It's been a while since I've updated the blog... Europe has been non stop busy, crazy, unpredictable and I can already tell, life-changing. There's been so much going on since dad passed, that I didn't really take much time to plan for Europe. The fact I was about to embark on a six-week long trek through nine countries didn't really hit me until after I left. It is this which might explain why I threw my suitcase together twenty minutes before leaving for the airport!
Arriving in Europe for such a long period has been quite a shock. There are certain things in life that I've already learned not to take for granted anymore like GPS and having the internet in the palm of your hand. After two weeks I have to say, I miss having Siri tell me whether to turn left or right and having easy communication with my friends and family since I miss them a lot, but it's expensive to use data roaming here, so I'm all on my own with no GPS or Google!
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| Driving on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the opposite side and left-handed stick-shift took some getting used to! I only almost crashed the car twice. |
I've discovered there's something really amazing about showing up to an unknown country with no specific plans, no maps, no tourist books... Just asking locals what to do and where to go and see what happens. The feeling of getting lost with an unpredictable schedule is just an incredible experience. I believe it really connects you to the culture, introduces you to awesome people, and you find yourself in places you otherwise would miss.
There is a lot to write about so with that said onto the trip! First we arrived in London, took a few days to settle in and get over jet-lag. I met with my old friend Steppo and met some great new ones then it was off to the first real destination: Scotland!
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| Some amazing new friends I met in London who showed me around the city |
So why Scotland, you may ask? Well before my dad died, I didn’t know much about my family heritage. As my dad was a lot older, I was never able to meet my grandparents or great-grandparents. For those of you who don’t know, my dad was married once before, where he had four amazing kids: Carey, Lori, Steven and Linda. With a sizeable age difference between us, they knew my dad at a very different time in his life, in addition to knowing many of the family members I was never able to meet. As they all live in other parts of the country, I don’t get to see any of them nearly as much as I’d like, though I’m incredibly grateful for how close we all are.
One of the most special parts of the days surrounding dad’s funeral was that they were all in town and we had a lot of quality time with each other. It was during those late nights together that I really began developing an interest in my family history. Hearing their memories of my dad from his younger days, combined with stories about his parents and grandparents really made me wonder about where our family came from.
With my newfound passion for discovering as much as I could about my family, I began sifting through public record databases, encyclopedias and of course, the internet... Turns out we have been in America since the 1600s and my family has included a Civil War Captain, the motocross star Ricky Carmichael, and my 3rd cousin was a famous musician/actor from Hollywood’s golden age, Hoagy Carmichael, who wrote the songs "Georgia on My Mind"and "Stardust," which were made famous by Ray Charles and other artists. By the time I got to the year 1600, I was exhausted but still curious where we came from before then. Luckily, I kept going...
With some help from my brother Steve (or as dad called him "Tiger"), I discovered that our name Carmichael came from one of the first Christian churches ever built in Scotland by Queen Margaret back in 1068 A.D. Queen Margaret was married to King Malcolm III, the guy who killed Macbeth from Shakespeare's Macbeth. The church was built on what was called "Caer hill" and the Queen wanted to dedicate it to the Archangel Michael (of St. Mychel). Eventually the name of the place became "Caer Mychel," which was then adopted by the residents as their surname. The hill and its immediate areas became known as the village of Carmichael and the land is still owned by the family today.
Given all I'd learned, I thought a great place to start my journey would be the place my family started, Carmichael, Scotland.
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The Carmichael Church and Cemetery
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While photographing the exterior of the Carmichael church, a very sweet Scottish lady noticed me and asked if I would like to see the inside. She was nice enough to show me around and tell me more about the Carmichael history. Turns out, she's never been out of Scotland in her life! A true Scot, she is.
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| Holding Dad's ashes inside the Carmichael Church |
The main 'hero' of the family is Sir John de Carmichael who became the first Chief of Clan, the formal head of the family. Sir John was a knight in the Scottish army sent to help the French repel the English invasion during the Hundred Years War at The Battle of Beauge in 1421. The French army was on the verge of collapse when Sir John Carmichael struck King Henry V's brother (the Duke of Clarence) while breaking his spear in the process (see below image). With this death of the Commander, the English troops fled in disarray, thus turning the tide of the Hundred Years War. For this, the French awarded Sir John our family crest which features a broken spear and our crest still to this day has the motto "Tout Jour Prest", ancient French for "Always Ready". Some of the Carmichael's later became Lords and Earls of the land.
As I learned more about the Scottish culture, I found out that the patterns you see on bagpipes and kilts are not random or chosen based on preference. Instead, they are usually a family tartan, a plaid pattern that is specifically reserved for members of a family. Naturally, when I found out that the Carmichaels have their own tartan, I knew I just had to get a kilt...
My trip to the kilt store was an interesting experience. Kilts in Scotland are not as simple as they might appear. Turns out, they are very much like tuxedos in the US, both in terms of formality and the number of accessories you need. There are many things worn with a typical Scottish kilt, many of which feature the family crest, so here's a brief breakdown of all the things I had to get in order to properly wear my kilt.
Sgian-dubh: A cool looking knife, with your family crest, that is worn inside the top of your sock. Be careful with this, if you forget about it in your sock, you might get it taken away when you stop by your local pub for a pint (as I know from experience).
Sporran: As kilts have no pockets, this is basically a fancy Scottish fanny pack. During my time in Scotland, I took to calling this my "crotch purse."
Kilt Pin: A small pin, featuring the family crest, that must be worn two pattern squares up from the bottom of the kilt on your right side.
Kilt Hoes: Knee-length socks.
Garter flashes: Small elastic straps that hold the socks in place and have some color adornment for decoration.
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| Yes, for those who are wondering, this is the real way to wear a kilt! |
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| Even the Scots were impressed by my ability to wear a kilt! |
Scotland in general is a photographers dream. It was hard not to photograph everything in sight. I have to give kudos to my friend Justin that is traveling with me on this journey. He's helping document a lot of this and is very patient for all the times I want to stop and take some photos! haha
Scotland was truly an incredible experience. If you haven't been, I definitely recommend it. In addition to Carmichael, we stayed in Glasgow and Edinbrough, where the whole city feels like you're in a fairy tale. The Scottish people are seriously some of the most friendly and kind people I've ever encountered. One tip though: Most "authentic" Scottish cuisine seems to be based on a dare, so I'd avoid the haggis.
I am so happy that I researched my family history. It has really given me a different mindset and knowing where my ancestors came from gives me a sense of closure, appreciation and pride. I encourage everyone do the same, you never know what you might discover! At the end of my stay in Carmichael, I spent some time alone with dad at the Carmichael House and spread his ashes. Below are a handful of photos from the experience.
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| I stumbled upon a little lost sheep on the other side of the fence. I felt bad for him I almost brought him with me! |
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| The baby sheep loved the camera! They were so cute! |
