Let it Snow!

It's Christmas, it's Christmas and the snow is falling!! Aberdeen has literally been transformed into a Winter Wonderland overnight. The snow first began falling on Friday evening. Mike, me, mom and Louis Dean had driven down to the beach to get a look at the North Sea and grab some lunch. When we visited the beach in the fall, Mike and I had walked down onto the sand and dabbled our feet in the freezing water. But this time, the waves were crashing hard onto the shore, and the tide has risen dramatically with the change in seasons. It was an ominous thought to be out in the water but before we left we spotted a lone surfer struggling to drag his board over the forceful waves out to sea. He was in a wet suit and all, but I still can't even imagine how cold it must have been. We were shivering after just 15 minutes outside!

For lunch, we decided to try TGI Fridays. I have only been to Fridays a few times in the States and every experience was a terrible one: bad service and worse food. But our visit to the Aberdeen location was perfect! It was nice and warm inside and the service was fantastic and the food even better (ribs, fries and onion rings, yum-o!). We grabbed a table right by the window overlooking the sea and chatted and ate and watched the waves and the beginning of the snowfall fluttering down. It was what Mike and I like to call a great "American experience in Aberdeen."

Later that day my mom and I went shopping at Primark and then Union Square. When we came outside, it was absolutely pouring snow! On our walk home, the wind wasn't blowing and it wasn't unbearably cold so we enjoyed crunching through the snow, reminiscing about memories from skiing in Colorado. 

Mike and I went to the park across the street from our flat and had a snowball fight and took pictures of the powder!

There's still quite a bit on the agenda and I can't believe that this week is CHRISTMAS! We are looking forward to cooking another good holiday meal and then Mike and I will both be off work until after New Years. Because of the attempted strike with British Airways, my mom and LD will likely be staying until a week or so after New Years... it's a blessing in disguise as we'll get to spend just a little more time with them!

Last night, the four of us ate dinner at Little Italy's, just a few blocks from the flat. It's continued to snow off and on since Friday, and quite a bit at that, so we bundled up and slipped and slid our way to the restaurant. I walk by the restaurant all the time on my way home from work, and alway see people laughing and sipping wine, huddled over their bowls of pasta. It seems as though we enjoyed an equal experience: I got the most delicious penne pasta with garlic and marinara sauce and spicy Italian sausage, Mike got lasagna with creamy sauce, my mom some hot, delicious minestrone soup and a parmigiano reggiano and avocado salad and LD ordered a pizza margherita. The boys ordered pints of Italian beer at the rustic eatery, decked out in Italy's white, green and reds with tall, single red candlesticks propped in old wine bottles on each table. 

Afterwards, we went to College Bar for a couple drinks, sitting in a comfy booth on the second floor overlooking the bartenders at work with prime view of the football game on the flat screen. Mom and LD took their leave after a few drinks before they turned into pumpkins, and Mike and I headed down Union Street to The Grill. They're known for their selection of more than 500 whiskeys from all over the world, even Japanese whisky and good ole American stock like Crown Royal. We had them dust off the bottle of Crown and pour a couple drams, savoring every sip since we hadn't had any since we left the US and it's one of our favorites. The Grill also lays claim to what is possibly the oldest dram on sale anywhere in the world, a 65 year old Macallan distilled in 1938. I would assume you drink that one very slowly...

COLLEGE BAR

CROWN AT THE GRILL

We have yet to check out Aberdeen's Maritime Museum, a nearby castle I have picked out and possibly a drive to Dufftown, home of Scotland's many distilleries and the Malt Whisky Trail. That's the town where Mike and I toured the Glenfiddich distillery back in September. It's the most distillery-saturated place in the world, and supposedly raises more capital for the Government per head of population than any other place in the UK. Though most of the distilleries are now closed until the early spring, it's still a scenic little town to visit, with antiquated book shops and small cafes occupying the town center. When the foliage is better, it's also an extremely beautiful country drive. 

TOURING GLENFIDDICH

London and Paris have received lots of snow and many of the airlines and trains have been shut down due to the weather. With the holiday, it's putting a big strain on all the Christmas travelers. We're hoping Stephen is able to arrive in Aberdeen on Christmas Eve without any problems, he's currently touring around in Ireland and will join us for a week in Scotland to celebrate New Years in Edinburgh. 

THE LATEST SNOWSTORM OUTSIDE OUR FLAT WINDOW