Sun Set

Edinburgh Old Town City Center

As the sun sets on this third trip to Edinburgh, we are leaving a place that has become like a second home. So much of what we experienced here quite suited us. The genuine warmth of the people (several of whom we have befriended). The active hill walking lifestyle (hikers' paradise). The extensive public bus and train system (life without a car). The stunningly beautiful and diverse scenery (historic architecture, beaches, mountains, bogs, heather, landscapes, vistas). The convenience (most everything nearby our neighborhood). The history (and architecture, art, music, culture). The convenience (of city living with everything nearby).

We look forward to our next sunrise in Edinburgh.

Perfect Finale

Chartered Bus

What a perfect finale to our three-month stay. We spent our final day in Scotland on a hill walk with the All Year Ramblers club. On occasion, the Club will forego public bus and train travel in favor of a chartered bus (see photo). This allows for a much larger group (we had 37), and it allows for a more remote destination. Lucky for us that this hill walk coincided with the conclusion of our trip here. Lucky, because after the day was spent hill walking, all gathered prior to re-boarding the bus for the return trip. We gathered in a UNESCO World Heritage site with a pub where, as the group was gathered, we toasted our friendship.

The best of friends meet but to part

And go upon their way

Yet only part to meet again

Upon another day

No Bugs

No Screens

We have noticed the same thing here in Scotland that we have noticed on our other travels throughout Europe:  no bugs. And by bugs, we are not referring to the kind Mike engineered for the CIA. We definitely hope there are lots of those being put to good use; doubt there will be a blog post about that (feel free to visit the spy Museum in Washington DC to see some of Mike’s work). We are talking about insects. Our accommodations in Edinburgh, in Inverness, in Fort William, and on the Isle of Lewis and Harris, have come without screens. No need. There are no bugs to speak of. No swatting, no bites, no stinging, no insect repellent. How nice. Another benefit of vacation travel. 

No Left Or Right

Lawnmarket

In Edinburgh, we can find little evidence of left or right. No, we’re not talking about the political kind. We are talking about the kind of left and right that we run into, most literally, on a daily basis. Unlike in the US where pedestrians are largely rule abiding, walking on the right of the sidewalk just as cars drive on the right side of the road.

Here, it is crazy random; anything goes. Be it a busy sidewalk in the city, a paved pathway, or a trail in the hills, it is the same. No one keeps to the left side or the right side. People on foot coming at you from from all sides and directions. People in front of you scattered randomly across the entire width of the pavement blocking your progress. Oh, the lawless tyranny of it all. Buck up, it is their country, customs, and habits. Have been learning to cope and adapt. Another benefit of vacation travel. 

Ignorance

Graffiti On Water Of Leith Path

Make no mistake, we are looking forward to returning to Roanoke. We miss things there. It is our home. Being close to family and friends is important to us. Actively engaging in our volunteer jobs is important to us. However, there are things we did not miss.

We did not miss being constantly reminded of the powerful forces in the United States that continue to be successful at dividing us. We did not miss being surrounded by information that is so skewed as to not be credible. We did not miss identity politics where the absence of ideas and initiative has been replaced by allegiance to an individual or political party. We did not miss the absence of rigor on the part of so many people when considering information without considering the bias of the source.

In our case, here in Scotland, even if similar is occurring, we have been largely ignorant. Our faithful efforts to educate ourselves here in Scotland have been embryonic. Sometimes, these efforts here feel much like we are looking at indecipherable gibberish on a wall of graffiti (see photo). With our ignorance has come some bliss. After all, “getting away from it all” is one of the benefits of traveling on vacation. Enjoy your travels. 

Bin Strike

Rubbish

"Edinburgh bin strike: rubbish mounts, bins overflowing and streets strewn with litter." That is the headline in the Edinburg Evening News newspaper. It is not a pretty sight. Bins refer to the large trash containers that residents and businesses use on a daily basis to get rid of trash and recyclables. A bin or two can be found on most every street; individual trash cans are not used. The strike is over wages.

The newspaper goes on to say, "Streets are strewn with litter, mounds of refuse have built up next to giant bins and burst bin bags are adding to the problem. The stoppage comes at one of the city’s busiest times of the year, as its population swells with visitors for the Festival, and there are concerns about how the unsightly mess could affect Edinburgh’s image." Sad to see such a mess, especially with all of the visitors.

Helpfully, the letting agent for our flat texted to say that she would be happy to swing by and collect our rubbish and take it out of the city to deposit where there is no strike. How nice.

The Hat

Harris Tweed

We have learned through a bit of recent experience about retail here in Scotland. Call it a supply chain issue, or supply and demand, or old traditions meet the new economy, or covid crazy, or whatever. Here we are with only a week left in our three-month stay in Scotland, and Mike decides he wants to buy something for himself. Mind you, beyond food, transportation, and entertainment, he has not bought a single thing. No books, no souvenirs, no clothes. Nothing for himself. He is not into retail therapy.

We both were highly impressed by our week-long visit to the Isle of Lewis and Harris. He reached the point of wanting to buy something from there, a hat. Mike is into hats; what better than a genuine Harris Tweed hat. By definition, the only place a Harris Tweed item can be manufactured is on the Isle of Lewis and Harris. Similar to champagne and France, or Vidalia onions and Georgia, a toponym. Strangely, although the manufacture of Harris Tweed is a sizable cottage industry on that island, in all of the driving around we did from one end of that place to the other, we could only find a couple of shops selling the stuff. And, they had very little to sell. No hat selection. So, on to plan B. Shop for a hat once back in Edinburgh. Maybe not enough people visit Lewis and Harris to make retail a thing.

