Grand Day Out

Today I again am thinking of our Grand Day Out...

This time in the Cities, the great Edinburgh and the bustling Glasgow ....

Sigh there are some memories that I will never tire of, In Edinburgh, Scotland where we saw the first of our castles, we explored Edinburgh Castle and marveled at the small courtyard where the Tattoo was performed (compared to The Red Square it was teeny!!! We explored Linlithgow Palace the residence of Mary Queen of Scots.....we saw the turret she climbed 100's of feet in the sky to watch and await and pray for her husband to return from battle with the English.

We explored the Dining Chambers and the great Banquet Hall with the Fireplaces as big as 2 carport roller doors...and there were 3 of them!!!! Imagine cutting the wood just for that!!! Oh my it was astounding....

We climbed the circular winding stairs, cold stone with no handle rails and imagined the poor queens and princesses climbing them in billowing dresses and shoes made out of slippery satin or the like. We saw there bed chambers with secret passages that led to the outside in case the King's life was in danger.

It was the first castle that I saw (or imagined) the expense it must have taken to run a place like that....just the servants needed to chop wood and serve the royals, dress them and feed the royal court....it really amazed me.....and there was nothing left except stone and wood, but I could see!!!

I saw the hardship of medieval living, the coldness of the stone walls (even covered with expensive tapestries and HUGE roaring fires, it would have been a cold atmosphere) The courtyard plain but a respite from bitter Scottish winds on the banks of a river......the sun was warm....but the stark square nature with a gothic type fountain in the middle could only depress! The threat of war and the grief of a queen waiting for a King to return. Truly hard and harsh times.

We tasted Mill life in Scotland, saw where David Livingstone lived with his devout parents in a small room where children slept in a box....I saw his home and where his parents worked, I saw the hill his father walked up to take his son to the boat in Glasgow, going to Africa NEVER to see his son David again.... We stood and had a photo under the enormous statue of Livingstone and his African friends being attacked by Lion.....with DD then 2 years screaming "KAWEY" (scarey) "LION" and refusing to go near it (it was huge though!!!)

We saw the slums in Glasgow where Hubby's Parents immigrated from....we saw the still standing Tenament Buildings where his Aunty lived in, and Hubby when his parents were alive visited.....what an experience.

Too much to write about, the Farms where we saw Scottish Black Face Sheep for the first time, the HUGE and ugly Highland Cow with mud caking its feet and snot dribbling in its hairy face....but in the calendars they looked so sweet!!! We tasted IRN BRU fizzy drink for the first time YUM, we had Scotch eggs, i bought clothes from Mothercare and George....shopped in Testco.....wow i loved it!!!

Anyway, I am a Scottish fan so this just whetted my appetite for more YES LORD!!!!!

Bless you guys sorry if i have bored you but I just need to talk about it...even just for me!!!

Cathy