Friday, March 23, 2018

St. Andrews

Last Wednesday Matt and I joined the rest of the family on a day trip to St. Andrews! We saw the famous golf course, the Swilken bridge, and where William and Kate lived during their time studying at the university. Our tour guide actually went to St. Andrews himself and knew everything there is to know about the area. We ate lunch at the Jigger Inn, where I ate the best fish and chips I've ever had in my life! They were seriously amazing. Although it was windy and a bit cold, we had some blue sky and it didn't rain. I didn't know how much history St. Andrews had as a pilgrimage site during medieval times, nor was I aware of how many key events surrounding the Protestant Reformation took place there!

This seaside castle was lived in by King James I of Scotland and was the birthplace of James III of Scotland.

It is said that St. Andrew, the brother of the apostle Peter is buried underneath this ruined cathedral. 




My dad was pretty excited about getting to see the Old Course. Apparently, Mary Queen of Scots liked to play here (much to the dismay of her male advisors)! Being here (and seeing all of the cute golf outfits in the shops) made me wish I had any interest in golf whatsoever...








Thursday, March 22, 2018

London Round 1

Well, technically, I guess this is London Round 2, since I posted about my trip back in June. If we are really being technical, this is London Round 3, since I went back in 2007. I digress. I was so excited to see my family in LONDON! They had all flown across the ocean to see me. I'm pretty lucky. ;)


On Friday, we went to Harrod's (where I got some cute things for Easter baskets!!), and dinner at Senor Sassi's which has the most delicious fettuccine alfredo I've ever had! On Saturday we met Vivian (our same guide from this summer... love her) and made our way to St. Paul's. I loved walking across the Millennial Bridge... and interupting a commerical shoot in front of St. Paul's. I could have spent all day in there! I enjoyed seeing the Duke of Wellington's grave, the American monument, and the alter cloth embroidered by returned soliders. After a quick stop at Starbucks, we headed to another museum, which I truthfully don't remember the name of. We strolled through the financial district, which was extremely empty and peaceful. The coolest thing about the museum was that it had ruins of an old Roman theatre in its basement! Back when London was called Londonium, and the Romans occupied the city. We then rushed to Fortnum and Mason for a late lunch/tea/ice cream. We went back to the hotel to see EMILY and then had a quick turn-around before heading back out to drive to the Warner Brother's studios for the HARRY POTTER TOUR! It was great being the last group they admitted at 6:30, because the place was practically empty. We spent 3 hours exploring!





Sunday was a more low-key day! We spent the better part of the morning shopping at Fortnum and Mason, where I got an adorable teacup, as well as an oven mitt. I can't wait to use them!! I can't find the exact teacup I got online, but I really loved this one too. We had an early dinner at a French place in the West End before seeing a show: The Play That Goes Wrong. It was very funny. Amanda was insistent that we see it, having seen it and loved it in New York earlier this year.

Dinner before the show!


On Monday, we made our way to Windsor! Despite slightly depressing weather, I loved walking through the quaint towns of Windsor as well as Eton. Seeing all of the boys in their Eton uniforms was definitely a highlight! We had lunch/tea (do you notice a theme here?) in a hotel overlooking the Thames and then made our way to the gorgeous castle. My favorite parts were seeing the chapel where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be married in May, Queen Mary's dollhouse, and seeing the vast collection of royal dishes. They seriously have so many beautiful dishes and serving pieces, it's a wonder how they ever pick out which set to use! After taking the train back into London (during rush hour), we scurried back out for dinner at Nobu. I'm not a giant sushi fan, but the raw tuna tacos at Nobu (and the crispy-rice-spicy-tuna dish) are phenomenal. The next morning I was up bright and early on the train back to Edinburgh. I was sad to leave, but now I'm even more excited to go back with Matt and Brian Beazer in April.



This used to be the castle's moat... I think it makes a beautiful garden! 





 
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