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Europe Ukraine

Chernobyl

One of the key things that drew me to Ukraine was a visit to Chernobyl. It is a day trip from Kyiv and there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to see dilapidated buildings, overgrown cities, and the site of such a terrible historical event. I’m aware that sounds a bit insensitive. Chernobyl was a catastrophe and I am not trying to make light of it, but it is something to see.

An area that is still so poisoned with radiation that you have to stick to certain areas and be checked for radiation upon leaving. City streets, villages, apartments, and businesses overtaken with nature and decay. Little glimpses of life, as it was then, just before it was evacuated and everything became stuck in time.

I had a relative who had a farm in rural Alberta and one day in the early 80s he moved himself and his family out of their old house and into a new house on the same property. He forbade the family from taking anything with them from the old house to the new house (aside from his “holy pictures”) and they did not demolish the old house. So when I visited in 2000 the old house was still sitting there, furnished and untouched. Furniture in place, appliances, food on shelves, clothes in closets, a Magnum PI poster on one of the girl’s walls. Covered in dust and mould and rat droppings. It was great.

Chernobyl is is like that except tragic instead of quirky.

There are a ton of companies that do day tours to Chernobyl from Kyiv. I did my tour with Solo East, they were good, though they do stick to the safe areas. About 8 of us piled into a minivan and drove to the site. En route they showed some good documentaries to give context to the history of the disaster and the clean up and security of the site later. The context is important. I was glad that I had, on a flight home from somewhere, watched that HBO drama about the Chernobyl disaster. With that fresh in my mind, everything had a human context. More so than I would have gotten just from the tour.

We visited the town of Zalissya, which is now just an eerie wonderland of emerald overgrowth. Streets now just leafy paths, buildings receding into the forest.

We then drove by the reactor itself, as close as we could get, sitting inside a shiny new cover, sealing in the radioactivity.

Finally in Pryapet itself, we saw what was once a city, with formerly wide boulevards and impressive buildings.

Everything was slowly decaying. Hotels and halls, elementary schools, apartment buildings, a super market, and a sports arena.

In some places signs and decoration proclaimed the power of the atom.

It was really interesting…and beautiful, in terms how green it is. Apparently there are lots of deer and wolves and other animals that make Chernobyl home. None approached us while we were there though I did see some deer from the window of the van as we left.

Leaving that site, we went to see the “Russian Woodpecker”, a massive Soviet era antenna no longer in use. This thing is huge; like a giants wall of metal bars and wires. Kind of attractive, due to its size and patterns. This thing sat here in the middle of nowhere for years, for the purpose of intercepting secret messages from the United States. But now it just sits there, slowly falling apart with disuse. There is a little outpost there with a couple of soldiers who guard it, in what may be one of the most tedious jobs ever.

It was a good day and we returned back to Independence Square in Kyiv around sunset. Time just to go for a stroll and grab some dinner. The next day I would hang out in Kyiv and take the night train to Lviv.

Europe Ukraine

Kyiv, Ukraine

I liked Kyiv instantly. I don’t know if it is because I already have a fondness for former Soviet cities or because my maternal grandparents were from the Ukraine or if it is just because it is awesome. Probably a mix of those things. It had everything I wanted for my first international trip during COVID. It felt like Europe, but distinctly Eastern Europe with imposing architecture, a good bustle, ornate churches, nightlife, and a bit of a sense of order. Normally I prefer chaos, but in a time of such caution about travel, a bit of order seemed prudent.

As a Canadian I didn’t need a visa to enter the country, so I breezed in. My COVID test was checked, but only briefly. Soon I was in a taxi, with a new passport stamp, on my way to my hostel in Podil.

Podil is the oldest part of Kyiv and was a great place to stay. I could walk basically everywhere I wanted to go – to all the main churches and squares. And it is a great area of restaurants, cafes, and a bustling nightlife. It was also the location of a proper cigar lounge – a bonus for me.

