Wednesday the 17th: Left side of the road driving

We left Edinburgh on the bus today heading to the airport to pick up our rental car.  Tonight we are spending the first night in a bed and breakfast in the wee village of Ford.  I am saying "wee" because the road is a one lane track.  When you meet another car you pull over in a lay-by.  Kathy is driving.  I will definitely try driving but having the steering wheel and the driver on the other side of the car is disconcerting enough  and then to have to drive on the left hand side of the road. I could barely look down at the map. Kathy is doing great but seriously it is hair raising.  We put on a few miles today in our VW Golf.  We took a short trip to Stirling Castle and ended up taking a wrong turn and got stuck in a parking snafu that lasted about an hour.  By the time we got out of there after eating ice cream for lunch we were seriously behind time wise as Stirling castle is more magnificent than the Queens castle. King Robert the Bruce stands sentinel at the gates of a beautiful castle tha can be seen on the mountain tops for miles around.   YEAH we headed out to the real highlands.  I don't think I really comprehended what they could be like and I am sure my pictures won't do them justice.  We arrived at Loch Lomond, words can't describe how amazing.  Kathy's pictures might give the area the photograph justice it deserves. Every where we drive there are lochs and mountains. No singers of Child Ballads yet but lots of bikers, I know,  I should say cyclers.  I guess I am not that much of a cycling fan for here, too narrow roads, fast driving, yikes.

Kathy looks a bit nervous, all I can do is laugh at this point because later I am screaming with terror.  not really but we both have control issues.  Haha

Stirling Castle and King Robert 

More crypts..

not doing it the justice deserved..

The gate to our evening abode.....just kidding. Gate found this on an evening walk.

Tuesday: churches, crypts, castles and palaces

Well, we packed a 10 hour day of sightseeing.  there are a lot of tourists, I love to people watch.  I did see the bad kids throwing candy at people and almost did my school counselor thing but decided to go into a book store instead.

We started out at a beautiful cemetery beneath the high gaze of the Edinburgh Castle.  I guess I was sleeping during the bus commentary yesterday but soldiers had to stand guard so people wouldn't dig up the bodies to sell to physicians who were learning anatomy.  It is also the site of St. Cuthbert's Parish,  the first church in the 7th century.  This began Kathy's weird obsessions with churches and my crypts and cemetery obsession.  Next stop the castle.  What a magnificent view and stronghold for the Scottish kings.  The Crown Jewels are there, the stone of destiny, fabulous arms and armor, I love this also as you can tell by my sword photo, St Margaret's chapel which is the oldest building in Edinburgh.  There were informative and artistic displays with life size dioramas depicting life during the reigns of the Stewart kings. I didn't realize Sir Walter Scott played such a prominent role in the discovery of the Crown Jewels which were hidden or lost for 111 years.

We walked to Royal mile but not finishing at Holyrood Palace until we went to....guess where????More churches and crypts.  Greyfriar's Kirkyard is steeped in history. ... a 14 year vigil on his masters grave, both dog and his master, John Gray are buired here.  Grey Friars Bobby is the much beloved dog.  There are ghosts and crypts.  Then off to St.Giles, a church since the 9th century. This church has amazing stained glass windows showing scenes from scottish history.  My favorite part of this church was the special room for the Order of the Thistle, the highest honor in Scotland given by the Queen.  the chapel has intricate carvings on the ceiling and walls.  

Sir Walter Scott memorial, with 287 steps to the top.

I am starting to find men in kilts.  They play bag pipes everywhere.

Some HOT pipes.

A sporran no Scotsman yet

The Edinburgh Castle from ST. Cutburth's Church graveyard.

St. Johns

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Grey Friars ghost

From Edinburgh castle

Where the Crown Jewels are kept

Swords

Celtic Cross by Prince St.

Tracey sitting at the window where Mary,  Queen of Scots might have gazed.

More graves at St. Cuthberts

Grey Friars crypt

Robert the Bruce guarding Edinburgh Castle

Monday

I am happy to say...thank goodness for benedryl.  After a three hour exhaustion induced nap no wonder we were confused about the time of day.  It doesn't get dark here until at least 9:30 pm. I have pictures and fun to share.  This city of Edinburgh is about 500,000 people.  They use the english pound so it is 1.00 American per $1.60 in pounds.  I am slowly getting used to this. There are buses everywhere and it is the preferred mode of transport.  There are many different colors and types and the tourist buses run every few minutes to take people all over the city.  On our first bus tour Kathy said I missed alot of historical information as I was sleeping sitting up but I didn't miss the churches we would visit. I have a weird obsession for cemeteries and crypts, Kathy loves churches and breast feeding pictures from the earliest dawn of time.  She can find them no matter where we go.

