My Crunchy Zen Era
Welcome to My Crunchy Zen Era — we're not exactly sure what it means, but we're figuring it out.
It started when I asked my friends: How do you create a life you love? Then it turned into a podcast full of a little fun, a little humor, and a whole lot of curiosity. Each week we dive into a fresh topic with a guest, exploring everything from everyday joys to life’s bigger questions. Whether we’re laughing, learning, or just letting things unfold, this show is your weekly dose of lighthearted inspiration.
Hosted by Nicole Swisher.
My Crunchy Zen Era
Scotland by Train: A Travel Adventure with my Mom and a Traumatic Brain Injury
We Finally Made It to Scotland – After 3 Years, a Pandemic, and a Traumatic Brain Injury?!
After three years of delays (thanks, global chaos and a traumatic brain injury), my mom, Heidi, and I finally ticked off our bucket list dream: a mother-daughter trip to Scotland! And wow — it was so much more than bagpipes and shortbread.
In this episode, we’re spilling all the details of our epic journey: from getting lost in Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival madness, to conquering the misty highlands of Fort William (and the many stairs that tried to stop us). We laugh through the challenges, share emotional wins, and somehow survive accommodations that seemed to be in a constant competition for "Most Stairs, Least Elevator."
**Yes, we hiked Ben Nevis.
** Yes, we met a blind man climbing it with a walking stick and a dream.
** Yes, the dogs are all off-leash, and somehow more polite than most humans.
We also break down:
1. Our favorite places (and some overrated ones)
2. Travel tips for anyone with mobility issues or chronic conditions
3. What shocked us about Scottish culture (spoiler: tipping is weird)
4. And why this trip turned out to be not just physically demanding, but emotionally healing too.
Whether you're planning your own trip to Scotland or just want to live vicariously through ours, tune in for quirky travel stories, honest reflections, and a side of humor with your Highland adventures. Subscribe now and join this exploration of what it means to live a happy life in an increasingly complicated world.
Host: Nicole Swisher
Guest: Heidi Swisher
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- The Thursday Murder Club movie
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What's something crunchy or zen you've done lately.
Speaker 2:I went horse camping a few weeks ago. I had never done anything like that before and it was kind of wild. I slept in the back of my car and rode my horse more than 20 miles over weekend, but there were some scary times.
Speaker 1:Like when.
Speaker 2:When we went up this really steep hill and it was raining, muddy, went over rocks, around roots, around trees, and I just had to trust that my horse didn't want to fall backwards or anything and we made it to the top and it was so scenic, it was a great, great time. I would definitely want to do that again yeah, elbert, your horse elbert elbert e-l-b-e-r-t correct, gotta get it yes and I purchased him on saint patrick's day.
Speaker 1:Well, well, welcome to my crunchy zen era. I'm your host, nicole Swisher, and today we have a very special guest, my mother, heidi Swisher. Welcome, thank you. This podcast is a weekly podcast with a little bit of fun, a little humor and a whole lot of curiosity. If you're watching, this week we've got a little bit different setup because we are in Edinburgh, scotland, because my mom and I went on a trip and we are still here.
Speaker 2:We made it Through a lot of steps, hills, mountains. We made it through a lot of steps, hills, mountains.
Speaker 1:We made it A lot of steps. We'll talk about that later. Mom, what's a memory you'd like to relive and why?
Speaker 2:A memory I'd like to relive is the first time I went to Cayman with your dad Because I was in a stressful job. But Cayman took me away and there were beautiful sunsets and we went scuba diving, walked on the beach, would have lime slushies it was just so beautiful and relaxing. I had never experienced a vacation like, quite like this. That I mean we went back a second time, but I'd like to. I'd like to relive that again.
Speaker 1:Well, I feel like all of our vacations growing up were camping. I remember the toilet situation not being great.
Speaker 3:Well you were a little picky.
Speaker 1:I don't like it. At one point I wanted to be an archaeologist and then I was like wait, they have to be outside a lot and use outhouses, so I don't think that's going to fit, but yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we had to think about what kind of facilities the campgrounds had.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but Cayman was good and I remember the lime slushies the second time. Yeah, wasn't that good. I mean, what finally made you do a vacation like that?
Speaker 2:Well, I was at a class reunion and Dad and I had been thinking about going to the Caribbean and I ran across or I talked to a former classmate, gary if you're watching, hey, gary and he said that he and his family had been going to Cayman for years, and so he helped us figure it out and it was a wise choice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I feel like since then you've been more open to doing different things.
Speaker 2:I've been more open to spending more money on vacations, instead of doing the cheap way.
Speaker 3:you said it. I was thinking it. It kind of helped that our camper got eaten by mice, so it was totaled. Can't do the camping anymore. Do you remember when I opened it up? Were you there? No, it was gross Little mice hanging on the net.
Speaker 1:It was a sign from God to start spending money, Heidi move on. You were a bit stingy, one might say, growing up sometimes.
Speaker 2:Yes, but it got us a long way.
Speaker 1:Yes, and dad was the total opposite.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Why buy one when you can buy two?
Speaker 3:I think that's his motto.
