John: Hi Amanda, it's great seeing you. Our summer holidays are coming to an end. Are you looking forward to returning to school?
Amanda: Oh, hi John. Well, I'm a bit sad that the summer is almost over. I wish I could have some more time to travel and get some new impressions.
John: Well, summers can't last forever, can they? So have you been travelling
much?
Amanda: Well, my sister and I decided not to go abroad this year. Last summer we took part in a great project in China. Volunteering was great, but this time we decided we just needed some rest, so we booked a tour around Scotland.
John: Scotland? I've never been there. In fact, when I leave Birmingham, it's just to go on a school trip to some London museum, or to Spain with my parents. They are so conservative. They love going to Spain, and I can't talk them into choosing another country for their vacation.
Amanda: Scotland is amazing! It's breathtaking. I don't have the words to explain to you how much I loved it.
John: Oh, what did the tour include?
Amanda: To begin with, we stayed in Edinburgh for a week. We explored the city — you know, the castle, the Royal Mile, and the museums. It was amazing. We took it really slowly. We didn't want to hurry. Then we had a three-day tour of some Scottish lakes and castles. It turns out that there are lots of ruins of beautiful Scottish castles there.
John: I bet you took a lot of pictures.
Amanda: My sister did. You know, I rarely take pictures. I prefer to draw the places I like. I have several sketchbooks full of black and white drawings of Scotland. You should come and see them.
John: I'd love to see Loch Ness and Loch Lomond. Did you see the famous Loch Ness Monster?
Amanda: Do you believe that legend, John?
John: Oh no, Amanda. I'm only joking. What else did your tour include?
Amanda: One of the highlights of our tour was a visit to some Scottish islands. We visited the isles of Giga, Iona and Mull. They impressed us greatly with their wild beauty and picturesque landscapes.
John: It looks as if you had a wonderful trip. I wish I had been there with you.
Amanda: You still have enough time to take the tour. I can give you the phone number of the travel agency. The tour is definitely not cheap, but it's certainly worth the money.
John: Thank you, Amanda.