Pints Abroad

(plus Tottenham v Newcastle game too)

Been a very, very short two weeks, and I don’t see that pace slowing down anytime in the near future. Since the last post, I have been to both Scotland and Italy, survived two very close calls on flights, drank one bottle of water, and read two books. With all that known, the last two weeks must have felt like forever, right? absouletly not.

Time here does not exist.

Doesn’t matter if you wake up at 9 am or noon; it becomes 4 pm (16:00) within 30 minutes. I’m pretty sure I have finally settled back in today after going to Milan last weekend, but it doesn’t matter becuase I leave tomorrow for France (first world problems). In order to catch up on what I’ve been doing/ where I’ve been, I thought it’d be easiest to write a how-to guide on each place (or game) I’ve been to so that everyone knows exactly how this abroad thing works.

How to Edinburgh, Scotland as a 21yr old Abroad Student

First, you have to start off by waking up at 5am to take the train to Stansted Airport and try not to fall asleep on the train. Once you have made it on and off the quick EasyJet flight, take the bus into the city and go straight to the huge castle that looks fake. Spend 2 hours wandering around the castle, and then when leaving, run into your neighbor from Ohio. Walk down the Royal Mile and stop into a pub or two to get out of the freezing cold. After going to your hostel and falling asleep, go down to the hostel bar and then head to a food hall to get a good fish and chips. Head to a bar called Three Sisters and look in awe as Scotts of all ages have a great time. Then go to a live music ball called Stramash and try to get the band to play Freebird for an hour, and meet a Scottish guy named Dan who then becomes your best friend. Wake up at 10am the next day after hours of snoozes, then go to an overhyped bakery called Lanin (bust), stand in a queue for an hour for good but not great sweets. Eat on a park bench, then get a taxi over to a farm where there are both highland cows and golfers (it was 40 degrees and rainy, grit). Head over to a hike called Arthur’s Seat, dressed the most inappropriately for a hike (at least 3 collars and shoes with no traction). Make it to the top and bottom without dying. Meet back up with Dan at his favorite pub and then plan the night ahead. Then get some good Scotch and head back to the hostel for a nap. Rinse and repeat the hostel bar into the food hall for dinner (pizza this time) and then go back to Three Sisters. Meet back up with Dan and head to his favorite local spots, but not before a couple of Wetherspoon’s pints, and then have a blast. Last call and walk back to the hostel about 2.5 hours before you need to wake up for the flight the next day. Vote on sleeping or staying up. Decide 2-1 on sleeping. Wake up at 7:40 am for a flight that takes off in an hour (airport 25 mins away). Throw clothes on, get in a Taxi, and get to the gate about 5 minutes before it closes. 50 minutes later and be back in London.

How to Milan, Italy as a 21yr old Abroad Student

Start, once again, with a 5 am wakeup call to take the train to the airport. Board the Ryanair flight, secure an aisle seat (key), and land at Milan Bergamo Airport in 90 minutes. Notice how it is 10 degrees warmer here than at home. Take the 45-minute bus ride to Milan Central Train Station and find the Olympic sign (take a photo, idk where it is tho). Then decide to walk the 45 minutes into the city center instead of the 10-minute metro ride and notice how quiet Milan is. Find a restaurant on the side of the road and sit there for a proper two-and-a-half-hour meal where three men take on three giant pizzas and a couple of Peronis. Then go find the Duomo and the fan site (embarrassingly poor) and go check into your Airbnb. On the way, stop at a market and buy a Heineken mini-keg and a couple of beers, and then have the whole city of Milan stare at you walking with that down the quiet neighborhood streets. Go to a bar to see the opening ceremony and watch as the whole bar boo’s JD Vance (I’m sure this is normal, we are always hated and get booed at every Olympics, surely has nothing to do with the cripling global perception of the USA by our greatest allies due to our current clown show in office, right?). Go to two more restaurants to get a beer, then meet up with friends at a different bar, then go to a McDonald’s once that closes. Wake up 5 hours later at 8 am to go to the Megastore and see a 2-hour-long queue. Go into the Duomo and then find a great Italian restaurant and prep for the game with a bottle of wine. Back to the Airbnb to finish the keg and then to the game, where it’s not even fair (5-0 USA v Finland). Then go back and meet up with everyone,p not before a very expensive drink overlooking the Duomo, and head to the canals. Drink with the Netherlands team, then take an Uber home. Wake up and think you have all the time in the world, and then get through security to realize your gate is 14 minutes away and the gates close in 8 minutes. Run. Make the flight and sit through the worst hour and a half of all time. Make it home.

How to Watch a Tottenham Game (bad) as a 21yr old Abroad Student

Have plans to meet your friend at Victoria Station at around 5:15 (17:15). Get to the station a little early and realize you have no signal to find them, and the station is absolutely jam-packed. Wait for 10 minutes scanning to see if you can find him, then just hop on the tube, you’ll meet him there. Get service and realize he did the same thing. Meet at a convenience store where you buy and slug a Heineken (you need it to watch the Spurs) and then walk the 30 minutes to the stadium. Get into the stadium and then figure out how much you can get down before the game starts. Watch the Spurs go Marching In, and then give up a goal in 45+4. Then have a Gray header save the vibes to tie the game 1-1, and then 5 minutes later give up another goal. Make friends out of anger with the Polish man in front of you (he speaks no English). Lose the game and join in on Frank Sacked chants. Walk in the rain, as you are only 5 points clear of relegation. Frank Sacked next morning.

This week’s POTW is The Engineer in Primrose. A great, classy pub with good food (although didn’t eat anything) and a good vibe. Solid pour located right next to Primrose Hill and near Camden Market.

This week I drank and rated 8 different Guinness:

Deacon Brodie’s Tavern (Edin): 7.0/10

The Doric (Edin): 7.9/10

The Bancroft Arms (ME): 7.5/10

The Wellington (HB): 6.5/10

Old Bank of London (HB): 6.8/10

The Devereux (HB): 7.2/10

The Engineer (CM): 7.7/10

The Boot (KX): 8.0/10

I also have read the following books since being here:

Foundation by Asimov (6.5/10; takes a lot to understand what is happening)

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (8.5/10; fast-paced and timley book that is stressful)

1984 by George Orwell (8.75/10; Better than Animal Farm I think but I didnt like the end)

Current Book: The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

This weekend: France to ski

Next weekend: Home in London for the North London Derby