Since it has been a very long time since I have posted anything. Anyhow, while it is on my mind I will give everyone a brief update (Which I'm betting won't be as brief as planned by the time I'm though typing). A month has passed already, wow!
After Scotland was back to the routine of work, dinner, laundry, movie, sleep with groceries on the weekend. Although that takes up quite a significant amount of time, we have still been getting out to explore London. For example- We went to M&M world, a 4 floor building filled with candy and funny statues (pictures are on Facebook). We also went to a famous toyshop (and spent a good few hours in there playing with the toys) and a museum of strange things.
I have been using a website to meet up with people around London for different interest groups and Matt and I have been picking and choosing groups to hang out with. Some of these groups include a heavy metal group, Geekpub, board game groups and the Funky Nerd Alliance.
Heavy metal pub was awesome and we got to talk about music to some fun people, enjoy free vodka jello... Actually let me pause that thought there because the vodka jello needs to be further explained. Someone had made this huge tupperware container of a vodka/jello mixture and had the idea of everyone putting it inside the drink they had. Everyone had these strange mixtures of beer, coolers and whatever else - with vodka jello floating around inside it. It was a great icebreaker to make people laugh and talk. Everyone was dancing, headbanging, singing at the top of their lungs and having a great time.
Geekpub went to an arcade to hang out. There were about 75 geeks (Matt and I included) all together to play the arcade games, have a couple drinks and play some bumper cars. Everyone there was fun and had a great sense of humour and most had similar taste in TV shows, video games, that sort of thing. There were also computer scientists, neurobiologists, and the odd person or 2 that would stand against the wall and not talk to anyone. The bumper cars were amazing. When they bumped into things, you could feel the shock. The entire car shook and if the seat-belt wasn't tight enough, you were tossed from side to side pretty good. It was a great laugh.
We went to a few boardgames group meetings. In those we played a range of games from trivia and word association to Settlers of Catan (which if you haven't played yet, you really should!). The organizers of these groups were incredibly friendly and welcomed us to join in for a game and a laugh. The last boardgames event we went to was at an ice cream parlour which made it even better.
Last weekend we went to Stonehenge and Bath. Stonehenge was awesome to see in person and Bath was filled with amazing architecture. Matt and I went for a long walk, stopped at the park to be on the swings and had lunch at Garfunkel's restaurant.
We haven't had a chance to meet with the Funky Nerd Alliance yet, but we plan to join them at the end of February when they are meeting at the Science Center. On the last Wednesday of every month, the science center is open late and has special activities going on. One of the activities Matt and I look forward to is the Silent Disco, where everyone listens to music with headphones on and dances sometimes to the same music and sometimes to different music. It sounds extremely funny to me to walk into a room, hear nothing and see everyone dancing.
All in all, life has been a lot of fun. Work for me is still unpredictable as ever, which has an appeal because it's always new and interesting and makes routine work-life less mundane. Weekends are never wasted and we are still working together to get all of the housework and paperwork complete in enough time to have some time to enjoy.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Final day in Scotland
Yesterday was our final day in Scotland. We were up bright and early to go on a tour (we were finally able to book one!) to Loch Ness, Glencoe and the highlands. Our first stop was Loch Lomond. It was just a 15 min photo stop, but it was a different part of Loch Lomond than Matt and I explored earlier so it was nice to see from a new vantage point.
We went through the highlands, through Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount to reach Glencoe- the site of the massacre of the MacDonald clan. Our tour guide told us the history involving the history of the clans, wars going on, what happened and why. He was a fantastic tour guide- spoke very clearly and didn't hesitate. It was obvious his stories weren't just from a script. He knew what he was talking about and was able to tell his stories in an interesting way with some humour.
We stopped in Fort William for lunch, which was funny because this was the 3rd time Matt and I had been in Fort William for lunch in the same plaza. Luckily it was a nice cafe with good food.
We continued on our way passing the Great Glen, Britain's highest mountain Ben Nevis (although with the fog we couldn't see it... The tour guide said "Damn! They moved it again!"), the Caledonian canal, Fort Augustus and then Loch Ness- home of the sea monster! We saw Urqhart Castle at Loch Ness and went to the visitors center. I learned that I am a descendant from the MacClean clan and picked up a small book with information about my family history. Urqhart castle was really cool too, Matt and I literally ran through it, up all the wet and rainy stairs so we could see as much as we could before catching our river cruise across Loch Ness. That cruise was only half hour. Matt and I stayed on the top of the deck rather than inside so we could see everything. We were the only people who stayed up there the entire way because of the rain, so we had the entire boat top to ourselves and an awesome view! On the other site, we wandered the souvenir shop breifly and were on the bus again.
