Great Britain

My UK trip was massive- like 5 days, 2 countries, 4 cities massive. It would be impossible to describe every single detail of the trip (or even list everything like my Spain entry), so I've decided to do a "SparkNotes" version. You fellow students will appreciate it, I'm sure :)

Plot
Flight to Glasgow (Prestwick), bus to Glasgow, bus to St. Andrews, bus to Edinburgh, bus to Glasgow, train to Manchester, bus to Liverpool Airport, Flight back to Milan. I crossed the island of Great Britain twice, from the Irish Sea to the North Sea and back. In all, I spent 5 hours in the air, 9 hours on a bus, and 4 hours on a train.

Setting
St. Andrews, Scotland
The small town of St. Andrews, located on the North Sea, was my first destination. I stayed at the prestigious and historic St. Andrews University. In addition to the beautiful university, I visited the famous Old Course of St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf. Not only has this golf course been host to countless (British) Opens, but it was immortalized in the opening scene of Chariots of Fire (no, I didn't recreate "the run"- it was too cold :). I also explored the cemetery, bishop's hall, and any warm buildings. To me, St. Andrews was larger than life. Certainly larger than what the population sign said anyway.

Edinburgh, Scotland
One of my favorite cities in Europe, Edinburgh (which correctly pronounced sounds Aussie) had a ton to see. I spent most of the early afternoon exploring the very cool Museum of Scotland (and trying to remember the Stewart line). After meeting up with Maciej, we walked the Royal Mile (1.5 times), saw the Scott Monument (gotta love Ivanhoe), Scottish Parliament, the Queen's residence, countless kilt stores, the castle (with the Wallace statue), and hiked Arthur's Seat (little Mt. Fuji as Maciej put it :). Our final experience was eating a traditional Scottish meal of haggis (sheep's liver) at the oldest pub in Scotland, The White Hart Inn.

Manchester, England
Maciej and I made our way to Manchester for Halloween weekend. This historically industrial city pleasantly surprised me. Maciej and I walked around the many different areas of Manchester- Piccadilly, Canal, Salford, Chinatown, and Trafford. Many of these areas had underwent an urban renewal. They were full of people, stores, and waterfronts. Some of the highlights included the Hilton, Old Trafford, the Imperial War Museum (and Salford Quays), and the abandoned Polish club. I also got to see the new James Bond movie in England. While the movie was average, it was incredibly ironic for me to watch an American film about an Englishman getting chased in Italy. Lombardia e Toscana represent!

Major Characters
Molly
I cannot thank Molly enough. My original plan was to stay with a friend of a friend in St. Andrews, but that fell through a couple days before I left. Finally realizing that Molly (a fellow Emory junior) was in St. Andrews, I asked if I could stay with her. She graciously agreed. Molly picked me up at the bus station, gave me an amazing tour of St. Andrews, and introduced me to tons of sweet Englishmen, Scots, and other Americans (including one Phillies fan with whom I watched Game 5 :). I am so grateful for Molly because I got to see an extraordinary amount of the city, the university, and the people because of her. If it wasn't for her and her wonderful heart, I wouldn't have gotten to see St. Andrews!

Molly, you're awesome! Thanks a lot!

Maciej
When talking about Maciej, I find it useful to first describe his background and our serendipitous relationship. Maciej is Polish, goes to school in Manchester, and loves Japan. We met in Tokyo when I stayed with him and my great friend Tim Soo in an extra tiny bedroom. Maciej was exploring Tokyo for about a month. When he found out I would be in Europe this fall, he practically forced me to visit him :) We met up in Edinburgh where we once again found ourselves walking (there weren't as many Japanese people though...) while exploring the city. From there, we went by bus and train to Salford University in Manchester. He gave me the complete tour of Manchester. Maciej is just one of the most warm and affable people you can meet. Our friendship, which started so strangely, is something I am grateful for.

Themes
Man vs. Wild, Human Character
It was cold. Very cold. The whole time I was there it was raining, windy, and cold. It was a constant battle to stay warm- especially when your bus' air conditioning is on (a malfunction or something). However, it wasn't just the crappy weather. It was the normality of it all. When I first saw the North Sea in Norway someone had pointed in the direction of the UK. In St. Andrews and Edinburgh, I was ironically looking out over the same sea in the opposite direction. After seeing it from both sides, I can honestly agree it is the most fierce body of water I have ever seen. As I am writing this, I think that the land and the climate were part of what made Great Britain so enchanting. The dreary coldness of the weather was matched only by the bright warmth of the people. Indeed, it was fun not only to talk in English, but to speak with such genial people. I'm reminded of Emily, a bright St. Andrews freshman from Edinburgh. When she found out I was traveling to her hometown, she drew a map for me and placed it on my door the night before I left. She was as excited as I am when I talk about Minnesota!