Hitting the Road--Stirling Castle

After 2 days ( we needed 4) in beautiful, graceful, enchanting Edinburgh, it was time to move on into the next phase of our adventure.

We packed and had our breakfast at the Ibis we had called home, we checked out and walked the 6 blocks to Hertz.  They were busy yet I was impressed with how the agent took his time with each customer to go over everything concerning the lease, car and best route to take to get to your destination - I found myself not bristling over the wait but appreciating that we would get the same quality care when it was our turn - we did.

We loaded up the red Skoda Fabia, forever from now known as our own Fabio and headed out of town, driving on the left and going around the many roundabouts that seem to have been installed at every other intersection.  Fun to negotiate as you mentally compute "what f...ing lane am I supposed to be in" while transferring everything you ever knew or felt about driving on the right to now trying to drive on the left.  Not easy when the grey Audi behind you is riding your tail and blasting a ear shattering BEEP your way!!

We made it the 60 miles to Stirling while only getting lost once, quite the accomplishment I dare say.  Opps, I'm becoming Angelicized!  We drove up to Stirling Castle where so much history was recorded - think Braveheart, Robert the Bruce, the Jacobites and all the conflicts between Scotland and England.  In a lot of ways I felt Stirling Castle was superior to Edinburgh Castle, which we saw yesterday.  Lots of Docents were dressed in period garb with a fountain of information to bring stone and brick come alive.  I could feel the Palace intrigue.

I came across a stand where you can look up your last name and heritage and they would pull up the Coat of Arms and history of the folks that had come previous to yourself.  Turns out the Berger clan can be traced back over 3000 years and yes I purchased it just to be able to one up a certain brother in law of mine who is interested in Geneology.

We enjoyed the gardens, the views, the setting and the area.  So much so that we scrubbed the idea of driving to Oban and stayed in Stirling which turned out to be a good decision, as a hotel called "The Travel Lodge" turned out to be a good pick.  It was comfortable, clean, friendly and with a tasty kitchen. It wasn't "The Dome" but we didn't have to drive anywhere to eat there!

Through the gates

Grand decorations weathered by time

Many of Scotlands Kings were raised here

The village of Stirling

Guardian Statue

 Cannons to the left of me, cannons to the right

The Princess Garden

Roses and rockwork

It almost looks like the castle grows out of the mountain

Reworked tapestries with lots of Unicorns, the symbol of Scotland

The ceiling of the Kings reception room

The oldest remaining building from the 1500's

Archers had to aim through these holes

Day 2, Enjoying the charm of Edinburgh

We're starting to get our sea legs back and saying adieu to jet lag after a good nights sleep and being kind to ourselves.

Breakfast at the hotel was interesting.  A nice spread of things to eat from fresh melon to cheeses, cereals, greek yogurt, pastries and of course coffee...delicious coffee from lattees, mochas, and white coffee, (coffee with milk).  To add to the gourmet experience was the constant and varied languages we were surrounded by.  We sat next to a Taiwanese business man, Lister Chin and his daughter.  They were on a 6 week holiday until he drops her off for her final year in high school in England.  Although her English was better then his, he handled most of the conversation.  I may not have any grip on the Taiwanese language, I can usually communicate by talking slowly, clearly and using lots of hand and facial gestures.  We had a interesting conversation and exchange of ideas.

After breakfast it was a quick shower and heading out to Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile.  The only issue with getting to the castle is although it was only a mile away, it was a mile going straight up.  We took our time and enjoyed a heavenly day of 72 degrees, clear skies and moderate crowds.  Some of the best things we experienced in Scotland were 1.) The people - all of them  They are friendly, polite, helpful  and a good sense of humor.  I will let the pictures showoff our day.

A joke that follows us around.  This poster advertised a play based on Donald's statements.

Up up and up and up some more!

Past a beautiful University building

Coat of arms

Jeff is ready to enter the castle

The Parapet above

Kind of a mob scene at the top, the body of water in the distance is the Firth of Fourth

Part of the road up to the castle.  Interesting architecture and sights wherever you look

View from the top

Lovely Stone buildings

Inside the Scottish War Memorial

The most fearsome weapon of it's time, named "Big Bertha"

Stained glass in St. Margaret's chapel

Lots of cannons

Down the High St......the Royal Mile

statues

panorama

We ended the day with a fancy dinner at a place called "The Dome"  What a delicious meal it was.  Even though we were robbed of two nights in Edinburgh, we made the most of the time we had here.

The Trials, the Misery and the Joy

Well there we are, lists made, revised and refined.  Each entry accomplished and lovingly crossed off in preparation for our upcoming adventure to Europe.  We have been so diligent that it is 2 hours to go from D time (departure) and it finds Kathy and myself sitting and watching old reruns of Gunsmoke and having a leisurely lunch.  Then (cue ominous music) my phone rings.

