After the intense excitement of the day before and the game fair in Perth, we decided it was time for a relaxing day at home. For us, that meant PROJECTS. We had a morning relaxation doing laundry and settling in and ordering groceries online (so fun -- I love shopping online and doing it in another country) and putting in a brisket for Sunday lunch. Then Murray came over and he and James went wood shopping and started their "man project" of building a shed for the Bradley (since it rains so much here, they can't use the smoker much without a waterproof place to put it). It turned out to be a stunningly gorgeous day -- INTENSELY hot by Scottish standards and so the kids even ran through the sprinkler in the garden. We dubbed Becky and Murray's house "Villa North" with our Provencal table setting and rose with brisket lunch, and had a lovely afternoon just watching the kids and dog run around while Becky and I chatted and lounged (and often got in the way of the man project, but James is used to it and Murray was super-sweet and even gave them a demonstration on making wood joints much to their excitement). As if all that weren't enough, Becky and Murray's very nice neighbors Ian and Leslie came over for a spontaneous BBQ in the afternoon, which was fun -- Leslie, Becky & I drank Cava to celebrate Andy Murray's victory in Wimbleton (which I had known nothing about, of course, but I love a celebration).
This week we did many walking challenges, including the ascent up the tallest of the 7 Hills of Edinburgh -- a beautiful 850 vertical feet (so 2x Enchanted Rock -- kids' biggest climb to date) up Arthur's Seat (named because it looks like a lion's profile). In the middle if Edinburgh, it offers stunning views. We also happened to catch the NICEST DAY in Edinburgh since 2006 -- according to both Becky and Murray. In fact, our cab driver today that they only get stretches of weather like this about every 10 years! Definitely good traveling karma. In any case, this was our first solo adventure, we let Becky sleep in (poor thing -- she's been run ragged by her extraordinary hosting) and Murray go back to work (someone has to support our lavish lifestyle). As soon as we got off the bus I felt a little nervous about climbing the rather steep incline with the kids, but they were just great and complained very little and scrambled up the hill. Not effortlessly, but we took lots of snack breaks and even added Skittles to the mix as an added bonus. But turns out, as with us, the view was it's own reward -- Louis didn't want to go down once we got to the top, and Rosemary said, without prompting, "That was fun because it was hard!"
View from the bottom -- not the right angle to see the lion shape, but you can see this from all over Edinburgh:
Historic area around Hollyrood Palace, on the walk to the bottom from the bus:
The back of Hollyrood Palace (which we visited with the Thrills on our Thanksgiving trip in 2005):
The bottom of the trail -- Rosemary was very curious about whether or not and how the kings climbed this road to survey their kingdom, and whether they rode horses or walked. I think this image kept her going on the steep climb.
Most of the way up before the final steep ascent. At this point I was glad to be on flat ground -- even though the slopes were lush and grassy (quite soft -- everywhere it looks tempting to just fall asleep under a rock, the environment here is so inviting) the descent was STEEP and I was getting vertigo.
And the top! Where you can see all of Edinburgh almost 360 degrees:
After we met Becky and Chili for a nice lunch -- a hearty lamb burger and my new favorite beer ever, Innis and Gunn. James had a call to prepare for, so he left to do some work and to put the pastrami in to smoke and we then walked to the playground in the Castle gardens. The gardens were FULL -- honestly it was such a nice day that everyone must have taken the day off of work -- no one appeared to be doing anything but sunning themselves an playing. The kids were kind of falling apart by then and it was HOT -- they kept pleading to go home -- but we all got revived in the shade with a little ice cream and a short romp on the very, very cool playground. One thing I have to say: American playgrounds are CRAZY BORING compared to Scottish ones. This climbing structure below is about 30 feet tall, is underneath a castle, and it rotates. Almost all playgrounds have really long, fast zip lines. Most are very innovative with interesting new designs that still allow for creative play (rather than over-prescribed overly-"safe" boring molded plastic ones in the US). Truthfully it made me nervous to see Louis climbing it, but Rosemary knows her limits, and I wasn't going to helicopter parent. Instead, I spun them around verrry slowly. When we got home, I knew we had broken Rosemary with all the excitement and physical activity in the sun-- she sat down to her early dinner (since we were still waiting for the pastrami to steam) and sobbed into her chicken. Poor thing.
Another lovely walk -- this time we decided to walk all the way from Murrayfield, near Becky and Murray's house, along the Water of Leith walk, pick up Becky and Chili in Stockbridge for lunch, and continue to Leith (about four miles total). This walk truly is beautiful, so lush, shaded, lovely. Louis is still picking up swords and posing:
Plants seem to grow out of walls everywhere here:
Louis started marching/goosestepping here, with his stick slung over his shoulder like the castle guard the other day:
Another delicious lunch -- this time in the very stylish Hector's in Stockbridge (which allows dogs AND children -- the Holy Grail! Turns out a lot of places don't have licenses to allow children under 5 and some don't allow children after 5 and some don't allow dogs, so we have to do our research):
After lunch we continued our walk -- this time a part we hadn't done the week before, from Stockbridge to Leith (about another 3 miles). Posing/shooting:
Scottish thistle:
Throwing rocks at bugs:
And finally just when we were all getting a little grumpy and had run out of "no whining pills" (special candy) we made it to Leith, which is the old port, and I think perhaps still a working harbor. Now it is a fashionable place for young people to live, but still affordable and ethnic (Polish, Chinese, primarily I think).
