Scotland, ho!

Posted by David


Well, I finally have a weekend off, and can relax a bit this week before resuming my studies in preparation for exams in January. But after that, there's a three week vacation, so there's something to look forward to.

Both Debi and I had the day off for St. Andrews Day, Scotland's National Holiday.   It was a great time, and there was plenty going on in the Saint's namesake town.

Debi made an itinerary, and after a relaxing morning, we were off to my University town.  It was a rare, sun-filled, day, and the drive to the coast was wonderful.   We have to pass through miles of scenic farmland and hillsides between here and there, and it was nice to be on the road together.

Debi wanted to see the vintage costume and dress exhibit on at the museum, so we rushed through town to get to that in time.   We were treated to a small but interesting collection.   They allowed us to photograph some of the dresses (without flash, of course), as Debi is considering recreating one of them at a later date.


The moon was just about full overhead, and the sky remained clear so we were able to get some nice photos at dusk.



We walked over to South Street to see the Pipers beat the retreat and the 'Nae for Wimps' Outdoor Ceilidh.  The pipers were amazing; there's something about the pipes that just does it for us.

The pipers, once greeted by the Provost, retreated to the West Port, where a lively Ceilidh Band was waiting on a huge stage.   They began straightaway; as the first reel was announced, dancers moved towards the centre and within minutes, over a hundred revelers were dancing in unison.   Debi and I aren't well-versed enough in the traditional dances yet (though we will be, after the forthcoming ceilidhs in our town), but it was great to see so many people of all ages dancing together, students and professors, children, parents, and pensioners... it was really a wonderful sight.

The band was cracking, and the energy remained high throughout.   However, I'm not used to the breeze, and after a few hours outside, my knees were getting frozen in the night air.   Debi was getting cold as well, so we retreated to the West Port ourselves (there's a pub named after the town gate), for a wee dram.


We decided to forego the torchlight procession, in favour of a quiet candlelight dinner.  It was a lovely way to end a great day together.

The next weekend, we went to our new friend, Nicola's housewarming, and then to Elspeth's for a lovely dinner and evening by the fire in warm company.   We had a great time, then went off to St. Andrews on Sunday so I could join the Archery Club for practice and brunch.

I made my first apple pie from scratch to bring to Elspeth's.   My friend, Alison gave us a pie bird for a wedding gift, and it was great to get to use it.   It worked quite well!

There's more to add, and some fun events coming up now that Christmas is near, so more postings soon!


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