Transcript
Hello and welcome. I’m your host, Valerie, and this is my podcast solo sister travels here. I’ll be giving a lighthearted review of my travel experiences both here at home and abroad. Today’s episode is about my trip to Scotland and my traveling. Actually started Uber years ago, me and one of my best friends, we went to Italy which she booked through American Express. Yes, and that trip was wonderful. Crazy as it was, though, we went. It was two months like after the 9/11 attacks. So, but it was still a really beautiful trip. And we had a wonderful time. The next time I traveled came years and years after that, me and two of my besties went to Canada because we wanted to learn how to ski. Yeah, we went to Calgary. I’m from the East Coast. So I grew up around snow. My other best friend, she’s from Denmark. She grew up around Snow. Our other friend, our best friend, was from the Philippines, moved from the Philippines here to California. Never been in snow, never seen snow a day in our life. So when we got to Canada. It was only fitting that when we got our Lincoln Town car rental. That we let her drive. Yeah. Makes sense, right? Of course. It’s great. We had a blast, but my my next trip, like I said, was years and years and years and years after that had thought I was probably never going to travel for a while. But as I was visiting and working with some clients doing some notary work and things. It was an older couple and they told me they said Valerie and we were just sitting there talking about life and. Everything and they said, Valerie, if you don’t do anything else in life, travel and see the world granted. Yes, I know. I had already been to Italy and Canada, but like I said, that was so long ago. So once they told me that the following year is when I went to Scotland and when I get to Scotland, this is when I really got my. Shelly, they got bit by the travel bug and things kind of have started from there and this is how this trip goes. So once I decide to my destination where I like to go, I this is where I start to do my research for my so-called research. I pick my destination, I’ll go on of course obviously website and look up places to see and things to do there and then make my grocery list. The next thing I like to look up and check into is the best time to visit, or rather the best time slash, cheapest time to visit, which I’ve discovered usually ends up being like the tail end of the peak season. I don’t really like to go when things are if it’s too hot or too cold. I got my comfort level and I like to. I like to cruise in my comfort level. So I look at that’s how I do those. And then the main thing, one of the biggest things for me is when I plan my trips is looking up. Safety. Safety for a woman traveling by herself. Safety as a black woman traveling by herself in that part of the world. So when I was ready to book my trip to Scotland, I decided to go with AAA Travel services. Because I’m already a AAA member and they helped me with finding the tour and everything that I wanted and they found a tour that had all the things that I wanted to do there and I got to tell you, if you have never thought about using AAA for your travel or using a travel agent from them. Do you have a favor and and look at it when you’re doing your comparison shopping for sure, because they were 100%. Great about it. And then the whole experience, we’re working with them was absolutely wonderful.
OK, so now we are off and ready heading to Scotland and this is the best. So because I there were a couple extra things that I wanted to do that was not a part of the guided tour done by Brennan Vacation. AAA and then we’re able to help me. I booked. I flew in and booked the extra day in front of the tour and an extra day on. The. Back end. So when I first the beginning of my trip actually starts in Saint Andrews at the Fairmont Hotel. What? Oh, oh, get it. Get it? Yes. The beautiful Fairmont Hotel in Saint Andrews, which is one of like if not the top three, but top five most beautiful golf courses in the world. And this place was just that it. Was. So beautiful. And I’m so glad I was. There and it was funny because I actually had called the hotel ahead of time and had scheduled to take an hour long golf course. I mean, excuse me, a golf lesson. So that way I could say like, yes, I was on the golf course and everything. Like that but. That jet lag had another idea from me, so. When I got into my beautiful, beautiful hotel room and I’m sitting on the bed, it was so comfortable. Yeah. Lights out, Valerie. Fast asleep. I woke up. It was dinner time for me. So, but at least I got to walk around the ground, see everything. I’m looking at the North Sea. It was absolutely beautiful. Beautiful. Don’t regret. It at all once that, like I said, I flew in that day early, then I I had a car service to come pick me up and I went back to Edinburgh because that is actually where the tours started and Edinburgh was so beautiful. That old, old city. But it was really great. Beautiful hustle. So friendly driver and everything. That day I met up with everybody else that was a part of the tour. We had an orientation, which was done at the medical school that is there and got some history there. And that was really nice. We had lunch and everything. After the orientation, they drove us around. We went to the Royal Mile, which the Royal Mile is the main. City Park. And it wasn’t far from our hotel. So yeah, the hotel was the Novotel Center in Edinburgh, which was absolutely it was really nice hotel it was. Contemporary clean. Super nice. I would definitely if ever go back out. That would be a hotel I stayed at. So we start there. Our orientation they took us. We had dinner actually it was. Center at the Surgeons Hall Museum, which is actually really nice and, you know, we went around and there, toured around and then, like I said, we they drove us around. We saw the Royal Mile, which was kind of like their downtown city, which was actually not far from the hotel. It was actually within walking distance. And then after that we have the rest of the day to ourselves. Of course, everybody else was completely tired cause they had just flown in, but I wasn’t. So you know, I hit up a pub and things like that and kind of hung myself, but it it was really nice. First day. Next day, of course we did the tour. We went to Edinburgh Castle, which was up absolutely amazing. The history is just incredible. And then part of the tour included they had given us Brendan vacations. It also included tickets to their annual military tattoo show, which was taking place out front of, and Burl Castle. And I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of this or have you. His parents said. But this is the most amazing thing in the world. And no, it is not actual tattoos as in on your skin, these are. The military, the. Shall we say marching bands or the bands that represented the military from all the different countries? And it it was an incredible show. Do yourself a favor. Go on to YouTube. I don’t know if it’s on TikTok or anything like that, but look up the Edinburgh military tattoo and see some of the shows. They are absolutely incredible and they USA was there, showed up and showed out our the drill team that they had. Was impeccable. That stuff was amazing. So proud. So so proud.
