It’s day 86 of my 100-day trip to Europe, and I’m in Inverness. While not much for sightseeing, the unofficial capital of the Highlands is a great springboard for nearby sights. It’s also entertaining in the evening for live music in the pubs — there’s always something on.
We dropped into MacGregor’s pub for their Sunday traditional jam. While my crew worked hard to capture the musical magic for our show, I got to just relax and have fun. I love how they say in Scotland’s pubs, “There are no strangers…just friends you’ve yet to meet.” Especially when you leave the touristy center of town, locals give you a warm welcome.
When my friend and fellow tour guide, Colin Mairs (he’s our local guide as we shoot these three episodes), shared his Highlander yhoop, it occurred to me that most cultures have a similar kind of whoop that shows joy or excitement: “Opa!” in Greece, the tongue-warble in Eastern Turkey, “Olé!” in Spain.
What’s your favorite foreign “whoop”? I’d love to see you demonstrate — please share a video clip with me on Facebook or Twitter.