Around the World with Marsha & Joel

Our last full day in Scotland. We checked out the bustling port district of Leith where the decommissioned (in 1997) royal yacht, Britannia serves as an historical marker and tourist attraction. I must say, a really plush way to travel…almost like an Odyssey’s Adventure!

The supply of whisky and beer appeared everywhere, even in the quarters of the lowest sailers in the pecking order. The ornate pottery piece on the main deck is actually a compass…one with five points; east, west, north, south, and look at that! The Queen and Prince had their separate quarters, but there was a cabin with a double bed…when necessary. Lots of whisky and beer you know.

This floating palace served from 1954-1997, logged over a million miles, visited more than 600 ports in 135 countries. The flowers were real. The luxury….

It was a “working” yacht with accommodations for everyone. Comfortable quarters, a hospital, a laundry, and 5 star kitchen spaces.

After the tour of the Britannia, we decided to spend our free afternoon relaxing in the Royal Botanic Garden. It was getting redundant, but happily, another beautiful, late spring day. Not a drop of rain in 10 glorious days!

What a special place, and lots of locals sharing it with us along with Lenore and Tom from Maine, two great people with our group.

The magnificent old trees told of the arboretum as a very important part of the gardens.

Since it was a beautiful day we checked Google maps that showed it was a fairly straightforward 25-30 min walk through the New Town to the Tigerlily. One thing that Google Maps doesn’t tell you is the elevation changes for your walk…nor the cobblestones! We forgot that Edinburgh was built on 7 hills (like Rome I guess), and this walk took in probably 3 to 4 of them. Fortunately we had time to freshen up and rest a bit for our Farewell that evening.

Michael, our guide, told us to meet at the lobby of the Tigerlily for a surprise he arranged before heading off to our dinner. When we all gathered we were greeted by “Magnus Turpie and Friends” who performed a beautiful set of Scottish folk songs and music. We were also gifted a CD of their album, “Hold on Tight”.

And with that, a few tears of sadness at parting, and a lot more tears of joy we walked down the block to Brown’s Restaurant for a delicious meal with new found friends and fellow travelers. We thanked Michael with a little something Robert “Rabbie” Burns dictated to me in a dream:

Aye, Michael, guid tour guide and friend,
Frae city streets tae Highland’s end,
Yer knowledge deep, a treasure chest,
O’ Scotland’s lore, put tae the test.

Yer words sae clear, like crystal streams,
Revealed the past in vibrant gleams,
Yer wit, a spark that made us smile,
And lightened every weary mile.

The pipes did sing beneath yer hand,
A stirring sound throughout the land,
And aye, yer care, sae kind and true,
Made every moment sweet and new.

So thank ye, Michael, leal and bright,
For showing us Scotland’s glorious light!

Photo credit to our fellow traveler, Bill Riggle

So fond farewells and another land impressed in our souls, making us wonder where and when we shall meet again. And when we do we sincerely hope you will be there with us!

All our Love,
Marsha & Joel

The bar area (morning…later, jam packed and blaring) Tigerlily hotel in the (relatively) new part of Edinburgh symbolizes the scene in this pulsating city. Good looking and stylish young people everywhere. Eclectic, modern-leaning decor, awareness of sustainability and recycling, attention to food issues like allergies and intolerance…almost, not almost, to a fault.

[When I ordered at a small restaurant, the waiter asked if I had any food issues. I (foolishly) mentioned I had a slight intolerance to lactose. As though a bomb hit the restaurant, the alarm bells went off. He almost screamed that my dish had some Romano cheese sprinkled on top, so I would have to order something else. I said, whoa, how about if you just put some of the shredded cheese in a ramekin on the side? He ran into the kitchen and brought back his supervisor, carrying an iPad, who asked me to read and sign a disclaimer! Yes a disclaimer! Albeit, the food was delicious. Needless to say, I never mentioned a food issue again].

By contrast, overlooking the city in the Old Town is Edinburgh Castle with it’s huge tourist scene. We’re in the fringe season and told this photo would be shoulder-to-shoulder humanity in just a few weeks.

