Ours took us to Edinburgh, where we now sit in our “Quintessential Mews House” until we venture out for food. What’s a “mews house”, you ask? Good question, and I do know the answer. Stand by.
First train, Reading to Paddington: half hour. Next, Paddington Station to King’s Cross, via the underground: not very long. Then, King’s Cross to Edinburgh, first class: four-and-a-half hours.
Yes, people, first class.
First class, four-and-a-half-hour train rides are superb. Why? Good question.
Unlike air travel, trains do not come to cruising altitude before servers bring first class riders a drink and a menu.
Barely out of the station, Jessica, Jim and I chose the “tart”; Jasper the pork.
After each stop, servers once again walk the aisle with drink offerings and food offerings to fellow first class passengers who may have just boarded.
Upon their carts are also crisps, shortbread, candy and the like, which first class passengers may reach out and grab as servers pass. Jessica adroitly nabbed shortbread at least once.
Food notwithstanding, there were views – yellow (rapeseed, from which comes Canola oil) and sheep! With lambs! Bright yellow rapeseed fields and neat green ones with sheepies are difficult to photograph from a moving train, but here you go:
As we neared Scotland, Jasper remarked that we were likely nearing Scotland.
“We’re not in Scotland,” said our favorite server. “Watch for a caravan park, then a wasteland, then three hills and a sign. Then we’ll be in Scotland.”
We saw the caravan park.
It was much more difficult to identify “wasteland”, however. Is a wasteland a flat place? An empty place? A flat, empty place?
We did see, we thought, three hills and began to count. One…Two…Three…no sign, except one that said “Edinburgh 50 miles.” Were we in Scotland?
We are now.
Before we walked downtown for dinner, we discussed haggis. Jim wanted some.
I said surely before we leave Scotland, he can eat haggis.
Jim said, “I think I should get it first, in case I really like it! Otherwise I might think, ‘I could have been eating this the whole time!”
Jessica and Jasper found a pub with the three important qualities: good drink, good pies (pies are meat ones, not fruit ones) and good atmosphere. Ours was the Conan Doyle. Haggis with Neeps and Tatties was on the menu.
All of us ate meat pies, though, because it was a “meat pie” kind of evening – cold and gray.
Now we sit in our Mews House, which is a carriage house with living quarters above.
Tomorrow is a Castle Tour and a walk along the Royal Mile.
Did anyone try the haggis and did they like it? I just couldn’t try it although some teens working at the cafe in a castle almost convinced me. They all raved about how good it is.
Did anyone try the haggis and did they like it? I just couldn’t try it although some teens working at the cafe in a castle almost convinced me. They all raved about how good it is.
No haggis yet…I’ll let you know!
I’ve enjoyed catching up on all of your travels as I wait to board the long flight to Dublin. You don’t waste much time sitting around!
Praying for your travels, Gretchen!