Changed Priorities ahead

June 30th 2011

It is June 30th....right?  Last night we finally made it in to Edinburgh.  This last flight required that Thomas's skateboard be stowed in the belly of the plane.  It also required another trip through security and another test of our patience since most of our luggage (not mine) is still in Amsterdam or en route to Scotland.  (Did I mention that they had 9 hours to figure out which plane it needed to go on while we waited for this flight:(  As of today we have two pieces of luggage  but the boys suitcases have not arrived yet.

The Hilton is comfortable enough while we adjust to odd customs I have not revisited in 10 years.  Beans on the breakfast bar, light switches outside the bathroom door, switching electrical outlets to the "on" position before using them,and bathtubs that are built up on a pedestal.  This last nuance isn't important if you are tall but if you are short stepping out of the shower in the morning can be quite jolt if you are jet lagged.  We slept like babes the night before and had a hearty Scottish breakfast before setting out down Haymarket Street to explore the city.  Soon we see Edinburgh Castle up on the hill from the street and head towards it.

Edinburgh Castle

The boys quickly become fascinated by the church and cemetery below the castle and near Princes Street Garden and out comes the camera.  It seems so medieval to them even though most of the graves are from the 1800s.  We ramble through Princes Street Gardens, the day is a tad cool but sunny.  We head up to  Castle Hill and pass The Scottish National Gallery (we will visit there tomorrow).  Up near High Street we encounter St. Giles Cathedral and stop in for a visit.  It was as beautiful a church as I've ever seen.  Every nook and cranny cramed with carved marble, commemorative plaques, art work, stained glass, wrought iron, flags, and tapestries each bearing a story or a bit of history.

Window St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh

We are approached by a man (a tour guide) who shows us around and helps us make some sense of what are seeing.  The man seems so familiar, like someone from the church I grew up in back home in Kentucky.  His surname is Bryson and he loves to talk.  I note how much my Dad's family loves to talk and I wonder if this "joy in communicating" is a Scottish trait.  The people here are so approachable and unafraid of strangers, familiar in a way I can't quite put my finger on.  I tell Mr. Bryson what my maiden name is and he exclaims:  "Why you're straight from the heather!" while I beam with pride....

Mr. Bryson, tour guide, St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh

Named for a seventh century hermit St. Giles has had colorful past, weathering the Reformation and much of Scotland's turbulant history with England.  Among other things the building itself has housed a police station, a fire station, a school and a coal store, not to mention the Scottish guillotine and a prison for "harlots and whores."  I can't say my local church has hosted such a broad range of "functions" although we do make meeting  space available for various community groups.  Overeaters Anonymous and The Sweet Adelines is about as racy as it gets.   More information about St. Giles can be had at http://www.stgilescathedral.org.uk/

Soon I see a man sit down at the massive pipe organ in an upper chamber of the church and my eyes fill with tears even before he begins.  Even though he "was just practising" the sound of that organ in  the stunning surroundings was all I needed to lift the fatigue and frustration of the last 24 hours.

Pipe Organ, St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh

We leave the cathedral, knowing we could have spent all day there and still not learned all there was to know about it's intriguing and varied past.  Heading down (and I do mean down) High Street we duck in to Kilt shops and check out their wares.  My son Will wants a kilt more than any thing else.  We find that they can be made to order (a good one) and shipped ranging in price from 275 to 424 BP.  Finally, we head up towards Edinburgh Castle where they are building what appears to be a small stadium at the entrance to The Castle.  I instantly assume that the installation of this structure caused quite an uproar when the plan was put before the city council, it seems so out of place here among the medieval buildings of Olde Towne and The Royal Mile.  The castle itself is a fortress in every sense of the word and the views over Edinburgh and Princes Street Gardens are beautiful.

Edinburgh Castle

While at The Castle we make arrangements to stay in Edinburgh another night because of our travel delay.  We have no way of knowing when the rest of our bags will arrive.  Exploring The Castle, we see the crown jewels of Scotland, The Great Hall dating to Medieval times and The Scottish War Memorial.  Will has his photo taken with one of the tour guides in The Great Hall who has an authentic kilt and we have a discussion on the best places to buy a kilt.  We take a picture and it pleases me that Will is fulfilling a dream by taking this trip to this place.


The Great Hall

The Scottish War Memorial was a very sacred place as we were not allowed to take pictures.  Dedicated to those who lost their lives in each branch of service during the 1st and 2nd World Wars, the walls were lined with platforms bearing heavy leather bound books bearing the names of the men who gave their lives for their country.  Will and I peruse some of the volumes, The Marines, The Navy, The Black Watch etc. Each volume contained the surname Buchanan, some volumes profusely listing the name.  "John Buchanan --Falkirk."  I note that one volume listed a Buchanan who died in France during World War II in 1944 the same time my father was there.  I had never considered that my own father might have fought next to a distant cousin that never had the chance to return home......The world suddenly seemed smaller and more connected.  Someday when I have more time I will explore these interconnections more closely.  We leave the Memorial quiet and pondering how we are connected to this country and it's people.