I've been pondering for the last week or so what direction to take the blog into next, if at all. We are moving away from Scotland and so the "adventure" of living in Scotland, traveling about Europe is coming to an end. So do I continue blogging but blog about every day life in our new home? Do I start a whole new blog on a different page? Or do I end the blog on the note of the last few weeks of living in Scotland?
I would like to think that when we get settled into our new home that I would have time to blog, at least occasionally, but I just am not sure if blogging about everyday American life, along with working again will be of interest to very many?! I can say that I know the adventures are not over, but they might just not be as interesting to those that have enjoyed reading about Scotland.
And so I ponder, wondering what direction the blog will go in next or if it ends when I leave Scotland.
Any thoughts?
While waiting on the bus today I had a wee conversation with an elderly (Scottish) man. I was listening to my ipod while waiting and he was standing next to me. This is how the conversation went........
Scot: You must be listening to something good!
Me: (nodding my head) Rascal Flatts today
Scot: WHO?
Me: Rascal Flatts........country music?!?
Scot: what kind of music is that?
Me: Ummmm........country.......kind of low key......but good beat
Scot: like Johnny Cash
Me: (chuckling) yeah sort of.....but newer band, a little more upbeat than Johnny Cash
Scot: I gather from your accent you aren't from around here. You on holiday?
Me: I'm from America, Texas to be exact and no, I'm not on holiday, I live here now.
Scot: Yeah? Where abouts do you live around here?
Me: Bervie
Scot: Ah I see......nice village. How long you lived here?
Me: a year and a half so far
Scot: What brings you to this side of the pond?
Me: My husbands job
Scot: How long do you get to stay?
Me: We have a two year contract
Scot: But then you get to sign again and stay longer, yeah, cause you want to stay longer, yeah?
Me: We'll see.
Scot: Oh why......you don't want to stay?
Me: Well it's not that, we just have to see what comes up next.
Scot: I see. It's a gorgeous day.........yeah?
Me: Beautiful day! Well there is my bus, I must run.
Scot: Oh, what bus is that for?
Me: Montrose
Scot: Oh that's me too.
My thoughts.................'crap this guy is gonna talk to me all the way home'. lol
But he got on the bus, sat toward the back and I guess enjoyed his ride to Montrose.
Just a wee conversation with what was really a nice Scottish man. This is often a typical day out and about in the smaller villages when I am by myself. People strike up conversations with me, hear my accent...........and then it's all about how we came about being here.
One day I stepped into a shop to buy a couple of things and when I checked out the lady struck up a conversation with me because of my accent and it took me 30 more minutes to politely tell her I had to go and thank her for my purchase. The Scots are really very nice people and always like to talk about the weather!
Wednesday before last Jeff comes home from work, stands in front of me as I am typing away on my computer and says he wants to take me to London for the weekend. As I looked up from the computer I am sure my expression said "Your crazy" but really before I could say anything else he went on to say it was as good as a weekend and any. So he sat down at his computer, booked first class train tickets down to London and a hotel for three nights. Wooo whooo!
Trip down was fantastic! That's the first time either of us have taken the train like that. It was really nice, relaxing and a great way to travel, see the country side as you go down and not have the pressure of being in a hurry, airport security and not having to drive yourself.
We got on the tube in London and got off right near our hotel. As we were coming out of the tube I could see The London Eye. And as we got closer to the hotel I realized that it was right next to it. And wouldn't you know, you could see it from our hotel room window!
Across the bridge from our hotel was Big Ben.
The London Eye. The building right next to it was our hotel
Big Ben
And right down the road from Big Ben was Westminster Abbey. As soon as we got settled into our hotel we walked to both and seen signs for Buckingham Palace so we kept walking. It was less than two miles away I would say. So we walked around the area outside the Palace gates and scooped out where we wanted to be on Sunday when we'd see the changing of the guards. After a stroll back through the park we went back to the hotel and had dinner.
Westminster Abbey
Buckingham Palace
Saturday morning we got up and had an early start. We wanted to grab breakfast and get on the tube and head over to Madame Tussuad's Wax Museum. We got there a little earlier than we thought so we had to wait for them to open. So we strolled around a bit and found another great park, Hyde Park and sat and watched the ducks swim in the pond and the London joggers run by.
Madame Tussuad's was really neat! I think it was probably the highlight of the trip for me. We seen a lot of "celebrities" in there but it was just interesting to see how they do it and how detailed they get. Every one of the wax figures looked realistic and to full size. Just amazing. We also went to a 4D Marvel show they had and it was top notch! The special effects were awesome! So much so that when Spiderman gets thrown into the fountain at Buckingham Palace, the seat in front of you mist you too...........as if you were standing right there and got a little water on ya! Lots of little things like that made it worth every penny to see. So if you find yourself there and have the opportunity......definitely check it out!
I had to take a picture of Edward for my Twilight peeps
Jeff and George W. Bush
After that we headed over to Baker Street and visited the famous 221B Baker Street Flat. Three stories high and looking on the inside as it did back them.........Sherlock Holmes home. Neat place! It's very small and cramped as you go up the three stories..........but very similar to how so many flats are still in size here.
Sherlock Holmes living room
We had a lunch in an English Pub and then set out to hop back on the tube and go over to the Tower of London. You know I wish I could rave on and on about it but honestly.......once you've seen one castle or similar place, you feel as if you've seen them all. It was neat to see the Beefeater's and the Crown Jewels, but other than that.......the main thing to see there to me was the Tower Bridge which many of us refer to as the London Bridge.
A guard in front of the building where they house the Crown Jewels
A beefeater. We thought they were all male, but apparently not
Tower Bridge, or as I called it London Bridge, and I was corrected
Sunday morning we set out a bit later but early enough to go by 10 Downing Street (which was a big let down) and then on to see changing of the guards. We walked by the place where changing of the guards starts and we were getting there just in time. So we stopped there and seen the beginning of it and then we walked on through the park and went up to the palace to find a spot to sit and wait for the rest of it at the palace. Very interesting. I would say that a trip to London wouldn't be complete without seeing the changing of the guards just because that's what you are suppose to see. But it wasn't quite all I thought it would be. Still......I am thankful I got the opportunity to see it.
Changing of the Guard (the part that wasn't at the palace)
Changing of the Guard
Then really, the highlight of the trip for me was the chance to take a tour out to Stonehenge. I don't know why but I've always wanted to go out to see it. I had booked a tour to go out and see it as soon as Jeff said we were going to London. It's a ways away from London, probably about two hours but it was so worth it to me. Many of my friends have said, "its just a bunch of stones in the ground.......no big deal to see". But it really was something for me to see and I was really not disappointed at all. We spent about an hour out there, just walking around and listening to the story of the stones and all the myths and legends behind them. It was a great way to end our trip!
Stonehenge
After our tour we set back to London, had dinner and retired back to the hotel to gather up our things for the trip home and rest.
No photo album of London is complete with out a picture of a red phone booth
Monday morning we set out on the train home. Awesome weekend! My husband rocks!
View of Dunnattor Castle from the trail to the War Memorial
Sail boats in Stonehaven
View of Stonehaven from the War Memorial
The War Memorial in Stonehaven to honor those that fought in the wars of the UK that are from the Stonehaven area
Inside, as you walk through the gate
