Almost in Ireland!

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We're in Scotland! I've heard that Scotland is among the most beautiful places on earth, and I can officially say I agree. The hills are huge and long and there are colored sheep everywhere - and the fences are built out of little stones so they're amazing too.

Two nights ago, on our second night in York, we went to a Panto performance (short for Pantomime, from what it sounds like) that had everyone hysterical. Panto performances are part of the Christmas season in the UK, and it's traditional for families to go every year. This year's performance was called Sinbad the Sailor and it was a million spoofs of recent movies and songs. The actors could actually sing and dance, so it was quite a feast to watch. Some of our group said they thought it was ridiculous and pointless, but I think most of us thought it was amazing and unlike anything we'd seen before.

We left York yesterday morning around 7:30 and drove to Durham to see Durham Cathedral (whenever I say Durham I always think of Dunham and peanut making fun of Jeff's name...). The courtyard and cloisters from Durham Cathedral are where they filmed several parts of the first two Harry Potter movies. And then we drove another hour+ to Hadrian's Wall. I took a million pictures and even filmed some of the fort - very very cool. And I got Aaron cool postcards of things I couldn't quite get good pictures of. Then we drove on to Edinburgh (and almost died on the bus from hunger, thirst, and illness). 😊 BY THE WAY....Kate, our professor, went to the ER today and found out she's got an ear infection and possibly strep. Hooray! But somehow we're holding up miraculously well.

I went out to dinner at the Elephant House (where Harry Potter was born on paper napkins) with Jen, Kristen and Andrea and had the most fabulous little piece of lasagna. We ate there for lunch today, again, and I had the most fabulous baked potato and ''Mallow ...'' (hot chocolate with colored marshmallows!). That was after we visited the Royal National Museum of Scotland - a Science museum about the history of the Scots. Our second museum visit today was to a normal art museum, and the assignment was to analyze a painting and write a few paragraphs on it. I'm getting really good at analyzing art!

Sorry for such a random post...I'm just writing as the details come!

Now I'm sitting in the lobby with a few other girls, and Max, as we try to figure out what we want to do while it's pouring rain again. Luckily it rains once a day and then it's done...and most of the days that it's rained all day have been our long-bus-trip days. 😊

Have a wonderful morning!!! (All you people getting up so late...it's already 3 in the afternoon here!)
Peace!
Me

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