A few weeks ago, I came across a blog written by a French student currently doing a year-long exchange at UVA
in one of the French newspapers, Le Monde. She's published several poignant posts, especially given all of the things that
happened in Charlottesville last fall, but I
had to laugh when I read her post about how strange she finds the American
university system. In particular, she was trying to explain to her readers the mysterious American grading scale, which is done as a percentage out of 100. I've been trying to make sense of scores out of 20 on my assignments and tests since I arrived!
There are a few other differences between the academic systems in France and the States that took a little getting used to. In France, almost everything is paper-based – as opposed to electronic – and students take final exams after winter break and then have another week and a half of classes after taking the final exams. This last difference reminded me of how in high school we took the AP exams sometime in May but then did not graduate until the end of June. It was just awkward.
One thing I didn't have trouble getting used to, however, was the bonus winter vacation that we got after the first semester finally wrapped up at the end of January! With new students arriving for orientation and their placement tests, returning students had a week off while the program administrators and teachers prepared for the second semester. So, at the end of January, I caught a short flight from Geneva to Edinburgh, where I met Drew for a long weekend before heading down to London with him for the rest of the week.
The weather was gorgeous that Friday when we arrived in Scotland, so we decided to take advantage of the clear, blue skies and hike to Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park that afternoon. It turned out that several of Drew's classmates were in Edinburgh for the weekend as well, so we all met at the base of the hill to hike up together. We trudged up the steady incline from the road to the first "landing" (for lack of a better word), and from there we followed the path encircling the mountain, climbing up and over some boulders in our attempts to get higher. When the others decided they were satisfied with our progress and turned to head back down, Drew and I broke off on our own to continue on to the "seat" at the very top. This part of the hike was steep and icy, so we took our time on the way up. It was worth it – we were rewarded with 360 degree views of Edinburgh and the bay next to it! We didn't stay at the top for very long, however, because it was incredibly windy up there and it was beginning to get dark. (Darn you short winter days...I can't wait for spring and summer!)
On our way back from the hike, we stopped at a local pub to grab a pre-dinner snack, our first taste (of several) of haggis, a traditional Scottish dish that I would only recommend you look up if you have a tough stomach. I'm glad I didn't know what it was before I ate it, or I don't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much! Feeling much warmer after sitting inside for a bit, we went back to the apartment to change and relax before meeting back up with the group for dinner.
One of Drew's classmates had booked a table for the fourteen of us at one of the impressive number of Italian restaurants in Edinburgh called Amarone. The staff handled our large group with ease, serving up tasty pizzas, pasta dishes, and wine, and I had a lot of fun getting to know everyone better. Afterwards, the group went out to a bar to get a feel for the Scottish nightlife, but Drew and I didn't stay out too late since we wanted to get up early for sightseeing the next day!
On Saturday morning, we ate a quick breakfast in the apartment, pre-purchased our tickets to Edinburgh Castle through their website to avoid standing in line, and then walked about 40 feet from our front door to the Saturday market at Grassmarket. There weren't too many stands set up that chilly morning, but we wandered through anyway, picking up some snacks to supplement our cereal.
From there, we climbed up to the imposing Edinburgh Castle, situated in the center of the city on a high rock outcropping called, appropriately, Castle Rock. While waiting for Drew's classmates to arrive, we stopped to chat with one of the castle's in-house historians, who told us a little bit about Drew's Scottish ancestors! The Winnings apparently lived in Chester before moving near Glasgow, where many of them still reside today.
Edinburgh Castle has a really long and fascinating history, serving over several centuries as a military stronghold, a castle residence for several Scottish monarchs (including Mary Queen of Scots), a prison, and now a national monument. We spent quite a while walking through the exhibits in the castle, catching glimpses of the Crown Jewels, the Sword of State, and the Stone of Destiny, and going through the other buildings open to the public, including the Scottish National War Memorial. Unfortunately it was super windy and cold that day so we didn't spend as much time outside enjoying the view, but we did stay long enough for the firing of the 1:00pm cannon!
