Haste Ye Back

Eilean Donan Castle

"Haste ye back" is a traditional Scottish farewell that means "come back soon" or "return quickly.” That farewell is shown on a sign in the photo taken of the Eilean Donan Castle when we visited at sunrise. This highly photogenic castle has appeared in many a movie.

After having had such a wonderful time here during the past six months, we are looking forward to coming back for another six months next year.

 

Downton Abbey

Vue Omni Cinema

Beth enjoyed being taken out for a surprise dinner and movie, the just released Dowton Abbey: The Grand Finale. She has been a Downton Abby fan from the beginning. In was ten years ago, during a long vacation in England, when Mike surprised her with a tour of Highclare Castle, the actual filming location. Trivia:  the cinema we went to incorporates the facade of a former church that previously occupied the site (church going in the UK has been declining for years).

Dinner was at a nearby casual Greek restaurant. Fun night out as we wind down our six months here in Edinburgh.

Final Hill Walk

Bracken

We spent the day hill walking with a couple we are friends with; it was our last hill walk prior to returning to the US. The weather was perfectly Scottish:  cool, mixed clouds and sun, windy, no humidity, threatening rain but it didn't.

And, since it is the end of summer, the bracken is abundant, thick, and tall. See photo of Beth navigating through a section so thick and tall that it was difficult to see where to place your feet and which direction to go in. Bracken is a stiff fern-like plant that thrives in the sun (ferns are supple shade-loving plants). We had dinner in a nice old village restaurant near the end of the walk Fun stuff.
 

Story Telling

John Knox House

Beth went with a friend to the Scottish Storytelling Center. It's located on the Royal Mike in Old Town in the John Knox house. The house dates back to 1470, which makes it the oldest original medieval building surviving on the Royal Mile. John Knox was the leading figure of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation in Scotland who is credited with establishing the Presbyterian Church.

They went to listen to the fictional story of "Beastie: Man, myth, monster hunter. It’s one thing to be chasing monsters; it’s another to realize you’ve become one.” Fun time.

Cheese Bread

Happy Hill Walkers

Everyone was happy, especially Mike. He just led his fourth hill walk for our club and nothing went sideways. No intensive all-day rain as on a previous walk he led, no getting feet/boots wet on difficult crossings of fast moving streams as on a previous walk, and no record setting heat where some hikers dropped out part way as on a previous walk.

This time all went well. Nice weather. Beautiful scenery. 14 miles with 1,700 feet of elevation with no problems. He surprised the hill walkers with fresh baked cheese bread at the lunch stop (see photo).

 

Croquet

Surprisingly Fun

Playing croquet was way more fun than expected. We joined friends for a game at a private club they belong to; it is in the heart of Edinburgh not far from where they live. This brought back memories of playing backyard versions of the game when we were kids. Today, we played by World Croquet Federation rules.

The UK claims credit for introducing the game 175 years ago, about the same time lawn tennis and lawn bowling were becoming popular. That timing is not a coincidence; it is when as the cylinder lawn mower was invented (those sports can only be played well on a lawn that is flat and finely-cut). Trivia:  croquet is recognized as the first Olympic sport to include female participants.

Kudos To Kiwanis

Zoom Meeting

Mike continues to sing the praises of the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke for accommodations they made which enabled him to remain fully involved while in Scotland for the past six months.

During his final year as a Club Officer and Board member he was able to Zoom in and participate in most leadership meetings, and he was able to engage in meaningful email exchanges with other Club leaders and Committee Chairs.

Except for the few schedule conflicts when hiking with our hill walking club, Mike was able to Zoom in for the majority of weekly Kiwanis meetings as well. He was also able to carry out his webmaster duties. Remaining highly involved is important to him.

Wee Bit of Rain

Smirr

Truth be told, it does rain sometimes here in Scotland. However, we get fewer inches of rain here than we do in Roanoke. Yes, you read that right. However, the rain we do get is often a drizzle, or what we call here a smirr, or a dawk, or a smùid. Either way, today's hill walk along the Fife Costal Path (one of the long distance trails in Scotland), was damp (see photo).

