Today was a lazy day...

...but tonight was a night of well-mannered (hah!) frivolity!

Firstly, at dinner, we met another girl on our program, Kit, who is also from California. She is quite nice as well. Anyway, Jessica and I decided at dinner that we wanted to explore the pub culture of Scotland, and what better evening than Saturday night! So we started out at the Southsider, which I'd read about in the Freshers' pamphlet they gave us, and apparently it's the hang-out spot of Dick Vet students. And, going in, it was quite obvious why. Cheep beer (and GOOD beer), and nice atmosphere, and live music (the band was called the Offenders). Definitely a place I will return to. At this bar, I sampled St. Andrew's Ale, which was very delicious.

The Southsider Pub
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The Offenders

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Jessica and I in the Southsider
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The next bar we stopped at was in the fringe area, so very packed full of tourists, called Deacon Brodie's Pub. Our first intention at this pub was mainly the bathroom, but once there we decided to try something, so I had Edinburgh's best Cask Ale, which was also better than US beer, but still not as good as the St. Andrew's. No pictures from here, as it was too crowded.

THEN, we walked down my favorite street, West Bow, and stopped in a cute looking place called The Last Drop, which was a great atmosphere, and had money plastered to the ceiling, which was amazing. I tried Guinness here, and actually loved it, which is odd, because I remember trying it in college and thinking it was the most disgusting drink I've ever tasted. But it was really good. Maybe even my favorite so far. Jessica also taught me how to tip a bartender in Scotland, which is by telling him after he's gotten your drinks "also one for yourself." And I'm not sure how she knows this, but the bartender seemed very pleased, and taken aback, that I had said this, and sheepishly took himself a tip.

The Last Drop Pub
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The barstaff of the Last Drop - note the money on the ceiling.

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Jessica and I in the Last Drop
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Then we walked back home in the rain, and it was fantastic. Jessica and I have roughly the same sense of humor, so it was a very fun time. :) We stopped in a "Scotland Store" and were having fun listening to the Scottish versions of American songs (played on the bagpipes of course). I bought us both a cheap little keychain of a Scottie dog. I figure, it's a must have for a vet in Scotland, and cute besides. :)

Scottie Dog Keychain

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Earlier in the day, as I said, was a lazy day, mainly to give my feet time to recover (blisters abound), and just to take a day off from hard-core exploration. I had a nice long nap, and caught up with people online. But again, it's nice to have a lazy morning in preparation for a fun night!

Also, the UK has claimed its second umbrella. I have given up.