Saturday, February 27, 2016

5 Things You Realise About Scotland When You Move Away

5 Things You Realise About Scotland  When You Move Away


When I moved to North Wales in May 2015, I was excited about the future.   In equal measure, I was terrified I wouldn't find a job or settle down, and then have to return to Scotland, with my tail between my legs, and move in with my parents.    I suffer from anxiety, so this is a fairly normal thought process for me.    

I found a job within a couple of weeks, settled down really quickly and was in constant awe of the scenery and the little towns and villages that were now local to me.    I did, however, worry about being Scottish.    I realise how utterly stupid that sounds but, being from Scotland and living there my entire life, I hadn't so much as given a thought to suddenly becoming The Only Jock in the Village.     I'd always been in the majority and now I was very much, well...not.   

These are the things I've realised since leaving Scotland:  

Just Because You Speak The Same Language Doesn't Mean You'll Be Understood:
I speak English and Spanish.   Welsh people mostly speak English and a lovely percentage of them also speak Welsh (I also imagine they speak a host of other languages, too).  I can go various towns and never hear anything but my own first language and drive just a few short miles away and hear nothing but traditional Welsh.     And it's so refreshing.     

I work in a Welsh speaking town and have a strong Scottish accent.   I also speak very quickly, which is something that a lot of us Scots do.  And, when we're surrounded by nothing but other Scottish people, this is not a problem.   When you have no other Scots around you, you quickly become very conscious of sounding like Groundskeeper Willie from The Simpsons.

The odd looks I get at work, which are usually accompanied by a slight tilt of the head (much like I get from my dog when he realises I want him to go for a walk in the rain), that informs me that I am speaking too quickly and that no one has any idea if I'm speaking English, Gaelic or Klingon.   

5 Things You Realise About Scotland  When You Move Away - Stereotypes
No, we don't all wear kilts.   Not all the time, anyway. 

The Stereotypes The Annoyed The Hell Out of Me No Longer Do:
When I travelled around Scotland for work, it used to drive me crazy when I'd hear foreign tourists chatting over the breakfast table in a hotel and knowing I'd hear the words 'whisky' 'shortbread' and 'kilts' at some point.  

Yes, we make all those things but, no, it's not all just people drinking wee drams, dressed in tartan skirts and eating buttery biscuits.   We also play bagpipes.   I jest, of course; most of us don't.   Because the NOISE...  

Since relocating to Wales, I have become an ambassador for all the Scottish things I used to cringe at.   I now look at tartan in a different way, I make my Mum bake her fantastic shortbread for my work colleagues when I go home to visit, and I have actually forced house guests to drink whisky.    Well, I say forced, but it's difficult to force a Welsh person to have a drink.   They're generally more than willing and, for that, I love them all.   

I've even been listening to more Scottish music, like Deacon Blue and Hue and Cry, but I do  draw the line at Sheena Easton.  I'm Scottish, not tone deaf.  If anything, being removed from Scotland has made me appreciate it in a way I don't think I have for a long time.     For the first time, I'm more than happy to be linked with all the stereotypical things we're associated with.  Apart from Rab C. Nesbit.    I could be out of Scotland for 50 years and I'd still hate that with a passion.   


5 Things You Realise About Scotland  When You Move Away - Scottish stuff
Mooooooooooooo! 

I Can Spot A Scottish Accent At 100 Yards:
Seriously: this is my greatest skill.   When I went aboard for years on holiday, hearing Scottish accents was not a good thing.   Not that I don't like my fellow Scots, I just go on holiday to get away from that.   If I wanted to hear my own accent, I'd holiday in Scotland.   If I go to Cambodia, I want to understand nothing for the duration of my trip.   

Nowadays, it fills me with joy to realise there's another Scot in the vicinity and I have been known to approach random strangers to revel in the happiness of finding someone from my own little nation.   I might only be in Wales, but there aren't as many as you'd think.     Mainly, the accents are Welsh, Scouse or Brum in my area.

I nearly spontaneously combusted with sheer delight the day a woman in the queue in front of my at the Co-op in Dolgellau bought two litre bottles of Irn Bru.    I couldn't believe it was even on sale, never mind being picked up.    Then the cashier asked the lady for money and I realised why the bottles were being purchased: the customer was from Glasgow.   I promptly teased her about this, because I know people from Glasgow (even random strangers) have a great sense of humour.   And she did.    

Oh, how we laughed about being Scottish in Wales and adhering to cultural stereotypes by drinking Irn Bru.  My own Co-op purchase was obviously wine, so further compounding the idea that Scottish people like a drink.   On a Tuesday night.   I'm such a cliche.  


