The Party Stops when the Grandparents Drop

We've been thrilled to have my Mom and Dad (aka Grammie & Pa)  in Edinburgh with us for the past two weeks (one to go).  Daryl's brother's family, Doug & Teresa, Shelley & Melanie, joined us from June 28 to July 5 to add to the fun, or what some might call insanity.


Tonight as I was stewing my weary bones in my small boat of a soaking tub, I mentally compiled a list of everything we've done/seen in the past two weeks, but couldn't quite do it without the help of the calendar.  I thought you might be amused by a brief recounting of the itinerary.  I believe I have earned my Tour Guide Barbie patch.


Here goes:
June
23:  Grammie & Pa arrive midday (girls out of school for their arrival); we did let them rest briefly (too much not good for jet lag) in the afternoon, off to Blackford Hill http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackford_Hill  after supper for the lovely views of Edinburgh in the amazingly beautiful late evening sunshine.

24:  Today was Janie's all day-dress rehearsal for the St. George's Junior School spring musical, Rainbow Spectacular at a church on the other side of town.  I let Caroline skip again, and we took Janie to the church, then went to Stockbridge for shopping & lunch, then back to the church at 1:30 to watch the dress rehearsal (couldn't bring everyone to the performance, restricted by the size of the church to three guests), then home with Janie, then Daryl & I back again with Janie to watch the performance in the evening.  Ice cream at S Luca in Morningside on the way home.  With the three round trips to the church, this was a surprisingly exhausting day.


25:  Church picnic to Harlaw Reservoir at base of the Pentland Hills.  We arrived dressed for the outdoors, but did not know the picnic included a 2 mile hike to the picnic site.  Not strenuous, however, but Janie was quite muddy and almost entirely soaked by the time we arrived back at the car.  I learned that "paddling" (as mentioned in the picnic announcement email) here does not involve a boat of any sort, but wading at the water's edge.  If I had known that, a change of clothes for her would certainly have been packed with the lunch.  


26:  Church in the morning.  Craigmillar Castle in the afternoon.  Craigmillar is a great 14th century ruin about 2 miles from our house.  We had a great time roaming and scrambling around the grounds and climbing the rocks at the base of the tower walls.

Janie @ Craigmillar Castle

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_123&PropName=Craigmillar%20Castle

27:  Quiet day, puttering, getting the rest of the basement flat ready for the Ohio Wehmeyer arrival Tuesday.  Trip to Costco (including picture out front -- hey, it's the Edinburgh Costco!)    Oh, and the daily double games of Frogger (making the school drives).


28:  Dumferline Abbey and Palace (really an abbey guest house that became a royal residence as various HMs decided they liked it for a retreat).  Robert the Bruce is buried here and many other kings and queens of Scotland.  The property dates to 1072.  Simply amazing.  Afternoon was Caroline's Lower School Sports Day at St. Georges.  She ran a great 80m race :)

Dumferline Abbey

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_108&PropName=Dunfermline%20Palace%20And%20Abbey

29:  We are now 10 with the late night arrival of the Ohio Wehmeyers.  No rest for the weary travelers, however, and as soon as I return from taking the girls to school, we head for Edinburgh Castle & the Royal Mile.  It was a sunny, warmish (for us) day, and we all enjoyed the castle views and seeing the "rock from the King's Speech" -- the Stone of Scone or Stone of Destiny.  http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/index/tour/highlights/highlights-stone-of-destiny.htm.   I'm up to four visits to the castle and always want to stand and admire the views in every direction.  

Edinburgh Castle, canon pointed right at our house about 1.5 miles away

After I left for the afternoon school run, the rest of the crowd caught the tour at Mary King's Close of underground Edinburgh -- they highly recommend it & I'll need to do that.


30:  Daryl & the Ohio Wehmeyers drove to St. Andrews to see the coast, the university, the town and the golf courses.  And not necessarily in that order!  


