Edinburgh, Finally!
Topic: Trips
(Photo of view from Bankhead Farm B&B. Link to other photos is at the end of this post.)
Sunday, Larry ran his first marathon in Edinburgh, Scotland. We decided to make a weekend trip of it. Saturday morning, Larry, Ryan, and I headed out for Edinburgh, which is about 200 miles from Harrogate. It was a nice day and a pleasant drive. The countryside scenery was relaxing.
The English/Scottish border was really neat. It?s at the top of a huge rise, and is marked with a big rock. One side of the rock says, ?England,? while the other says, ?Scotland.? There?s a place where you can pull over and enjoy the view, however we continued through.
Almost three quarters of the way there, in a place called Lauder, we were surprised and a bit appalled to see an American style subdivision of houses. The houses had accents that were vaguely castle-esque. That made me laugh.
We stopped for lunch not long after in Jedburgh. Jedburgh is interesting in its own right, with things to see and do. However, we stuck to the cafeteria style caf? that was part of a huge gift shop. The food wasn?t bad and there were a lot of nice things in the gift shop. It was very tempting to shop. However, we weren?t even to Edinburgh yet, so we controlled ourselves!
There was an expo for the marathon going on at a place called Ocean Terminal.
Ocean Terminal Larry needed to go there to pick up his race number and goodie bag. We didn?t know what exactly the Ocean Terminal was. Turns out, it?s a very nice mall right on the waterfront. It was a part of Edinburgh we hadn?t seen before. We enjoyed strolling through the mall, and wandering through the expo. The expo was interesting and crowded. There were vendors selling the usual running related items, such as clothing, shoes, energy drinks, bars, and gels. One stall was offering free gym passes, along with free demos on a very odd exercise machine. I forget what it was called, but it was a big, springy, vibrating pad that you can use in various ways to either stretch, work out, or do physical therapy. There were a couple of friendly ladies there who talked me into standing on the pad in a semi-squat position to try it out. Let me just say that having the whole lower half of your body (from about the waist down) vibrating is quite disconcerting! I wasn?t prepared for the thoroughness of the sensation. I quickly dismounted the machine and wondered about the motives of the ladies who got me to try it out.
In another section of the expo was a shoe vendor that videotaped your foot strike while running on a treadmill, in order to determine the right type of shoe for you. I was dressed in a skirt and Birkenstocks, so I passed. Larry however, went ahead and did it. It was neat to see his foot strikes close up and in slow motion. He?s actually got a nice, even strike. I already know I pronate like crazy and wear orthodics in my running shoes to correct it, so I didn?t feel like I missed out too much.
Larry?s goodie bag was interesting. It had two sample packages of Splenda, an energy bar, a small jar of honey, a parachute toy (the kind you throw into the air, then it drifts back down), and a really nice souvenir pamphlet with all the entrants? names listed. Unfortunately, it said 2005 instead of 2006, but it had the names for this year?s race in it. The bag was also to be used for any clothes or items runners wanted to leave at the start (the start and finish were at different places). There was a sticker with Larry?s race number on it to put on the bag to identify it. Runners could leave their bags with trucks near the start, then pick them up after the race near the finish.
Larry picked up a couple of odds and ends he needed for the race before leaving the expo. Of course we had to make a stop at the Starbucks in the mall! The view from the upper level of the mall was really nice. There was a large seating area overlooking the Leith Harbor (part of the Firth of Forth). The Royal Yacht Britannia is berthed next to the Ocean Terminal. Larry and I had to laugh when we saw on the ticket counter?s window, ?Best UK Attraction 2003? then in small letters underneath, ?runner-up.?
There was a nice play area in the mall as well, which we may have let Ryan run around in, except that he seemed a bit tired and we wanted to get going to find the B&B we?d be staying at.
It was interesting getting out of Edinburgh, but once we did, we had good directions for the B&B, Bankhead Farm.
Bankhead Farm B&B It wasn?t far from the city and it didn?t take too long for us to get there. Upon our arrival there was a canine welcoming committee, followed by a human one. The man who met us (Robert, I believe his name was) was quiet, but nice. We didn?t realize our room would be upstairs. Luckily it was only one flight, so it wasn?t too bad. The part of the B&B we stayed in had three rooms upstairs, with the kitchen, dining area, and common room downstairs (as well as one additional room). It was quiet and clean. The place had the feel of a B&B crossed with a small hotel. It was nice and the people were friendly, but it definitely wasn?t as personable as Glentore Easter Farm, where we stayed on our previous trip to Scotland. However, if you prefer quiet and privacy from the staff, then this is the place to go.
