travel – Page 46 – Snapping The Globe

Gothic Grandeur

As you walk onto the central market square in Haarlem, you are greeted with an impressive site and an important landmark…the Gothic-style St. Bavo’s Church.

Having visited this church once before, I was anxious to set foot inside and rephotograph the interior and gaze upon one of the things I most wanted to see again, the Muller organ.

One of the most historically important organs, it was decorated by artist Jan Van Logteren and built by Amsterdam organ builder, Christian Muller between 1735 and 1738. At its completion, it was the largest organ in the world, played by many famous musicians including Mendelssohn, Handel and Mozart, at the early age of 10, and described by Herman Melville in the book, Moby Dick:

“Seeing all these colonnades of bone so methodically ranged about, would you not think you were inside of the great Haarlem organ, and gazing upon its thousand pipes?”

Though I have yet to be present for one of the concerts held regularly in the church, it is something that I aspire to attend in the future as all through the year, special opening times are organized so that the public can walk in free of charge to listen to the famous organ in action.

Originally a Catholic cathedral consecrated in 1559, St-Bavokerk was converted to Protestantism in 1958. Walking through the interior of the church, it is hard to fathom that this expansive church was once a Catholic cathedral. Lacking the embellished ornamentation that you usually find in most cathedrals, the only commonality would be the stained glass windows, however, the lack thereof is a source of interest. Haarlem was once an important center for stained glass in the 16th century, however, many of the original windows, have been lost to neglect. Today, the lack of historic, colorful windows has been remedied by installing windows from other, demolished or defunct churches. In addition, modern artists have created new pieces…a beautiful, large blue window hangs on the northern side and can be seen when entering the double doors on the Groenmarkt and was created by local glass artist Michel van Overbeeke.

Throughout the church’s floor, a large number of carvings can be seen marking the graves of many illustrious Haarlemers. Until 1831, graves were allowed within the church and many plaques hanging on the walls represent the shields of illustrious families and mark the family’s graves below them. Many famous people are buried in individual graves within the church such as Pieter Teyler van der Hulst and Willen van Heythuisen. Other notorious burials include painters Frans Hals and Maarten van Heemskerck and two circus curiosities, the giant Danial Cajanus and his midget friend Jan Paap.

Lastly, moving from the interior to the market square, take in the Gothic exterior and the low buildings built up against it, most notably the former fish market, De Vishal, now used for modern art exhibitions. The most striking piece of architecture is the Grote Kerk Tower which houses a big bourdon bell that sounds on the hour. A short tune is also played every seven and half minutes. Other bells include a carillon which is played weekly on market days. On Tuesdays in the summer, a concert of the carillon is held just before the weekly organ concert.

After your visit, step out into the Grote Markt and take in the statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster, the inventor of a printing press from Haarlem, believed to have done so simultaneously with Johannes Gutenberg (see my post, Germany, Mainz, Museum Time in Mainz). Grab a bite to eat at the many resturants that line the square and check out the many things to see in the history rich city.

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St. Bavo’s Church (Grote Kerk)

http://www.bavo.nl/
Address: Grote Markt 22 (noordzijde), 2011 RD Haarlem
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 1000-1700, August and September, also Sundays 1200-1700
Admission: Adults, €2.50, Youth (12-16 years), €11.25, Children (0-12 years), free, Guided Tour, Adults, €5.00

The Hiding Place

Amsterdam has the Anne Frank House. Haarlem has the Corrie Ten Boom Museum.

During World War II, many Jews knew of a hiding place in Haarlem…19 Barteljorisstraat, the site of the Ten Boom family’s watchmaking business. With the comings and goings of the business’ many customers, it was the perfect hiding place since it did not arouse suspicion.

Corrie, the youngest of the four Ten Boom children, the first female licensed as a watchmaker in Holland and a devout Christian, realized the horrors that were coming to pass in the Netherlands and decided that she and her family had the opportunity to help those in need.

