Emily Ginsberg FINALLY Posts!

I have finally joined Jacklyn in Scotland and my time here has been nothing less than amazing. I have only been here for 6 days but it feels like I’ve been here for weeks.

My journey across the pond went smoothly besides the minor security issue in DC and leaving my glasses on the plane when I arrived in Glasgow. Because of my excitement, sleeping on the plane and during my layover in Amsterdam was not in my path. I ended up reading an entire book and roaming around the Amsterdam airport. When I finally gathered my bags in Glasgow and headed outside, I was greeted (well more like attacked in a friendly way) by Jackie and Emma. Giddy, we collected my bags, got in the car, and went right to downtown Glasgow.

i thought I would be more exhausted but my adrenaline was pumping from having made it to Scotland and I had a burst of energy. We got some coffee and chatted for a while and then met Emma's friend Ben for dinner at Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant, called Jamie's. After dinner the four of us wandered to a pub to indulge in some Guiness and Tennents. Later that evening we met more friends, including Emma's good friend Samantha, for drinks at a different pub. After good beer and some good conversation, it was time to head to Dundee. I slept during the 1.5 hour ride home and then another 12 hours when I hit the bed.

On Friday after finally waking from my 12 hour nap, I got to see Emma's neighborhood and the view from her backyard. Her house sits on the Tay river (which leads to the North Sea) and it is beautiful. We enjoyed some hot tea, which I quickly discovered would be a tri-daily activity, and headed out for the day. We stopped to get lunch at a farm that has a restaurant on its grounds. The farm sat on fields of green grass with sheep and highland cows, which are brown cows with long hair and horns. We enjoyed sandwiches, looked around the farms store, and continued on our way to St. Andrews.

Highland cows lounging on a farm near Dundee

St. Andrews, a university town with the oldest university in Scotland, sits right on the North Sea. We walked around the town and saw the remains of the oldest medieval cathedral in Scotland which was constructed in the 12th century. That evening Emma cooked traditional haggis with neeps and tatties (haggis with turnip and mashed potatoes). I was a bit wary but excited to try something new. And it ended up being quite delicious! 

St. Andrews Cathedral

 The next morning we got moving earlier than usual because we had pandas to see! Yes, the zoo in Edinburgh just recently got pandas and it has been so popular we had to get tickets for a specific time weeks in advance. The zoo in Edinburgh is the only zoo in the UK with pandas! Of course with the traffic and parking we were a few minutes late for our "appointment" and ended up running through the zoo, which is by no means flat, to get to the pandas in time. The lady letting in the different tours seemed sympathetic to Jackie's story that we came all the way from the US to see the pandas, and she let us in.

After hiking around the zoo for a few hours we went into downtown Edinburgh to get lunch and do a city bus tour. The bus tour was definitely worth while for us because time was limited in Edinburgh and we were able to see so much more than we would have by just walking. The old stone buildings were breathtaking, as were the Edinburgh castle and the perfectly timed rainbow that appeared over the hills surrounding the city. 

Self-explanatory

Edinburgh City Bus Tour

On Sunday, we explored Dundee while Emma worked and later came home for tea and a nap. For dinner we went into Dundee to have burgers at a restaurant called Ketchup. The food was delicious, and they even make their own ketchup! Afterwards we had drinks at the Dundee Contemporary Arts museum which doubles as a restaurant and bar.

On Monday we were able to sleep in a bit, and then finally got ready to go to Perth. We hiked up Kinnoull hill, home to the Kinnoull tower built in the 18th century as well as a beautiful view of the tay river. When we made it to the top of the hill, we enjoyed a short nap in the sunshine and eventually made our way back down to pick up Samantha and another friend, Craig, from the train station. The five of us went to Gloagburn farm in Perth for tea and scones. We played with the friendly pigs and goats outside and then went into the farm shop for our tea. Craig then suggested a French restaurant for dinner, called Breizh. After being nice and full, we said our goodbyes to Craig and Samantha and headed back to Dundee. We were greeted by Phillip and hot tea and played a few rounds of bananagrams before heading to bed.

Panoramic of the view from the top of Kinnoull Hill

Today we explored Dundee again while Emma worked and then stopped to pick up food for dinner. Tonight Jackie and I decided to cook some of our favorite things for Emma, Phillip and their mum because they have been so kind for hosting us. We made Jackie's famous broccoli casserole, potato latkes, and chicken. Everything was a hit! After dinner we got our bags together because we are leaving for Ireland tomorrow!

So now we are all caught up. Scotland has been more than amazing, as has spending time with Emma and her mum. Everyone here has been so friendly, the scenery so beautiful, and the cities so full of history. I was both nervous and excited before I came, but after being in Scotland for only a few hours, the nervousness faded and now all that's left is the excitement and anticipation of what the future of our trip holds. Tomorrow we finally go to the farm in Ireland and neither of us has any idea what to expect. We found out the other day that there will be other people staying there with us and we cant wait to meet them and start working!

Until next time...