Falkirk, Scotland
Falkirk, Scotland
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
-Traveled from Newton Stuart to Falkirk - 2.5 hours
-Stopped at Loch Lomond where we sang the song, played at the playground, walked on the "bonnie banks", ate lunch and bought ice cream and ice lollys (popsicles).
-Spencer was blind today due to the bike accident where he split the skin open near his eye, saying he couldn't open either eye. The kids, especially Talmage, loved helping him comb his hair, get his shoes on, buckling him in the car, guiding the blind boy, etc. It was sweet.
-Our accommodations at Metro Inns, Falkirk: This is a hotel that has a double bed and on bottom and one single bed on top. Allison, Brianna and Talmage are in one room and Spencer is with us. There's a sink in the room, but no toilet or shower. The airplane-like toilets are "self-cleaning" which means the floor is usually wet (Spencer thinks it's pee everytime; he says it's sticky). Thankfully, the showers are one door down from the WC, nice and separated. The kitchen with it's 3/4 sized fridge and freezer are also shared; they're both stuffed. This is a popular hotel for burly, smoking construction workers; they're usually gone by 8am which is nice. For the first two days, I thought I was the only woman and our kids the only kids in the hotel. It was with great relief I spied a woman later and then some kids. The guys who work the front desk all look like ex-cons. No problem; they need someone to deal with all the other single guys. I fantasize about the secluded home back in Newton Stuart.
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Started off the day with a beautiful run. Scotland is so green with so much foilage! Where there are not forests, there are wide open fields or meadows sprinkled with yellow, purple and white wild flowers. I can't get enough of it!
Went to the Falkirk Wheel, "the world's first and only rotating wheel". It was built in 2002 for pleasure boating. The area has several fun activities. We played in the water park. It's so funny to me how the kids and adults wear swimming suits and tank tops like it's 90F, but it's really a high of 69F. I guess they're used to colder weather. I was grateful to be wearing pants, socks and a jacket!
The kids chose to run and flop around in the water in big, air-tight balloons on a pond. They all got sweaty and hot and had a blast. Allison said it was the "funnest 10 minutes of summer".
We walked to a Roman ruin nearby that had absolutely no ruins! There were pictures of people excavating the walled ruins of the granary and bath houses, etc,, but it's just all green grass now. Very curious. It was a nice walk anyway.
We then visited the 30 meter high horse heads ("largest equine statues in the world!") that are actually Kelpies, water spirits whose favorite form is a horse. We took the guided tour that took us inside the smaller Kelpie and learned all about how the Kelpies were a sign of Falkirk's metal industrial past and Scottish folklore.
Tried three different restaurants to find "mince and tatties" with no success. One man called me to his table and asked why we were leaving. When I explained there were no mince and tatties, he offered me one of his nacho chips covered in sour cream and guacamole - so friendly, right? I uncharacteristically accepted and absolutely loved it. When the next restaurant didn't have the meal we were told was the best in Scotland, we returned to the church turned bar to enjoy the cheap food and nachos. I think it was the best food we've had in Scotland! The whole family ate for 20 pounds! (The kids ate for 1 pound each!) It was such a laid back and entertaining restaurant with 3 different screens, we stayed long after we had finished.
Tonight, to pass the hour before bedtime, we made up alliterations and couplets of what we did today while seeing who could get the farthest in the 3-D maze we bought in Bath. Good times.:)
Friday, July 14th, 2018
Fun day!
Blue pool - hiked to some random pool in the forest. Curious.
Sterling Castle - learned that the Scotts really are tremendous fighters! For example, Rob the Bruce beat an army where they were outnumbered 3 to 1! Then there's the famous William Wallace (Braveheart), who, with a little rebel band, beat the dominating English. I always thought they were conquered. But it turns out, one of their guys (Charles I) was made the King of England!
A lady dressed in 15th century garb told the girls and Talmage how they laundered white clothes - how they and the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, everyone did it. They would save pea in a big barrel - barrel as tall as a woman - for three weeks. (Pew!!) Then they would lay the clothes in a barrel that had cross beams, pour the urine in and wait for two days. Then they would drain the urine, turn the clothes over and pour in the urine for another two days. The washerwomen would then take the clothes to the river, wash them with soap (if there were stains) and rinse them. Then they would lay the clothes out in the sun where, with sunlight, a chemical action would occur with the ammonium nitrate and make the clothes white. Then the lavender girls (washer girls - lave from Latin is to wash) would put crushed lavender in little bags among the clothes to help get rid of the nitrate smell. So much work, right? Sterling Castle also has a hallway for kids where they can dress up in costumes, find items in a big picture, play musical instruments, play games with the info, etc. It was a great place to visit.
Incredibles II in English! The kids thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It was more fun to watch them watching in several scenes - especially Talmage - than to watch the movie. Such cute kids!
Dinner at McDonald's - another huge plus for the day (for the kids). We got home late, but everyone agreed it was a banner day. I'm excited to go to a warmer climate tomorrow!
