Amazing Two Week Family Trip Through England and Scotland
Aug 25th, 2009, 07:56 AM
#21
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scotlib: yes, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on Picardy Place. Great location and incredibly helpful staff. I would absolutely stay there again.
June 20
The staff at the Holiday Inn Express are very friendly and helpful, the rooms very comfortable, the location perfect, but the breakfast is a simple continental breakfast – not the huge breakfasts we’ve had the past week, but it’s all good and several nice choices. After a late breakfast, we make the short drive to Rosslyn Chapel. My Dad has been a Mason for almost 50 years – at home, he is very involved in his lodge, they do a lot of charitable events helping a lot of people and he and Mom are even involved in a Masonic camping group that travels together. I knew that he would love Rosslyn Chapel and I arranged to have our own guide to specifically point out Masonic symbols and to share her knowledge about the Chapel – Margaretanne Dugan. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Margaretanne (www.rosslyntours.co.uk)! She is charming, delightful, knowledgeable and really made this day special for Pop and all of us! She is a personal guide who travels throughout Scotland, but her life’s passion has been Rosslyn Chapel. We spent about two hours with her and felt that we made a dear friend and also fell in love with the chapel – what a special place – simply captivating. Whether you’re into Masonic symbols or not, the Davinci Code or not, I just think you can’t go to Scotland without seeing Rosslyn Chapel. I’ve been fortunate enough to stand in many of the great Cathedrals of the world, but Rosslyn is special – it’s detail intricate, location ethereal – gosh, if only walls could talk! We were able to climb the scaffolding and view the roofline of the chapel, Honey and Pop make several purchases in the gift shop and then we stop at the Roslin Hotel for lunch around the fireplace. As we leave, Dad runs into several of his Masonic brothers from all over the world, they have a nice chat and my Dad has a special twinkle in his eye today!
Back in Edinburgh, Honey and Pop decide once again to stay close to the hotel for dinner (there are many choices), Mario, the boys and I take off for the Royal Mile. This time we go to the bottom of the mile and work our way up. Mario tries to play the bagpipes – I hear dogs wailing off in the distance. We find a great little restaurant – Garfunkles and sit outside on the mile having dinner – the food is very good and the setting is special (the people watching is oh so interesting). Then we go on the newEdinburgh Ghost Walk (www.newedinburghtours.com). I slightly regret that we didn’t go on a tour with a guide in costume, we also find out after our tour that it was our guide’s first tour – it all seemed a bit disorganized and started about 30 minutes late, there are about 40 people on the tour and one guide, but our guide had a nice personality and ultimately it was fun. We literally walked all over Edinburgh – up Carlton Hill, through the cemetery, to the Acropolis, overlooking the harbor and the city, back down to the Royal Mile – the boys are captivated by the ghost stories. The guide tells us about these horrible fairies as we walk up Carlton Hill – she tells of the different types of fairies and the horrible things they do – Lunatic Maximus looks at her so seriously and asks, “then why are you taking us there?” So cute! Once back at the hotel, we pick up more fried Mars bars and we crash, it’s been a full day!
June 21
This is the longest day of the year and we are in the right place to take full advantage of the summer solstice – it never gets dark! Feeling well rested, we walk the short distance to the Waverly Bridge to get on the Edinburgh Tour Hop on Hop off tour bus. We have a great guide and the tour takes us to the university, the palace, by Arthur’s seat, then we hopped off at the castle. We make the short walk up the cobble stoned streets, the boys have a photo made with a Braveheart look-a-like ….he shows my mother the tattoo on his bum …really, did that just happen?
I have to say, the Scottish people are a friendly group of people – my Dad strikes up conversations with random people about random things, they are all so good natured and enjoy a good laugh. We tour the castle – great guide – the boys love the canons. The castle is AMAZING! We go see the jewels and the apartment of Mary Queen of Scots. We shop a bit more. This is our last night in Scotland and our last chance to pick up little souvenirs. It is a beautiful evening. We find an Italian restaurant on the Mile where we can sit outside – the owner is so friendly and wants to hear all about our trip – he is delighted that we have fallen in love with Scotland. While we finish dinner, Lunatic Maximus walks up the Mile to watch a street performer who has gathered a large crowd – he becomes apart of the show – of course, he does!
