…GO! (Part 2 – Scotland and England)
We leave Vaux-sur-Sûre, Belgium, the same way we arrived three days earlier – in the dark and the rain.
So many moving parts ahead of us today that it feels overwhelming: drive 2-1/2 hours to Brussels, return rental car, get from airport to international train station, take the Eurostar across the English channel, take another train to the north of England, then subway and taxi rides to the hotel. By the end of the day, we find that everything has gone smoothly enough…as always, with a little help from kind strangers along the way.
But…our poor son. The nasty cold that knocked him flat in Belgium maintains its grip and for some reason, he doesn’t think tramping around damp Edinburgh in December is going to improve it any. He elects to spend the day in bed while we travel to Scotland the next morning. We will miss him but this means we will have a true skip-gen adventure with our grandson. I think he is secretly pleased he will be visiting a country his father has never been to!
Clear weather, blue skies, sunshine. Where is the legendary misty winter fog along this coast of England and Scotland? I don’t miss it, as I am thrilled with the scenery that stretches out before us. I dearly want to photograph the flocks of fluffy sheep grazing on the still-green hills, but – whoosh! – our train whizzes by too fast. Aaah, but I capture a lovely stretch of the coast and cliffs.
Coast of Scotland
From the moment we step off the train in Old Town Edinburgh, I am captivated. Brendan, a friend from Canada who now lives in St. Andrews, Scotland, meets us at the station. He proves an excellent tour guide as we stroll through sights in both Old Town (medieval) and “New” Town (1750s and forward), stopping at the Scottish National Gallery before circling back through the Christmas market for some lunch. Our grandson claims the art museum is “boring” but no surprise there. I suppose not many 10-year-old boys are enthralled with art museums?
Our main goal for the day has always been a tour of Edinburgh Castle, an imposing edifice sitting atop an extinct volcano called “Castle Rock.”
“Is it true, Grammy” our grandson wants to know, “that this is the most haunted castle in Europe?” I’m not sure where he has picked up this piece of information or how exactly to answer his question but haunted or not, I know this castle, dripping with history, will not disappoint our young history buff – and it doesn’t.
Fiona, our lovely Scottish guide at the castle, delivers all the history and tales in a lively and engaging way. She finds just the right amount of humor to soften some of the gorey details. She then turns us loose to explore on our own.
But we have to hurry. Why? Does the castle close soon? No. Do we have a train to catch? Not for several more hours. Why then? It’s because we have just learned how early the sun sets this far north. Fiona tells us the sun will set at 3:18 p.m. this afternoon. Not keen to remain within these walls much after dark, we finish our explorations, take a final gaze up the hill at the outline of this imposing castle against the night sky, and head down the Royal Mile into town for some dinner.
The second half of our “colossal castle caper” comes after a day of recuperation and a first-time visit with English relatives in Hebburn. Again, not fun for our grandson, for everyone is over the age of 60 and tells “boring” stories. But today makes up for the art museum and the visit with elderly relatives for today, we are visiting the Tower of London. It is a splendid day. Just six days before Christmas, crowds are sparse. In fact, there are no lines to get into anything. The weather is also dry and mild. (At least for the first part of our day. We are to find that the weather in England can be quite changeable!)
Once inside, our grandson is amazed, as are we. “It’s so much more than a castle, isn’t it?” he observes. “It’s a community.”
We learn that people like our Yeoman Guard guide, Stephen, and many others live here year-round. There are also many soldiers, a staffed hospital, and on-site minister, among others. Stephen tells us he lives here with his wife and two young children.
“Cool!” says our grandson.
We walk right in to see the Crown Jewels – a rare experience when lines often stretch out of the building and across the courtyard. After the Traitor’s Gate and Bloody Tower, it’s on to the White Tower in the very center. This is a spot not to be missed! So many military items and other treasures, one could easily spend half a day here.
Lots of cool interactive displays for a 10-year-old boy to enjoy on the top floor of the White Tower. Only one thing could lure him from this area…the promise of food.
But first we must walk the Battlements. This proves to be the only challenging part of our day, and it’s not because of all the walking, steps, and the narrow circular stairways. Our grandson keeps running ahead, disappearing into crevices and scrambling up walls, while my husband lags far behind, reading every plaque. In the middle, I struggle to keep us all together. I would not want to be attempting this task on a more crowded day!
After ducking into the cafe on the grounds for some lunch, we come out to a complete shift in the weather and a light drizzle. No matter – we have our umbrellas handy and are undeterred. On to the Tower Bridge, just outside the Tower of London and spanning the Thames River. It happens to be the 125th anniversary of the bridge. It seems we are hitting more than one important anniversary on this trip! Tower Bridge is central and essential to London. According to one display, if Tower Bridge ever breaks down all traffic in London will stop. It seems hard to believe but after experiencing the gridlock we did in Brussels, I imagine it could be true.
Summoning some courage, we place ourselves on one of the glass floor walkways, peering down at the traffic and river below.
Then back outside and down some stairs to visit the engine rooms that keep this massive bridge operating – raising and lowering an average of 30 times per week. Once operated by coal-powered steam, it has now been electrified and can completely open the bridge, creaking and groaning, in under 60 seconds. We finish off our day – and sadly, our entire trip – with ice cream and a final group photo. It has all gone by so quickly. It’s been an unforgettable trip, embracing everything from world history on a grand stage to family history on a person-to-person level. Concerning the latter, it is likely also an unrepeatable trip.
Stay tuned for our next post with fewer trip details and more reflections about the trip from us – and from our grandson, as well.
Au revoir and pip, pip, cheerio!