I was getting Ryan sorted out while Larry was bringing up our stuff. Larry told me there was tea for me in the common room. He watched Ryan for me so I could relax a bit and enjoy my tea. There were also a couple of slices of fruit cake type bread, which I tried and didn?t care for, as well as two slices of caramel shortcake, which I very much liked. There wasn?t anyone else in the common room, except for me. It was nice to just kick back by myself for a few. There was a Danielle Steele novel in the room. I?m not normally a big fan, but I picked it up and read a few pages until I was done with my tea.
Ryan was not meant for small spaces. Our room wasn?t doing much to contain him. Larry very wisely made sure we brought some of Ryan?s toys with us. They helped a little, but he still bounced off the walls quite a bit. We couldn?t blame him, really. He?d been cooped up in the car or strapped down in his stroller most of the day. We did try to let him out to walk around as much as possible. It?s hard though, because whenever we let him out of the stroller or car seat, he wants to take off running. He doesn?t like having to hold our hands or stay close. Unfortunately, if he doesn?t do just that, we have to put him back in his stroller, which he takes exception to. We can?t blame him.
For dinner Larry suggested we go to Linlithgow, which wasn?t far away. Getting there was interesting, since it was all small back roads and even an ?unclassified? road. After some twists and turns, we did get there. We parked in the same lot we parked in four years ago. That was strange. So much since then has changed in our lives. At that time, we were living in Germany. Larry was getting ready to deploy to Kosovo, and wasn?t even a sergeant yet. Of course we didn?t have Ryan. In some ways it seems like another lifetime. Last time we were there, we were sight seeing. This time, we were simply there for dinner.
While we were driving into town, we noticed there were people gathering around in small groups near the village?s main road. It seemed a bit weird. Finally we saw that a parade was gearing up to begin. We?re not sure what the occasion was. The parade was made of mainly of men in suits, and ordinary looking people, along with some bag pipers in full regalia.
We found an Italian restaurant that at first seemed less than welcoming. However, Ryan quickly won over the staff, most of whom stopped by at some point to pat his head or touch his cheek.
Being in Linlithgow was a little odd, because Larry and I agreed that it somehow felt German there. The town had a bit of a German look to it, and the food at the restaurant (as well as the service) was similar to the style served at Italian places in Germany.
On the way back from dinner, there was a white stretch limo on the road in front of us. We were wondering who was in it, and where they were going.
After dinner, we headed back to the B&B. Ryan seemed squirrelly and it was a nice evening, so we took him outside for a walk. Unfortunately, he took off at a run down the path, which sloped down and was very rocky. Ryan took a good spill. Other than being dirty and a bit scraped up, he was fine. I realized then that I ought to travel with bactine and bandaids. Actually, the thought had crossed my mind sometime during preparations for the trip. However, I unfortunately forgot to bring those items. They wouldn?t be the only things I forgot.
During our walk, we heard distant music floating on the breeze. We wondered where it was coming from, and if the limo had anything to do with it.
When we got back to our room, we started to get Ryan cleaned up. Unfortunately, our bathroom had a shower and no bathtub. We found out Ryan?s not partial to showers. He screamed bloody murder the whole time Larry and I washed him. When I made the reservation for our room, it never occurred to me to ask if any of the rooms had bathtubs.
Larry tried in vain to get to bed early. Ryan was extremely tired, but with the excitement of the day, our room being light (even with the curtains drawn), and his pack?n?play being in the same room with us, he just did not want to sleep.
I realized that Ryan is almost too big for his pack?n?play. He can almost climb out, and almost touches with his head and feet when he lays out straight. Not sure what we?re going to do when he doesn?t fit anymore.
Earlier in the afternoon when I was downstairs having my tea, we discovered that if Ryan jumped in the pack?n?play, the whole building could hear it. We tried to muffle it with pillows and the comforter off of our bed, but wound up removing it all since Ryan couldn?t get comfortable. Thankfully, he didn?t jump during the night.
Finally, Ryan got to sleep. He did wake a few times though. Unfortunately it made for a very restless night for all of us. Not the kind of night you want to have before running a marathon.
The next morning, we got up early, ate breakfast downstairs (there was cereal on the sideboard, with milk and juice in the fridge), then headed out. It was early on a Sunday, so we figured most of the traffic we saw was heading toward the marathon, too. We parked near the castle, and walked to the starting line, which was on Princes Street. It was quite a walk. As we got closer to the line, we saw the official motorcycles for the race riding around. One was blaring, ?Hotel California.? That made me laugh!