The bus went to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, and then started its return home. We crossed the Grampian Mountains, Perthshire and did one last stop for a brief food and washroom break in Pitlochre -ran to an ATM, ate some poutine in the snow while walking back to the bus... Poutine wasn't actually on the menu, Matt and I asked for chips with cheese and gravy. It was funny because they put the gravy on and then the cheese on top. During the ride, the tourguide (who was also the bus driver) told us a lot more history and statistic and put on some traditional Scottish songs for us to listen to, also explaining the meaning of the songs and the circumstances that caused them to be written.
After the tour, we went to the hotel to grab our luggage which the person behind the desk looked after for us for the day. He offered us a cup of coffee before we went to the bus station. We had a couple hours to kill and I wanted to find somewhere to charge my phone. After a lot of walking in the rain, we never did find a place but we did find icecream :)
The bus ride was scheduled for 11pm. We got there about 10 and were hanging out waiting around. We ended up on an earlier bus, but this one was more cramped and the toilet was broken and smelly. Thankfully we weren't sitting right in front of it this time. This bus did make stops (unlike the one to Glasgow) and got to London 2 hours early at 6am.
Matt and I went to sleep from about 7-12 because we didn't sleep much on the bus but at the same time, wanted to be able to sleep tonight and not be too awake. We got up, did our laundry, showered and I did a bit of cleaning. Now I'm going to upload pictures, we are going to get some grocery shopping again and find a New Years Party to crash :)
We went through the highlands, through Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount to reach Glencoe- the site of the massacre of the MacDonald clan. Our tour guide told us the history involving the history of the clans, wars going on, what happened and why. He was a fantastic tour guide- spoke very clearly and didn't hesitate. It was obvious his stories weren't just from a script. He knew what he was talking about and was able to tell his stories in an interesting way with some humour.
We stopped in Fort William for lunch, which was funny because this was the 3rd time Matt and I had been in Fort William for lunch in the same plaza. Luckily it was a nice cafe with good food.
We continued on our way passing the Great Glen, Britain's highest mountain Ben Nevis (although with the fog we couldn't see it... The tour guide said "Damn! They moved it again!"), the Caledonian canal, Fort Augustus and then Loch Ness- home of the sea monster! We saw Urqhart Castle at Loch Ness and went to the visitors center. I learned that I am a descendant from the MacClean clan and picked up a small book with information about my family history. Urqhart castle was really cool too, Matt and I literally ran through it, up all the wet and rainy stairs so we could see as much as we could before catching our river cruise across Loch Ness. That cruise was only half hour. Matt and I stayed on the top of the deck rather than inside so we could see everything. We were the only people who stayed up there the entire way because of the rain, so we had the entire boat top to ourselves and an awesome view! On the other site, we wandered the souvenir shop breifly and were on the bus again.
The bus went to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, and then started its return home. We crossed the Grampian Mountains, Perthshire and did one last stop for a brief food and washroom break in Pitlochre -ran to an ATM, ate some poutine in the snow while walking back to the bus... Poutine wasn't actually on the menu, Matt and I asked for chips with cheese and gravy. It was funny because they put the gravy on and then the cheese on top. During the ride, the tourguide (who was also the bus driver) told us a lot more history and statistic and put on some traditional Scottish songs for us to listen to, also explaining the meaning of the songs and the circumstances that caused them to be written.
After the tour, we went to the hotel to grab our luggage which the person behind the desk looked after for us for the day. He offered us a cup of coffee before we went to the bus station. We had a couple hours to kill and I wanted to find somewhere to charge my phone. After a lot of walking in the rain, we never did find a place but we did find icecream :)
The bus ride was scheduled for 11pm. We got there about 10 and were hanging out waiting around. We ended up on an earlier bus, but this one was more cramped and the toilet was broken and smelly. Thankfully we weren't sitting right in front of it this time. This bus did make stops (unlike the one to Glasgow) and got to London 2 hours early at 6am.