Miles of walking along the coast of the Firth of Forth (estuary of the North Sea), allowed us to see many shore birds, seals, castles, coal mining ruins, linoleum factory ruins, and struggling fishing industries. Today's walk with our Club was a "C" walk, meaning it had fewer miles and a slower pace; also meaning that we stopped often for information about history, nature, and industry.
 

Anything and Everything

Packed Isles

This is not another post about stunning scenery. Although, it is about sensory overload, just not the kind from scenery. This overload occurred when we visited the "Anything and Everything" store that is located nearby. It was our first visit; we were looking for a specific kind of fuse for our UK-to-US electrical adaptor.

This cramped shop with a dozen ultra-narrow isles was packed from floor to ceiling with racks of countless goods; all were arranged and organized (see photo taken in the one isle you could walk through without having to turn sideways). This was an "if you can't find it, you don't need it" kind of place. We did find the fuse we were after. Quite the experience.

Jaw-Dropping

Old Man of Storr

Even in a country such as Scotland where the scenery is stunning, a visit to the Highlands is even more impressive. And, a visit to the Isle of Skye  is jaw-dropping. No exaggeration. On a long day trip from Fort Augustus we drove along the most popular sightseeing route on the Isle of Skye, stopping whenever we could not resist gawking at the scenery. The weather was perfect. Dramatic clouds, mist, and sun.

We were not alone. During our two-hour climb of the Old Man of Storr (see photo) we saw at least one hundred others doing the same. And after navigating several miles of a narrow and windy single track road that clung to the side of a mountain, we arrived at two unbelievable sights. One, the intended sight, was another jaw dropping bit of scenery. The other, quite unexpected, was a parking lot filled with one hundred cars and a full sized tour bus. All had navigated the same single track road - even the bus. Can't figure that one out.

Highlands

Fort Augustus

We are in the Highlands. This is the region in northern Scotland with plenty of mountains (trivia:  Grayson county in southwestern Virginia is referred to as the Highlands because it is reminiscent of northern Scotland). We are spending a week in a new Airbnb cottage in the village of Fort Augustus; it is a great location for day trips in the car we rented.

The village is located on the 60-mile long Caledonian Canal that provides a water link across Scotland from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean (see photo).  The village is also located on the southernmost tip of Loch Ness (that's the one with the Lock Ness monster).

Mike is doing all of the driving; he has not been behind the wheel of a car since leaving Roanoke five months ago. Surprisingly, even to him, driving on the left side of the road has not been the least bit challenging. He thinks that is because we have gotten completely used to the riding busses and walking in a city where all vehicles drive on the left side. However, he still struggles with driving on the narrow roads, barely enough room for two cars on most roads. And, even worse, are the single-track roads that are only one car wide yet have two-way traffic.

Tour Guides

Irn-Bru

We have enjoyed serving as "tour guides" for our visiting friends. Since this is their first Scotland visit and they know little to nothing about the place, we have shared an endless stream of information and fun facts, much of true. Hey, they don't know if it is fully truthful or not.

We walked along the Royal Mile (sholder-to-sholder with the hordes of tourists here for the Fringe), saw Dolly-the-Sheep (first cloned animal), took a guided walking tour (conducted by a friend), toured St. Giles Cathedral (where John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian religion, was minister), rode public buses (something our friends hadn't done on previous European trips), took a guided tour of Edinburgh Castle (built in the 11th century), and ate at the number one highest rated restaurant in the UK (according to Trip Advisor). They went to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (over-the-top show with 1,000 performers) and shopped for souvenirs (thankfully, did not buy a kilt).

Topped it all off with some Irn-Bru, Scotland's national drink (other than whiskey). It is a soft drink that is highly carbonated, highly sugared, and highly caffeinated; see photo. Scotland is the only country in the world where Coca Cola is not the number one drink.

US Guests

Good friends from the US, Anne and Bob, arrived to stay with us. We'll spend a week together in our flat showing them around Edinburgh, then we'll spend a week together in a cottage in the Highlands section of the country.

We all went for a walk around where we live. They saw the Glenogle Fitness Center where Beth has a membership and exercises (spoke with a couple of the people she knows there), strolled through a section of the Royal Botanic Garden, stopped for lunch, strolled through our Stockbridge neighborhood (went in a number of the charity shops), and walked along Circus Lane (near our flat - it is the most Instagrammable street in Edinburgh). Topped it all off with dinner at a local gastropub restaurant.
 