Arriving in Haarlem, I made my way to the Corrie Ten Boom museum near the Grote Markt. Standing in the alley, I watched the tour guides arrive and enter the museum and other tourists approach and wait patiently behind me in line. As the clock on nearby St. Bavo’s church chimed the top of the hour, we were escorted into the museum and up the stairs into the Ten Boom’s former living room.

I knew that this was an important museum. I knew that Jews had hidden here in this home, but among those in my group, I was the only person who had not read Corrie’s book, “The Hiding Place” nor did I really know the story behind it.

Our tour guide narrated a tale for half an hour, detailing Corrie’s childhood, the impending Holocaust and how the family came to assist those in need. We moved into Corrie’s bedroom and observed the secret room behind the false wall which served to hide as many as seven people at a time, including Jews and members of the Dutch underground. Additional refugees would stay with the Ten Booms for a few hours or a few days until another “safe house” could be located for them.

Corrie, the ringleader of the underground network, spent much of her time searching for those in need and for those who would take them in and care for them. It is estimated that approximately 800 lives were saved by the Ten Boom family and their friends.

As we moved throughout the rooms of the museum, we were witness to many photographs and personal items and learned that the family, were eventually betrayed by an informant. As a result of the betrayal, the entire family was arrested and imprisoned, in Scheveningen Prison and Ravensbruck concentration camp. Sadly, Corrie was the only survivor of the experience. After a clerical error resulted in her release, Corrie returned to the Netherlands and decided to continue the ministry that she and her sister Betsy started while in the concentration camp.

Setting up a rehabilitation center in Bloemendaal for concentration camp survivors and the jobless Dutch who had previously collaborated with the Germans, she continued to assist those in need. Returning to Germany in 1946, she then traveled the world as a public speaker, appearing in more than 60 countries, wrote many books and finally emigrated to Placentia, California before her death at 91 years of age.

The museum, which has been refurbished to appear as it did in the 1940’s, was probably the most humbling and inspiring places I have ever visited. Though quite small and only open on certain days, it was certainly worth the 15 minute train ride from Amsterdam Central Station, the 15 minute walk from Haarlem Central Station and will be worth the $6.99 purchase price of the Kindle book “The Hiding Place” so that I can learn more about this fascinating woman.

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Corrie Ten Boom Museum

https://www.corrietenboom.com/en/the-museum
Address: Barteljorisstraat 19, 2011 RA Haarlem, Holland
Hours: April 1 through October 31, Tuesday through Saturday. English tours at 1000, 1130, 1330 and 1500. Tours in Dutch at 1030, 1200, 1400 and 1530.
Hours: November 1 through March 30, Tuesday through Saturday. English tours at 1100, 1230, 1430. Tours in Dutch at 1130, 1300 and 1500.
Admission: free, donations accepted at the end of the tour.
How To Get There: From Amsterdam, take the train (15 minutes) from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Haarlem Central Station. From From Haarlem Central Station, it is a 10-15 minute walk. Leave the station by the door marked with the word “Centrum”. Turn right out of the station. Walk straight to Kruisweg Street. Turn left and head to the Grote Markt. Continue on this street until you reach the museum’s address. Wait in the alley at the entrance door until the tour guide allows the group to enter. The museum asks that no one wait in the adjacent Ten Boom Jewelry store.

Passing the Time

Going for a visit to the Anne Frank museum while in Amsterdam? Be prepared for a looooonnnnnggggg wait.

Since the admission line will head down the street and onto the square, Westermarkt, here’s a way to pass the time. If there are a few people in your party, have one person hold your place in the line and the rest of you can duck into the church next door.

Westerkerk, a Reformed church within the Dutch Protestant church was built between 1620 and 1630 according to designs by Hendrick de Keyser and was one of the first purposely built and largest Protestant churches in the Netherlands.

Though very unlike the ornate and beautiful catholic churches we see throughout the world, Westerkerk has a grand, yet simplistic beauty. Walking through the entire structure, take in the large wooden pulpit, carved woodwork, massive chandeliers and the piece that always seems to steal the show in Protestant churches, the organ.

