July 28, 2008 Edinburgh to Keith

I slept very well, despite a leg cramp in the middle of the night. We headed down to breakfast, expecting to see Mom and Dad there. There was no sign of them, so we called, and woke them up!! (good thing we called) Again, my choices were limited, so I did my best. Fruit, yogurt, grilled tomatoes, and a bit of cereal. I tried a sausage, even though I don’t like to eat pork, because I needed some protein. It didn’t sit too well--I felt it all morning!

After breakfast and a quick stop at Boots (the chemist) for lipstick, we headed to the Edinburgh Castle by taxi. WOW! It’s just beautiful and amazing! Over 500 years old in parts. We saw the royal apartments, Queen Mary’s rooms, the great hall, the Scottish Crown Jewels, and lots and lots of cannons, swords, and other weapons. The castle offers the best views of Edinburgh, but our view was pure fog! Apparently, if the fog doesn’t burn off early in the morning, it will hang around all day, which is what it did today.

After the castle, we walked back down through town. We stopped at a few gift shops, and I found a cute little bear wearing a kilt for Laura, as well as a short kilt that I hope she’ll agree to wear. I found T shirts for all the kids, and some little things like fridge magnets, tree ornaments, and postcards. We stopped back at Marks and Spencer to get some more cherries and some shortbread. Then we walked back over to the hotel to gather our things and check out.

The Royal Scotsman guy met us again, and took us to Waverly Station (which was actually just around the block from the hotel.) We checked in at the First Class Lounge, and then Deb and I headed out to find some lunch. There was a Marks and Spencer Simply Food right at the station! I LOVE this place! We should have them at home, no one would ever have to cook! Every kind of meal imaginable, ready to heat, as well as salads, sandwiches, sweets, fruits, veggies, you name it. I would have liked a sandwich, but they all had mayo on them, so I ended up with a tomato and mozzarella salad and some crisps. We ate in the First Class Lounge, and then we were called to board the train. We were piped aboard by a Scotsman in full regalia. (I got pictures with him!)

We sat in the observation room and chatted as we departed. I was talking with a lovely older lady, probably British, as we waited. We were called to our rooms individually, and shown around the train on our way. I have the first room next to the dining car, and Mom and Dad are next door. Deb is at the end of the car, just 3 doors down from Mom and Dad. My room is TINY, but so cute! I unpacked everything, and it all fit. Fortunately I remembered to bring hangers, so I was able to hang everything I needed to. My large suitcase will go to storage, and the small one fits nicely in the closet to hold my dirty clothes.

Deb opted for a nap, so Mom and Dad and I headed back to the Observation Car to hang out. Tea was served there as well. There were little tea sandwiches of ham and mustard, and roast beef and horseradish cream. I tried one of each and they were good. There were scones (no eggs, I asked the chef!!), and shortbread, as well as some tarts and a carrot cake. It was quite nice! We all just hung out in the observation car until we were approaching Huntley, where we got off and took a coach to the Stathisla Distillery for a ceilidh (party) and a “wee dram” of whiskey. This is where they make Chivas Regal Scotch. There was a drummer and an accordion player, playing Scottish folk music. Q (our host) was teaching everyone Scottish country dances. I watched one, and then decided to escape down to the gift shop to have a look. I found a cool Scottish cookbook, and a nice postcard. When I went back upstairs, Q was recruiting dancers for another dance, which he promised was quite easy. I figured, what the heck! So I got up and danced! It was quite fun, and it WAS easy. I actually did rather well! We ended by all singing Auld Lang Syne.

Back to the coach for a quick trip back to the train, and then it was time for dinner. We ate in the smaller of the 2 dining cars, called Liberty. Just the 4 of us at a table (tomorrow we’ll do Raven, the bigger car with larger tables.) We had some weird salad, roast duck with some veggies I couldn’t identify, and warm bread. Pretty yummy! Dessert was chocolate crème brulee and coffee mousse, both of which I passed on. When we finished, it was past 10 pm, so we went back to our rooms. I ordered in some tea, and had tea and a couple of my digestive biscuits (I LOVE those things!!) and read a bit before bed. There’s a bathrobe hanging in my closet, and I decided to be daring and try it on. It fit!! OK, not real roomy, especially over my hips, but I can close it all the way!! YAY me!!! I’m SO glad for every pound I’ve lost. If I hadn’t done it, I’d probably have gained instead, and would have had a tough time fitting down the hallways, into the tiny bathrooms, or even in my narrow bed!