Crossing the border into Scotland

We woke up and bid a fond farewell to our cute little chocolate factory flat in London. We wanted to make sure we got to the station on time, since we were told that the tube would start shutting down well before the strike today, plus we arrive early for travel! So, we arrived at King's Cross via St. Pancras and stood in line to return our Oyster cards for the deposit. We ended up getting back six pounds sixty on three and a bit more on the fourth (which is a mystery, as we all traveled together), so it was well worth the time. Then we got some sandwiches and snacks in the Marks and Spencer, which was fairly pricey. We still had some time to kill, so we grabbed a Starbucks, since it was right there. I've got to say, though, that Costa coffee beats Starbucks hands down!

It was a mad dash to our train when they finally showed what platform we were on, because they showed it at 10:55, and it was an 11:00 train on platform 9… sadly not 9 ¾. We had reserved seats, and we had a table, but for some reason we were not at the same table, but at separate tables catty-corner from each other. There were senior citizen couples opposite both of us, so luckily they offered to switch us, and they hit it off. We had a great time listening to their stories. The English couple was a retired chemist and a retired preschool nurse, while the New Zealander couple was a retired farmer and a retired nurse. They were comparing the way things are in their two countries, so it was interesting for us to hear about the two different places.

We had a long ride of four and a half hours, so the majority of the day was spent either in train stations or on the train or tube. Everyone is very polite in the stations, and there are generally several people who rove to give out information. We noticed this in Belgium, England, and Scotland. I don't remember about France. There are even some in the streets of London with little uniforms and "information" umbrellas, and they will come ask if you need help if you stop to look at the street maps. It's quite handy. Anyhow, a guy directed us to the hotel, and we hit the chilly, windy streets of Edinburgh. We sort of skirted the royal mile en route to the hotel, so it looked a little desolate. We checked in, and made our way to our room. It's small and plain, and you only get 30 minutes of free wifi, which is freaking Toria out big time. It's fine though, and it's not like we are hanging about in the hotel!

We rested up for a few, and consulted Rick Steves, before we headed out to find the royal mile. Turns out it's just around the corner, and it's pretty cool… just loads of shops and restaurants. Sure, it's touristy, but we're tourist! Every shop has wool, cashmere, shortbread, and whiskey. There are kilts galore, as well as scarves, sweaters, hats, and gloves. Most of it is very expensive, but it's sure tempting since it's so chilly. I think it's around 52 degrees, and windy. Toria got a thick jacket in London, which she thought she wouldn't wear for ages, but it's being broken in now. Gabe and I are layered.

We tooled around the mile to the foot of the castle, stopping to watch a street magician and a bagpper, then came back. The kids had seen a Pizza Hut, and fixated on it, so they wanted to get pizza and go back to the hotel room. We got them a pizza and let them go. Then we went to a pub and had gammon with eggs and peas (me) and scampi with chips and peas (Hedge) with some drinks. There was a foreign couple next to us - we never figured out where they were from. We had tried the free wifi at Starbucks and Pizza Hut, but it didn't really work. The pub wifi at least let me send some imessages, but that's it. We're spoiled with the wifi! I did get to play with a dog outside the pub, so that was fun.

Back at the hotel, the cubs had been unable to figure out the shower, as the handle is wonky. We were able to rig it, so we're all clean and ready to turn in. We're going to indulge in hotel breakfast tomorrow, then head off to a 9:00 tour of the Highlands. We have another travel day, as the tour goes from 9 until after 6:00. I think we go to Stirling Castle, Loch Lomand, and a whiskey distillery.