We are back on the bus for a city tour of Edinburgh. Looks very prosperous and substantial. Lots of old stone buildings and town houses. We passed our next hotel, the Mercure, right on the Main Street, Princes St., so that will be very convenient for us. We stopped at the Holyrood palace, built by Queen Mary, but no time to go in. This is at the bottom of the Royal Mile, the famed shopping and tourist street. After a brief stop for a photo of the huge group, 44 of us, we went up to the castle. Quite a hike from the bus stop, but our guide took it slowly as he explained about the history of the place. We waited for the canon shot at 1 pm to tell the sailors the time each day. Back to the bus and to our hotel out of town near the airport, for a rest up before the reason for the trip, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
It was truly spectacular, even more than anticipated, and expectations were high. Imagine a football field full of masses of bagpipers marching around. The sound was intense, and the kilts were flying as they played tune after tune for several minutes. Of course there were other acts as well, dancers and singers and bands from several countries, Mexico, Chech Republic, etc. most amazing was a band from Oman, with bagpipers and drummers on horses, a female musicians in head scarves and band uniforms. Two poor horses had huge drums on them, with the drummer banging away, but at least they had someone leading the horses. At the end, the entire cast assembled on the field and played and sang together. What a great end to our tour!
August 10. Friday day 16. Tour day 8. Only Breakfast.
Checked out of the Notion House after a hearty breakfast. They called a taxi to take us to our next hotel, the Mercure on Princes St. The very helpful driver took our bags around the corner since he could not drive on this busy shopping street. The hotel location was great but we couldn’t check in until 2pm so we went out for a walk and lunch. First stop the Apple store down the block for a few questions. Then a wander into the grand Balmoral Hotel next to the train station. Tea time all booked for today so we booked for tomorrow at 5pm. Very pricey of course but oh so elegant. We will wear our hats!
Next we went to the train station to find our tickets from a kiosk, and amazingly it worked! Located a few platforms since we won’t know it until Sunday, and found the lift for our bags then. It takes two lifts to get down to the platforms, way way down the hill. Now it’s time for lunch at an outdoor pop up cafe in the gardens across from our hotel, put up for the Festival Season. Then a Ferris wheel ride to get a nice view of the city areas. And finally check in to the hotel. Bare bones room with no amenities but a big TV, but it’s the location we wanted.
After a short rest we took the hop on hop off bus for a tour of the city. We had seats up front so made it very interesting! Our dinner was a quick one in the Marks and Spencer Cafe next to the hotel as we were too tired to wander far. After that I stopped across the street to check out the Fringe Festival venue and some idiot street performer.
August 11. Saturday Day 17. Edinburgh all day!
Hop on bus ride again with our 24 hour pass. Get off at the National Museum of Scotland, a gorgeous Victorian building with a very modern annex. This holds everything from soup to nuts and more. Dolly the cloned sheep is stuffed. Some of the Lewis Chessmen are displayed. A Roman hoard of silver is shown, and much more. I could have stayed all day, but after a tour and lunch we walked through the crowds of Fringe Festival goers down the Royal Mile to the New Parliament building. We went inside for a look and it is quite beautiful.
Across the street was the Queens Gallery with a Canaletto exhibit of paintings and drawings, well worth our brief visit. Back on the bus back to our hotel, a quick change and off to the Balmoral Hotel for High Tea in their Palm Court. Pricey of course but delicious, with the usual little sandwiches, scones, and pastries. Couldn’t even finish so we took some back to the hotel for breakfast.
August 12. Sunday Day 18, to London by train!
Raining lightly today. Damn, well we left the hotel around 9 to walk two blocks to the station. Getting damp but not soaked. Of course we got there too early and the first class lounge that we found wasn’t yet open. Well we sat there for half an hour, a cup of tea, and then to Platform 2, fortunately nearby, but no train yet and hundreds of people on the platform. Train came half an hour late, so we fought our way on and found our seats occupied, but convinced the young guy that we had those seats. Good thing too as the next announcement said no reserved seats on this train after all. Left at 11 not 10:30 so maybe they will make up the time. Nope, came in almost an hour late, but got a taxi quickly from the queue. This train was crowded and not as nice service as the west coast train.