After we took the girls to school, Mom, Dad & I walked back into the city center and walked through the St. Cuthbert's cemetary, admired the masses of gorgeous roses in Princes Street Garden, then spent a quick hour in the National Gallery before picking up the girls at noon from their last day at school.  We then took the bus back into town for an afternoon of shopping & a picnic lunch in the Princes Street Garden.  When the rest of crowd returned home, we went to Leith for fish & chips at the King's Wark (BEST in town!)




JULY:


1:  Yea!  Caroline's 13th birthday is today, so we organized our day around her celebration.  We all trekked out to Ocean Terminal in Leith for lunch (Caroline invited several school chums);  while Caroline & her friends shopped & went to a movie, the rest of toured the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Queen's former yacht, upon which Charles & Diana honeymooned.  http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/  Home for chocolate birthday cake & pizza.


2:  We spent all day in Stirling, about an hour northwest-ish of Edinburgh.  We started at the Wallace Monument and then drove into town to Stirling Castle.  The palace there was recently re-opened after refurbishment, and we hadn't been able to see it on a previous visit.  Mary Queen of Scots parents lived at Stirling and established their court there.. It was a day of beautiful views everywhere we looked! 

O-H-I-O @ Stirling Castle

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_275&PropName=Stirling%20Castle

3:  THE ALL DAY, ALL HIGHLAND BUS TOUR!  We departed from the Royal Mile at 8:00 a.m. with stops in Pitlochry (small Victorian town in Perth),  Ft. Augustus for Loch Ness boat ride, Ft. William (Inverlochy Castle: http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertydetail.htm?PropID=PL_159&PropName=Inverlochy%20Castle), Glencoe for pictures, Stirlingshire to visit a highland cow and assorted miscellaneous photo stops & points of interest.  We dragged back into Edinburgh just shy of 9:00 p.m. just in time for a lovely relaxing walk home via the Old Town, Quartermile & Meadows to work out the kinks after spending the day on the bus.

4:  Janie turns 7 today!  We mustered early Monday morning for a hike up Arthur's Seat.  Dad made a new friend at the top who explained some of the basics of rugby, including the variations of rugby league rules.    Everyone made it up and down in one piece.  We had great views down to Holyrood Palace, where people were arriving for HM The Queen's Garden Party.   Just as we were heading down, the first strains of God Save the Queen were reaching the peak.  It was quite warm and we were glad we weren't making the climb later in the day, which is highly unusual in Edinburgh!

Most of the girls went to Princes Street for shopping while Grammie, Pa & me took Janie to the first part of her birthday party.  Four of her school friends met us at a small cinema in Morningside for Kung Fu Panda 2, then we walked 10 minutes up the street to S Luca for ice cream with the girls and the rest of the family.   The upstairs cafe was nearly deserted, so the school girls gave a repeat performance from some of the songs from the spring musical.

5: Up early to take the Ohio Wehmeyers to the train station, as they spend a day in London before returning to Ohio & Kansas City.  The rest of us spent the day chilling and recovering from the whirlwind of the previous week.

6:  One day off is enough.  Today we (Grammie & Pa, me & the girls) went up to the Royal Mile for lunch at Carrubers Cafe, at Carrubers Church. http://www.carrubbers.org/  Dad tried the national soft drink, Irn Bru; to say it tastes of orange fizzy cough syrup would be generous.  http://www.irn-bru.co.uk/home.html

We walked the few blocks to the National Museum of Scotland; this was our first visit and won't be our last.  The museum has some great kids areas and more on the way for a late July expansion opening.   http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_collections/highlights/dolly_the_sheep.aspx

We saw the preserved Dolly the Sheep, lots of ROS (Really Old "Stuff")  In fact, after these last few weeks, I'm thinking of changing the title of the blog to "Really Old Stuff."  Walked home through a misty Edinburgh.

