Submitted by Haley Cohen on the 2014 spring semester study abroad program in London, England…
Last Friday, we woke up at the crack of dawn to catch our four hour train to Edinburgh, Scotland. I really didn’t know what to expect in Edinburgh because it’s typically not the first city you think of visiting in Europe, but we were told by our friends that we had to go there and I am so glad we did! Being the meticulous planner that I am, it was refreshing going into a vacation without having any set plans or expectations. It allowed us to explore this amazing city spontaneously. When we first got there, we were pretty tired because I didn’t get much sleep on the train so we headed to our charming little boutique hotel to rejuvenate a bit and then we set off to explore. We were starving so our first stop was at The Elephant House, the famous café where J.K. Rowling found her inspiration to write my all time favorite series: Harry Potter! After lunch, we strolled the streets of the city, stopping to shop in various boutiques and we eventually made our way to Edinburgh Castle. From there, we saw gorgeous panoramic views of the city.
After a good night’s sleep, we woke up feeling refreshed and ready for our second day! We started off the day with a full brunch to prepare us for the hike we had in store to Arthur’s Peak. It started off as a nice smooth walk, but swiftly changed into a steep rocky trail and that is when my terrorizing fear of heights sank in and I gave up. But even from the point I made it to, I still got to see amazing views of the city. From the royal blue ocean to my left to the rolling green hills on my right to the historic buildings and churches in the distance, Edinburgh truly does offer a diverse range of sites to appreciate and explore. After our hike, we were starving so we stopped at a cute little café near the University of Edinburgh to warm up and unwind a bit before walking around some more. Even though our trip was short and sweet, we had a great time! Now I’ve been super busy writing all my midterm papers before spring break, which I can’t believe is coming up so soon!