Off Mike went. On our first day back in Edinburgh, he heads to the three finest clothing shops in the city; they specialize in genuine cashmere, Scottish wool, and Harris Tweed. No luck with the tweed; shelves are practically bare. Off to make the rounds of standard clothing shops. Same story. Off to visit tourist shops. Plenty of kitche, nary a genuine Harris Tweed hat to be found. How can this be, he asks at every shop; we don't understand it either, they reply. Finally, at the largest and most conspicuous tourist shop, which is located immediately outside the gates of the historic Edinburgh Castle, on one of the five floors of tourist stuff, in a corner mixed in with the mass-produced hats from China, are a couple of authentic Harris Tweed hats (by law they have a label of authenticity). Success, a Harris Tweed Baker Boy cap. Mike is such a shopper.

Books

Largest Book Festival

Edinburgh is home to the largest public celebration of the written word in the world. Every August, over 700 writers from across the planet gather together to rub shoulders with international audiences. Lucky Beth, she has been able to book tickets to listen to several authors. As someone who spent her career teaching English by having high school students rely to a great extent on the benefits of reading (very effective), as some who reads countless books a month (historical fiction is her favorite), as someone who has filled/overfilled all bookshelves in our house (most shelves have double rows), and as someone who needs an extra suitcase for the trip home because of all of the recently purchased books (not traveling light), she is having a wonderful time.

No surprise that Edinburgh hosts this book festival, the city was named as a UNESCO City of Literature two decades ago. She recently saw author Anthony Horowitz talk about his third James Bond thriller, With a Mind to Kill. It is a high-octane tale where 007 is accused of M’s murder (original James Bond author Ian Fleming chose Horowitz to write more James Bond books). Beth said he was the most well-spoken author she has had the pleasure of listening to.

Good Idea?

Peat

This is one of those "seemed like a good idea at the time" episodes. As we were driving along a wild and remote stretch of narrow road on the Isle of Lewis and Harris, as we were marveling at the relatively flat treeless heather-covered bogs, as Mike was pretending he had become proficient at driving on the wrong side of the road shifting a manual transmission with the wrong hand, our extra small sub compact car suddenly screeched to a halt.

Mike immediately jumps out of the vehicle, hops over a locked gate into a fenced field, and strikes out across a peat bog bound for a couple of fresh piles of hand cut peat blocks. Peat is created largely from sphagnum moss and when the plant dies its remains do not fully decompose in the bog’s acid waters, and so the dead moss becomes buried and turns into peat. It has been used for centuries to warm homes and fire whiskey distilleries. Peat covers 20% of the land in Scotland, a much higher percentage on this isle. His phone in hand, taking video along the way, Mike neglects to watch his step. Let's just say he is lucky he did not become another bog body (human cadaver that has been naturally mummified in a peat bog). Hate when that happens.

Two Blacks

Blackhouse Arnol

As a counterpoint to the blog post about two whites, this one is about two blacks. We were out for the day in yet another remote area on the Isle of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. To be fair, beyond the town of Stornoway where we are staying in an Airbnb flat, everything is a remote area. Absolutely everything. The entire island only has 20,000 people spread over almost 1,000 square miles. That works out to be an extremely low population density of one-tenth that of Virginia. While driving, we became rather concerned about the rapidly advancing weather front that overtook us. Heavy rain and dark clouds. Dropping temperatures. Little to no visibility. Strong wind blowing the rain across the road. And black as if the sun had been switched off. Black number one.

Black number two included none of that. Our driving destination was a site managed by the Historic Environment Scotland (we are members). They do work not unlike the National Park Service in the US. This site had a historic building that we wanted to tour (inside, out of the rain). The building is a rebuilt and furnished example of a rather common farmer's home 150 years ago. The building's floor was flagstones and packed earth, the walls were stacked stone, and there was a central hearth for the peat fire. There was no chimney for the smoke to escape through. Instead the smoke made its way through the thatched roof. Awfully pungent smell. This led to the soot blackening of the interior which may also have contributed to the adoption of the name blackhouse. Black number two.

Two Whites

Luskentyre Beach

Many things can be colored white. Take for example, our outing in the rental car across vast stretches of lunar-like terrain. We drove from the northern end of the island of Lewis to the southern end of Harris. Yes, that Harris, where they make Harris Tweed. The topography was unlike any we have encountered elsewhere. Barren. Dramatic. Rocky to an extreme with vast swatches of low lying heather. Lakes punctuated the landscape, as did occasional houses.

The only road was as narrow as can be; much of it was one lane each direction with oncoming vehicles mere inches away. However, much of it was single track. That's right, one lane for vehicles going both ways. An oncoming vehicle, if it saw us, would inch off the side of the road at a "passing spot;" nothing more than a slight widening. We tried to do the same. Since it was raining, and since the winding hilly road had constant blind turns, visibility was compromised. The white in this case refers to Mike's knuckles. He was white knuckled (gripping the steering so hard that the blood left his hands and his knuckles turned white). Maybe, as a passenger, Beth's knuckles were also white.

Thankfully, the second white occurred at the end of the road at Luskentyre Beach. It is a stunningly beautiful beach set against a dramatic backdrop of rocks and mountains. Impressively, it has been rated one of the top 25 beaches in the world; it came out ahead of the Virgin Islands and some of the most photographed beaches in Spain and Italy. The sand, for miles, is a white as can be (see photo).