7: Janie & I saw the HM the Queen today!  Very exciting, if fleeting.  We were driving home from the orthodontist and HM's motorcade came through the roundabout we were waiting to enter.  Maybe on the way north to Balmoral?  HM was wearing a pink hat and looked small in the back seat of HM's lovely black Rolls.  Or is it a Bentley?  I was Too Busy Shrieking "Janie, Janie, LOOK!"  to get a good look at the automobile.  HM didn't seem to notice us...

The rest of the day was spent castle-ing:  we visited Doune Castle and Castle Campbell.  Doune Castle  http://montypython.wikia.c​om/wiki/Monty_Python_and_t​he_Holy_Grail is well-preserved semi-ruin dating from the 14th century.  It is well-known at the "Monty Python Holy Grail" castle.  It is also the home to many very small birds (swallows, perhaps?) that dart quickly in and out of the rooms, stairways and arches, sometimes very close to one's head.  Sometimes freaking one out.  Sometimes.

Doune Castle

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertyresults/propertyabout.htm?PropID=PL_092&PropName=Doune%20Castle

After lunch in Callander, we spend about an hour at Castle Campbell in Dollar.  The location is simply breathtaking and the castle itself is remotely situated at the top of heavily wooded glen.  It is only reached by vehicle on a narrow winding steep road, or by foot climbing the hillside along the winding creek.  As we approached the castle, I had the thought that perhaps it's inhabitants weren't terribly popular.  It is situated in such a was as to be very easily defended.  My father's paternal grandmother, Blanche, was a Campbell, so this was a fun stop.    We'll need to visit both these places again with Daryl.

Castle Campbell

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertydetail/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_058&PropName=Castle%20Campbell%20And%20Garden

8:  And that brings us today.  Janie went swimming at Leith Waterworld (indoor playground pool) with Grammie & Pa.  We puttered the rest of the day, as it was unusually stormy with very heavy rain showers.  I made a banofee pie, which I hope be an improvement over the last attempt.  Tomorrow (Saturday 9th) we go to Linlithow to see the palace and watch a jousting event with a team from England.  Woo hoo, the fun never stops!

It's only 7:00 a.m. EST and I feel like talking to someone

.... so I'll write instead.


We're into our fourth month in Edinburgh.  Life goes on, doesn't it?  I find myself wondering where I am and why I am here; not in the philosophical, cosmic sense of life but in more along the lines of trying to figure out how I can be part of the life I've left behind for the time being.  Which is probably not healthy!


Life has been feeling like an alternative universe lately.  When I see current pictures from the neighborhood and family, it feels so odd not to be part of things that were mainstays on our calendar for years.  I love what I see when I look out my window, but I keep wondering how is it I've been plucked out of my routine and placed here.   God may have nothing more in mind for me (and us), than simple lessons about His abundant goodness or how to get along better as a family without all the social distractions of our old life.


I am making friends here and people are generally friendly.  I have some volunteer commitments and social things on the calendar.  But you just can't replace friends, nor would I want to.  When people ask me if I miss the States, my answer is always  "No, I don't miss the States, but I do miss my friends and family."


The weather is nothing like I've ever experienced in the summer before.  It's amazing how quickly you become acclimated, however.  72 feels like bliss and even 50 with some rare bright sunshine becomes pleasant.  My girls would've complained endlessly about how cold it was if they'd had this weather in Georgia in APRIL, and yet now the bop out to the car with bare legs and just school blazers in 45-50 without a comment.  The next week's forecast doesn't show a day with an expected high beyond the 50s.  My coat and jacket collection is growing.


My mom and dad (aka Grammie & Pa for their fan club) arrive two weeks from today, and we are counting down the days.  I'm trying not to look at the date in July for their departure.  So many things to show them about our life here.


You'll all be very proud of me, I'm driving our new-to-us (Citroen) car just about every day now.  City driving is a workout, many of the roads are too narrow for two cars, so I'm always on the lookout for a "wee lay-by" to swing into to let another car pass, then I pull out into the roadway while the car at the other end waits for me.  Sometimes this works better than others ...


