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Published: March 19th 2007
Well my first entry into my travel blog and we’ve been here for 11 days now!! I’m no gonna do a day-by-day blog because apart from the fact that I’ll bore you all to hell, I fear my drinking over time may have killed too many of my memory cells. This blog is going to save me apologizing to you all every e-mail for writing group e-mails (which I’m no a huge fan of) and you can all look at it at leisure if you so please, I’ll load up pics as we go along aswell.
Very sad to write that I haven’t suffered a 2007 Scottish hangover yet, but pretty sure that is coming this Saturday night when we head to a charity night with dad’s cousin Susan and her Daughter Kirsty with a bunch of their friends, 10 nips for 10 pound! I think it’s a good thing though, my liver needed some recovery time after the last month or so of partying in Melbourne.
It was a bit of a shock to the system first arriving, a long build up in OZ and quite emotional upon arrival, felt homesick instantly! It was a VERY VERY
long flight, we sat next to a 10 year old boy whom before we had even left the ground in Melbourne was bawling his eyes out. He’d been in Melbourne visiting his big sister for 7 weeks and didn’t want to go home because he missed her… I’m sure my brothers were crying their eyes out aswell as I was getting on the plane, LOL. So Kate made me speak to him and I asked if he was okay…. Every now and then he’d start crying again, especially when we got back on the plane at Singapore.
When Kate and I arrived in London we nearly missed our connecting flight to Edinburgh. The queue for connecting flights was miles long and we only made our flight because an airport worker told us we’d be quicker coming through passport control and re-entering a gate on a different level. We had to RUN from passport control to the gate which we couldn’t find and I had to take my belt off at every metal detector, my pants were falling down whilst running, was sick of taking my laptop in and out of bags for scanning, ran onto the plane, they had
called our names over the speakers - VERY stressful. So glad to finally arrive in Edinburgh and get off of the plane, the only good bit about the flight was getting to watch plenty of movies. We were met at airport by my Dad’s Aunty Mary and Susan’s husband Derek, was also met by the freezing cold wind as soon as we got out of the airport. Spent our first day here trying to keep our eyes open and family dropped around during the day. We are staying in Methil, Fife, which is basically quite far out from the city and not much out here at all. Plenty of young angry pale kids running around the streets and not a lot here for us to do & thus the reason for us very quickly deciding that as soon as we get jobs in the city we are a movin to Edinburgh. It’s nice seeing family and everything but we need to be able to get around, not be bored and get ourselves a life here, and we’re ready to party.
We spent our first Saturday night at a 65th b’day dinner for Robert Dick (friend of the family). His
wife Anne is absolutely lovely and I had met them all the last time I was here and traveled with them up to the highlands and she has been very helpful and would do anything for us. They are heading to Majorca for 2 weeks and have offered us their house and car! We also soon worked out that it was going to cost us ₤12 by bus and train to get into Edinburgh and back a day - so we opted with the bus only option ₤18 a week, so we’ve saved about ₤50 already. However, I hate buses, it takes us about 1 and a half hours and I’ve felt sick as a dog a few times whilst reading on the bus. So I just have to stick my ipod headphones in and stare out the window!
On the Monday, Wednesday, Thursday we traveled in to Edinburgh and had interviews with a couple of recruitment agencies, with First Contact, set up our bank accounts, got our mobile phones organized and got to check e-mails etc. Was so sick of filling in forms by the end of Thursday!! Kate had an interview Thursday and got the job. Starts
this Wednesday with a company called Standard Life Investments doing the same similar sort of thing she did back home. So not bad a job in the first week hey! I felt a little bit nervous that she had one and I don’t but it will come. She also had her interview with recruitment agency 2 days before me…. I had a call from the guy today and he’s putting me forward for a 6 week role with the Bank of New York, so fingers crossed I get an interview and all goes well! In between filling in 50 billion bits of paper we also went to Kircaldy one day for a look around the shops and some lunch at a tiny little pub, found a beer that I actually like here this time ‘Tennents’ brewed in Glasgow and found on tap everywhere so there’s a bonus. Also went down to Leven one day for a squiz, another wee town, everything’s wee here, popped into a pub there for lunch, had really yummy pie and played pool on a midget sized pool table.
