We ended up leaving The Park City Hotel a little before lunch time and made our way back on the tube to Heathrow airport. Jenn once again did a fantastic job navigating the tube and got us to the airport with no issues what so ever. The flight back to the US was a bit longer then on the way going to Europe, but that is to be expected. All in all it was an amazing journey and one that Jenn and I will never forget.

When we got off the plane we got our luggage and made our way down to the tube station. Having taken the tube from the airport to our hotel (The Parkcity) last year Jenn was very prepared in directing us the right way. She once again showed off her strong navigation skills and got us straight to our hotel in less then an hour with no problems at all. Last year when I proposed in London the weather was quite dreary but this year the sun was shining and the weather could not be more beautiful. When we got to our hotel our room wasn't ready so we left our luggage at the front desk and headed out to cruise around town.

Please Mind the Gap (Always Said at Tube Stations)

Jenn in Front of The Parkcity Hotel in London

Jenn and I decided to go down to the area of the London Eye, Parliament, and Big Ben which is one of the nicest areas to walk around and view the sights in London. Having seen all of these things before it made the walk even more relaxing and enjoyable to really just take in the beautiful city of London. After a really nice walk through the surrounding areas we jumped back on the Tube to the area of our hotel and stopped for lunch at a small mom and pop Italian restaurant. Jenn had her typical spaghetti with meat sauce while I had a cheese pizza. We ended up splitting some garlic bread and some really good vanilla ice cream for desert.

Big Ben

Standing in Front of Big Ben

The London Eye

Jenn Standing in Front of the London Eye

Standing in Front of a Great View

After our lunch we walked back to our hotel, checked into our room, and took a nice nap. I actually got a chance to watch some really good soccer while Jenn continued to nap and take in even more British TV. We ended up having a really nice dinner at an Italian food place right around the block from our hotel which we had ate last year called Capricciosa. Jenn had lasagna while I had a really nice white wine chicken. I got a coffee ice cream desert while Jenn once again went the vanilla route. All in all we had a really amazing day in London which continues to remind us how much we truly do love the city.

My Amazing Lunch Cheese Pizza

The Place We had Dinner

Going into this trip Jenn and I each had one thing we wanted to do in Scotland. For Jenn it was to go to the Gleneagles award winning spa, and for me it was to play some golf. Being the supportive couple that we are we decided to do both, in the same day no less. So a half hour or so after breakfast we headed down to the spa to enjoy an hour before our actual treatments. Jenn has been to several different spa's before, but I have never even dared step foot in one. Being that there is a first time for everything Jenn convinced me to give it a shot and boy am I glad she did.

When we made reservations for the spa we both got to choose what type of treatment we wanted. Jenn went with an aromatherapy massage while I went with the classic massage. Once we both got changed into our bathrobes we were able to go use all of the spa facilities. Jenn and I spent a lot of the time before our massage in the vitality pool which is just a huge spa with a bunch of great jets. We also used the sauna which was great as it helped really relax me before we went for our massages. The facilities themselves were immaculate, there was not one thing throughout the spa area that wasn't pristine. When it was time for our massages we walked into the relaxation room until we were greeted by our masseuse.

Gleneagles Spa Locker Room

The Steam Room Was Amazing

When we originally made the reservations I told Jenn that 55 minutes was plenty of time, but I was wrong again. The 55 minutes flew by and although it was a great massage I could have gone for the extended time frame. Jenn said the aromatherapy massage was the best massage she had ever had, and although it was my first massage it was amazing. We spent at least another hour after our massage lounging in the vitality pool and using the rest of the facilities. Once we utilized everything we could out of the spa we were off to try and squeeze in as much golf as we could in the very little good weather left in the day.

The hotel among three amazing 18 hole courses also has a small Pitch and Putt course that Jenn and I played on. The weather all day today has been off and on rain and we were just lucky that the weather cleared up right after we got out of our spa. The pitch and putt although not the most challenging course still allowed us to play a little golf while we were in the country. Throughout our quick round of golf Jenn improved her swing as well as her results and was really beginning to get the hang of it. It was a lot of fun playing with Jenn and more then anything I am just so glad that she tried golf for me which meant the world.

Jenn and I Starting Our Round of Golf

Getting Ready for the First Hole

Jenn Taking One of Her Best Swings of the Day

Holding Up the Flag at the Last Hole

With the weather being as off and on as it was we were lucky to even get that much in, in fact it wasn't to long after we got done that the rain came back. After we got done with golf we went to a small little cafe that we had, had drinks before but had never eaten at so we decided to give it a go. Jenn had some minestrone soup and I was convinced to get a Scottish beer and I ordered a tuna sandwich. This was a great quick and easy meal and it allowed us to relax without having to be in a formal environment. The rest of the night we decided to get our packing done and to relax for the big trip tomorrow.

Jenn Eating Her Soup

My Tuna Sandwich

Jenn and I have loved our time in Scotland it truly has been a once in a lifetime opportunity and we are both overjoyed we chose to come here on our honeymoon. Tomorrow we head for London for a quick trip and then we are off for home.