5 Things You Realise About Scotland  When You Move Away - Scenery


I Can't Believe How Much I Miss Scottish News:
I watched the Scottish news most nights, but wasn't immune to turning the channel when I was bored out of my mind with stories about wind farms or people fighting at First Minister's Question Time.  However, now that Scottish news is no longer an option, I visit the BBC's News app every night before bed, trawling through stories from Tayside and Central, then Glasgow and the West, before ending with Edinburgh and Lothian.   

There are still wind farm stories, but now they seem more remote and interesting.   There's also still fighting a FM's Questions, but as I left Scotland the day after the last general election, I mostly have no clue who ANY of the people in the chamber are.   I now recognise people like Leanne Wood and Carwyn Jones instead of Mhairi Black and, well... those other people.    


Scottish Football Isn't Nearly As Bad As I Thought:
We've all been there.  We watch Arsenal on a Saturday and catch up with Inverness Caley Thistle on a Sunday and wonder if you're tuning in to the same sport.  

We know that the EPL is superior - no one disputes that,  but it's amazing how much you miss watching your own team battling out in the pouring rain (obviously) against Motherwell and realising that they won 6-0 and Wales won't show it to you on the highlights programme because it's not Welsh.  Or English.   

Scottish Match of the Day doesn't show Welsh games, either.   For someone who loves football and is used to spending most of the weekend tuning into games in some format, it's been weird to be in a position where I can't just turn on BBC Scotland and listen to the Hearts game.    

When you have it on tap, you take it for granted.  When you can't access it easily, when you DO find clips or a game, it makes you realise that it's actually so much better to watch, just because it's Scottish and you've got a vested interest in it.  

Also, it's not until you're living 6 hours away that you start to really appreciate JUST how fantastic a little nation Scotland and all the stuff in it really is*

Suzanne x


*Author might be slightly biased... 











Thursday, February 18, 2016

15 Things People Think About Scotland That Really Aren't True

Being Scottish, I'm aware of the stereotypes often associated with me and my fellow country men and women. Some of these are quite accurate, but others make me laugh.    

I can't speak for all Scots, but I'm not opposed to the odd drink; I don't mind Irn Bru, and I often say 'wee' and 'aye'. I also swear…a LOT.  

I don’t, however, eat deep fried mars bars, wear tartan, have ginger hair, and shout: 'FREEEEEDOOOOOM', or say 'och aye the noo’. No one does that. Seriously.

Since moving to North Wales, I have found myself answering lots of questions about my home nation and can clarify the following 15 points about us Scots:

Scottish Stereotypes: Braveheart
William Wallace - we have his statue literally EVERYWHERE.  

* Yes, we sometimes speak really quickly. Tell us to slow down - we won't be offended.

* No, our weather isn't always wet. It's pretty much the same as it is in North Wales, tbh. With a little more snow, perhaps.

* Yes, lots of us celebrate Burns Day on Jan 25th. It gives us an added excuse to drink whisky on a school night. And you know what us Scots are like when it comes to alcohol...

* No, we don't like the movie 'Braveheart'. Most of us hate it as it's historically inaccurate and Mel Gibson has the worst. Accent. Ever.

* Yes, a large percentage of Scottish men owns a kilt; particularly ones that are married or have ever been in a wedding party.  However, not all Scottish men get hitched in kilts – it’s not the law or anything.   
 
Scottish Stereotypes: Bagpipes and Kilts
You won't see people walking down the streets in kilts, playing the bagpipes.  Unless you're at the Edinburgh Festival, of course. 

* No, we're not tight. You're mistaking Scots from all corners of the country with Aberdonians.  I jest, of course, I don't know if people from Aberdeen are stingy, but I have heard the rumour.  

* Yes, we know our national teams aren't world beaters, but we have Davis Cup hero, Wimbledon Champ and Olympic Gold Medallist, Andy Murray, so he helps us cope with the football and rugby failures.   Also: Chris Hoy, Jamie Murray, and anyone who's ever played curling.

* We have no idea why we produce such good football managers, but it amuses us that so many of them work in England because they're too good to work at home.

* When we say 'Up North' we, of course, mean Scotland. We don't understand why you mean Newcastle or Liverpool and we'd very much like you to clarify this for us.

* We don't know Glaswegians are so friendly, either - they just are.  And we bloody love them for it.

