I did not mention in my last blog post my cousin Brittany and Aunt Kim came to Amsterdam in May! We had a fantastic time being with them and enjoying wonderful dinners together. We worked while they explored Amsterdam during the days.

After Amsterdam, they went off to London and Belgium! I wish they could have stayed longer because they are the kind of house guests you dream about having on a weekly basis.

 

 

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Bryan and I loved everything about our trip to Scotland in June. From the rolling green hills to the lovely accents and charming city streets, what’s not to love? We landed in Edinburgh on Friday morning, June 16th, and drove the beautiful 1 hour and a half drive to St. Andrews.

When signing Bryan up for golf,  two was the minimum, so guess who had to play?

You guessed it.

I had never played a full 18 holes before, so naturally the best time to try was on one of the most famous courses in the world! Ha.

Bryan and I played the Jubilee course. Challenging and beautiful, the link course stretched in front of the town near the sea.

We laughed and joked with our caddies the whole time. Even though I shanked a ton, it did not matter at all, it is all about the experience. And, St. Andrews golf was an experience — it really is the home of golf. I was in over my head, but had the best time.

 

For Scotland, the weather was incredible — partly cloudy and pretty warm. We played in the afternoon and then headed to an easy dinner. We desired authentic fish and chips, and found it at the Tailend restaurant. I highly recommend it!

The next morning, Bryan and I explored St. Andrews. First stop: the ruins of the beautiful St. Andrews Cathedral. It was built in 1158, but was ruined after Scotland outlawed Catholicism during the 16th-century Scottish Reformation.

 

Stop 2: St. Andrews University and the surrounding town. It was breathtaking!

We drove back to Edinburgh in the afternoon. Side note: Bryan drove stick,  and on the other side of the road during this trip with no difficulty. He was a champ.

I have to mention the air BnB we stayed in during our time in Edinburgh because we loved it so much. Our host bob was fantastic! Impeccably clean, the little apartment was a 15 minute walk from the center of the city. We loved that it was in the Stockbridge neighborhood and in a quiet neighborhood. It was not only out of the hustle and bustle, but also near everything.

After we dropped our bags at the air BnB, we hiked to Arthur’s seat. Edinburgh climbed up to one of my top European cities after this climb because the views from the top of Arthur’s seat are indescribable.

This activity is a must-do if you are traveling to Edinburgh because the views are sensational. Although we hiked a longer path than planned, we saw more and it was worth it.

On Saturday night, Bryan and I went to a fabulous restaurant called forage and chatter. I also highly recommend this dinner spot!

The next morning, we explored the castle and Edinburgh city center.

Our flight left in the afternoon and we were not ready to leave! We left the weekend full in every way. Scotland, see you soon!