The Train to Scotia (Scotland 2009)

I was on the brink of a huge weekend full of events. It was the weekend of a very important soon to be 3 three year-old, my son Liam. Since his mother and I had split up, birthdays have been less than ideal. We planned on doing this one together, but, I was leaving on October 4th, to visit the United Kingdom. Going that weekend was something I could have avoided, except that I had to help my father with a seminar the coming weekend. To complicate things more, I had a Kings of Leon concert October 3rd. So, I had a birthday party during the day for my baby, concert that night, and a plane across the pond in the morning. I decided it best to stay up all night to be on UK time. So, there I was writing in my diary and tired as can be, waiting on my plane in the terminal. I was ready to sleep.

With only a Braum's breakfast in me, we flew to Minnesota for our layover. I practiced a bit of sleep under a bench until our flight to Amsterdam was ready to depart. I was so completely spaced out. After our long, sleepy flight to Amsterdam, we landed and got to our terminal to Manchester. We decided to exchange our currency for Pounds. Then, we were off to England. After landing, we drug our tired selves through the huge Manchester airport. We got turned around finding the train station. Finally, we waited in a café for our train to Scotland. I tried to get some sleep there, but the stupid door kept opening and closing over and over, squeaking the whole time. It was a nightmare. Finally our train pulled up and we got on. So, as the song goes, we’ll take the high road, ye’ll take the low, and we’ll be in Scotland before ye!

I was tired, but I got to see the in’s and out’s of Englanders and the countryside. We trained through York and many others until we reached the Scotland border. I remember seeing hillsides covered in a magnificent purple. Sal and I just couldn't gwt over the accents we were hearing all around us. Before we knew it, we had arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was quite a temperature change in Edinburgh. We got a cab to our hostel, as well as heard our first legitimate Scottish accent. We asked to go to Cockburn Street. The driver looked a bit confused. He said in his Scottish accent, “Oh, you mean Co-burn?” (It was spelled Cockburn) Sal said in retort, “Well, it’s spelled Cock-burn.” “Aye, we know that…” We had a laugh at the driver’s sense of humor. Alas, we were at our Hostel.

Our Hostel

After unpacking in our Dorm style hostel, I wrapped myself in a scarf and my leather jacket and hit the streets with Sal and My dad. We first decided to get something to eat. We found a place right around the corner and we ordered a Guinness. I ordered the Haggis with Gravy. It was the best Haggis I have ever tasted. After a delightful dinner, we strolled around town on the brisk Edinburgh night. We came across several pubs and souvenir shops. We decided to stop for a drink at the end of our street. We paid for our drinks and sat at a table. Across the way, sat a group of college students with instruments lying on the table. Everyone was watching the football game on the tele. After the game, they picked up their instruments and played a delightful Céilidh song. The whole pub was alive. I looked around to see if everyone was enjoying the music. To my surprise, they paid it no mind. We retired to bed that evening. I got very little sleep, and woke up to a massive headache. I spent a few hours in the dorm style shower to get over it.

The next day, the Edinburgh streets were alive. People were going to work in the morning. We headed down next door for a full Scottish breakfast: two eggs, two hash, toast, sausage, haggis, and “real” bacon. Oh, Aye… Topped off with a delicious Americano coffee. We had a full day in Edinburgh that day. First, we just started walking. We came across some very cool statues in the street.

We eventually found a graveyard just below the castle. Dad did a video there, then we decided to go look for a second hand shop. We had very little luck finding it from the local’s directions, but Sal did buy a jacket at one. We then went to see “The Greyfriar’s Bobby”. I have seen the Disney movie of that, and I felt like I was walking on the set. (Go rent it) It’s about a little dog that slept on his master’s grave every night after he passed He was the town’s friend. It was there the little dog died, and there his grave remains. We were fascinated with the tombs all over it. We took lots of pictures there.

We followed an arrow pointing off the sidewalk to a little café under the sidewalk. It was around noon there. We got some delicious Leek and Potato soup and some tea. Afterwards came upon a bookstore under the sidewalk, just next door. Its proceeds went to funding efforts in achieving peace. I bought a little peace sign with a thistle on it. Leaving there, we found a Cathedral and wondered through it. Outside, it had a huge hand made from stone with a hole in it. (Obviously Jesus’ hand). We went on back to the hostel, and on the way, we came across a bagpiper playing in the streets….IN SCOTLAND….

We decided after getting in to get a taxi to the Castle. We went through the castle, and it wasn’t what I thought it would be. It was like a little town in there. They had cannons lined up, old churches, a café, and several museums. After we had seen it all, we got some tea and scones at the café and then walked to a kilt shop/factory. It was there that dad got measured for a kilt and ordered it. I got to see how a kilt was made and the progression of the kilt through the ages. We fetched a cab and then took it to Calton Hill. We saw the Scottish National Monument there, and it overlooked the city. It was a beautiful sight to behold. We were worn out by the end of it all. At the monument, Sal was trying to take a picture of my dad, and kept backing up until he fell backwards over a boulder. I hate falling over things backwards, but if I were to do it, I’d want it to be IN SCOTLAND. Just saying…

We went back to the hostel, only to decide to go out one last time. We found a place called “Captain’s Pub”. We were too tired to finish our Pints that evening.

 

We trekked back to the hostel til’ morning. That day we were training to Stonehenge. I was beginning to finally get adjusted to the time schedule. First stop was London, England to switch trains to Salisbury…