Standing Stones

Callanish Standing Stones

Those who have tuned in to the ever popular Outlander television series have seen standing stones. In the show, they have magical properties. The stones in the show and in real life here in Scotland and elsewhere are almost always are erected in a prominent location in a circular and/or cross shaped pattern. Think of Stonehenge in England. Theories abound regarding the origin and purpose; often mentioned are rituals and  celestial portents.

While visiting the Callanish Standing Stones, on the Isle of Lewis and Harris, there was a bit of magic as we walked through them, a calm connection with something larger than ourselves. We also felt disposed toward the theory that says these stones were petrified giants who would not convert to Christianity. By the way, we have not met a single Scotsman who would admit to watching the Outlander show. Go figure.

Butt of Lewis

Windiest Place In UK

Hard to resist titling a blog, "Butt of Lewis." Well, it just so happens that is a real place, and we did visit. It is one of the more popular sights on the Isle of Lewis and Harris. It is the northernmost point of the island and of the Outer Hebrides. In one direction, it is a straight run to the Arctic and in another, nothing stands between the butt and the coast of Northern Canada. It is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the windiest place in the UK.

And, it is ruggedly scenic as can be (see photo). The Butt of Lewis is a collection of rocks and sea stacks with cliffs that rise almost 100 feet above the boiling sea below. The water smashes into the rocks and the wind howls across the cliff tops. The cliffs themselves have amazing folded structures and are covered in nesting sea birds, soaring high into the sky on the thermocline. A lighthouse marks the spot. Wild.

World Record

Loganair

We continue to enjoy getting to know Scotland; trips around the country have been an important part of that. Now, keep in mind that Scotland has fewer people and a smaller land mass than Virginia. With that having been said, it has its own airline. Loganair has about 50 aircraft serving about the same number of destinations. Remarkably, one of its destinations is on the island of Barra where scheduled flights use a tidal beach as the runway; the only official tidal beach runway in the world.

Loganair also holds the world record for the shortest scheduled passenger flight; Westray to Papa Westray. Flights on this route are scheduled for one and a half minutes, and actual flying time is closer to one minute. The record for the fastest flight is 53 seconds. Total distance traveled, 1.7 miles. This record-breaking journey is shorter than the length of the runway at most major airports. One pilot has completed this flight over 12,000 times; another world record.

Now we will get to know something about another area of Scotland. We just flew Loganair to the Outer Hebrides where we are spending some time on the isle of Lewis and Harris.

Coastline

Granton Beach

Let's keep in mind that Scotland has fewer people and a smaller land mass than Virginia. Keep in mind that Scotland is half of an island (the other half is England and Wales), and Scotland includes over 900 islands. Consequently, Scotland has a lot of coastline. Over 12,000 miles of coastline. That is double the coastal length of the lower 48 states in the US. 

No surprise that Edinburgh is on the coast. And no surprise that a couple of our routine exercise walking routes take us along the coast (see photo). We pass rocky/craggy beaches, harbors, upscale apartment buildings, an ocean liner port, and large marine industrial areas. We also pass the Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia, the former royal yacht of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Britannia was the only vessel in the Royal Navy to have her own 24-hour laundry; up to 600 shirts could pass through the washers and dryers in one day. It continues to be voted Scotland's best visitor attraction (we have not gone).

Skylights

Bright As Can Be

The 200-year-old flat we are in is bright as can be (we moved from our earlier flat). Since it is on the top floor of a four story building (open sight lines), since it is a corner unit (windows on two sides), and since it has skylights (four of them), and since we are so far north (sun rises early and sets late), light pours in. The foyer skylight (see photo) is dome shaped, from years ago. How nice that is.

The flat is 1,000 square feet; pretty good size for two people. Imagine how spacious it was back in the day before they divided the original flat into two separate units. It has elements of grandeur from a bygone era, somewhat faded and worn, with multiple coats of paint, and with furnishings to match (shabby chic). The main bedroom has a big window seat, fireplace, and a large armoire (no closets back then). The second bedroom is properly referred to as a "box" room:  small enough to be used for storage or a small room to sleep in. The main bath has a cast iron claw foot tub (drains poorly), and a half bath is off the kitchen. Speaking of the kitchen, it is definitely European. Small under-counter refrigerator, under-counter freezer, under-counter washer, a clothes drying rack is on a pulley suspended from the ceiling; very functional. So much charm. We really like the place.

Opera

Maria Stuarda

Beth enjoyed another show at the Fringe Festival; a production of Maria Stuarda. Most appropriate to be watching that show here in Scotland since it is loosely based on the lives of Mary, Queen of Scots (Mary Stuart) and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. Although they never met in real live, they sure do in this 1835 production; the two famous queens are locked in dangerous power play.

Maria, the White Queen, turns the heads of Leicester and Talbot, two of Elizabeth’s most trusted courtiers. Elizabeth, the Red Queen, blinded by jealousy and suspicious of the White Queen’s motives, is enticed by her henchman, Lord Cecil, to condemn her cousin, a reigning monarch, to death.

Great story. Love, hate, deceit, betrayal, scandal, complicity, and death. Pretty good show, not the Met (as pictured); more like community theater. Mike stayed at the flat to work on Kiwanis business.

Superlatives

Tattoo

We need a list of superlatives to properly address the situation. Best. Biggest. Loudest. Largest. Most impressive/enjoyable/unusual. These terms all apply to our reaction to the Royal Military Tattoo show performed on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. Well, add one more term, unbelievable.