Matt and I went to sleep from about 7-12 because we didn't sleep much on the bus but at the same time, wanted to be able to sleep tonight and not be too awake. We got up, did our laundry, showered and I did a bit of cleaning. Now I'm going to upload pictures, we are going to get some grocery shopping again and find a New Years Party to crash :)
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Flying Through Skye
This morning we decided to get up a little bit later- 8:30. We had a fantastic breakfast of sausage, eggs, bacon, beans and toast that Chris (The owner of the bed and breakfast) prepared for us. We got ready, sorted our tours and tickets and were close to on our way. Chris saw us out the door and gave us a huge bag of prawns that he caught so we had something to snack on while we explored the island. Leaving the bed and breakfast was strange- it didn't feel like leaving a hotel, it felt like leaving the home of a close family member that lives far away. He told us that all of the island was like that- people did everything they could for one another. It was a small community where everyone helped and supported everyone. He told us he never locked his door and that if anyone were drunk at the bar, instead of taking their wallet, people of Skye would ask where they're staying and drive them home.
Since there were not many tours this time of year, the tours available were expensive or sold out. Buses only ran on the island 3 times a day so we knew we couldn't really get far. The first bus would take us somewhere, the 3rd bus would take us back to Glasgow, so we really only had the option of whether or not to be on the 2nd bus or not. We decided to take the first bus to the capital: Portree and to spend the day exploring there. The ride there was great - amazing scenery as we passed by mountains, waterfalls, sheep and a bull. It was raining and windy again which was awesome because we were able to watch the wind blow the raindrops around from inside the bus. It looked really neat, little vertical waving lines of raindrops kept together by breezes of wind. It's really hard to explain, as it was like nothing I had seen before.
Even though it was the capital, it was still very small! There were a few gift shops, a couple cafes, a couple restaurants, a harbour and some homes. We checked out all the gift shops and a cafe recommended to us by someone in the hostel yesterday (we had popped in to inquire about the hostels tour bus and they recommended Ariba cafe and hitchhiking to see as much of the island as we could due to the limited bus schedule. We only took their advice about the cafe). Portree was nice and we had just enough time to explore before it was 3:30 and the last bus of the day going to Glasgow departed.
The bus ride home got in around 10:10, but it didn't feel as dreadful as the bus ride to Glasgow when we arrived (although this one was 2 hours shorter). This bus was just a city bus, but it stopped for a dinner break and another break for us to stretch, use a proper toilet and get moving again. I wish the bus company from England did the same! Matt spent a lot of the bus ride playing games on his phone. I spent the time listening to music and sleeping from brief portions of time. We are now in the hotel in Glasgow again. An oddity of the trip- we actually managed to get tickets for a tour tomorrow!!! So we will once again be up bright and early to take a walk, meet the tour bus and explore some more of Glasgow and surrounding areas such as Loch Ness- home of the sea monster :)
Since there were not many tours this time of year, the tours available were expensive or sold out. Buses only ran on the island 3 times a day so we knew we couldn't really get far. The first bus would take us somewhere, the 3rd bus would take us back to Glasgow, so we really only had the option of whether or not to be on the 2nd bus or not. We decided to take the first bus to the capital: Portree and to spend the day exploring there. The ride there was great - amazing scenery as we passed by mountains, waterfalls, sheep and a bull. It was raining and windy again which was awesome because we were able to watch the wind blow the raindrops around from inside the bus. It looked really neat, little vertical waving lines of raindrops kept together by breezes of wind. It's really hard to explain, as it was like nothing I had seen before.
Even though it was the capital, it was still very small! There were a few gift shops, a couple cafes, a couple restaurants, a harbour and some homes. We checked out all the gift shops and a cafe recommended to us by someone in the hostel yesterday (we had popped in to inquire about the hostels tour bus and they recommended Ariba cafe and hitchhiking to see as much of the island as we could due to the limited bus schedule. We only took their advice about the cafe). Portree was nice and we had just enough time to explore before it was 3:30 and the last bus of the day going to Glasgow departed.
