A Busy Christmas Eve

We landed on Prague at around 8 at night. Obviously, Prague is very popular by Koreans as signs in the airport has Korean subheadings. We were in a hurry to get on the last bus, but we were stuck at the bus stand as we could barely find English translation. I think it isn't quite tourist-friendly. 

Finally checked in to our hotel and hurried to Prague Square for Christmas countdown. We passed by a sausage booth which was the only opened food booth at the late night. I tried the delicious lamb sausage. 

Tram station

lamb sausage

Prague Square Christmas Market

Christmas Eve in Prague was religious, streets were not crowded. I guess most people went to midnight mass to celebrate Jesus' birth. The day ended in a hurry and it was the busiest Christmas Eve I'd ever lived. 

Edinburgh's Day and Night

It was a sunny morning that we had a gentle walk on the Royal Mile. Sunlight shined on the city and appeared as golden pavements.

We visited the Elephant House, which is a cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote her first "Harry Potter" series. I enjoyed the environment there with a slice of White Chocolate Pistachio Cake in company with a hot Mocha. I could literally feel the atmosphere of Rowling bearing Harry Potter here. 

Must-visit attractions: Edinburgh Castle and St. Giles Cathedral. We didn't had enough time so didn't get in the Castle. The Cathedral is not as big but it is unique with its window paintings. 

The Edinburgh Christmas Market is not as big as London's Winter Wonderland, but lots of Scottish local food could be found. We tasted Apple Strudel, German sausages, homemade mushroom with onions, etc. 

Coach Trip on the Scottish Highlands

My friend and I joined a 2-day coach trip by Timberbush Tour to the Scottish Highlands. We booked everything online and just simply show up on the booked date. The tour set off from Edinburgh and passed by Glasgow to fetch some of the tourists, then made our first destination at Stirling Castle.

We stopped at the pretty village of Killin for photos after lunch. Everywhere in Scotland, you could find shops selling tartans knitwear and scarfs, as it is most famous for its tartans textile.

We continued the journey and made the next stop at Glencoe, where the site of the 1692 massacre of the MacDonald Clan. I finally got to see my first glimpse of snow of this year! But seemingly, there is more to come...

As we were getting up the mountain, I could breathe with difficulties when I got off the coach for photos. Our first day ended up on the Highland town of Fort William, where we checked into our hostel and had my first hostel experience. 

Day 2 headed north to the Great Glen, which is a geographical fault line characterized by a chain of impressive lochs. We first arrived at one of the most iconic castles in Scotland, Eilean Donan Castle. It is a small cozy castle which is totally unlike the previous ones I had visited. As the weather was so freaking cold, we were awarded a tiny bottle of Scottish Whisky by our tourist guide after the Castle Visit. 

Our journey continues with a stop for lunch at Loch Ness, where the legendary Loch Ness Monster lies. The pretty lochside village of Fort Augustus covered with a thin layer of snowflakes. I tasted my first try of the Scottish Haggis here. It is a savoury pudding of sheep's pluck. Some people think it is disgusting but I like it from its taste and texture. 

After lunch, we started our return journey and enjoyed a photo stop at Ben Nevis, UK's highest mountain, at 1,344 metres. We had a snow fight and experienced a heavy snow. 

The tour made its final stop at a small town called Pitlochry. We had a coffee break at Victorian Restaurant. It is cozy and warmth with a cup of hot chocolate. We stayed here for an hour and travelled back to Edinburgh. 

This is an unforgettable coach journey and had a nice time with our brilliant guide. I highly recommend the Timberbush Tours as it provides you an extraordinary Highlands experience. It is reputed and widely recommended on online trip adviser. They provide one to three days tour to different part of Scotland. Book now and ready for adventure!

The Gothic York

This was a typical cloudy morning when I first stepped on York. It is another old city where it has a rich heritage and offers a wealth of historic attractions. When passing through its lovely pavements, it is recognized by its walled city and most of the buildings remain as the old days. I went straight to the Clifford's Tower from York Railway Station. It is part of the York Castle. Reaching the top of the tower gave me a first glimpse of this antique city.

Lucky though, the sun peeped out from the cloud and stayed for my companion for the rest of the day. I was blessed and made a short walk to York Minster. I walked pass The Shambles Street, which was an inspiration to the film "Harry Potter", where Potter buys magic stuffs from. 

York Minster was under construction when I was visiting, but it still looked magnificent both interior and exterior. It has a wide decorated Gothic nave and chapter house. I was blown away by its perpendicular Gothic style chapter house.

I also made to the top of the Minster Tower! It was a tiring experience that we had to climb up the spiral steps. There are 275 steps and we made it non-stop!! So proud of myself haha~ However, it was a breathtaking view and worth a climb.

Finally, I made my last stop at St. Mary's Abbey. It is a ruined church locates near the York Minster and lies in the present Yorkshire Museum Garden. It is also where squirrels and birds made their homes.