I was staying at the Dream Hostel Kyiv. It was great. Easy to find and close to all sorts of things. It has a cafe and court yard, good wifi, hot water, a kitchen, laundry, and a proper hang out area, where people were actually hanging out. It would seem that even during COVID, hostels are still a thing, as they were before. When I originally booked this trip a year before, I was going to stay in a dorm, but I figure with the COVID hoopla (and I was only half vaccinated at this point) a private room would be better. It was. I still shared a bathroom, but that seemed ok. Technically masks were required inside, but they were generally not worn. I stayed there at both legs of the Kyiv part of my visit.

The hostel was on a long, historic and hilly street called Andriivs’kyi descent, the bottom of which is in Podil and the top connected with the centre of town, as marked by the stunning Saint Andrews Church, which was the first of many stunning churches that I visited.

Seriously, I went to so many churches, I am sure I have some sort of Orthodox Christian brownies points, notwithstanding a lifetime of dedicated sinning.

I won’t break it down day by day, as I was in Kyiv for about 4 days and I spent most of it wandering; not entirely aimlessly, but from church to park to monument to art gallery to market, making significant detours along the way, as interesting things popped up.

Kyiv is a serious cafe town and I drank an obscene amount of espressos whenever I wanted a break or some wifi.

I delighted in the architecture. Seldom was it quaint or charming, but it was often impressive, overwhelming, and ornate.

It really is a great city for walking. Relatively easy to navigate, with surprising hidden bits. I was looking, for example, for some gallery that I never found, but in what looked like a courtyard car park I found a charming bookstore/cafe. I stumbled upon street art and gardens.

*bird statues in a park I found by accident*

Make no mistake. This is a big city and I did a lot of walking, but it was always worthwhile, even when I did not find what I was looking for, I found things I didn’t know I wanted.

The public transportation was excellent. There is a vast subway system with stations that tout themselves as ornate. I qualify that statement not because they are not attractive (they are) but because once you have been to Moscow, all other subway stations have to be considered in their shadow.

Because Podil is at the bottom of a long hill, there is a handy little funicular to whisk one from the sea to the centre. The walk is also fine but I do love a funicular. I should mention that, like all things, transportation was very cheap in Kyiv. A ride on the subway or funicular was 8 hryvnia or about 35c Canadian.

One of the things I loved about about Kyiv is the smoking culture. This is a place where people smoke. You aren’t supposed to smoke inside, but outside it was totally fine and no one even gave me so much as a disapproving glance for lighting up a cigar over breakfast, for example, provided I was on a patio. It was great.

I really felt like I fit in, which is odd, as usually I’m in places where I stand out more as being from somewhere else. But in Kyiv, as a pale-faced, spiked leather jacket wearing woman with dyed black hair, I looked like a local. This was to the point where people were asking me for directions, which I took as a badge of pride. Hopefully I didn’t set too many people off in the wrong direction.

Most of my evenings were spent wandering around Podil, which each night seemed like a party, with buskers, streets teeming with people, and on many nights, a literal dance party just in the middle of the street.

And on one night it was an actual festival of sorts complete with a stage with live music and some traditional dancing.

At the beginning of my trip I spend just a day and a half in Kyiv before taking a day trip to Chernobyl and then a night train the following day to Lviv. Fresh posts for those places.

Just a note on spelling. It used to be Kiev, which is the Anglicized version of the Russian spelling, but after Ukraine became independent it switched to the Ukrainian spellings (or, for foreigners, the Anglicized versions of the Ukrainian spellings), so it is now Kyiv and not Kiev. People didn’t seem too bothered about it in Kyiv where Russian was the most prevalent language, but in Lviv, people very much wanted things to be spelled in the Ukrainian way. And rightly so.