The bus ride home got in around 10:10, but it didn't feel as dreadful as the bus ride to Glasgow when we arrived (although this one was 2 hours shorter). This bus was just a city bus, but it stopped for a dinner break and another break for us to stretch, use a proper toilet and get moving again. I wish the bus company from England did the same! Matt spent a lot of the bus ride playing games on his phone. I spent the time listening to music and sleeping from brief portions of time. We are now in the hotel in Glasgow again. An oddity of the trip- we actually managed to get tickets for a tour tomorrow!!! So we will once again be up bright and early to take a walk, meet the tour bus and explore some more of Glasgow and surrounding areas such as Loch Ness- home of the sea monster :)
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
On the Road Again
Today was the day of our trip to Isle of Skye. We had gone on Gumtree (Uk Kijiji) and requested a rideshare to get to Skye and sure enough- someone had responded and offered to take us there for a small fuel money contribution. We met Mick at 6am at the bus station. He yelled and waved out his car windsor "Matt!!! Tracey!!!" and that was the beginning of our journey.
The first couple hours were alright, chatting with Mick, enjoying the scenery, laughing at the wind and rain blowing everything all over the place. At one point, we got out of the car in order to "listen to the silence" which really meant listen to the wind and get drenched in rain :) It was hilarious. Back in the car we went and travelled on.
The next stop was a grocery store and cafe. Matt and I stopped to eat pie while Mick did a bit of shopping. Then it was back to the road again. Mick offered to show us a nicer route so we could jump out and take a look at a couple of castles. We accepted and got to the extremely old ruins of one of the castles. It was so windy that the heavy rain felt like freezing cold hail against the face but we loved it. It was such an adventure trekking through the trails of the mountains and seeing what once was a magnificent castle. We went on for a bit and then Mick brought us to another castle, this one being the one where "Highlander" was filmed. It was closed due to renovation of the roof so we didn't get past the gateway, but it was still impressive!
Once we got to Kyle of Lochalsh, Mick's destination, he offered to drive us across the bridge right to Isle of Skye- and to make sure we arrived at a hotel alright before he left. He brought us to Kyleakin, Isle of Skye, showed us around to the different restaurants (an Indian restaurant and a pub), the bus stop and afterwards to some inexpensive bed and breakfasts. He didn't accept us buying him lunch of giving him any extra money for his trouble and told us that if we got stuck and needed anything, to give him a call and he'd come back across the bridge.
We didn't need anything really because the people in the local area were so wonderful. Our bed and breakfast is someones home as well as a guesthouse with a very cute sheepdog and one other person staying tonight. He made us lunch at no extra charge and we sat with him at the fireplace listening to him tell us some things about life in Scotland and fishing. When it came to be time for dinner, we wandered over to the pub and everyone in the area must have been in the pub- it was packed!! We understood why as we looked online for another place to eat. The only other place was an Indian restaurant a longer distance away.
We wandered to the Indian place, still with the high winds and rain slowing us down. On the way there we saw signs that the bridge was closed due to heavy winds. The ferries were never open today for that exact same reason. Still the food was delicious, the staff were very friendly and we enjoyed ourselves.
We are just preparing for tomorrow now, deciding where we will go and how (Buses only run 3 times a day and we need to catch the 3rd one back to Glasgow). We will probably catch a bus to the capital city- Portree- and from there choose one other place to see on the 2nd bus of the day. Then catch the 3rd one back provided high winds don't keep us longer than planned.
I really admire the life of the people around here, going out to explore the highlands despite the weather conditions (we saw a couple mountain climbers on the way), giving incredible hospitality for very little and really making the best of life and enjoying every moment. Matt and I love Scotland and have decided that we may decide to return again to see the things we won't have a chance to this time and to just enjoy the atmosphere.
The first couple hours were alright, chatting with Mick, enjoying the scenery, laughing at the wind and rain blowing everything all over the place. At one point, we got out of the car in order to "listen to the silence" which really meant listen to the wind and get drenched in rain :) It was hilarious. Back in the car we went and travelled on.
The next stop was a grocery store and cafe. Matt and I stopped to eat pie while Mick did a bit of shopping. Then it was back to the road again. Mick offered to show us a nicer route so we could jump out and take a look at a couple of castles. We accepted and got to the extremely old ruins of one of the castles. It was so windy that the heavy rain felt like freezing cold hail against the face but we loved it. It was such an adventure trekking through the trails of the mountains and seeing what once was a magnificent castle. We went on for a bit and then Mick brought us to another castle, this one being the one where "Highlander" was filmed. It was closed due to renovation of the roof so we didn't get past the gateway, but it was still impressive!
