Where's Wenda?

Happy one week before Christmas Day! :) Do you have all your Christmas preparations finished? I don't, so stop rubbing it in already if you do! ;)

In all the Adventing funness, I seem to have forgotten to post about my recent trip back to England - although I achieved pass-list status back in September, my official graduation ceremony wasn't held till December 8th. So my parents came to England with me to watch me walk across yet another stage while wearing a fancy hood.

Here are the profs, pre-ceremony, looking all fancy in their robes

I made it, and without tripping on the stage, too! :)

While in Newcastle, we stayed at the City Apartments on the Quayside - I highly recommend this place! I booked it through Expedia about 2 weeks before the trip, and it was something like £50 a night for a 2 bedroom flat, including an extra sofa bed, should you need it. It would be a great place to put extended family and friends who are coming for a longer visit!

This was the view from our windows one morning - the flats are located on the East side of the Ouseburn River, up the hill from the Tyne pub.

After Newcastle, we took a very North American style drive around Scotland. Newcastle to Inverness on Wednesday, then back to Edinburgh via Fort William and Glencoe on the Thursday, so we could all fly out on Friday. Hectic yes, but fun nevertheless. :)

On the way out of Inverness, we drove up a little ways into Glen Urquhart, to see the Corrimory Cairn, and some of the surrounding area.

Here are Hudson and Frobisher posing just outside the entrance... they wanted to go in further, but the door was too low for me, and they wouldn't go in alone.

On the way back to the car, they had a failed attempt at skating on the 'pond' in the parking lot...

...they really have become too citified recently!

After a quick visit with the Loch Ness Monster,

a stop at Urquhart Castle,

and an encounter with Waldo's girlfriend Wenda (or was that Wilma?),

we headed off towards Glencoe. Hudson served as navigator.

Hudson was fired as navigator when he wanted to follow this arrow, and go through the mountains instead of around them. So we locked the bears in the back of the car, and continued on our way. :)