Europe Ukraine

Travel in Ukraine (during covid)

I waited, I followed the rules. I cancelled my international trips and bided my time for a year during covid-19 … until I couldn’t any longer. What if it went on another year? Was I really going to stay home because the government advised not to travel? Or because I was put off by a legally mandated hotel quarantine (followed by a home quarantine)? By a plethora of covid tests? No. After a year I decided for myself that it was time. So I booked and took one of my cancelled trips from 2020 and in 2021 I went to Ukraine.

My packing list changed somewhat. I brought masks for the flights and a computer in case I got stranded and had to work. My pre-travel planning was overwhelmed by figuring out what tests I needed and when to meet the requirements of Canada, Ukraine, and KLM. And I bought mysterious covid health insurance as required from the Ukrainian government. None of this was any more difficult than figuring out how to get visas for West Africa or traveling to the Congo during Ebola, for example, so I felt well equipped, but there was extra hassle, cost, and preparation involved. I was delighted though because I was going to leave the country for the first time in 14 months.

I flew from Vancouver to Amsterdam and then on to Kyiv. The first flight was empty. Shockingly so. Everyone who wanted a row to themselves had one, with rows in between. It was a nice way to fly, but you can’t help but think about his much the industry is suffering. Everyone wore their masks without complaint. It was orderly and pleasant.

The flight from Amsterdam to Kyiv was different. It was packed and masks appeared to be optional. I mean, they weren’t, but people just didn’t wear them, or wore them as a sort of chin warmer. The flight attendants didn’t even try to fix the situation beyond saying at the start of the fight that masks were required. I think they have given up. Coming from Canada where people are so obedient, it was a bit of a shock, but I wore my mask, so I felt ok about it. If I had gotten worked up it probably would have spoiled my trip because people in Ukraine really didn’t follow any of the covid protocols. On the subway people were pretty good about masks, but indoors elsewhere … it was like there was not even a pandemic on.

People were bald-faced (or at least with their masks worn on their chins) and in close proximity. Bars and restaurants were crowded and spilled out on the street. People crowded, smoking, around tall tables, drinks in hand. Or they danced in groups, recklessly breathing into each other’s faces. The common areas at my hostel still had groups of backpackers hanging out, going to parties, and bunking in dorms. There were no plexiglass barriers. No socially distanced queues. A girl on the street even high-fived me after she borrowed my lighter. It was kind of great.

I am well aware that at the time I was there, Ukraine had one of the worst covid outbreaks in Europe, so their disregard of pandemic rules was probably not great at all, but for me it was a welcome sight. A reminder that life could be normal, that it was relatively normal elsewhere, and maybe Canada would again be normal. It was a jolt out of the relentless pandemic ennui I had been languishing in at home.

I should say that in most restaurants the servers did wear masks and I did stop by one fancy mall (to use the washroom) and they required masks and took my temperature, but those were definitely the exception. I did wear masks inside when I couldn’t socially distance and I sanitized my hands and whatnot. Getting sick would have meant not being able to fly home. So I was careful, but I enjoyed it when others did not.

I am mentioning this all right off the top in my first Ukraine post because I don’t want to keep talking about it in my other posts. This is the way it was. It was the middle of a pandemic and it did affect my trip, but it was not the dominant characteristic of it. There is more to say that is not about coronavirus, so let’s get to that in a fresh post.

me. happy to be in a plane. I know I don’t look it, but that is my happy face.

Europe Netherlands West Africa Trip 2019

Layover in Amsterdam

I landed in Amsterdam en route from Vancouver to Accra. I had only a 7 hour layover (it should have been 8, but snow in Minnesota delayed us). A layover in Amsterdam is always a great idea. Immigration is a breeze and the train whisks you directly from the airport to the Centraal area in 15 minutes.

It was early when I arrived. Still dark, but it was a perfect time to walk along the canals as the sun came up. It was December 1st. The streets were misty and the Christmas lights were out. Not much was open and the streets were mostly empty and quiet. Even the windows in the red light district were empty.

I happily walked along bundled up in outerwear i would discard before going back to the airport (no need of a jacket, gloves, and toque in Ghana) and took pictures.

