Days 1 and 2: Edinburgh via Car, Plane, Plane, Taxi, Train, and Schlepp!

What a magical introduction to Scotland we’ve had! Our only complaint is that there simply isn’t enough time to fit in everything that would be fun to do. But then again, what traveler doesn’t have that complaint? Two days in Edinburgh didn’t even scratch the surface of activities on our wish list of sights. On the other hand, we had two phenomenal weather days with blue skies, puffy white clouds, and T-shirt temps. We’ve been told this was very lucky since it had rained at least a little while every day for the past month. Thank the Lord for many blessings!

Evie with our suitcases and backpacks!

We left home at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, chauffeured by Adam and sweet Evelyn Grace, and with a stop at Jen, Ben and Riley’s house for bon voyage hugs. We had no troubles until the traffic jam at the airport where it took 10 minutes to go a quarter mile. On the other hand, by a stroke of luck we had TSA pre-check tix, so we buzzed through security without even having to remove shoes. (Big smiley face!)

Our Minneapolis to Amsterdam plane.

We are so used to domestic flights where nobody feeds you on a plane anymore, that it didn’t dawn on us we’d have two meals on our flight to Amsterdam! So, we ate at a fairly nice airport seafood place. Surprise! We had lasagna and chicken Kiev on the plane. A lesson in how to feel unhealthy before you even get to your destination.

Following a medical emergency (concerning an elderly lady who wasn’t breathing but ended up all right), watching The Zookeeper’s Wife on the seat back screen, getting an hour or two’s

worth of sleep and then eating again for breakfast, we landed in Amsterdam.

Leaving Minneapolis at 10 p.m.

The coast of Greenland.

The coast of the Netherlands.

Interesting juxtaposition: windmills next to oil storage.

Schiphol airport is huge and crazily fun. Check out the Man-in-the-Clock clock we watched at one of the shopping and eating plazas!

The man fooled us--he isn't truly there. But every single minute he erases the minute hand and repaints it one tick down.

I loved these sumo guys--but this guard took one look at me posing with them and photo-bombed us.

KLM to Glasgow!

Tulip stores and duty-free shops abound. Fun sculptures and
friendly guards are everywhere!  After a two-hour layover we boarded a plane once more and arrived in Glasgow just over an hour later. It almost seemed too easy for getting 5000 miles from home and we didn't even feel too jetlagged! Only the bags under my eyes showed I was sleep deprived.

First view of Glasgow & the River Clyde

We caught a cab with “Jim” who gave us a lovely tour of Glasgow and even drove us past the hotel we’ll be staying in come Wednesday. He told us to hit the pedestrian shopping area, George Square, Kelvingrove Park and a pub called “Pot Still.” But with his (wonderful) accent we heard that as “Pot Stau” and it took us a long time to look it up on the web!

The train trip from Glasgow to Edinburgh takes 55 minutes and we did snooze away a few minutes of jet lag. Still we were “refreshed” enough to think we could walk to our B&B, which turned out to be approximately 1.7 miles from the train station. It’s a testament to the accepting nature of the Scots that nobody looked twice at two semi-bedraggled foreigners dragging their suitcases along Dalkeith Street and through throngs of people attending the August Edinburgh Fringe Festival. (Way more on that in a later post!) We probably looked like some of the wacky festival performers!

Amar Agua B&B

We arrived at Amar Agua B&B not knowing exactly what to expect. 

We were thrilled to find an almost luxurious home! 

Kuan was our host and took literally twenty minutes to give us a full orientation to the B&B and to Edinburgh. We learned bus routes, places to exchange money, times to hit the sights, and all kinds of fun facts. The best advice was for a dinner venue. He sent us to The Salisbury Arms—and we didn’t regret it for a second. The atmosphere was classy but homey and the food was different but delicious. After my dinner of a butternut squash/beetroot tart and Jan’s of a prawn/chorizo sausage linguini—we were sold on Scotland’s ability to feed its guests! 

The Salisbury Arms. Above--prawn linguini and squash/beet tart!

Finally, after a very long trip using four modes of transportation, including our own feet (warming up for the coming hike), we got to sleep in our lovely room beneath our four poster canopy, under a snuggly down comforter. Tomorrow we truly start the vacation! It was an amazing welcome to Scotland—we can’t believe we’re here!

Three Weeks of Preparation

Home Sweet Minneapolis

Destination Glasgow

We are at T-Minus 20 hours and counting until we board a flight in Minneapolis and take off for Glasgow via Amsterdam. Nervous excitement has sapped me of sleep for the past few nights as I very slowly ticked things off of my to-do list. I am nearly packed but I’m not ready to leave quite yet.

My dining room table is finally emptying of its collection of necessities for our trip, and I our shopping is done. I still have several “business” (aka-writing job) activities to finish and I would love to leave my house at least vacuumed and free of anything sitting in garbage cans that might stink up the place while we’re gone—so that’s still on my list for today before we head out the door!