Fringe Festival

Royal Mile

See photo for a glimpse of what 500,000 Edinburgh visitors during the month of August looks like during the Fringe Festival. The photo was taken from the public bus we were riding as it crossed the Royal Mile. That is the most famous/visited street in Edinburgh. It runs approximately one mile from Holyrood Palace at one end to the Edinburgh Castle at the other end. It is a popular must see location at any time of year. But now...

We were on the bus returning from an outstanding magic show. Since our seats were up front we could carefully watch the magician and his hands. To no avail, we could not see how he did any of the tricks; it was magic. Afterward, it was off to a production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  Two totally different shows in the same day; both just a glimpse of the expansive variety of arts and music at the Fringe Festival.

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Paula Hawkins

For Beth, the month of August in Edinburgh is the best time of the year. Not only does the city host the world's largest performing arts festival (Fringe), it also hosts the world-leading festival of words, literature, and ideas.

The Book Festival is featuring 650 writers from 35 countries, across 6 continents. Since books are very important to Beth, she has been going to hear many authors speak about their work and she has collected a number of those works signed by those authors. See picture of Paula Hawkins being interviewed about her global best seller, Girl on a Train. The novel was adapted into a film starring Emily Blunt in 2016. It doesn't get any better than this.

 

Lost Six Hill Walkers

Five Made It

Mike just returned from leading his third hill walk for our Club. Recall that it rained on the first hill walk he led. The second hill walk he led was, according to long time Club members, the rainiest and wettest in memory (it poured). Well, the third hill walk he lead has now distinguished itself in another way. The word "ignominious" comes to mind.

He lost six hill walkers; he started the hill walk with eleven and finished with only five (see photo). The number one rule when leading hill walks is to return with the same number that you started with. Apparently, returning with six fewer hill walker set a new record for the Club.

The hill walk he led was one of the more difficult routes with considerable elevation gain and difficult trails; shade was no where to be found. And, it just so happened to occur on the hottest day of the year here. Consequently, people struggled. Fortunately, Mike had planned "bail out points" where hill walkers could leave the route and catch a bus back. So, at one point two people left; Mike insisted that no one leave alone; had to be in pairs. Then, a bit later, the second pair left. Then the third pair. After all, it was a difficult walk. All who left were required to let Mike know when they made it out safely. All who remained were rewarded with a nice pub stop (was their any doubt).

London Symphony Orchestra

Beethoven's Fifth

What a welcome back to Edinburgh. The Fringe Festival is in full swing for the entire month of August; it is the largest arts and music festival in the world. Seriously. There are many hundreds of events. It is also the largest book festival in the world; many authors giving talks and signing books. Half-a-million visitors come to Edinburgh in August for the festival.

We have reservations at several events, including for the London Symphony Orchestra. They are one of the top ten orchestras in the world. Lucky us, the evening we attended at Usher Hall (see photo) they played perhaps the most recognizable music in the world, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony:  dit-dit-dit-daaah. Absolutely wonderful.
 

Low Budget

Nickel-And-Dime

Our trip to Hungary and Germany involved flying on three low budget airlines:  Ryanair, Easy Jet, and Wizz (see photo). Our experiences on all three were similar. They all offered direct flights, which were hard or impossible to find with the major carriers. They all got us to where we needed to go on time. And they all nickel-and-dimes us; Ryanair was especially skilled in this regard.

Seat assignment, boarding priority, printed boarding pass, airport check in, and checked bag each cost more. Even a cabin bag in the overhead bin cost more. Generously, the underseat personal item storage was included. Then, once onboard between the takeoff and landing periods, announcements were made every six minutes to sell something (we counted):  water, drinks, snacks, lunch, meal deal, fragrances, cosmetics, and travel essentials. Whew.