I hadn’t been to Amsterdam in 12 years so its sights ere familiar and welcome. Amsterdam was the first place I ever went to in Europe, outside of the UK, 24 years ago, so it has a special place in my memory.

By 9am i was at the Rijksmuseum, just as it opened. There was a special exhibit on Rembrandt and Velázquez I decided to see. It was wonderful.

I took a quick turn through another few rooms and stopped by the library.

At 11am I walked back to the Centraal area, the streets now lively, and had a coffee and sandwich at a cute, tiny cafe before heading back to the airport. I was in the city for about 5 of my 7 hours. It was perfect.

On my way back into the train station, i stripped off my winter wear, and left it near a couple of homeless guys sleeping in the station. Next stop would be Accra.

Bulgaria Europe

Rila Monastery, Bulgaria

Having seen the sites of Sofia on my first day, I decided to go to see what is one of Bulgaria’s most famous sites – the Rila Monastery – on my second day. It is a couple hours outside of the city. It is possible t get there by public transit, but there didn’t seem to be any seamless options and there was an infrequency of public buses so I decided to book one of the many tour mini-buses that takes people from Sofia to the Boyana Church, to Rila Monastery and back again. Hassle free.

It was good in most respects. I saw two wonderful sites I could not have easily seen on my own, I saw a bit of the countryside, and relaxed on the ride. The way in which it was not so good was the incessant talking of the guide. She talked the whole way to the monastery. She told us the population of every town we passed, which region was settled when, the elevation of mountains, how many types of wild goats there were.
…It was so boring. I wanted to shoot myself. There was a lot of historical information being shared, but it was the most dull of trivia amounting to what happened when. I eventually opted for podcasts on my headphones. (And I like historical trivia.) Oh, and at the start of the trip she made each of us introduce ourselves to the rest of the group. (I wish I had a picture of my face at that moment.) Not really my cup of tea, but everything else was good.

We stopped at Boyana Church, a UNESCO blessed medieval church filled with colourful murals. It was lovely and I did enjoy the brief explanation about the various saints and painting styles. No photos were allowed inside, but it is worth a google.

We finally arrived at Rila Monastery, surrounded by glorious fall foliage. It was raining, but that did nothing to detract from the beauty of the buildings.

Such an interesting combination of colours, geometric patterns, and religious murals. I took A Lot of pictures. Inside the church it was guilded ornamentation, though no photos were allowed.

*Man selling souvenirs at Rila Monastery*

After wandering around for a while, I went and had lunch as a cosy stone restaurant just outside the monastery with a roaring fire. I had a shopska salad and yogurt with honey and walnuts. (They are very proud of their yogurt in Bulgaria. Apparently it has some kind of magical enzymes unique to Bulgaria. It is very good. I wish I could do a taste test with the King of Curds yogurt in Bhaktapur.)

Then we drove back to the city. Pleasantly listening to Bulgarian traditional music en route.

Back at the city I decided to walk in search of another cigar lounge. It turned out to be a very posh neighbourhood. The kind with embassies and restaurants that serve only caviar. I did eventually find the cigar lounge but was told that I could not smoke inside as I would have to register and that would take months. I feel like my appearance may not have been to their liking. (To be fair, I hadn’t showered.) I was a little grumpy about being turned away, but it was so beautiful out, walking in the dark through crispy leaves past cute little bistros. I walked back to Vitoska Boulevard where I enjoyed a glass of Bulgarian red wine, a vegan pizza, and two cigars.

And that was Sofia. The next morning I took the metro back to the airport and three flights later I was back at home.

I really liked what I saw of Bulgaria. It was just a small taste, but it was good and I left feeling satisfied. I know that I will return to some naysayers who will go on about how a weekend is not enough time to see a country (of course it isn’t but it is enough to see something), but I had an amazing time and will probably do it again.

