WOW!

Wow! It's been a whole week since I have been able to write. Let's see.

So, Tuesday we rented a car and drove from Aberdeen to Banchory. Banchory is the quintessential Scottish town. It was sooooo cute with cute European houses and a really fun main street that had some fun shops. The people were so friendly, too.

Our hotel was on the main street, which made it fun. So the questions of the day....what is the difference between a B&B and a hotel. I'm going to say the size of the bathroom and the times for breakfast. Our bathroom at the Burnett Arms (Best Western) was the same size as our whole room at our first hostel! I kid you not. I could have invited a few friends over for a dance! Why I didn't, I kick myself every day, but I could have! :>

We traveled around on very narrow roads and saw cute villages and castles. Wednesday night was the first night of the Burnett Family Gathering 2009. (Burnett is my grandmother's maiden name.) I would say that 99% of the people that came were from the United States. Sir James Burnett and his family were the hosts and for being as high up in status as they are, they were the kindest people I have ever met!

So Wednesday night we had a dinner in big tents on their front lawn. It was quite a house! We got there early and stood outside the tent talking to people as they would come. Within minutes my head started to itch horribly! I was mortified, because as nonchalant as I tried to be, I wanted to start going crazy scratching my scalp! I thought, oh no! I'm having some sort of a reaction to being outside! Then the woman next to me quietly asked me, does your scalp itch? It was these little bugs called, midges, that were attracted to our hairspray! It was crazy!!! Thank goodness as soon as we went into the tent for dinner it stopped! We had freshly shot pheasant and rice and a lovely chocolate pie for dessert. For entertainment they had a Scottish fiddle player who accompanied us while we sang a few ditties! It was fun and I met some really nice people.

Thursday was a tour of Crathes Castle, which is the castle that Sir James Barnett grew up in until he moved out to give the castle over the the Trust of Scotland. It was beautiful and the gardens that were adjoining were the most incredible things I have ever seen! Then we took a bus to a house that was lived in by some of our Burnett relatives. A family still lives there and they were very kind to show us around.

Friday was a bus tour of the town of Aberdeen. We had stayed there for a few days prior to coming to Banchory and had actually been to some of the places we visited. Again I met some really nice nice people. My new BFF is a woman named Terry Wood from Texas. She is 71 and was traveling with her aunt and cousin. She was a kick in the pants and we had a great time together the rest of the trip!

That night we went to a dinner and Scottish dance that was sooooooooooooo much fun! After we ate they moved the tables away and their was a great live Scottish band that played all sorts of fun music. The Scottish men would come around and ask you to dance and then the leader of the band would try to explain the steps. It was a hoot, but also confirmed that no matter that culture... this girl can't dance! But wow, was it fun!

Saturday we went to the Aboyne Highland Games. The weather was so cold and rainy but the games must go on! There wereplenty of bag pipe bands, (which in Scotland aren't nearly as annoying) and different events where they throw things! I wish I could be more educated and tell you what they were called, but I saw a few strong hotties that I wouldn't have minded taking home! I didn't see their teeth, though, so I'm not sure! :> Some of the different clans, ie The Burnett Clans, etc... had tents that had food and snacks in them that you could hang out in and eat to get out of the cold.

That afternoon after shopping at a great store across the street and buying two VERY cute skirts! I promise you all will love them! We got ready to go to Castle Fraser for a Mystery Theater dinner. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fun! The castle was amazing and we actually ate in one of the upper rooms. All the food we had for the reunion was First Class with beautiful presentation!

The people from the reunion were so great, so it was the perfect way to end this memorable trip!

This morning I boarded a plane from Aberdeen to Dublin and now I am sitting in an Internet Cafe typing my blog! I'm so cultured! Oh, and I checked back into Paddy's Palace Hostel. My aunt is a saint and booked me a private room with my own bathroom! Mind you it's on the 5 floor and the stairs are very very narrow, but I was very happy about it.

I fly tomorrow from Dublin to Boston, Boston to Salt Lake, Salt Lake to Phoenix and arrive home at 10:15 PM, never to board a plane again! My parents left town, (big surprise :>) so my sister is coming to pick me up. I can't wait to see my family!

Well, it's almost 6 and I am starving so off I will go to find food. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET HOME AND EAT DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD!

I must tell you that the girl next to me is talking on the phone through Skype about what she will order to eat the next time she goes the movies. Really, honey?!?! I know I'm back in Dublin because the F word is used more than the word 'the' and I smell smoke wherever I go!

TTFN!