 

Beer Brewery

Beer Garden

As interesting as Freiburg might have been, and as interesting as our tour through a section of the Black Forest might have been, our visit to Germany would not have been complete without a stop at a brewery. Well, that's according to Mike. So we stopped at the Rothaus brewery, which is located an hour drive from the city in a beautiful mountain setting, and spent some time in their beer garden. This brewery goes back to 1791 when it was started, wait for it, by a Benedictine monastery. Got to give credit to those monks. Not but so many years later the local state government took over the brewery. And to this day, the brewery is owned and operated by the local government.

 

Freiburg

City Center

Freiburg is located in the southwest corner of Germany in the Black Forest. Interestingly, to get here from Budapest, we flew into Basel, Switzerland. Then we walked out the door of that airport that led directly into France and boarded a bus that took us into Germany. We were in three different countries within 30 minutes.

The weather here is more moderate and more sunny than most other places in Germany. It has a beautifully reconstructed medieval old town, crisscrossed by picturesque brooks, surrounded by hills. Surprising, to us at least, are all of the bicycles. They travel in dedicated bike lanes, they have priority in the streets, and they can park in dedicated zones. No wonder so many tourists make this city a destination hub for their vacations.  
 

Another Friend

Black Forest

We are in Freiburg, Germany visiting with a friend (photo taken in the Black Forest). Mike spent many years volunteering in his professional organization, the Project Management Institute. That organization has 800,000 members in 225 countries. He (and we) made a number of friends there from all over the world. This particular friendship was formed when Mike Chaired the organization's Ethics committee, a role he really enjoyed. When that role eventually ended he almost immediately joined the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke; one door closed and another one opened.

Somber

Cemetery

We made a somber visit to the local Hajdú cemetery. The husband of one of our flat neighbors when we lived here died; we went with his widow to bring flowers and pay our respects. Later in the same day, we did the same thing with another previous flat neighbor for the same reason.

We were struck by differences between this cemetery and those in the US. Virtually every gravesite was an above ground granite structure that accommodated a family; very few individual gravesites. And, flowers were everywhere; usually multiple flower arrangements on every gravesite. Conveniently, several flower shops were located at the cemetery entrance. We were also struck by the gravesite of an entire nine-person family that all died on the same date in 1944, adults and children included. They were slaughtered by the Germans. Somber.

 

More Food

Salmbuc

Dinner is again at the center of the day. This time it is Salmbuc. Our friends, with whom we have been staying in Hajdú made the effort to cook a traditional Hungarian food. Salmbuc is a hearty shepherd food made with thin sheets of pasta, potato, and bacon cooked for hours in a cauldron over an open fire. It stands out in Hungarian cuisine in that it does not use paprika powder as one of its key ingredients; the dish dates back to a time before paprika became available in the country. There is far more flavor than the simple ingredients suggest.

Three Dinners

Soviet Era Building

Big dose of nostalgia, and of food. We stopped by the apartment building where we lived while volunteering in 2008 (see photo). It is a classic low budget basic Soviet block building built in the 1950's for the working poor; substandard in every way. It was just repainted for the first time and looks significantly better now. We befriended a few neighbors at that time in spite of the fact that they spoke absolutely no English, nor did we speak any Hungarian. Seriously, not a word in common. Pantomime and hand signals were how we communicated. None-the-less, we developed strong friendships.

Arrangements were made for us to visit these former neighbors. The first neighbor had prepared a full dinner, complete with home made salads, meats, breads, deserts, and a shot of Unicum (national drink of Hungary, bitter herbal digestive liqueur). Think of the way grandma cooked back in the day. Then we visited the second neighbor, same thing. Again for the third neighbor. Three dinners in a row. And these "grandmas" associated eating with the show of affection, meaning you had to eat...and eat...and eat. Hard to describe this wonderful slice of genuine affection and culture.

 

More Memories

Hajdú

We are back in Hajdúböszörmény (pronounced Hi-do-bis-r-main); Hajdú for short. When we volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in 2008, after we spent 1½ months in Budapest working in the national office, we moved to the farming town of Hajdú for 4½ months; it is quite near the Romanian boarder. At that time we were helped by and befriended a local government official and his wife who we have remained friends with and who we are now staying with for a few days.

