European Vacation--Part 4--the Britannia

Monday we left the ancient behind and went to the recently retired (1997) royal yacht, the Britannia.  It was very interesting to see how the royals relaxed, and hear how they entertained.  Prince Charles and Lady Diana honeymooned on board the Britannia, but it clearly has the queen's taste and style.  The queen slept in one cabin, made up with the 80's floral and wicker, while the Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Phillip) slept in a more manly and sparse cabin.  The piano was bolted to the floor, and the sitting area could be transformed from a cozy family setting to a more formal setting by opening certain doors.  The dining room was huge, and had mementos from all sorts of dignitaries. 
What was really interesting was seeing the stark difference between the royals quarters and the crew's quarters and hear of how they had to do work in the early morning so they wouldn't have to keep stopping and standing at attention every time a royal walked by.  They had their own laundry facility to keep their uniforms in mint condition (and even hired laundry out).  They had a rather large hospital bay, since the yacht was originally built with the thought that it could be used as a navy medical ship if needed during the war. 

After seeing the opulence of the palaces during King James' era, it was interesting to see that that level of opulence still exists for the royals, only modernized a bit.  I never did really understand why it was decommissioned, and I wonder if Prince William lamented not being able to take Princess Kate on it for their honeymoon.
We ate at the mall that afternoon at a "Real American Italian Grill"--which I thought was an interesting descriptor for a restaurant in Edinburgh.  I wonder if there are "real Scottish Chinese buffets" or "real English Indian eateries" here in America....

Afterwards we went to Princes Street which is lined with shops.  To be truthful, I would have rather seen a Georgian home in New Town or toured Hollyrood Palace or Rosslyn Chapel, but I was outvoted by the shoppers in our family...Athena being the prime advocate. 

Scottish women as a rule are curvy.  In fact, in every shop Athena looked in, the smallest size we could find was a 6.  I thought it might be nice to live in a place where curves are celebrated, and not everyone was trying to be a high-school cheerleader (stick-thin, bleach-blond, tanned and manicured). 
In fact, I really loved Edinburgh.  Maybe it was having Mom and Dad there, and them being such excellent tour guides, but I really liked the old grey buildings with the brightly painted doorways and flowers on the stoop.  I liked the sweeping landscape and the charming people, who would chat you up in the supermarket or wherever.  Despite being so grey, Edinburgh is really a cheery place.  Now if it would just be a bit warmer....

Europe Part 3--Edinburgh

That night we went to South Pacific.  Edinburgh has a prestigious theater district and South Pacific is one of my favorite non-Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals--the guy with the coconut bra, the soldier in love with a girl he can't talk to, "I'm going to wash that man right out of my hair..." but the staging was a little too "adult", especially for our kids and so left during intermission.  I felt bad that Mom and Dad payed for tickets we didn't really use, but hopefully our kids will realize that if you feel uncomfortable in a show or wherever, you should leave, no matter what. 
The next day was Sunday and our flat was close enough to the church to walk.  It was a nice, sunny day.  It was nice to meet all of the people Mom and Dad talked about.  Everyone was really nice, and their small ward full of interesting characters reminded me of our ward in Medford, NJ.  We got to see where they worked during the week in the employment center.  They put on workshops periodically that are several days, and then run a walk-in clinic a couple of days a week.  It sounds like they are making some good progress.  They often talked about the people they helped during the week and even got a business card from a shopkeeper who was looking for workers.
It was Easter Sunday so Mom cooked lamb in the slow cooker and had Easter candy on hand for the kids. 

Then we bundled up and went to Arthur's Seat.  It is an extinct volcano made famous in Chariots of Fire and known in the Scotland Mission as Pratt's Hill.  Parley P. Pratt climbed this hill at the beginning of his mission and dedicated the mission and set a goal to baptize 200 people.  He made the climb repeatedly to rededicate himself and to report to the Lord his progress.  By the time he left his mission he had baptized 200 people.  So now the new missionaries hike the hill to set goals and then come back at the end of their mission to report on their progress. You may remember Mom and Dad's climb in driving rain at the beginning  of their mission.

Our little family made it to the top, though Brian commented that he wondered how many missionaries set the goal not to get blown over while they were up there.  The wind blew cold and icy up there, but the view really was spectacular.

