London, Amsterdam, and the Highlands

Here's a brief version of my spring break itinerary, written hastily in the lobby of our London hostel:

Earlier today, our group of Calvin students arrived via train in London. We'll be hear until Monday morning when Elizabeth and I have to catch the 5:59am train out of King's Cross Station to Harwich on the East coast of England. At nine, we board our ferry to the Hook of Holland where we'll catch another train to Amsterdam to meet the Dirk, a friend of my dad's from college. For the next week, we'll be staying with Dirk and his family. Potential sights to be seen: Artis Zoo, the Rijk's Museum, and the Botanical Gardens (which has a 2000 year old cactus, allegedly).

On the sixth of April, we take the ferry back to Harwich and another train to Paddington Station where we await the arrival of Elizabeth's mom and brother. On the 8th, I head back to York, stock up on provisions and rest, and then head up to Scotland. For the next week, I'll be backpacking around the Western Highlands. The first night, I'm boarding at a hostel on the coast of Loch Ossian. In the morning, I'm getting an early start on a hike westward to Kinlochleven. After three days of hiking in the Mamores and around Loch Leven, I hike along southwest along the coast of the Loch to Glencoe, the ancestral home of the MacDonald clan (yes, that MacDonald once again). There are some beautiful mountains and glens to be seen in those parts of the highlands. I've got a guidebook, a couple maps, a compass, and hopefully the love of the Lord. I return to Kinlochleven on the 15th, hike back to Loch Ossian for the night of the sixteenth, and then catch a train from Corrour Station back to York. Classes begin on the 19th, so that Sunday will be spent getting some much-needed rest.

Cheers!