We stamped and cheered to the sounds of innumerable military bagpipes and drums, clapped to the Highland Dancers, marveled at the over-the-top lighting of the performers and the castle facade itself, watched in awe at intricate marching formations, and oohed at the closing fireworks. We are talking about 1,000 performers in a high-end professionally produced event (see photo).

This is a hugely popular event; we booked many months in advance. Also expensive; worth every penny. 200,000 attend during the month of shows, with another 100 million watching on TV.  It is the number one show in Edinburgh; has been for many years. Hope you can tell, we thought it was fantastic.

Restaurants

Salmon

According to Scottish tourism officials, Edinburgh has more restaurants per person than any other city in the UK. We are talking about 5,000 restaurants. And that doesn't count another 500 pubs. Since it is such an international city, pretty much every type of food can be found here. Naturally, British restaurants dominate. Indian, Thai, and Asian restaurants are everywhere. We have even seen Himalayan restaurants. Don't forget the fish and chips (french fries). Our dinners out, which have been about once a week, have all been very good.

The seafood is first class. After all, Edinburg is on the coast. Our Stockbridge neighborhood has a fish monger. Even the supermarkets have an abundance of fresh seafood. No surprise, salmon tops the list of delicious seafood; it is the UK's number one food export. On that note, we have read about the concerns regarding salmon farms; apparently not all are responsibly growing salmon. And, the wild caught salmon is being depleted. These reports remind us of the Alaska and Chili salmon situations. Good eats.

B = A+

Wind Farm

Our hill walking club has been at it for 100+ years; they know what they are doing. As an aid, they rate each of the walks on a scale of difficulty. The scale is somewhat subjective, but it helps. Difficulty is generally assessed as a function of miles, elevation gain, and trail conditions. D walks are usually 6 or so miles with little elevation gain over well-established pathways. C walks are longer, with elevation gain, with some challenging footing. And so forth.

Well, this latest walk bent or broke the rules. What was listed as a B walk of 12 miles ended up being much more. And, there was much grumbling. Actually, there was a bit of a mutiny as well. At one point the leader announced we would be walking across an open field with cows and a bull. This is not uncommon; after all, the Scottish National Right To Roam law means that we can walk most everywhere, public land and private land included. And, the leader had recently been here on a recce in preparation. Some walkers were having none of that. They spontaneously separated from the group and walked in a completely different direction; no cows and bull for them. It was a wonder to watch the leader's reaction to the insurrection.

Turns out, we walked by the first and largest wind farm in all of Scotland, over one hundred turbines (see photo). In just 20 years or so, the country has gone from little to no wind energy to now having virtually 100% wind energy. Impressive. Oh, the B = A+ blog title reverts to the fact that our 12 mile walk ended up being 20 miles with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Definitely not a B rated walk; more like A+. Long day. Phew.

Berserk

Cirque Berserk

We went berserk, sort of. We went to see Cirque Berserk; they are one of the many Fringe Festival choices. Great choice. Contemporary cirque-style artistry, adrenaline-fueled stunt action, acrobats, aerialists, and daredevil stuntmen. Not to mention five motorcycles speeding inside the "globe of death." It was highly entertaining. It was also exhausting; not just for them to perform, but also for us in the audience. We could not stop talking afterwards about just how terrific a show it was. They are based in London; glad they came up to Edinburgh.

Lemons Into Lemonade

Tunnel

This is a lemons into lemonade story. It takes place in the village of Colinton, now a neighborhood in Edinburgh. We walked there via the scenic Union Canal towpath and the Water of Leith pathway; it's five miles from our flat. That village benefited from the opening of a railway in 1874. At first, eight daily trains made the 15 minute run connecting the village to the Edinburgh city center, then eight, then twelve, and by the 1920s, two-dozen daily trains were making that run.

Then, with the increase in decent roads, and the corresponding increase in auto and bus transport, the line shut down in the 1960s. The 500 foot long train tunnel, vital back in the day, became useless. With time, lack of attention and vandalism, the tunnel suffered. Then in 2020, a couple of local artists, together with a whole lot of stimulated community spirit, commenced painting the tunnel interior and installing bright lighting. They turned the dark and dank interior into a bright and colorful mural. Neighborhood schools and non-profit institutions painted panels that are expressions of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s 16 lined poem, "From A Railway Carriage." He used to ride this rail line to see his grandfather. Every inch of the painted tunnel is complete with a bevy of flora and fauna, not to mention the faces of would-be passengers, many of whom are community members. Now, the tunnel is an attraction. Nicely done.

Fringe

Largest In The World

In today's world of marketing, superlatives frequently are used to sell products. Biggest. Best. Fastest. Strongest. The skeptics among us don't believe all of those words. However, we are here to report that at this very moment, Edinburgh is hosting the largest arts festival in the world. Repeat, largest in the world. The Fringe Festival.

We are talking about 25 days that feature more than 50,000 performances of 3,500 different shows in 300 venues. It started just this last week. We are talking about a city with a population of 500,000 people hosting that many visitors in a single month. What started in 1947 as an alternative counter-culture event is now definitely mainstream (with a side of funk). The City Center, with the crowds, is nearby (see photo). We have already elbowed our way through this. So here we are, thankfully, and not by accident, in a flat in the quiet neighborhood of Stockbridge. We have booked into talks by famous book authors, into a couple of shows (including Hamlet with super star Ian McKellen), and into the Royal Military Tattoo (bagpipes galore). Exciting stuff.

