Carrie and I flew overnight from Dulles to Edinburgh. Carrie's an anxious flyer (which is unfortunate for a travel agent). To ad-lib the Beastie Boys: "NO! SLEEP! Till Scotland!"
I was brave and had yogurt for breakfast. I'd forgotten what it tasted like.
There was a reason I'd gone so long without eating yogurt. I finished it, but consider my memory refreshed.
My favorite parts of fling are takeoff and landing. I enjoy the rush and the sights!
Carrie's favorite part is stepping off the plane (followed by leaving the airport!). It's a rough favorite for being a travel agent.
Edinburgh airport was smaller than I expected. Customs was a breeze. There were only a few baggage carousels and we were the only flight arriving from what I could see.
We timed our trip through customs and collecting our luggage at 16 minutes. That gave us a minimum amount of time it would take our travel group to move through everything the following day.
The airport was laid out in an easy manner to navigate. We exchanged $200 into about £127 and headed out to a bus (to be "Enlightened.").
Bust tickets to the city center were £4.5 each. We opted not to get day passes for £9. The plan was to ride a taxi to the airport tomorrow and compare costs.
Hopping on a two-decker bus was not on my "to-do list," but it made for lots of interesting sights. We were as high up as a dump truck!
The first thing I noticed was we were on the wrong side of the road (Seriously. It felt weird). The second thing was how differently everything was constructed compared to home. Buildings looked older to me, because they were built out of plaster and stone. Some of them could have been newer construction, but I'm used to seeing siding on newly built homes.
And some buildings were clearly much older and sprinkled in.
I went full tourist and jumped to the other side of the bus when I spotted Edinburgh castle.
It was a fun ride, but we were keeping our eyes out for ways to smooth the way for our travelers.
For example, all of the travelers would have one 24-hour bus pass for hop-on-hop-off tours. There are multiple bus lines going through Edinburgh, so we needed to learn how to identify the right bus service. We would need to find the stop nearest the hotel, as well.
First, the bus we took stops half a mile from the hotel.
Second, the half mile was up hills and stairs. No one in their right mind hauling luggage would want to make the trip! That included us! Most of our travelers were on the older end and would be even less inclined!
Carrie and I were the only two idiots hauling luggage around Edinburgh's city center. Sometimes, we had to wait for people to clear a stair, because there wasn't room for me to fit with a suitcase in each hand when people were about.
The uphill was bad, but the downhill was rough in a different way. The grade was steep enough I was tempted to ride it through traffic.
We stayed at the Apex City of Edinburgh hotel on Grassmarket.....not to be confused with the Apex Grassmarket Hotel 100 yards down the street.
Carrie checked us in and had a long talk with the people at the front desk. We had been tasked with purchasing dinner vouchers for the travel group. The problem was, the front desk had no idea how to do that. Someone in corporate had okay-ed it and never relayed the message.
Carrie noticed another potential problem: There was nowhere for 41 people to store luggage and sit if their rooms weren't ready upon arrival. She asked the front desk and they had no idea what to do either. Carrie talked back and forth with "Gigi" at the front desk and they came up with a plan to store luggage in a meeting room when everyone arrived tomorrow.
When we got the basics ironed out, we went up to check out our room. It was very European (Which to an American means, "Smaller." We had AC which was a huge plus. Most locals don't have "aircon," because they don't typically need it. However, we arrived in a "heatwave" (80 degrees F).
I was ready to explore, but Carrie was ready to slow down (and not be in any pictures).
She ended up taking a nap (and being part of a couple of pictures!). I rested, as well. Scotland is 5 hours ahead of our normal.
We woke up refreshed and ready to look around.
The elevators were tiny. There were only two of them. The max occupancy was listed as 8, but I think they were counting families with young children in tow. It was going to be interesting tomorrow with a large group toting luggage.
But that was a problem for the future. It was time to learn the lay of the land. Edinburgh is a neat city. It's jam-packed with stores side by side by side, but the amount of people on the sidewalks did not feel oppressive. Carrie hates crowds, but felt perfectly comfortable.
We ended up in a kilt shop quickly. I wanted to wander further from "tourist city" in case prices were inflated, but Carrie insisted.
I laughed when I spotted John's clan motto. He hates cats.
The locals were upset about the heat, but it felt like heaven to us. I would have loved to have walked more, but Carrie was tired and in need of food.
We stopped at Footlights Bard and Grill. Carrie ordered a burger with brie and cranberries while I had the staple fish and chips.
It's funny how there are so many little conventions you take for granted. We know how to eat and pay for food in the US, but we were unsure of the whole process in Scotland. Did we seat ourselves? Was there a host? Do we wait for the waiter to bring our bill? Or do we walk to the bar?
When in doubt, go to the bar. That advice got us seated and paid up to move on. Europeans pay their waiters a standard wage (instead of a pittance like in the US), so tipping isn't expected. There was a big jar "just in case." Carrie was so happy with her meal we still dropped our change up front.
I laughed at a few of the posters in the "toilet" as I relieved myself.
Only Americans call it a "bathroom."
No matter where we went, it was fairly easy to spot the castle. I'm good at directions, but it makes for an easy landmark for anyone who's not.
We headed back to the room to end our first night over the pond very full and very tired. Carrie was anxious about leading the group, but I thought it'd be a neat experience. I liked Scotland already.
There was some group drama before the night was done. We heard that 10 people were unable to make their flight due to weather. Carrie had to work to reschedule tours, so that no one was left out when they did arrive.
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