Finishing up Scotland

Sooo, I ended with our final arrival at Dan's dorm in Scotland. Thank god.

Just to wrap up, we spent that night sitting around Dan's room laughing and making fun of each other, having some drinks and just catching up. It was fabulous to see people from home, and everyone got along really well so I was happy.

The next morning we got up at ten and Tara, Molly and I found our way into town (the boys were still sleeping). We got some decent lunch at a little cafe and then wandered around the rest of the town. St. Andrew's the town is tiny - think the town where Dartmouth is located. It has a few main roads with shops, etc., but that is about it. However, it's lovely. There is really no other word to describe it. Everyone drives slowly around the roundabouts, people are out walking their dogs past the intensely detailed architecture, and all the shops could be deemed "quaint." They have a movie theater, a Subway, and a few Starbucks, but the rest of the places are provately owned. There are a bunch of kilt-making shops, and we saw a butcher shop with huge racks of meat hanging and haggis in the window. Gross. I think my favorite store was the OxFam secondhand store where I bought 3 books for 2 pounds each. Can't beat that!

In the afternoon we played cards, read and drank coffee, enjoying the Scottish accents around us and waiting for the boys. When they finally came to town, we ate lunch and then went back to campus for a nap, while the boys went to see a movie. We ended the night at a delicious Italian restaurant where we spent probably three hours and a couple hundred dollars total. It was relaxing, delicious and just what we needed (alcohol-free). That night we hit the sack early, after watching music videos and commenting on the strangeness of being essentially alone in a massive dorm (all the other students were still home on break..)

Sunday morning we were up, showered and packed by ten, in time to say goodbye to the boys and head into town for some food. Forsaking regional cuisine, since most providers weren't open yet, we guiltily hit Subway and Starbucks before grabbing a taxi.

The day was then spent travelling back to the airport by means of four trains. It was quite uneventful, except for having all of five minutes to transfer from our third train to our fourth train...ohhh, and run to a different train station in the process. Yes. That's right. We got into the Queen Street station at 4:31 and had to run, full tilt, about four or five windy blocks through the centre of Glasgow to catch our last train at Central Station, which was departing at 4:36. We hustled. We made it. We also elicited screams of "RUN, FOREST, RUN!" from locals. We collasped onto the floor of the fourth train, out of breath and sweating, but entirely victorious. It was great.

The flight was fine, and then we grabbed another airport dinner before taking the Shannon bus home to Galway. That night we ate penna vodka care of Tara and watched all of five minutes of the SuperBowl pre-show before heading to bed.

All in all it was a great trip. We got to see a lot of Scotland on the trains, I introduced friends from home and friends from school, we ate good food, experienced our first weekend away, and did it all without complaining. Hah, yeah right -- all we did was complain. But we made it, and I was proud of us.

We also became professional "would-you-rather" players. Example: (while sitting in the train station waiting room in Glasgow, waiting for our last train) would you rather lick the floor of this waiting room or wander over and innocently sit on that strange man's lap? Yeah...think about it.

I am dying to update about Spain, since it was the experience of a lifetime and I fell in love with Sevilla, but I am freezing cold in my room and need a nap. I promise to write soon.