Friends?

Acquaintances?

What is the proper word? That question periodically confronts us as we attempt to fit in by learning common Scottish words and pronunciations. Recall that Mike is now walking around Edinburgh without wearing pants. No, thank goodness, he is not in a kilt. Turns out, he is wearing trousers. Here, pants means underwear. Well, he is wearing that too, just not so anyone can see. Trousers it is.

Sometimes, the proper word can be just as illusive in American English. Beth has been getting to know a number of people in the hill walking club; some of them she is becoming fond of, and vice versa. Should she call them friends? We have been to dinner with one of the couples, have just received another dinner invitation, as well as a museum visit invitation. Beth has been to lunch with one of the women, and they are going to a Fringe Festival show together. Acquaintances? There are 50 Eskimo words for 'snow.' Maybe we could use a couple more words for 'friends' and 'acquaintances.'

Beer

International Beer Day

Beer brewing in Scotland goes back 5,000 years, and ale is at the center of that history. It is interesting to note that the huge increase in interest in IPA (India Pale Ale) beer in recent years in the US has its beginnings in Scotland in the early 1800s. That is when brewers all over Scotland began catering to the public's taste for lower gravity, pale colored and clearer beers. The higher hop content of some of these beers allowed them to travel better than previous products, thus creating a higher quality product for export to India and elsewhere. The lower alcohol content shortened the fermentation and maturation time, thus increasing throughput. By the mid-19th century Edinburgh had forty breweries and was "acknowledged as one of the foremost brewing centers in the world."

Belhaven Brewery, the oldest brewery in Scotland, has been brewing beer for 300 years. In addition to ales (see photo), they also brew a fine IPA. Today is International Beer Day (first Friday every August). Cheers.

Proud Mary

World's Only

Note that exactly 100 years ago today at 6:30 PM, every one of the 14 million telephones in North America was silent for one minute in honor of Alexander Graham Bell. As the inventor’s funeral commenced, all of AT&T’s and Bell System’s North American switchboards and switching stations suspended service. He was born just a couple blocks away from our flat here in Edinburgh. We have spent time in the nearby pub with his name on it.

Also in history, 1969 was a big year. Neal Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon and Creedence Clearwater Revival released their famous "Proud Mary" song. That's the song with the repeating lyrics, "Big wheel keep on turnin," which accurately describes the Falkirk Wheel we visited on a day trip. As the world's only rotating boat lift, we watched as that wheel kept on turning. Instead of a series of traditional locks to manage the water level difference between the Forth and Clyde canal and the Union canal, the Falkirk Wheel lifts boats 115 feet in a single operation. What would have traditionally taken upwards of a half-day to accomplish, is now done in only 15 minutes. Remarkable to see full-sized boats lifted, Ferris wheel style, water and all, such a great height.

Our visit here was unplanned and spontaneous, and almost unsuccessful. You see, we figured that since we were just a few miles away on another outing we could jump on one of the local town busses. However, a lack of proper prior planning produces particularly poor performance. Which bus? From where? At what time? And after we randomly boarded a bus, and asked the operator for assistance, the question became, "What did he say?" Super heavy Scottish brogue. Couldn't make out a word. Stayed on the bus until it stopped and everyone got off. Some kind lady took pity on us. Pointed us to a different bus. All is well.

Interesting Day

UFO

Today was most interesting, for two reasons.

Reason number one. UFO. As in Unidentified Flying Object. We enjoyed a hill walk with the Club through an area that was new to us; mixed woodland and open fields. Then, in the middle of nowhere, we happened upon an interpretive sign (see photo). The sign described the 1979 sighting of a UFO at that very spot, "but as he did so two smaller spheres dropped from the main sphere and started rolling towards him." An investigation concluded that "all the evidence pointed to seeing something not of this Earth."  Don't stumble upon that sort of thing every day.

Reason number two. It was Mike's birthday; the kind with a zero in it. Whoo. Big deal. That is why he recently trekked to 17,600 feet to Everest Base Camp, to mark the occasion. That is why he just ate mostly all of a chocolate birthday cake. Happy birthday.

Refurbished

Stirling Castle

Our guests have departed, fun time. Also fun time visiting Stirling Castle (see photo). A 13 year period of refurbishment was completed not long ago. The result, spectacular. We have visited myriad castles in Europe, including some of Scotland's finest, and were unprepared for just how non-gray and non-dinghy the interior spaces of this castle are. Bright colors, intricate ceilings, and remarkable tapestries. Note that seven of the tapestries were painstakingly woven using century's old tools and techniques. This was the biggest weaving project undertaken in the UK for a century.

This castle literally and figuratively sits at the center of Scotland's history. It is at a geographic choke point between northern and southern Scotland, and it is hard to name a famous Scottish ruler who was not somehow associated with it. Mary Queen of Scots was crowned here, multiple Stuart Kings ruled from here, you get the idea. And, in contrast to the many unsuccessful battles with the British (especially Culloden), they were remarkably victorious, even when outnumbered, at the battle of Stirling Bridge.

Tourists

Definitely Americans

No doubt about it, the four of us put on our best impression of being tourists. We had on what were clearly American clothes, small day packs with essentials, caps that had symbols from the US, and as in the photograph, headsets connected to audio/video information devices. What a great time.