* Scotland isn’t as small as you think. Have you tried to drive from Edinburgh to Skye in less than 6 hours?  No, me either. You'd be surprised at how long it'll take you to travel coast to coast, never mind north to south. It takes a LOT longer if you get stuck behind a caravan on a narrow road in the summer. 

Scottish Stereotypes: Tiny Nation
We have much more space than you think...

* No, we don't know Wee Mary from Whiteinch. We might be small, but there are still more than 5 million of us and we’re not all on first name terms.  

* No, we don't hate English people. I live with one, so I'm personally extremely partial to them. We all have family/friends/work colleagues who are English and we love them dearly.   We do love a bit of banter with them, though.     

* However, we DO get annoyed when we see ‘British’ reports that only include England and watch the weather only to realise the forecast doesn’t extend any further north than London.      We don’t care what the weather’s like in London, but it’d be great if you could tell us if we’re likely to be blown off the Forth Road Bridge by high winds on the way to our caber tossing class in Kirkcaldy.  

Scottish Stereotypes: Other Nations in the UK
The GB flag, Tower Bridge and Big Ben in London.    Don't forget about the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish - we're great too!

No, we don’t all have a specific tartan for our family name.   Don’t get me wrong LOTS of us do, but most of us don’t really concern ourselves with that kind of thing.    Many of us who choose to wear tartan may not even know which one it is.   Alternatively, we choose the tartan in our football club colours.   

Suzanne x



Tuesday, February 16, 2016

(Tell Me Why) I Don't Like Sundays

I have a love-hate relationship with Sundays.   When I was younger and largely free of any responsibilities, I loved the final day of the weekend and would often spend the morning in bed watching TV before dragging myself out and padding around the house, drinking tea and generally doing nothing.    These days, I can't keep still long enough to do that.    That, and I currently don't have a TV in my bedroom, so that makes that whole 'Netflix marathon' thing a little more challenging.    Besides, now that I'm a property grown up, I have Things To Do.   Really, uninteresting, boring stuff...like washing.   And doing a weekly shop.   And trying not to think about the impending arrival of Monday.   


healthy food
This is what I SHOULD be eating on a Sunday.    Instead, I'm eating bagels and crisps.   
Mostly, I spoil my Sundays by worrying that I should be making more of them.   I get to thinking that I probably haven't done as much exercise as I should during the week; I've probably eaten too much and should cut back; I haven't really had a chance to read and should dedicate some time to that and I've likely not been speaking much Spanish (or than to The Travel Bug) and that I should probably be revising more.    THEN I get started on how much blogging I've neglected to do the previous week and how disorganised I am.  Really, what I do on a Sunday is beat myself up.    

Therefore, in my wisdom (!) I have decided to put things straight.   Or, you know, make a half assed attempt at it, anyway.    

I, Suzanne, do solenmly swear to:  


* Take time out to watch that Episode of Homeland for the second time because the first time I watched it I was blogging and have no idea what was going on.


* Lie in bed with a cup of tea and go through my to do list for the week


* Get out for a quick run, as I know all too well it’ll make me feel better.  For the love of God, woman, even 1 is better than nothing.  

* Take an hour with LT to head up to our favourite Café and spend time chatting and planning for the week ahead.

* Gather ideas for future blog posts and make a list

* Update my iPhone with music because I’ve been listening to the same one album for WEEKS and I need something new to get me through my daily commute.

* Sort out my outfits for the following week to avoid looking like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards in the office on Monday. (and also Tuesday to Friday). 

It seems silly, as there’s nothing on my list that really takes up any great chunk of time, but I seem adept at managing to ignore forward planning and taking time out to relax in favour of worrying about stuff I can’t control.   If I spend more time controlling the stuff that IS within my grasp, maybe my Sundays will be a little more ‘Easy Like Sunday Morning’ and less ‘Sunday Morning Nightmare’.   It might just work.

Do you have any Sunday rituals that you always do, or any forward prep that helps organise your week?












Saturday, February 13, 2016

How I Curb My Anxiety When I'm Travelling

How I Curb My Anxiety When I'm Travelling


I was diagnosed with severe anxiety a few years back and, despite already knowing this, it was good to get confirmation that I wasn’t losing my mind.   People tend to not quite understand anxiety if they haven’t experienced it for themselves and often label socially anxious people as rude or anti social.   We’re not.   

We just tend to be a touch quieter than you and we don’t always feel the need to speak constantly.   We quite often prefer not speaking at all, but it’d be good if you didn’t take this as a sign that we’re horrible or ‘not your kind of person’.    