As music was considered profane during the early years of the church, the organ was not part of the interior when the church was consecrated. Located in the rear of the church, the organ’s construction was begun in 1681 by organ builder Roelof Barentszn Duyschot and finished by his son, Johannes. In 1727, the organ was enlarged with a third keyboard and many alterations were done over the years. If you are visiting during the months from April to October, a free weekly lunchtime concert is held on Fridays at one o’clock and a free concert is held almost every day in August where a collection is taken for the costs of the maintenance of the concerts and the organ.

Another smaller, choir organ is also located in the front of the church. This organ, introduced for cantata services was introduced in 1963 by D.A. Flentrop.

One of the most notable items in the church is the memorial shield on the left nave wall, which is a symbolic mark of the grave of the famous Dutch painter, Rembrandt. Living nearby at Rozengracht 184 in extreme poverty, he was buried in an unmarked church grave with several other people in the church. The exact location of his grave remains unknown.

Moving to the outside, the Westerkerk Tower, built in 1638, can be seen from most of the Old City center. Standing 85 meters tall, it is the highest church tower in Amsterdam and can be climbed during the summer months. Lucky enough to have a beautiful, sunny day, I crossed the Prinsengracht Canal, where the steeple and bright blue colored crown can be best viewed. Since the tower has remained municipal property, you may notice a large national flag hanging from the top of the tower on all important days for the city.

Other things that you can check out in the immediate area are the Anne Frank statue located on the Westermarkt and the entrance to the Prinsenhuis, which once served as the entrance to the Westerkerk. The Lord Mayor’s gate is still visible on the Westermarkt side of the church and was once used as a shortcut for the mayors of the city to reach their private stall inside the church (directly opposite the pulpit). The Homomonument is also a popular tourist attraction, commemorating all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their homosexuality and is located behind the church, at the corner of the Westermarkt and Keizergracht.

Your wait for Anne Frank may be long, but there are a multitude of things you can see to pass the time. Take advantage of all of them!

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Westerkerk Church

http://www.westerkerk.nl/
Address: Prinsengracht 281, 1016 GW Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hours: 1100-1500 every day except Sunday. In October, hours are extended until 1530 and on Saturday, 1000-1730.
Admission: free
Guided climbs of the tower are held from June through September,1000 until 1930, every 30 minutes. Reservations advised. Tower admission, €7 and children under 6 are not admitted.
Every Tuesday from 1200-1300, a carillon concert on 42 bells is played from the Westerkerk Tower.

Light It Up!

Each year, around Christmastime, Amsterdam offers up beautiful lighted artwork throughout the city…

If you haven’t been to the Amsterdam Light Festival, mark your calendars for next year!

Having heard about and seen some of these lighted art installations near Central Station, I decided that I wanted to see what this festival was all about. Discovering that we would be there for its final night, we decided to purchase tickets for one of the boat tours which cruise along one of the routes.

Two routes are offered each year…this year’s routes, Watercolors, the boat route and Illuminade, the walking route. The artwork presented along these two routes during the two month time span is selected from groundbreaking submissions by light artists from 93 countries and displayed throughout the city’s canals and the city’s Plantage neighborhood.

Since we had been out walking most of the day, we decided that it would be nice to relax on one of the boat tours. Booking a five o’clock departure, we had hoped to be completed in order to have an early dinner. Starting out near the front of Central Station, we cruised along the front of the station and out into the IJ before circling back to our starting point. Finally, we headed into the canals and admired the beautiful pieces along the way.

Though we thoroughly enjoyed the tour, there are some things I would like to point out.

Doing a bit more research after my tour, I discovered that there are some companies that offer boats with open top. Although it may be a bit too cold for some, they do offer blankets and warm drinks. Our boat was packed to capacity and sometimes hard to get a photograph through the boat windows. We were, however, allowed to go out to the back of the boat and take photos in the open air.