Unfortunately Larry had a big problem. No safety pins for his race number. He?d forgotten to bring them and none were given out at the expo. Larry had a difficult time trying to find a race official who could help. He finally wound up getting his number stapled to his shirt, fifteen minutes before the race started.
The start of the race was huge. There were about 8500 people in the race (approx. 4000 marathon runners, and 4500 people in the team relay marathon ? there was also a wheel chair division). The start was organized into sections according to each runner?s projected finishing time. The sections were referred to as, ?holding pens? in the marathon information pamphlet, which gave me a giggle. That area was for runners only, so Ryan and I stayed nearby and waited for the race to start. In the meantime, we saw all sorts of interesting things, such as a runner wearing a shirt that said, ?This was his *@$&ing idea!? a man with split times written on his arm, a man with remembrance ribbons pinned all over his singlet and shorts, a man with a shirt that said, ?I drink! I smoke!? and people in various costumes (I?m not sure if there was an official costume division or not). The whole atmosphere was quite festive, with lots of music and an energetic announcer warming up the crowd.
Ron Hill, a noted British runner, started the race. From where Ryan and I were, I couldn?t see the actual starting line, but we did see Larry pass where we were. (I tried to get a picture, but my camera freaked out on me.) Later Larry told me it took him about two and a half minutes just to pass the starting line.
The crowd was very enthusiastic, and Ryan was clapping along with everyone else!
As Ryan and I began to leave the area, we saw a runner quickly running for the start. Better late than never, I suppose!
A really good website for marathon information is:
Edinburgh MarathonFor the next four hours, Ryan and I were on our own in Edinburgh. I didn?t have much of a set plan, except that I wanted to get from Princes Street to the Royal Mile. There are a lot of things to see and do there, and it ends up right at Holyrood Park where the race finished. I figured Ryan and I would work our way down the Royal Mile, then go meet Larry after the race.
Unfortunately, Edinburgh Castle was in our way. I had a map, but being somewhat navigationally challenged, it didn?t necessarily help. I wound up taking a lot longer to get a relatively short distance than I really needed to. On the bright side, Ryan got to run around a little in the park near the castle.
During our day, I realized that Ryan had discovered kissing up, literally! While I was holding him, he put his little arms around me and gave me a big hug, then put his cheek out for me to kiss, then expected to get his way! The little booger! (He basically wanted to run around at various times, but I couldn?t always let him.) I was appalled. He figured out pretty quickly that it didn?t work.
We finally made our way up a huge hill to the top of the Royal Mile. It was barely 10am and Ryan and I were already tired and getting hungry. However, one of the things I wanted to see was right where we were at the time, and I definitely didn?t want to come back up the Royal Mile once I?d gone down it. Our first stop was the Camera Obscura. It?s a really neat place filled with optical illusions. There are several different levels, each with different sorts of illusions. At the very top is an outdoor viewing platform, with a great view of Edinburgh. There is also an actual camera obscura, offering a live panoramic image of the city. There was a presentation, but unfortunately I wasn?t able to stay for it. Ryan was really cranky and wouldn?t stay still or quiet.
After that, we got drinks from Starbucks, walked around, then got some lunch at a sandwich place. I thought Ryan was hungry, but he wouldn?t eat much. After lunch, we walked further down the Royal mile, checking out a couple of shops. We wound up at Holyrood at about two hours and forty-five minutes into the race. Larry thought he would finish with a time somewhere between three and a half to four hours. I wanted to be sure to see him finish. There was a path leading up a hillside that afforded a good view of the finish. People were beginning to gather around to watch for their loved ones. Ryan and I staked out a spot part way up the slope. It was quite warm out, for Edinburgh. Ryan eventually fell asleep while we were waiting. Around the four hour mark, I was beginning to think maybe I?d missed Larry. I went down the hill and into the now huge crowd to look for him.
That turned out to be a big mistake. I probably missed him by about five minutes or less. We wound up not finding each other until about forty minutes later. I felt bad that I wasn?t there for him right after he finished, and that I didn?t wait just a bit longer before trying to find him. The original plan was that if I didn?t find Larry right away after he finished, he would call me on my cell phone. It would have worked out great, except that I had left my cell phone at home. Larry did find me though, then we started the very long walk back to the car.
