Scotland Day One: IJmuiden-Newcastle

Fortunately I kept a diary during my Scottish vacation, so I know what I did en when I did them. So this might come handy, since my memory isn't the best ever :p.
I was quit nervous, it would be my very first vacation on my own. (I have travelled alone by plane before, but never a whole vacation alone). I stood up early that morning, for my nerves wouldn't let me sleep any longer. And I had to be at a central point of my city in time. My bags were ready, I had all the papers and pocket money I needed, I brought my Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* and (thank God) my Travel Diary. Because of this, I will be able to tell you all about my journey.

7.29h. I'm on the ferry of DFDS in cabin 762. I did not have a sea view, because I didn't need it and it was too expensive anyway. When you travel on your own, it gets quit expensive, cause I had to pay extra to stay in a double room. I was all excited to go on this journey, and on my own at first, but as you can see in the picture, it was raining and it was cold so I had no feeling left to be excited. I wanted to stay outside to say goodbye to Holland. Although I got sooooo cold, I got inside. And it felt weird too. For years I had gone to Turkey by car with my parents and brother, we would drive through Germany, Austria/Switserland, Italy and from there we would get on a ferry(Superfast/Blue ferries) and get off at Grease or Turkey. It was a real family thing, now it was my thing. It was different, weird and nice. And that was my point. To be more independent, to get more mature, I was 19, I needed it. And besides, I wasn't really alone, there were 40 other members of the group :p

18.04h. The ferry sails off to Newcastle. half an hour too late, but that's normal. (it could take up to 3 hours with Superfast and Blue ferries!) A strange nationalistic song is playing (Danish? it was a  Danish ferry). I don't know if it's funny or just weird. I'm going for funny :). I need some food so I went for a walk to see what options I had. There was the ''Seven Seas Restaurant'', bit expensive: €31. This I found out after eating there :p so was a bit too late to think about other options. And it was an all-you-can-eat restaurant. I'm a vegetarian so I ate veggies and fish(ok, vegetarian who eats fish) and finished with lovely fruit and cheese(I'm a cheese freak). I had to make a reservation first. I could eat at 20.00h. I had my serevation ticket with my table number, and there was a garcon who was taking the guests to their tables. He put his hand out, I thought he wanted to shake my hand to greet me first, apparently he wanted my reservation ticket. I felt like an idiot. It wasn't my fault! He should have holded out his hand differently, and how rude he didn't want to greet me first! Right?

Anyway, after dinner, I decided to go for a walk on the deck. To take some astonishing pictures. Unfortunately, I never got that opportunity. There was nothing but ocean, we were sailing towards the sun, so I wasn't able to get a nice view of the sunset either. There was a moment I could have, if 3 people would have moved their gigantic heads out of my sight! seriously! No manners! You really don't need fifty pictures of the sunset, give others some space to take one! grrr!

Apart from that I was almost being blown off the deck since we were sailing very fast! I got cold because I went out with flip-flops(very smart! :s) and a vest(not very warming with sea temperature). So I took a nice warm shower** and went to bed.

ps: My travel diary smells of marihuana! I don't know why, maybe the gloo they used, but it is quit scary. What if they would find out in Scotland? With their dogs in the haven where they check your bags for, well, marihuana and stuff. :S

*Since 2006 I read a Lord of the Rings book every summer. I started with The Silmarillion, then The Hobbit, LotR: Fellowship of the Ring, LotR: The Two Towers and LotrR: Return of the King. There are still a few to go, Children of Hurin and a few others. Really different from the movies. On some points it's better, on other points the movies are better.
**In Scotland(and other countries) it is advised to let hot water flow for 5 minutes in your hotel rooms, so you won't get ill of a bacteria I forgot the name of. I didn't want to do this, because of all the water being wasted, but I didn't want to get ill either, so I had no other choice :(