The day's agenda included lunch in a pub, a couple hours touring Holyrood Palace (the Royal Family's residence when in Scotland), a walk to the top of Calton Hill (with the most classic view over the City - not unlike that from the Roanoke Mill Mountain Star), a quick change of clothes (got to improve our looks), a panic and rushed walk to arrive after the reserved time at a nearby restaurant (someone got the reservation time mixed up), a delightful meal at that well-known restaurant (run but a Michelin starred chef), and great sunset views from our new flat (about 9:30 pm).

Asked To Leave

Skyline

Well, we were asked to leave our flat. This is the flat that we have enjoyed so much for the past two months. The flat with all the conveniences, the flat in the prime location, the flat that was so quiet. And, to top it all off, the flat where we were hosting good friends for a few days. So, all four of us packed up our stuff. We also packed up the pantry and the refrigerator contents. We then trundled slowly over bumpy cobbled streets pulling overloaded suitcases, shouldering travel packs, and hand carrying stuffed tote bags. It was a sight.

Sorry. Another tabloid-type mislead. We were asked to leave the flat because our term was up. That's right, we only booked the flat for two months. We booked, for the final month, another two-bedroom flat just a couple blocks away in a quiet location. It is also a bright corner unit on the top floor. It has windows and skylights galore; the views over the roof tops and St. Stephen's Church, and beyond, are stunning (see photo). And, it is in a 200 year old building. Back in the day, this was considered a posh section of Stockbridge. Charm is everywhere. So is quirky.

At the time we were booking, back around Christmas, the inventory of available flats was limited. Probably even more limited because of covid uncertainty. The few flats that interested us were not available for the full three months. So, we split our stay into two. Now we get to enjoy the final month in something historical. Oh boy.

Fun Day

Wedding

We sure had fun taking our friends to see some of the highlights in Edinburgh. Since it is now the height of the tourist season, we booked tickets well in advance. Good thing. When we arrived at the Edinburgh Castle, they were turning people away in droves; we sailed in at our reserved time. Good weather prevailed; instead of the drizzle and clouds forecast, the day was filled with warm sunshine. All the better for views from the top of the castle of the surrounding city.

Then, after a coffee/snack at an outdoor cafe, we enjoyed a guided tour of St. Giles Cathedral; reformer John Knox, founder of Scottish Presbyterianism, preached there. The tour ended up being cut short because the Cathedral was closing early; guess we missed out. Lemons into lemonade. Turns out the early closing was for a full Scottish wedding with kilts and bagpiper. We watched the wedding party and guests, in their finery, enter. Fun stuff.

Finally, dinner in a city center restaurant in their all glass (four walls and ceiling) rooftop dining room with spectacular views of the Castle.

Digestives

Guests

OK. What is the first thing to do once arriving in Scotland after a long drive to the airport from your house, a long and delayed flight from the US to London, another delayed flight to Glasgow, a bus from the airport to the train station, a train to Edinburgh, and a taxi to our flat? The answer is not to have a beer and relax, or not to have a wee dram of whiskey. Apparently, the answer is to have some Digestive biscuits. Those are the famous cookies (biscuits over here mean cookies) invented in Scotland. Go figure.

Maybe the jet lag impaired the thinking of our good friends who have come to stay with us for a few days. Maybe not. They had the good sense to book a lovely week-long tour that includes sightseeing and day hikes around some beautiful sections of the country. We are sure glad they have joined us prior to their tour into the countryside; we have plenty to show them here in the city. Additionally, after the arrival Digestives were eaten, we did head out to an old traditional pub just down the street for some fish and chips, and some beer.

Yes Kiwanis

Easy Virtual

The answer is Yes. The question is, has Mike been able to fulfill his Kiwanis responsibilities while in Scotland. Turns out, he has easily done that. Since the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke is so proficient at running itself virtually using Zoom (see photo) and other methods, it was an easy decision for us rent a flat in Edinburgh for the summer.

In addition to all of the sights and adventures we have been having here, Mike has been able to manage the weekly Club programs (thanks to the monthly speaker arrangers), participate in Officer and Board meetings (excellent Zoom equipment at Water Authority), manage the website (log in from anywhere), manage the Environment Committee (thanks to so many highly engaged committee members), keep up with Club members (responsive email), and enjoy weekly Club meetings (usually good video and sound). What a terrific Kiwanis Club.

Read The Memo

Final Bus Stop

While Beth was spending the day back at the flat and working out at the wee gym, Mike ventured out on another hill walk with the club. It started, as most do, at the Edinburgh bus station. In fact, that particular bus route is now familiar to us; the X62 Borders bus toward Peebles. The process of buying bus tickets is also quite familiar to us; download phone app for the particular bus company, create an account with credit card information, search times and start/finish locations, purchase ticket, activate ticket moments before getting on the bus, place phone with active ticket on bus scanner to board. Easy.

Strangely, he found himself waiting at the bus station for the now familiar bus by himself. No hill walk leader; she had sent out a thorough pre-walk email with instructions about where/when to meet. Although the bus station has two dozen bus lanes, he knew the right one. No other club members. All by himself. So, he gets on bus X62 and heads off all by himself. Not sure of the logic there of getting on a bus without the others. Probably thought others would get on at subsequent stops. Nope. Then, as he enjoyed the premium view from the front seats on the upper level of the double-decker bus, it occurs to him to re-read the pre-trip email memo. Oops. He got on the right bus, but one hour too early. Read the memo. Oh well. It was a beautiful warm sunny day. He waited an hour at the final bus stop for all to arrive. Said he had a good walk. Wonder if he told them about his mistake.