Before we made the pilgrimage to the Castle, we took a ride and made a few stops in the 18th century, Georgian, New Town. Both areas together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

These are residences and offices around Charlotte Square. Bute House, lower left, was the official residence of the First Minister.

New Town is a masterpiece of urban planning and still has its original Georgian and Neoclassical architecture from 1765 to 1850. There was no piecemeal, but instead constructed as ensembles.

We drove around the Royal Scottish Academy, the Scott Monument, the National Gallery and Edinburgh’s main shopping areas on Princes and George streets.

We spent the rest of the morning wandering the Castle, the highest point in the Old Town, visible from almost every corner of Edinburgh. We checked out the Great Hall, the Honours (Crown Jewels), the Scottish National War Memorial and the Royal Palace, once the apartments of the Scottish royals in the castle. Interesting to note that the canon all faces north toward the sea, while leaving the more vulnerable city route in the east pretty much unprotected.

After the castle we wandered the hills of the Old Town’s restored 16th and 17th century “tenements” on nearby streets alongside other archetectural standouts. We had a bit of lunch at the National Libray’s cafe and made our way to Sandy Bell’s, a tiny pub that specializes in Scottish folk music. We had been invited by Michael, our tour guide to a performance by “Magnus Turpie and Friends”, his son’s and his amazing group of musicians and singers. What a treat! A couple of pints of stout and ale, and glasses of wine, and an afternoon of joy. Take a look below so you won’t miss out on what we heard and felt:

After this terrific event we decided to walk back to the hotel to see what we could see. Google Maps said it would be 21 minutes, but as we turned the first corner we saw…

…the National Museum of Scotland, an amazing combination of ancient and modern in a building of that same genre. It was a little before 4, er, 1600, but it was open until 5. So in we went for a rapid review of the artistic and scientific ages of Scotland.

These are just a tiny example of what’s on display. There is also a natural history section replete with dinosaurs somewhat rivaling New York’s Museum of Natural History, hands-on displays for kids, sections dedicated to fashion ala MOMA, contemporary art like the Whitney, and lots more. Quite a find…just needed more time!

We walked wearily back on another brilliant, sunshiny day (astonishing to the locals), had some dinner down the street with some of the really great people in our group, and off to bed anticipating our last full day, tomorrow, and our travel day after that. See you on the Yacht!

A walking tour of compact St. Andrews, only one mile across (about the size of Bordentown – and just a little older). The city is the home of prestigious University of St. Andrews, Scotland’s oldest institution of higher learning. It was founded in 1413 and Alma mater of Prince William and Duchess Kate.

Before exploring the University architecture and its seaside location, Michael and Hamish MacHamish give us lecture on Patrick Hamilton, member of the University. He was found under this “face of an angel” in the stone block, burned at the stake in 1528 at the age of 24. Teaching Lutheran doctrines had him condemned to death, making him the first martyr of the Scottish Reformation.

The Chapel….

The architecture of the University is a reminder of its influence on, especially, the American Ivy League.

St. Andrews Cathedral, just beside the sea was the largest and most important church in medieval Scotland.

Its graveyard provides rest even to several golf founders and personalities.

After our stay and tour(s) of St. Andrews (medieval times to the invention of golf, we make our way on another brilliant day (people are asking us to stay longer to ensure this streak of weather continues) toward our last city. And we do mean city. Edinburgh is now one of the most vibrant, happening city’s in the world. We’ll certainly check that out.

We stopped for some gelato and sorbeto to sustain us on the road as we drove by the spectacular Scottish countryside and new highly engineered bridges.

We arrived late into Edinburgh and made our way through diverse neighborhoods, old, new, middle class and wealthy into the gorgeous center of the city. That and our hotel, the eclectic, sustainable, young spirited, Tigerlily was literally vibrating with life. Some dinner at the only restaurant not fully booked on this Friday evening helped us recalibrate our age downward so we could handle the pace for tomorrow’s adventures. Get some rest.