Are you noticing a theme here? First Diagon Alley… then Steall Falls… and now the Hogwarts Express?! All I need to do now is find Harry Potter himself!
Yesterday I went on a journey from Fort William to Mallaig and back on the Jacobite Steam Train, also known as the Hogwarts Express. While many of my adventures so far have been last minute decisions, this was one that I had planned many months ago. Tickets for the Jacobite Steam Train sell out fast since it’s been named one of the most scenic train rides in the UK!
The trip was absolutely beautiful and also quite entertaining. For the first half of the outbound trip, I sat quietly in my seat just enjoying the views. There were mountains, waterfalls, and lochs the entire way. One of the best views, though, was watching the front end of the train pass over the Glenfinnan viaduct. It was straight out of a movie!
The two seats in front of me were empty, so at first it was a much quieter trip than I had expected. Lately, it seems that every time I go out and do something I end up meeting new people!
And that’s exactly what happened.
A little Scottish girl had been sitting on the other side of the carriage looking out her window… until all of a sudden the better view was on my side. I could tell she wanted to sit in one of the empty seats, but she was too shy to ask. So, I made a comment about how cute her teddy was and then asked her if she wanted to sit across from me. She smiled and moved to my side of the carriage.
Soon enough, she and I were playing catch with her teddy and talking about school, pets, and all sorts of other topics. She seemed especially interested in what America was like… is it hot there? do you REALLY call your trousers ‘PANTS’?!?!?!?! Her dad chimed in on the conversations, too.
Once we arrived in Mallaig, I decided to sit down and enjoy some fish n chips at the outdoor patio of a nearby restaurant. I was eating alone when Alan (the dad) and Leah (his young daughter) walked by and waved. I waved back and offered them a place at my table. They sat down, and we talked some more.
And then we got back on the train and talked some more.
Soon, we were back in Fort William. I was sad to see them go, as visiting with them had made my train experience more fun than I could have even imagined!
They must’ve been feeling the same way because they ended up asking me if I would like to go out to dinner with them. I did!
We went to a pub in downtown Fort William for some chicken tenders and chips. I learned a lot about football (they’re Liverpool fans, despite being from Scotland) and answered a lot of questions that started with “so what do you call….”. After dinner, Leah insisted that we go for a walk even though it had just rained for hours. I’m so glad we did, though, because I learned a lot about Scottish politics and how recent events like COVID-19 and Brexit impacted the Scottish people. I was SO happy that I had taken Modern Britain — a class about recent history in Britain — last semester. I think I would’ve otherwise had trouble recognizing the different political parties and politicians Alan was talking about.
Speaking of British politics…
Just this week, Britain got a new prime minister: Liz Truss. I haven’t done much research yet on her, but I am interested to see what comes of this change and what people in Scotland think about her. On top of that, Queen Elizabeth II passed away today which means that her son Charles will become the King. Both of these events are huge; people over here are experiencing a LOT of change all at once. It’s an interesting feeling being here while all of these changes happen. Part of me is amazed at the fact that I’m here while these significant historical events are happening. The other part of me is struggling to know what to say, if anything, to those who live here. The Queen was admired across the whole world, so I’m sure its especially hard for her people to lose her.
That’s all for now!
Until next time,
Clara