Just arrived at Edinburgh Castle. Old. Very beautiful. Purchased our tickets to enter. History. The Scottish people are filled with Passion. Free Tour! Great! Walking. Starts at 10a. Great view of the city. New Town to the left. Old Edinburgh to the right. Cold. 30min walking tour was fantastic. Our guide was very knowledgeable. Now to roam. “To the Glory of God and in Memory of the Scots who Fell.” A large military memorial. Every known name for the past few hundred years. Time to find the crown jewels. I’m in a Chapel from the 12th century. 300 years before Columbus.  Amazing. I’m looking down the barrel of a cannon from 1447. Know as “Mon’s Meg”. Two mile range. Glad we arrived early. Getting crowded.  Crown Jewels were gorgeous. Exploring the catacombs beneath the castle.

Time to visit the shops. Kilts, hats, buttons, whiskey, and beer. They drink quite a bit in Scotland. Pubs are chalk full by 11a. Drop in at the Tran station to activate our BritRail Passes for tomorrow. Train leaves at 8:33a tomorrow morning for the north of Scotland. Train station is big. Exactly what I imagined.  The correct escalator is on the left side. Same way on the paths people walk on the left. Everyone is super nice over here. It is also much quieter. Even in a large crowd. Off to climb the Walter Scott management. He is credited with reviving Scottish heritage. Record store. New Muse Album. Great! A bit more walking in new town. Time for a snack. Two coffees and a jacket potato to split from the coffee republic. More shops. Back to the Hotel. Rest. Prepping for a hike up “Calton Hill”. The hill is awesome. All sorts of ruins. Another great view. Super. This area was known as the Athens of the north. Unique. Back to the Royal Mile. Shops. I bought a flag. hmm. What next. Food. Third meal. Another local Italian cafe. Popular over here. Bella Italia. Done. Sore an tired. We return to the hotel. 7:45p. Now to pack and sleep. We wake early tomorrow for a train ride to Northern Scotland. Peace.

BTW: the British TV Programs here are great. Also, No photo upload today. Not enough time to download.

Day 1
(Saint Louis Airport) We are at the Saint Louis Airport. We made it through security super fast. We arrived at 3p and we were sitting at the gate by 3:24p. Tiff and I both have colds. Flight takes off at 5:55p. There is a strange calming effect that comes with traveling. I feel at peace. People watching is great. Most everyone seems out of there element. There is an odd silence. Observe: suits, laptops, army camo, newspaper, coffee, style. I can see a story behind each person. And first class boards. We are in group six. Seats 11a and 11b.

(Plane to Chicago) Captain Joe. Plain just moved. ahh. I’m stoked. Estimated flight time is 45 minutes. Other people keep mentioning September 11th. Seems a popular topic. The engines are getting loud. False alarm. We await our turn on the runway. And we have flight. Our world is incredible. I have the window seat. It makes tiff ill. Almost everything has vanished from sight. Good bye Missouri. Two clous depict an epic battle between a killer giant and an elaphant. Possible outcomes. Likley the giant will be the victor. Untimately, everything resembles cotton candy. I may need sugar at our Chiago stop. And we decend. Back on earth.

(Chicago Airport) O’Hare is massive. It has been 10 years since I traveled via this airport. Did I mention that I love traveling. Airports are really great. Time to find our next flight. It was just a few gates down from where we landed.  Awesome! This plane is going to be packed. Everything seems a bit chaotic.

(Plane to London) People and baggage everywhere.Captain Jim will be flying us to England. I am in seat 22c and tiff is in 22d. This plane is great. Each seat has a small 7in display with touch controls and a remote. You can choose from a large selection of films, TV programs, and games. And we’re moving. There was a 15min delay due to baggage issues? hmm. I hope our packs are fine. Seat cushion can be used as a flotation device. Time to take off. This is great. 3,940 miles to London, England. 8:53p. 1000 meters. 2000 meters. 3000 meters. Estimated arrival time is 9:53a. -37 degrees outside. 30,000 feet.  560mph. We have reached our cruising altitude. They are serving drinks and snacks in a cart. I opted for a coke. Tiff had an orange juice. Time for a movie. Or two. We are over Canada. A fews hours have past. I am super tired. We are passing over Greenland. I need sleep. Good night world. 90 minutes of sleep and breakfast is served. The food on this flight has been pretty great. We are over Scotland. It is super bright outside. A short night. 51 miles to London. And we’re in England.

(London Airport) We are in the UK. On a bus from terminal 3 to terminal 1. 7 minute ride. Security is intense. And we’ve located the check-in. Our packs went all the way to Edinburgh, Scotland. Awesome. After a final security check and a biometric scan we are free to roam the terminal. Pounds are great. Exchange rate is a bit higher than I thought. Waiting for our next flight to Edinburgh, Scotland. I love this place.

(Plane to Edinburgh) Seats 11d and 11e. A wide variety of people on board. This should be a short flight. Another packed plane. This is our first BMI flight. Mid-flight. Sleep overwhelms my body. There was 54 minute delay. I suppose there was a bit of plane traffic? The lady next to us seems super nice, though very quiet. And we’re landing now.

(Onward to Our Hotel) After picking up our packs, we searched for a bus ride to the Edinburgh City Center. Double decker! Brilliant! We stayed on the bus till the last stop. Only a few blocks to our Hotel. This city is fantastic. So much heritage and life. I can see two castles from were I’m standing now. Coutless old buildings line the streets. We are checked in. Time to explore. Awake for 24 hours now. I need sleep. A local food joint for a bit of food. A walk down the royal mile. and time for bed! Good night world.