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  • Writer's pictureAnnie Dupee

New Year, Same Apocalypse

Even though I know that New Year's Eve is a human invention - an arbitrary date we picked to celebrate another circle around the sun - I still had hopes that the end of the 2020 calendar year would end the madness. That 2021 would be a little more stable.


But of course, that's not how it works. A worldwide pandemic won't come to a halt just because we've stopped writing 2020 and started writing 2021. And as is always true, good things and bad things seem to come hand-in-hand.


Trump lost the election (good), and then incited his followers to stage a coup and attack the Capitol (bad). The vaccine is rolling out (good), but Covid is still on the rise and the UK is back in lockdown (bad).


And on a much smaller scale, soon I'll be going home to see my family and friends (good), but my visa is expiring and I have to leave Scotland (bad).


We're trying to make the most of our time here. Last week Sienna cooked home-made wings (delicious) and Pim made a whole roasted ham (delectable). I contributed with a sweet potato casserole (so sweet. The recipe called for a whole cup of sugar). Recently we met up with our friend Cameron by the harbor and admired the lighthouse. We're going on walks - the temperature is hovering just above freezing during the day, and the sun is still setting around 4pm. And this past weekend, we rented a car for a few last-minute adventures.

As mentioned above, Scotland is back in national lockdown. So I would like to begin by assuring you that we were responsible during our excursions. The three of us are a household, and the only other people we came close to were James the Avis rental car guy and the workers in a chippy. We wore our masks and had hand-sanitizer on hand at all times.


With that being said, let's get into the fun!


On Saturday we picked up the car - because of Covid and travel restrictions, we ended up with a Mercedes Benz. Very cool car, but very confusing. For some reason the gear shift is where the windshield wipers should have been, which seems like a bit of a hazard to me.


Our first destination was Loch Lomond. We drove around the lake a bit before finding a smaller road leading to a lookout point. The day was overcast and misty, giving the lake a haunted sort of look. There was some ice - not nearly thick enough to walk on - and for a few minutes, it even snowed!


The snow did turn to freezing rain, but that did nothing to dampen our spirits. There was a little path right on the banks, so after walking along the lookout, we hiked for a bit. Frost on the ground, swans and ducks gliding past - the best part, in my opinion, was walking past a field of sheep. Their shepherd pulled up in his car, and the moment they heard the sound of the motor, all the sheep started running towards him. They baa-ed loudly when he got out of his truck, loping even faster. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen.


We were very damp from the rain when we got back to the car, but the day wasn't over yet. A very kind fisherman helped us turn the car around without falling into the lake, and we drove off to Balloch Castle.


Because of lockdown, none of the castles anywhere are open for tours - but I doubt this one would have been anyways. The true attraction was the grounds. Balloch Castle sits at the top of a hill, which slopes down to meet the lake. There were all sorts of walking paths, occupied mostly by young families. We had a lovely walk around the castle before setting off in search of some food.


We stopped at a chippy on the way back home - sadly our days were cut short because of the early sunsets. I'm much more comfortable driving on the left side of the road after our road trip in September, but I'd still prefer not to be on the roads after dark.


On Sunday we set out for St Andrews. Sienna's been wanting to see a stone circle, so I found one on the way that looked pretty cool. Finding it was one thing, and getting to it was a whole different adventure.


We'd been driving down back roads for some time when my map app told us to turn onto a smaller dirt road. The problem wasn't necessarily that the road was blocked by a locked gate; even if it hadn't been, we still wouldn't have been able to drive down it. The path was completely iced over.


With zero deliberation, we slipped and slid out of the car (I'd parked directly on an ice patch) and made our way down the path. Honestly, it was so fun - we mostly walked on the grassy sides, but occasionally one of us would try to 'skate' for a bit.


It was Sienna who spotted the stone circle. Nestled up a small hill next to some trees stood seven stones, all arranged around a wooden platform. Upon closer inspection, the stones themselves had carvings on them - of animals and spirals and other symbols. Sienna and Pim stood on the middle platform, and I put my hand on one of the stones and chanted a little, trying to send us back in time (anybody seen Outlander? Because we have not). As you've probably guessed, it did not work.


We had fun sliding back to our car and even passed an enormous man walking his two Dalmatians. From there, we drove out to St Andrews.


I visited St Andrews with my brother and sister-in-law just days before the first lockdown back in March (see my post "From the Desert to the Highlands"). The town is pretty different in the midst of lockdown.


It took a while to find lunch because everything was closed. It was practically a ghost town. But we did find another chippy, and walked around the adorable town while eating our chips. Our first destination was the beach by the castle ruins. We spent a good amount of time walking around on the sand, looking for cool rocks and enjoying being so close to the water. There's just something wonderful about being by the sea, isn't there?


We did walk a little ways north to a bigger beach, and then Pim and I spent a frustrating amount of time looking for a bathroom. We left Sienna to climb a big rock by the water, which she fell off of (she's okay, promise!).


After that, it was time to go home and return the rental car. I will never forget the sight of the three of us cleaning mud off a white Mercedes Benz with wet wipes.


I'll also try to have a photo gallery with some more pictures up soon!


We now have less than a week left in our Clarence Street flat. Our lease ends the 20th, and then I'm staying in an Air BnB for a few days to make sure everything is taken care of. Pim will fly out on the 19th, Sienna will fly out on the 20th, and I'll fly out on the 24th.


None of us want to leave. We're not ready for our time together to be over. But we have plans to keep in touch, and once Covid is under control, I'm sure we'll find our way back to each other. For now, we're packing and cleaning and donating, trying to see friends one last time and talking about which songs we'll be crying to on the plane ride home.


The new year may not have brought an end to the crazy, apocalyptic events that have been happening since the start of 2020, but it is bringing a new beginning. Our current adventure may be ending, but that just means it's time to start a new one.


Book Recommendation: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. This book has some of the best worldbuilding I've ever seen. Each fictional country has its own customs and religion, and all of the people groups relate to each other in unique ways. Shannon fleshed out this world with incredible skill. That being said, it is about 800 pages of high fantasy; Ead must protect the Queen so the Evil One does not rise, Tané must keep her indiscretions a secret if she wants to become a dragon rider, and Loth must find a way out of his banishment if he wants to live. There's magic and pirates and dragons - oh my! There are also a fair amount of LGBTQ characters, so if you're looking for representation, this book has it.

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