London was the first overseas city that Jerry and I travelled to, fresh faced at age 21. Last time we were here, it was mid-November, so it was cold and rainy. This time we’ve come in summer, so it was…cold and rainy. Ha! No, we had some stunning days, but I don’t think the Londoners are impressed with their summer so far. After the absolute glut of sunshine for the past few months, I thought we had had our fill. I can now report that we are back to worshipping the sun when it shines on our faces.
A bit of sneaky sunshine
Every moment in London had a nostalgic glow to it, from hopping on the tube, to FINALLY seeing Big Ben in Elizabeth’s Tower (it was covered in scaffolding last time we were here). We didn’t start off making many plans for London. It sits right in the middle of our trip, and I think we planned to have a rest while we were here. SIKE. Apparently, every person in their late 20s is here right now. We have socialised so much that even social butterfly Jerry has managed to charge his social battery to 100%. It has truly been wonderful to see so many people. We’ve been spoiled by memorable shared experiences, from West End shows, cocktails in Mayfair, inner city London apartment brunches, and pub dinners. We didn’t even get the chance to see everyone who is over here, which was inevitable, but a shame.
While London has so many great free museums, there was one that we had to see. After weeks travelling through Turkey and Greece, we can’t count how many plaques we have read, stating “currently housed in the British Museum''. So here we were, to see all the bits we missed… Remember the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, with its mostly empty field? Turns out there’s a whole room of artefacts, if you know where to look. And the British Museum is where you look. Ditto for the temple of Artemis. And of course, the most famous of all, the many many pieces of the Parthenon that are housed here. It was a somewhat jarring visit.
I am hardly the biggest sports follower. While Jerry dabbles in most sports news, I generally need a rapidfire introduction to the rules before each game. There does seem to be a lot of sporting happening around here right now. Between Wimbledon, F1 at Silverstone, England in the Euros, and the Olympics coming up…
I guess I’m a person who watches sports now. I will say that in the UK, you can’t help but get invested. Sitting in a deckchair in the sun, watching Wimbledon on the screen, with a Pimms in hand, I think I can manage. I don’t think I’ll ever be a football fan though. There’s an awful lot of rolling around on the ground for a sport that’s played on your feet.
When we were leaving for this trip last Christmas, we were quite insistent that people did not get us physical gifts. With everything with us coming in the backpack, and everything we left behind in boxes, we really were set. My brother, James, generously got Jerry and I tickets to Warner Bros studio London as a Christmas gift. After reading and watching Harry Potter with me a thousand times as a child, he knew what was up! Visiting the studio really was a trip down nostalgia lane (and Privet Drive, too!).
Jerry’s brother, Johann, and his partner, Adam, live in Cambridge. We spent a few days with them, exploring the beautiful city. I loved perusing the bookstores, admiring the beautiful buildings, and watching Jerry and Johann fall into their usual chatty selves. I never thought I’d learn so much about the UK rail network, political system, and legal process. It’s a good thing Adam is there, as he reminds Johann if he’s left out key information… As a McElligott, I also never let the truth stand in the way of a good story! Johann is also an amazing cook, so we enjoyed a wonderful home cooked curry, and Jerry is finally satisfied, having had some rice.
Adam is completing his PhD in Cambridge, so we were able to rent one of his college’s punting boats, to punt down the river. Johann taught Jerry to punt. He recommended I give it a try, and both Adam and Johann assured me that no one ever falls in. I was not going to fall for that one…About halfway in, we did get to witness someone topple in, so I feel I have been proven right. I enjoyed the sunshine, as Adam shared stories and facts about the different colleges. Johann became quite the topic of interest of other punting guides, as he was punting in the ‘Oxford style’, which is essentially the backwards version of the Cambridge style.
While we have been spoiled by home cooked meals on this leg of the trip, we feel confident that we have also identified the unsung hero of the UK food market. It is the Tesco meal deal. One main, a snack, and a drink for $3.40 (with Johann’s Tesco club card). With the eye-watering cost of eating out in London and Cambridge, we’ve never been so happy to discover such a staple lunch option. Our favourite mains are the tandoori chicken rice bowl, the falafel salad, or one of the pastas if we’re particularly hungry. Considering the coffee is over $3 on its own, having a coffee as well as food for only 40p more feels like a steal. Also, if you live in the UK, don’t come for me with your Sainsbury’s meal deals or M&S. We’ve tried them both. Not as good value.
