A bonnie lass from the borders!

So this weekend I had the blessed experience to visit Edinburgh in Scotland.  I told my mother on Skype last night that as much as I could not believe I was saying it, I actually enjoyed Scotland more than London.
                                                             I Know Right??!!
Well I suppose there is always a first for everything, haha.  Of course the natural landscape of the land is breathtaking and the colors are as rich as their traditions and their familial history.  Although there is a hint of the Gothic built in, the architecture is the perfect balance between inspiring and practical.  Not to mention that the locals are just wonderful people.  Always wanting to genuinely talk and value your experience and time there.  (The accent is also more pleasing to the ear, in my opinion :))

  And once again, I have a travel story (surprise, surprise).  The train ride there, and eventually back, is 5 hours one way.  All I wanted to do was read my book, take the occasional snooze, and most importantly, not be bothered.  Twas not meant to be . . . .
Due to some double bookings of seats (courtesy of the train staff) I get re-positioned to the seat where, as the girl pointed out, was "The one with the baby, baby."  Not having a clue what she was referring to, I made my way to the front where I meet a grandmother with . . . well . . . a baby, baby.  Once situated, the mother sits next to me with her two-week old (I later found out) and proceeds to expose herself in  order to nourish the child.
          Now I know this is Europe and things are just done a little different here, but would someone tell me where in the world I am supposed to be looking when she is talking to you and then looking down to refer to her baby???
          Of course this goes on for over an hour and when the train finally (all the praises!) pulls into the station in Edinburgh, she then tells me that she has had a cesarean and can't lift anything.  She wants to know if we (meaning my fellow comrades and I) will help her get her stuff off the train and onto the platform. . . Including her baby . . .
           Well naturally at this point I feel just as much connected with the baby as the mother so I volunteer, slightly petrified, to take the baby.  The mother places her into a bassinet that is a hand basket and immediately when I pick it up, baby and all, people assume it is mine.
                                      I just want everyone to know- in this moment, carrying the baby in the basket- I felt like the mother of Moses taking her child to the Nile to be rescued . . .
                                     Yup . . .
The story ends quite well with me gently placing the baby with its mother on the platform amongst her numerous other things (including another 2 year old) and walking away.  But not without everyone in Edinburgh thinking I had a two-week old.
                                                                     ~
However, I did get the immense pleasure of getting to room and board on the luxurious campus of Edinburgh University.  Some may remember that the movie One Day is based around a couple meeting here.
Saturday morning really kicked off the day when we climbed a part of a mountain called Arthur's Seat (although they don't call it a mountain because a mountain must be 1,000 kilometers and Arthur's Seat is only 831) . . .

Next, we made our way to the Queen's holiday palace called Holyrood.  She normally would be there right now but she stayed in London so she could be present for the Royal Birth.

After this we did various museums and shopped along the Royal Mile . . .

From here we went to Edinburgh Castle which was the home of Mary Queen of Scots and where King James was born.  They call this a castle but, let me tell you, it is a fortress.  Think Lord of the Rings and you've got it . . .

We topped such a chill day by getting a spot of tea at The Elephant's Cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book.  (Well, at least part of it.  They are just the ones to capitalize on it.  Cool either way.)  Then we had dinner at the Frankenstein pub.  Such an awesome atmosphere . . .

While this concluded our day, we still had much to do on Sunday.  Stay tuned for that!