Honey and Pop take the boys back to the hotel. Mario and I walk down the Mile and grab a seat outside the Bank Hotel Bar and enjoy a Best beer, we people watch, reflect on our trip and walk back to the hotel. We get the boys from their room and go get another fried Mars bar, we play another game of cards and call it an early evening. Our trip has been phenomenal!
June 22
Our 6:00 a.m. wake up call comes a little too early. We pack up our things, put the luggage carrier on the people carrier one last time, follow Lizzie III around a few last roundabouts to the Edinburgh Airport. We have a brief flight to Heathrow and then our layover is a little too brief before the long haul to Dallas. We are all in good spirits and continually comment on aspects of our great journey together! We have seen marvelous sights and more importantly, enjoyed a special family camaraderie. I know that it was a trip of a lifetime for my parents and hopefully one that my boys will always remember sharing with their grandparents. It is such a gift to have this precious time together. There were conversations and moments that occurred that simply cannot occur when just having Sunday dinner or having a short visit. I watched my oldest son and Dad walk down a Cotswold’s stone street, chatting about life and my Dad sharing stories from his youth. This is special.
Last year, my Dad had a double knee replacement, then three weeks later a major heart attack and then quadruple bypass surgery – we feel so blessed that he is doing great! Last year, my mother also fell and broke her pelvis then spent three months in a rehabilitation center. The good news is that after all that rehab, they are both in pretty good shape. However, we did take out an insurance policy through AARP in case they had a health crisis during our travels, the policy insured that they would be flown immediately to the doctor of their choice anywhere in the world. The policy was around $250 which included both of them. We feel fortunate that we didn’t have to use it, but it was a comfort to know we had it just in case.
My mind is flooded with so many images. Palaces and castles that have witnessed history – some known, I imagine, most not known. We have marveled at the magnificence of Westminster Abby, Salisbury Cathedral and the intricate beauty of Rosslyn Chapel. The charming Cotswold towns – sitting outside on my birthday at Joel’s watching the sunset on the golden stone walls and feeling so blessed! The sheep in the lowlands and the highlands, the stone walled pastures shrouded in fog – almost leading straight up to the sky. The gorgeous drive around Loch Lomond – seemingly untouched by time. The beautiful English and Scottish people who always greeted us with smiles, eagerly and sweetly answered our questions and seem so generous to share the beauty of their countries with us. A tremendous journey full of love!
June 20
The staff at the Holiday Inn Express are very friendly and helpful, the rooms very comfortable, the location perfect, but the breakfast is a simple continental breakfast – not the huge breakfasts we’ve had the past week, but it’s all good and several nice choices. After a late breakfast, we make the short drive to Rosslyn Chapel. My Dad has been a Mason for almost 50 years – at home, he is very involved in his lodge, they do a lot of charitable events helping a lot of people and he and Mom are even involved in a Masonic camping group that travels together. I knew that he would love Rosslyn Chapel and I arranged to have our own guide to specifically point out Masonic symbols and to share her knowledge about the Chapel – Margaretanne Dugan. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Margaretanne (www.rosslyntours.co.uk)! She is charming, delightful, knowledgeable and really made this day special for Pop and all of us! She is a personal guide who travels throughout Scotland, but her life’s passion has been Rosslyn Chapel. We spent about two hours with her and felt that we made a dear friend and also fell in love with the chapel – what a special place – simply captivating. Whether you’re into Masonic symbols or not, the Davinci Code or not, I just think you can’t go to Scotland without seeing Rosslyn Chapel. I’ve been fortunate enough to stand in many of the great Cathedrals of the world, but Rosslyn is special – it’s detail intricate, location ethereal – gosh, if only walls could talk! We were able to climb the scaffolding and view the roofline of the chapel, Honey and Pop make several purchases in the gift shop and then we stop at the Roslin Hotel for lunch around the fireplace. As we leave, Dad runs into several of his Masonic brothers from all over the world, they have a nice chat and my Dad has a special twinkle in his eye today!