Europe Part 2--Edinburgh

The next morning, Hambelton European tours shepherded us on the Edinburgh public transit, aka the double decker bus.  The kids wanted to ride in the top of course.  And you have the best views from up there.  However, your perspective is off, and between riding on the "wrong" side of the street, zooming around corners, fast starts and short stops, I could totally imagine J.K. Rowling using this as inspiration for Harry Potters "night bus".  We took the bus to the beginning of the Royal Mile--with Edinburgh castle at one end and Hollyrood Palace at the other.  We stumbled across a farmer's market and lamented that we had already eaten breakfast for all the good smells wafting through it and pastries on display.

Then we hiked up to Edinburgh castle.

These castles are huge, and were used for a variety of purposes, the main one being a defense.  They are built on hills and have amazing views (especially in Scotland, where the outlaying areas are still partially countryside).  Part of the castle was used as a palace--Mary Queen of Scots was here, too.  She gave birth to James I, whose lineage the current monarchy comes from.  The Great Hall was renovated during Victorian times, and it reminded us of Williamsburg.  The picture of the kids riding the horse was outside of the war memorial, where mom was able to find some McKays in some of the books listing those who had served in the military.  They also had a war museum, and the kids liked looking at swords and guns, a small chapel that was built in 1130, and a dungeon where they kept prisonors of war (including Americans).  They also keep the crown jewels of Scotland here, including the Stone of Destiny which was in Westminister Abbey until 1996.  The Scots are all a little prickly about being lumped into the UK, and there is definitely more than a little aggressiveness in their jokes about disliking Englanders.  Dad says he has learned to endear himself to the Scots by revealing that Mom is really a McKay (pronounced Mc-Ki here) and when Dad told the priesthood one Sunday, Mom was regaled by handshakes and kissed on the cheek.  She didn't really know what happened until Dad explained it. 
Next came the Royal Mile--a mile of shops and restaurants.

At each block there was a Close or Alley, where according to the locals, the really interesting things (and not just the touristy things) are.  But we didn't have time to explore those.  On this trip.

We did eat at the Elephant House, where J.K. Rowling began the Harry Potter series.  It was a cute cozy cafe, with a great view and elephant art on the wall.  I could see how a writer could create there...

Right across the street is a small statue of Greyfriars Bobby, a terrier who came and stood by his master's grave every day for 14 years.

And I was excited to see Deacon Brodie's, a bar whose owner inspired Robert Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  He was a respected gentleman by day and led a double life as a gambler and ladies' man by night. 
St. Giles Cathedral is along the mile.  It is another beautiful and ornate cathedral with lots of stained glass, intricate carvings, and beautiful architecture.  They inaugurate new member of the Knights of the Thistle in a special chapel here. 

That is Dad talking to a statue of John Knox who preached here.  He was one of the great Reformers who thought that every person should have access to the Bible and improved education in Scotland so much that they became "the intellectual capital of Europe" according to Voltaire.  Dad is straightening him out on a few principles that he didn't get quite right.

This is the new Parliment building with the Hollyrood Palace in the background. The Parliment building is very modern looking, juxtaposed among buildings that date back to the 2nd century.  People either love it or hate it.  Apparently it's very eco-friendly. 

The palace was closed by the time we made it there.  So I suppose that is another thing we will explore next time we go....

Europe Part 1

When you are with someone new for an extended period of time, say a taxi driver, you usually have some cordial small talk. Where are you from?  Isn't this weather crazy? Kids?  And then that eventually winds down til you are both silent.  And you think, this is fine, why should we have to prattle on about nothing.  But the silence soon becomes a big, invisible elephant and when you do have a question or a comment, like where did you go to school?  Have you lived here your whole life? those trivial questions sound inane next to that loud thudding silence, so though you go to speak, the only things that come out are "hmm" and "uh"; the words falling mute on your lips. Only a shared catastrophe, like a near collision, can restart the conversation in any kind of natural way.  Otherwise, when at last the ride is through,you quickly exchange luggage and discreetly palmed tips and hurry on your way, eager to escape the awkward goodbyes and thank yous. 