Speaker 1:Yes, mandarin oranges so many of them, um, but we made it. We made it to scotland, yes, and that's what we want to spend a lot of time talking about today. Um, because originally we were supposed to go in May 2020. Yes, and we couldn't. We got within a month and had to cancel everything we did. That was very sad, but it was a relief at the time because it was confusing, like what to do and then everything shut down. We didn't have to decide Right and the decision was made for us, yeah.
Speaker 1:And then we were supposed to go last year, yes, but I had a traumatic brain injury it's all your fault, nicole. Yeah, we didn't think it was a good idea. No, and this trip it's definitely popped up a little bit, but for the most part I've done really well. Yes, um, but we finally did it I wasn't sure we'd make it really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I thought we already missed out twice. What's gonna happen now?
Speaker 1:I'm glad I didn't know that I didn't dare tell you which there were some things that happened leading up, but we managed it yes, so um, but I I think I've wanted to come to Scotland since high school and then Grandpa Swisher, my dad's dad, did a whole genealogy of, like the book, going back to Scotland and came up with the clans that were associated with, and so part of my interest was kind of seeing the area, but we ended up not going to the area.
Speaker 2:There's just so much to cover.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which I think some of that was because originally we were planning on driving around the country. Yeah, and this time we acknowledged we were both scared to drive. Correct, you're older and wiser. Yes, so we took a train. Do you want to share our itinerary?
Speaker 2:Well, we came to Edinburgh and climbed up a mountain. It felt like I don't know. If you want to talk about that now.
Speaker 3:Well, it was.
Speaker 2:I mean, it was the fringe we didn't know. Comedy festival going on and royal mile was clogged, yeah, with comedians and actors, and we were pulling bags and had backpacks and I had a little bag on my suitcase that kept flopping over, yeah.
Speaker 1:And it wasn't supposed to be as far, but the map kept saying it was the same amount of time, even after we'd been going for a while, because we were going so slow.
Speaker 3:I was going slow.
Speaker 1:So we thought it was like a 15-minute walk from the tram, I think it ended up being about 25, 30 minutes.
Speaker 2:I think it was 45. Was it 45?
Speaker 3:You blocked it out. I think it ended up being about 25, 30 minutes. I think it was 45. You blocked it out. I think I did. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Which I think you know in retrospect maybe it's just me getting back at you for the death marches that used to take us on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that could be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you'd surprise us with how far.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just a little bit further around the next corner.
Speaker 1:There was one time we went on a long hike with the dogs and Clifford, the big black dog, refused to go back to that trail in the future Because he didn't want to walk again. But yeah, so we started off a little rough but we made it.
Speaker 2:Yes, so then we were in Edinburgh for four days.
Speaker 1:Four days and we stayed at the University of Edinburgh student housing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, summer stay, it was a dorm room. Yeah, it was a dorm room, hard beds.
Speaker 1:Yes, twin beds, little beds which I haven't slept in in. And there was another spot. I slept in a twin bed and I kept almost falling out.
Speaker 2:yeah, because I have a king bed yeah, so I stayed in edinburgh for four days and then we took the train to fort william and had a really nice Airbnb. Yeah. But, I didn't count how many steps we had to go up or a hill.
Speaker 1:There's actually steps to get not just at the Airbnb, but Fort Willem is very hilly.
Speaker 2:Yes, so we had to go up a ton of steps and then we got to the house, had to go down some steps to get to the door. I'm like hallelujah, we're here.
Speaker 3:And then we open the door and it's like 15 steps up, but once we got up there it was great it was very nice, a beautiful, beautiful view out the kitchen window and your bedroom window.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was really nice. Yeah, that was good. So we were there three nights and then to Inverness. Then, while we were there, we figured out oh, the train doesn't go to Inverness.
Speaker 3:We have to take a bus.
Speaker 1:Which I think I actually knew that I just think my brain works in mysterious ways now. And I think I actually knew that. I just think my brain works in mysterious ways now, and I think I blocked it out until we realized we had to take the bus. The bus. I got really sick on the bus.
Speaker 2:Yes, you did. That is one where my brain injury still kicks in Plus we think the bus driver left late because he was gabbing with another person and he drove like a crazy person. Yes, Fast furious around. Corners braked fast.
Speaker 1:Tailgated. Yes, cars were moving out of his way.
Speaker 2:Yes, that was terrible, nicole's like oh, oh my head I almost started crying and the last part is just weaving back and forth like a long loch ness.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that was interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but we made it to inverness and the walk to that place wasn't bad at all.
Speaker 1:No, that was fine, but then there were stairs inside.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, to go up to our bedroom. So we had no choice. It was steeper than climbing Ben Nevis, nevis, nevis.
Speaker 3:I told you I wasn't going to get that right. Yes, nevis.
Speaker 1:I've been ignoring it the whole time. But then after we were there Three nights and then we came back to Edinburgh Because we fly out and we needed A break a little bit. Before so we fly out tomorrow and here we are and we're staying in leith, which I really like.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's a cute place much quieter there's a lot of restaurants and walking on the water and that the airbnb we're in now is like luxurious.
Speaker 1:It's very nice yeah, on the third floor more stuff.
Speaker 3:Steps I counted the steps, it's 32. At least there's small steps, yeah.