Leaving the castle, Drew and I split from the group and picked up some savory crepes on our way to the National Museum of Scotland. The museum is huge and we could easily have spent several days trying to see everything in it, so we focused our limited time on the section covering Scottish history from the 1700s to the present. The museum space was really nice and the exhibit seemed quite thorough, but we both left feeling like we could have used some more context and framing to help us understand what we were looking at. It was definitely geared towards people who are very familiar with Scottish history. Next time we'll just have to do a little more reading beforehand, I guess!
After a solid morning of Scottish history, it was time for a little more culture. Meeting back up with Drew's classmates, we headed to the Scotch Whisky Experience to learn more about how whisky (no e!) is made and do a little tasting. The first part of the tour was a little like an amusement ride. In twos and threes, we climbed into barrel-shaped coaches that took us on an animated tour of the brewing process, which Drew and I found to be pretty similar to the beer brewing we have done. Next, we learned about the different whisky-producing regions of Scotland and about the characteristics of whiskies that come from each. We used some handy scratch-and-sniff cards that had the four regions and the flavors that are dominant in their whiskies to help us decide which one we wanted to taste! Drew gravitated towards the smokier flavors of whisky produced in the Islay region, while I went for the lighter ones from the Highlands. The last part of the tour was seeing the largest Scotch whisky collection in the world. I wouldn't have thought so, but this part was actually really cool – the display was striking!
Most importantly, perhaps, we learned that a proper Scottish toast is to say "Slàinte Mhath," which means, "Good Health"!
It was already dark by the time we left the tour (see above re: being ready for Spring) and made it back to the apartment, and we were starting to get hungry for dinner! We both really wanted to try more local Scottish dishes, so we turned to Yelp and online reviews for advice before heading back out. The first place we tried had a long wait to get in, so we went to our next choice, a cozy place called The Magnum. The restaurant was packed, but after about 10-15 minutes we were able to snag two seats at the bar.
Dinner was awesome. We split two appetizers and an entree, enjoying the traditional haggis with potato mash and neeps (haggis with mashed potatoes and mashed root vegetables – turnips, I think), the creamy cullen skink with grilled cheese bloomer (aka a creamy fish soup with toasted bread topped with cheese), and a stew of fried sea bass, chorizo, and cannellini beans. Each dish was totally different but they were all fantastic. The staff at the restaurant was great too. Even though they were incredibly busy, they were happy to give us recommendations and stopped to chat whenever they were behind the bar mixing a drink or gulping down water!
A delicious meal warm in our bellies, we walked over to one of the apartments where Drew's classmates were staying and spent a few hours hanging out and playing games with them. The group had just started playing a homemade version of Cards Against Humanity when we arrived, so we each wrote up a few cards and tossed them into the pile. For those of you who have never played, it's basically a more cringe-worthy (read: offensive) version of Apples to Apples, where you have a target word or phrase and then each player secretly submits a card with a word or phrase that they think best matches the target. For example, if the target word in Apples to Apples is "cute," then people might put down cards like "baby" or "miniature succulent," (No? just me?) In Cards Against Humanity, the target phrase might be "_______: Kid Tested, Mother Approved," and someone might play a card like "An Oedipus Complex." That's a tame example, but you get the idea. Adding words like "rainbow" and "unicorn" to the mix, I left it to the others to come up with the more outrageous cards!
Even though we'd been in Edinburgh for a day and a half by Saturday night, I still didn't really feel like I had a good sense for the city. I think we just hadn't spent as much time wandering (semi-) aimlessly as we usually do. So, to make sure we didn't leave feeling like we hadn't explored enough of Edinburgh, Drew and I got moving early Sunday morning to walk around some more before it was time to leave that afternoon.
