45under45: Day 11 Edinburgh

Still thinking of MY sheep and that poor ewe that I saved...

It was time to cross the border and make our way up to Scotland.

When we arrived in Edinburgh and found our hotel, we were dumbfounded... There wasn't any possibility of pulling the car over at all!!! So, I just thought I would zip "around the block" while making an action plan. The hotel was on Princes Street which is THEE street!

When I came back around I confirmed there really was no pull off area to load/unload, which meant the literal "hopping" out of the car so as not to anger the locals, trolley trains, city buses, bus tours, taxi cabs, etc. So, out the door with Mom and Shawn and off I went to circle "around the block" for the third time. Easier said than done.

Down Princes Street. Mind the trolley tracks! Dodge scaffolding and construction crews. (Oh. An Apple store is coming.) Turn left onto another main drag. Curve around between a hotel and something old and probably famous. Make mental note of parking garages on left and right. Drive a bit more. Wait for traffic light. (Can I turn left from a left on red? Better not.) Onward! More diversions. Keep driving until another left turn. And then for the really tricky part... Left onto a one way street loaded with city buses and tour buses. Wait for the traffic light because now it's a right turn onto a two way road that also has more trolley cars and no median. Another light! (Leave way for trolley to zoom by.) Hold breath. Cross two sets of trolley tracks. Head down one lane road engulfed in scaffolding and working construction. Whoops! Look out for bold pedestrians who refuse to recognize that the sidewalk is closed AND mind the Road Works man who was literally dragging the barricades and squeezing in the driving space. Ignore honking horns. Wait for light. Turn left again. Dodge more construction and scaffolding. Look at building being demonilshed on the left. Prepare to turn left again. FINALLY, back on Princes Street! Find Mom and Shawn. Ignore ticked off drivers. Press hazard light button as if it was a force field to protect us from the very real danger of being rear ended. Whew. Made it. (I bet the hotel has some hidden parking lot down an alley some where. Shawn will know where to go. Be back in a sec!)

Then, a fire drill of sorts! My dad lept out of the car. They all yanked the luggage out of the back. Slammed the trunk. Shawn climbed in to fill me in on the parking scoop. Off we go again. (Trip #3)

Whoops. Missed the turn off for the parking lot on the left and can't get over for the lot on the right either. Seriously?!? Around the "block" again. (Now, trip #4) Grrrr! Repeat hellacious process.

Ok. This time. Pull into parking lot/garage... Clearance: 6'3" No! We BARELY fit in the 6'8" garage in Bath. Inhale. Exhale. Reverse. Merge back into traffic, knowing the lot on the right is now going to be the only other option. Too bad I can't get across to have a go at that. "Around the block" we go again. (SERIOUSLY?!? Trip #5)

Adjust meself. Keep calm and carry on. Start speaking in Scottish accent. And begin "running" the red/yellow combo light. (What in the hell is the purpose of that light anyway?) Once 'round the block again to the parking lot on the right. Come on, lads. Clearance: 5 ft! WTF?!? And there's not enough room for me to even back up and turn around! Right then. Carry on. Down the curvy one lane -yet two way- road in hopes of finding some place to park. Nope. But, we did find some gents who might know where to park this beast. Their suggestion: "Drive out to airport. Park. Take a train back into the city." Ha! Cute idea but no.

Let's try on the other side of Princes Street. Perhaps there would be a garage near the Waverly subway station? Good idea. No. Wrong! After about AN HOUR trying to get back to the hotel... (Does that mean I'll have to go "around the block" again?!) We finally decided to try for a four hour parking somewhere on the street.

Seriously I went "around the block" a few more times and then settled on letting Shawn and the kids out of the car at the hotel. That way they could relay the hullabaloo to my folks. I was to drive around AGAIN with the intent on finding a parking spot. Ha! Fat chance. So, I camped out. Activated my force field hazard lights and settled in for how ever long it was going to take for a spot to become available. No matter what...I wasn't going around the block ever again!

Miracle of miracles! A woman pulled out! I squeezed the gigantic van into a tiny spot (figuring the other drivers would just have to work with the mere inches I left them). Then I grabbed up everything left in the car and RACED to the hotel, not even paying the parking meter. My dad and Shawn were standing by the door but I couldn't even talk to them because after a million hours of trying to navigate my way through Edinburgh I had to go to the bathroom in the worst way!

Well, it turned out that I had somehow managed to get one of the most unique parking spots in the whole city. According to one of the parking cops, this spot was unenforceable and free and unlimited!!! Hallelujah!!!! So, time for a drink, a snack, and to get ready to take a walk around the Princes Street Gardens.

Nicholas was so thrilled to actually BE Spiderman!

In preparation for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo Festival. (NOT skin tattoo.)

Dinner of Haggis, neeps, and tatties.

The next day we took every hop on hop off bus tour the city had to offer. (Ain't NOOO way I'd give up that parking spot!) And "alighted" at the Edinburgh Castle.

A view from the top of the castle, looking out to the Forth of Firth.

Nicholas waiting for the 1:00 gun salute. (Not this cannon though.)

Prisoners of War Exhibit

Another view from the top and the Forth of Firth.

The cannons really were interesting and the view from the lookout was amazing!

Nicholas doing his best to be on guard. (Note the photo bombing sister.)

Unable to be serious on command! Especially since Nicholas had just been fussed at for trying to photo bomb Summer's picture.

Back on the bus, Gus. Summer let me "fix" her hair. I swear I have to trick this kid into letting me fix her hair. And I only got this rare picture of it because she put her head down in my lap when we were on the bus.