Speaker 1:No, it's fine. And then? We went for a walk along the water and there's more steps, it's a lot of steps, which I mean we knew it was silly, but maybe yeah I'm just not used to that.
Speaker 2:No, no, so it seems really flat now after.
Speaker 1:Yeah and so does nashville, which, for our audience who don't know you, which a lot of them do um you live in minnesota.
Speaker 2:Yes, near Princeton, between Princeton and Cambridge yes, so we met in Atlanta.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which it worked out it did, but I was a little nervous. For some reason your flight would get delayed and then I would have left without you.
Speaker 3:Would you have? Yes, I would have.
Speaker 2:I think I had like 45 minutes, it was close and even going back now, I think I have about an hour. And we have to get our luggage go through customs and board.
Speaker 1:I'm trying not to think about that. I have two and a half hours.
Speaker 3:Sorry.
Speaker 1:How experienced would you say you are traveling?
Speaker 2:I've never done anything like this before, although let's see, earlier this year I went on a mission trip to mexico and that was a long time, yeah, in a van driving, but, um, I don't think I've ever done from place to place place, other than when your dad and I did a mission trip to israel like 25 years ago which I can't believe.
Speaker 1:That was 25 years yeah yeah, but you'd never been to europe never, so it's new. I mean, I went to Istanbul and I've been to France, montpellier, france but that was with one, was a mission trip and then one was with school. So this is a little different planning it out, figuring out where we're going.
Speaker 2:It took a lot of planning.
Speaker 1:I'd say yeah it did, and I think it would have been nice to have one more week.
Speaker 2:Yes, because we would have liked to have seen the Isle of Skye and gone to where your dad's relatives were from Silverbite, glencoe. Yep, and then maybe stay an extra day in Fort William.
Speaker 1:Take a couple more naps.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, we could have couple more naps. Yeah, yeah, we could have used a little rest.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what were you nervous about for?
Speaker 2:the trip that you'd get sick.
Speaker 1:That I would get sick. Yeah, yeah, there were close encounters of the COVID kind before leading up, but I was fine was fine, thankfully.
Speaker 2:I just figured I'd maybe you, if you got sick, you know what do you do yeah, I was definitely nervous about that too.
Speaker 1:I was nervous that I would get tired too easily with my head, um, but I don't think that. I think the only times I struggled there were a couple times in edinburgh castle, because it just was too small space so I just exited a lot of people yeah a lot of people, a lot of small space. And then I think, well, obviously, obviously, the bus was an issue yes um, I think there was one more time, but it wasn't overly bad, just recovery time.
Speaker 2:The other thing I worried about is, you know, my knees are not the best. I had cortisone shots about two weeks ago and I didn't want to slow you down, yeah, but we covered a lot of ground. We did, it took a few stops for me to stretch, but we made it.
Speaker 1:And how many miles do you think we've gone? We're close to 100. I think we could title our trip Traveling in Scotland with Chronic Injuries.
Speaker 2:If we can do it, anybody can do it.
Speaker 1:What do you wish you'd known before the trip?
Speaker 2:Oh goodness, I didn't think that one through. I think I wish I had known how much walking to do. I would have bought that knee brace earlier and I didn't do that and I would have probably tried to get in better walking condition. So, I didn't realize how much ground we would cover.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that I would have liked to build in a rest day, right in the middle. Yes, I wish I had known how busy we would be, but it turned out fine. But we didn't want to miss out on everything, right.
Speaker 2:And I would say that the busiest days were in the beginning, and then we've kind of been tapering, so that's nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Maybe are you glad you didn't know something. Uh, I'm glad I didn't know how many hills and steps it was going to do.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you didn't know that the last airbnb also had steps. Yes, I think this was a part of was. Different, though, is there's so many older buildings here, whereas back in the us we have more elevators and yes you're just not. It's just not the same correct. But you know we've gotten shape.
Speaker 2:It's been definitely yeah, packing okay, I brought too many jackets. One too many jackets. I brought too many pairs of pants, at least one pair, I wouldn't yeah too many of other things unmentionables and everything adds weight and volume and when you've got a backpack on your back and you're pulling, it gets to be a lot so. I would have streamlined and been ready to just wash clothes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think I could have gone without my tennis shoes. Just wearing my hiking boots is basically what I did every day except one. So, yeah, yeah, because that really takes up space. Um, I I don't think there's anything I wish I had brought, that I didn't, no.
Speaker 2:I don't think so either because we did.
Speaker 1:I think we did pack pretty lightly. I would have. I would like to try to get it all in a carry-on next time and I could see that possibility.
Speaker 2:I mean, I had to think of a few things just because my type 1 diabetes yeah bring. I had always had to have plenty of food with me, plenty of snacks. I have a continuous glucose monitor, so I had to have I of food with me, plenty of snacks. I have a continuous glucose monitor, so I brought an. X1 in case the one I had to change to didn't work, and so those things take up room.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and there was only one time where you had an issue, though, in Inverness, when you just plummeted. Your number just dropped, yeah um, was that after the pancakes? No, that wasn't. Even after the pancakes shot it way sky high we had pancakes at wild pancakes, in inverness, while we pan, while we pancakes, and they were like eating a cake for breakfast.