Once we got to Kyle of Lochalsh, Mick's destination, he offered to drive us across the bridge right to Isle of Skye- and to make sure we arrived at a hotel alright before he left. He brought us to Kyleakin, Isle of Skye, showed us around to the different restaurants (an Indian restaurant and a pub), the bus stop and afterwards to some inexpensive bed and breakfasts. He didn't accept us buying him lunch of giving him any extra money for his trouble and told us that if we got stuck and needed anything, to give him a call and he'd come back across the bridge.
We didn't need anything really because the people in the local area were so wonderful. Our bed and breakfast is someones home as well as a guesthouse with a very cute sheepdog and one other person staying tonight. He made us lunch at no extra charge and we sat with him at the fireplace listening to him tell us some things about life in Scotland and fishing. When it came to be time for dinner, we wandered over to the pub and everyone in the area must have been in the pub- it was packed!! We understood why as we looked online for another place to eat. The only other place was an Indian restaurant a longer distance away.
We wandered to the Indian place, still with the high winds and rain slowing us down. On the way there we saw signs that the bridge was closed due to heavy winds. The ferries were never open today for that exact same reason. Still the food was delicious, the staff were very friendly and we enjoyed ourselves.
We are just preparing for tomorrow now, deciding where we will go and how (Buses only run 3 times a day and we need to catch the 3rd one back to Glasgow). We will probably catch a bus to the capital city- Portree- and from there choose one other place to see on the 2nd bus of the day. Then catch the 3rd one back provided high winds don't keep us longer than planned.
I really admire the life of the people around here, going out to explore the highlands despite the weather conditions (we saw a couple mountain climbers on the way), giving incredible hospitality for very little and really making the best of life and enjoying every moment. Matt and I love Scotland and have decided that we may decide to return again to see the things we won't have a chance to this time and to just enjoy the atmosphere.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The Matt and Tracey Tours
Aloha,
Matt and I are still here in Glasgow, loving the scenery, people, traveling... everything. Yesterday we wanted to go on a tour to Loch Lomond, but they had all been booked. This did not stop us from touring Loch Lomond. We mapped out the area, hopped on a city bus, and under an hour later we were there. The way things turned out, our bus stop was along a random highway and the driver pointed *that way* to where we wanted to be. It wasn't too complicated to get there. We went down a steep slope that I decided to run down... and then couldn't stop myself from running until the ground had flattened out a bit. It was pretty funny. We spent the day hiking trails, walking along the loch, checking out various shops and seen absolutely everything we could have seen in the area. It was a great day and many great photos will be posted. The one unfortunate experience though was that Matt and I both did something to our right foot. It is still bothering both of us now. Myself a bit more as I try to limp my way to all the new sites and keep up with Matt.
Today was the same deal: tours booked, expensive, or just not that interesting. So we decided it was castle touring day. We went back to the bus station, got an explorer pass (good for traveling all of Scotland for 3 days) and started hopping on and off buses again. First we went to Stirling castle after briefly stopping at a store called "Matt". We had a guided tour of by a hilarious man who pointed and shouted at Matt, using him as a character in the story he was telling. There will of course be pictures of the castle as well. Next we went to Dune castle - the castle where Monty Python was filmed. Unfortunately the castle was closed for the day so we only wandered around outside of it and in the forested area behind it. I'll leave Matt to talk about the castles if he feels like it later because he is more knowledgeable of them.
Tomorrow we are carpooling with a guy from Glasgow in order to reach Isle of Skye - A 5 1/2 hour trip to the place some of my ancestors were from. He wants to pick us up at the bus station at 6am so it will be a bright and early morning. We have a hotel near the bus station in mind so we can bus back home the next day- however this time we didn't book in advance because we decided to see if there is anything cheaper in the area that is not posted online (there usually is a cheaper place we pass on the way to the place we booked). Aside from that, there were no sold out days for the hotel we looked at and I know of about 4 more reasonably priced ones in the area if that one doesn't work out as planned. Our driver is a hilarious person who is always joking so I'm really looking forward to the journey. He also wants to leave sooner than the buses are running which means more time to explore the island. In Skye, we will either book a tour- or more likely- hop on buses again to see anything of interest we find in the brochures.We will also book a tour for Glasgow and surrounding areas for the 30th when we are back in Glasgow since our bus to London doesn't come until 11pm.
Anyhow, I'm off to throw the last pieces of luggage together in order to be ready to travel tomorrow. Bye for now!
