We got up Tuesday morning and headed straight for the castle. It was everything we imagined a fortress could be � the battlements, the cannons, the history. The entrance is guarded by statues of Robert the Bruce and Mel Gibson (OK, William Wallace) dressed in their finest armor. Throughout the castle, we were mesmerized by the sheer size and thickness of the walls. It was quite a formidable defense in its day.
At the top of the castle, we saw the Scottish crown jewels, artifacts that date back to the time (reputedly) of Robert the Bruce. For about 150 years, the crown jewels were hidden from the English and buried in a wooden chest. The contents of the chest were slowly forgotten, but rumors persisted about the hidden jewels. Finally, in the early 1800s, the box was dug up, reopened, and the jewels were found.
Also in the display was the coronation stone, used for centuries to crown the Scottish kings. Edward I (you may remember him as Mel�s foe Longshanks) took the stone after subduing the Scottish in a symbolic effort to steal their identity � it didn�t work too well. But the stone was used to crown all English kings thereafter and was kept in Westminster Abbey in London. It remained there through the centuries, only to be moved during World War II when fear of a German invasion forced the British to hide most of their valuable relics. Reportedly only four men knew the location of the stone during the war � Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and the two men who transported it from Westminster Abbey. After the war was over, the stone was replaced, but the Scots demanded its return to its home. Finally, in 1996, the stone was brought back to Scotland with the condition that it would be transported to London whenever a new monarch was to be crowned.
Also in the castle were prisons that were used to hold prisoners during the American Revolution. Mostly French and Spanish (and some Dutch) prisoners were held there, although some American sailors operating around Britain found their way there as well. You can still see graffiti carved in the doors with American slogans. Pretty neat.
Most of the rest of the day was spent walking up and down the Royal Mile looking at the old buildings, the tight closes, and the many tourist shops. Edinburgh is a fascinating city with a fascinating history that sucks tourists in and enthralls them for days. Truth be told, I wish we could have stayed there for a while longer.
Anyway, yesterday was also spent touring the Royal Mile. The highlight of the day was the Holyrood Palace at the bottom of the mile. Long the home of the Scottish monarchy, it now serves as the British royal residence in Scotland, and the queen comes to visit it once a year. The building and the tour reminded me a great deal of Buckingham Palace, but with a Scottish twist.
At the top of one tower, we saw Mary Queen of Scots� bedroom. The relics inside were fascinating. Mary was the first daughter of Henry VIII. When Henry divorced Catherine to marry Anne Boleyn, Mary was officially declared a bastard, and Anne and Henry�s daughter Elizabeth later became heir to the throne. To ensure that no controversy surrounded the royal succession, Elizabeth imprisoned Mary after becoming the queen. I know that there is much more to the story, but I don�t have the patience to write it all down, and I�m sure most of you either already know the story or just want this email to end, so I�ll just end it here. Anyway, in the castle, we saw needlework made by Mary while imprisoned in London. For some thread, she used her own hair. Amazing.
In the end, Edinburgh was stupendous (I think I�m running out of superlatives here), and we are both sad to be moving on. The people were nice at every turn, and visitors really get a sense of Scottish pride in the city. Surrounded by history, there is something for everyone to enjoy. And surprisingly enough, the city emphasizes the history of the common man just as much as, maybe more than, the royal history. It makes Edinburgh one of the most unique cities we have ever seen. Its seven hills also make for some great exercise getting around.
We�ve now been on the road for a little over two weeks, and we are really falling into a rhythm. Our bags aren�t swelling, even though we have picked up some souvenirs, but our heads are swelling with all the astounding things we have seen. Honestly, it seems like months since we left the US. That bodes well for things to come. Colleen is holding up very well. She gets tired fairly easily, so we have had to cut back on a little sightseeing, but she rebounds quickly and is always ready to head back out after a short rest.
We hope all is well with everyone back home. We miss all of you and wish you could be with us, although having all of you along could become a logistical nightmare. If any of you are thinking about taking a short vacation to Europe this fall, please let us know when and where. We would love to meet up with you.
That�s about it. Take care.
Paul and Colleen