Next year, I do think that I would book a different boat company, but also take advantage of the Illuminade route. Being able to take your time and enjoy each piece, up close, is surely worth the price of achy feet!

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Amsterdam Light Festival

https://amsterdamlightfestival.com/en/
Hours: Amsterdam Light Festival Water colors route, December 1, 2016 until January 22, 2017, 1700-2300. Illuminade route, December 15, 2016 until January 8, 2017, 1700-2200. Refer to the website for Amsterdam’s Light Festival 2017-2018 schedule.
Many boat companies offer tours starting near Central Station and prices vary among the companies.

Benched

The Fault In Our Stars.

Ever read the book by John Green? Saw the movie?

A few years ago, I read the book. Absorbed in the tragic, star-crossed lovers’ story and sobbing while sitting at the pool in Dakar, a co-worker actually came over to me to make sure that I was okay. When the movie finally arrived in the theaters, I was there…tissues in my pocket, ready for what I knew was to come.

A couple of weeks ago, while searching for a restaurant in Amsterdam, I noticed the words “Fault In Our Stars Bench” marking a spot on the map.

Remembering that I had heard that the bench had been stolen, presumably by fans or neighbors tired of the constant traffic, I had never thought to look for it in the city. Well, apparently, it was back!

While the bench had actually disappeared in 2014, it reappeared in its original location shortly after, with city officials confirming that it is the original bench on which characters Hazel and Augustus sat while visiting Amsterdam.

Today, the bench now hosts a few locks securing the devotion of other lovers hoping to have the romantic connection that Hazel and Augustus shared. You need not to be in love to go out in search of this movie prop…just a little adventurous and seeking a good photo op!

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The Fault In Our Stars Bench

Location: Leidsegracht #4, where Herengracht and Leidsegracht meet.
Check out other film locations throughout the city, Peter van Houten’s house (Vondelstraat 162 near Vondelpark), Rijksmuseum (1 Museumplein), Anne Frank House (Prinsengracht 263-267).

Gliding Along

How do you spend a winter’s day in Amsterdam?

Warming near a blazing fire with a steaming mug of hot chocolate?

Hunkering down in a cozy pub with a hearty pint?

Heading over to the Museumplein and checking out one of the many museums in the area (Rijksmuseum, MOCO, Van Gogh, Stedelijk, to name a few)?

Grabbing some skates and hitting the ice?

Years ago, the Dutch spent time in the winter, skating along in the many canals that run through the city. Today, the temperatures do not get quite cold enough, not does the constant tour boat traffic allow for the water to stand still long enough to freeze.

Now, if you want to ice skate, you need to find an indoor ice rink or one of the outdoor arenas that pop-up throughout the city during the winter months.

The Museumplein reflecting pond, turns into a frozen wonderland from November through early February. A temporary building is erected next to the pond and offers a ticket window, rentals and a café. A small bridge sits over the pond and allows non-skaters to get a birds’ eye view of the activity below as well as a beautiful view of the Rijksmuseum.

So, when the temperatures, drop and you are searching for a great outdoor activity, grab a coat, mittens and hat and head over to the Museumplein for some good old fashioned winter fun!

For more travel pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Ice Amsterdam

http://www.iceamsterdam.nl/en/home
Open November 18 through February 5, 2017. Ice rink open, Sunday-Thursday, 1000-2100 and Friday-Saturday, 1000-2200. Check website for next winter’s operating schedule.

Journey to the Highlands

Small doses. This is how you learn to see cities when on layovers.

Having usually less than a day, it’s like winning the lottery when visiting on your own and knowing that you have more time to see everything you want to see. And the bonus? Time to venture out and see what else the country has to offer!

Excited to have that extra time in Edinburgh, we decided to book a tour…to the Scottish Highlands.

Our first inclination was to take the tour to Loch Ness. Learning that it involved a twelve and a half hour day, much of which would be after sunset, we decided to alter our plans. After much discussion and perusal of the tour company’s brochure, we finally decided on a shorter day…an adventure to West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles.