We stopped first at Calton Hill Park, which had some great views of Arthur's Seat and the bay, and then walked along the main drag a ways before turning down some decidedly more local streets. Our destination was The Caley Sample Room, a restaurant we had seen on almost every "Best Food in Edinburgh" list the night before. The restaurant was super cute inside, and we both generally enjoyed the traditional Scottish breakfasts that we ordered. I have to say, though, that I definitely prefer American/Canadian bacon to Scottish/English bacon...they are nothing alike! I could also take or leave Black Pudding in the future!
With that, it was time to say goodbye to charming Edinburgh and hop on our train to London! Such a great start to winter vacation #2!
There are a few other differences between the academic systems in France and the States that took a little getting used to. In France, almost everything is paper-based – as opposed to electronic – and students take final exams after winter break and then have another week and a half of classes after taking the final exams. This last difference reminded me of how in high school we took the AP exams sometime in May but then did not graduate until the end of June. It was just awkward.
 |
| Course schedules are posted in the school courtyard (instead of being emailed). It works, but it seems a little dated! |
The weather was gorgeous that Friday when we arrived in Scotland, so we decided to take advantage of the clear, blue skies and hike to Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park that afternoon. It turned out that several of Drew's classmates were in Edinburgh for the weekend as well, so we all met at the base of the hill to hike up together. We trudged up the steady incline from the road to the first "landing" (for lack of a better word), and from there we followed the path encircling the mountain, climbing up and over some boulders in our attempts to get higher. When the others decided they were satisfied with our progress and turned to head back down, Drew and I broke off on our own to continue on to the "seat" at the very top. This part of the hike was steep and icy, so we took our time on the way up. It was worth it – we were rewarded with 360 degree views of Edinburgh and the bay next to it! We didn't stay at the top for very long, however, because it was incredibly windy up there and it was beginning to get dark. (Darn you short winter days...I can't wait for spring and summer!)
On our way back from the hike, we stopped at a local pub to grab a pre-dinner snack, our first taste (of several) of haggis, a traditional Scottish dish that I would only recommend you look up if you have a tough stomach. I'm glad I didn't know what it was before I ate it, or I don't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much! Feeling much warmer after sitting inside for a bit, we went back to the apartment to change and relax before meeting back up with the group for dinner.
 |
| A little pre-dinner tasting of the Scotch Whisky our airbnb host left for us! |
One of Drew's classmates had booked a table for the fourteen of us at one of the impressive number of Italian restaurants in Edinburgh called Amarone. The staff handled our large group with ease, serving up tasty pizzas, pasta dishes, and wine, and I had a lot of fun getting to know everyone better. Afterwards, the group went out to a bar to get a feel for the Scottish nightlife, but Drew and I didn't stay out too late since we wanted to get up early for sightseeing the next day!
On Saturday morning, we ate a quick breakfast in the apartment, pre-purchased our tickets to Edinburgh Castle through their website to avoid standing in line, and then walked about 40 feet from our front door to the Saturday market at Grassmarket. There weren't too many stands set up that chilly morning, but we wandered through anyway, picking up some snacks to supplement our cereal.
From there, we climbed up to the imposing Edinburgh Castle, situated in the center of the city on a high rock outcropping called, appropriately, Castle Rock. While waiting for Drew's classmates to arrive, we stopped to chat with one of the castle's in-house historians, who told us a little bit about Drew's Scottish ancestors! The Winnings apparently lived in Chester before moving near Glasgow, where many of them still reside today.
Edinburgh Castle has a really long and fascinating history, serving over several centuries as a military stronghold, a castle residence for several Scottish monarchs (including Mary Queen of Scots), a prison, and now a national monument. We spent quite a while walking through the exhibits in the castle, catching glimpses of the Crown Jewels, the Sword of State, and the Stone of Destiny, and going through the other buildings open to the public, including the Scottish National War Memorial. Unfortunately it was super windy and cold that day so we didn't spend as much time outside enjoying the view, but we did stay long enough for the firing of the 1:00pm cannon!