The train to Glasgow genuinely felt like we had been transported back home, besides the castles and everyday houses that are older than colonised New Zealand… As a friend from back home mentioned, you can see how Scottish people came to New Zealand and thought, “oh yeah, this is home”. This feeling was multiplied when we arrived at the train station to meet our wonderful friends, Jonny and Rebekah. We met these two in New Zealand, when Jonny started working with Jerry at the uni while they were on an OE working in New Zealand.
Reunited!
Thanks to them, our introduction to Scotland has been like a big, warm hug. We’ve had dinners with their welcoming friends, shared commutes into Edinburgh (Jonny works at Edinburgh airport, which may now be Jerry’s dream role), and park trips with their church to visit the greenhouses and highland cows. Emphasis on the HIGHLAND COWS. I have now identified the only challenger to my other favourite animal, the Giant Panda. There’s something about a cow with a fringe. I must be inspired by my Waikato roots.
We’ve had another local experience since arriving in Scotland. When Jonny and Rebekah messaged us a few months ago about a traditional Scottish folk band playing a concert at Edinburgh castle, we weren’t sure what we were in for. As it turns out, Skipinnish goes hard, and we are now mega fans. Cheerful songs with easy to learn choruses (helpful since we only knew 2.5 songs before), Scottish pride at an all-time high, and lots and lots of bagpipes. Pure, unadulterated joy. Jerry phrased it well, about 20 minutes into the concert. “Caitlin, why do I feel so patriotic about a country I’ve only been in for 24 hours?!”. While it’s unlikely Skipinnish are planning to tour all the way to Aotearoa, we’ll hold out hope that they’ll take their love of islands global.
We spent our first weekend in Scotland climbing Conic Hill, followed by a stint on the bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond, picnicking, playing frisbee and kubb, and even going for a refreshing, albeit slippery swim. Jerry did not plan on swimming, but a poorly aimed (or well aimed? I’ll let you be the judge) frisbee throw led him into the water regardless. Always one to raise the stakes, Jonny and Jerry continued with loch frisbee, where Jerry stayed in the loch and tried to catch from there. As you can imagine, Jerry was well wet before the game was over.
I’ll let you in on a secret - Jonny has a broken foot. If you’ve been watching our Instagram stories, you wouldn’t be able to tell, since he still gleefully participated in the Skipinnish mosh pit, hill-climbing, frisbee matches… Rebekah and Jonny are two of the few people in life who match Jerry’s boundless enthusiasm to move. Jonny has a hospital appointment coming up, so stay tuned to find out whether the Jerry/Jonny antics have done any more damage.
On the days Jonny and Rebekah have to work, we’ve ventured out on our own. We’ve explored a few different areas of Glasgow, including the Botanic gardens, Pollock Park and the Burrell Collection, and the many second hand stores and quaint bookshops of the West End. The city is lush with green spaces, which is probably the outcome of 167 days with rain per year. Not for us though, we got a sunny day. Jerry’s luck continues, and I bask in its glory. Our highlight visit in Glasgow was the University of Glasgow. If you look at the pictures, you’ll see why.
We’ve been into Edinburgh for a few day trips, when we’ve hitched a ride in with Jonny. I’ll admit that my visions of Edinburgh were grand, but with a definite overarching moodiness. I’m always being surprised, as each day we’ve spent in Edinburgh has been sunny and blue. We’ve switched my cosy cafe plans to park picnics. No complaints from me - we get the same epic view of Edinburgh castle, but for a fraction of the price. Edinburgh is a beautiful city. I wouldn’t like to work in one of the many souvenir shops, though. I like bagpipes as much as the next gal (maybe more), but I couldn’t do a full shift with a bagpipe track playing nonstop.
In the next two weeks, we’re headed out to see Scotland beyond its central belt, with a Herriott-Go roadie to the Isle of Mull, followed by a trip up to the highlands to stay with my Macpherson family in Kingussie and Inverness (our closest shared relation is my great-grandmother, so that really is a testament to their hospitality!). Even Jerry’s luck can’t fight this weather forecast, so I’m expecting a rainy introduction to my 27th trip around the sun.
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