Our job here was to help construct 8 houses for people in need. Some of that work was physical (hammering nails and such), some was managerial (managing volunteer teams who would come for a week or two), and some was promotional (helping residents of the town understand the concept of volunteering). We were some of the first Americans to ever stay here. Hungary, as a former Soviet state, by definition had no unemployment, by definition provided everything citizens needed, and by definition needed no volunteers. Slowly, we helped locals understand that volunteering involved doing work for others for free. By the end of our time here, some locals were coming out to the work site to volunteer.
 

Budapest Sightseeing

Fisherman's Bastion

We sure enjoyed sightseeing in Budapest. Especially so, since we were escorted by our Hungarian friends who provided the narration, much as we did for them when they visited us in Edinburgh a couple of months ago. Unlike when we lived/volunteered in Budapest 17 years ago during the winter months when we saw few tourists, the place is now packed with them.

Fisherman's Bastion provided limitless views looking across the Danube into the Pest side of the city (see photo); it is located on Castle Hill where virtually every tourist ventures. We went to markets, to museums, through the old Jewish Quarter, to high-class and casual restaurants, and to cafes and coffee shops. We also visited the neighborhood where we previously had a flat; that neighborhood has been gentrified. Gone is the graffiti and iron bars from the facade of the building we stayed in; the neighborhood now has shops and restaurants.

Lake Balaton

Looks Like Mediterranean

Stunning views. Name your favorite Caribbean island or your favorite Mediterranean beach. The views at Lake Balaton rival those (see photo). It is a 1-2 hour drive from Budapest. As the largest lake in Eastern Europe (five time the size of Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia) it draws tourists from all over Europe.

We joined our friends for the day here, went swimming, toured a monetary, walked along a beach promenade, had lunch on a terrace at a restaurant overlooking the lake, and had dinner on a terrace at a different restaurant overlooking their vineyard and overlooking the lake. Great time.
 

Chain Bridge

Crossing Danube River

In the photo, we are standing on Chain Bridge, which spans the Danube River connecting the Buda side of the city with the Pest side. In 2008, we had an apartment nearby and crossed the bridge by tram each day to go to the Habitat for Humanity office to volunteer. Beth planned for the arrival of volunteer teams that would build houses, William (who was 15 years old at that time) worked on their website, and Mike helped them with project management. Trivia:  the bridge construction was supervised by a Scottish engineer.
 

Back In Budapest

Dinner Together

The memories are flooding back. We are back in Budapest, our favorite city (until we discovered Edinburgh). We first traveled here only one year after Hungary left the Soviet Union; then we volunteered here in 2008 with Habitat for Humanity. That volunteer trip lasted six months, some in Budapest and some in a small farming community. We helped build houses for the underserved. That trip was a highlight of our lives.

Ever since, we have remained good friends with the then Director of HFH Hungary and his partner. He remains employed by HFH, now at the regional level. She works in the publishing business. She also is a terrific cook (photo taken after dinner in their flat). They have visited us in the US and in Edinburgh. After 17 years we finally returned to visit them in Budapest. 

Dramatic Cliffs

St Abbs

This is a case where the picture does not do justice to the reality. A recent hill walk was along a section of coast near the fishing village of St Abbs. The views were so dramatic and so stunning that the walk pace slowed to the slowest of any thus far; could not help making repeated stops just to take in the views (see photo). Mile after mile of dramatic views along the costal cliffs. And most of the cliffs were streaked white from the droppings of the tens-of-thousands of nesting birds (which we saw). The sheer cliffs and stacks provide ideal nesting locations for guillemots, kittiwakes, and razorbills.
 

Ravioli

Small Kitchen

Mike likes to cook; it is one of his hobbies. Think slow food, not fast food. On this occasion he made a ravioli dinner from scratch. And since the kitchen in our flat is quite small (see photo), and equipped with just the basics, it took him the better part of a half-day. He made pasta dough, rolled it into thin squares (using a cylindrical water bottle since we don't have a rolling pin), finely diced and mixed a half-dozen vegetables for the filling (by hand since we don't have a food processor),  stuffed the ravioli, then boiled and pan fried the ravioli.

He also made the sauce from scratch by finely dicing and sautéing a dozen different vegetables, simmering them with fresh tomatoes and puree, adding a half-dozen spices, and reducing the sauce to thicken. Yummy stuff.
 