My ability to procrastinate never ceases to amaze me.

Nonetheless, we usually manage to make it to where we need to go and, fortunately, we don’t have to leave until quite late tonight night, so it’s like having an extra day!

Tami, Pete, Me and Jan

 Despite the crazy schedule this past month, we’ve managed to get in some good training hikes, and there’s no doubt it helps to have fun while you’re doing that. We have awesome hiking buddies in my brother Pete and his girlfriend Tami—two people who are fun and funny and are training for their own upcoming hiking trip in Colorado.

Climbing above Red Wing, MN

In the past several weeks we’ve found some great places to get in hill hiking and long walks to test new back-up shoes. Along the way, Pete and I found ways to scare our partners (walking too close to the edges of drop-offs), disrespect Mother Nature (telling fart jokes in the middle of the beautiful outdoors) and pretty much undo the healthful benefits of miles of walking by finding decadent food to eat after the hikes.

The long straight road to New Prague

New hiking boots--twins with Tami!

My very own hiking pants

Our hiking venues are generally state parks, but Jan and I also got in an 11.5 mile trek along paved county roads from our house in Webster, MN to the relative metropolis of New Prague. The walk seemed endless, but it was satisfying to accomplish, and the biggest thrill of the endeavor was learning that the new arch supports in my ancient hiking boots will work, and my new hiking low top boots will work even better -- all maybe even without blisters -- to carry me along the West Highland Way.

I also checked new hiking pants, a long-sleeved tech shirt, and new hiking poles off my to-buy list. The pants were a special treat for me since last time we distance-trekked, I used hand-me-downs from Jan. True story! I’m a bit smaller in the waist this time around, so I got to get my very own Columbias with actual zip-off legs (technical term: convertible pants). I tell you, it’s the little things.

I got my Scottish pedicure--a very important part of getting ready. And Jan got his hippie hair cut (I love his old guy pony tail!) so I think the grooming is taken care of.

 

The St. Andrew's Cross is on the Scottish national flag

Some of the hillier training we did was at Afton State Park, where I gave the new shoes a good workout on these knee-crusher washout outs! Shoes=successful!

Minnesota is gorgeous, too -- the Mississippi River from Frontenac State Park

There are big decisions yet to come, however. I’ll let you know if I manage to make them without trauma. For example: I have some concerns about a bruised heel, so it’s a huge question of what shoes to bring for non-hiking. Some look good for sightseeing and others are more comfy for potentially sore feets. Stay tuned to see whether I decide on tennis shoes (which are aqua and match nothing) or Clarks walking shoes that I bought for my last big vacation which are leather and pretty comfy but not as comfy as the tennies. Such important stuff.  

Aqua running shoes or cute walkers? What's your vote?

Training in Big Woods and Old Stomping Grounds

Minnesota's Big Woods--a gorgeous place for training--or enjoying.

With just a month to go before our trip, walking continues at a somewhat leisurely pace. I'll have to be pushing the miles alone after this coming week since Jan heads off to his annual week at Boy Scout camp in Wisconsin.

Fortunately, my youngest (of three) brother Pete has ramped up his hiking, too, in preparation for the move his son and daughter-in-law are making to Colorado in a couple of weeks and the visits Pete plans to make to the mountains. And because Pete has been hiking, his beautiful girlfriend Tami has been dragged into the "sport" as well. We even found out the hiking spirit moved her to go shopping for Merrill hiking shoes!! And so we're adopting them as our hiking partners in crime.

Pete, Tami, Me, Jan -- Hiking Partners in Crime

My litle bro and I

Hidden Falls in Nerstrand

Iconic Minnehaha Falls

Last weekend's training distance was about 15 miles. We went for more waterfalls--a hidden little gem in a southern Minnesota state park called Nerstrand Big Woods. And then a Minneapolis treasure--the beautiful Minnehaha Falls.

When I was a kid our gang would walk here to the base of the falls and follow the creek to the Mississippi River. Nostalgia!

Both of these were nostalgia walks for me since I grew up three blocks from Minnehaha Falls park, and my grandparents
regularly chose Nerstrand for extended family picnics. We got in some rolling hills and some flat distance. Mostly it was awesome fun just to be able to add mileage with great company in a beautiful state!

 Check out some more pics from our Fourth of July hiking weekend!

Our gorgeous Nerstrand training camp.

Hills ahead!

The best hiking partner a girl could want!!

Out on a limb with the Mighty Mississippi behind us.

Peter being mean to Tami and rocking the branch.

It looks as if we don't really get much hiking in--we're too busy goofing off. But we figure that's part of the training, too. If we don't get our picture-taking muscles in shape, how will we get gorgeous photos of the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond?

So we empty the rocks from our shoes and go on to the next pre-adventure next week!