Larry finished 1586th out of over 4000 runners, with a time of 4:05:12. That?s a very respectable time, especially considering that only 64 runners finished under three hours. Heat was a factor in the race, making an already difficult endeavor even more so. I asked Larry how it was and he told me, ?It?s the hardest thing I?ve ever done, mentally, emotionally, physically.? He also told me it was the most painful thing he?s ever done. Honestly, it looked like it. I was amazed he could even walk after the race. Unfortunately, we were parked pretty far away. I offered to get the car or to get a cab for him then meet him at the car, but he figured walking would probably be good for him.
We decided to go ahead and have dinner in Edinburgh, since we figured neither of us would feel like going out again once we were back at the B&B. We went to the Hard Rock Caf?. (Where else?)
Once back at the B&B, we got cleaned up, then wound up taking Ryan for a walk. He?d been strapped down in his stroller most of the day, so we figured he?d like to stretch his legs a bit. On our walk, we discovered the people staying in the room next to ours were German (or at least spoke German). Larry and I both noticed there were a lot of German speakers in Edinburgh. We figured many of them were probably there for the marathon. It drew quite an international crowd.
That night Ryan slept much better. It figures it was the night after the marathon! Oh well. We slept in a bit the next morning. We brought Ryan into bed with us for a little extra dozing and cuddling. It was especially nice because we normally don?t ever have Ryan in bed with us.
We decided to go ahead and check out after breakfast, instead of our original plan to stay one more night. We figured that we could spend the day in Edinburgh, then head back to Harrogate in the evening. Larry had the next day off. So rather than using most of it up as a travel day, we would already be home. Also, even though Ryan slept better the second night, we figured he (and we!) would be happier in his own bed.
We headed back to Edinburgh, and wound up parking in the same lot we parked in four years ago the first time we visited the city. Unfortunately at first we started walking the wrong way from the parking garage to where we wanted to go. Larry said that?s just part of the adventure of travel. I agree!
Larry had made the suggestion we visit a place called Our Dynamic Earth. I?m glad he did. It was really neat. It?s an interactive visitor attraction that tells the story of planet Earth.
Our Dynamic Earth It begins by taking you back in time to the ?Big Bang,? with sign warning, ?Last change to use the toilet for 4500 million years!? I got a kick out of that! It has various sections dealing with different climate types across the globe. It ends up in the ?Future Dome,? a small theater where you get to make decisions that affect the outcome of a given future. That was definitely interesting.
Ryan did really well. He fell asleep for a while. In addition to the exhibits, there?s a children?s play area that was perfect for Ryan. We let him play in it for a while. I?m sure that was his favorite part of the day!
We got some lunch in the Dynamic Earth?s caf?, then moved on. Larry had been to Edinburgh last summer and visited an attraction called, ?The Real Mary King?s Close.? It?s basically an entire section of the city that is now underground. It incorporates real history with a bit of theatrical, ghost story flair. Larry thought I might enjoy it, so he watched Ryan while I took the tour.
Mary King's CloseWe also did a little bit of shopping. We bought a kilt for Ryan! It was an inexpensive one that was on sale (kilts, even children?s, can get outrageously expensive). We didn?t worry about what clan the tartan was or anything. (Ryan is now a MacKenzie!) While I was doing the Mary King tour, Larry picked up some t-shirts for us from the Hard Rock. We went to Starbucks again, then headed back to the car. We managed to go the wrong way again! Oh well.
We figured we?d get dinner at the same place in Jedburgh where we?d gotten lunch on the way up. We were disappointed to find it was closed when we got there. There isn?t a whole lot in the way of conveniences between where we were and home, so we hit a Shell gas station for some makeshift dinner.
It was a really pretty drive home. We took a slightly different route home than we had going out. It was sunny and bright, with rolling, green, countryside. Part of our journey went through a beautiful forest. I very much enjoyed the scenery.
All in all is was a very good weekend. I enjoyed our time in Edinburgh, and I am extremely proud of Larry for running the marathon.
Photos from our trip:
Edinburgh
Posted by hkvlayman
at 11:51 PM BST
Updated: Sunday, 18 June 2006 11:52 PM BST
(Photo by Sarah Moore.) Lately I've been really tired, and it's been really annoying. Anytime Ryan would nap, I'd nap. In the evenings I'd be so tired, I couldn't string two coherent sentences together. Forget being online at all. It did not dawn on me until today that it's probably because of the allergy meds I've been taking. I always thought the green benedryl was the non-drowsy one! Oh well. So tomorrow I go in search of the non-drowsy stuff.
I took this Tuesday evening. This was the view from the back room on the second storey of our house. It was a really great sunset.