Scotland 7, 8 and 9: Night Out and Glasgow

As our trip came to a close we all I started to get a little exhausted.  As much as I loved seeing different parts of Scotland and Ireland I was ready for a few days of R&R.  So that is what I did.  I hardly left the flat we were staying in.  It felt so nice to just be lazy, not get out of my PJs and catch up on social media and trashy television.

Our one plan we had for the rest of the trip was to go out for a night of drinks and karaoke in Glasgow as a last hoorah and somewhat of a bachelorette (hen party they call it over there), even though Barry's fiance was there.  We rented a booth for just the six of us for two hours to sing at the top of our lungs, out of tune (at least for the Brantleys) and delicious cocktails.  We sang everything from Garth Brooks, Allmond Brothers and Michael Jackson to Kelis and Sir Mix-A-Lot.  So much fun!

taking a look at the children's menu!  I haven't seen one of these since I was like... 5) 

That's a lot to promise!  

And a disco ball.  Perfect way to end a Saturday night out!  

I literally did not leave the flat the next day.  I would blame it on a hangover but I was just lazy.  I read, napped, read, repeat.  It was so nice and refreshing.  And as much as I enjoyed everyones company this girl needs some alone time (even in Scotland) and it was nice to get that while everyone went out for a few. 

friends as ants. 

As I know I have mentioned A LOT our trip a majority of the time was rainy and wet (as I know that is how it is Scotland) but the sun always came out when it really mattered.  Like our last day.  It was absolutely beautiful.  The sky was the bluest I had seen in a while and the green was just so... green!  It was actually a little warmer and I had to peel off some layers. 

We had already planned to walk around Glasgow as a group but were so fortunate to have such a gorgeous day.  Our first stop was the Glasgow Cathedral.  As you can see parts of it are under construction but what a beautiful building.  Seriously, the architecture never ceased to amaze me!  

In a small park on the way to the necropolis 

We then headed up to the Glasgow Necropolis behind the cathedral for gorgeous views of the city and the cathedral from above.  

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle hands

Lego hands. 

As goes with walking around we all started to get a little hungry so Simon took us on a little detour of the city to grab lunch at a nearby SM Supermarket.  

I think Santa was lost. 

We found a perfect shaded area to sit and inhale our lunches while we people watched and enjoyed the scenery.  

I thought this was incredibly sweet!

Our last stop of the day was the Kevingrove Art Gallery and Museum.  A beautiful building with quite the range of art on display.  While everyone walked around I grabbed my kindle and found a sunny spot to read (and nap) and get some more photos. 

We took another scenic route home through a park in the city.  Since it was such a beautiful day there were loads of people out and about.  Kids playing, couples reading snuggled together, hippies playing guitars, etc.  Great for people watching.  

Great end to a lovely 2 weeks in Ireland and Scotland!

Thank you so much to K, Barry and Simon for letting us take over your flat for a week and half!  What a great way to spend my frist trip across the big pond!  Can't wait to go back! 

Scotland Day 3/Oban Day 1

Since Barry and Simon both had to work on Tuesday and Wednesday (but had off Thursday and Friday) K, Cameron, Melissa and I decided take a trip up to Oban for an overnight stay Tuesday and Wednesday.  We caught the early train in Glasgow to Oban.  Oban is another Harbor Town NW of Glasgow and a three hour train ride (but faster by car) from the city.  And we were lucky again to have sun, blue skies and warm weather for another harbor town trip.

Scottish boys heading school 

Cam catching some shut eye on the train

The view of the Scottish countryside from the train was absolutely breathtaking.  I re-discovered a new love for the color green.  

These sweet men hadn't been to Oban for 40 years.  They were uber friendly and the one looking out the window looked like that the ENTIRE trip.  So cute.

Melissa imitating the sweet old man.  Jerk. 

Like I mentioned before I was not really involved in the planning process for the trip.  I only wanted to see green and cliffs.  I am not quite sure who discovered Oban but, like Howth, it did not disappoint.  Such a beautiful town with a gorgeous view from any direction you looked.  If I ever make it over to Scotland again I would definitely like to spend more time in Oban.  I highly recommend it if you are ever in the area.   

We rented bikes to get around the island for the two days we were there.  Our first stop was to find our B&B we stayed in.  I am not really sure what happened because I just followed but we took a bit of a detour up a rather large hill (remember we are on bikes) trying to find it.  We stopped to ask directions and were told to turn around go back down the hill and it would be right in town to our left.  Go figure. At least we burned a few calories in the process. 

View from where we asked directions. 

We finally found the B&B and got settled before heading out for a hike.  You can tell we were pretty exhausted.

View from our B&B room

We biked about 2 miles to catch a ferry (that leaves every half hour) for a mile ferry boat ride to the Isle of Kerrera.

Views from the ferry boat. 

Isle of Kerrera is an island easily seen from the Oban Bay.  It's a very large island with great hiking and different castles to visit.  Unfortunately, we completely underestimated the time it would take to see any of the castles we hoped to see.  Even though we did not get to see any castles the scenery was still amazing. My favorite part were the sheep you would see at every corner you turned.  Like in your path.  And you could hear them Baa-ing.  Made me giggle.  I was quite surprised how close they allowed you to get to them.  

oh hey! 

With the ferry boat leaving every half hour and the last one leaving at 5 or 6 (I don't remember which) we had to race back to catch for fear we get stuck on the island without a place to stay.  Luckily, we made it in time but needless to say we were all pretty exhausted and quite grumpy from lack of food.  So we headed back to the B&B to put our stuff down and walked into town for a dinner with a side of the Euro Cup and drinks.  

Restaurant view

Even though I am not huge soccer (or football) fan I still wanted to catch a Euro Cup game at a pub and see the fans.  In my mind I thought it would be a lot like being at a bar on Sunday afternoon during the American Football season.  I was pleasantly surprised to see it was a little bit more crazy!  Anyway, we stuck to our end of the bar and just observed the fans while we enjoyed our drinks. 

I thought this guy had a cute butt.  Shh don't tell the husband;)

One of the unruly locals came over to talk with us Americans and bought us a few drinks.  And didn't leave us alone for the rest of the evening.  Sit me in front of a person with a Scottish accent (or any accent for that matter minus Pittsburghese) I will be entertained for hours.  

I'm cracking up! 

Looks like a serious conversation. 

He was amazed by our straight, white teeth.  I guess it's kinda hard to hide that you are an American in Scotland if you have straight teeth.  He knew we were American right away (before we even opened our mouths).  

Thanks to our Oban friend for the free drinks, great laughs and even better memories!