Stirling, Scotland...Land of the Bruce

Saturday we took the train to Stirling.  It was about an hour away from Edinburgh and the home of cousin Joss and Dave and their daughter Karen and her two girls Lauren and Sara, who got on famously with Abigail(did I detect an accent creeping on???)  It was rain rain raining as we met up and walked up to Stirling Castle.  Of course I was drawn to the statue of Sir Robert the Bruce, but it was James the IV and V that the castle focused their recreations on.  Basically they were comparing the Tudors and the Stewarts and how they lived.

Joss helping Abigail put on a costume.  THese rooms were little alcoves that were turned into hands on exhibits for children.  Music, entertainment, fabrics/clothing and wood carving were some of the topics each room represented.

Sir Robert the Bruce

Princess Lauren and Princess Abigail

THis was a female jester who was in charge of entertaining the queen child at the time of James V.

Chamber Maid explaining how footballs were made from pig skin and a pig bladder....ewwwe

Castle gardens....swoon!!

Dave and Joss' new house...cute BMW too

A Perfect Day Spent at the Museum...

The National Museum of Royal Scotland...we heard it was good...but wow it was amazing.  Brad's cousin's, Isabel and Helen braved the city traffic from Aberdeen to spend the afternoon with us.  We arrived at the museum just as the doors opened...every museum is FREE here in the UK...what???

Each floor in this part of the museum has an area for kids!  Over on the new wing each floor is dedicated to the history of Scotland...even there they have thought of kids adding little areas of play or experimentation.

We seriously were ready to collapse a few hours after lunch.  The 7th floor terrace was a welcome blast of cold air that did little to revive us.  I carried Abigail around for the first time in years(thank you 50lb free weight)!!!

Later that night we headed to high street for dinner at a casual pizza place, not bad, and good wine.  We talked the kids into climbing Calton Hill just up the block from our flat.  Wow that was an incredible view of Edinburgh and the waterways called the Firth of Forth.  By the way, a hill in Scottish terms is equal to a Mountain to this Chicago girl...the ultimate stair master!!!

Saturday...Stirling Day...I'll hopefully be posting from our train ride to London in-between watching Andy Murray at Wimbolden!!!

First Days in Edinburgh, Scotland

So we made it!!!  

After a few cliches along the way(forgotten suitcase(my bad, thank you Sara for covering my arse!!), a sick Jackson on the plane(Who knew he had a bit of motion sickness...but he was sitting next to Brad...pay back in my book...and very sleepy children)  all is well as we tackle the cold and dampness that is Scotland this summer.  They have been overwhelmed by rain here.  

We spent the first day walking to High Street where the queen, Prince Will and Kate were just being honored at St. James cathedral...we literally were walking against the crowd as they were carrying their scottish flags.  Oh well.  Obvs Brad needs to learn how to use my camera...lessons will be given!  Lots of bag pipers were roaming the city which is always a thrill to see and hear.  We then caught a double decker tour bus...kids fell asleep!  THen we headed back to our flat to get picked up by cousin Ian and had a great home cooked meal with Ian, Wendy and Lindsey...I was toooo tired to take pictures...ugh!
Cheers!

Bon Voyage Mes Amis

As we embark on the trip of a lifetime my awesome friends sent us off in style with a luau bon voyage last night.  Tons of beer, mai tais with little fruit umbrellas, paper lanterns on the trees, and a sultry hot night interrupted by thunder and lightening added to the ambiance!  The pot luck dinner was great and fit the casual relaxed evening...Thanks guys!!!

As this blog changes in the coming weeks I am devoting this space to document our travels, adventures, photos, and mishaps along the way.  Your comments will be our connection to you this summer!  I look forward to sharing this time in our lives with you all!  Feel free to pass this site onto whomever you think would "get it"!

Coming up this week...packing!!!  Cup of Jo just posted about what your summer uniform is?  This will be my mantra as I try to pack for various climates we will be hitting!