Edinburgh, Week 2 of 3ish

Posted on February 11, 2024  •  17 minutes  • 3445 words

On the taxi ride over, we could tell we were in an awesome location. Right around the corner from the National Museum of Scotland, easy walk to the craig, close park, short walk to the library, art museum, royal mile.

We got into our place and the slight worry I had about the Airbnb, that they took VERY good photos, was confirmed. The place was TEENY. The ‘dining’ table was a small square that had 4 square stools that rolled in and out. Kids drove us crazy with that. One dresser in the whole place, that was also taking up 80% of the closet. the room the kids slept in had no room on the floor for a kid (without getting stepped on in the middle of the night) that one slept in the closet. No place for shoes nor 5 big jackets to be hung by the front door…and we were here for over 2 weeks.

We were going to make the best of it and I got right to unpacking as there was no room to have suitcases on the ground. We found pullout drawers under the beds that had an obscene amount of pillows, that we took and stuff up above the closets. There was storage under the couch (lift up kind) that we could put backpacks and my soft sided suitcase.

We were situated and knowing the next week was going to be a lot of Dan in the office, I decided it was a great time to go for a run. I popped down to the loop around the craig and ran the 3 miles around it for a very enjoyable 4 mile run…by the time I got to and from it. It so lovely. So much so, that I didn’t really take photos and just enjoyed the run for what it was. Okay, I took 2 photos!

Came back to Dan and the kids reading. Sam has been loving his long hair and loving playing with mine. I have tried to each him how to braid, and with a bit of help, we got something accomplished.

Dinner in and put the kids to bed and closet and got some work done.

After loving my run the day before, I decided I wanted to go up the craig this time, not around it. I set an alarm for the first time in forever and went for a run in the morning. It was misting, so I opted very smartly to wear my rain jacket.

The sky was beautiful from the sunrise.

Everything about being up there was magical. So peaceful and wonderful.

Even though my hands were freezing, I suffered through taking my gloves off for some photos because

Came back to breakfast with the family at the teeny table. We bid Dan adieu and then the kids and I got right into school work. I was excited to check out the library, so I told them we could do school work before lunch and then have LOTS of time at the library.

Forgetting about how some streets here are on completely different levels (google forgot too), we walked the 8 minutes to the library, but were standing about 50ft below it. Ben found some stairs and we headed up. The kids library, even though it’s joined to the main library, it it’s own side area with one of those high buttons to open and close the door…so kids can’t escape. It was magical! a room for older kids and one for younger ones with a fake tree built into the wall and a reading area below. We gorged ourselves on books and I read and read and read to them. I had them each read a bit and then we checked out the art room. Yes, a room that has TONs of art supplies to use at your will. Only ask…clean up after. They were all in heaven and I think we would have stayed there forever if we didn’t have to get home for Spanish.

It was not an easy task (after over an hour) to get them to leave. Sam was an art making machine, but we finally cleaned up and headed out.

They made Chinese New Year dragons and Max ‘flew’ his the whole way home.

The next day we went to the Scotland National Museum. Free entry per Edinburgh being an awesome and accessible city. We paid the suggested 1 pound for the map…remember, I love maps…and took the stairs up to the giant entry galley. GIANT! I swear, sometimes I love the buildings more than things in them.

The museum had a little (or a lot) of everything! I can’t even begin to explain all the things we saw on the first day. Kids were running around, yes even after I told them not too a million time, crazed with all there was to see. The rooms with the taxidermied, life size replicas of animals or skeletons. Elephants, camels, whales, dinosaurs, crabs…the list goes on and on.

There were SO many interactive exhibits. Max weighed himself to see what animal he was close to weighing the same as a koala. Ben made it to an emperor penguin.

After the animal room, we went up to the fifth floor where there was a marine area designed more for kids. Ben and I played ‘Guess Who?’ with sea stars.

The room also looked down onto the animal room.

I had done minor research and knew there was a giant geode at this museum. I knew Ben would go crazy for it, so when entering, I covered his eyes and walked him over to it. When he opened his eyes, he was beyond excited. He LOVED it! He couldn’t get over the size. Actually, I couldn’t either. So BIG!

This may have been my favorite room. I love geology and seeing all the different types of rocks and minerals. We found specimens from Pompeii which the loved, looked at the craziest color rocks, watched a video on volcanoes and played some interactive game about different natural disasters around the world. Really cool room. Kids totally transfixed with a movie. This could have been on ‘how to do your taxes’ and they would have watched it with the same anticipation.

There was a ’longer’ movie in the next room (maybe 5 minutes) that took your through the beginning of the universe to the creation of the earth to now. SO many questions after that.

What did the big bang explode? Well, it is believed to be a single point that expanded to create the universe.

But was everything inside it? Not exactly. It’s more-

How could a single point get so big? I was as honest as I could be. Kids, I have no idea. It’s a concept that I feel, even as an adult, is impossible to wrap your head around. I mean, how can that all make sense? A single point!

