On 11 Aug we flew Air France direct from Seattle to Charles de Gaulle in Paris, landing on 12 Aug. After a very short layover of only about an hour we flew onward to Edinburgh. We breezed through Customs and Immigration, the former of which didn't seem to exist, and jumped on a bus to the train station. Of course, jumping onto a bus when carrying eight very heavy and large bags is more desire than fact and we found this aspect of our trip to be very difficult indeed. By the time we boarded the train to Dundee we were very sweaty and slightly irritated with the whole endeavor. Perhaps next time we'll eliminate more of our worldly possessions so we only have six bags to maneuver?
Upon arriving in Dundee we took a cab to our new flat. There was some initial confusion with our keys and Desi was stuck waiting outside with all the bags for about 15 minutes while Mike ran around campus with John the Janitor looking for Janice the Landlord. Eventually, John the Janitor received the permissions he needed in order to let us into our flat without Janice the Landlord's help. He was an excellent guide, providing us with a short tour of our new home, before letting us settle in. Janice the Landlord eventually showed up (she had taken a long lunch with her daughter) to give us our keys and repeat everything John the Janitor had said since we were unsure of the accuracy of our comprehension the first time around (the brogue will take some getting used to).
These first few weeks in Scotland have been surreal. Because Mike is not in school yet and Desi hasn't started working we're caught in this pseudo-vacation mode where we are filling our days up with sightseeing and exploration and not really interacting much beyond financial exchanges with the locals. Mike's Freshers Week begins tomorrow though and we will most likely start interacting with the locals a whole lot more from this point forward. Our pseudo-vacation is coming to an end and life in Scotland will soon begin. Wish us luck!
Upon arriving in Dundee we took a cab to our new flat. There was some initial confusion with our keys and Desi was stuck waiting outside with all the bags for about 15 minutes while Mike ran around campus with John the Janitor looking for Janice the Landlord. Eventually, John the Janitor received the permissions he needed in order to let us into our flat without Janice the Landlord's help. He was an excellent guide, providing us with a short tour of our new home, before letting us settle in. Janice the Landlord eventually showed up (she had taken a long lunch with her daughter) to give us our keys and repeat everything John the Janitor had said since we were unsure of the accuracy of our comprehension the first time around (the brogue will take some getting used to).
These first few weeks in Scotland have been surreal. Because Mike is not in school yet and Desi hasn't started working we're caught in this pseudo-vacation mode where we are filling our days up with sightseeing and exploration and not really interacting much beyond financial exchanges with the locals. Mike's Freshers Week begins tomorrow though and we will most likely start interacting with the locals a whole lot more from this point forward. Our pseudo-vacation is coming to an end and life in Scotland will soon begin. Wish us luck!
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