completely silent, we can't confirm or deny that her mouth matches her fowl title, but her brother Emyrus was happy to say hello.
European honeymoon.
Forward: two days ago, hubby and I dragged our suitcases over what we hoped was the last threshold (for a while at least). We had just arrived home after five weeks traipsing across Europe, a trip that I had planned to record in regular detail. I did not take into consideration just how distracted Iâd be, actually living the adventure and running out of time to record it. This is my âplan Bâ aâŠ
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On the flight home with @singaporeair when the gorgeous flight attendant approached and gave us a "#honeymoon cake" đ #thankyou!!