Departing from the center of Edinburgh, we boarded our tour bus at 9:15 a.m. in front of Ensign Ewart’s pub. The large coach was a little more than half full of other tourists also anxious to see the Scottish countryside.

Setting out on the highway, we first passed Stirling Castle and the William Wallace Monument standing tall on the nearby summit of Abbey Craig. On the right, our tour guide pointed out the Kelpies, 30-meter high horse-head sculptures near the River Carron.

Soon, we were crossing the Ardoch Burn river and heading through the town of Stirlingshire. Minutes after, driving down a narrow lane, we arrived at Doune Castle, the first stop on our itinerary.

For movie and television fans, this fortress is a must-see! Doune, the 14th century courtyard castle, is well known for being featured in the cult classic, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, as well as television series, Game of Thrones and Outlander.

Though more primitive than most other castles I have visited in Scotland and other countries, it boasts one of the best preserved great halls in Scotland. Despite this illustrious fact, the castle does not have electricity and is only lit by daylight, making it quite difficult to see all facets of the building, especially on cloudy and rainy days.

Due to the rain, the courtyard was also closed, thus preventing us from entering the cellar.

After a quick walk around the property, it was time to depart and make our way to our next destination.

On we traveled, through the beautiful countryside, finally pulling over to the side of the road. Not seeing any castles or ruins nearby, we weren’t sure what we were stopping for…there were just a bunch of funny looking cows in a field. Stepping off of the bus, our tour guide informed us that these cows were what we were here to see!

The Highland Cattle are a Scottish breed. They have long horns and long wavy coats (colored black, brindle, red, yellow, white and silver) which keep them warm during the cold winters. They originated in the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland and are bred for their high quality meat which is lower in cholesterol than other varieties and is exported worldwide. We enjoyed watching them scratch their heads on the power lines and appear to pose.

After lunch at a local establishment, the Green Welly, the only restaurant for many miles around, we then stopped along the road to admire Kilchurn Castle which sits on a piece of ground jutting into Loch Awe. Once one person jumped the fence and decided to trudge through the bog to get a closer look at the castle…we all did. Thankfully, I had worn my waterproof boots, as I squished through the spongy ground and mud to stand at the water’s edge and photograph the ruined castle framed by the cloud shrouded mountains.

Kilchurn Castle, one of the most photographed castles in Scotland, looks out over Loch Awe, was built by Sir Colin Campbell and was once the base of the Campbells of Glenorchy. It was built in the 1400s and contains the oldest surviving barracks on the British mainland.

Although the castle can be visited, it is only open during the warmest months of the year.

Onward we traveled to the next destination, Inveraray, home of a beautiful castle on the shores of Loch Fyne. Although the tour brochure stated that we would visit the town of Inveraray for Highland souvenirs, we only stopped near a bridge so that we could photograph Inveraray Castle.

Construction on Iveraray Castle, home to the Duke of Argyll, was begun in 1746 and took 43 years to complete. The castle as it is today resulted from a fire in 1877, when the third floor was added as well as conical roofs on the corner towers. Sitting on 60,000 acres, it was the setting for the 2012 Christmas episode of Downton Abbey. Only open from April to October, we were once again disappointed that we were unable to visit this magnificent palace, shrouded in the late afternoon mist.

The Arrochar Alps were the next thing we were to see…were being the key word. With all of the fog, mist and low hanging clouds, we could not even get a glimpse of the rocky peaks after parking at the vantage point.

Continuing on, we finally headed for Loch Lomand and the charming village of Luss. Though daylight was waning, we quickly jumped off the bus and headed down the narrow lanes of the community. Small and quaint, I could only imagine the villagers all knowing each other and saying hello over the walls of their fenced-in yards each day.

At the rear of the village, we stumbled upon Luss Parish Church. A Church of Scotland, dedicated to St. Kessog, it was founded by the saint and has stood on the site for 1500 years.

Walking through the churches gates, we explored the 15 historical grave sites in the churchyard as the light dwindled.

