Travel Log, Destination Home: A Tale of Two Suitcases

We began our journey back home by flying into London Heathrow - you'll recall, we had a 12 hour layover and had to campout in the airport by check-in and security.  That was different than any airport we've ever been in.  We're used to being able to stay near the terminal where we'd be leaving from.  In London, they don't allow that.  You must leave the air-side and hang out on the land-side (they shoo everyone out by 10:30 and then allow everyone back in starting at 4:30).  We had found a quiet nook to rest in when, somewhere around 2-3 am, we got a notification that our luggage was ready for pick-up there in Heathrow.  This was perplexing and alarming since it was supposed to just hop airlines along with us (kinda like how things worked on the way over there), without us having to worry about it at all.  Also, their baggage claim is in a secure part of the airport, unlike the ones here in the US. There wasn't much we could do about it until employees started arriving an hour or so later though.  We did manage to get info from one of the security guards that there is a "baggage enquiry" office on the 1st floor so we headed that direction.  Baggage Enquiry is ONE single, solitary phone where you press 1 to speak to someone about your luggage woes.  We waited in a line for an hour and half and learned that everyone there was because of one airline...the same one we were having issues with.  Oy!  We finally were able to talk with someone, after being hung up on a couple times (they claim it was connection issues) and were informed that our transfer airline would be able to go get our baggage and put it on our connection flight in a few hours.  It was too much of a security risk to allow someone to escort us to go pick it up and escort us back out of there.  *sigh* 

While standing in line, we learned just how fortunate we had been to not have any cancelled flights and we also learned that the airline that was causing all these issues was supposed to have booked us a hotel, because our layover was so long.  Hmmm...oh well, we like adventures haha Counting our many blessings over here anyway!

We managed to make our way back up to the check-in and talked with a really nice lady at American Airlines and she worked some magic on her computer and said that our luggage would make it home with us, not to worry!  We got checked in and made it through security and off to our terminal gate and followed up with someone they refer to as "Socks" (yes, we asked Socks about our socks and other belongings) and as he was chatting with their baggage agents, they said that the first airlines weren't releasing our luggage and that it most likely wouldn't make it on the flight. Frustrating!!! We were given complimentary "early boarding" for our troubles and were able to just get to our seats so we could just try to relax. Once in our seats, ALLL the emotions came to the surface for me.  I just wanted to be home, but I didn't want to leave this beautiful place and its wonderful people. Our luggage was "missing" but at least we were going to be state-side and not having airline issues that so many others have had. We just had the most grand adventure and saw the most amazing sights (with the exception of one from the day before haha), and here I was a blubbering mess - which made me cry harder haha, I'm such a weirdo!

We were soon up in the air and I was so excited because I had a window seat and could see the ocean and have a bird's eye-view of Ireland.  

There was some serious cloud cover!  I managed to get pictures of the coastline though.

We made it to Dallas and through customs and our customs agent was very understanding and pointed us in the right direction and told us who to talk to about our luggage.  He cracked a few jokes and made us laugh too, so that was a nice distraction.  We talked to a couple people there in Dallas and were told that our luggage was in transit (this could mean they've located it and prepped it for flight in London, it might be flying here now, or it could be somewhere in the airport and just hasn't been checked into the system yet) and then another person when we made it to Denver and were told our luggage would be delivered to our home once it had landed in Denver, but that it was still in London at that moment.  

We made it home and were immediately mobbed by our sweet Littles - oh how I missed them!!  We let them see the few small things that had been in our carry-on bags but told them the rest of the trinkets would have to wait until our luggage made it home.  Sleeping in our own bed was AMAZING and I didn't have any troubles adjusting back to our time zone haha!

The next evening, we got an email that our luggage would be delivered anywhere from 11 pm to 2 am, but if its too late, they may push it to the following day (what's too late, if 2 am isn't?!).  Just before 2 am, someone rolled into our driveway and...*drumroll and trumpets sounding* OUR LUGGAGE IS HOME!

