Triumphant Return

Ryan Air Nightmare - The Sequel.  At 4:45am on Tuesday, LB and I roused ourselves from a restless slumber to catch a bus to Memmingen airport to fly to Edinburgh.  Just another charming feature with Ryan Air - they never land in major cities as would be convenient; they use smaller airports in neighboring towns.  Our flight ended up being delayed by several hours because the plane coming from Edinburgh was unable to take off.  It was literally sitting and waiting for the temperature to rise from -16 degrees to -14 so the de-icing fluid would work.  Can you imagine if Canadians couldn't travel in weather colder than -14?!  (I don't mean to imply that the Scots are not as stout and hardy a folk as Mel Gibson has led you to believe.  In most cases, the Scots are enduring the same temperatures indoors as they are outdoors due to the lack of central heating.)  At any rate, the sun finally came out to warm Scotland up the necessary 2 degrees and our plane made it to Memmingen.  That's when Ryan Air really won my heart.  Through security and passport control and sitting at our gate, which was just a plain room without even a vending machine in sight, the gate agent handed out vouchers for 5 euro to spend at the airport of issue... on the OTHER side of security and passport control.  Just before boarding?  Are you kidding me?  "Here's some money, but you can't spend it! Ha ha. We are so generous and kind.  You're welcome."  Whatever.  I'm over it.  I'm done with Ryan Air and, after all, I'm in Scotland again at last!

There have been some changes in my beloved Edinburgh over the last 2 years.  Construction on the tram line down Princes Street seems to be completed, although I have yet to see a tram.  Some new stores and pubs are open that I don't recognize.  And everything is covered with snow.  For the most part though, it's the same old Edinburgh and I am pleased as punch to be back.  To make things even better, Emy arrived to join us Thursday afternoon!  Since then, the three of us have had steak and ale pie (some of us have had more of these than others), beef stew, haggis, hob nobs, magners, cider black shortbread, and cranachan.  What more can I ask from life?  I guess since I'm feeling greedy, I'd ask for more cranachan and a butterbeer.

Flam and I also went to see HPATDHP1- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.  HP is NOT as cool over here as it is at home.  Weird.  Maybe Margaret Lawrence and Farley Mowat are cool over here...