Back in Edinburgh, Honey and Pop decide once again to stay close to the hotel for dinner (there are many choices), Mario, the boys and I take off for the Royal Mile. This time we go to the bottom of the mile and work our way up. Mario tries to play the bagpipes – I hear dogs wailing off in the distance. We find a great little restaurant – Garfunkles and sit outside on the mile having dinner – the food is very good and the setting is special (the people watching is oh so interesting). Then we go on the newEdinburgh Ghost Walk (www.newedinburghtours.com). I slightly regret that we didn’t go on a tour with a guide in costume, we also find out after our tour that it was our guide’s first tour – it all seemed a bit disorganized and started about 30 minutes late, there are about 40 people on the tour and one guide, but our guide had a nice personality and ultimately it was fun. We literally walked all over Edinburgh – up Carlton Hill, through the cemetery, to the Acropolis, overlooking the harbor and the city, back down to the Royal Mile – the boys are captivated by the ghost stories. The guide tells us about these horrible fairies as we walk up Carlton Hill – she tells of the different types of fairies and the horrible things they do – Lunatic Maximus looks at her so seriously and asks, “then why are you taking us there?” So cute! Once back at the hotel, we pick up more fried Mars bars and we crash, it’s been a full day!
June 21
This is the longest day of the year and we are in the right place to take full advantage of the summer solstice – it never gets dark! Feeling well rested, we walk the short distance to the Waverly Bridge to get on the Edinburgh Tour Hop on Hop off tour bus. We have a great guide and the tour takes us to the university, the palace, by Arthur’s seat, then we hopped off at the castle. We make the short walk up the cobble stoned streets, the boys have a photo made with a Braveheart look-a-like ….he shows my mother the tattoo on his bum …really, did that just happen?
I have to say, the Scottish people are a friendly group of people – my Dad strikes up conversations with random people about random things, they are all so good natured and enjoy a good laugh. We tour the castle – great guide – the boys love the canons. The castle is AMAZING! We go see the jewels and the apartment of Mary Queen of Scots. We shop a bit more. This is our last night in Scotland and our last chance to pick up little souvenirs. It is a beautiful evening. We find an Italian restaurant on the Mile where we can sit outside – the owner is so friendly and wants to hear all about our trip – he is delighted that we have fallen in love with Scotland. While we finish dinner, Lunatic Maximus walks up the Mile to watch a street performer who has gathered a large crowd – he becomes apart of the show – of course, he does!
Honey and Pop take the boys back to the hotel. Mario and I walk down the Mile and grab a seat outside the Bank Hotel Bar and enjoy a Best beer, we people watch, reflect on our trip and walk back to the hotel. We get the boys from their room and go get another fried Mars bar, we play another game of cards and call it an early evening. Our trip has been phenomenal!
June 22
Our 6:00 a.m. wake up call comes a little too early. We pack up our things, put the luggage carrier on the people carrier one last time, follow Lizzie III around a few last roundabouts to the Edinburgh Airport. We have a brief flight to Heathrow and then our layover is a little too brief before the long haul to Dallas. We are all in good spirits and continually comment on aspects of our great journey together! We have seen marvelous sights and more importantly, enjoyed a special family camaraderie. I know that it was a trip of a lifetime for my parents and hopefully one that my boys will always remember sharing with their grandparents. It is such a gift to have this precious time together. There were conversations and moments that occurred that simply cannot occur when just having Sunday dinner or having a short visit. I watched my oldest son and Dad walk down a Cotswold’s stone street, chatting about life and my Dad sharing stories from his youth. This is special.
Last year, my Dad had a double knee replacement, then three weeks later a major heart attack and then quadruple bypass surgery – we feel so blessed that he is doing great! Last year, my mother also fell and broke her pelvis then spent three months in a rehabilitation center. The good news is that after all that rehab, they are both in pretty good shape. However, we did take out an insurance policy through AARP in case they had a health crisis during our travels, the policy insured that they would be flown immediately to the doctor of their choice anywhere in the world. The policy was around $250 which included both of them. We feel fortunate that we didn’t have to use it, but it was a comfort to know we had it just in case.
My mind is flooded with so many images. Palaces and castles that have witnessed history – some known, I imagine, most not known. We have marveled at the magnificence of Westminster Abby, Salisbury Cathedral and the intricate beauty of Rosslyn Chapel. The charming Cotswold towns – sitting outside on my birthday at Joel’s watching the sunset on the golden stone walls and feeling so blessed! The sheep in the lowlands and the highlands, the stone walled pastures shrouded in fog – almost leading straight up to the sky. The gorgeous drive around Loch Lomond – seemingly untouched by time. The beautiful English and Scottish people who always greeted us with smiles, eagerly and sweetly answered our questions and seem so generous to share the beauty of their countries with us. A tremendous journey full of love!