A lot of people thing that social anxiety means that you don’t want to leave the house (often true in certain situations) and therefore we’re some sort of odd, hermit-like, crazy dog ladies.    

Although this is my ambition in life, I do manage to leave the house to work on a full time basis, go shopping, running, out with friends, etc.   I just get very anxious and uncomfortable in unknown situations.   Or, when there are lot of people involved.  In small groups of people I know – I’m absolutely fine.   I’m not sure I’d be good several days in a row, but that’s a whole different story. 

How I Curb My Anxiety When I'm Travelling: Airports
Some for clothes,  others for hiding in.
When I’m asked how I cope with my travels and my anxiety, I tend to respond that the times I’m actually less stressed and anxious is WHEN I’m travelling.   This is mainly due to the fact that no one knows me, no one is judging my lack of conversation for me being some sort of deranged serial killer, and I can usually spent time on my own, out for a run in the sunshine where I can take a break from all the Peopling I do on a day to day basis and just relax.  

However, I tend to stick to a few golden rules when I’m looking at destinations and accommodation.   These are:

Does Not Travel Well With Others:
I tend to travel with LT and, well, that’s about it, really.   I also have occasion to travel with close family, but I tend not to holiday with friends as I’m just not capable of being ‘up’ all the time.  In fact, the thought of having to be on the ball for a full weekend or, heaven forbid, a WEEK, fills me with dread.  

This is primarily because people don’t understand that I need time on my own to get over all the conversation.  That, and I don’t like appearing rude and I understand that this is often how I am perceived.   A holiday is not much of a holiday when you’re stressed out, is it? 

How I Curb My Anxiety When I'm Travelling: Space
No one has passed for a month, you say?  I'll take it... 

Does Not Do Well in Airports:
I don’t like airports.   I don’t like queues and people and all the busy stuff going on.   I only go because my need to travel is greater than my fear of being stuck at an airport for an extended period of time.  

I tend to pay for a priority pass, which gets me into a lounge and away from the main bulk of travellers.  It also generally provides me with free wine and snacks and that’s clearly a saving for me right there.  The lounges tend to be more private and far less busy and this lets me do a bit of relaxing before the hell of sitting next to strangers on a flight.

Does Not Like Sitting In The Middle Seat:
I hate it.   I like to be at the window where no one will see me and no one will need to move me out of the way so that they can take endless trips to the bathroom, or to chase their children down the aisle.    The only issue with this is that I also hate annoying people to use the toilet and so once I'm strapped in, that's me.     

This does make it slightly difficult on a long haul flight, but you’d be amazed at just now much my fear of interaction with strangers restricts the natural workings of my body.   

I also have lots of reading and viewing materials, which helps keep me occupied and tends to put people off trying to spark up conversations, which I love.  Unless you have dogs.   If you have dogs, you’re more than welcome to show me photos and talk to me about them for the entire duration of the flight.   I'll be the quiet one, sitting in the window seat, trying not to make any contact.   

How I Curb My Anxiety When I'm Travelling: Hiding
I'm just gonna stay in here until it quietens down a bit.   

Does Not Do Busy Hotels:
Obviously, I’m not a hostel girl because Other People.    Due to my previous job travelling round Scotland, sleeping in different B&B beds three nights a week, I’m also not keen on serviced accommodation.   

My go-to places for researching accommodation are AirBnB and Way To Stay.  Both offer full properties in a wide range of cities around the world and this is the key to a peaceful and relaxing holiday in my eyes.   They also have a range of gorgeous houses and cottages which are located outwith the city centre and you can specify the kind of neighbourhood you want to stay in.   

My searches are usually along the lines of: ‘house wanted in location that looks like a scene from The Walking Dead, but without all the zombies...’     Oddly, I haven’t found the perfect match yet, but I’m keeping my spirits up. 

How I Curb My Anxiety When I'm Travelling: Crowds
My idea of absolute Hell. 
Does Not Vacation During Main Holiday Periods:
I almost never go on holiday during school holidays.  This is mainly because I don’t have to, but also because it means my destinations are much quieter.   When LT and I travelled through the Deep South last year, we ventured there in October/November and the roads were clear and even the highly popular attractions were slowing down for the season.    This means fewer people, less noise, no queues, and a much more relaxed traveller.


I also tend to shy away from the middle of the day for sightseeing.   I recall standing in a massive queue outside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and getting more and more agitated with each passing minute.   By the time I got in, I was quite anxious and just wanted to get back out, which kind of spoils the whole experience.   