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
-Traveled from Newton Stuart to Falkirk - 2.5 hours
-Stopped at Loch Lomond where we sang the song, played at the playground, walked on the "bonnie banks", ate lunch and bought ice cream and ice lollys (popsicles).
-Spencer was blind today due to the bike accident where he split the skin open near his eye, saying he couldn't open either eye. The kids, especially Talmage, loved helping him comb his hair, get his shoes on, buckling him in the car, guiding the blind boy, etc. It was sweet.
-Our accommodations at Metro Inns, Falkirk: This is a hotel that has a double bed and on bottom and one single bed on top. Allison, Brianna and Talmage are in one room and Spencer is with us. There's a sink in the room, but no toilet or shower. The airplane-like toilets are "self-cleaning" which means the floor is usually wet (Spencer thinks it's pee everytime; he says it's sticky). Thankfully, the showers are one door down from the WC, nice and separated. The kitchen with it's 3/4 sized fridge and freezer are also shared; they're both stuffed. This is a popular hotel for burly, smoking construction workers; they're usually gone by 8am which is nice. For the first two days, I thought I was the only woman and our kids the only kids in the hotel. It was with great relief I spied a woman later and then some kids. The guys who work the front desk all look like ex-cons. No problem; they need someone to deal with all the other single guys. I fantasize about the secluded home back in Newton Stuart.
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Started off the day with a beautiful run. Scotland is so green with so much foilage! Where there are not forests, there are wide open fields or meadows sprinkled with yellow, purple and white wild flowers. I can't get enough of it!
Went to the Falkirk Wheel, "the world's first and only rotating wheel". It was built in 2002 for pleasure boating. The area has several fun activities. We played in the water park. It's so funny to me how the kids and adults wear swimming suits and tank tops like it's 90F, but it's really a high of 69F. I guess they're used to colder weather. I was grateful to be wearing pants, socks and a jacket!
The kids chose to run and flop around in the water in big, air-tight balloons on a pond. They all got sweaty and hot and had a blast. Allison said it was the "funnest 10 minutes of summer".
We walked to a Roman ruin nearby that had absolutely no ruins! There were pictures of people excavating the walled ruins of the granary and bath houses, etc,, but it's just all green grass now. Very curious. It was a nice walk anyway.
We then visited the 30 meter high horse heads ("largest equine statues in the world!") that are actually Kelpies, water spirits whose favorite form is a horse. We took the guided tour that took us inside the smaller Kelpie and learned all about how the Kelpies were a sign of Falkirk's metal industrial past and Scottish folklore.
Tried three different restaurants to find "mince and tatties" with no success. One man called me to his table and asked why we were leaving. When I explained there were no mince and tatties, he offered me one of his nacho chips covered in sour cream and guacamole - so friendly, right? I uncharacteristically accepted and absolutely loved it. When the next restaurant didn't have the meal we were told was the best in Scotland, we returned to the church turned bar to enjoy the cheap food and nachos. I think it was the best food we've had in Scotland! The whole family ate for 20 pounds! (The kids ate for 1 pound each!) It was such a laid back and entertaining restaurant with 3 different screens, we stayed long after we had finished.
Tonight, to pass the hour before bedtime, we made up alliterations and couplets of what we did today while seeing who could get the farthest in the 3-D maze we bought in Bath. Good times.:)
Friday, July 14th, 2018
Fun day!
Blue pool - hiked to some random pool in the forest. Curious.
Sterling Castle - learned that the Scotts really are tremendous fighters! For example, Rob the Bruce beat an army where they were outnumbered 3 to 1! Then there's the famous William Wallace (Braveheart), who, with a little rebel band, beat the dominating English. I always thought they were conquered. But it turns out, one of their guys (Charles I) was made the King of England!
A lady dressed in 15th century garb told the girls and Talmage how they laundered white clothes - how they and the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, everyone did it. They would save pea in a big barrel - barrel as tall as a woman - for three weeks. (Pew!!) Then they would lay the clothes in a barrel that had cross beams, pour the urine in and wait for two days. Then they would drain the urine, turn the clothes over and pour in the urine for another two days. The washerwomen would then take the clothes to the river, wash them with soap (if there were stains) and rinse them. Then they would lay the clothes out in the sun where, with sunlight, a chemical action would occur with the ammonium nitrate and make the clothes white. Then the lavender girls (washer girls - lave from Latin is to wash) would put crushed lavender in little bags among the clothes to help get rid of the nitrate smell. So much work, right? Sterling Castle also has a hallway for kids where they can dress up in costumes, find items in a big picture, play musical instruments, play games with the info, etc. It was a great place to visit.
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| The unicorn is Scotland's national animal! |
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| The ceiling of desirables in the castle. |
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| Brie loving the blue and white flowers in the queen's garden. |
Incredibles II in English! The kids thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It was more fun to watch them watching in several scenes - especially Talmage - than to watch the movie. Such cute kids!
Dinner at McDonald's - another huge plus for the day (for the kids). We got home late, but everyone agreed it was a banner day. I'm excited to go to a warmer climate tomorrow!
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