Back to Gauldry, Scotland

Mom, Ann, and Dad in Newport on Tay after tea at the Manna Coffee Shop.

Mom, Ann, and Dad after lunch in Cairne at the strawberry farm. Yum!

After the troops left on the Night train to London and we got one more night of sleep in Edinburgh, we checked out of the apartment and have headed up to Gauldry to spend the day and night with Ann. It only takes about an hour to get there so will have the whole day to catch our breath before the last half of the touring begins. We toured around the Kingdom of Fife (where Gauldry is), had lunch at Cairne on a strawberry farm, and then went to Monty Feith to try and find (without luck) where Mom and Dad lived before they moved to Gauldry. They're going to see if they can't find a return address label when they got home from an old letter and have Ann go find it. After that we went to the Manna Coffee Shop in Newport on Tay and had a nice cup of tea and a piece of cake (I could get used to this too!). This coffee shop was neat b/c not only did it use fair trade tea/coffee but the local Church of Scotland runs it through all donated baked goods and uses the money to fund their youth group. They also have now started selling fair trade craftie goods there too from Africa. I bought a necklace from Kenya and a local artists picture of the Isle of Skye. Just wonderful. Now I'm all caught up and this takes us to today 6/18/2010. Sorry about the lag. (although you wouldn't have ever known, would you?)

We're working on the Night Train!

Jed, Jessie, and Rob in front of the sleeper.

Giving kisses to Autine Ann before we left for the station.

Looking out the night train to London.

That was the song that was being sung all night long as we came home from visiting the castle and walking The Royal Mile never quite making it to Hollyrood Palace as we just ran out of time. We met the Wrinklies (their name not mine, mind you) for supper by our apartment, Loch Fyne. A great seafood restraunt actually still located where the fish market was in years past. We then came home and Cala, Mark, Rob, Jessie (Daryl), Sarah, and Jed all hopped in the shower and repacked their bag and got ready to head to the night train headed for London at 11:40 PM. There was a bit of a mix up with the tickets when we got there so it was touch and go for a while but everyone got on the sleeper train in their own cabins and were ready to go. Mom, Dad, and I bid them adieu and they were off. They arrived in London at about 6ish AM and then caught the tube into Heathrow Airport for their 12:30 flight back home. The 9 passenger van with the empty car seat was pretty quiet on the ride back to the apartment after that.

Edinburgh Day 2

in front of Edinburgh Castle.

Looking down the Royal Mile.

Stopping at Haggis Cafe to have cup of tea (or smoothie in Sarah's case).

Eating brunch before visiting Edinburgh Castle. clockwise from top...Jessie, John, Ann, and Mom.

We got up and around as quickly as 12 people can (one of them being a baby who decided to have a blow out as we were walking out the door) in the morning and finally made into town 11ish. We stopped and had brunch and then all walked up (and I mean UP) to Edinburgh Castle . There was a piper playing outside of our street cafe so Mom and I went to listen while waiting for our food and got this photo op. I could get used to this. I haven't heard a piper in person since our wedding! By the time we finished what seemed to be a bazillion steps to the top of the mount that the castle is situated on and found out that the entrance fee was £14, the `wrinklies` (John, Jessie, and Ann) decided to have a rest at Haggis Cafe while we all went in. It was wonderful. We all split ways and explored for about 3 hours before we all met up again for a spot of tea at the cafe. My favorite part was the Prisoner of War exhibit that showed where lots of POW from th 17th century and on were kept. They had it done up as it would have been and then showed actual items that were made by the prisoners. They were allowed tools and materials to make crafts to sell to people through the castle gate each afternoon. Earn their keep as they say. The American POWs that were caught during the Revolutionary war time were treated the worst as they were not recognized as part of a military. They were considered pirates. Some were kept for decades. 100s at a time. It's interesting to hear about that period in history from a different point of view. Especially a British one....not quite as revered as we think of the revolutionaries.

Edinburgh, Scotland

The girls from Kennedy Primary in Edinburgh.

St. Giles Cathedral behind us to the left.

On the bus into downtown Edinburgh.

We left Inverness and went back to Brechin and stayed the night with John and Jessie and got up in the morning and headed down to pick up Ann (that's right, the 12 of us now.) to go to Edinburgh. We were there for 2 nights stay. Scotland Jessie had got us 3 apartments in a building by the sea right outside of town but still on the bus route. We parked `Vin Deisel` (our blue VW van) and John and Jessie's car at the apartment and hopped the bus into town. We visited St. Giles Cathedral and did some shopping, our new favorite past time. The Cathedral was beautiful although no pictures were allowed inside. We did get one out front though. St. Giles in located along The Royal Mile between Edinburgh Castle and Hollyrood Palace.

Horseback riding in the Highlands

Jessie looking a bit nervos.

The gang.

In Inverness Rob, Daryl (Jessie Dee), Mark, and Jed all went horseback riding up in the Highlands. They all had a splendid time and took lots of good scenery pictures. Rob was afraid it would be a pitiful trail ride with rest home-type horses, but he was pleasantly surprised. They did quite a bit of rough terrain and Jessie was even a bit nervous when riding occassionally because of it all. They all came home in one piece after a 3 hour tour and none worse for the wear. Mom, Dad, and Cala stayed home to watch Sarah and I and Carol went to Aiden's (Pete's 10 year old son) school and did a wee talk on Kansas. The last time they were over they all came and talked with my students about Scotland, so I tried to return the favor. Hope I did my country proud. There were pretty normal questions..."Have you ever been in a tornado? Where would you go? Does everyone have a basement? How long does it take to get to an ocean? What's the temperature? What kind of animals/bugs do we have? Why do movies come out 6 weeks later over here and what movies are out back home that they can expect in 6 weeks?" I think they were all suitably impressed with Kansas and might have some new travelers in 10 years.

Inverness, Scotland

Urqhart Castle on the banks of the Loch.

Jed and I at Loch Ness.

Cala and Mark at the Loch.

Rob, Pete, and Jed playing knights at Carol and Pete's.

From John and Jessie's in Brechin, we coninued up the way to Inverness. I'm sure you've all heard of Loch Ness! We visited the Loch and Urqhart castle (on the shores) and our friends Carol and Pete and all of their kids. No worries, no sighting of Nessie. We got there in the afternoon and had a lovely meal of take away (take out) fish and chips. And off to bed we went for another busy day of touring tomorrow.

John and Jessie's in Brechin, Scotland

Jed at St. Andrew's Old Course.

The North Sea at St. Andrew's.

The old crew on Cherry Grove St. in Gauldry. (from l to r. John, Jessie, Dave, Mom, Ann, Anna (Dot and Dave's daughter), Cala, Dad. Cala (my sister) and Anna were the babies that were born here.

Going over the Tay Bridge at Dundee across the bay to Gauldry.

We made it to John and Jessie's on Saturday evening in time for a gorgeous supper of Salmon that John had made. They live in a very old house (built in 1830s. Splendid!) but has been remodeled for modern conveniences. The next morning we woke up and went to St. Andrew's (home of golf and the British Open) and did some sightseeing and shopping. We went to the Old Course. They were busy building for the British Open. We then went to Gauldry (where my parents lived) and met old friends, Ann Johnson, and Dot and Dave Montgomery. We had a lovely meal and went on a walk to see the old homestead.