Day 5 The Capital

Day 5 another early start on the beach then off to the village of Markinch to catch the train to our beautiful capital city, Edinburgh. We had decided to leave the car at the station and go by train because the coastal train route is lovely and parking in Edinburgh is a bitch.
Kids enjoyed the train and I went all goosebumpy as we approached Waverly station, just as the train turns the corner you look up at the Castle, wonderful.
I love Edinburgh. I actually don't have much time for big cities, too fast for wee slo-mo me but Edinburgh and Prague take my breath away every time I visit.
We began our day visiting Mary Kings Close. A recently excavated
Scoot had our daily agenda firm in fist so it was off to the Castle. The walk up the Royal mile was somewhat less Scottish due to the fact that a recent law has been passed disabling all Pipers on The Mile! They have to muffle their bagpipes! WTF It was just plain sad.
The entrance to the castle boasts life size figures William Wallace on one side ( and no he doesn't look like bluddy Mel Gibson there) and Robert The Bruce on the other. We explained the history to the kids then in we went feeling all patriotic. That lasted about the 30 seconds it took us to walk to the ticket stand. Now I love my country and all BUT 20 pounds for adults and 15 for kids? $170 to get in. I have to wonder at the nerve of Queen Bess 2. $170 to look at our own darned Crown Jewels. Heck she only inherited them by default! Demanding the public to spend that amount of money to take a glimpse at her newly acquired "bling" just ticks me off. Add to that the Stone of Destiny and I'm loosing it folks.
Of course we paid it, LOL.
We had a wonderful time. Scoot loved Mons Meg (big cannon presented to James11 in 1457) and the girls were very quiet when we located my Uncle Berts ( mum and Aunds big brother, the wandering cowboy knows all about him, we used to talk for hours on the subject) name in the War Memorial Ledger.
Into St Margaret's Chapel c.1130 built by her son David1 in her memory. It's something just to touch the stone and ponder the past.
Bought Ice-cream at a concession stand on the way out then Scoot spotted a Pizza Hut so in there for late lunch.
We finished our Pizza and then it began...
Waiter: "Would you like to see the dessert menu?"
Me: "No thanks we're good"
Waiter : " OK, but do you want dessert?"
Me : "No I don't think so, we're good"
Waiter at this point totally gives up on getting any sense out of me so addresses the sex bomb.
Waiter: "So do ye want dessert or no?"
Sex Bomb " No we're good thanks"
Waiter " Ye dinnae want dessert then?"
Sex Bomb " Nope, we're good, could you bring the bill?"
The waiter flees from our table having developed a nervous twitch at some point during the dialogue!
"What the heck was that all about?" I ask the sex bomb innocently.
"Well" says he " We left the poor guy in no doubt that we ARE the ""Good" family but we never did answer his question about dessert" Language barriers, too funny.
Did some shopping on Princes street then around 6:00 hopped on the train back to Markinch,
or so we thought! Loudspeaker on the train announces " next stop Thornton" WTF? (the conductor confirmed that we were indeed on the wrong train) Thornton being around 4 miles west of where we needed to be. All off the train into the bowels of Fife, "Thornton" where men are men and so are the women.
Could have filmed Deliverance in that village for that extra touch of authenticity! One dingy store, five dingier pubs, toothless drunks on every corner and only one bus every hour. No Taxis (who can blame Taxi firms for deciding to bypass a potential war zone?)
Eventually to our great relief a bus arrives and we get on, to Markinch? dinnae be daft, we're off to Glenrothes! Alight Glenrothes and wait and wait . Bus to Markinch at 8:55. It had taken us over 3 hours to make what should have been a 40 minute journey!
Stopped off for an "Elephants Lug" otherwise known as a Calzone. We used to have this once a week when we lived there, mmmm. stuffed with Chicken Tikka, Donner meat, mushrooms and spicy onions in a hot chili sauce. Ye cannae beat it!
Devoured the "Lug" took our evening walk on the beach, then off to bed sated.

I actually typed this whole thing up yesterday and then the computer crashed which finds me, your most devoted blogger, doing a re-type grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Hate you guys to miss anything important after all! LOL