...and beyond!

I've been enjoying a wide array of visitors for the past week. I've really enjoyed showing people the city and getting a chance to do the toursity things I hadn't previously done. It's also been really fun having my flatmates and friends here meet people from other parts of my life.

First, Jacob, a friend from Brandeis, came from Copenhagen, where he is studying abroad for the semester. They have a THREE WEEK fall break on his program (he's at an international program), so he's spending much of his time in the UK. With Jacob, I, for the first time, entered one of the many 'authentic Scottish' stores on the Royal Mile. We climbed up Arthur's Seat where we nearly fell off the top due to wind, ate delicious Indian food, and visited the parliament. I took him to my favorite little coffee shop to get some work done, showed him the Elephant House (where J.K. Rowling wrote parts of Harry Potter--very exciting), and ate fish & chips. My flatmates had a great time with him and I think he equally enjoyed the Darroch 3/3 experience--tea with every meal and a fun time experimenting with food.

A side note, let me tell you about the Royal Mile. It's probably the #1 tourist location for those looking for a stereotypical Scotland experience. A road filled with kilt stores and cashmere stores and places that serve haggis. At the top of the road is where the castle lies. And you know, that's all there is to Scotland...(:

Jacob left Tuesday and Mom came on Thursday. When she arrived, we walked around a bit on the Royal Mile and purchased some lovely cashmere scarves. Then she took my flatmates(+Monica) and I out for sushi which was delicious and fun for all involved. Friday, we went to the Palace and the Queen's Gallery. After a bit more touristy shopping, we went out for dinner at a nice little Scottish restaurant. The weather on both Friday and Saturday, for the first time, was rather unpleasant. Saturday it unfortunately rained non-stop. During which we took a bus trip to Loch Lomond and the Stirling Castle with a few other stops in between. We took a cruise on the Loch in an enclosed boat, luckily, because it poured the whole time. Stirling Castle was great, and we tried to spend as much time inside as possible. That evening, we had dinner with my flat mate Frankie and her family who were in for the weekend. Said goodbye after dinner, and picked up Seth from the airport shuttle!

Like I said, nonstop visitors. Seth is studying abroad in London, so is pretty familiar with the UK experience. As such, we attempted to make his time here uniquely Scottish. I think we did a pretty good job. On Sunday, Seth's first stop was to purchase a tartan hat complete with a pom on top and matching scarf...both of which he wore all day. We went up the Walter Scott monument and got amazing views of the city. We visited the castle (after getting a bit lost...), and it was actually cool to see two castles back-to-back like such. In Stiring castle, we had learned that their restoration of the Great Hall was based on that of the Edinburgh Castle. Sure enough, after entering the Great Hall in the Edinburgh Castle, it was strikingly similar. We climbed up Arthur's Seat just as dusk was falling and by the time we got up faced an incredibly windy and beautifully lit Edinburgh. Went out for good dinner and came back to the flat for tea.

Missy & Sarah arrive on Thursday, I cannot wait! Until then--I'll be getting ahead on my work...spending lots of time in my favorites Black Medicine Coffee Company and BeanScene switching between tea and hot chocolate. Sounds good to me.