Stones and Buildings

I was impressed with Scotland and it’s towns. It’s wonderful to be led around and informed with a good guide, but it’s even better to discover places on your own. I was glad we were given this special time.

One of the first things I noticed about this country was the building construction. In America, most residences are made from wood. Some are covered with aluminum siding, or may be covered with a brick façade, but they’re (for the most part) cheap and “box like”. In Scotland, (and most other parts of the United Kingdom we visited), everything seemed to be made of stone.

They build their structures to last a LONG time.

As a matter of fact, the are castles and stone walls all over the UK. Some are several centuries old. They’re impressive to view. But after visiting several of them, I began to view them as only fortresses with the goal of making sure those with wealth kept it, and making sure those without it, were kept from stealing it. That’s not a harsh criticism. You got’ a protect yourself from your enemies or you’ll find yourself serving them and being on the outside looking in. It’s a wise choice to do much most of your construction with stone, and it’s abundant here.

On the whole, I found the entire country to be more ecologically and environmentally conscious than the United States. I was impressed with their transportation, their 220 volt electrical system, their sanitation methods, and the general mindset of the common Englishman.

For instance, the streets were clean, despite a high population density. Transportation was well managed. We found it easy to get around in the big cities by cab, bus, or subways (the tubes). Bicycling was common and all the automobiles were compact and fuel efficient. (gasoline cost between $7.50 and $8.00 a gallon) Scooters were common, although the climate is wetter. The general population was very adaptable and the people were a pleasure to be around. I admire those qualities in a society.

I’m sure my American readers will not like this comment, but I think we’re the most wasteful people on the face of the earth. America is such a young country. We haven’t been forced to make difficult decisions concerning limited resources and over population.

The United Kingdom

Traveling in the United Kingdom has been a real joy for me. I had a small glimpse of it, from my radio friends, but there’s nothing like experiencing it in real life. I have two good friends in England. One in the North and another in the South whom we’ve exchanged thoughts and viewed pictures on our web blogs about ham radio.

I’d always viewed America as the melting pot of the world but we’re a very young country. The English empire has existed for many centuries and their society has changed rulers many times. Walking around the bigger cities, on this trip, allowed us to hear many languages. I’ve found their entire country it to be a medley of diverse cultures.

We left West Virginia amidst nearly 100 (f) degree temperatures. My first impressions of Scotland was nearing the green fielding coast as we approached the airport. The first thing I noticed was a series of windmills and the sheep in the many walled fields below us.

It’s difficult to choose a favorite between Scotland, Whales, and England but I’ll try to highlight some of the area’s we visited, in this short couple of weeks we've been here. I’ve enjoyed all of them immeasurably.

Edinburg Scotland was the first city we visited and our hotel was ideally located near Edinburg Castle. We attended the “military tattoo” so were amidst the sound of bagpipes and drums of military bands from many parts of the world. There were also exhibits from motorcycles and acrobatic groups. The young motorcycle performers were my favorites. Some of the younger riders were not yet teenagers but as skilled as the best of the elder veterans.

A particularly interesting part of the city was the “royal mile” where we spent the vast majority of our leisure time. I was completely overwhelmed with the music and theatrical performances in the streets. I found it heartwarming to see energy channeled into the arts, especially from the younger generation.

There were thousands of people in the streets. The people in the picture above were moving in "extreme slow motion". I found it a profound statement contrasting the hustle and bustle of life in these busy times. They were trying to tell us something....

They were very talented.