All over the city there are little alleyways called a "close". The buildings  are so vast and long that these were needed as a quick way to get around to one densely populated street or possibly pubs etc. This is called the fisher close. 

  

We went to the National Art Gallery. It was beautiful and had a lot of great paintings and sculptures.  A wonderful garden runs parallel to the main road called Princes St.

Here is  a thistle.  This is the important flower in jewelry and on lots of pendants. 

This arrangement is made of "hens and chicks".  I don't know if you can tell but the cross is made up

of them and it is suspended in the air. The gardener suspended himself on a ladder in the air over the flowers to hang down and weed. 

Where are we? Edinburgh Scotland.... that's where

I hope the blog is working. I am experiencing a few glitches with technology but here goes.  We left  Dublin on a commuter flight that was quite small. You must know that flying isn't  my favorite mode of transportation.   I bought a key board so I could type faster so we will see if it works.  Kathy and I both try to pack in as much as possible so after getting to Edinburgh and taking a double  decker bus.  ( they are every where and the  mode of transport that is used by all) we arrived at the Apex European hotel.     

After breakfast and staying awake all night we decided to hit the pavement looking for museums, kilts and a tourist center.  Edinburgh is being refurbished in the area where we are in but it is beautiful and the architecture is amazing.  

We walked to the area of the Scottish National Museum and found a bus tour.  This was a great way to get our bearings and see all the sights on a big scale so we can use our bus passes to visit the sites tomorrow.  If I missed some of what the tour guide was saying it was because I was so over wrought from non-sleep that I basically nodded off a few times sitting up.  This was quite funny.  After the tour we went to a Scottish outdoor lunch spot, had tea and pasties and oat cakes.  So far gluten free is working.  Here is Kathy's salmon pastie, mine was the same only with oat cakes.   I will add more pictures but the  most hysterical thing is we were so tired we went back to the hotel room took showers determined to sleep and get up ready to go on Tuesday. OKay ,we woke up at 9pm and thought it was morning and proceeded to laugh hysterically at how we were trying to figure out the time.  I am working out the picture thing so tomorrow be ready. The adventure continues.  

 This was a quick photo from inside the Dublin airport.

Dublin, Ireland....first landing

While you were sleeping...We have landed in Ireland and do you think I could sleep at all on the plane?   So staying up all night isn't my forte anymore and Kathy did catch any winks either so in about two hours I will be probably catatonic but ready for anything .  DeeAnne at All About Travel is an exceptional travel booker we so we are staying two days in Edinburgh to regroup and site see.  

Getting ready for the big Scotland adventure.

Well, I am just checking out my wireless keyboard getting ready for the big trip to Scotland.  I am heading out with Kathy Lena from Boston on Sunday for 2 weeks.  I am hopeful to keep a blog of our adventures so stay tuned.  There might even be some pictures.  From me that is....we know Kathy will be snapping pictures like crazy.  Her camera bag is the most prized possession going on the trp.  I cannot compete but hopefully will have some fun details.

The route.  As a left handed person I think driving will be an adventure for me and I don't know my left from my right at 56 years old.  I always have to think about it. 

Conference in Philadelphia

Our first stop on Sunday: after a great brunch.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art

This is always my favorite section.
The middle ages, swords, horses, shields and weapons.

This was my first trip to Philadelphia.  I was attending the American School Counseling Conference.  There were over 2000 people there for two and a half days and it was so great.  I went with a friend and we stayed at the  Latham Hotel.

At the conference a surprise guest.  In case you don't know who this is:  Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary (famous folk singers).  He has a great program free for schools called "Don't Laugh at Me".

 Here was some fun seating at restaurant we went to.  The Continental had small plates and yummy food.

As  I was leaving I took this quick photo in the cab.










I did meet a person of some importance at the Conference.  He was looking amazing for his age and had a great deal to say about his home town.

Tracey and Mr. Franklin.