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World Cup qualifying: Greece v Scotland
Venue: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus Date: Saturday, 15 November Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
Coverage: Watch on BBC Two, BBC Scotland, iPlayer, website & app; listen on BBC Radio Scotland & BBC Sounds; live text commentary on BBC Sport website & app
The first camp brought a smile. The second generated anger.
In the lead up to the third, potentially historic, World Cup qualification double-header, there is "anticipation and excitement" aplenty from Steve Clarke and his Scotland squad.
It's understandable given they are two games away from qualifying for a first men's World Cup finals in 27 years.
With 10 points from a possible 12 scooped up already, the Scots need to avoid defeat in Greece on Saturday to set up a winner-takes-all showdown with Denmark next Tuesday at Hampden - live across the BBC.
Before a ball was kicked in this condensed campaign, Clarke admitted he was "feeling the pressure" to become the first head coach since the late Craig Brown to take the men's national team back to the biggest stage of all.
Tantalising close to doing so, he's still feeling - and relishing - that heat as a whole generation of Scotland supporters hang their hats on Clarke and his crew making a first men's World Cup appearance of their lifetime.
"Any time you get to the later stages of a campaign and you're in with a realistic shout of qualifying, that anticipation and that excitement has got to be there," the head coach told BBC Scotland at their warm weather training camp in Turkey.
"If it's not there, the players wouldn't be here. If it's not there for me, I wouldn't be here. I'd be playing golf somewhere or doing a bit of fishing and just relaxing."
There is no time for the 62-year-old to relax amid this tenure-defining week, though.
He brought his squad out to Antalya on Monday, and will head straight to Pireaus on Friday for their penultimate group stage game with a Greek side who cannot catch them in the section.
The message for that one is simple.
"The best way to get something out of the game is to go for the three points," Clarke explained.
"If we come up a little bit short on the three points, we should get one point. That's the message I'll go to the players and that will be what we try and do."
Jump that hurdle then it's onto the home straight, with Denmark in sight at an already sold-out Hampden.
It's a reflection of the expectation and enthusiasm from a support desperate to descend on North America next summer.
The jaunt to Germany for the Euros last year was special - albeit short - but this is the one a whole generation of the Tartan Army are aching to tick off their list.
Of the 25 players in this squad, nine were not born when Brown's kilted boys walked out at the Stade de France to open the 1998 edition against Brazil.
"We're talking about a lot of players here who have never seen their country at a men's World Cup," said Clarke, who missed out on selection for the 1990 tournament as a player.
"So for them, what a chance to become instantly written into the history books of Scotland. That's what's there, the chance is there to do it.
"I've been fortunate enough to see Scotland a few times at a World Cup. It's a great occasion. We'd love to go to the USA, Mexico or Canada. We're the guys that can make it happen and that's what we aim to do.
"We know we've got two really tough games, but we're going to give it everything we've got to try and make sure that we're the team that's going across the ocean."
In order to do that, the fly fishing and golfing has to be shelved, but it's a small sacrifice should Scotland secure their spot in next summer's tournament.
Even if they don't do it by that deadline, there is the play-off safety buffer, but Clarke said himself he wants his side to be the "top dogs" of the group.
Easier said than done, but the head coach has his sights set.
"When I've got my mind on something, I'm focused. I'm either focused on golf or I'm focused on football," he added.
"This week, I promise you, I'm very much focused on football."