Speaker 2:Oh yes.
Speaker 1:Fabulous. Thankfully it was the last day and we just could be knocked out on the train.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean white chocolate chips and the whipped cream. The whipped cream was good, wow yeah.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah. What did you find most challenging, uh?
Speaker 2:the steps, the steps. Yes, yeah, going up and almost like going down is the worst yeah, and I mean we.
Speaker 1:I think one thing I found pretty challenging was ben Nevis, but it was worth it and that was one of the most memorable things to me. So we went up to the halfway lock and it was beautiful and hot and we climbed all morning and we had like some of the best weather they said I was hot.
Speaker 2:Yes they said I was hot, yeah, yes, and um, um, even though my knees have given me problems. It was like praise the lord, I got up and down and it wasn't that bad and it it was a challenge. We were out of breath, especially me and people kept passing, passing, but it was so worth it and I just felt like we had really accomplished something and at the top it was just this gorgeous.
Speaker 1:I don't even know what you I mean there was a lock, but then it felt like a meadow or right something, um, and then we came back down. I think a weird thing that was challenging is knowing what side to walk on, because, like we're used to walk, you go on the right, but a lot of people were walking on the left and you didn't know, because there's so many tourists, you don't know like what side they're going yeah, I feel like there was a lot of playing chicken trying to figure it out.
Speaker 1:We even said we're gonna agree to walk on the left, but then I think we'd run into other americans. Yeah, didn't know where to go, yeah, so that was like a weird I don't know that was a weird right but it worked out what was your favorite day?
Speaker 2:my favorite day. Well, I loved going up Ben.
Speaker 1:Nevis.
Speaker 2:But I liked going to. We took the train. What was the train? Yeah, we took the train down and back to Dunbar and that was just a quaint little village. There weren't very many tourists there. We got fresh seafood for dinner. We sat out in the rain and ate and in fact we first met up with a fisherman who said I asked him what he was fishing for and he said prawnss. And he said if you go over to that restaurant you'll get what I caught last night.
Speaker 1:And there we were it was delicious yeah, I mean in minnesota you cannot get fresh no, it surprised me how much seafood we ate here. Oh, it was a lot.
Speaker 2:I don't like seafood, but I liked it a lot so I think I don't like bad seafood and I'm not a big fish fan and the salmon and trout here, that both were smoked.
Speaker 1:It was fabulous yeah yeah, so I think dunbar was one of my favorite days because the tide was out along the coast and so I went. You stayed up and I went down and walked all over. And it was just very different than anything back home and very peaceful. Anything where we were in nature outside of the main city was kind of my favorite thing Right yeah, and I really liked the Loch Ness Cruise. That was very pretty the Loch Ness cruise.
Speaker 2:That was very pretty. I saw Nessie Took some photos.
Speaker 3:We'll post it.
Speaker 1:It did make me want to look more into Nessie now, because they said only recently there was a sighting.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:It just reminds me of bigfoot back home yes, well it's. Maybe I haven't overly, overly interested in bigfoot. Maybe maybe we'll add nessie to that. Um, but yeah, that was surprising, because I don't normally like touristy. I I don't, I don't like being with a lot of people where you're just like stuck there and someone's just talking at you and you have to pretend to be interested.
Speaker 1:You're just trapped yeah, but it turned out good because we did the cruise, went to um urquhart castle and then the bus ride back was actually really great, like she took us up a different way and so we got to see things we wouldn't have otherwise.
Speaker 2:Right, and she was giving good background information on the history and different sites that we passed. That was really good. Well, I was going to say, speaking of cruises, that cruise we had in Fort William was really good. Yes, on Loch Linney.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that one was great, cause we saw like seals and it was just nice. It was very nice. And those the two women who were the captains. Yeah, the captains, they were really good, they were very good yeah. And I think with because we did do the trains, we couldn't go off into other areas. So, like the tours were helpful to the extent we did them because we were able to see other things, right and I guess.
Speaker 2:Uh, I felt like, despite not being able to drive to other locations, we did so much.
Speaker 1:Yeah and I wouldn't. I still wouldn't want to try driving. No, it's just it took so long to remember to look to the right first for cars that I just I don't know, I don't know how you start, just drive in that yeah because it's just such a natural, ingrained thing.
Speaker 2:Well, it's not only do they drive on the left, but the driver is on the right side of the vehicle yeah, and then it's the streets are much narrower than we're used to.
Speaker 1:Yes, um, so it's just, I don't know, it's just different. And also like the street signs, like I thought one meant they were coming this way, but then all the cars were coming from the other side, so I don't know what that means still, but oh well, we'll see. Okay, if you came back to Scotland, what would you do?
Speaker 2:I would like to see the Isle of Skye and we didn't get to see the castle up in Fort William, which we found out later was closed anyway, but there's other islands. I think that would be fun to see, and then also to see the area where your dad's relatives came from Another day in Fort William, I think would be good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I feel like I could skip Inverness. I'm glad we went there this time because loch ness is there and I liked it, but I feel like we saw everything pretty quickly yeah but there was one thing we did in inverness that was a little different. We got a recommendation from a local and what was it called?