We decided we’d google ’explaining the big bang to kids’ when we got home or ’explaining it to an adult engineer who minored in geological sciences in college’.

We were getting to that time where kids turn into angry humans due to lack of food, so we headed to the lunch spot in the museum. There were so many options, but then Sam saw the kids lunch box and insisted on having it. I was annoyed because just before he was going for the soup and a cheese scone. I know I’m lucky to have 3 kids that eat about 90% of food in their life, but I was really pissed these crappy little boxes were there and Sam wanted it. I know it’s fun for him, but now he was eating chips, a cheese sandwich on white bread, a juice box and an apple. Ugh, I got over it and he and Sam got a kid box. Ben went for the toasted ham and cheese baguette, that was gigantic, and devoured it. I had the soup and cheese scone.

We checked out a few more rooms after lunch and headed home. Kids immediately started to get out their energy when we got home.

Dan came home with dinner that he had got from a butcher on the walk to school A complete variety and all except one were a huge hit with all. Sam knew something was a bit different with the kidney one, even though we didn’t expose all the ingredients. I understand Sam, I’m with you.

Here we all are, stuffed around our ‘dining’ table.

And the last one we ate, was exciting for all when we cut it open. I couldn’t help but wonder, how cooked was the egg when they put the outside around it? It had to be mostly cooked, or just cooked enough to keep it’s shape? The yolk was so perfectly cooked (to my liking).

The next morning, Dan didn’t have to be the office early, so he offered to take the kids for a hike so I could work. I needed the break from kids and the chance to work without being tired or having kids around. Per usual, Dan sends me great photos of them having a blast.

The crag is such a striking geological formation.

They hiked, they ran, they fell. They loved it.

After stripping them down and getting them fed, we did school work and went back to the library for some painting. Sam was very excited for this. Once again, he went to town on his art plan.

We were on our way home and I had no energy for cooking and was crazing Indian. We stopped by the place on our street and I put in an order for Dan to grab on his way home. I was in heaven and even though some were a bit spicy, the kids powered through as the flavor was so good. The popoodams, naan and samosas were a huge hit! No photo as we were too excited to be thinking about that.

Next day, bit of the same and back at the library. I did insist on going to a coffee shop before hand and the kids wanted to check out a Harry Potter store again. Max insisted on using my purse to carry his change purse…that he was very proud had 6 coins. No care to the denominations of the coins…there were six!

The little stinkers couldn’t believe I was making them walk to a coffee shop. Heaven forbid we do something for Mom before this lovely mother of our takes us to the library for hours.

The cafe plan did not go as I had hoped. Sam was a bit of a butt, just demanding we go to the library NOW. When will he get that when he says it like that, I’m just going to sip my coffee slower?

Not much to report for dinner, bedtime, nor the next morning. After school work, I packed a picnic lunch and we went to the park at the bottom of the hill. I never though of Edinburgh hilly city (apart from the Arthur’s Seat area and the castle) but there are seven hills in Edinburgh! Fun fact: Plovdiv is also known for it’s seven hills.

Anyways, we headed down some slopes streets adn 120 steps to get to the park. It was great. Just the right mix of structures and grass area to run around in…and dig for things in the mud.

I can’t get over the blue sky that comes out after so much grey beforehand.

As we walked home, I knew this wasn’t going to be a night for cooking. I was a bit high on the beauty of the city and wanted to go check out a restaurant. I conveyed all this to Dan and he picked out a few options. The first one was full so we continued on to the second. It was called The Doric Tavern and is Edinburgh’s oldest gastro-pub. I’m sure in the 17th century it didn’t refer to itself as a gastro-pub though. But built in the 17th century! We sat down after the kids were delighted to find coat hooks on the wall as you walked upstairs. Then they got kids’ menus that said ‘free ice cream’, so they were pretty much living life at this point.

It’s hard for me to say no to most soups, so I ordered that and the mushroom appetizer. I wasn’t fully sure what I was going to get, but holy cr*p, it was so delicious. A plate of perfectly sauted mushrooms in a wine sauce, but creamy enough to coat the mushrooms and not just slide off when you put on on your fork.

Dan has been talking about it for weeks now (basically since we entered Scotland) and felt it was finally time to order the haggis. Ben took a bite and loved it, Max have it the thumbs up and Sam said it was ‘good’. I was surprised how much I liked it. The flavor was great, once you (tried) to get past knowing what you were eating. We didn’t tell the kids, but I’m sure Ben would have thought it was cool. Not sure how it would have gone with the others.

Ben’s birthday is 3 days away and instead of talking about what he wanted for his birthday (partly because he wasn’t getting much, just an awesome Deathly Hallows watch Sam picked out) we talked about the most useless gifts we could give him. We cracked ourselves up from ordering our food until the end of dessert. Which consisted of ice cream for the kids and Dan got pudding that was soaked in deliciousness with ice cream on the side. I accidentally ate half. Anyways, back to the worst gifts ever. I don’t know why, but we couldn’t stop laughing. And to be honest (not modest) we had some hilarious ones.

