Day 38...Birthplace of golf - 3rd August

Got up at sparrows fart (5.30am) and drove straight to St Andrews and the golf course. It was amazing - I don't like golf and even I recognised it, its such an icon.

The sun was out and shining on the ocean and the course and the classing looking buildings. We were worried that we wouldn't get on, or that we'd get on at 5pm on some crappy backlot course - but we got on! The Old Course was a no-go (it was for the mega super experienced golfer anyway) but the New Course (built by Tom Morris 1895) was ok. I didn't play, I walked on with the camera and Nate went on with a guy from Oz and a guy from Boston.

The Scots invented golf, and St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. Its an absolute golfers mecca so Nate was really excited. We were expecting a super expensive, very strict course being the very first, but we were surprised at how relaxed it was! One guy went on and did a round with his dog! But it was still super classy, just not snobby. We really appreciated it.

It was so amazing for Nate to play at the birthplace of golf where people had been hacking through bushes looking for their balls for the past 600 years! Unlike yesterday where it rained and squalled, it was a beautiful clear sunny day all day (which didn't give much definition to the course for our photos but who's complaining?) The vision was clear and we could see the army jets take off like thunder nearby. Any wind (particulary ocean scottish wind) would hae battered any poor golfer severely.

Nate played really well (I missed a super shot on the video on the 3rd hole - it ended up being a birdie). He came a bit unstuck in the middle though. The problem was the pro shop hired him brand new calloway golf shoes which he thought was real flash - but ended up giving him blisters. Well, holes in his feet is more apt. You couldn't tell as he wasn't limping or bitching at all, but just started swinging a bit wildly around. At the 8th hole he grimaced and said he felt his skin slough off his left foot. Yuck! The rest of te course was completed with bloody heels. It was daunting for him as he only had gotten halfway through and had a whole other 9 holes to walk so he wacked a bit wild during the mid course. But it wasn't any worse than poor Boston guy, who was usually searching in the bushes on the opposite side of whatever bushes nate was looking in! Closer to the end, Nate recovered nicely and pulled it off under 100. What a day! We peeled his shoes and socks off and it was almost down to the flesh it was pretty icky.

Nate: "It was a classic links layout. There was thick dense grasses hedging the fairway. The fairway surface was surprisingly hard, but the greens were the most exceptional I've ever played."

We celebrated by having drinks in the clubhouse. After that, we wandered around the back 9 of the Old Course. There was some great old codgers in bobble hats there, and Nate got his photo on the iconic stone bridge. He also lost the 2nd camera case we had taking photos of the famous wall.

Nates losses to date:
1x undie bag (recovered)
1x sunnies case (with cash in it)
2 x Ricoh camera case
1 x sock

Nikkis losses to date:
None - Nathan is crap! haha

We then wandered back to the clubhouse for some more beer and had some delicious fish n chips (haddock to be exact!) It was mid afternoon so we drove most of the way north to a Scottish town called Aberdeen. Aberdeen was a surprise. A lot of British have bagged it as grey and it was - but that was what was so great about it. It was a medieval/industrial hybrid town in a very grey hue but had undeniable charm. Our hostel was in a gorgous old Victorian building in a street full of similar design, and it had a big old staircase. Nate was in a dorm with the boys and I was sharing a room with one lady. We dumped our bags and walked around Aberdeen while it was still light. It was the first day so far in our UK trip where we had pulled in before dinner and bedtime so had extra time to relax and explore. I would have liked to do the UK over more time, definately more than 3 weeks next time, but at this budget the pound is killing us!!! We had booked ahead from St Andrews rather than driving around tired and frustrated which was great too. It turned out the hostel was booked out after us - so lucky eh?

We wandered the busy streets and came across a themed pub. I loved it so we stayed for dinner. It was dark and haunted with cobwebs, knights armour, busts and van helsing lab equipment everywhere. To go to the bathroom you pushed what looked like a bookshelf to get in (like a secret passage). We sat in big old armchairs and Nate had the best meat on his burger ever! Apparently the Angus beef near Aberdeen is famous.

The hostel that night was actually comfy. My roommate spoke in such a thick Scottish accent that I couldn't understand her! Nate startled a few of his flatmates as he woke up staring at 3 alarmed lads who had just arrived in the door. He realised he was sitting up in bed and pointing at them, so he must have been blathering in his sleep again! We got these sheets that were sewn up like sleeping bags with a slot for the pillow. Wriggling into that then throwing the doonah on top felt like a little nest, so I was comfy. My feet touched the bottom so Nathan probably wasn't! I didn't even mind the glass above the door which let the light from the hallway in, like a mental institution or something! Maybe I was comfy as Nate was blathering at 3 boys this time, instead of me. Ah rest!