Bulgaria Europe

Sofia, Bulgaria

Ever since I did my first international long weekend trip (Mexico City, last year) I have been experimenting with these micro trips. Where is possible in four days? I’ve also done four-day to El Salvador, Havana, and Panama City, but when I saw a low cost flight to London the night before the Remembrance Day long weekend, I thought, why not Europe?

To clarify, I live in Vancouver, so Europe is pretty far, but if I can fly when I would otherwise be sleeping, I could manage at least 2 days and 3 nights in my destination. Not bad.

I’ll spare you the process by which I picked Sofia, Bulgaria (let’s just say it involved a spreadsheet), but I did pick Sofia, and that is how I came to spend my long weekend in Bulgaria. At present I am flying home and feeling pretty pleased with myself.

I landed in Sofia at 10:50pm on Friday, having flown from Vancouver to London to Sofia. No hassles at the airport, I exchanged some Euros into Bulgarian Levs and was at the metro station by 11:15. The metro is right at Terminal 2 and will take you right to the historical centre (starting from Serdica station) which is where you should be going if you’re traveling for pleasure. The train ends at the airport, so it is impossible to get on the wrong train, leaving the airport. What it is possible to do is foolishly pay for your 1.60 Lev ticket in the machine with a 20 Lev note, as I did, and get ALL your change in 10 cent coins, as I did. It was like a slot machine. I spent the rest of the next day paying for things with my sack of coins. (As I turned around from the machine, I saw a lady at a window from whom I could have bought a ticket.)

I arrived at Serdica station and walked to Hostel Mostel. I booked a private room, which was $30 cdn a night, in a great location,and included free breakfast and free dinner, and other added bonuses like free walking tours and pub crawls daily. The dorms are an even better bargain. It is kind of a legendary hostel and I can say it deserves its reputation.

Anyway, I went to bed, which was tough because walking from the metro, then almost midnight, the streets, bars, and restaurants were lively. But I had sightseeing planned for the next day.

Sofia is perfect for a weekend city break. It is beautiful, cheap, and all of its wonderful sites are clustered close together in the historic centre. I set out after breakfast a about 8 am and by 3 pm I had pretty much seen what I wanted to see and spent the rest of the day wandering a bit more aimlessly and leisurely.

*Krystal Garden monument to Stefan Stambolov*

Sofia has some truly stunning churches and they are all free to visit as they are not relics; they are active places of worship. I think all of the churches I visited were in the midst of a service, with prayer and singing swirling with the candle and incense smoke. I tried to pretend I was entering as a worshiper, crossing myself in the orthodox way, but I don’t think anyone was buying it.

Of course, the highlight was Alexander Nevsky Cathedral which I walked circles around, taking pictures – lots of pictures – trying to find just the right angles and taking several wholly unsuccessful selfies.

Some churches did not allow photos inside, but I was happy to be able to capture a few of the warm interiors, with their beautiful paintings. (The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral charges I think 7 Lev for a photo permit, but the kiosk to buy the permit was closed when I was there so I just snapped a few shots surreptitiously.)

And it wasn’t just churches; mosques and synagogues represented with equally compelling architecture.

The streets of central Sofia are lined with imposing and impressive buildings, which made just wandering around a delight.

Even the main street that passed through all these architectural riches was delightful. An actual yellow brick road.

I browsed at a small flea market, which had many icons and antiques. I found a few cigarette boxes that looked interesting at first, only to discover that they had swastikas on them. There was a lot of Nazi trinkets for sale there along side old trumpets, cameras, and opera glasses. I walked away empty handed.

The weather was perfect. In the mid high teens (Celsius) and sunny. I had to take my jacket off whilst sitting on a patio.

I hit a couple of eateries. A cafe and a proper restaurant. I tried a banista, the traditional cold yogurt soup (tarator), and berkova livtivka, a spread made mostly of local white cheese and super hot peppers. All pretty good. There are loads of inviting bakeries, cafes, food kiosks, and restaurants, but with only two days there is only so much eating I can do.

