Tag: history

Hadrian’s Wall

Hadrian’s Wall

In 123 AD, the Roman Emperor Hadrian ordered the building of a vast wall across the frontier of Roman Britain. It’s purpose was to keep the Romans separated from the barbarians, since the Romans were having trouble conquering what remained of the British isle. The wall Hadrian’s soldiers built spanned 73 miles, from Bowness-on-Solway to …

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Heavy Metal History

Heavy Metal History

I’ve written a lot about how music inspires me. I listen to it while I’m writing, planning, and even editing. The right playlist helps set the tone for creative work. But outside that, it also inspired me to read several classic novels. To the long list of things music (especially heavy metal) has inspired me …

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Urquhart Castle

Urquhart Castle

We didn’t have much time on our first trip to Scotland so we had to prioritize the sites we wanted to see. We all agreed it wouldn’t be a trip to Scotland if we didn’t see castles. We skipped the more touristy ones in favour of Dunnotar and Urquhart. The tourist center at Urquhart castle …

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Spring Waffles

Spring Waffles

It’s hard to believe how fast the year has gone; it’s already time for spring break! This year, a very good friend of mine is making the journey north to admire our beautiful mountains, eat our fabulous poutine, and make use of our nifty guest room. So I will be AFK for the next two …

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Dunnotar Castle

Dunnotar Castle

Of all the things we saw while we were in the UK, Dunnotar Castle has to be my favourite. Don’t get me wrong; Stonehenge was beyond amazing, and something I’d longed to see most of my life. But never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined visiting a place like Dunnotar Castle (perhaps partly …

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The History of Scotland

The History of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland has a unique wing dedicated to the complete history of Scotland. It spans about five floors, moving up a tower from the base of the museum to the top. Many museums present the history of a location with the layout of their exhibits, but none quite so thoroughly as the …

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The Viking Experience

The Viking Experience

On our way to Edinburgh for the first time, we stopped for an afternoon in York. There were lots of things we wanted to see, but our time was limited. We settled on one thing; the Jorvik Viking Centre, which my husband was eager to visit. The Jorvik Centre is built over top the remains …

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Dry At Last

Dry At Last

Originally built in 1510 in Portsmouth, the Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy built for King Henry VIII. Carrak-style ships featured high “castles” in the bow and stern with a low waist of open decking in the middle. The ship was substantially rebuilt in 1536, and it is on this …

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The Warrior and Victory

The Warrior and Victory

The next stop on our giant England vacation was Portsmouth, where we hoped to introduce our friends from opposite sides of the ocean. Meanwhile, we visited the historic docks to tour the ships we’d previously seen from afar. Our first stop was the HMS Warrior, the Royal Navy’s first ironclad ocean-going armoured battleship. As I …

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