Tales of the Treks

For now, you’ll need to read here, and view photos on the Photo Gallery page. I’ve added a few carousels for the various portions of our trip. Hope you enjoy!

I’ll update as I have time. 💕

There is a lot of history ensconced in the walls of this palace. We got to go up the winding stone staircase where Mary, Queen of Scot’s’ husband, Lord Darnley, and his accomplices climbed, burst in and murdered David Rizzio , a musician and close friend of the Queen. Seems Lord Darnley was a wee bit jealous of Rizzio’s influence over Mary 👀. This is the kind of thing that intrigues you about the history of the inhabitants of palaces and castles. After the interior tour, we walked through magnificent gardens and around the exterior of the Abbey ruins. The gardens were fabulous (more on this later).

Then we caught a bus to the Royal Botannical Gardens. Again, these were incredibly beautiful. The rhododendrons (in every color imaginable) were my favorite.

After the Gardens, we hopped back on the bus to tour the Royal Yacht Britannia. We were allowed to photograph everything on the yacht. Every level was an education, from how the royals lived on board, to the mechanics of the ship, the crew that kept it all running in tip-top shape, and the modes of other transport that were loaded on board, such as the Range Rover. The dining rooms were most impressive. Even though the ship is now retired, events are still held on board. The place settings and meticulous attention to detail – it takes 3 hours to set 56 place settings in order, measuring each fork and knife placement with a ruler – were a sight to behold. I also enjoyed the sailing exhibition and thought about how much Pete would have enjoyed it 💕.

Even with all the regal appointmentss of a palace and yacht, I was most captivated with God’s creation, in the gardens. They were glorious and the birds singing and the sun shinining – all a testimony to the True King and His sovereignty over all.

As mentioned, our apartment is situated on the iconic Royal Mile, directly across from St. Giles Cathedral. As we headed out last night, we stopped to take photos of the bustling city streets. Bagpipers. historic architecture, shopping…it’s all here. We meandered over to Calton Hill, where you can overlook the city. Getting up there was some true physical exercise for this old gal (huff, huff).

Calton Hill is also resident to some iconic Scottish monuments and buildings. Monuments include the National Monument, Dugald Stewart Monument, Nelson’s Monument, the Old Royal High School, Robert Burns Monument, Political Martyrs’ Monument and also the City Observatory and a view of Arthur’s Seat in the distance.

We then made our way to Bread Meats Bread for a great burger and shakes. I think Melissa’s chocolate torte was the favorite! But the burgers were excellent too!

FYI: I’m posting via email, so you will need to be patient for the accompanying photos. When I get a chance, I’ll set up a dedicated gallery, complete with descriptions, and put it on the photo gallery page.

Now we’re off to breakfast at Luckenbooth’s, followed by more sightseeing. Check back later!

Sent from my iPad

Gonna just stop right here and give a shout out to our excellent chaffeur to the Austin airport yesterday! Thanks Alaina!

Once we arrived in Edinburgh, our driver was waiting for us. His name was Nick, and he had Tony sit up front with him and gave him driving tips for “driving on the wrong side of the road,” as Tony will be behind the wheel beginning Wednesday.

While Tony and I arranged our trip back to the airport with Nick on Wednesday, Melissa took these great shots right outside our apartment. We are staying in the heart of Old Town, right on the Royal Mile. Great apartment and staff. They’ve been so welcoming and gracious.

We’re heading out later for dinner and a stroll. Stay tuned!

That bucket list item is just itchin’ to be checked! I’m all packed and ready to go. The bucket list may get checked, but my bags are not! This is the first time I’ve traveled internationally with carry-on only. If you see me in the same outfit on different days, in different locations…..Just don’t pay attention to that. It’s part of the game. I’ll keep this updated as much as possible. And hopefully be adding some glorious photos, so you can enjoy Scotland too!

Today is Thursday, May 1. On Saturday, May 3, I will be embarking on a bucket list trip to bonnie Scotland! I’m designing this so that my family and friends can travel along. I hope you enjoy.