Falkirk

The Kelpies

We spent the day visiting the nearby town of Falkirk. Two famous items drew our attention. The Kelpies (see photo), rising 100 feet, are the largest horse statues in the world. The statues represent the lineage of the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the wagons, ploughs, barges that shaped the geographical layout of the area. "Kelpie" is the name of a mythical water horse.

The second item was the Falkirk Wheel, which is the only fully rotating boat lift in the world; think of it a tall Ferris wheel for boats. Instead of traditional canal locks, which can only lift about 10 feet at a time, the wheel connects two canals that are separated by 100 feet of elevation. Full sized canal boats float into either the top or the bottom of the wheel, watertight doors close behind the boats, the wheel turns carrying the boats (water and all), and 5 minutes later the watertight doors open that the boats go on their way. Way cool.

Friend's Garden

Flowers

The recent rain has done wonders for the gardens, especially given the fact that it had been unusually dry. We were pleased to accept the invitation to have a look at a friend's garden (see photo). It is spectacular. She lives in a typical tenement building where each set of eight flats share a common stairwell and a common garden space located behind the flats. Think of a large square where the perimeter of the square is ringed by four story tenement flats and the interior of the square is divided into sections, one garden section for each stairwell.

Our friend has lived there for close to 50 years and has turned what otherwise would be grass into a large flower garden. Since none of the other residents of the flats in her stairwell have taken any interest in the garden, our friend is single-handedly responsible for the hundreds of beautiful plants.

Stoat

Game Hunting

Fewer than 500 people own more than half of the privately-owned rural land in Scotland. This accounts for a number of the large estates; one person actually owns 350 square miles of land. And many of these large estates are managed for hunting, principally for game.

Since we hike through these large estates on many of our hill walks, thanks to the 2003 national right-to-roam act that allows us to walk anywhere (public land, private land), we have learned some about game management. That management includes ridding the estate of predators that feed on the game that hunters pay big bucks to shoot for sport (about $1,000 per day). See photo for a Stoat trap (small carnivores similar to weasels but with a longer tail).

Chocolate Factory

 

50 Chocolates

This was fun. We took a tour of a chocolate micro-factory; it lasted 1½ hours. We drank chocolate, smelled chocolate, tasted chocolate, and made chocolate. They had about 50 different chocolates to sample. Even, had some whiskey flavored chocolate. We also learned about chocolate. Learned allot. Different countries. Different manufacturing. Different labor practices. Different processes. No more Hershey's for us.

Four Hill Walks

More Sheep Than People

Mike is especially happy about completing four hill walks in a week. Two were with the Club we are in, one was with a friend, and one was with a second club he has joined. The photo shows a section of one of the walks where they were traveling through a sheep pasture. That's four times out hill walking in different sections of the stunning Scottish countryside; it is also four different pub stops. Told you he was happy.
 

Skooters

Well, this is curious. Mike, who sometimes lives in his own world, sometimes thinks of himself as some kind of great athletic hiker, backpacker, hill walker. And, to be fair, that is true. However, it is not true all of the time.

Recently, he joined a second hill walking club. Now, besides the hill walks we do together, he is out and about in the stunning countryside hill walking with a new set of friends. On a recent hill walk, which was on one of the many long distance paths in Scotland, the Fife Pilgrim Way, and after a stretch of challenging rain, he and the group he was hill walking with overtook a group in motorized scooters (see photo).

That's right, Mike's big accomplishment on that particular hill walk was to walk faster than a bunch of really old and infirmed people on motorized scooters on flat terrain. What a guy...
 

More Medical Care

Minor Injuries Unit

Another learning experience. Earlier, Mike learned about getting some basic medical care here in Edinburgh; it was a positive experience. Now, it was Beth's turn. After an unfortunate fall on an uneven cobble street, she injured her leg. Hmm, injured is not an adequate term. It hurt like hell.

Worried about a possible fracture, she sought medical care at NHS (National Health System). A call to their hotline resulted in an immediate appointment at a "Minor Injuries Unit." That is similar to an Emergency Department at a US hospital, but limited to minor injuries (the real big emergencies do go to an emergency department). Her experience was definitely positive. In the span of only three hours she received the benefit of an exam, an x-ray, a diagnosis, and a discharge set of instructions. All at no cost. Repeat, no cost.