I never thought I would be anti-SUV, but the Land Rovers and BMW SUVs look so so enormous on these roads and they just barrel along in such tight squeezes.  I can't imagine paying the petrol costs for those -- after doing the conversions from liter to gallons and pounds to dollars, I arrived at the figure of $8.35 per gallon.  Glad school is about 3 miles away and we have the smaller engine on the car.  I never thought I would be happy to have a 1.8L engine but it's just right for the city driving.  Some days I never take the car out of third (did I mention it's a standard transmission -- shifting with my left hand!  Thanks, Dad, for making me learn to drive on your old manual Saab all those years ago.  It's not as much fun to drive as Daryl's last car ...)


I've been writing some more Yelp reviews, if you want to look me up (http://www.yelp.co.uk/edinburgh 
I'm Kate W.) and see what we've been doing and eating the last few months.


We have only one scheduled visitor for the fall -- get some plane tickets booked!  We're told autumn is a great time to visit Edinburgh, so we hope to see YOU here :)

Haggis-Eating MacWehmeyers

As of yesterday about 6:00 p.m., everyone in our family has officially tasted haggis.  The girls each tried a bite with dinner last night.  Caroline's bribe was to get her phone back from restriction several days early, and Janie ate it for free.


Haggis seems to be served in many incarnations.  My favorite variation is not actually haggis, as it is vegetarian haggis -- grains, veggies and seasoning.  All the flavor without the ewww factor.  The dish last night was a haggis stack:  a thin layer of haggis at the base, then neeps & tatties layered on top.  Sort of a haggis trifle, if you will.  Quite tasty.  I've yet to have one served sewn into the sheep stomach.  


We ate at the Sheep's Heid, (pronounced "heed" as in "Heed, pants, now." Our favorite line from So I Married an Axe Murderer.)  Scotland's oldest surviving pub, 1360.  From our house at the edge of Holyrood Park (Arthur's Seat), we can walk one of two roads around the hill to Duddingston, where the pub is located on the edge of the small village.   Because we were enjoying a tropical heat wave of 73 F, it was a lovely walk in late afternoon.   Caroline joined us under duress, but within 1/2 mile or so, she had forgotten that she hated us and was enjoying the family time.


The multiple adorable bunny sightings helped the mood.  The bunnies seem to love the shadowy areas under the thorny gorse bushes, which are now covered in small bright yellow flowers.  The bunny holes lined the sides of the hills under the bushes and the mile and a half walk took a good 45 minutes to stop and awwwww over the bunnies.


We took the higher road, ending the walk with a hike down to the Duddingston.  Prestonfield Golf Club is below, and the views of the course are spectacular.  Leading into the village from the park is a long, beautiful set of rough stairs bordered by an old stone wall on one side and more flowering bushes and budding trees on the other.


When you walk into a pub as a family, the first order of business is to inquire if they serve children in the restaurant.  At the Sheep's Heid, that is upstairs.  It's hard to look like a local when you have to ask where the restaurant is ... 


After dinner, we walked home on the lower road, enjoying the bunnies and views again.  Just outside the village, the family good mood almost came to a traumatic conclusion.  About 5 feet above the road, on the side of the hill, two bunnies were hopping around the outside of their den.  Watching them from a few feet off was a perfectly still black & white cat.  We had to stop to watch the drama.  That cat did not so much as twitch, sitting perfectly positioned to pounce the three or so feet.   As we watched, one bunny quickly returned to the den, but its sibling seemed oblivious and even turned its back to the cat.


I whispered to Daryl that if that bunny either sprang into the path of a car or was caught by the cat, we were going to have an awful time with Janie!  We were all rooting for the bunny to get back in the hole.  The bunny suddenly darted back into the den, and the cat took up a slightly less obvious position just behind the nearby tree.  But he was just as alert and poised to pounce.  He seemed to know he was waiting in a perfect place for bunny pouncing.