Everyone I encountered was friendly. Many people spoke no English, but usually there would be someone around who could assist where my phrasebook failed me. I did practice some Bulgarian phrases, which the security guard at the crypt museum was happy to help me with. Oh, yes, I went to the crypt museum at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which was pleasant but in my opinion one could skip it, unless you have a bottomless appetite for 17th and 18th century icons. There are so many on display in the churches anyway.

I walked up to the “ladies market”, which is just an outdoor market selling fruits and vegetables, honey, nuts, and an assortment of household goods, like brooms and blankets. The market was thoroughly skippable, but I had some extra time, though the walk there was more interesting than the market itself.

I did see a little bit of street art en route.

Finally i strolled Vitoshka Boulevard, a pedestrian street link with busy restaurants and mediocre shops. As night it is a swell place to go for a bite and despite smoking being banned inside, smoking outside is fine, so I was happy to grab a table and people watch the next night

*Statue of Aleko Konstantinov, lawyer, writer, founder of tourism in Bulgaria*

On my first evening however, I opted to grab a cheap slice of pizza and head over to La Casa del Habano for a couple of cigars, including a regional Bulgarian edition Bolivar. If you smoke cigars, it’s pretty cool. Trust me.

And that was day one. The only thing I would have done differently knowing what I know now, is I would have skipped the market and the walk to the cultural centre and the stroll down Vitoshka (because I’d end up there anyway), and instead taken transit to the museum of communist art. But that is a small quibble. It was a perfect day; I saw the highlights of Sofia and was ready to venture outside of the city the next day.

Azerbaijan trip 2019 England Europe United Kingdom

London Layover

I decided to go to Azerbaijan because I had about 10 days of holiday to use and I had loved a previous trip to neighbouring Georgia so much that I thought it was time I returned to the Caucasus.

There really is no quick way to Azerbaijan, so I flew from Vancouver to London, from London to Moscow, and Moscow to Baku. Mercifully, I had a nine hour layover in London. Any shorter and I would have been at the airport. So I went into London for the afternoon. I wanted to walk a different area from the past few times I was there, so I decided to walk the South Bank of the Thames.

I took the Heathrow Express to Paddington and then the tube to Westminster.

Big Ben’s tower was covered in scaffolding but I caught an over the shoulder look at the parliament buildings as I crossed the bridge. Turning onto the boardwalk, I suddenly thought I had made a terrible mistake. It was so crowded. Like shoulder-to-shoulder, shuffling along crowded. But I didn’t have a bunch of time, so I didn’t want to waste time changing gears and map consulting, so I pressed through. Fortunately it got better.

The worst of the crowds were at the beginning the walk, around the London Eye, Dungeon and Aquarium, then they thinned out. I can’t think of many things i would like to do less than go on the London Eye. Packed i to sealed glass pods with a bunch of sweaty strangers as you move slowly in a circle. My biggest gripe is the slow speed, followed by being sealed up in glass (in the heat), followed by the sweaty strangers. It occurred to me though that I would enjoy a ferris wheel if it was open at the top so you could have a breeze, and there were tables with seating for two in each, then you could order cocktails from your phone and pick then up at the bottom as you circled by. Cigar friendly, of course. This is a great idea. Get on it, someone.

Anyway, once the crowds lessened, it was a perfect walk. There were buskers, a skate park, a book market, street art, and wonderful views.

I got a burrito from a food truck and just strolled along.

I didn’t have time to visit any of the attractions, but just the fact that on one short walk I walked past all the stuff on the street that I did, but could have just popped in to see world class art at the Tate or visited Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, is amazing.

I waled to the London Bridge, catching glimpses of St. Paul’s, the Shard, the millennium bridge, and the Tower of London on the way.

I walked to A nearby Tube station and went to Green Park, where I popped in to the excellent tobacconist James J. Fox and enjoyed a Montecristo Linea 1935 in their upstairs lounge.