It was like Christmas morning when my Littles got up and saw them sitting there by the front door! Haha We handed out fun things to the kids, let them try candies, and showed them some fun games we brought home.  It was such a good feeling to have that stress relieved! 

One thing I was going to post before but kept forgetting to - the FOOD! Every morning for breakfast this was what was offered (traditional Scottish breakfast)

And every meal was stick-to-you-ribs food too, and the servings weren't small! Chris and I felt so bloated by the time we were done there, but it was still oh so worth it! I can't wait for the next adventure we have 💖

Not Goodbye - Just See You Later

Last night and this morning, we said "safe travels" to those in our tour group.  We seriously had the best people surrounding us this week.  This was our tour bus and our guide and driver - Marge and Graham (it sounded like they were saying Grimm haha) were seriously the best! We're going to miss them!

Since our flight didn't leave until after 7 pm, we had all day to wander around Edinburgh without much of a schedule to keep.  We decided to hop on a bus (a double-decker bus at that!) and head to the other side of Edinburgh castle.  We were searching for something specific but discovered we over-shot that by a mile or two, so we did what any tourist would do.  Go on a tour of Holyroodhouse (they place where the royal family stays when they visit Edinburgh) since we were right there anyway!

Mary Queen of Scots resided here, once upon a time. Many of the tapestries and paintings from them are still there, though some may only be copies so that the lighting and air don't further their aging progress.  There were many stories that were told throughout that tour, but one was a murder plot!  Mary's husband thought she was cheating on him, and since it was the 1500's, he did what any sane husband would do at that time - he killed the man.  Legend says that his blood still stains the floor.  I don't know guys, but that looks an awful lot like kool-aid...😏

Here are a few shots of various rooms, stained glass, art, and jewelry that were on display:

Those ceilings are the original plaster from Queen Victoria- pretty good for being a couple centuries old! And that needle point work was from Mary Queen of Scots!

Next we started walking back toward the Nelson Monument (the thing we over-shot lol) and walked around the structures there at this overlook point.  We decided not to climb the 360+ stairs inside the Nelson Monument - that's a LOT of stairs after climbing a steep hill to get there to begin with haha!

Us in front of Nelson Monument...

Those stairs are what we climbed before climbing the hill to the monument - they curve and go ALLLLL the way down near those track lines at the bottom.  My fit bit was cheering me on for accomplishing all my steps by 2 pm today!

We decided to do one more tour before heading back to the hotel to get our bags (even though we had checked out, they were holding them for us so we didn't have to lug them all over town).  We toured Mary King's Close and learned about how life was before things started to really get modernized.  It was dark and dank and Chris and I decided we much prefer the open air and light  coming through our windows! Haha We also learned about the plague doctors that dealt with the black plague that was running rampant in Europe.  The first doctor died from the plague so they hired a new one (who wasn't even a dr, he was just enthusiastic lol) with the promise that they'd pay him quite a large sum of money if he'd help eradicate the plague.  He managed to do this, but they didn't pay him.  They had hired him just knowing he'd die before they had to cough up the money.  He did start getting some of it just before he passed away (not from the plague). It was so interesting to see how far under the city the Closes were (basically apartments made of stone and very close together) and just how small each unit was!  They didn't allow photography in that tour because it was underneath a government building and apparently photography is a real security threat in the UK?  We were able to take pictures in the gift shop though.