As we circled back around the base of Arthur's Seat to get home, we noticed a tunnel opening below us that led out onto bike paths.  The tunnel was open for pedestrians and bikes so we walked its chilly length to arrive at a street just outside the Park and very close to home.  It is called the Innocent Railway Tunnel and was the first in Scotland, possibly in Britain. 

http://www.thetraveleditor.com/article/1913/Things_to_do_Activity_Walks_Innocent_Railway_Tunnel.html


Next up:  haggis IN the stomach .... or not.

Here Comes the Sun ....

The days of cold, windy rain seem to have broken for now.  Woke the last few mornings to sun streaming through the bedroom windows.  What a treat after the long stretch of dreich.  Today we are climbing Arthur's Seat, a few minutes from the house, for some great views of the area.  Janie has been asking to do this since we arrived.

I had a very funny "Kate" encounter earlier this week.  As I was walking toward the main street to catch a bus, I noticed a group of workmen standing on a corner in my neighborhood.   About six of them, wearing reflective work vests over their coats, were leaning on brooms and tools and chatting.  What a great picture opportunity -- large groups of workmen apparently doing ..... nothing!  I walk past them a few steps, get out my phone and turn on the camera.  As I turn toward them to ask if I can take the picture (and I'm ready to shoot as I ask), they absolutely SCATTER.  One large man in his 40s actually ran to the other side of the street to hide behind the work van.  They get all flustered, one older man says "I'm here doing research, I mean supervising research ... ummmm, just don't take my picture, OK?"


They absolutely would not let me take a picture and every time I raised the phone they turned their backs.  The guy behind the truck never would come back across the street.  Apparently they were city workers doing clean up prep work for the street cleaning truck about to come through.  I never did see them do any actual work.


Most of them were convinced that I was from a newspaper trying to document their loafing, and if I wasn't, then I was taking pictures for someone who was.  We talked about the neighborhood and where I was from in the US.  It took a bit of explaining that I wasn't from Atlantic City (they mentioned the HBO series Boardwalk Empire and the Sopranos -- yeah, uh huh, that should give them a great idea of America).  Daryl has encountered the same confusion about Atlanta -- "Hey, isn't there a lot of gambling there?"


The conversation was friendly as long as I didn't try to take their picture -- the rare elusive tribe of Edinburgh Street Cleaning Indigenous Peoples who are not to be photographed in the wild.

School Days

Caroline and Janie will start school Monday, March 14 at St. George's School for Girls.(http://www.st-georges.edin.sch.uk/)  On Tuesday they had such a great visit for assessments and class time that they asked if they could start as soon as possible  instead of the planned April 17.   The winter term is winding down, so they will go to school until March 31 then return for the summer term April 17-June 30.


Janie will be in P2 and Caroline will be in Lower 4 which are the equivalent of the their US classes, 2nd & 7th.  These year groups seem to be a good fit, the assessments went well and I think with a few adjustments to new requirements/grading (and a five-day at-school week!) they will have a good transition.


If we ride the city bus, it is a direct shot, about 45 min door to door with a short walk on each end of the route.  When we get a car, I'm told I should be able to make it in 20 minutes, if I can figure out the route to get there without going through the center of town or the financial district @ 8 in the morning .....


Janie made a lovely friend, Tilly,  during her preview day, and I met Tilly's mom and brothers on the campus after school and we visited while the kids ran around the school garden.  Tilly, Edward & baby George.  Love it.  Janie was desperate to go back the very next day because "Mom, they're baking!"  


Caroline walked out of her buildings with a friend, Kara, who was very pleasant and friendly.  Caroline said the girls were funny and nice to be with.  Her assessments were easy, she said and in the math class she attended she figured out a formula first, which is a good sign.  I was hoping that she would be on level or ahead in math.  We'll see about science; maths and science are a big deal in the private schools here.  Not complaining!


So we spent a good part of Wednesday buying some uniforms to get them started.  The school mums run a uniform consignment twice a month, but we just missed the last one.  Just as well, I would have had NO idea what sizes to buy them.  As it was in the shop, the girls tried on most things in at least two sizes.  Now I know what sizes for which items, so when they have the next consignment in a few weeks, I can get some duplicates and hopefully a blazer for Janie.


