I actually got home on Wednesday.  Happy 9-9-9, by the way! 

I have been recouperating and also already swept up into things here in NYC, hence not on the blog.  But it does seem necessary to mention that I am no longer in Scotland.

However, as previously stated, I shall keep recounting my many adventures of the last month, as well as posting some much needed photos.  I am so excited to share the ones from Skye, as that trip is the freshest in my mind and also the scenery is unbelievable.  I don’t think that photos can at all do it justice, but of course I’m going to try.  I literally almost maxed out my memory card and camera battery every single day (so it’s a darn good thing I took my laptop).  I also broke a superficial ring off my camera in a bathroom in the mountains and so spent the last three days with it scotch taped together to prevent Scotland dirt and lots and lots of rain from getting into the innards of my camera.  It’s a good thing it was at the end of my trip.

In any case, I am now back in the US.  That’s right, I have a phone again!  And, more importantly, am safely home.  I survived automobiles, trains, and planes to get here (yes, it’s backwards) and am very happy to be home.  Thank you to everyone who sent word, email, and good wishes my way.

As a friend of mine writes at the bottom of her columns:

Until I write again…

(which will be soon, so check back!!!)

I have definitely been trying to try all of the foods of Scotland.  I certainly couldn’t come back without having at least tried Haggis!  So here is a list of the local cuisine which I have…let’s say enjoyed:

- Haggis - I ate some.  That’s all I’m going to say.

- Black pudding - Yeah.  No.

Those were both part of the Full Scottish Breakfast, which also includes bacon, sausage, baked beans, toast, and poached eggs!

- Oat cakes (cookies)

- Whiskey ice cream

- Fish and Chips! - my first real fish and chips was in Fort Augustus by Loch Ness.  And we definitely chose right in going with a tiny local “chippy.”  It was amazing!

- Sticky toffee pudding - One of the best things in the world.  The last I had was in Sligachan on Skye and came with Custard Cream

- Steak and ale pies and a pasty too (same thing, just smaller)

- Shepherd’s Pie

- Extremely Posh Chicken Pie - That’s what it was called on the label!

- Scotch broth (it’s a beef and barley stew, which sounds amazing, though the one I had was in a terrible restaurant in Portree, Skye)

- Fishcakes - we had fishcakes at Fisher’s in Leith, famous for having the best fishcakes around.  They are salmon bits and mash (mashed potato) fried like a crab cake with a lemon and chive mayonnaise.  Not bad and I’m glad I tried, but they were too much fishy-ness for me.

- Toasties - Essentially a grilled cheese sandwich.  The best was a cheese and tomato toastie from Clarinda’s Tea House.

- Baked potatoes - They’re everywhere.  It seems to be a common lunchtime choice and not with sour cream.  They put everything on them, instead of on a sandwich.  I tried Coronation Chicken (which is a sort of curry chicken and quite good) as well as a few other things.

- Scones and tea, of course - mostly the jam around here is raspberry, which is just wonderful!

- Porridge - I could always like a good oatmeal, but I am now in LOVE with porridge.  I even bought by own spurtle! (it’s a wooden spoon thing; what were you thinking!)  Especially wonderful with heather honey and milk!

I even wrote a song I was so in love, which Carrie insisted I should definitely post here.  My porridge song:

“I love porridge in the springtime!

I love porridge in the fall!

I love porridge, yes, I oh I love porridge,

That I don’t need to eat anything else at all!”

(obviously I didn’t really know how the song went except the first 2 lines)

And the beers:

I tried to go with all the local ones: Caledonian, Deuchars, Independence, Tennants, Guiness (of course), but I think my favorite was Hobgoblin.

And cider, of course: Magner’s, Strongbow, & Bulmer’s Pear Cider.

I really swear I am going to keep posting pictures and videos and other fun things, even after I’m back in NY.  I have some really cool stuff to share, so I hope you will keep coming back to check it out.

I’m going to start the catching up now.  It does mean that I will be going back into those first weeks in Edinburgh and the sights that we saw.  Hopefully it will make sense.  Check out what you want to, skip what you don’t.  Most of all, I hope you enjoy as much as I have!

How cool is that?!

I’m currently on the train from Edinburgh to London and using their wifi.  It’s pretty darn cool, is how cool it is.  We just reached and are currently leaving Newcastle, so that means I’ve officially left Scotland and entered England.  Wow.  My time in Scotland has reached its end.

I’m on my way to London to stay with my friend Hassan for a day and a half, and then it’s home to NY!

Skye was absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to show you.  I survived the driving up and the driving back, though it has left me completely exhausted.  Pretty much all mountain driving, and a lot of that in the rain.  But i have conquered the left side of the road and the roundabouts and the one lane roads of the Highlands and return triumphant (and safe).

That was the automobiles, now it’s trains and then planes.  Which does mean lugging around my 100 pounds of baggage (I think that estimate may be low. eeesh), but I can rest when I’m home. :)

TO LONDON!