Leaving there, I strolled a bit more before returning to the airport, with plenty of time.

It was a perfectly pleasant afternoon and nicely broke up the long flights to Baku.

Europe Scotland United Kingdom

Glasgow & Paisley

On our final day in Scotland we decided to take a day trip from Edinburgh to Glasgow. Neither of us had an overwhelming desire to go, but it was right there, of course we had to check it out. My mother does not share my love of aimless walking, so I decided we would do a self-guided walking tour around Glasgow to see their street art. That way we would have a purpose but also get to check out the city. It really was a perfect idea, in theory.

There is a website that lists all of the major murals around the city, so we decided to follow that route from the train station, where we arrived from Edinburgh. It started off well enough; there were a few murals in close proximity just in the alleys off of a main pedestrian street. There was a race on, bagpipe buskers, people out…it felt festive.

The 2^nd or 3^rd mural we saw ended up being my favourite, which was a cool one of a black British taxicab hoisted by colourful heilum balloons.

From there it was all downhill. That is not to say that anything bad happened – we just didn’t like Glasgow. We found the city just dull. It wasn’t beautiful, it wasn’t interesting, it wasn’t intriguingly seedy, it was just mediocre.

I feel bad saying that and I’m sure that there are many people who live in Glasgow or spent more than a few hours there who love it and know about all sorts of hidden gems, but all I am saying is that for a city to spend a day strolling around in, it did nothing for us.

I am aware that there are excellent galleries and museums in Glasgow, but my mum doesn’t relish museums or galleries and I also wanted to be out and about.

Sadly, not only did we not enjoy what we saw of Glasgow the city, we also didn’t like the murals. They were well executed, but we didn’t find them terribly interesting or edgy.

We could have stuck with the plan, but neither or us were really digging it, so we decided to get a coffee and reconsider. As it turned out, finding a good independent café in downtown Glasgow was also a bit of a struggle (so many chains) but we finally found one: Laboratorio Espresso. It was a tiny place with excellent coffee and cakes. We pondered over a few espressos and macchiatos and decided that flexibility was the best course of action. We walked to the train station and hopped a train to Paisley.

Why Paisley? It was close by and had some historical significance. Paisley was a textile town at one time and it apparently the place that invented the paisley pattern, which is named after the town. Also, I realized when I was there, it is the home of the famous “Paisley Snail” case that every common-law law student learns in first year. (A woman bought a bottle of ginger beer and it had a snail in it. She sued. It’s about negligence. If you are a lawyer/law student you know it and if you aren’t you probably don’t care.) The law dork part of me was pretty excited about that.

Paisley is a nice little town and was pleasant for a stroll, though apart from a lovely church, it doesn’t have much in the way of sights.

We walked around a bit, had a coffee, and returned to Edinburgh, as we had to get up at 2am for a flight home.

The last day of our trip didn’t turn out as planned, but was enjoyable, largely due to our willingness to admit we weren’t enjoying ourselves and change plans. And what’s better than being able to just hop a train at the last minute to another city? Coming from a country with almost no train travel, it is pretty great.

And so ended our mother/daughter trip to Scotland. Thankful for a chance to spend time together and explore Scotland a bit, which was actually pretty great.

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Dean Village

From Sterling, we returned to Edinburgh. As we had already seen the main sights of the city, we decided to stay in Dean Village, an area just outside the centre, tucked away along the Water of Leith, which looks like something out of a fairy tale.

We got off the train at Haymarket Station and from there Dean Village was not a far walk, down Palmerston Place, past Mary’s Cathedral, then down hill. For the first time in my entire life I found Google maps to be of more assistance than my paper maps, which only marked Dean Village in a general sort of way.

We descended until we hit the river (the Water of Leith) and saw the view that had convinced me to stay in Dean Village in the first place…

Seriously, it is stunning. Quaint. Picturesque. I know it is Scotland and not France, but I felt like walking down the cobblestone streets, singing the opening number from Beauty and the Beast.