Luckily, no fracture. Ligament damage only. Some physical therapy should do the trick. By the way, the Minor Injuries Unit was in the same hospital where she volunteers two days a week. Karma.
 

Floral Clock

35,000 Flowers

The annual planting of the Floral Clock has been completed. Each year 35,000 flowers and plants are densely packed into the intricate shape of a working clock; even the rotating clock hands consist of flowers. The clock is located in the city center in Princes Street Gardens.

The floral clock was first created in 1903; it's the oldest of its kind in the world. It used to be operated mechanically and had to be wound daily. Each year it designed in honor of various organizations and individuals. 

1,000 Bagepipes

Pipe Band

We spent the day at the UK Pipe Band Championships. "Pipe" is the word for "bagpipes." The championships were held at the Royal Highland Center in Edinburgh; just a short bus ride from the city center.

Bands from all over the UK competed. In total, there were 1,000 bagpipes, 350 snare drums, 250 tenor drums, and 60 bass drums. Tartan was everywhere. Wonderful sights and sounds.

Although the musical instruments were quite different, this event reminded us of the many High School marching band championships we attended when William was Drum major.
 

Family Time

Together In Our Flat

We sure enjoyed the two months that William visited. During the summer months, when he does not teach classes at Texas Lutheran University, he does research. And since he can do that anywhere there is an Internet connection, he spent time most days with us in Edinburgh doing just that.

He also spent time most days on the phone, either coaching students doing independent study or working with contacts in India regarding an upcoming research trip. He joined us on hill walks, on local sightseeing outings, going to shows, visiting museums, grocery shopping... Fun time together.

City Skyline

Edinburgh

It was a nice day to walk up Salisbury Crags and look out over the city. The Edinburgh Castle can be seen in the center of the photo; if you look closely you can see the temporary seating that has been erected on the promenade for the Tattoo. That is the over-the-top show, with hundreds of bagpipes and a thousand performers, that is put on daily during the month long Fringe Festival every August. We had a terrific time at the Tattoo a couple of years ago.

19 Arches

Viaduct

Mike and William spent the day hill walking in the Borders area of Scotland, not far from the boarder with England. One of the highlights was passing under the Leaderfoot Viaduct (see photo). That structure, which consists of 19 arches spanning the river Tweed, was built out of sandstone in 1865 to carry rail traffic. Interestingly, it is built at the site of a former Roman fort and river crossing; the Romans did not make it much farther north into Scotland before being turned around.

Fancifully, they also passed by The Rhymer’s Stone. It tells the story of Thomas the Rhymer, a famous poet from the late 1200s. Legend tells of Thomas having fallen asleep near this spot, beneath a tree. According to the story when he awoke, Thomas was confronted by the Queen of the Fairies on a shining grey horse. He then went on an adventure to Fairyland where he stayed for what seemed to be three days, but was in fact seven years. Upon leaving this enchanted land, Thomas gained the gift of speaking the truth and told of many prophecies related to Scottish history.

Not Smiling

Wet Beth

Well, to be fair, not everyone on the rainy hill walk was smiling all the time (see photo). Some of the long-time club members remarked that they could not remember the last time they hill walked the entire day in the rain. After we had ascended and descended 1,400 feet, as we slogged through miles of puddles, as mud caked on our boots, and as people were chilled by the decreasing temperature, an occasional expression of something other than joy could be heard.

However, not a discouraging word was heard during the pub stop that immediately followed. That "proud we did it - happy it is over" attitude prevailed.
 

It Rained...and Rained

Elevenses Stop

It rained continuously from the start to the end of a hill walk that Mike led; often the rain was coming down hard. The photo was taken of the 13 of us when we stopped for "elevenses." That is the word used to describe a late morning coffee stop, usually about 11am. Virtually everyone, including Beth, carries a thermos of hot coffee on the hill walks.

Note that all were smiling in the photo in spite of the rain. That positive attitude is quite typical, and yet another reason we enjoy spending time with people here. This was the second hill walk that Mike has led for the club; it rained on the first one as well. Given that track record, he is now learning some new Scottish vocabulary.