It's the airport calling to tell us that our initial plane to Seattle has been delayed and left as it is....we will miss our connection to Dublin...but, if we can make it to the Eugene airport in the next hour and ten minutes, we can catch a plane to Portland and another from there to Seattle and it's all good - no harm, no foul!  Instantly we go to plan B, call Omni, the airport shuttle to see if they can pick us up early.....answer (more music please) NO!   Plan C now comes into play, Kathy asked her phone to call us a taxi in Springfield.  Yes, they can do it!! (Ta da).  We bring our suitcases out and sit anxiously waiting for our miracle saviour to arrive, tick, tick tick.  We have now passed the danger zone when Kathy's phone rings, (cue more eerie music) and it's the cab company telling her that they can't find our house.  Kat begins to explain when they happen to mention Illinois.  Turns out Kathy had ordered us a cab from Springfield Illinois and no, they were not on the way.  Now we are down to Plan D.  Drive our car to the airport, park it in short term and catch our damn plane.  Kat implores me that it can't be done, 20 minutes is just not enough time, (cue heroic music with lot of trumpets and crescendo) it is I missy and I will get you there!!  We toss our luggage in, strap in and head out on our mission from God!  Yes stop signs flash by, stop lights are optional and traffic parts for the red demon Camry as it hurtles onward.  We make it to my favorite shortcut, Prairie Rd. where for the first time in 284 runs to the airport, a train straddles the road and victory seems to be melting slowly away.  After 5 minutes, 23 seconds of butt clenching agony, the train clears the road and we continue on our way never saying "Uncle." 

We come screaming through the parking lot, fishtail into a space, slam it into park, grab the luggage and sprint, (Okay, fast walk) up to the desk and shout in unison Edinburgh!  The ticket lady smiles and says "Wow! You just made it.  She hands us our tickets and grabs our luggage and we are home free!!  Yes we made it....(cue the ominous music).

We board our fleet steed wearing the insignia Alaska and are whisked North to Portland.  Upon arrival, you guessed it (cue more damn music) we are told that the Seattle plane has been delayed and we have no way to get there in time to make our connection.  Time to get a hotel as we are now scheduled to fly in the A.M. to Chicago and then onward to the land of the leprechauns.

After a sleepless night we head for the airport, renewed with a new resolve that today would be our day for triumph, absolution and told ya so's! (Yeah music like dah ta dah dah) We board our plane after being delayed for 55 minues and flying to Chi town with a mere 45 minute window to make the connection but my faith is strong - we might catch a tailwind that will goose our way East!  But no, we hit thunderstorms and a O'hare that is overloaded with planes looking for somewhere to alight.  We circle over Nebraska as reality dawns that no...today won't be the day!  We land and find we are now booked for the same flight as today but it will be the one leaving 22 and 1/2 hours from now.  We get another room and collapse forming two puddles of quaking jello.

circling over Nebraska

The look of a man trying to fill an inside straight

We awake to a new day refreshed and ready to make bonnie Scotland.  To show our commitment, we have our breakfast at a Scottish sounding restaurant, ye olde McDonalds.  We request a late checkout and hangout in our room licking our wounds.  At 2:00, we shuttle back to another Scottish monument, the Grande O'hare with a hardened steel swelling in our hearts -  "We will not be denied"!!  Yes it has taken us 3 days to get to where we are going, yes, the pony express could have got there sooner but we are on our way!  What makes it even sweeter, I am able to meet up with my cousin Stuart and catch up on old and new times and have Kat meet a part of my past. 

Breakfast(?)

We board the plane - row 44, out of 44 but we are going!!! Helpful Hint - never ever sit directly across from the two bathrooms that service the 324 other passengers on a eight hour trip.  I became too aware of the shapes and sizes of 324 butts not just once but several times.  Images that may haunt me for the next decade.

coast of Scotland

We land in Edinburgh with no issues, make our way through customs and head out on a very efficient tram that can get you anywhere and everywhere in shorter time then it would to drive, or in our case fly.  Boy America can learn something about the joys of mass transit but I will leave that to a future spiel.  For now, let me just say..."Wow"!!

We got to our hotel, had breakfast an collapsed for a well earned 3 hour nap.  We then decided to check out the beauty and allure that makes Scotland be Scotland.  Start with friendly, kind people who are willing to help a tourist help or advise, a town that has a flavor of 1400 but mixes it in with hues of modern conveniences.  At the turn of every corner lies another amazing sight to behold.  It's been trying yet it has been worth the aggravation...cue peaceful, happy music!!

The Scot's do have a sense of humor as this hangs above the toilet in our hotel room

Please never erect a statute of yours truly

Modeling in the park

Happy wife, happy life!!