 |
| The building to the right with the clock holds the Honors of Scotland, and the building to the left houses the Scottish National War Memorial |
After a solid morning of Scottish history, it was time for a little more culture. Meeting back up with Drew's classmates, we headed to the Scotch Whisky Experience to learn more about how whisky (no e!) is made and do a little tasting. The first part of the tour was a little like an amusement ride. In twos and threes, we climbed into barrel-shaped coaches that took us on an animated tour of the brewing process, which Drew and I found to be pretty similar to the beer brewing we have done. Next, we learned about the different whisky-producing regions of Scotland and about the characteristics of whiskies that come from each. We used some handy scratch-and-sniff cards that had the four regions and the flavors that are dominant in their whiskies to help us decide which one we wanted to taste! Drew gravitated towards the smokier flavors of whisky produced in the Islay region, while I went for the lighter ones from the Highlands. The last part of the tour was seeing the largest Scotch whisky collection in the world. I wouldn't have thought so, but this part was actually really cool – the display was striking!
Most importantly, perhaps, we learned that a proper Scottish toast is to say "Slàinte Mhath," which means, "Good Health"!
 |
It was already dark by the time we left the tour (see above re: being ready for Spring) and made it back to the apartment, and we were starting to get hungry for dinner! We both really wanted to try more local Scottish dishes, so we turned to Yelp and online reviews for advice before heading back out. The first place we tried had a long wait to get in, so we went to our next choice, a cozy place called The Magnum. The restaurant was packed, but after about 10-15 minutes we were able to snag two seats at the bar.
Dinner was awesome. We split two appetizers and an entree, enjoying the traditional haggis with potato mash and neeps (haggis with mashed potatoes and mashed root vegetables – turnips, I think), the creamy cullen skink with grilled cheese bloomer (aka a creamy fish soup with toasted bread topped with cheese), and a stew of fried sea bass, chorizo, and cannellini beans. Each dish was totally different but they were all fantastic. The staff at the restaurant was great too. Even though they were incredibly busy, they were happy to give us recommendations and stopped to chat whenever they were behind the bar mixing a drink or gulping down water!
A delicious meal warm in our bellies, we walked over to one of the apartments where Drew's classmates were staying and spent a few hours hanging out and playing games with them. The group had just started playing a homemade version of Cards Against Humanity when we arrived, so we each wrote up a few cards and tossed them into the pile. For those of you who have never played, it's basically a more cringe-worthy (read: offensive) version of Apples to Apples, where you have a target word or phrase and then each player secretly submits a card with a word or phrase that they think best matches the target. For example, if the target word in Apples to Apples is "cute," then people might put down cards like "baby" or "miniature succulent," (No? just me?) In Cards Against Humanity, the target phrase might be "_______: Kid Tested, Mother Approved," and someone might play a card like "An Oedipus Complex." That's a tame example, but you get the idea. Adding words like "rainbow" and "unicorn" to the mix, I left it to the others to come up with the more outrageous cards!
Even though we'd been in Edinburgh for a day and a half by Saturday night, I still didn't really feel like I had a good sense for the city. I think we just hadn't spent as much time wandering (semi-) aimlessly as we usually do. So, to make sure we didn't leave feeling like we hadn't explored enough of Edinburgh, Drew and I got moving early Sunday morning to walk around some more before it was time to leave that afternoon.
We stopped first at Calton Hill Park, which had some great views of Arthur's Seat and the bay, and then walked along the main drag a ways before turning down some decidedly more local streets. Our destination was The Caley Sample Room, a restaurant we had seen on almost every "Best Food in Edinburgh" list the night before. The restaurant was super cute inside, and we both generally enjoyed the traditional Scottish breakfasts that we ordered. I have to say, though, that I definitely prefer American/Canadian bacon to Scottish/English bacon...they are nothing alike! I could also take or leave Black Pudding in the future!
 |
| View from Calton Hill |
 |
| View of Arthur's Seat, which was formed by volcanic activity a looooong time ago |