Our hotel, the Grosvenor, is near Victoria station, convenient for our tour tomorrow to Windsor. Nice room, but a quirky route to get to it in a different wing, taking two elevators. We’re too tired to go out for dinner but after I scouted the route to the Coach Station for tomorrow, we ate in the hotel restaurant. Fish and chips not bad, no drinks for me.
August 13. Monday. Day 19. Windsor and Buckingham
We left at 7 to get breakfast on the way in Pret a Manger as Cafe Nero wasn’t open yet. Of course too early as thousands of people were going everywhere. Very confusing but eventually we found the bus, but only seats left on top in the back. Left a bit late but got there in less than an hour. From the bus park to the back of the queue to get in was a tricky route through the town, over an hour in the queue though so didn’t get into the castle until almost 11am, having left London at 8:25am. It was splendid though, but hot and crowded so we kind of breezed through it, and got out by 12 to find some lunch. It seems the town shops specialize in pastries, which I had, and finally a little sandwich just before boarding the bus at 1pm.
Back to London from Windsor and the bus left us off at the gate to Buckingham Palace. Took pix outside as in Windsor but not inside. This was quite grand and very different from Windsor. A nice contrast. We saw just the state rooms, quite lavishly decorated and added on by various monarchs.
We could hardly walk back the few blocks to the hotel we were so tired. After a rest we went across the street to the very old Victoria Pub for a gin and tonic and really scrumptious baked potato with chicken on it!
August 14. Day 20. V&A. Proms
Today we had a quick breakfast en route to the C1 bus which took us right to the V&A Museum just before 10am. I bought tickets on line while we waited to the special exhibition “Fashioned from Nature” and it was well worth it. Many odd things were shown, such as beetle shells sewn on dresses, spun glass made into ornaments, etc. I saw a bit more of the museum, but part of the cast collection was closed. A nice lunch in the garden cafe, and back on the C1 bus to our hotel.
A little rest then on to the 52 bus straight to the Royal Albert Hall for a tour of the building before the concert. It was designed by Prince Albert before he died, and Victoria had it finished by 1871 and renamed in his honor. Lots of the letter “A” throughout the building for him and a huge monument in the park across the street as well. The concert was splendid. Daniel Barenboim and his East-West orchestra made of Israeli and Palestinian musicians, with the violinist Lisa Batiashvili playing Tchaikovsky. Afterwards, there were huge crowds of people waiting for buses in front, as no parking nearby, but we managed to get on the right bus and get off at the right stop too!!
August 15. Day 21. Last Day. Fly to Newark
Had a big breakfast in the hotel for 11pounds but we won’t get much lunch as we leave for airport around noon. First we took the C10 right in front of hotel to the Tate Britain, where I feasted on the Turners again for an hour, and then a bit of the preRaphaelites. Back to hotel on the C10. This hotel is super convenient for our excursions. Just time to finish packing and into the taxi we ordered at 12:30.
Heathrow busy but not too bad checking in, and it only took around an hour, so we were able to sit down for a little lunch by 2pm. Boarding was at 3 and went smoothly. We left the gate at 4:06 a minute early on Virgin #1 to Newark. Not bad food in flight, and even though there were two babies near us, they didn’t cry much thankfully. I read one Agatha Christie, and watched one movie, The Greatest Showman.
Got into Newark a bit early and hardly anyone at customs or baggage claim at 7pm. This is the best time to fly home from Europe it seems. And on a Wednesday too!! Got the air train, NJ Transit, and a taxi from Penn Station and was home by 9pm and in bed by 9:30!! A great trip with so many adventures and sights and hundreds of photos to now sift through!!
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