Matt and I are still here in Glasgow, loving the scenery, people, traveling... everything. Yesterday we wanted to go on a tour to Loch Lomond, but they had all been booked. This did not stop us from touring Loch Lomond. We mapped out the area, hopped on a city bus, and under an hour later we were there. The way things turned out, our bus stop was along a random highway and the driver pointed *that way* to where we wanted to be. It wasn't too complicated to get there. We went down a steep slope that I decided to run down... and then couldn't stop myself from running until the ground had flattened out a bit. It was pretty funny. We spent the day hiking trails, walking along the loch, checking out various shops and seen absolutely everything we could have seen in the area. It was a great day and many great photos will be posted. The one unfortunate experience though was that Matt and I both did something to our right foot. It is still bothering both of us now. Myself a bit more as I try to limp my way to all the new sites and keep up with Matt.
Today was the same deal: tours booked, expensive, or just not that interesting. So we decided it was castle touring day. We went back to the bus station, got an explorer pass (good for traveling all of Scotland for 3 days) and started hopping on and off buses again. First we went to Stirling castle after briefly stopping at a store called "Matt". We had a guided tour of by a hilarious man who pointed and shouted at Matt, using him as a character in the story he was telling. There will of course be pictures of the castle as well. Next we went to Dune castle - the castle where Monty Python was filmed. Unfortunately the castle was closed for the day so we only wandered around outside of it and in the forested area behind it. I'll leave Matt to talk about the castles if he feels like it later because he is more knowledgeable of them.
Tomorrow we are carpooling with a guy from Glasgow in order to reach Isle of Skye - A 5 1/2 hour trip to the place some of my ancestors were from. He wants to pick us up at the bus station at 6am so it will be a bright and early morning. We have a hotel near the bus station in mind so we can bus back home the next day- however this time we didn't book in advance because we decided to see if there is anything cheaper in the area that is not posted online (there usually is a cheaper place we pass on the way to the place we booked). Aside from that, there were no sold out days for the hotel we looked at and I know of about 4 more reasonably priced ones in the area if that one doesn't work out as planned. Our driver is a hilarious person who is always joking so I'm really looking forward to the journey. He also wants to leave sooner than the buses are running which means more time to explore the island. In Skye, we will either book a tour- or more likely- hop on buses again to see anything of interest we find in the brochures.We will also book a tour for Glasgow and surrounding areas for the 30th when we are back in Glasgow since our bus to London doesn't come until 11pm.
Anyhow, I'm off to throw the last pieces of luggage together in order to be ready to travel tomorrow. Bye for now!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Greetings from Glasgow!
Hello everyone. Hope your Christmas is well. Ours is very happy :) We are at our hotel in Glasgow planning for the next few days, but before I get to that I will rewind and fill you in on the updates from the past couple days.
Friday was particularly interesting. We were going through the usual websites to see what interesting things were going on. What we had to choose between was a free movie in the cinema, a Christmas market, an anti-societal ukulele punk band and... something else. I forget. Anyways we decided to rush out in order to have time for both the Christmas market and the punk band which we decided sounded hilarious.
The market was great. It was pouring cold rain, which was perfect because it kept the number of people down and gave us more space to explore all the shops without everyone being in the way. We wandered through the shops curious as to what people were selling and treated ourselves to some crepes. I got a lemon sugar-crepe, which was what I bought all the time last time I was in Europe and Matt got apple cinnamon. They were the best! When we get home I want to try to make our own :)
After rushing home for dinner, planning tours while waiting for it to cook and running out the door once again, we got to Croydon, the place the band was playing. It wasn't a particularly nice area, but I suppose anti-societal ukulele bands don't play at upscale places. We got there about half hour late and saw band members on stage shuffling things around and figured they were just setting up. As it turns out, we missed the ukulele thing and were in the midst of this huge punk-fest thing going on. We got a drink and waited for the next band which called themselves the 3 Kings or something. They were dressed up and had plastic crowns on. The place was packed and the female singers started growling and screeching and screaming. Matt was standing next to me nodding along to the music so I figured he thought it was alright. After about 3 songs, we shoved our way out and both agreed it was dreadful. It was a good laugh though and a visit to somewhere we'd never been before.