As we were heading out of here, we decided that we needed to stop by Mary's Milk Bar.  This wonderful shop makes their ice creams and custards fresh every morning.  I heard about it in a travel group that I'm in and so, we started walking to find it.  In Old Town Edinburgh, there are still cobblestone streets and steep hills so you must watch your step.  It's also a very crowded place to be while walking along the Royal Mile (think the Vegas Strip, only with roads that are 1/4 the size...and made of cobblestone...and no flashy lights). If you need to consult with a map, you must find an alleyway or some small nook to stop in so you don't hold up the throngs of people making their way around OR you can have someone being your guide to direct you and alert you of super uneven cobblestones coming up.  Well, Chris was consulting the map and I was being his eyes and some people in front of us started to laugh and point.  I glanced up to the castle to see what they were pointing at.  I didn't see anything so I started scanning the hillside and as my eyes came to the street level, I saw a sight that cannot be unseen, but oh how I wish it could be!  There was a whole fleet of male bicyclists that were only in their birthday suits.  Thankfully, for me, Chris told me to look at something on his phone's maps right at that moment (oh thanks be to all the goodness in this world, YES I would love to look at your map right now) and my eyes were saved from further assault. Why were they doing this? What was their purpose?  I have no idea, but the ice cream was definitely needed after that.  We walked down another set of stairs in an alleyway and came out to another area full of shops and *singing choirs of angels* there was Mary's Milk Bar!  But oh that line!!! *please ignore the cafe next to it 😂 And NO there were no photos taken of the weird fleet of bicyclists either, though we did have a good laugh over it for the next few blocks LOL!

We made it through the crazy line, got the most amazing ice cream cones (lavender-lemon on mine and hazelnut on Chris's) and headed back to the hotel to catch our ride to the airport.  We made it to London and discovered that there have been so many cancellations that all the hotels nearby are full.  So, we're camping out at Heathrow tonight. Yay for adventures HAHA! 

Our journey home continues tomorrow, wish us luck!

Touring Edinburgh

 This morning we got up and it was raining again (who's actually surprised by this haha its their rainy season, ya can't get away from it). We drove around Old Town and New Town Edinburgh and learned so many things about the area.  Alexander Graham Bell was born here (we saw his childhood home), the lamps that are out front of these town-homes were a testament to one's wealth (they used to use whale oil), and Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish author who wrote Treasure Island, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and many other books) lived here as well.  We drove past the "cottage" where the royal family comes to stay in for the celebration of Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo performance and other events in the area. 

Those town-homes don't have lawns or yards to play in, so there are parks that were not developed (only landscaped beautifully) across the street or down and around the corner from them where they could have exclusive access to for this purpose - its fenced off and you need a key to enter the park, so it's kind of a shared yard with your neighbors.

Then we drove up to the castle (or as close as we could get, because they're setting up the grand-stands for the Military Tattoo celebration that's going to happen in August). We trudged uphill in the rain, trying not to slip on the cobblestone streets and made it to the inner walls and courtyards of the castle.  Our guide stuck with us (it was a different guide that our regular tour guide Marge - his name was Alan) through the rain (I overheard other people saying that their guides cancelled at the last minute because of the rainfall) and gave us a very speedy history briefing of the castle, pointed out what buildings were where and sent us on our way to explore.  We were able to see some beautiful architecture, stained glass windows, antiques and relics dating back centuries, AND we were able to see the Scottish Crown Jewels, as well as the Destiny Stone!  They didn't allow cameras in that room because of security reasons...bummer. 

After that, we made our way back through town to our hotel and were able to rest for a bit.  Chris and I decided to wander around and explore the area while we waited for the next tour excursion we'd go on.  We saw this beautiful cathedral and heard a symphony practicing for their concert tonight (oh how I wish we were able to record that, you guys, it was so beautiful)! Their gardens surrounding the cemeteries were stunning as well.

Last excursion for the day was a tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia.  She was decommissioned in 1997 and they decided to let her sit in the harbor in Edinburgh.  It has turned in to quite the attraction too!  They have recordings that you can listen to that guide you through the ship and teach you what each room/place on the yacht was for. This was a very fancy boat, that's for sure haha  The royal family had to take the Roles Royce with them when they went to less-developed countries than Great Britain in order to have something to drive around. 

One of the games the crew played on the yacht involved a stuffed wombat and a soft baseball bat of some kind.  They'd toss the stuffed animal up into the ceiling fan and then start swinging trying to hit the stuffy into someone else.  We had a good laugh over that one.  Also, check out that dining hall!