Aug 25th, 2009, 02:24 PM
#25
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Sheila: and thank you to you. Forgive me for not giving you a big fodors shout out before! I cannot thank you enough for the oodles of information you sent to me on Scotland. We truly fell in love with your country and it's wonderful people!
Sep 24th, 2009, 07:42 PM
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KimiG -- I loved reading through your trip report. We are planning a similar trip next summer and I already have taken a few of your ideas and incorporated them into our preliminary itinerary. We will be travelling as a group of 6 as well -- me, my husband, daughter (who will be 16 next year), son (who will be 13 next year), step-daughter and her husband. The 6 of us just got home from a one-week trip to Switzerland in August. We travel well together.
I know we won't be leaving for another 10-1/2 months, but I have already booked our hotel rooms in London (Arran House Hotel), mainly because they have a quad room available at a very reasonable price. We have not purchased our airline tickets yet. I am holding off until early year, when hopefully the airlines will have great offers to London and home from Edinburgh. I reserved a 7-passenger minivan through Hertz. We don't have a Garmin, but that is on our list of must buys before we go.
I would love to be able to contact you directly to pick your brain. Is there a way to contact you directly through Fodors? Are you on TripAdvisor?
Again, a fabulous trip report!
I know we won't be leaving for another 10-1/2 months, but I have already booked our hotel rooms in London (Arran House Hotel), mainly because they have a quad room available at a very reasonable price. We have not purchased our airline tickets yet. I am holding off until early year, when hopefully the airlines will have great offers to London and home from Edinburgh. I reserved a 7-passenger minivan through Hertz. We don't have a Garmin, but that is on our list of must buys before we go.
I would love to be able to contact you directly to pick your brain. Is there a way to contact you directly through Fodors? Are you on TripAdvisor?
Again, a fabulous trip report!
Oct 21st, 2009, 01:00 PM
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KimiG,
Your journal was amazing and has already helped me so much . We are planning our trip for June '10 with our two sons(15yr and 12yr.) Especially loved hearing about the specific sites, what you liked etc. Also, knowing many things can be prearranged(LondonWalks) is very helpful. Thanks again for sharing your trip in such warm, descriptive detail.
Your journal was amazing and has already helped me so much . We are planning our trip for June '10 with our two sons(15yr and 12yr.) Especially loved hearing about the specific sites, what you liked etc. Also, knowing many things can be prearranged(LondonWalks) is very helpful. Thanks again for sharing your trip in such warm, descriptive detail.
Feb 27th, 2010, 01:09 PM
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Freberta: I apologize that I just saw your question to me from September. I prefer not to put my e-mail address here, but if you don't have your the answers to your questions, feel free to post them here. Have a great trip! 
Mar 7th, 2010, 12:43 PM
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Hi, KimiG. Since I wrote in back in September, we changed our itinerary just a little bit. We decided to spend 5 nights in London, 3 in the Costswolds, 1 in Bath and then the last night at the airport. Scotland will have to wait until my golf game improves and my son is old enough to play with us.
But I still plan on using a lot of the information you included in your trip report to plan our trip. I really wanted to spend a night in Chipping Campden, but because we won't be renting a car, we are making Moreton-in-Marsh our base. But we will walk to Chipping Campden one day and spend some time there (we will follow Rick Steves' walking tour). Then we will also spend a day touring Blenheim Palace (we have a Blenheim-colored Cavalier King Charles spaniel and my son did a report on Winston Churchill this year in school) and Oxford and the third day going on some more walks through the Cotswolds.
Thanks again for allowing us to share your wonderful trip.
But I still plan on using a lot of the information you included in your trip report to plan our trip. I really wanted to spend a night in Chipping Campden, but because we won't be renting a car, we are making Moreton-in-Marsh our base. But we will walk to Chipping Campden one day and spend some time there (we will follow Rick Steves' walking tour). Then we will also spend a day touring Blenheim Palace (we have a Blenheim-colored Cavalier King Charles spaniel and my son did a report on Winston Churchill this year in school) and Oxford and the third day going on some more walks through the Cotswolds.
Thanks again for allowing us to share your wonderful trip.