Once we woke up we ordered some room service where Jenn got her favorite pasta bolognase and I ordered a Scottish roast beef sandwich. We spent most of the remainder of the day just relaxing something that we desperately needed at this juncture of the trip. I watched a lot of British TV whether it was X-Factor or Sky Sports and even caught up on some old favorites like Friends. Jenn spent a lot of her time reading a book she bought at LAX airport and continuing to sleep throughout the day.

Although maybe not the most exciting day on the trip, it was a needed one. It was by far one of the most restful days either of us have had this year and it also will help prep us for the remainder of our amazing honeymoon.

Standing in front of the BMW 318i

Jenn took a small cruise in the BMW before leaving to Edinburgh

We had little to no problem getting to the city of Edinburgh (took less then an hour) but getting to the attractions, that was a whole other problem that we didn't plan for. As I have mentioned already Jenn and I had little to no idea what we wanted to see or visit while we were in Scotland so when we arrived to Edinburgh we really didn't know what to look for, or where to go. After 10 minutes or so of driving around in the heart of the city we found a place to park where we thought the attractions were. So as we get out of the car a security officer comes up and says that we can't park there, so we get back in the car and continue driving.

The Bridge to Edinburgh

Driving Through Edinburgh With No Idea of Where to go.

Edinburgh driving is not like anything you would ever experience here in the United States, there are no rules rather just mere suggestions, and if you don't just risk your life at each and every turn your not going to make it to your destination. An hour and a half later of driving through the heart of the city we finally come across a place to park near where the Big Red Tour bus had one of its major stops. Jenn and I have used Big Red Bus tours in London, Paris, Rome, Florence, and Naples and they have always worked great so we decided to use them again in Edinburgh. It was a bit ironic to buy a bus pass when we drove to the city but it ended up working out quite nicely.

One of the main stops we ended up wanting to spend the majority of our time at was the Edinburgh castle which was one of the best preserved castles Jenn and I got to see on the trip. The shear size of the building was incredible not to mention the way it was perched up on the hill giving it a real tactical advantage to any attackers. We ended up getting to see all of the main sights of the city while still making it back to our car with less then 10 minutes left on our parking pass. The trip to Edinburgh was at times chaotic but was also filled with some of the best laughs of the trip. After a while we passed being frustrated with not being able to find where to park or where to go and made it into an adventure and that really made for an extremely fun and memorable day.

Pulling up to the Edinburgh Castle

View from the Edinburgh Castle

Jenn Standing in Front of the Edinburgh Castle

Manning one of the many cannons at the Edinburgh Castle.

The Oldest High School in Edinburgh

You would think after driving for an hour and a half trying to find parking we would be able to navigate our way back home. That unfortunately was not that case. We spent at least another 45 minutes trying to get out of the city and head our way back home. Once we did manage to get out of the city Jenn managed to fall right back asleep for the remainder of the drive once again showing her trust in my European driving skills. Our trip to and from Edinburgh took some time but the memories that we got out of it really made the entire journey worth it.

When we arrived back at the Gleneagles we decided to celebrate our day  having a really nice cozy meal at one of the hotels restaurants called Daseo which serves Mediterranean style food.  Jenn went with Sirloin Steak with a water while I had Halibut with a nice glass of Pinot Grigio. The meal was actually one of our better meals that we ate at the hotel and we decided to get three chocolate chip cookies for desert. All in all it was an extremely eventful and fun filled day and one that I know Jenn and I will never forget.

One of the things that we had briefly talked about doing and then pursued was renting a car. We have never driven ourselves overseas we either use trains or taxi's to get us around but we have always wanted to just rent a car and drive. So we booked our car for two days and were told to come retrieve the car at 1:00pm. So to make up some time while we waited we decided to tour the grounds of the Gleneagles Hotel. We went over and checked out their beautiful tennis courts which was situated right next to a pristine hedge maze which we struggled to complete. The grounds of the hotel make for some great walks and luckily so far the weather has held up extremely well, especially given that the forecast called for a lot of rain through our stay.

Jenn by one of the many fountains at the Gleneagles Hotel

We Made it to the Center of the Maze

Standing by their big Pond

Jenn in Front of the Gleneagles Hotel

We ended up renting a BMW 318i which was a beauty both inside and out. So we now had the car and we then needed to decide where we wanted to go. Jenn surprisingly suggested St. Andrews which she had heard was near the beach and I of course knew all about because of the British Open, so we got directions from the concierge and headed on our way from Auchterarder (where the Gleneagles is located) to St. Andrews about a 50 mile drive.  I have always wanted to drive in the UK just to get a feel for how it is to drive on the wrong side of the road, but was always concerned that I would get myself killed. And although Jenn will tell you that I got us close a couple of times I would venture to say that I did relatively well. After 10-15 minutes it became rather easy. You do have to get used to there round-about's which are really just a free for all.