Finally, we headed toward the shores of Loch Lomond and the village pier. Snapping a few pictures before it became completely dark, we looked out on the picture perfect lake and some of the small islands situated in the basin.

Making our way to our tour bus, we climbed in and walked back to our seats. After a long day, of driving around, it was nice to know that we would soon be on our way back to Edinburgh.

Although we had a nice day getting to see a different part of Scotland, I reflected on about how much driving was involved that day and how little time we actually had a chance to explore. See, yes. Explore, no.

The Highlands are quite beautiful and I enjoyed seeing the small villages and rolling hillsides dotted with sheep. It was disappointing, however, that things we would have been able to see during other months of the year, were not available to us on this visit, such as Kilchurn and Inveraray Castles. The Arrochar Alps…well, that has to be hit or miss, any time of the year as the clouds could be quite low during the summer months. The silver lining of a winter tour, however, is that we were able to book the tour at the last minute, the tour bus not was as full and we arrived back in Edinburgh a little early than planned…and since the Christmas market was going on at this time…we still had time to ride some rides and do some holiday shopping!

But, for any time spent in Scotland, winter or sumer, time should definitely be taken to venture outside of the city limits to the Highlands. Simply breathtaking!

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Timberbush Tours

http://www.timberbush-tours.co.uk/
West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles Tour, Departure/Arrival, 0915-1900
Cost: Adults, £43, Children (5-16), £41, Seniors (60+), £41, Students, £41

Doune Castle

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/doune-castle/
Address: Castle Road, Doune, Stirlingshire, FK16 6EA
Hours: April 1-September 30, 0930-1730, daily, October 1-March 31, 1000-1600, daily
Admission: Adults, £5.50, Children, £3.30 (not included in tour price, does include audio guide)

Kilchurn Castle

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/kilchurn-castle/
Address: Lochawe, Dalmally PA33 1AF
Hours: March 25-September 30
Admission: free

Inveraray Castle

http://www.inveraray-castle.com/
Address: Inveraray Castle, Inveraray, Argyll PA32 8XE
Hours: 1000-1745, Monday to Sunday, March 5-October 31
Admission: Adults, £10.00, Senior Citizens and Students, £9.00, Children (5-16 years), £7.00, Children (under 5 years), free, Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 children), £32.00

Luss Parish Church

http://lusschurch.com/
Address: The Manse, Luss, Alexandria G83 8NZ, United Kingdom
Sunday worship: 1145

Camera Obscura

Camera obscura is the natural optical phenomenon that occurs when an image of a scene at the other side of a screen is projected through a small hole in that screen as a reversed and inverted image on a surface opposite to the opening.

In Edinburgh, it is the name of one of the most entertaining museums I have ever been to!

Camera Obscura is a museum encompassing five floors of optical experiences.

Working our way from the bottom of the building to the top, we first experienced the Magic Gallery. Here, we made our way through a mirror maze and then into the giant spinning kaleidoscope. I must admit, walking through a spinning, lighted tunnel was extremely difficult but fascinating. Although the surface your feet is touching does not move, only the tunnel around you, your mind is tricked to the point that you think that you are spinning. Being that I am subject to vertigo, I almost fell to the ground when I walked into the tunnel. I had to close my eyes and feel my way to the end holding the handrail. My son on the other hand, went back five times!

camera-obscura-and-world-of-illusions — The kaleidescope tunnel.

Other floors explore Electricity, Moving Pictures, Optical Illusions and Moving Light and Lenses. There are so many things to do here, boredom would never be an issue and it is an amazing place to bring children. Not wanting to ruin a visit for anyone, I won’t describe many things as I feel that you should be surprised by all there is to do and see. However, here were a couple of our favorite things.

From this pictures, can you believe that my son actually towers over me?

