Kunal's visit: Bayou City to Granite City

After Munich we all flew back to the 'Deen.  The next day, Ram flew out to New Orleans for work and Kunal and I went to Edinburgh. This was my 3rd time in Edinburgh but I love the city and was determined to see/do new things this time. During the day we walked around some familiar spots and this time I finally went into the Edinburgh Castle to see the Crown Jewels. I think I had very high expectations because I was disappointed when I saw them.  Oh well. The views from the towers were awesome. We ended our night by eating at Bon Vivant and had a few beers at 99 Hanover.

The next day we flew to Dublin.  This was a first for both of us.  Ram, of course, was not happy to miss out on this adventure.  Maybe you should quit that pesky job of yours that's getting in the way of all our travel:) Our first stop was the Guinness Storehouse.  We toured the 7 story building and ended up at the top floor with panoramic views of the city while sipping gulping down a pint.  I have to say, I've never been a fan of guinness but the minute I tasted it in Dublin, I was hooked.  There was no bitterness! I also learned some interesting facts. The beer contains a large amount of iron and only in Ireland will anemic pregnant women get a prescription to drink guinness.  Now I know where I'll be going for my future babymoon! I also found out why I don't like guinness anywhere else in the world.  In Dublin, the factory sends employees to all the pubs to clean out the kegs weekly.  This means we get the freshest pour of guinness every time.

If it's poured correctly, you don't let it fill up completely and wait for it to change color before topping it off

Top me off please! 

Top Floor Guinness Storehouse

Our second (and last) day in Dublin we did a bike tour and were joined by my good friend Jillian and her guests, Faye and Donna.  I hadn't been on a bike in years and the constant stop/start made me an uneasy rider.  But I didn't fall:) Overall I liked the sights that we saw but Dublin felt like just another big city.  I'm hoping to venture out to the countryside next time.  But I'm enjoying these unconventional ways of touring a city.

A notable sight: this used to be a leper colony.  When they added these poles to memorialize the area, you know that saying, "I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole!" That originated here. 

Harp Bridge or as our tour guide would call it, "stiffy of the iffy." The harp is a symbol of the region and Guinness adopted it as their logo

U2 was here

After biking for a few hours we indulged in our first pint of the day.  The neighborhoods in Dublin are not the most creative, we stayed at the Temple Bar Hotel, in the Temple Bar area, and drank at Temple Bar (not the hotel bar).  It didn't matter because every pub had live music and there's nothing like a pint of guinness and live music at the end of the night.

The day we flew back to Aberdeen, the sun was showing off so we dropped off our stuff and caught the next train to Stonehaven (another must see).  Dunnotar Castle is simply breathtaking under the glow of the sun.  I'm sad that this is my 3rd and last time there.  This was the 1st castle I saw in Scotland and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

On Friday, we ventured out to Inverness, 2 hours west of Aberdeen in search of the Lochness Monster.  Though we didn't see Nessie (and I highly doubt she exists), we took a boat tour over the lake which is 42 degrees (6 degrees Celsius) all year long.  The boat dropped us off at Urquart Castle  which has a rich history dating back to the 15th century.

Never seen a complete rainbow before! This has to be good luck. 

The next day, Saturday, we finally got a chance to sleep in and be lazy.  That night was our fall social for my ex-pat org, where Nary Pena and I, my partner in crime, put on a sports themed bowling event for 50 people! It was a hit, and I'm getting tired of writing (and if you've read this far, congratulations, you're almost done) so you can read her blog about it here.  Next up we have our Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner, a Holiday Shopping event & a Christmas Luncheon to close out the year.


Now I just want to stay put for the next few weeks! But that will not be happening folks.  I know, you all hate me.  Next week, Dubai is calling....