Friday (Christmas eve) was spent on a Megabus to Glasgow. It was a 9 hour ride in little seats at the back of the bus near the smelly bathroom. We hadn't had a chance to have lunch before the bus left and figured we'd grab something at a rest stop. As it turned out, there was no rest stop and the bus just kept on going for 9 hours with the exception of picking up and dropping off people at stations along the way. I was bored, tired, hungry and thirsty and decided to sleep through part of the way, passed out on Matt. By the time we got here at 12:30am we were very hungry and thirsty and went to the hotel to look at places to order from. Most were closed but one was open and in walking distance so we wandered over to get some Chinese food. It was delicious! After that was home and soon after (after taking care of some emails) to sleep.
This morning we got up and went downstairs bright and early for breakfast. We got to try some haggis with our eggs, bacon, beans and normal stuff. It was better than we thought it would be, but still not something I would want large portions of. One of the fruits, I have no idea what it was, was awful. Extremely awful.... So I did the only logical thing - offered some to Matt :) He agreed about the awfulness and would likely appreciate if I didn't offer him anymore items with that sort of flavour.
We have been searching for tours online a lot of the morning and decided that it's a lot more expensive to get on tours and they don't really go exactly where we want to go. The ones that did are sold out. We decided to do the Matt and Tracey tour - hop on a city bus and go where we want to. Tomorrow will be Loch Lomond and a medieval castle. I'm super excited!!! For now we are off to grab some lunch, explore Glasgow a bit (although just the local area as the buses aren't running) and figure out what we would like to do for a nice Christmas dinner.
Friday was particularly interesting. We were going through the usual websites to see what interesting things were going on. What we had to choose between was a free movie in the cinema, a Christmas market, an anti-societal ukulele punk band and... something else. I forget. Anyways we decided to rush out in order to have time for both the Christmas market and the punk band which we decided sounded hilarious.
The market was great. It was pouring cold rain, which was perfect because it kept the number of people down and gave us more space to explore all the shops without everyone being in the way. We wandered through the shops curious as to what people were selling and treated ourselves to some crepes. I got a lemon sugar-crepe, which was what I bought all the time last time I was in Europe and Matt got apple cinnamon. They were the best! When we get home I want to try to make our own :)
After rushing home for dinner, planning tours while waiting for it to cook and running out the door once again, we got to Croydon, the place the band was playing. It wasn't a particularly nice area, but I suppose anti-societal ukulele bands don't play at upscale places. We got there about half hour late and saw band members on stage shuffling things around and figured they were just setting up. As it turns out, we missed the ukulele thing and were in the midst of this huge punk-fest thing going on. We got a drink and waited for the next band which called themselves the 3 Kings or something. They were dressed up and had plastic crowns on. The place was packed and the female singers started growling and screeching and screaming. Matt was standing next to me nodding along to the music so I figured he thought it was alright. After about 3 songs, we shoved our way out and both agreed it was dreadful. It was a good laugh though and a visit to somewhere we'd never been before.
Friday (Christmas eve) was spent on a Megabus to Glasgow. It was a 9 hour ride in little seats at the back of the bus near the smelly bathroom. We hadn't had a chance to have lunch before the bus left and figured we'd grab something at a rest stop. As it turned out, there was no rest stop and the bus just kept on going for 9 hours with the exception of picking up and dropping off people at stations along the way. I was bored, tired, hungry and thirsty and decided to sleep through part of the way, passed out on Matt. By the time we got here at 12:30am we were very hungry and thirsty and went to the hotel to look at places to order from. Most were closed but one was open and in walking distance so we wandered over to get some Chinese food. It was delicious! After that was home and soon after (after taking care of some emails) to sleep.
This morning we got up and went downstairs bright and early for breakfast. We got to try some haggis with our eggs, bacon, beans and normal stuff. It was better than we thought it would be, but still not something I would want large portions of. One of the fruits, I have no idea what it was, was awful. Extremely awful.... So I did the only logical thing - offered some to Matt :) He agreed about the awfulness and would likely appreciate if I didn't offer him anymore items with that sort of flavour.
We have been searching for tours online a lot of the morning and decided that it's a lot more expensive to get on tours and they don't really go exactly where we want to go. The ones that did are sold out. We decided to do the Matt and Tracey tour - hop on a city bus and go where we want to. Tomorrow will be Loch Lomond and a medieval castle. I'm super excited!!! For now we are off to grab some lunch, explore Glasgow a bit (although just the local area as the buses aren't running) and figure out what we would like to do for a nice Christmas dinner.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Hello everyone!!!
