The Traveling Idiots-Where The Tuck Are They Now?: St. Andrews, Yes! Haggis, NO!

We've hit another little milestone in this journey. As of today we have been intentionally homeless for one year! It's amazing how fast the year has passed and equally amazing how we've missed absolutely nothing about owning a house.
Not one time over the past year have we said anything like;
Oh boy, we get to pull weeds and mow the yard today!
Yippee, the washing machine is broken!
Hey honey, look what we got in the mail today, our property tax bill!
or, I can't wait to dust the house again.  Although we're happy to be able to assist with those household chores at NaNa's when we're there.
We spent our last full day in Scotland on somewhat of a sports pilgrimage. We left Edinburgh on a one hour train trip, transferred to a bus and in a few minutes we were in the fabulous seaside town of St. Andrews. We had spent a little time there on a previous visit but this time dedicated the majority of the day to exploring this amazing and historic town.
I think that for anyone who has ever picked up a golf club they immediately think of golf when they hear St. Andrews.  St. Andrews is considered by many to be the birthplace of golf. The town offers a whole lot more, but as a sports geek seeing the Old Course creates "goose bump moments". Having been to both Augusta (where the Masters is played) and St. Andrews I can say they are both awesome but nothing alike. Augusta is so green and pristine. There doesn't seem to be a blade of grass out of place. St. Andrews, not so green or pristine. Heck, there is a road that runs across #'s 1 & 18 fairway and the main route from the town to the West Sand Beach is walking or driving this road. But the places has so much history and tradition. Another cool thing is that it's a public course so you can just walk on out on the course and take a look around. Try doing that at Augusta sometime. You want your picture on the iconic Swilken Bridge on #18?  All you need is a camera and to make sure there are no golfers coming and you can take all the pictures you want. If you're getting the impression I was like a kid on Christmas morning, you're right. We had lunch at a little café in the British Golf Museum that overlooked the course. I was staring out thinking about all the greats that have walked up that 18th fairway when Beth asked me how many times would I have to come there before it wasn't as special. I told her I had no clue, but I can guarantee it would be a whole bunch.
Other than the golf course there is also West Sands Beach which seems to go on for miles and miles. We did a nice long walk but the end was never in sight. This beach was used for the opening scene in the movie Chariot's of Fire when the runners were running down the beach with the cool song playing. I reenacted this scene for both photos and a slo motion video. Now if only I was smart enough to dub the music over the video and put it on youtube!
Among other highlights of St. Andrews are the cathedral and castle ruins. Also St. Andrews University which is the oldest University in Scotland (founded in 1414).  The university had a very nice little museum that not only provided information on the history of the university but the town as well.  Being around that long and being that prestigious there is quite a bit of history with a number of scholarly types having studied there. Their most famous recent alumni would have to be Prince William.  While he was there he met Kate and soon there was a Princess! We were hoping they'd be back in town for a visit but I guess other royal duties and the kids keep them busy these days.
I would suggest a visit to St. Andrews for anyone who is going to be in Scotland, golfer or not. It's a great place to explore.
http://www.visitstandrews.com/
Now on to a less pleasant subject and that's Haggis. If you look up Haggis online the description will tell you that it is a "savory pudding" and the National Dish of Scotland. It may go a little bit further and say that Haggis is a combination of meat, oatmeal, onions and spices. Doesn't sound too bad yet? Dig deeper my friend before you dive in. The "meat" traditionally is sheep heart, liver and lung and it's encased in the animals stomach. Still hungry? Well you can't buy "true Haggis in the US. It's been banned since the early 1970's because the FDA doesn't consider sheep lung to be an edible organ meat. Those who eat it will probably tell you it's an acquired taste. I'll tell you that it's a taste that this old boy won't be acquiring in his lifetime!
https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/food-drink/traditional/haggis/