On Our Own

Breakfast was awesome, Well except the eggs were dry, but still I have a whole new lease on Novotel!  The room is nice, everyone has been nice, and this has been a great experience!

YEs more grafitti, and not the interesting kind.

We took a taxi to Deans VIllage and it was SO crowded, but it is a lovely place and seems that it would be nice to live there.  

                                            Old mill wheels from LONG ago!

There was some hidden/sly poverty though.

We walked from there to The Paddington Bear Statue VIA a cup of lovely lavender coffee that was required not only by me but also for a bathroom break. 

The PB statue was cute, but also VERY crowded.  

Scotts memorial was also crowded but I was patient and finally got a doable shot.

                            Sir Walter Scott was an author of whom I hope you have heard

                                                    We moseyed up the Royal Mile

                                                The Floral craze has hit here too!

and visited St Giles cathedral. 

 It was interesting, there was a memorial to Robert Lewis Stephenson

and to a woman who came here to attend medical school after being rejected in England.  

Also a statue of the dastardly John Knox.  

It is a beautiful building.

We grabbed some lunch at the same place we did last year, LOL we have a place for lunch here!

                                        Same Lady though she did not get the upper hand this time!

Bathroom reading

                                                                  Lots of nooks and crannies

We came back to the hotel and rested and I realized that we can see the castle from our room.  Thats pretty cool

WE had 3:30 appointment for the Islander bag workshop and arrived early so wandered and found not only an art store, which was dangerous for Claire!  

Also Greyfriars, and the legend of Greyfriars Bobby.

“The best-known version of the story is that Bobby belonged to John Gray, who worked for the Edinburgh City Police as a nightwatchman. When John Gray died he was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the kirkyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in the Old Town of Edinburgh. Bobby then became known locally, spending the rest of his life sitting on his master's grave.”

The purse making experience was very fun, stressful to try to pick out under pressure the  parts and pieces for your purse, the choices are many!  

And some of the loveliest ones made I would never have worn, but they were great none the less.  

We came back and went to work as much as we could on packing. 

Dinner was at a recommendation from my friend Missy, Kylie Gourmet Steak Restaurant. It was an experience!  It is the most serious Beef place I have ever dinned in.  I had a monkfish appetizer and it was very good.  They had a sharing that Claire and I did, it came with 2 sides (Maple Glazed Carrotts, and roasted baby potatoes) and 2 sauces: Bernaise for me, and Whisky Peppercorn for Claire.  Before they brought out our steaks they brought a variety of steak type knives for us to choose from, a regular one, one Brazilian, One French, one a cleaver and lastly a simple dinner knife.  Claire took the Brazilian and I of course chose the Frenchie.  

It was delish and with absolutely no room to finish all the food, let alone desert, they brought a chocolate for us, which was the perfect finish. 

How Shall We Remember?

Feeling adventurous this morning I tried potato scone and over night porridge.  The breakfast here as the whole experience was great and I sure wish we had had another night here as the grounds are lovely and we literally did not have time to explore.  

This is NOT a coffee country, it is bad,  there is only milk to put in the bad coffee and there is just not enough sugar to make it better . The overnight porridge was ok at first taste but it did not really grow on me.  To my surprise the potato scone did and I ate it all!

We are (@0830) on our way to a whiskey tasting!  

I don’t know what it was a year ago, however the last gap pump we passed =9.16 a gallon.

We’ve been separated from Melissa and Jim who we have ridden in front of or behind this whole trip.  What’s up with that crap?

First bonus stop was a German POW camp built by German and Austrian Jews fleeing the Nazi regime.  It had an entirely different look and feel from those I’ve seen in Belgium and Germany.  Claire had a look in the window of one of the huts and got a big surprise as there were people inside!  It is used as B&B type situation.  

                                                            This Lovely Church in Crieff

We subsequently visited Glenturret distillery for a lesson on distilling and a “wee dram” I did not like this as well as the one I had the other day.  BUT the Murray mint helped!!!!!

The blue thing on the wall is a cat for, the diagonal thing at the bottom is a ramp!

HE’s doing his job isn't he?

Maddie and Jennifer

                                                      The actual copper still, they only last about 50 years.

                This kitty is is the Guinness Book of World records for catching the most mice.

We stopped on the way to Edinburgh at a monument called the Kelpies which generated a lot of excitement with some of the girls on the bus.  It was cool, in honor of the horses who helped build the country and specifically the canal.  

                                                                      I  particularly liked the Unicorn Statue.  

The ride into Edinburgh was a bit hairy mostly because it recurrent disagreement with the guide and the driver.  I have not noticed hardly any grafitti, but here is what I was in Edinburgh

            But we are here and our room is surprisingly nice so far we are happy. 

Dinner was at an event space, and it started will, A Piper

Followed by dinner and a show.

Dinner was an appetizer of Haggis Balls and sauce, I thought it was pretty good.  Soup followed and I couldn’t figure out the predominant taste until I figured it was Peas.  Chicken, scalloped potatoes and veggies accompanied, A nice roll and wine added sustenance.  Dessert was a Scottish Cranachan. The premise is nice but it was too much double cream with no backbone.  At least not for me.  Then the show.  I thought it was corny and am glad  it was not my last night.