Speaker 1:murk, murk and that it was a nature reserve, yeah, and we like walked through random neighborhoods and then we went into the woods and came out and it was the um is the bay looking out on the black isle, and that was very beautiful, that was very nice not at all what I was expecting no, because we were walking through trees and all of a sudden there was a hill, maybe 10 feet high, and you couldn't see what was on the other side when we got to the top of the hill.
Speaker 1:It was like wow, yeah, it's beautiful what else about our trip, like as in, like what we did. I have other other questions, but what do you think Anything else you want to share about experiences, things you enjoyed, things you do differently?
Speaker 2:Well, one thing is I don't think I'd want to stay at the university again. But, I do have to say the location was good because right behind it was Arthur's seat. Yes, and we haven't talked about that yet. Yeah, but we hiked that and that was that was beautiful it was.
Speaker 1:And again, there's something the landscape is just very different. It is it's and I actually enjoyed the weather. I was nervous that we would have bad weather but because I tend to get cold easily, but I was fine, I think, the entire time.
Speaker 2:I was good yeah, I was expecting a lot more rain. I brought rainproof pants which maybe on another week would have come in quite handy so I'm glad I brought them. I would bring them again, yeah, but we or I and you too, I think wore my rain jacket a lot, just as a jacket, and so we were always ready for any drizzle that came along and we didn't bother with an umbrella because we had heard it was super windy and we didn't need one.
Speaker 2:No, and it was very windy in some spots inverness was really windy. Yes, and then when you're amongst all the crowds, to try to handle an umbrella.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm. Yeah, the crowds are. That was my least favorite thing. Yeah, and everyone just like stops.
Speaker 2:They do and you're like why are you stopping? They do At least like move off to the side.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's odd, at least like move off to the side but I think, I mean, I think I avoid Broadway in Nashville and I think I would experience that if I went back.
Speaker 2:You know, you just get that in the tourist places it was nice to go up and down Royal Mile just to say you did it and and to see what's there. Yeah, but once is enough. Once is enough.
Speaker 1:I liked Greyfriar Cemetery.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was great.
Speaker 1:One thing I actually really liked Was looking for the different closes.
Speaker 2:Like the alleys.
Speaker 1:I had a list I was looking for and it was just kind of pretty architecture. So that's the only reason I would go back to the Royal Mile.
Speaker 2:Victoria Street, was it? Yeah, that was cute. Yeah, that was really cute. Yes, very colorful.
Speaker 1:Very colorful. That goes into. One of our tips we wanted to give Was to go early yes early to victoria street and royal mile, and then you can just like see it and leave right, you can walk yeah and really enjoy the sights without having to see all the people too. Yeah, okay, mom. How did the culture differ than you expected?
Speaker 2:Okay. So we saw dogs everywhere and most of them were not on leashes and they were very well behaved. That is not what we experience at home. People have to have their dogs on leashes.
Speaker 1:Their dogs are out of control Out of control.
Speaker 2:I was totally impressed with the dogs around here and they were so sweet. When you could pet them, they were in restaurants and trains and buses. Yeah, not a problem.
Speaker 1:I don't know how that I don't know. I'm amazed, I'm kind of curious to our background producer here Is that like a thing?
Speaker 3:The dogs. I never noticed that. You never noticed. I never noticed. If you came to the US, you'd notice the difference. You would notice the difference.
Speaker 2:Yes, they're so well-behaved here, yeah, I mean like at the restaurant we were at this morning the waitress brought a bowl of water over to the dog yeah, they get served yeah, whereas in the united states you can't have a dog in the restaurant unless it's a service dog and you can have them outside at a table. That's about the extent of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and I mean, they're just like in parks, off leash, yeah I mean the first one I saw. I was like, oh no, and then it was totally fine yeah so I would like to know how to train a dog like that so it's amazing. I would say cheers to the scots for the well-behaved dogs yes, and it was fun to be able to pet all of them.
Speaker 2:It was so yeah what else do you got um, let's see culture.
Speaker 1:There was something else I can't remember so I'm gluten free, oh yes, and everywhere we went they knew they would ask is it celiacs or gluten intolerance? And they were very knowledgeable and like there are, of course there's places in the us, but not that consistently and depends on the city too.
Speaker 2:They they seem to know what they're talking about and they were very responsive and it was very. It made it easier for you, didn't? Yes?
Speaker 1:it did, because I I wondered how that would go. I looked it up a little in Edinburgh, but not anywhere else, and I didn't have any issues. Fort William was great, inverness was great, yes, so I mean the bread at Edinburgh Larder is so good Gluten-free bread. Gluten-free bread. Never had as good a bread. It was delicious.
Speaker 2:So good yes. It had lots of nuts and it was moist and tasty. It was really good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then tipping that yes.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. So back in the States, as we all know, 15% is low.
Speaker 1:I'm tipping probably. Well, I don't know if I want to say how much I'm tipping. However, the range is more like 20% and I've seen up to 40% when they flip those things and their selections are like 20, 25, 30.
Speaker 2:They get so high up there and it's expected and it's super rude if you don't tip here, here they're like oh, there's a service charge, but don't worry about it, you don't have to pay it if you don't want to. Yeah, almost like they're embarrassed embarrassed that it's there and it's 10 percent yeah, it's not anything.
