Grand Europe Adventure!

 Hello from Edinburgh!

Melodie, Marilyn and Connie and I have been planning this trip for several years.  It was supposed to happen June 2020. Covid hit.  We'll go next year.  Still couldn't.  We'll go next year and here we are!  

Happy reunion at JFK where we had quite a wait and the plane was late getting in due to be stored at a "remote location" but now we're here and everything is wonderful.  The flight over was uneventful and not at all full.  Melodie and I each had empty seats next to us that we were able to spill into.  Customs and immigration were quick and easy.  Got a taxi that could accommodate the 4 of us and our luggage.  The driver pointed out several points of interest on the way to our hostel which is located right off the royal mile close to the castle - perfect!

We're at the Rock Castel Hostel where we have a SMALL room with 2 sets of bunk beds. It is on the top floor so it is quite a hike up.  A nice young man helped Marilyn and Connie with their luggage.  We're in the Lord of the Rings room and their are name tags for each of the beds.  I'm Aragorn.  Melodie is Legolas.  Marilyn is Gimil and Connie is Frodo.  

We're all quite hungry so venture out in search of food.  We decide on a Mediterranean place just down the street.  Good choice!  Marilyn gets a full meal and the rest of us get appetizers.  I got some hummus topped with swarma.  Now that we're fortified, we walk to the beginning of the Royal Mile to start Rick Steves audio tour.  On the way up we hear what will probably be the first of many bagpipers.  I think Connie got a little teary eyed.  

Rick Steves does it again!  His walking tour was great; pointing out all kinds of little details and history that we would have missed.   Loving the architecture!  Thinking a lot about Mother and her history of attending the Presbyterian church.  We visited the St Giles cathedral where John Knox preached his reformation speeches.  According to Rick Steves, this led the way to Edinburgh being the leader of the the times in education and the arts and put Scotland on the path to democracy.  The stained glass is really beautiful.  

These have been repurposed as ATMs.

We only got about half way down the mile and Marilyn said she needed a stop for hydration.

  It ended up being as far as we got on the mile.  Connie and Marilyn took an ubber back to the hostel and Melodie and I walked.  

On the way back, there was a man with a huge owl that one could pay to hold.  Melodie has such a history with loving owls that she felt a real need to hold him which I totally encouraged.  It was a Eurasian Eagle owl named Hazel, who was 14 years old.  They can live to be about 40.  

For dinner we went to Makar's Gourmet Mash Bar which was recommended by Stu and Ole.  It was great!  I had wild boar sausage with black pudding mashed potatoes and rhubarb soda.   We all got takehome boxes to stuff in the refrigerators at the hostel.  This way we had room for dessert which was sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch drizzle.  All totally yummy.  

Boy, this morning and flying in to Edinburgh already seems like eons ago.  So much to take in!