The rooftop Camera Obscura show utilizes a Victorian rooftop chamber and giant periscope which projects live moving images of Edinburgh onto a viewing table. Because we had visited during the evening hours we could not experience the full extent of how the camera works as in the daytime and we were offered a discount on our tickets and an invitation to return the next day. When we arrived on the rooftop, however, one of the very friendly employees asked us to duck into the chamber to try and see what we could. Because the Christmas market was being held just off of Princes street, there actually was quite a bit of light. Though it wasn’t like seeing the city during the day, it did give us an understanding as to how the camera operates. Amazing that such a simple array of mirrors, lenses and light can capture so much and at such a great distance.

Camera Obscura is a fun way to spend a few hours in Edinburgh and should not be missed. You won’t be sorry!

Camera Obscura

http://www.camera-obscura.co.uk/
Address: 549 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2ND, UK
Hours: July-August, 0900-2100, September-October, 0930-1930, November-March, 1000-1800, April-June, 0930-1900, Closed December 25
Admission: Adults, £15.00, Students (with ID) £13.00, Senior, £13.00, Children 5-15, £9.00, Children under 5 years, free

Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Royal Mile, in Edinburgh, is approimately one Scots mile long and runs through the heart of Old Town. On the highest end of the Royal Mile is Edinburgh Castle. At the lowest, the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse has served as the principal residence of the Kings and Queens of Scotland since the 16th century. The palace is the setting for state occasions, official entertaining and is home to the Queen during Holyrood week, which takes place at the end of June to the beginning of July.

After our dash to purchase our tickets before closing time, our visit began in the Palace forecourt. We stopped to catch our breath and admire the palace which was colorfully lit and ornamented for the Christmas holidays.

Entering the Palace, I snapped some beautiful pictures of the courtyard before noticing the signs (much to my dismay) informing us that photography was not allowed!

Nevertheless, we began by climbing the Great Stair which features a 17th century Baroque ceiling features plaster angels holding the Honours of Scotland. The bannisters were decorated with beautiful garlands and we realized that we were lucky to be here during the Christmas season.

Only parts of the Palace were open to the public and we moved on from the Great Stair into the Royal Dining Room, finding that it was originally part of the Queen’s apartments.

Other parts of the palace open to the public included the King’s apartments, which encompassed the presence chamber and privy chamber (now the Evening and Morning Drawing Rooms), antechamber, bedchamber and closet.

The suite of rooms on the first floor of the north-west tower incorporates an audience chamber and a bedroom. These rooms were occupied by Lord Darnley, Queen Mary’s second husband, in the 17th century. A second set of identical rooms on the second floor of the tower were occupied by Mary. The outer chamber contains the oratory and was the site of the murder of David Rizzo, Mary’s secretary and confidante. Many tourists are often convinced that they can see his blood stains on the floor here.

Noticing the waning light outside, I was anxious to find the exit and explore the Holyrood Abbey. The ruined abbey was founded n 1128 by King David I. The abbey church acted as a parish church until the 17th century, however, fell into disrepair after the 18th century. Wishing that the lighting would have been a little better, I was still able to get some haunting pictures of the ruins. I almost expected the naked, stripped and tortured ghost of Bald Agnes (Agnes Sampson), who was accused of witchcraft and said to roam the palace, to appear in my photographs!

It was the end of the day and although we had to vacate the premises, we considered ourselves fortunate to have been able to see an important part of Scottish history.

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Palace of Holyroodhouse

https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse
Address: Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DX, UK
Hours: November 1 through March 25, 0930-1630, daily (last admission 1515). March 26-October 31, 0930-1600, daily (last admission 1630). Closed May 16-27 and June 27-July 8.
Admission: Adults, £12.50, Over 60 / Student (with valid ID), £11.40, Over 60 / Student (with valid ID), £11.40, Under 5, free, Family ticket, £32.50 (2 adults and 3 under 17s). Other combination tickets available.
Getting There: Train via Edinburgh Waverly station. The palace is a 15 minute walk from the station. Bus number 6 and 35 stop near the palace. If travelling by car, a public car park is adjacent to the palace.