Speaker 1:And then we tried to tip a couple of times when it was bar service and they literally told us not to do it, which is amazing so it's very pleasant, whereas in the US I have been asked by a robot to tip. So I don't know why. Or like you go up and you you don't really do any, like the server's not doing anything at all and you're getting your own food and drink, but like it's still there and you're expected to tip.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't get that, so maybe people need to be paying our folks more. So that was surprising. Yeah, yeah, it was kind of refreshing. Yeah, it was um the one. I've definitely seen a lot more smokers here. Yes, that surprised me right there on the street. Yeah, but I don't know because I think it's more. I think it's more, I think there's more shaming in the US, like they're trying to do that more. Any other cultural things no that's it. Did you learn anything about Scotland while here that you didn't know?
Speaker 2:History, because one place we went to was the Culloden, culloden, culloden Battlefield Right.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I mean there's such long history here compared to the United States, which is 300, 400 years, because that battle was 1740 something. Right, right before the Revolutionary War.
Speaker 1:I thought that was really interesting. We found McLean, the what were those stones called? Uh? Gravestones, yeah, like the grave memorial and then mcdonald, which are a couple of the clans that my dad is associated with.
Speaker 2:So right, and it's just so sad. So, many people killed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was very weirdly peaceful though.
Speaker 2:The place itself yes. At one spot it said something about stay kind of quiet. Because, this is, you know, the gravestones.
Speaker 1:I think it was as we walked, because they're actually graves Right, which I didn't realize. Yeah, it was very, which I didn't realize. So, yeah, it was very, I don't know, that was pretty. That was also sad.
Speaker 2:It was. It was kind of impactful when you think of what people have sacrificed to have what's here today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I think that we definitely learned a lot of Scottish history. Yes, for sure, we have some tips for our audience, because obviously everyone should come and tour here, enjoy Scotland have a holiday you had the first one about the email.
Speaker 2:Right and I was going to bring it in, but I forgot. I had a charger for phones, just a little black box with some wires. You can. Nicole was able to plug in her iphone, I could plug in my android and then would charge it up every once in a while, but it was really nice to have a long, especially since I have a continuous glucose monitor. I always have to have my phone charged and working. So for me it gave me a sense of comfort knowing that if we were out and about and my phone was about to die, I could charge it again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was really helpful. I hadn't even thought, never occurred to me. Yeah, so we use the buses a lot in edinburgh, everywhere. Actually, inverness and fort william like how we got to ben nevis was using a bus, otherwise we would have had to walk. It was 38 minutes and as we got on the bus and passed all those people walking back into town after climbing, I felt very great. It felt so good. I was like you silly people, but yeah, they were super easy and using the apps was easy.
Speaker 1:Oh, very easy, you could do day pass or whatever, so I definitely look at that.
Speaker 2:The bus service here and then the tram we rode from the airport was very nice too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was easy Trains were easy, trains were good. Yeah, we did the Spirit of Scotland pass, and so we just show them our pass and we just off we go.
Speaker 2:And it worked for the bus in Fort William too. Yes, so we didn't have to pay anything additional for that.
Speaker 1:Thank God, yeah, dreaded bus.
Speaker 2:So that Spirit of Scotland pass is for what? 15 days, 14 days or something like that?
Speaker 1:I think we did 15 days, 8 days actually Of travel. Yeah, 8 days of travel over the course of 15 days.
Speaker 2:And I think we maybe only did 5 days of travel, but it was well worth it.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah. A couple other things we had were sit on the left side of the train when you're going from Glasgow to Fort William, because it's gorgeous. It is there to fort william because it's gorgeous. It is there. We wanted to go all the way to malay, which is where then you take the ferry to sky, but we just didn't have time, out of time, yeah, um, and then I already shared like go early to everything yes, so, and we'd go to bed early.
Speaker 2:We went to bed at like 8 and 8 30 and I thought of another tip too, that I had Netflix. So in the evening when we wanted to just veg out, we were able to pull up Netflix. So that was kind of nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were watching Leanne.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was good.
Speaker 1:Alright, so we have some awards to give out. Yes, did you have your. You had wanted to have them on your phone too, so you could read them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I forgot.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, I will give out the awards then.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:All right, most unique, valuable travel accessory, oh my charger. Phone charger Most practical, valuable travel accessory Hiking boots.
Speaker 2:Yes, best city.
Speaker 1:Fort William and then Dun bar. Best accommodations where we are now in leith um least favorite accommodations the dorm room. The dorm room Well, let's expand a little. It was smaller than my dorm room that I had at the University of Minnesota and it was two small twin beds. I think the mattress might have been this thick and the pillow was this thick.
Speaker 2:Luckily we had two of them this thick.
Speaker 1:Yes, and there was no space to put anything.
Speaker 2:No drawers to speak of. No, so it was a mess, but we did get a breakfast with that, yes, which was cafeteria style and not bad.
Speaker 1:No, and then one of the doors squeaked so bad, but yeah, it's not that we wouldn't, it just wasn't the best.