I'll post pictures if I can get them to model them for us this weekend.  Janie wears a plain navy blue jumper over a light blue blouse (the perfect color for my girls' eyes :), a not-quite-red/not-quite-burgandy cardigan and navy tights.  She has a navy winter coat with the school crest to wear to school and any outdoor time, PE shorts and PE polo shirt, PE drawstring kit bag, and school backpack.  And art smock. She can wear her own undies and shoes ....


Caroline wears the same blue blouse with a navy skirt, same color v-necked sweater (jumper) and a lovely wool navy blazer with the school crest.  Navy tights, black shoes.  PE shorts & polo, track pants, PE sweatshirt, PE bag, larger school backpack.  Depending on what sports she does, she'll need specific uniform gear for that, as well.  She looks 16 instead of 12!

They are in the winter uniform now, the summer one subs out a blue gingham-checked blouse for Caroline and the same pattern in a dress for Janie.

And now it's raining sideways and the wind is howling.  I don't want to go anywhere today and don't have to.  Our air freight is to be delivered between 9 a.m. & noon and Sky is coming to install the telephone and internet in the afternoon, so it's a great day to be stuck at home!

Edinburrrrrrgh

If Atlanta is Hot-lanta then Edinburgh is definitely Edinburrrrrgh.  I'm freezing today -- sweater, slippers, and .... wait for it .... SOCKS, which I've worn every day since our arrival.  My feet had forgotten what they felt like.  My flip flops are stashed on a top wardrobe shelf looking forgotten & forlorn.


Edinburrrrrgh not just for the cold, but the lovely way they burr an r here.  I've been on the phone several times lately with a lovely lady, Rose, in Aberdeen (north of Edinburgh) about our air shipment's arrival this week.  I had to listen to her first voice mail three times just to figure out that she was saying her name was Rrrrrose.  Long burr-y hit on the "R," short on the "se."    And you should hear how they say "Daryl."  Doesn't sound Southern or like the Newhart Daryl-Larry brothers.


Sometimes the pronunciations have a hint of upper midwest/plains in the "good" or "OK, then."  I have a wee bit of trouble understanding people giving me instructions on the bus or in the store if I'm not paying close attention and if there is any other conversation/background noise.


I think yesterday when we bought uniforms the clerk helping us might have wondered if English was MY first language, I asked her for clarification so many times!  And I kept calling Janie's sleeveless dress a jumper.  I've got to remember that.  The jumper is a dress and the sweater is a jumper.  But Janie doesn't wear a jumper, she wears a cardigan with her dress.  Janie got a funny look when she asked if they ever wear pants to school.  Yes, they do, that's undies.


Our big news is that the girls are starting school next week instead of April.  I'll write a separate post with the details for that.

Things I Was Going to Do Today

I'm about to find out if Edinburgh shuts down in the snow like Atlanta does.  There's already enough to cancel Cobb County schools for at least three days.


I've been up for about an hour, but just noticed as it was becoming light outside that it was snowing ..... sideways.  The wind was absolutely howling last night at bed time, but seems to be lessening.


Two minutes ago it was coming down thick and steady, now it has completely stopped and I can see some breaks in the clouds.  I don't know if it might snow all day.  


Like a five year old I had to wake up Daryl to tell him it's snowing and then go take a few pictures in the thin early morning light.


I'm terrible getting photos where I want them in a blog post, but here are a few.  Back of the house, view from the front, view from our bedroom window of our street, a few shots of the back garden.

fr

Today I am/was going to the letting agency sign the lease for the house and pick up a spare set of keys and then go on to one of the uniform outfitters to get the girls situated for school.   We just missed the most recent used uniform store at school, but they open it twice a month, so maybe we can pick up a few things in a few weeks (not sure how much will be available mid-term, mid-year!)  If it just stays wet & slushy we'll be fine, but if the sideways snow starts again, we're staying in and eating junk food and watching TV all day!