And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day
The sixth day is really the final day that we were able to spend with the Naylor’s and we lived it up yet again. I had to work until 2, but Mike took them around the city and particularly showed them his school and study area….beautiful architecture that he sees everyday.
Mike’s lunch table….seriously. 
After their tour of Mike’s study routine they stopped by his Starbucks on the Royal Mile and came to meet me at my Starbucks in Stockbridge for lunch.
And off we were to the Edinburgh Castle on the top of a double decker bus!
Take in the views!
After seeing the crowned jewels at the castle (which we couldn’t take pictures of) we went to the Mussel Inn to enjoy some…..mussels and seafood chowder.
Two final pictures of the trip are a bit random, but fun nonetheless. The first is of an actual tree planted a few doors down from us that just looks funny and the other is of a fun sign on the bus that Carol looks forward to posting at her office.
The final day, the seventh day, was quite sad. No pictures were taken that day…..except of Mike with his Highland Coo….which hasn’t made it to the computer yet….Mike, what’s up with that?!
Mike and I really had a difficult time saying goodbye to his parents. We had had such a great time and were reminded just how much we miss everyone at home.
Thanks for looking through all the pictures and for reading of the adventures that we had while the Naylor’s were in town. We look forward to taking many more pictures with all of you when you come to visit us soon!
Love from Mike and Trudy
And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day
Day five was spent traveling back from Inverness through St. Andrews. We began the day with the Naylor’s first traditional Scottish breakfast at the bed and breakfast…..black pudding, porridge and all! Black pudding was not a hit, but no surprises there….I’m no fan either!
After breakfast, we headed for the Tomatin distillery for our morning wee dram of whisky (spelled without an ‘e’ here). We saw a video on how the whisky is made and how the workers actually live on the base of the distillery, very interesting. We continued to head “home” by way of the St. Andrews golf course to pick up some towels for some of Paul’s friends. It was great fun to drive through the city to see where Mike and I could have been if we had accepted their offer for Mike to attend school there…..still glad we ended up in Edinburgh though! This is where we are to be for now.
We also went through a town called Pitlochry where we spent time walking through a lovely little shop where they produce Heather Gems. We saw the process of how they are grown, compressed, dyed and formed into beautiful jewelry and many other things! Enjoy some of the photos from day 5!
After this meal, the Naylor’s were gracious enough to take us out to the local Costco and stock us up with a few fantastic items for home…..thank you guys SO much! Other than the woman with the cart running over Carol’s foot and being practically ushered out of the store because of its close, we had a great time!
And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day
The next two days contain the most pictures because we took a drive up through Lochness into Inverness where we stayed at the Lynver Bed and Breakfast. We stayed overnight and then drove down through St. Andrews, the golf Mecca of the world!! The drive was stunning. It was sunny, it rained, it snowed, flowers bloomed, sheep frolicked, mountains were majestic, cottages were admired. We stopped in Perth for breakfast, passed over the rainbow, had fish n chips for lunch, stopped at Urquhart Castle, landed at the castle in Inverness, went to dinner at the Mustard Seed, found the lochness monster (which is a female, known as Nessie)and finished the day off with a movie……..and if that’s not a full day, I don’t know what is!! Enjoy the shots!
And there was evening, and there was morning, the third day
The Third day began with having breakfast at Morrison’s (our grocery store) in their cafe. This has become a regular part of our Sunday mornings since our service doesn’t begin until 11am. This is where Paul and Carol noticed for the first time that baked beans are a part of a “well-balanced” Scottish breakfast. I’ve actually gotten quite used to that little routine. Other items include a fried egg, bacon (ham), mushrooms, a warmed tomato, toast and a potato pattie…..Mike usually gets half of that because I don’t care for the tomato or potato pattie, but the rest is all part of my meat free breakfast!
After that, we were off to church. We took the car instead of the bus because we had afternoon plans and thought it might be easier to maneuver. The people at Carrubber’s were very welcoming and warm toward our visitor’s and it’s nice to know that Paul and Carol can now envision where we worship and with whom. They met wee Matthew (an adorable little guy who I get to hold if his mama is playing an instrument for the service), they met my good friend, Mairi, they met Wayne and Sarah, our pastor and wife here, they met Cameron Rose….oh, all kinds of people.
After church, Carol and I had an afternoon tea at the Balmoral. It was lovely….so lovely that we had to take a picture of the sinks in the toilets….they’re just fit for royalty…which we are, right Carol?!
The tea was lovely…I’m still working on finding a little proper tea house, though…….it’ll happen, I’m just sure of it! You’d be surprised how these little tiny finger foods can just fill you right up!!
While we were there, Mike took his Dad for a pint and a pie at the Standing Order. A good time was had by all!
Once everyone was finished filling up, we took a drive out to Portobello and saw the seaside…then back to the flat for more fun and games.
And there was evening and there was morning, the second day
Unfortunately, Mike had to work the first part of the second day, but that actually turned out being fine because Paul and Carol could then have plenty of time to sleep in and adjust to the new time zone that they were in! I took off work for that Saturday through Tuesday and so I was laying low here at the house in the morning enjoying making some bread and just having a slow start to the day. Paul and Carol called at about 11 and together we went to the post office and then on in to see Mike in his Starbucks habitat on the Royal Mile. After meeting up with him there, we decided to go to Mama’s Pizza for lunch (blue cheese and Proscuitto pizza and a pepperoni pizza as well). We all remember the walk down the steps, but what will forever be in our minds is the walk back UP the steps…..in the rain. This is where the Naylor’s caught a glimpse of the castle for the first time. This evening, we came back to our flat for dinner and games….girls rule, boys drool…..though actually….we were tied, but girls still rule!
We were all beat and ready for a relaxing evening after our first day out and about in the city.
The Winner’s of the Pound Are…..
Paul and Carol Naylor! In a previous post I mentioned that the first visitor’s to come to Scotland would get their very own pound to begin their fun UK festivities and they are the proud owner’s of that pound! It was one of the first items of “business” upon their arrival on Friday, the 4th of April. I’ve chosen to order these posts by date because there are just too many pictures and fun facts to share in one post. So, let the games begin with Friday, April 4th! I’m attaching pictures of them coming to our flat for the first time. They arrived in Edinburgh at about 4 that day and we got them settled in their hotel (yes, by driving the rental car and we did okay!) and then came back here for dinner and catch up time. They had graciously brought a few of our belongings and fun things from home that we can’t get here (sun-dried tomato basil wheat thins….yummmmmmmm and my quilting and books for Mike and such). We also had decided to celebrate a few birthdays, anniversaries,and mother’s day/father’s day type holidays that we had “missed” earlier in the year.
And there was evening and there was morning…..ugh, morning?! The first day.