Due to this, I do tend to keep away from main sightseeing times or, I have been known to miss out attractions completely.    Who really needs to climb the Eiffel Tower, anyway?  Not this panicky lass, that's for sure.     

I'll be over on the grass, breathing into a paper bag,  wondering how much flights to the Moon are in January.  

  
Suzanne x 


Thursday, February 11, 2016

4 Romantic Valentine's City Breaks

Let me just get this out of the way:  Paris lovers, I apologise for not including the city in this list.  It's not that I don't love it, too, it's just that I'm always looking for somewhere a little bit different.  You know, somewhere I might not be surrounded by a million other couples also on a Valentine break.   

Here are my top picks for 2016: 

4 Romantic Valetine's City Breaks for 2016


Sevilla:
There's something about Sevilla that I just love and I find it difficult to put that into words which, for a travel blogger, really isn't that helpful.   The fact that you can gently ride through town in a horse and carriage, find your way around on bike, or simply explore the city on foot - there's so much to see and do with your other half.  

If aimless strolling through the city isn't your thing, there are two sightseeing buses, which will take you around the city's most impressive sights, including the fabulous Cathedral, and provide you with an overview of its wonderful history.

Later, you can enjoy a romantic dinner in a host of different restaurants and bars, but my favourite is Iguanas Rana Centro on Calle Santo Tomas.    If you don't want to break the bank and still enjoy quality food in a beautiful setting, it's difficult to go wrong here.    It serves up traditional Mexican fare at extremely reasonable prices and the service is fantastic.   

If that's still not enough, why not head over to Maria Luisa Park and walk through the gardens, stopping to take cheesy selfies of yourselves ah the fountain at Plaza De Espana.  Your single fb friends will LOVE you for it. 

Plaza de Espana: Sevilla
Plaza de Espana in Maria Luisa Park, Sevilla
Pisa:
Lying with in the Tuscan region of central Italy, Pisa is synonymous with one of the world's biggest architectural mistakes.  Although there are many things to do in Pisa, visiting the leaning Bell Tower of the Cathedral next door is undoubtedly the highlight.    

Pisa's not just about the tower, though.  It's got a wide range of historic churches and building that are sometimes ignored because, you know...they've been properly constructed.    And that's not their fault, is it?    

One of the most impressive (for me) is the Basilica San Piero a Grado, which is a little out of the city centre.    The building is incredible and is believed to be the site of the landing of St Peter when he arrived in Italy.   That man has a good eye.  

Although much colder in February, you won't have to fight with hundreds of other tourists to get that desperately needed picture of you trying to push the tower upright.  

Baptistery: Pisa
There's much more to Pisa than its subsiding tower.

Hamburg:
OK, so when you say the word 'romance' maybe Hamburg isn't the first city that springs to mind, but bear with me.     I first visited in 2011, mainly because the flights were inexpensive and it a was short hop from Scotland, but I was so impressed by city.   

From exploring the fabulous Rathaus in the city centre, to spending time gently floating down the Alster in a barge, to checking out the humungous houses by the banks of the river, Hamburg was a complete surprise to me.     

The architecture is stunning and it's such an easy place to walk around and take in the atmosphere.  The underground system is quick and efficient and, within the bustling city centre area are attractions like the Park Planten un Blomen, which reminds me of a smaller and safer version of Central Park in NYC.

One of my favourite activities was sitting chilling after a day's sightseeing in the beautiful old Hotel Hafen Hamburg, watching the sun going down over the River Elbe.  

Port Elbe: Hamburg
Beautiful Port Elbe
Zadar:
Nestled on Croatia's beautiful Dalmation Coast, a visit to Zadar allows you to enjoy the area without putting up with the crowds.   This is the main city of North Dalmatia and is famed for the spectacular Roman ruins and architecture of its Old Town.

Dating back to the 9th Century is the Church of St Donatus.   It was one of few building that survived the invasion of the Mongols and is of beautiful Byzantine construction.   Nearby is the Chest of St Simeon, which is located in the Church of the same name. The Chest is protected by UNESCO, such is its importance, and the impressive silver and cedar wood tells a range of historic stories in its intricate carvings.  

If you're looking for something a little more out of the ordinary, Sun Salutation and the The Sea Organ are art installations designed by Croatian architect, Nicola Basic.  Both have become major draws for tourists.   The photo cells in the installations drink up the sun during the day and, as the sun sets, the lights create a beautiful show.   It's the perfect place to relax and watch the sun set in the most unique way.

St Donatus Church: Zadar
The Church of St Donatus on the Dalmation Coast.  

What are your top picks for romantic city breaks?

Suzanne x