March 30th, 2013
We headed out to Edinburgh early on Saturday. The train leaves at 9am and the next one is at 11, so if you want a good full day you have to be there early. Our plan was to drive the 1.5 hours to Carlisle, catch the train to Edinburgh for 1.5 hours and then return about 5pm so that we would get home around 8pm. The weather man says it'll be sunny all day, albeit cold but little wind. It didn't quite work out that way; both in the travels and the weather.
At Carlisle we arrived and had to pay £10 for all day parking. No problem...but they only take coin in advance. So up the hill I trundle looking for change while Suzanne stays with the car. I find a grocer and buy a paper, ensuring I get coins for change to my 20. Back down the hill and in the coins go. Getting close to departure time.
We hike quickly to the train station, a quarter mile away, and push past this big crowd (why are they there?) to buy our tickets...no problem, but if we want to return later than 12 noon (after just an hour there!) we'll have to take the bus back. What?! Why? because of track maintenance. How long does that bus ride take? 2.5 hours with 50 of my newest friends. I can drive it in 1.5...
That crowd...waiting for a bus to the next station.
No thanks, we'll drive. We'll have to eat that parking fee, but I intercept a nice old lady and offer to give her my ticket. She gives me £2 for my £10 ticket; I've cut some of my loss. So off to Edinburgh we go.
Now, the road to Edinburgh is not like an interstate highway...the motorway (an interstate) takes us halfway where we have to exit onto a single carriageway (think 2 lane country road). For 40 miles we wind around hills and through villages. All very tight roads, and as we get closer note the clouds...and now the snow. SNOW!? Okay, keep going, the forecast said sunny in Edinburgh.
We get there and of course have to find parking. As we get close to city centre we spot a parking garage. In I go and we squeeze in. Out onto the streets, not snowing but no sun either. We start walking and realize quickly we need a map. We spot a news agent and sure enough he has pocket maps. We back track a block and head to the Royal Mile (city centre near the castle, it's a Scottish mile, the distance between the castle and the Palace of Holeyrood).
Edinburgh Castle sits atop Castle Rock. It has a commanding view of the Firth of Forth towards the North and the mountains to the South. Very beautiful.
We walked around a bit more, got a nice couple of wool scarves (practical this time of year) and found a great lunch spot. Porto & Fi is it, if you ever find yourself in Edinburgh, but get there before noon or you may not get a seat.
After lunch we walked about a bit more and eventually decided to head back. It was about 3pm when we left; we wanted to get back before 6 (dark) since I had been driving all day. Hah!
The GPS pointed us toward home but for some reason turned us onto a road that eventually became a B road (narrow, very country road). I had no idea where I was and trying to use the GPS was not working. Telling it to get me back onto the highway was only putting us on worse roads. Pretty as they were, I didn't want us to be lost in Scotland. There are worse things, right?
On my third pullover I was able to find something that looked like it could be a route. It was and about 15 minutes later we were on the motorway doing 70 again.
We stopped at rest area (like in New Jersey, gas, food, etc). And got a snack. Suzanne was so excited we were back on the motorway she noted that while we were an hour from Carlisle (and about two hours from Edinburgh) we still were faster than the bus would have been...okay...wait for it...I remind Suzanne the bus would have been 2.5 hour from Edinburgh to Carlisle. :) we laughed long at that one!
We got home just after dark. Time change overnight (they switch clocks later here). We had a great day!
Until next time...
We walked around a bit more, got a nice couple of wool scarves (practical this time of year) and found a great lunch spot. Porto & Fi is it, if you ever find yourself in Edinburgh, but get there before noon or you may not get a seat.
After lunch we walked about a bit more and eventually decided to head back. It was about 3pm when we left; we wanted to get back before 6 (dark) since I had been driving all day. Hah!
The GPS pointed us toward home but for some reason turned us onto a road that eventually became a B road (narrow, very country road). I had no idea where I was and trying to use the GPS was not working. Telling it to get me back onto the highway was only putting us on worse roads. Pretty as they were, I didn't want us to be lost in Scotland. There are worse things, right?
On my third pullover I was able to find something that looked like it could be a route. It was and about 15 minutes later we were on the motorway doing 70 again.
We stopped at rest area (like in New Jersey, gas, food, etc). And got a snack. Suzanne was so excited we were back on the motorway she noted that while we were an hour from Carlisle (and about two hours from Edinburgh) we still were faster than the bus would have been...okay...wait for it...I remind Suzanne the bus would have been 2.5 hour from Edinburgh to Carlisle. :) we laughed long at that one!
We got home just after dark. Time change overnight (they switch clocks later here). We had a great day!
Until next time...
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