Dean Village, previously known as Water of Leith Village, was at one time its own village before it became part of Edinburgh in the mid 1800s. It was established in the 1100s and for about 800 years was the site of multiple mills, powered by the river. Now it is a largely residential enclave of historic charm.

Our accommodations were easy to find, as it was the historically significant Well Court, dating back to the 1800s and built as housing for mill workers. In the pictures it is the large, brick, castle-y looking building.

We had an Air bnb booked and it exceeded my expectations. It was so cozy and in this tiny two bedroom apartment, it somehow had at least six different wallpapers.

Staying in Dean Village was great. Peaceful and nice for walks. The part with the cute buildings is very small but there is also a lovely walk on a path along the river under a tree canopy. There are no shops and only one eatery in the immediate vicinity, but it isn’t a long walk to the high street, which we did for dinner.

I also took a pleasant walk to Dean Cemetery, which was very pretty, especially the areas where the trees had dropped pink blossoms amongst the headstones. It was a teeny bit spooky as I saw only one other person and the cemetery was about to close. I started imagining that I would be locked in and forced to spend the night. That did not happen, however, as I walked out the back gate onto the lawn of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. It had just closed and I never did get back there (which is a shame – next time), but I enjoyed walking the lawns of the two large buildings where sculptures and installations were on display.

In the distance, I saw a man with a large ring of keys walking towards the gate. Realizing I was about to be locked in to the grounds, I ran up to him and exited just as he locked the gate. In my mind, I did this Indian Jones style, barely sliding through and then reaching back for my hat. Truthfully, I kind of wish I had been locked in, because then I would have a cool story of having to climb the walls to escape the gallery grounds, but instead I just had a pleasant walk back into Dean Village to our Air bnb.

The next day would be our last in Scotland and we would do a day trip to Glasgow and Paisley.

Europe Scotland United Kingdom

Stirling, Scotland

From Wigtown, Scotland we took a series of buses and trains to Stirling, via Glasgow. We picked Stirling because the pictures looked pretty, it has a grand castle, and it is the jumping off point for lots of picturesque walks. The train ride there took us past lovely scenery.

Stirling is small and lovely. One doesn’t need a lot of time there to see the castle and town, but with more time, the outlying areas are certainly worth exploring.

We walked from the train station to our Air bnb, which was right at the base of the walk along the castle walls to the castle itself. A perfect location.

And so we walked. We walked around the hilly old town, stopping for coffee and cakes along the way. (Cakes are a reoccurring theme in these Scotland posts, but the cafes here all had the best flourless vegan and gluten free cafes, like orange & almond or pistachio & lemon.)

Stirling was very picturesque – particularly the Church of the Holy Rude (the present structure dating to the 1400s).

And my favourite was the wonderful cemetery around the church, which was beautiful and afforded views of the surrounding fields.

The castle itself, sort of the highlight, was certainly worth visiting but I didn’t love some of the revitalization that they have done, painting the walls or ceilings with bright crests and patterns that, even if they replicate the originals, seemed too new and Disney-esque. But walking the ramparts and looking around was very good.

I also took a walk out of Stirling across a river to Cambuskenneth and the remaining Abbey.

We liked Stirling, but a day + two nights was sufficient to see the sights and wander around a bit. We ended up not doing any big hikes, but I should mention that if one does want to do any good long walks or hikes, this website, Walk Highlands, has incredibly detailed walking routes, pictures, GPS coordinates, etc. I used it to do my walk to Cambuskenneth.

From Stirling we would return to Edinburgh, visit Dean Village, Glasgow, and Paisley.

Wandering North

Category: Europe

Chernobyl

Kyiv, Ukraine

Travel in Ukraine (during covid)

Layover in Amsterdam

Rila Monastery, Bulgaria

Sofia, Bulgaria

London Layover

Glasgow & Paisley

Dean Village

Stirling, Scotland