Horse Head

The Kelpies

If you are of a certain age, when mention is made of a severed horse head, the thought is of the 1972 Godfather movie's iconic scene where a movie executive wakes up to find the bloodied severed head of his favorite horse in bed with him. Well, we just had a double horse head experience. Fortunately, it did not involve blood or a bed. It was two horse heads, actually.

We took a day trip to see the largest equine sculptures in the world (see photo). These sculptures tower 100 feet over the Forth and Clyde Canal. Built in 2014, each head is comprised of 150 tons of stainless steel. Visitor center, cafeteria, large car park. Lots of people were there; apparently the word is out about this site. Quite impressive. 

Two-Thirds

No Kilt

We have reached the two-thirds mark on our three-month stay here in Scotland; scheduled to get back to Roanoke at the end of August. Terrific trip thus far. After having been here two years ago, we had high expectations for this trip. Those expectations are being exceeded.

The weather has been nicer than usual, the people in the hill walking club have been genuinely warm and friendly, the lifestyle and daily routine have been enjoyable to settle in to, we have had fun times seeing sights and learning some history, having our son visit us here was quite special, our flat has been perfectly quiet/convenient/comfortable, and getting around the city/country has been straightforward.

On the down side has been some of the travel (rail strike, airline delays/frustration), the costs (Edinburgh is an expensive city), missing in-person get togethers (with friends back at home), and knowing that our circumstances/responsibilities the next two years will likely preclude long return trips here.

Thankfully, Mike has been able to effectively carry our his Kiwanis leadership responsibilities while here, we have been comforted knowing that our house is being well looked after in our absence, and no-one has bought a kilt ;-)

Stockbridge

St Stephen's

Our flat is in the Stockbridge neighborhood in Edinburgh. A couple years ago, when we visited the city on a recce, we spent days talking to flat rental agencies and walking through neighborhoods. Stockbridge appealed to us. That is why we stayed here two years ago; it was an easy decision to return.

With its cobbled streets, elegant Georgian architecture, lush green parks and gardens, abundant mix of independent shops, numerous restaurants and pubs (about 40 restaurants and a dozen pubs), Stockbridge has a charming village feel. The city center is but a short walk, as are many walking paths, as is the Royal Botanic Garden, as is most everything else. Just under 6,000 people live in the neighborhood, about the same as the South Roanoke neighborhood where we live at home.

Our flat happens to be in the shadow of the most notable landmark in the neighborhood, St. Stephen's Church (see photo). Interestingly, the church's location was selected by the architect to block the view of the city center from a building designed by a competing architect (where Robert Louis Stevenson went to school).

Fun Facts

Edinburgh Skyline

Here are a few fun facts about Edinburgh:

➖  The city name is pronounced Ed-in-bo-ra (not Ed-in-berg).

➖  It hosts the largest arts festival in the world (each August).

➖  A majority of the Harry Potter books were written here (same for the movie filming).

➖  Over 75% of the city center buildings are historically listed (World Heritage Site).

➖  It has more trees per head of population than any other city in the UK (112 parks).

➖  The Encyclopedia Britannica was first produced here (exceptionally literate population).

➖  Alexander Graham Bell and Robert Louis Stephenson were born here (and Dolly the Sheep).

➖  A Unicorn is the official national animal of Scotland (seriously).

Sweat Band

Safe City

Let's use an incident that took place today to illustrate a broader point. Beth, as is usual, headed over to the nearby Glenogle Swim Centre to work out. That is one of the facilities run by the nonprofit Edinburgh Leisure organization; they run 50 venues including 11 swimming pools. Beth is quite fond of the Glenogle facility, not just because it is so close by, not just because it has a stunningly beautiful refurbished 100+ year old Victorian pool, but because it has a wee (small) gym where she can use the elliptical and rowing machines. Since most people use the pool, she practically has the gym to herself. Good for her.

The incident involved finding the sweat band she unintentionally left behind several days ago (photo). It was exactly where she left it. No one took it. Repeat, no one took it. Perhaps because Edinburgh has a fairly low crime rate. Related is the fact that Edinburgh is one of the safest places in the UK. In a survey conducted in 2018, almost 90% of Edinburgh citizens claimed that they felt safe in the city. In another poll, conducted in 2014, Edinburgh was voted the safest city in the UK of the ten most-populated cities in the country. Nice city.

Loud Screaming

Protest

OMG. It is three o’clock in the morning in our hotel in Fort William. Loud screaming. Can not sleep. Something awful must be happening. Try to ignore it. Can’t. What to do? Roll over? Get up? Must be awful.

Awful indeed. Mike’s muscles are “screaming” in protest to his almost 5,000 foot elevation gain summiting Ben Nevis yesterday. He is awake, uncomfortable, and unable to get back to sleep. Not just his leg muscles. Also, since he makes proper use of trekking poles, his arms and shoulder muscles too. With the uneven terrain, foot muscles as well. Yes, he is quite physically fit. No matter. He is no spring chicken (see photo). He overdid it. No matter, he is quite pleased with himself. Thank goodness Beth brought Ibuprofen.

Success

Ben Nevis

Big success today. The sole reason for traveling back to the Scottish Highlands to Fort William was Ben Nevis. That is the name of the highest mountain in Scotland (the word Ben means mountain). Beth and Mike left the hotel beginning the hill walk on the first and most famous long distance foot path in Scotland (West Highland Way). From there we headed up Ben Nevis. The views of the lush green sheep pastures shrouded in clouds were terrific. Beth reached her intended turn around point and walked back to Fort William.