Arthur’s Seat

In 1850, an apostle of Church or Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, Orson Pratt, climbed Arthur’s Seat to pray to God for more converts.

In 1884, Emile Rey, an alpine mountain guide, estimated that climbing Arthur’s seat would take much of an entire day to reach the top, before he did so in a shorter time period.

In 2016, Leah and Ethan, two American tourists, climbed the hill in record time (theirs anyway) trying to summit and then enter Holyrood Palace before closing time.

Okay, so we are not prominent figures in history! But we did climb Arthur’s Seat… the hard way…in record time!

My son and I had spent the morning at Edinburgh Castle. Heading down the Royal Mile, we made it to Holyrood Palace around half past one. The day had cleared and as we approached the palace, we could see many people along the ridgeline of Arthur’s Seat. Watching the tiny figures, my son said, “I wish it didn’t get so dark so early, we could have climbed Arthur’s Seat after we finished touring the palace.”

Wanting to make sure that he enjoyed his time in Edinburgh, I suggested that we verify the closing time of the palace and see if we couldn’t fit it in first. Surely climbing that hill wouldn’t take that long!

The ticket agent at the palace let us know that the palace was closing at 3:30 that day and the last ticket would be sold fifteen minutes prior. We told her what we wanted to do and she gave us her input. Climbing the hill would take about 45 minutes to the top and about 30 minutes to get back down and to the palace.

If we hurried, we could make it.

Hurrying out of the palace gates, we turned left towards the hill and crossed the car park toward the start of the path.

Only…there were two paths.

One to the left and one to the right. People were walking off both ways and we weren’t quite sure what to do. Well, we wanted to climb and the one on the right appeared to ascend. Right…we’ll go right!

The path was pretty steep and even though I like to think I am in shape, I began to realize that I’m not. My son, the much better athlete, began to pace himself and wait every now and then to let me catch up. Stopping every now and then, however, not only gave me a chance to catch my breath, but gave us the chance to appreciate the astonishing views.

As we neared a bend, we assumed the path would continue upward, only when we turned, the path leveled off and then descended. Wait..what? We continued down and could see on the next hill where people were climbing a much steeper route. As we got to the bottom of the path, we looked to the left and could see a trail that appeared to have wound itself around the hill we had just climbed and then descended…and…it was pretty level. Could this have been where the people who walked to the left ended up? That’s what it looked like!

We moved on to the next hill, climbing slowly, breathing heavy. Watching the time carefully, we realized that it had taken us a lot longer to get to this point than we had anticipated. Deciding that my son could possibly make it without me, I sent him on ahead. I would get to whatever point I could and hopefully meet him on his way back.

At the top point of the hill, I did meet up with him, however, he pointed over to another elevation in the distance…the summit. I decided that we would continue. We were so close and even turning back now did not guarantee us making the closing of the palace.

Taking another path, we found ourselves at the base of the final push. After a treacherous rock scramble, we made it! 823 feet high! On the summit, there was a trig point and beautiful views of the city and along the coast to the east. Breathtaking!

Fighting the strong winds, we managed to snap a couple of pictures and with a glance at our watches, we decided that if that path we missed on the way here was indeed a quicker, shorter way, we then had thirty minutes to make it back to the palace before the ticket counter closed.

Scrambling down the rocky route, quicker than any mountain goat could, we quickly reached the level path and began to sprint in intervals. As we finally neared the end of the walkway, it did indeed take us back to where we started (the hard way) and the car park.

Crossing the car park, we had about four minutes to spare. Stumbling into the ticket office, sweating and gasping for breath, I expected the staff to be closing up. Instead, I found a group of Chinese tourist standing in line. Taking our place behind them, we breathed a sigh of relief! We did it!

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Arthur’s Seat

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lothian/arthurs-seat.shtml
Summit: 823 feet
Getting There: Bus to Holyrood Palace, east end of the Royal Mile. By car, utilize car park near Holyrood Palace. From here, cross Queen’s Drive to head towards the grass of Holyrood Park.