Yesterday (Saturday), we had a bus tour of Edinburgh. It was about an hour away, so it was cool to see a bit of...well, the highway...in the course of getting there. We had a guided tour for about an hour, showing us through Charlotte Square and the Royal Mile. It was good to see the whole city, though very brief.
The rest of the afternoon was left for us to explore. I stuck with the Bentley kids (Matt, Paige, Derek, and Josh) as well as a flatmate of Josh and Derek (Joe), as well as some kids from Slovenia and France that we had met on the bus. We headed to the Royal Mile for some browsing, but scouted out a place for lunch. It took us twenty minutes after sitting down to realize that we had managed to stumble into an American themed restaurant. It was interesting to see what American food would be like abroad. It was Unos/TGIFridays/Applebee's quality, with a very similar menu. Josh and Derek's ribs were fair, Paige's fajitas were seasoned with Italian spices, but it was still fairly good.
We then headed for the castle, stopping in the shops along the way. Paige was set on finding a woolen sweater, but they were all steep in price. Plus, most of the stores were tourist traps. We guessed that Glasgow would be cheaper, as well as have a better, more authentic selection.
The castle was phenomenal. When i had been before, the staging for the Military Tattoo had been covering the parking lot. This time, however, the lot was wide open and we could see the entirety of the castle. It was absolutely brilliant. We also got a great view of the rest of the city.
After, we headed to scout out the "Birthplace of Harry Potter" at The Elephant House cafe. It really is just a little cafe like any other. However, when I went to the bathroom, hundreds of people had covered the walls in odes to J.K Rowling and her stories. It was awesome to read what people had written. Harry Potter really is a worldwide, life changing story to be a part of. Of course, I added my own "Slytherin Pride" to the wall.
Right across the street was the National Museum of Scotland. We broke up the group so we could all explore with our last hour of the afternoon on our own time. Joe and I explored in a whirlwind, quick tour of the museum. The animal exhibit spanned 5 floors, each floor on a balcony that overlooked a mobile of hundreds of different animals. There were also exhibits of Ancient Egypt, Scottish History, Space, Geology, sculpture, technology, and more. We breezed through each wing of the museum to get a full picture of what we could expect on a return trip. We totally bonded over being major geeks and are looking forward to having a buddy to explore the more educational aspects of Scotland with.
We headed for the bus and then back to the university. Joe was making dinner for Derek and Josh, as they have worked out a rotating schedule, and I was invited along. I helped Joe in the kitchen, preparing veggies for an Italian-style soup. (How is it that I keep running into boys that make me dinner?) It was absolutely amazing. Super easy to make too.
Joe and I headed to the stores to get some cider for the evening. A lot of their domestic flatmates had returned and were having a social gathering. It was odd because, when we returned, the senior resident (equivalent of an RA) was there and said he would see us later at the gathering. I was immediately in freshman Ali mode and afraid I would "get caught." However, because the drinking age is 18, having alcohol isn't a big deal. The senior residents seem extremely lenient though. I mean, the senior resident was at the party and drinking himself. I asked what his duties included, seeing as he wasn't on rounds or anything. He explained that there is an 11 o'clock curfew that people are supposed to be quiet, but it isn't strongly enforced. I couldn't believe it! However, even Quinnipiac doesn't enforce quiet hours or have rounds, as Alex explained to me. Perhaps Bentley is especially strict. I don't know which I like better...the Glasgow apartments are so spread out, parties don't affect your neighbors as much, but I do like the reliability of quiet hours and knowing RAs are always about in the evening.
The flatmates and their friends were absolutely fantastic. They were fun and exciting and conversational. Parties are a bit different in Glasgow. There aren't common rooms, so we were all in the kitchen. It wasn't really conducive to socializing, but it worked. Also, the music wasn't very loud and there wasn't much dancing. Still, I enjoyed myself.
I hung out with this kid Matt for a lot of the party. He is from Edinburgh and lives in a single right next to Josh, Derek, and Joe. We really hit it off. I don't know why, but we just clicked. I ended up crashing in his room because I didn't want to make a midnight trek to Murano and he had a bean bag chair. In the morning, we walked down to a little cafe and got chocolate crepes. It was fantastic. I hope that we hang out really soon.
I am looking forward to seeing all of those guys again. They were just very cool people. Not like the Bentley bros or anything. Just very real, joking, interesting, silly people.
Today, I napped and got things around my room organized. Tomorrow, I don't have classes, so I am spending the day sleeping in, getting my boots/purse/coat fixed, and going to the vintage shops in the West End. It should be a good relaxing adventure.
