Hello from the air! I am writing this blog as I fly from Madrid to Tirana, Albania on board Wizz Air (I’ll get there, I promise!). It’s been a busy but good day as I embark on part two of my Semana Santa (Holy Week aka Spring Break) adventures.
Before I dive in, I have some catching up to do from the last few weeks in Madrid. Three weekends ago, I hosted my aunt Nomi and her boyfriend Pablo! Nomi arrived first and we walked around before stopping for her first tapas. That evening I had a plan to go to see Les Miserables with Paula and her parents which was AWESOME. I really enjoyed the show.
The next day, I left work a bit early after my last class for lunch with Nomi and Pablo at a café nearby my apartment (and their Airbnb) called Run Run Run. They do have a running group! After lunch, we took a looooong walk down to the center, we passed the palace, and saw the sun set at Templo de Debod. Heading back, we stopped for tacos before going to sleep.
On Saturday, we took a trip to Toledo on the train to see the Cathedral, a few museums, and walk around the town. I haven’t been to Toledo since being back in Spain and enjoyed getting to walk through the cobblestones and revisit some of the sites. One of the synagogues has changed since I was last there, a new group took over the museum part and there were some really nice exhibits and much more of it was translated to English than last time. That night we walked passed one of the installations for the Madrid Light Show before heading to a very nice dinner at one of the Gran Via hotels.
On Sunday, Nomi and I met in the morning and walked through Salamanca and the Retiro Park. In the afternoon, we went inside Templo de Debod (my first time inside!). It was a very small exhibit but it talked more about the history of the temple and why it came to Madrid. I started back up at work on Monday, but stll got to spent the afternoons with Nomi and Pablo. Overall, it was a blast to host them, and I really enjoyed spending time with Nomi!
On to the next adventures! After a relatively quiet weekend in Madrid (I was only out until about 5am one night 😉 ) we slowly approached the end of the school week and the start of break. I got some serious looks and many questions from my colleagues coming to school with my backpacking bag on Friday. After classes ended, I headed to the airport and took my flight to Edinburgh!
The next morning, I picked up my rental car and headed north. I made a stop to pick up a Birch Rock Camp friend, Ben, from his flat at St Andrews where he studies. We loaded up the car and continued to Braemar, right in the center of the Cairngorms National Park. The drive up was spectacular, with great views, huge vast open areas, a ski resort just past its season, and many many sheep. At one point it rained, it snowed, it hailed, and it was beautifully sunny. This weather rotation became quite the theme for the trip.
In Braemar, we stopped by the mountain store for some last-minute gear, a map, and some local knowledge about the trail. I had called ahead a week before and talked to a very nice guy already, but I figured it was always good to check. We had some awesome pastries from a little bakery before heading out of town to the trailhead. A short fifteen-minute drive later, the beautiful sunny day had turned into a snowy haze. We loaded up our gear, exchanged some “okay I guess we’ll hike in the snow” shoulder shrugs, and hit the trail.
Within about fifteen more minutes, it was sunny again! We picked a loop that kept us at relatively low altitude given the snow that still covered most of the Cairngorms. But it was nonetheless some of the most amazing hiking scenery I’ve had. Following the trail up and over, the weather (and season) literally changed every ten minutes. I don’t think I’ve put on and taken off layers that many times in two hours. Our first day ended at a trail and river confluence beside an old, abandoned hunting lodge called Derry Lodge. Nearby there was a bothy – a new word for me, but a fun one to say. Bothy! Bothies are small bunk cabins in remote areas which hikers can use for shelter. They’re smaller than most mountain huts and have no regular staffing. We picked a campsite a little beyond the bothy and set up for the night.
Since it was still early and we had made such good time, we set out for a little extra hike up part of the larger hill nearby. I was again in awe of the vastness of the area we were in. The valley river landscape blended right into the woody forests before transitioning into the barren mountain tops covered with snow. The clouds moved through quickly in the high wind and we could see some of the small snow and rain pockets drifting through the valleys.
