As Jacob mentioned in his post, we spent Saturday-Monday in Edinburgh, Scotland. I kept a bit of a journal of our trip and thought I'd share. It's a bit long, so I'll break it into two parts.
Our trip to got off to a bit of a
rocky start. We forgot the passports at
our flat, so Matt graciously ran back (not a short run either) to pick them
up. He arrived back within two minutes
of the next subway train towards Kings Cross station. We rushed between the tube and the train station only to discover
our train was delayed due to a train break down at Peterburgh. So we stood around and waited, wondering what
was happening. Of course, as soon as
Matt and Jacob were in the bathroom there was an announcement that our train
was boarding and would be leaving momentarily.
Panic!
A kind woman at the platform kept an eye
out for them while Allison, Zeke & I hustled towards the train. The boys caught up and we tried to ask for
help finding our carriage, but were told just to take a seat, any seat. The earlier train was cancelled and combined
with ours so the reserved seats were no longer so reserved. Excellent....
We found seats just as the train started
moving and got settled in for a four hour trip. Not long after we started, the train came
to an abrupt stop. Then, a moment later, the
sheepish conductor announced a large farm animal on
the tracks that caused us to stop. Can you believe a random bull
got on the track and was making his way north on the train tracks? Perhaps he fancied a weekend in Edinburgh
too?
The bull was coerced into moving (in my
imagination, he was enticed with sweets and biscuits, not cattle prods or other
harsh methods. And yes, I do try to see
the rosy side of life whenever possible.
Just call me Pollyanna). We were
off again and everyone settled into occupying themselves with their gadgets,
books and toys. Train travel is bumpy,
really bumpy, like turbulence in air travel all the time. Yet because we are on the ground & not
thousands of feet in the air, I'm ok with the turbulence. I have no more control on a train than in the
air, but it feels (probably falsely) much safer.
Four hours later, we arrived and took a taxi to our hotel. It felt strange
to be in a car after all this time on trains and buses. Our taxi driver was very helpful in telling
us what to see and do and where to eat near our hotel. We picked up Chinese from the place across
the street and had a quick meal before shuffling everyone off to bed. By 10:45 all was quiet on the Eastern front.
Our first full day exploring Edinburgh
could have been a disaster as Zeke didn’t sleep very well and he said he didn’t
want to go anywhere. Allison saved the
day by convincing him that we'd see
cannons like on Jake & the Neverland Pirate’s ship at the Edinburgh
Castle. From then on, he was a
trooper. In fact, all three kids were
amazing. We walked ALOT and it was cold
and they really didn't complain or whine or bicker. Yeah Rousu Kids!
We started the day at Edinburgh Castle,
which has a very interesting history. It
sits on mountain made from an Ice Age
era volcano and was home to many of Scotland's royal family as well as a
fortress for Oliver Cromwell and prison for prisoners of war during the
1700-1800s. The Scottish crown jewels
are there as well as a beautiful memorial to all Scottish soldiers killed in
WWI and beyond. We had an amazing tour
guide in a kilt, which made it feel more authentic than the others wearing
their red Edinburgh Castle sweatshirts and jeans. The kids adored running around the castle and
playing around the cannons. Matt & I enjoyed
the spectacular views and rich history.
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| Matt and Kids in front of Edinburgh Castle |
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| Cannon balls for Mons Meg (a huge medieval cannon) |
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| Our Tour Guide |
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| St Margaret's Chapel, built in the 13th century by David II in honor of his mother who was sainted for her generosity to the poor as queen. |
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| St Margaret in stained glass |
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| Stained glass in St. Margaret's Chapel |
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