Europe Trip

This summer I was accepted to present some research at a conference in Amsterdam, so Marshall and I decided to make it a fun trip and ended up spending 2 weeks in Europe. We started off in London, then took a ferry to Amsterdam, then flew to Scotland where we spend a week driving through the  highlands before flying back to London for a day and then flying home. It was a fantastic trip.
We went to a "Evensong Concert" in Westminster Abby.

Marshall captions this photo "smells like urine."
I LOVE fish and chips and these ones by the Tower Bridge were by far the best I've ever tasted. 
In London we took a Big Bus tour so we could make sure we saw everything. This is the parliament buildings (Big Ben was under construction). 
15 years of traveling together. 
The Canada House in London. 
We got to see "A Midsummer's Dream" in the Globe Theater in London. This English major's dream come true!
St. Paul's Cathedral. We later took a tour of the beautiful building. 
More fish and chips. Quite frankly, the local food wasn't my favorite, so if fish and chips was on the menu, that is what I ordered. 
We went to the British Museum and saw some cool artifacts, including the Rosetta Stone. 
"Dam Square" in Amsterdam

When we were in Amsterdam I spent most of my time at the conference while Marshall worked in the hotel room, but we did get out to see a few sights. This picture is from a canal tour and the houses are called the "dancing houses" because they all tilt different directions. 
You can't really even imagine how many bikes are in Amsterdam until you get there. 
Of course, cannabus is legal in Amsterdam and is everywhere. One day we stopped for ice cream and they asked if we wanted it "special." At first we thought "of course we want special ice cream" until we realized they meant did we want it with marajauna in it.
We took a day away from the conference and visited Zanse Schanse on the outskirts of Amsterdam. It is an old historical town where we toured old windmills and a chocolate factory. 
We also toured a wooden shoe factory. 
They are uncomfortable and hard to walk in.
After Amsterdam we flew to Edinburgh and toured Edinburgh Castle (amazing!)
Marshall tried the sugary, bubble-gum tasting Irish soda Irnbru. 
I had fun learning about the history of the Fraser and Milne clans. 
Edinburgh might be my favorite city in Europe. It is so beautiful, historical, and low key/unpretentious. 
We visited Stirling Castle. 
We went to Loch Ness and did a boat tour looking for the Monster. 
Just like I ordered fish and chips everywhere, Marshall LOVED ordering haggis everywhere in Scotland. 
This was the  most beautiful, picturesque castle we saw. The Eilean Donan castle. 
One day we rented a car and drove all around the Isle of Skye. We loved these "Kilt Cliffs."

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