We made some dinner, dehydrated Beef Chili with Rice from the mountain store (not very flavorful, but it hit the spot) and ate as the sun set and the cold set in. Even though it was still quite early, we headed into the tent to stay warm before bundling up and heading to sleep. And despite the windy night, I slept well! The next morning, we woke up to some light rain. Heading back down the trail after oatmeal, we hit a good stride as the rain picked up slightly. Before long, it was sunny again, then rainy again.
After the morning hike, we headed back into Braemar for another stop at the café and had soup and toasties (grilled cheese) to fill back up. We started the drive back into St. Andrews and somehow even though it was the same road, the drive was even prettier. Back in town, I parted ways with Ben as he headed to the library (I don’t miss the Sunday library hours) and met up with (my sister) Clare’s best friend Nina who is a master’s student! We had coffee and cake at a very nice café, before she also headed to the library, and I started my wandering.
I walked through the center of town, around the University buildings, before ending up at the beach. After sitting a while in the dunes, I stopped by the golf courses before heading back into town. I saw the ruins of the Cathedral, the church, and stopped in to a bunch of the shops. Before long, I hopped back in the car and continued down the coast. St. Andrews was also a highlight of the trip, the town is charming and having heard about it for so long, it was great to put images to the name.
I stopped in a few of the small fishing villages along the way, checking out the docks, and a few of the farms. I saw a full rainbow! Passing by one of farms, I spotted a store that drew me in. I popped inside and found the loveliest lady who showed me the assortment of local products, produce, and meat. I got groceries for dinner, including a steak from her daughter’s farm, some cheese, and some asparagus. Soon later, I arrived at my Airbnb, a little modern wooden cabin perched on a hilltop at another farm. From the door I could look out over the ocean. It was the best.
The next morning, I slept in and then drove back into Edinburgh. I had brunch at a really nice café in Stockbridge (the new town) and tried haggis! I actually thought it was pretty good, and tried not to think about what was in it while I ate it. Parking downtown, I set out to see as much as I could. I started at the castle, I mean, where else would I start. Walking down the Royal Mile, I diverted quickly to Victoria Street, apparently the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. I stopped in for a Harry Potter style Butterbeer (not actually beer, just a lot of sugar) and got lost in all of the little stores. As I emerged, I regained my way on the Royal Mile slowly making my way down the hill. I got distracted a few more times, bought some fudge and a very cute little mug, before ending up near the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
I wanted to look out over the whole city, so I took the short climb up Calton Hill and had an amazing view. Making my way back down, I went to see the University of Edinburgh buildings and ended up at the Royal College of Surgeons’ Museum. I’ve come across historical sources from Edinburgh in my history of medicine research since many of its physicians had prominent roles in the foundations of modern medicine. The museum was dedicated to key developments in anatomical knowledge and had a massive pathology exhibition. Separated by medical specialty, they displayed organs, tissues, whole limbs and entire skeletons. I took a course at Yale which talked about the curation of human remains in museum settings, and it was interesting to see how much had gone into telling the stories while not identifying the people behind the remains. One of their restrictions was around taking photos, so I don’t have much to show from the museum visit, but it was a thought provoking one.
I stopped by a café to recharge (both me and my dying phone) before rounding out my visit and heading back to the castle. That night, I had dinner in a little town near the airport under the big bridges to the north of Edinburgh. On my drive over I saw my first Highland Cow!!! I headed to bed early before my 3:30am wake up for my flight.
I arrived back into Madrid in the morning and had the day to run errands, do laundry (easier said than done with no drier!), and rest before heading back to the airport! I joined our annual family Passover Zoom which is always a highlight of this holiday for me. It is amazing to see so many faces from all over the world, and I feel so lucky to have been able to see so many of them in person so recently. Before long, it was time to head back to lovely Terminal 1 at the Madrid airport.
Why am I going to Albania, you might ask? Well, I am meeting Sophie (who is coming from Jerusalem) and Hannah (also coming from Madrid) for a trip to explore the country. I’ve heard and read some great things about the mountains, the towns, and the beaches, and Sophie and Hannah already had a trip to Greece planned so this was an easy add on. And that is how I am flying on Wizz Air from Madrid to Tirana, Albania. Much more to come in the next few days and I’ll keep you updated on the adventures in my next post! Until then, much love to you all and Chag Sameach!
Abe Tolkoff 