Because all death marches must end in reward, we got some delicious oysters and mussels right off the docks at a lovely restaurant/pub:
The next day, we decided to take a little break from the walking (my feet actually started to hurt since my new trail shoes aren't quite broken in) and "just" go to the Royal Botanics and the zoo. Turns out we could have split into 2 days since both are incredible, but we will have to go back to the Botanics at least. Becky decided to stay home an recover, since she and I had a "date night" planned that evening. I had been waiting for a cloudy day (few and far between!) so the colors in the photos "popped". The Botanics were GORGEOUS, so well-designed, and huge:
These are miniature orchids:
This is my new favorite flower of all time -- a Moonfire Dahlia:
Then off to the zoo in time for the main attraction -- the 2:15PM penguin parade. We had seen this back in 2009 when we visited with 18 month-old Rosemary and fetus Louis, and we had loved it, so we had to do a repeat. Since they don't coerce or incent the penguins in any way to leave their cage and go for a stroll, there is always the chance that they won't decide to leave on a given day, but we were in luck:
They were working on a pretty impressive sand sculpture, which I think Louis found as interesting as the animals (though he was pretty interested in the animals -- although I love the Austin zoo, this is a very sophisticated world-class zoo with way more animals and better enclosures):
The lemur highway where lemurs can travel from one enclosure to another, just above visitors' heads:
The blue-eyed Spindlers, in front of the cage of the only other blue-eyed primate -- the lemur:
And a zoo highlight for Rosemary and me -- as a tie-in to the new orangutan exhibit, they have a high ropes course. Rosemary was tall enough to qualify and I thought it looked cool, so I asked her if she wanted to try, thinking she would be too scared. No so! Even though this whole thing is at least 20 feet off the ground -- maybe more -- and you have to harness in to do it, she wanted to try. She looked VERY serious as the man explained to us what to do, and strapped us in, and wouldn't look him in the eye -- I almost thought he wouldn't let her go because she seemed so scared (though I knew she was determined, but just shy of the man), we went and she led the way! As soon as I got up there, I almost choked -- I really almost had a panic attack and had to turn around, but I knew I had to appear to be brave for Rosemary, and I certainly had to follow her. So I did! She whimpered a little at first, but shortly after that she was encouraging me. I almost cried at the end I was so proud of her -- and relieved to be done.
After that exciting experience we headed home -- the zoo actually has a back exit which is right near Becky and Murray's house -- and recounted all our adventures and pictures to Becky (the kids were besides themselves with excitement to see her -- it was the first day she was away the whole day and they had been complaining bitterly about it). Then I got a special treat of going out to a movie (dumb but funny, The Internship) with Becky and her friend Kate and to a delicious Indian dinner.
The next day we decided to clean, do laundry and take it easy in the morning. I headed out solo with the kids to the Meadows playground/park after lunch, which was an adventure in and of itself, my first time with them alone in City Centre which was very crowded as it was ANOTHER nice day. Fortunately they were very cooperative and I didn't lose them. Rosemary and Louis had done some chores in the morning to earn some money to do souvenir shopping -- Rosemary had folded (quite well) ALL the laundry and earned a pound, and Louis had swept the kitchen. So they were excited to do some shopping and I was excited about the Meadows park. Becky and Murray lived in a flat near there when we visited them with the Thrills in 2005, so I recognized the student-y neighborhood around it which is quite different from the other 'hoods we've been haunting on this trip -- it was really fun to reminisce about many of the things we had done on that wonderful trip as I passed familiar landmarks. I also I remembered the amazing playground there that I had noted, even before we had kids (in fact on that visit out of all of us, there was only Henry was in fetus-form). That was before I realized all Scottish playground were amazing. This one also has a zipline and many other innovative features. We met Becky and Chili there, and had a fun lie in the shade and run on the playground:
While leaving the Meadows, Louis picked up a "cannon" and made James help him carry it across the park, until we finally told him we had to leave it in the park for the next kid to find and use. We also had to make a rule that you can only "shoot" people that you know (it was getting a little embarrassing to have him shoot all passers-by).
Heading up from the Meadows, we crossed the Royal Mile for some whisky shopping and some souvenir shopping. Louis quickly picked out something for himself -- a small rugby ball -- and Rosemary agonized about what to buy with her money for her friends -- Esme and Bryson. Well at least one child out two is sweet :-) She picked out a small snow globe with 2 Scottie dogs in it (that James says is a mascot for a whisky, but you can't tell), and a bear in a kilt that plays "Scotland the Brave." You would have thought she had bought the most precious crystal goblet the way she was treating the snow globe, she was thrilled. James of course bought out the whisky store -- just with "house whiskies" to have at 77 Hillview, and he and Becky selected a "starter whisky" for me (since the stuff still tastes like gasoline to me). The results of the starter whisky? Quite nice -- but it helps that the color is a deep rose -- and it was Becky's starter whisky so it has sentimental value -- and it is aged in PORT CASKS! Below is the requisite in-front-of-a-cathedral-picture from our Europe trip (though it was quite amazing inside and out-- St. Giles):
After all that shopping and walking Rosemary had to pee -- for the 10 millionth time -- so we ducked into this super-fancy super-designed Italian hotel to use the bathroom -- and just HAD to get a cocktail:
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