Friday we headed into Edinburgh AGAIN by bus but this time for the touristy stuff. Hopped
on the double decker tour bus and got off at the castle. The sun had been out earlier in the week but didn’t want to make an appearance up at the castle, it was absolutely FREEZING and VERY windy up there but alas it was still cool. Some really beautiful views from up there and so much history, had been up there before but enjoyed my second visit just as much. There were a lot more tourists up there than I expected. Edinburgh is a beautiful city with loads of character, I think it has a much better feel to it than London does and not over run so much by tourists, well not in March anyway! So hopped back on the bus and did the rest of the tour, was too cold and we ran out of time to get off the bus again but we have plenty of time and will do more when we’re living there. One of the best bits about our trip so far as the fact that we have found a ‘Walkabout’ (aussie themed) pub in Edinburgh, have been twice now. Headed there after the tour for something to eat and a red wine
to heat us up.
I think I’ve eaten more steak in the week I’ve been here than I normally do in a month. Derek has cooked us steak twice and last night it was Mother’s day here, Susan took us shopping, brought a few tops - more options for clothes here and they aren’t too expensive, checked out some cars at car yards here for Susan - cars are a lot cheaper here - and then went to Susan and Derek’s for a very yummy roast dinner and pineapple sponge cake with the best ever cream. I don’t plan on coming home any bigger, would like to come home smaller so maybe no more cake, but he’s a good baker, so maybe I’d best join the gym. Derek goes hunting and he’s dogs have just had a litter and they are sooooo cute!! Saturday Susan took the both of us for a drive and we went up to Blair Atholl Castle where a peacock nearly tried to get in the car with us, Kate freaked out (she has a fear of birds), LOL. Saw some Helian Coos (Highland Cows). Then visited Pitlochry, which is a cute little town, went
over the river to head up to the Salmon ladder but most things are shut off until 1st April. Soldier’s Leap was also shut off, went up to Queen’s View (nice lookout). The weather wasn’t fantastic, rained a bit, it was predicted snow. Had lunch and then went to the shops in the main street, got a b’day present for my brother and Kate brought a warmer jacket (not bad she hasn’t brought too much yet, but give it time, she keeps eyeing off every shoe shop!!), she has also already asked her mum and dad to send over more clothes and her warm boots. We were going to head to the pub down the road for St. pattie’s day but it was pissing down with rain and absolutely freezing so we gave it a miss…. Will be the first time in years that we haven’t gone out for a drink on St.Patties, had thoughts of heading to Ireland for it before we came but decided not to. We have decided to head to Germany for October Fest though for my b’day - can’t wait!!
Anyhoo, that’s brings us to today!! Was going to head into St.Andrews for a
squiz but when I woke up and we cooked breakfast it started snowing outside, yes that’s right, SNOW!! Didn’t snow for too long but it was freezing outside so thought we would have a boring day inside loading up photos and writing our blogs!
So it’s only been a week but feels like I’ve been away a lot longer, not home sick now, and who needs friends when you have Derek, friends Rinky and Jimmy hanging shit on you… just feels like home. Plus I think I’ll end up talking to my Mum, Dad and Gran more than I did at home, always feel better after hearing their voices.
So friends, if you’re still reading this and haven’t nodded off if boredom so far, hoe everyone is well, miss yaz all already and I’ll write again soon. xoxoxoxo
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Kate & Me - Queen;s View Lookout
Leanne
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I want to go to Scotland! Shockingly I have never been! If you're in England anytime let me know (I know its not quite perth but hey! lol) , i've got 5 weeks off uni now :-) its a hard life being a student! hehe Have a wicked time wherever you go anyway! Leanne xx