EDINBURGH

Tues. morning (Dec. 30th) we drove across the Firth of Forth Bridge and into Edinburgh for the day. Our priority was the famous Edinburgh Castle, home to the Scottish Crown jewels and also Mons Meg, one of the world's largest cannons. This castle is home to more than 1,000 years of recorded history and sits perched upon volcanic rock.

Some Mons Meg trivia: this 22" caliber cannon fires shot that weigh up to 396 lbs. It can only be shot 8-10 times a day at most because of the tremendous heat generated by the powder charge. Of course, it hasn't actually been used for several hundred years!

Matt & the little girls outside the entrance to Edinburgh Castle.




We had a difficult time locating a good place to eat for lunch. At first, we entered a few pubs that ended up being licensed for "over 18" only. The few cafes we found that would allow children didn't exactly offer a menu our kids were crazy about. And every other pub was serving Haggis - special of the day - because of Hogmanay (Scottish New Year) and none of us were feeling that brave. So as we stood outside in the cold and wind, a lady came upstairs from Maxie's pub and invited us in to warm up. She brought cups of hot water for the girls to warm their hands on and promised that they could cook up something the kids would enjoy - even if it wasn't on the menu... so we tried it. And it was FABULOUS! Amy & I ordered an enchilada (to share) that was the best I've ever eaten. And although the sauce was a bit too spicy for Aimster, our server had another enchilada made with no sauce (and didn't charge us for it either!). Emily had pasta in cheese sauce - not on the menu - and it was very tasty. Matt just had a traditional British roast with potatoes, etc.
A big surprise at the end of our meal was when our server brought the girls ice cream sundaes... on the house! So even though we skipped the whisky and haggis... (or maybe because we skipped the whisky and haggis), we ended up having one of our best pub experiences ever.

When we were paying our bill, the man who owned the pub suggested we check out the Museum of Scotland because

it was nearby and "best of all," he said, "It's free." We love Scottish thrift!

We heeded the pub man's advice and after locating a parking space, we visited the National Museum of Scotland where, as you can see, we engaged in a lot of hands-on discovering.

Lest you think our children have been tortured by the amount of historical sites and museums we have visited in the last 4+ months, you might be interested to know that one of Amy & Emily's favourite activities these days is playing "museum." They set up their bedroom with stuffed animals, rocks, and Amy's collection of dinosaur skeletons (from those dino-dig kits) and then they give tours... for a fee, of course. Thankfully, their rates are much cheaper than real museums and their commentaries are definitely worth the 20-pence we have had to pay. It's really wonderful having children who enjoy our passion for culture and history!