- Dreich:  Well-known word for rain, often describing a dull, dreary, and miserable type of weather.

- Drookit:  Means extremely wet, drenched, or soaked.

- Teeming doon:  This phrase describes heavy rain, when it's pouring down.
 

900 Years

Capella Edina Orchestra

Wow, what a great concert. We returned to Usher Hall, this time for a concert by Edinburgh's Capella Edina Orchestra. The city was founded in 1124 and this concert was part of the ongoing 900th birthday celebrations. The program was packed with works from Johann Strauss and others. As good as those works were, the biggest crowd pleasers (and our favorites) were a couple of traditional Scottish pieces where the orchestra was accompanied by a pipe band. Nothing says Scotland more than bagpipes and snare drums.

Interestingly, we were seated immediately behind the VIP section where the Right Honorable Lord Provost of Edinburgh (similar to a city mayor in the US) was seated with a delegation of dignitaries.
 

Underwhelming

Stone of Destiny

Underwhelming:  fail to impress or make a positive impact, disappointment, lame. That is just how Beth reacted when she saw the Stone of Destiny. It is an oblong block of red sandstone that was used in the coronation of Scottish monarchs until the 13th century, and thereafter in the coronation of English and later British monarchs. It was last used in 2023 for the coronation of King Charles.

The stone isn't very big, measuring about 2x1x1 foot on a side; and weighing 335 pounds. The stone is located in a brand new museum in the city of Perth, about an hour-and-a-half train ride from here. She likened her disappointment to that when she first saw Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts; it isn't very big either.

Fortunately, she was accompanied by a Scottish friend of hers (who also was underwhelmed). They made a fun all day trip of it.

 

Medical Care

Prescription

We just had a good first experience with medical care here. After a symptom cropped up and did not go away on its own, Mike went to a local doctor, was examined, and received a prescription.

That is the same basic process as back in the US. However, for us, there is more to it than meets the eye. The UK has had one of the world's best universal healthcare systems; it aims to provide healthcare to all legal residents of the UK regardless of their ability to pay.

As US citizens, we do not qualify to use the system except in the case of an emergency. So, for all non-emergency needs, we must use a private doctor. Lucky for us, our US medical insurance policy covers us while overseas. So, Mike booked an appointment with a doctor, called our insurance company for pre-authorization, went to his appointment the very next day, was examined, and received a prescription. That's right, he only waited one day; don't think that has ever happened back in the US. Better yet, since the doctor he went to is on our insurance provider's list, he did not have to pay; they will bill our insurance directly. How nice.

 

How Exciting?

Clothes Horse

How exciting. Not Really. But doing laundry is a part of the lifestyle we are living here in Edinburgh. Fortunately, our flat does have a washer/dryer built in to the counter in the kitchen (a separate laundry room is a luxury not commonly enjoyed here). Read on to hear about the mundane topic of laundry.

Laundry loads are quite small, an armful at a time at most. And, it takes a long time to do that armload, an hour and a half for the wash. Caution, drying anything beyond damp results in wrinkle city. Really, we have never seen laundry that wrinkled, worse than the face of a Shar Pei.

Fortunately, we have a clothes horse (see photo). AKA drying racks, airers, clothes maidens, or winterdykes. Now, there is a name for you, winterdykes. In Scotland, the word "dyke" means a wall or a fence made without mortar that was occasionally used for hanging laundry in the summer months. Hence the winter dyke refers to drying in the colder weather months.

Interesting how we, accustomed to US standard of living, can be having such a great time living in a European (lower) standard of living. Clue:  it isn't about the physical features of where we live. It is all about how we spend our time. Lifestyle.

 

Pubs

Standing Order

Pubs are an important part of the culture here in Scotland and throughout the UK. Many of the pubs are independently owned and operated, some are owned by large beer brewing companies, and some are part of a chain. The largest pub chain in the UK, by far, is Weatherspoon. There are 800 of these pubs, each and every one housed in a converted historical building of some sort.

We recently stopped for lunch at one of the Weatherspoon pubs in Edinburgh, the Standing Order (see photo). It is housed in a former Union Bank of Scotland building. The building was built in the late 1870s in a neo-classical style; it retains features from its banking past, including an original Chubb vault.