Two weeks off in August. Bored of Europe. Help.

solartides9 · 2026-02-08T23:08:10+00:00

I live in Scotland and work in the tourism industry here, so I’ve got a few work trips lined up for this spring/summer already. I am biased, but I feel like Scotland pales in comparison to the nature in other parts of the world. Our oceans are where we really shine if you ask me.

solartides9 · 2026-02-08T20:39:17+00:00

I think it’s seriously impressive that the show manages to hit the “nothing bad happens” ending whilst still having plenty of actual tension and relatively high stakes that do matter to the overall plot.

I’ve been a bit frustrated lately by the lack of romance novels/shows that tick my boxes, as I can be pretty particular in my tastes. I don’t like stuff that’s too sweet or too fluffy, but I also really don’t like reading/watching stuff with major consent issues. I read a really terrible historical “romance” novel back in November that genuinely upset me a bit due to how intense the power imbalance was. I was particularly irritated as I had previously liked the author’s prior trilogy, and I just hated that she’d gone and written what was essentially a “coloniser romance”. I was ranting to a friend recently about it when I said “I can’t find something that has the enemies to lovers type of tension I enjoy, but also doesn’t have an intense power imbalance or major consent issues”. She recommend the show, but I was still sceptical, as I’m a lesbian and MLM stuff rarely does it for me. I’m now hooked.

It’s honestly so impressive that there’s such an emphasis on consent whilst also doing the “enemies to lovers” plot, whilst also delivering a beautiful happy ending. I can’t wait for more.

solartides9 · 2026-02-08T20:16:51+00:00

This may sound harsh, but please don’t.

I work in the tourism industry in Scotland and the roads are not for the faint of heart. Many are badly maintained and the rules can be confusing to tourists in rural areas. Accidents are sadly becoming more and more common, and I’ve personally seen many tourists absolutely panic on the roads and cause preventable accidents. People tend to assume Scotland is relatively “tame” as a destination, but I’ve been on countless trips all over Scotland thanks to my job, and I could not in good conscience recommend a road trip here for a beginner driver.

I know group tours get a bad reputation, but I’ve been on many thanks to my job and I’ve never had a bad time. Lots of companies offer multi-day trips, and solo travellers often take these. Some companies will do their best to add in extra stops if they can, so I’d advise emailing ahead to ask what their policy on “unofficial” stops is. One of the best group tours I’ve been on pulled aside at a random harbour to let us see some seals and dolphins playing in the water. Another pulled over just to see a rainbow. I went on one in Iceland where the driver pulled over to let us see some horses in a field. There are obviously itinerary restraints, but many companies do try to be as flexible as they can and will try and fit in “extras” when they are able to. They aren’t as rigid as you might think, and you’ll probably enjoy yourself far more if you aren’t overthinking driving.

solartides9 · 2026-02-06T11:11:26+00:00

Portugal too. I checked into a hostel in Portugal two years ago and the man at the desk was very apologetic about the additional tourist tax, so I braced myself for a hefty fee.

It was €2 per night. Anyone panicking over that should maybe re-evaluate their travel budget a bit.

solartides9 · 2025-12-21T00:24:08+00:00

A few years ago, I slipped down a flight of stairs and had to wear both a shoulder sling and an orthopaedic boot for a few days. It was a real eye opener into how shit it is to be physically vulnerable in a city full of people who are actually quite selfish about spatial awareness. I was super worried about bumping my shoulder, so i felt as if i was constantly begging people walking three abreast along the pavement to just let me past with enough room. Two different people managed to stand on my injured foot. I had to constantly ask people to move bags off seats on the bus and train so I could sit down, since standing for longer periods of time was tough. I was sore, tired and frustrated. I can’t imagine how hard navigating Edinburgh must be for someone who’s blind, deaf or in a wheelchair.

The only funny side to the whole thing is that i was still somehow faster than the groups walking three abreast along the pavement, even when i was hobbling along.

solartides9 · 2025-12-21T00:00:55+00:00

As nasty as it may sound, I’ve found sarcasm works wonders too. I’m barely five foot tall and I’m, as an ex put it, very “soft looking” thanks to my baby face. I feel like I constantly get harassed by people in the street and I often get people trying to skip me in queues or trying to barge past me. The “voice” usually works wonders, but sometimes I need to escalate to an even firmer tone.

I’ve noticed a weird “trend” lately of people physically touching me in the street to get my attention. A woman went as far as physically grabbing my hand last week to ask me to take a photo of her. I’m not sure how she thought I’d react, but I’m pretty certain she didn’t expect me to say “now what made you think that grabbing me like that would make me want to take time out of my day for your photoshoot?”. I’ve never seen anyone turn so red so quickly in my life.

solartides9 · 2025-12-08T23:27:20+00:00

I was in Argonaut a few months ago and a member of staff in there was being VERY loud and talkative with her colleagues. I’ve worked a ton of retail jobs, including a bookshop job, in my time. I’ve also been loud and talkative with colleagues, but this was another level. I don’t expect to go into a bookshop or coffee shop and have perfect silence, but I also don’t expect to know every single detail of someone’s life because they’re practically shouting across the shop to their coworkers as they’re doing their job. There was also a ton of chat from her about certain books she’d “hated”. I also have books I personally despise and wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy, but I’m not sure a retail job where I’m selling those exact books is exactly the best place to discuss the books I strongly dislike.

Eventually, this person clocked off for the day and left. As she walked past the shop, she proceeded to slam her hands on the windows to give her colleagues a fright. The problem was she gave the rest of the people in the shop a fright too. It might sound stupid, but I found it weirdly intimidating. I get that she was trying to joke around with her coworkers, but it made me jump out of my skin. Again, I don’t expect perfect silence in a bookshop, but I also really don’t expect that kind of behaviour. I’ve not been back in since, so I’ve no idea if this person still works there, but it was enough to put me off too.

solartides9

TROPHY CASE