Speaker 2:Right, and they did have washer and dryer service, which you had to download an app and put money on it. So frustrating. It took about five minutes to figure that out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it could be good for more of like solo traveler. Maybe, yeah, think it could be good for more of like solo traveler. Maybe yeah, um, but I the reason we ended up doing it is because of the fringe festival. Everything was really expensive on the front end and that was the most affordable right, um, so, anyway, anything else horrible about walking to it?
Speaker 2:walking to it and the mold in the shower yes, there was that, yeah okay, best restaurant uh, in fort william, the geographer it was amazing oh the hamburgers were yes so good we had a hamburger and then chicken strips and we split them. Yes, and they were yummy.
Speaker 1:They were both really good, but I didn't like the Kranich in there as much, so we've been trying Kranich in because we had it early on, really liked it, but there it was just really, really whiskey flavored. Yeah, and it was mostly cream, Whereas Kranich in is supposed to have the cream some whiskey and raspberriesberries and oats, and it hardly had any oats in it Right, and then we had it the next night, yeah.
Speaker 2:And that one had ice cream with it, so that was good. That was almost like a sundae.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was good, best Scottish food we tried.
Speaker 2:Well, you ordered. What is it called? Colin skink it was sounded gross to me, so I didn't want to do it and it was delicious I took a taste of it.
Speaker 1:I would get that some sort of fish broth with potatoes yeah, it was really good it was delicious, which I don't know. It sounded like something like skunk, and then I don't normally like um fishy fish and I don't normally like soup and that was basically. But best tourist trap uh, the Edinburgh castle.
Speaker 1:Yes, that was well worth it and I on that one we ended up. We went on the west side. There's a part that hardly anyone was going to, where you go down some stairs and it says like it's a one way and you walk around and there was hardly anybody there. I would highly recommend.
Speaker 2:And we made reservations ahead of time.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And the kind of reservation we got was the flexible kind, so you could go at any time of the day, and that worked out really well for us. They were turning back people who had bought for a specific time and the people were trying to slip in earlier, I guess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they said only 10 minutes ahead of time, and I don't like being stuck to a schedule that closely. I like to have a general idea of what we're doing, but you just don't know how long something is taking, so I wanted the flexible right, it wasn't that much more.
Speaker 2:No, it wasn't.
Speaker 1:It was worth it yeah, um hidden gem I can't remember what we said. Dunbar.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Which we found Dunbar because of watching Escape to the Country. Yes, and someone was looking in the Lothian area and it ended up being a really relaxing day. I liked it. It was.
Speaker 2:And it's not the kind of place you would maybe move to. But I would.
Speaker 1:Retire there yeah. Yeah too, but I would retire there, yeah, yeah, we went to a coffee shop and the little ladies in there were just talking about being friends, yes, and they were waving at everyone and then they were saying, oh, it's been so hot, and I was like hot yeah, from nashville so you don't know what hot is? Yeah, and then our runner up was dean village.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was so great. There's no shops there, but it's just so beautiful.
Speaker 1:It's the water of leith, and then there's areas to walk and we were actually able to go down to the water and I just waited in, and so it's relaxing. Um, is there a story you think you'll be telling for a while?
Speaker 2:yes, so on our hike up and down, ben, nevis nevis nevis so on our way up, actually we met a man who was blind and he was climbing the mountain with the assistance of a guide and the guide would tap in front of him so he could hear what was in front and know which direction, and then the guide also would tell him where to step. Can you imagine telling someone for that distance?
Speaker 2:telling someone for that distance and then we saw him at our, at the midpoint where we stopped, and we had gone down to that block, yeah, where you waited again in there, yes, and the blind man came down. We were. We spoke to his friend who said that the man hadn't always been blind. At one time he wasn't a professional dancer.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And karate, I think, like national awards. And then one day he woke up and he was blind.
Speaker 1:Which is terrifying to think about.
Speaker 2:And then he's climbing a mountain.
Speaker 1:And his friend made the point. He can't even see it.
Speaker 2:Right, he could barely see shadows, shadowy things, light and dark mountain, and his friend was made the point he's like he can't even see. It right, it's he couldn't yeah, he could barely see shadows, shadowy things, light and dark.
Speaker 2:The other thing is we, on our way down, we were passed by four men carrying a young boy on like a platform with a chair and the boy was disabled and these men were carrying him down and I'm assuming they carried him all the way to the top they had to do it right, unless they switched off with somebody.
Speaker 1:But it didn't look like they had that big of a group and they were moving faster than me yes, they were yeah, and then finally, people were running up and down they were running up the person who they something like the fastest person to do it had run up and down in like an hour and 20 minutes right which is crazy.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we started at 9 45, yes, and we did stop for a bit at the top and we had to take breaks, but we got back at like 2 45 I think yes, so yes, so five hours. Yes, I'm not doing the math, so I'm assuming that's correct. Yes, yeah, that's a yeah, an hour and 20 minutes now.
Speaker 2:So that's what I'll be telling people yeah. Because I just found all those people who I just mentioned very inspirational, very encouraging for anyone who thinks, oh, I can't do that yeah it was unbelievable I think for me it's really like how relaxed I felt, in a way I hadn't in a long time because I
Speaker 1:feel like it's always so busy now but being in like dunbar and walking along the ocean. Busy now, but being in like dunbar and walking along the ocean without a time frame, like we didn't have to rush, and I really liked seeing that bridge to nowhere. It's over the stream when the tide's out and then when it comes up we couldn't stay, but when it comes up it is just like surrounded by water um and then I think fort william waking up in the morning and just sitting and seeing out onto the lake.