Mike continued ascending and ascending. The green gave way to stark rocks and scree. Clouds and mist and wind chilled the air to just above freezing. A large stone cairn marked the summit. Mike retraced his steps back to Fort William. The ascent to the top involved almost 5,000 feet of elevation gain. That is huge; more in a single day then on any of his days when he recently trekked to Everest Base Camp. Comparable to walking from the Roanoke City Market building up to the Mill Mountain Star and back, six times in one day over rocky terrain. Well done. Time to go to the pub.

Royal Pain

Broken Down

Here in the UK, we have the Royal Family, Royal Navy, Royal Mail, and based on our experience today, the Royal Pain. That describes our 150 mile trip from Edinburgh to Fort William, where we plan to spend a couple of days. It took eight hours. Do the math, that is less than 20 miles per hour.

Our train from Edinburgh to Glasgow was just fine. We changed there to the Fort William train. Oops, sat on non-moving train until being told it had broken down. Directed to different train not going to Fort William; told not to worry, it will be fine. Wrong. Royal Pain. Although that train did eventually move, it broke down as well (see photo). Not to worry we were told again, a bus is coming to take you. Oops, bus did not go there; dropped us off in a small village and told to walk up hill to yet another train station. That train did eventually get us to our destination; since it was a local, we got to stop at every small village along the way. Royal Pain.

Cool Place

Cool Place

Spent time today in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Cool place. They have 3,000+ paintings and 50,000+ prints/drawings/photos. A few, like Mary Queen of Scotts, we recognized. Most we did not. Thankfully, they had several reminder family tree diagrams showing which Mary, George, and Charles were descendants of which. So confusing. Did't find a portrait of Mel Gibson (Braveheart movie); being rated as "one of the most historically inaccurate movies" did not earn points here in Scotland.

Cool too because of the building itself (see photo). Both the exterior and interior are Spanish Gothic sights to behold.

And, cool too because of the weather. Record breaking heat today. Nice to be in a cool inside. The temperature actually got up into the 70's. Saw a few people in shorts and a couple of convertibles with their tops down.

Festivals Begin

Parade

Today is the official launch of a series of festivals in Edinburgh that will last over a month. Their is the Jazz and Blues Festival, Carnival, Macro, Fringe (largest music festival in the world), Art Festival, Book Festival, Film Fest, and the Royal Military Tattoo (bagpipes). Phew. We have been told to expect hoards of tourists. Actually, the city has a population of 500,000, and that same number of tourists is expected in August. Hey, we are tourists too, sort of.

The whole shebang was kicked off by today's parade (see photo); we actually knew one or two of the performers there from our hill walking club.

Sex Change

Black Flies

Sex change. That is the kind of attention getting headline, often misleading, that is commonly found in UK tabloids. Thought we would give it a try here because sex change is what happened today. Our hill walking club is comprised of mostly females (ratio about 3 to 1). We can ponder some other time why. Anyhow, on today's hill walk there was a sex change; meaning that the men outnumbered the women. Ok, admittedly that was a bit cheeky (British term for showing a lack of politeness in a way that is amusing).

Continuing with the cheeky sex thing a bit longer. Wouldn't you know it, not only did the male hill walkers outnumber the females, but so too did the black flies. This was our first hill walk with black flies, and they were out in swarms. At one point, it was impossible to stop; hundreds of flies flying and landing on head, neck, and other exposed areas (see photo). Turns out, the flies were males. Could that have been a coincidence?

Fine Lunch

Traditional Scottish Food

What a fine lunch we had today. Not only was the food top notch, traditional Scottish fine dining, but so were the circumstances. We joined others from our hill walking Club for a social outing. Met some members that were new to us, and spent time with some who are becoming friends. Some of these folks are as interested in hearing about our long visit to Scotland as we are in hearing about their lives here; makes for easy conversations.

This may seem like a small thing to others, but we received our first compliment on Scottish terminology and pronunciation. While reporting on our trip to the Highlands of a few weeks ago, and while mentioning our sighting of Highland Cows, one of us actually said, with a straight face and with a proper Scottish accent, "hairy coos." That brought smiles of approval from one and all ;-)

Two Of Us

Edinburg Waverly Train Station

Beth and Mike are back in Edinburg; William returned to Louisiana after spending five weeks visiting. Not often that circumstances allow for that long of a visit. Those moments are not to be taken for granted.

Now the two of us are back into our routine of sorts. Beth headed over to the wee gym for exercise on the elliptical and rowing machine. Mike headed out on the pathways to exercise walk. He also got his first haircut here; much more stylish than where he goes in Roanoke. And we stocked back up on groceries; hey, the refrigerator was emptied prior to the week away in the Netherlands.

We also visited "frustration central" today. You know, that is the place that refers to itself as "customer service." We wanted refunds for the previously purchased train tickets that could not be used when the trains stopped running during the strike a few weeks back (we took a bus instead). Type, type, type away on the ScotRail website in the special form created for refunds for this very circumstance. Answer many questions. Upload ticket image. Repeat three separate times; one for each ticket. Wait a couple hours. Get three separate email failure notices. Arg. Go through entire process again. Fail again. Walk a mile to the train station, wait in line for 20 minutes, talk to customer service person who says "we can not issue refunds at the train station." Huh? Walk back to our flat and call ScotRail customer service; 20 minutes of hold music followed by unintelligible connection. Hang up. Try again. File verbal refund request. Told to mail unused tickets back. Think it is about time for a wee dram of whiskey.