Here are some brief updates since Saturday when I last updated this. I know I always say brief and then ramble, but if you are curious enough to read these and find out what I am up to I'm sure it's alright.
Sunday Matt and I went to the Museum of Childhood, which is really just a showcase of toys. Wandering through we saw things like barbies, etch-a-sketches, bead and chemistry kits, toys from different TV shows, etc. Matt and I were talking about what toys we owned and funny stories associated with them. I was amazed walking through at just how many of the toys from the museum that I owned as a child and yet I remember always asking for more and more. I didn't really need that 150th stuffed animal, I was lucky to have what I did!
Monday we were debating what to do. We were debating the zoo or museum of zoology and ended up at the museum because it was a wet and cold day. On the journey there, we were laughing about how we were debating whether to look at living or dead animals and decided on the dead ones because it was free and indoors. It was actually really cool, there were preserved creatures from the past, bones, skulls belonging to the monkeys, humans and everything in between, and best of all- information cards explaining the creatures, their significance and sometimes funny puns :)
On Tuesday we had a visit from one of our new friends. I invited him to come hang out and play Wii or we could go wherever. We ended up here talking and telling stories all weekend and having a few drinks. He is the entrepreneurial type of person with a business idea for everything! Also, he reminded me of Jeff a little bit.
Wednesday we spent most of the day playing on the computers because we randomly decided to go somewhere for Christmas. We were looking at Paris, Sweden, Ireland... Anywhere really. There were flights, busses, trains and carpools going everywhere. We debated showing up at the airport, asking which flights still had seats and jumping on one with a good discount. We went grocery shopping and decided we would figure it out in the morning.
Today was that morning. We were flipping through the online pages and were about to choose a trip to Paris. Just before going through with the travel arrangements, I found a bus trip to Glasgow online for a really good price and that's what we ended up choosing. We leave in 2 days- Christmas eve to spend our Christmas in Scotland :) We already booked a hotel and have an idea which of the tours we will be doing. Scotland is great because the cost of living is lower and therefore we can live there quite comfortably for a few days without going broke.
Now the rest of the day... We will be getting ready soon enough, showering, having some dinner and then going to see an acted show at the theater- Howl's Moving Castle! The movie was funny so I'm really looking forward to it! Christmas holidays are the best!
Sunday Matt and I went to the Museum of Childhood, which is really just a showcase of toys. Wandering through we saw things like barbies, etch-a-sketches, bead and chemistry kits, toys from different TV shows, etc. Matt and I were talking about what toys we owned and funny stories associated with them. I was amazed walking through at just how many of the toys from the museum that I owned as a child and yet I remember always asking for more and more. I didn't really need that 150th stuffed animal, I was lucky to have what I did!
Monday we were debating what to do. We were debating the zoo or museum of zoology and ended up at the museum because it was a wet and cold day. On the journey there, we were laughing about how we were debating whether to look at living or dead animals and decided on the dead ones because it was free and indoors. It was actually really cool, there were preserved creatures from the past, bones, skulls belonging to the monkeys, humans and everything in between, and best of all- information cards explaining the creatures, their significance and sometimes funny puns :)
On Tuesday we had a visit from one of our new friends. I invited him to come hang out and play Wii or we could go wherever. We ended up here talking and telling stories all weekend and having a few drinks. He is the entrepreneurial type of person with a business idea for everything! Also, he reminded me of Jeff a little bit.
Wednesday we spent most of the day playing on the computers because we randomly decided to go somewhere for Christmas. We were looking at Paris, Sweden, Ireland... Anywhere really. There were flights, busses, trains and carpools going everywhere. We debated showing up at the airport, asking which flights still had seats and jumping on one with a good discount. We went grocery shopping and decided we would figure it out in the morning.
Today was that morning. We were flipping through the online pages and were about to choose a trip to Paris. Just before going through with the travel arrangements, I found a bus trip to Glasgow online for a really good price and that's what we ended up choosing. We leave in 2 days- Christmas eve to spend our Christmas in Scotland :) We already booked a hotel and have an idea which of the tours we will be doing. Scotland is great because the cost of living is lower and therefore we can live there quite comfortably for a few days without going broke.
Now the rest of the day... We will be getting ready soon enough, showering, having some dinner and then going to see an acted show at the theater- Howl's Moving Castle! The movie was funny so I'm really looking forward to it! Christmas holidays are the best!
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