Driving in the BMW heading to St. Andrews

Typical Scotland Scenery as we Drive to St. Andrews

So we ended up making it to St. Andrews safe and sound. We did not go visit the golf course because you needed to pre-book tours there and we did not, but we got to see a lot of the course driving up to the city. We ended up walking around St. Andrews which is a beautiful small town with a lot of small shops, restaurants, and ancient artifacts. We visited the St. Andrews Castle and toured the premises as well as the St. Andrews cathedral. The views and the environment of St. Andrews was incredible and exceeded both Jenn and my expectations of the place.

Standing in front of the St. Andrews Cathedral

St. Andrews Cathedral

Jenn at the Beach in St. Andrews

We ended up eating dinner at a small Italian restaurant called Z'zzi's which was setup in a pretty cool modern style and had pretty much any kind of Italian food you would want. Jenn and I went traditional with Jenn getting some spaghetti and I got a peperoni with red and green peppers pizza. We decided to splurge a bit and got desert both getting ice cream. It was a great meal and although not necessarily authentic Scottish food it was nice to have a relaxing and tasty Italian meal.

Outside of Z'zzi a small Italian restaurant in St Andrews Scotland

Having Bottled Coke is the Best

My Pizza from Z'zzi

Jenn's Pasta from Z'zzi

After spending a good portion of our day in St. Andrews we headed back to our hotel. To show you how confidant Jenn was with my navigating and driving skills she fell asleep about 10-15 minutes after we got out of the main city. When we got back to the hotel I got a Mocoa and Jenn got a Hot Chocolate and we sat and talked in the cafe for quite a while rehashing the day. When I pictured what our honeymoon was going to be like in the months leading up to it I pictured days like today which proved yet again why I am the luckiest man in the world.

The View from Our Suite on our Wedding Night

The View From Our Suite During the Day

Our honeymoon started at the St. Regis in Monarch Beach where we spent the night after our wedding in a beautiful executive suite. The room was spectacular and the views even more amazing. The room was set up nicely with rose pedals and dimmed lighting to set up for a really romantic evening. The next morning we met up with Jenn's parents and had a beautiful brunch at the hotel, one of the best (if not the best) brunch's either Jenn or I have ever been to. We said our goodbyes and were off to LAX for an evening flight to London Heathrow airport on Virgin Atlantic.

Our flight to London was as smooth and easy as you could ask for in a ten hour flight. Jenn and I agreed it was the shortest Europe flight we had ever taken. However when we got on the plane and we had reached a comfortable cruising level we find out that the in-flight entertainment system was down, luckily by the grace of God the system was fixed only 2 hours into the flight so we were able to watch a great selection of movies for the remainder of the journey. The flight which was scheduled for over 10 hours ended up clocking in at around 9 1/2 hours which was great because we had a very small gap to catch our connecting flight to Edinburgh Scotland. When we got off the London flight we made a run for our Scotland flight on BMI which was in another terminal a good 10-15 minute walk/run away. We ended up making it to our connecting flight with only 15-20 minutes to spare.

The flight from London to Edinburgh was as easy as they come clocking in right at an hour. When we got into Edinburgh we were instantly greeted by our chauffeur driver from the Gleneagles who drove us the 45 minute drive to our hotel. The drive to the hotel was absolutely stunning. The countryside of Scotland is just overwhelming with its green, its amazing landscapes, and just breathtaking drive in. We had a great driver who gave us a lot of the history of the hotel and of the surrounding areas which was helpful since Jenn and I really didn't know much of anything in regards to Scotland.

View from our room at the Gleneagles in Scotland

Our Room at the Gleneagles

Champagne for the Honeymooners

When we reached the hotel we were instantly greeted by several staff members who wished us congratulations and were very helpful in getting us settled in. We were even given an upgrade to a suite which we were shown right as we arrived along with a really nice bottle of champagne. The room itself is gorgeous, very spacious, great views, nice bathroom, everything you could ask for on our Honeymoon. We ended up ordering room service where Jenn got Pasta Bolognase with a water and I got a Traditional Scottish Club Sandwich with a coke.

Our Room Service at the Gleneagles

We spent the rest of the night watching British TV as well as re-runs of some of our favorite shows like How I Met Your Mother and Friends. It was truly an amazing start to our Honeymoon. Everything was a smooth as you could hope for starting with the amazing wedding and going through our travels to Scotland. If this start is any indication on how this honeymoon is going to go, it is going to be amazing that is for sure.

For those of you who have been reading for a while you may remember that I did daily posts from the Europe Trip that Jenn and I took last year. Well for our honeymoon I refused to bring any laptops or phones with me on the trip, so I did not post any live updates from the honeymoon. However every evening before I hit the sack I wrote notes from each day recapping the amazing adventures that Jenn and I had while overseas. So being that a week ago today would have been the start of our honeymoon I will do daily posts this weeks with pictures of each day as if I was on my honeymoon now.

So please keep on the look out for a full recap of Jenn and my honeymoon which to be honest was truly amazing.