Thursday we arrived back in Dundee around noon. We were both exhausted from the rather long train ride and Tucker was still rather jet lagged. We spent the afternoon watching TV online and then went on an adventure of procuring groceries. That evening I went to Zumba class and Tucker took a nap. Since I was still tired from the trip, I did not feel like cooking, so Christina, Tucker and I went out to my favorite Dundee restaurant, Ketchup for dinner. It was really fun and our bellies were filled with delicious burgers. After dinner we went for a stroll around city center so Tucker could see more of Dundee.
Friday morning we slept in rather late. After I went to the gym and got ready for the day I made lunch of fried egg sandwiches. Tucker is getting experience first hand my love-hate relationship with cooking. We then went on a walk to the observatory. It was fun and I'm glad I remembered how to get there. I'm glad Tucker got to see the beautiful view out over the Tay from the observation deck at the observatory.
After our adventure to the observatory, Tucker and I met up with Lauren at the Union for some celebratory cocktails in honor of her finishing her last exam!! It was a well earned treat on her part. We were also celebrating the fact that we are now seniors in college...AHHHH!!!
Friday evening I cooked us a dinner of ravioli with chicken and pesto sauce. We then watched a movie about Greyfriar's Bobby, a dog in Edinburgh (google it, the story is quite fascinating), in order to prepare for Saturday's trip to Edinburgh. Whilst watching the movie with Greg, Lauren and Tucker, I made Aunt Karen's Chocolate Chip Cookies since Tucker brought a package of chocolate chips to me from home.
Saturday a whole gang of us gathered bright and early at the train station to head on our adventure to Edinburgh for the day. Minna, Greg, Tucker, Lauren, Christina, Katie and I piled on the train and were excited for a day of sightseeing and fun! When we arrived in Edinburgh (after a really full train!) we headed straight for pub dedicated to Greyfriar's Bobby (the dog from the movie we watched the night before...seriously google it!). Sadly it was not open quite yet so we went across the street to the National Museum of Scotland. This was a good decision because the seven of us had a great time glancing at the various exhibits and exploring the museum. One of the highlights was trying on children's costumes from various centuries. We also had quite a good time in the sciencey part of the museum that had all kinds of hands-on activities...again geared for kids half our age.
Lauren, Katie, and me trying on children's costumes at the National Museum of Scotland.
Minna and Greg rocking some lovely new outfits.
Lifting ourselves in the museum.
After the museum we headed back to Bobby's Bar for lunch. I am proud to say that Tucker tried haggis, neeps, and tatties, and survived to tell the tale. In fact he said they were, and I quote, "delicious!" He was not the only one who had haggis as Lauren, Greg, Christina, and I did as well. I have to get my fill before I leave this country and can't have haggis anymore!
A statue of Bobby outside of Greyfriar Bobby's Bar.
While sitting in Bobby's Bar we realized that it was almost 1 o'clock! Now this is a big deal because everyday at 1 pm a cannon is fired at the castle. We tried to make our way to the castle in time for the firing, but alas we heard it en route. Anyway, we made it up to the castle and Tucker, Lauren and I decided to pay the fee and go in. I am really glad we did because it was amazing! The amount of stuff inside the castle was amazing. I thought it would just be one building, but in reality the castle is like a walled in village. We walked through a majority of the buildings and saw some really cool exhibits in the portions of it that have been turned into museums.
Lauren at the castle!!
Tucker and me at the castle.
Once we had seen all there was to see at the castle we met back up with the rest of our group. We then went in search of a rugby jersey at a sports store in a mall. However, they were all sold our the the Scotland rugby kits, so we wandered around the mall for a wee bit. Then we all decided we were exhausted and needed to sit down for a while. Along with the desire to sit down, we decided we needed something else to eat and drink. Greg led us to a pub that was built inside an old bank. We spent a couple of hours there conversing, eating, drinking, and laughing quite a bit.
After eating we went and wandered around a park. It was lovely because the sun was getting lower in the sky and the lighting was just perfect. The park was in a valley near the train station and if you looked up you could see the castle looming overhead. It was gorgeous!!
Tucker in Edinburgh with the castle in the background.
All the girls! (Christina, Katie, Minna, me, and Lauren)
A lovely view of Edinburgh Castle
This statue was a gift from the United States to Scotland. We reenacted it. Lauren and I were the United States and Katie was Scotland...Christina is just being herself.
Another shot of the castle, this time with a cool fountain in the foreground!
Before we knew it, it was time to head to the station to catch our train back to Dundee. It was a really fun day of exploring Edinburgh! On the train we enjoyed playing various games and sharing quite a few more laughs!
Sibling love!
The whole group, minus me because I took the picture...Lauren, Greg, Christina, Katie, Minna, and Tucker.
Sunday Tucker and I spent the day relaxing. After sleeping in Christina, Lauren, Tucker and I took a cab to the sports center here in Dundee to watch Minna and Greg play in a basketball tournament. It was a blitz tournament so games were really short and had slightly different rules. It was really fun and got us out of our flat and away from online television for a change. After the tournament was finished we returned home and Lauren came over and cooked pasta for Tucker and me. She had a bunch left over and was trying to get rid of it since she was going back to the U.S. the next day.
Yesterday (Monday) I woke up bright and early and to say goodbye to Lauren. I helped her lug her belongings to the train station and then said "see you later". It was rather sad, but I know how excited she was to go home (I know I will be feeling the same way in a week when I head back to the states) and I know that I will see her again in the near future.
Yesterday afternoon Tucker and I went on an adventure to St. Andrews. We had a great time walking around the town and I showed him all the sights. Since it was my fourth time to St. A I knew all the highlights and was able to be a rather good tour guide if I do say so myself (Tucker might say otherwise...). We saw the cathedral, the harbor, the outside of the castle, the Old Course, the university and the university museum. We also got delicious ice cream that was recommended by Greg. We cut the day a little short because it was beginning to rain and get super windy. Such is Scotland.
Tucker admiring the view of the sea from the end of the pier in St. Andrews.
Last night I cooked us dinner of stir-fry and rice while we watched "Braveheart" with Christina and Greg. They had been appalled that I had not seen the movie even though I was here in Scotland. It turns out that it wasn't too bad, despite some historical inaccuracies and some terrible Scottish accents.
Today Tucker and I ventured to Broughty Ferry, which is the castle that is just outside of Dundee. Instead of making the five mile walk like I did with Esther and Lauren a few weeks ago, we took the bus. Once there we enjoyed exploring the museum and learning about Broughty. We took a leisurely stroll along the beach and then caught the bus back into Dundee.
Looking out through the drawbridge entrance of the Broughty Ferry Castle.
Broughty Ferry Castle.
Tucker enjoying a stroll along the Scottish coastline.
The beach!!
This evening we went out to dinner with Christina, Katie, and Charlotte. It is the last time I will have dinner with Christina because she is heading home on Friday while Tucker and I are still in Ireland.
Tucker and I have had some pretty great adventures since he arrived in the UK last Wednesday. Our adventures continue tomorrow when we fly to Dublin to stay with my friend Natalie until Saturday. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and do many fun things so that I can share them with you!
Tucker and I are ready for our next adventure!!
Cheers!
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