I feel like that on this blog.  Teenagers are busy and there is rarely time to sit down and think, let alone type.  And then as the silence grew, each event seemed inconsequential to blog about.  But a collision of sorts has occurred, and I'm glad to say it is a happy one--our visit to Europe to visit my parents on their mission--so now the conversation can start up again. 

EUROPE PART 1
My parents got their call to serve as Employment Specialists in the UK last fall.  They left in November, and have been settling in in Edinburgh, Scotland.  We thought it would be perfect to visit Europe while my folks were there and after reviewing our summer--YW camp, cub scout day camp, boy scout camp, EFY, Youth Conference, family reunions--we decided Spring Break would be perfect. 
We left Wednesday after school.  We planned on flying all night--tickets were cheaper and we figured it would help out with the time change if we were all exhausted.  We flew from Charlotte to Atlanta to Amsterdam to Edinburgh.  It wasn't perfect, but international flights do have more room, a movie screen in each seat, and two fairly decent warm meals. 
At last we made it to Edinburgh; Mom and Dad waiting outside of customs.  They looked so dapper in their missionary suits--Dad in his cap and sweater vest, Mom in her scarf--they looked for all the world as if they were born and raised right there in Edinburgh.  They didn't really look that much different than they did before, but their style just fits there in Scotland. 
Dad borrowed the missionary van which was really more like a bus and we started our vacation with the very accommodating Hambelton European Tours.  There was dinner at their flat--which is really quite homey and comfortable, though the kitchen is super tiny, with the washer somehow squeezed in beside a tiny fridge and cookstove.  But Mom is super efficient and the best meals of our trip kept appearing, hot and steaming, with the most delicious fresh bread and desserts. 

Then we went to the flat they had found for the rest of us.  Again, it was the best place we stayed out during our trip.  It was tiny, too, but modern with IKEA- like nooks and cranny for storage.  The kids rotated sleeping with Grandma and Grandpa and sleeping in the loft in our flat.  The cupboards and fridge were full of food Mom and Dad thought we might want.  She bought a Costco-sized tin of hot chocolate and they had hot water tea pots that heated your water practically instantly.  We drank a lot of hot chocolate.  The cereals looked similar but the kids didn't think they had enough sugar.  The milk tasted like whole milk, though the label claimed it was 1%.  It was delicious.  And I loved the little biscuit cookies with ginger in them--Mom, you can bring some of those home with you!  They are crazy for Maltese over there which are like Whoppers only better, and Mom even bought some hot cross buns to warm up for Easter morning. 
So fully stocked, and completely exhausted, we fell into bed until the next day when Hambelton Tours came to collect us and whisked us off to Sterling Castle. 

This is where both of Scotland's heroes William Wallace and Robert the Bruce had victories and where Mary Queen of Scots was crowned here.  A lot of the rooms were furnished and painted, they had great tour guides and costumed performers.  The kids loved seeing the castles up close.  They are quite formidable, sitting atop hills and commanding wonderful views of the green and yellow countryside.  It is amazing to be walking around in something built in the 1200's (at least parts).

After a picnic lunch in the van, we went to the William Wallace Monument.  We hiked up to the tower, but decided against climbing the stairs to the top.  Maybe it was the $10 entry fee, or maybe it was the guy passed out in front of it, with a small ambulance rushing to the scene.  In either case, we took our leave and went to Dumfermline Abbey where Robert the Bruce is buried. 

This is the Abbey where a lot of the famous Scottish heroes are buried, Robert the Bruce in particular.  They had beautiful stained glass, and wonderful arches--very pretty.  A kind gentleman in the gift shop let us use the restroom--pull the cord to flush--and educated the boys on Scottish english and American english--cart, trolley; pants, trousers;queue, line;--pretty much the hard, flat, coarse variety being American and the charming, softer vowels belong to the UK.  We took a walk through a nearby park, which are beautiful, green, and even so far north, the beginnings of spring buds poking through.  The kids wanted ice cream, but I thought hot chocolate might be more appropriate.  Tritan convinced himself that the friendly squirrels were rabid and either froze in terror or ran as fast as he could whenever they crossed our paths,

That night we ate at Mom's flat, the kids rotated sleeping quarters, and started again the next morning.