Speaker 2:It was just very beautiful and remember the day before we left or the morning we left, there was a rainbow. Yeah, it was beautiful.
Speaker 1:It's just I think Scotland is. I mean, I knew from pictures and stuff that it was beautiful, but I just think it's completely like you can't describe it. The highlands of are just gorgeous, which I wish I were better with cold weather, but it yeah, I liked it and all the people were really nice, like a lot of people stopped and talked to us, so I liked that a lot. Getting to hear their stories was fun. Yes, the accent in the Highlands was much stronger than I expected.
Speaker 2:It was.
Speaker 1:It was. We have background laughter. One thing I heard I had to keep saying to you was listen to them. They're saying use, plural use. Yeah, I never heard that before yeah, use kind of like y'all in southern united states right, but yeah, it took you a moment to hear yes, I did and I am proud to say I understood people better I translated, you did very true maybe it's because I'm used to translating southerners now, but all right, mom, what have you been obsessing over lately?
Speaker 2:okay, I love the beverage bubbler yeah, you do.
Speaker 3:Is that a lately thing or forever?
Speaker 2:well, maybe about two years or three. So, and wild cherry is my favorite, and you know I love ice and I love me, my crushed ice.
Speaker 1:She just crunches and crunches, and crunches on it.
Speaker 2:So I can't wait to get back home for that. Yeah, my crushed ice with a bubbler. And I have to say I don think the scotts appreciate ice as much as I do I'm not sure anyone does ice and they fill it up halfway and it's like bring on the ice. You know, yeah, I love I just love ice.
Speaker 1:I didn't notice that because I don't like ice in my drinks, but now that you say that there was significantly less right than we normally have, I don't like how it melts and waters, everything down, I like that yeah I'm obsessed yeah, you are, it's the most annoying sound maybe that explains why, when I was in a meeting at work crunching on ice, were you in a work meeting? Oh, my gosh Did they say something.
Speaker 3:No, but they kind of looked at me Like how old are you?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Like, hey, I'm going to retire soon, I can crunch on ice as much as I want Funny Old lady thing.
Speaker 1:You just don't care anymore, that's about it. Yeah, I should have thought I don't know what I've been obsessing. I was so obsessed with planning this trip, maybe we could say I was obsessed with itinerary every day and making sure we navigated you did great.
Speaker 2:Like I told you, it was nice. Usually I'm the one who has to figure out all the logistics and it was nice to sit back, thank you nicole, you're welcome.
Speaker 1:I was like, all right, let's go now, yes, and then I'd write down what we actually did, yes, so I could compare how it went. Do you have a recommendation for our audience today?
Speaker 2:Yes, I like the app FitOn Mm-hmm. It has so many different exercise routines you can do, from yoga to back to hit. I really like it. And then for about $30 a year, you can get the deluxe version and you can put it on your TV and exercise at home with it. But it's on my phone, so during our trip I did one yoga routine. So I would recommend that app Fit On F-I-T-O-N.
Speaker 1:And that's the one that you and dad do every day, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yes, it is.
Speaker 1:So I would recommend the Thursday Murder Club movie. That was something we watched and you had read the book. I really liked the Thursday Murder Club movie. That was something we watched and you had read the book. Yes, I really liked the movie. I would probably read the book now.
Speaker 2:It was good yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, mom, what are you looking forward to this week?
Speaker 2:My bed. Yeah, my husband Seeing the grandkids.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And ice, ice um seeing the grandkids.
Speaker 1:yeah and ice, ice. I am looking forward to my bed. I'm also looking forward to the fact that we get back friday night and then we could just like sleep for the weekend, because we did not want to. I well, you work. How do you work these days, mom?
Speaker 2:I work remotely whenever you want, whenever I want about 12 hours a week and then I go ride my horse. Yeah, and life is easy.
Speaker 1:She is a retired lawyer. Look how happy she is. Yay. But yeah, I didn't want to go straight back to work, so yeah, there is a difference there, yeah you have time to clean the clothes, all the things.
Speaker 2:Um, mom, thank you for being here in edinburgh and thank you, nicole, for you did most of the planning. I appreciate it yeah, I love you I love you too thank you, thank you, yeah.
Speaker 1:When I asked you what you want to do, you said whatever you want to do.
Speaker 2:And when people would ask me what I was looking forward to the most, I said being with you.
Speaker 1:Oh well, all right, I enjoyed being with you too.
Speaker 1:Okay enough of this sentimentality here. Well, thank you for being here. Please subscribe to our YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts, I'll see you from the United States next time the end. Thanks for listening to my crunchy Zen era. Please subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts. This podcast is produced by me, nicole Swisher and my good friends Summer Harkup and Liz Colter, editing is by Drew Harrison Media and recording is done by Lagos Creative in Nashville, tennessee. Thanks for hanging out. We'll be back next week. We'll be back next week.
