BURR…

Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Well, that was the latest and longest bus ride we have had since we were in the states.  It’s time to get back into the swing of sleeping more on the bus instead of in a bed on travel nights and arriving at the wee hours of the morning.  Luckily, we had a few days to iron out the kinks and start over fresh.

Not only did this allow for some gym time and a little Christmas shopping; which was dangerous because there was a whole street that was lined with shops and their Black Friday deals, but there was even a day to devote to sightseeing.  And even the locals of Glasgow, said that Edinburgh was a “Must See.” 

So, we set our sights to the train lines and after an hour of riding, we made it!  It was a great way to spend our last day off with absolutely beautiful weather.  Yes, of course it was chilly or rather quite cold, but it was all the more worth it in the rays of sunshine. 

From the Edinburgh Castle grounds, you could see as far out as the sea, from the views of the Christmas market below to the rest of the castle grounds and the Ferris Wheel and the Scots Monument, it was all visible.  I can only imagine what it looked like back when the royalty of the castle ruled the land.  But the views weren’t all, we were actually able to go inside this castle and the outside still appeared the way it did when it was inhabited by the royal family. 

Leaving the Castle and the Royal Mile that was lined by shops and cathedrals and even included the Elephant Café where J.K. Rowling wrote all the Harry Potter novels; the Scots Monument towered over the Ferris Wheel and the nearby Christmas Market. 

All sorts of smells from coffee, to mulled wine, to candles filled the air as the people hustled and bustled around us and I was just along for the ride.  These markets make me feel a little closer to home with their wooden structures, decorations, and the holiday cheer. 

And just in time for Thanksgiving!  As the week approached, I was not really sure that this year I was actually going to be able to have turkey on Thanksgiving Day.  I mean yes, Weatherspoon’s and their daily specials are great especially because we were right next door, but being in a country where Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated was going to make it a little difficult.  However, we had a nice surprise! 

Our very own Viola Jackson saved the day with the help of Chris Koury, Dennis Pinero, and Mario Castro and in the end D34 was able to have our very own turkey dinner feast!  It was absolutely amazing and after two full days of cooking and baking, we were the privileged taste testers of Vi’s yummy food!  And even though we had a show together it was so nice to all get cleaned up and come together to enjoy the feast. 

And as we all cleaned our plates and headed back to what we all called home for the week, we were all thankful the opportunities that we have been given, the people around us and the people we call family at home, and to live to see another day. 

Off to the home of the Beatles…