Edinburgh, Scotland
- A bunch of us got tickets to the Hogmanay street party. We bought flasks from a souvenir shop in order to drink during it. When we got to the party, everyone had giant bottles of booze right out in the open. Oops, all uptight Americans!
- My first haggis dish (from Roseleaf Bar Cafe) was fan-freaking-tastic. The way people talk about haggis in the US you’d think it was made of rotting bat feces (okay, maybe the real ingredients are only barely a step above), but one taste and I was totally hooked. It’s delicious. On my last day, I had haggis from a different cafe, and then I kind of understood the negative press (still not that bad).
- Nothing is phonetic and I pronounced everything wrong. Speak English, dammit!
- Edinburgh is really, really, really pretty.
Milano, Italia
- Attended the Inter v. Parma game at San Siro Stadium. It’s like a street fair outside the stadium. You must show ID to buy a ticket (they even print your name on it) so the “queue” takes awhile. Flares, firecrackers, and hugs following every goal; it was more fun watching the fan section than the game, to be honest (especially since my husband Sneijder wasn’t playing). Riot police were on hand at exit, though it was a smallish crowd.
- I had no idea how to order things anywhere. From Peck (gourmet deli type place) to gelato spots, I did everything “wrong” and felt stupid. Admittedly my own fault as I did very little prior research. But you also never expect to have to research that kind stuff. That’s why you travel and not just watch it on TV!
- We came during major sales time. I’d planned on buying lots of clothes, only everything was still hundreds of euros over my price range even with sales. I admit I was warned, but I take those warnings with a grain of salt because I’m used to Manhattan prices. Sure, there are inexpensive places if you know where to look, but… Milan is expensive. (I ended up buying no clothes.)
- Everyone is wearing shiny puffy coats. We even saw a puffy men’s blazer in a store window. Not a fan.
- So much coffee. So much.
Whether you prefer the UK or a place like Milan seems to depend a lot on whether your preferred vice lies in alcohol or caffeine. I prefer the former.
I’m sure I’m forgetting stuff, so I’ll probably surreptitiously edit this entry to add things later.
Pics are up in the Photos link.