Half a kayak A partially used diaper Pre-chewed gum Dirt (but taken back because he could make mun balls) Last year’s calendar A book with the ending ripped out A book in Serbian 1934 road atlas Glasses with the wrong prescription Bike tube with a hole in it (also taken back because he could use it as launcher) A hammer that hits you in the face every time you swing it. A cup with a hole in it

The next day was Saturday and Dan took the kids to Dynamic Earth, a museum about the earth. I stayed home and worked. The only thing better than having quiet time to work is having that time AND getting photos ov VERY happy kids.

The planetarium was down for repairs, but they had a Q & A with an astronaut. Dan said the whole thing was done really well and the kids were totally into it. They loved telling me about the movie that looked like things were coming OUT of the screen!

I chatted with Dan to plan for my run to end at Dynamic Earth and we’d all walk back together. Then a lovely lazy afternoon with some marathon reading of Harry Potter, Chamber of Secrets so we could watch more that night. Sam has days were he’s not interested and others where he is motivated to finish the book. Doesn’t last that long, but he does try. Another taco night and some Harry Potter at night.

Ben’s birthday is on a Monday this year, but wanting to celebrate it the whole day with Dan included, we pretended his birthday was on the Sunday before. I had planned for us to make our own potion drinks at the Department of Magic and then a Harry Potter tour. It wouldn’t be a birthday in this family if we didn’t start the day off with pastries.

The Department of Magic was a dark, cellar tavern. Exactly what you would expect a place to look like where you’ll be using magic to make potions. Wizard robes were available to really get you ready to use your magic.

There were 4 options in the non-alcoholic list (it was 11am) and somehow the kids all picked different ones and Dan and I got the one left. We were all give potion instructions, that included shaking, whispering things, 3 drops of unicorn blood, sprinkling flecks of something, etc. Unfortunately, they were written in a script-ish font that the kids struggled to read. Didn’t actually bother them as they were just too excited. Our potion kits were delivered and when the waitress heard me say that we can just do one at a time, she said that it’s better to not wait or there will be less smoking/bubbling.

It was a bit chaotic as we were helping 3 kids decipher between the bottles with instructions that were hard to read, but it didn’t matter. Everyone was excited with all the little bottles, syringes, thongs, droppers, etc.

And when the dry ice got added, or whatever it was called in each potion, such amazement.

Basically it was fruit juices and a lot of extra sugar, but it was so much fun. We all had drinkable potions (well, I would beg to differ about mine as it was so sweet). Dan and I got the love potion where you had to write your true love on a paper and put it in the cocktail for the love to flourish. Dan jokingly asked me if I put ’travel’. haha, I had! oops.

There was a shelf of games and Ben went straight for (wizard’s) chess. We played for a bit, but ended in a draw with each of us having the king and a pawn left.

Since we were so close to home, we decided do lunch there and regroup before the Harry Potter tour at 2pm. Croissants, potions, lunch out and straight to Harry Potter wouldn’t have probably been too much. Easy lunch, final touches on our wands, that we were asked to bring on the tour, and we were on our way to the meet up spot. When I say wands, I mean chopsticks that we soaked in tea overnight, then put in the oven at low heat, then wrapped string around the base and added some glitter glue to the end. Worked great!

We met up with our guide and a group of about 20. Straight away we headed into the cemetary that J.K. Rowling got a lot of inspiration from. Our guide was awesome. We sorted ourselves into houses and she would award the houses points when we got questions right. Ben was a high scorer for Gryffindor. Kids were enthralled with what she had to say, as was I.

They were always right in front and she was so sweet when Max kept trying to expelliarmis her. She eventually put a shield charm around herself. Very smart.

We found graves that matched names from the book. Our favorite being William Topaz McGonagall…the worst poet in the history of Scotland, who just wanted to be famous. Well, famous he is now (or at least his name). She recited part of a poem of his about a train crash, and yes, TERRIBLE. The whole group was cracking up. Then of course, we swung by Thomas Riddell’s gave.

The cemetary was really cool to walk through. Just the right amount of creepy and beautiful, with a great view of the castle.

I don’t think I could have planned a better day for Ben’s birthday. He loved it. He loved that he knew the answers to so many of her questions. He loved telling her that he had read Harry Potter 3 times, once himself and his dad twice. We all loved the spells we were required to preform during the tour. We turned red lights green, we kept the spirits away, we opened up things. I thought it would be more for the kids, but Dan and I loved it too. And I didn’t even realized it until Dan pointed it out, but his and my jackets were Gryffindor colors.

We ended our tour on Diagon Alley, with the kids just adoring our guide and not wanting it to end.

But alas it did. We said bye and thanks and decided to head to a few shops so Dan could get a sweater. Kids were kind of okay with that, but way to crazy to be in a store. After this happened, I left Dan to shop himself as I hung out outside with them.

Sweater purchased and we took our time walking back, taking in all the beautiful streets with awesome buildings.

Continued on Edinburgh Part 3