ESOL 2013-2014 Volume 1 | Page 3

By Zuzu Vrablez Have you ever seen Her Majesty the Queen? Let me tell you about a place where you could see her. I visited Braemar in September two years ago, a beautiful village in Royal Deeside at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. Every first Saturday of September Braemar holds traditional Highland Games. It’s the most famous and best- attended Highland Games in Scotland and the Queen is a patron of the Games. Braemar has breathtaking scenery surrounded by hills with heather and it is a fantastic location. My first glimpse of the Queen was in the prestigious black Rolls Royce. The crowds of spectators and of course me, stood along the road side taking photographs of the Queen and waving their small flags. During the games The Queen, along with the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales sat in their Royal box waving at the crowds. The Queen wore black gloves, a yellow hat and a lovely tweed jacket. She always looks immaculate. I saw Scottish pipers play their bagpipes, a lovely unique sound and it looked like a hard job to blow the pipes. Highland dancers danced the Highland fling. There were a range of sporting activities and athletics such as tossing the caber. It was strange to see grown men throwing a long wooden pole over their shoulder. Another activity was tug of war. Tug of war, rope pulling, or tugging war, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. These men wear kilts and I have heard they do not wear underwear under the kilt. Do you think this is true? Would you like to have an unforgettable experience? Just book a ticket for next year. I promise you will never forget.