Today our group started rather early, and we made our way south to the Borders and to Sir Walter Scott's home, the Abbottsford. During his career, he ditched his original plan to build a two-room cottage and instead built a humongous home which closely resembles a castle. At one point, he came to be extremely in debt(an amount close to 7 million USD by today's standards), but through incomprehensible hard work, he was able to pay off all this debt before he died.

His home is beautiful. It's very obvious from all the relics and miscellaneous items scattered throughout that he had many well to do friends, and he obviously knew his history very well. Some favorites were Napolean Bonaparte's notebook and oen case, probably taken after Waterloo, as well as a small wooden relief sculpture said to be carved from a tree in the front yard Shakepeare's home.

Next, we headed to Melrose Abbey, which is now in ruins, yet we took a few pictures before heading farther into Kelso where we toured the Floor's Castle. Today, it is occupied by the tenth Duke of Roxburghe and his family. Sections of the castle are open to the public, but because it is so large, there is still plenty of room for the family.

All in all, it was a grand day, filled with more castles and ruins, which I have begun to associate almost directly with Scotland, although I'm sure they're in many European countries. As our time winds down here, I also can't help but think I'm going home to a country that is too proud of itself, for lacking accomplishments, and a cocky attitude. By the teachings of Aristotle, I think I'd rather be a cosmopolite- a citizen of the world. The more I see and experience, the more aware I am that Americans as a whole are much too proud of themselves, for a history so short that it barely compares to the rest of the world, if at all.