Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

It was an absolutely perfect day today in Scotland . . . sun was shining, little wind, pretty warm . . . so we went to St. Andrews aka the definition of “prep”. It is a gorgeous medieval town on the East Coast of Scotland, right on the ocean. Lonely Planet said there were only three sites there, and there were, but they were all SO worth it! First there are incredible ruins of the ancient St. Andrews Castle built in the 1500s or something. Amazing – and even better if you look at them from the jetties or the pier. Then there is the ancient Cathedral, which is completely ruined. However, the remnants of the foundation and some pretty cool random pieces still exist. So you can, essentially, walk through the cathedral and imagine how it used to be, even though it is all out in the open and on grass. Also cool is that the graveyard (which is huge) still stands and there are these beautiful Celtic crosses there. Awesome pictures. Last but not least is the ancient golf course – where golf was invented. It is really green and beautiful and dotted with silly wooden benches that, in no uncertain terms, declare themselves to be for “members only” . . . did I mention the royal princes went to school here??

Other than these three things, the town is charming to walk around. Lots of little shops, bookstores and cafes. We stopped in one Imbiss-type-thing for fish and chips (delicious!) and then in another later for tea. Plenty of people walking around in kilts – so amusing! One huge difference I notice from Germany is that the houses here are stone and in Germany they are wood, which is pretty interesting. But also, the brands and what is sold in stores are very very much more American than in Germany. It’s really interesting. Everyday, though, just how different English can be is reinforced. I actually cannot understand some of these people. It’s unbelievable.