Scotland/Ireland Trip - Day 11 {Home and Reality}

Alex took an early morning walk and captured some great pics of Victoria Street. We headed to the airport, turned in the rental car, and had another fun surprise at the airport! And then a not so fun surprise when we got home. 😄

 

Scarlett survived 1300+ miles with us!

Waiting in line at the airport, I asked the guy in front of us what day he went to The Open. He said, "I covered it so I was there everyday." Instantly, Alex recognized his voice & said, "I follow you on Twitter! CBS...Kyle Porter?!" We enjoyed chatting with him about his family, his job, tried to convince him to buy an RV 😉, and Alex thanked him for living out his faith so publicly. Such a fun surprise & felt like chatting with a long-time friend.

We arrived home at bedtime and found the A/C wasn't working so we all camped out in the basement. Back to reality! 

Thankfully, the A/C was fixed again the next morning. The girls loved the candy bars we brought home for them. Alex texted his new BFF Kyle Porter. 😄 And no jet lag for either of us. We're still soaking in all the goodness of the past week and a half with our besties.  We drove over 1300 miles and walked over 60 miles. God blessed us with way more sunshine than we ever expected! The locals were so kind and friendly. We tried lots of new yummy foods. The landscapes were beautiful! We laughed and talked for hours on the road trips, learning new things about each other even though we've all known each other for 25+ years. We thanked God daily for traveling mercies, views of His handiwork, the bond of friendship, the joy our girls were having with family back home, and just the opportunity to experience it all! 🤍

We arrived home in the middle of 4-H week, so we went to see the girls' projects the next day.

We finished off the week with a trip to the dentist for the 4 little girls AND a flat tire. 🤪

BellaMei's eye is healing up!

Scotland/Ireland Trip - Day 10 {Edinburgh}

A full day in Edinburgh.

First, breakfast from a French bakery across the street.

We did the Scotch Whisky Experience. They showed a short movie about the history of Scotland. It was cool recognizing so many of the sights.

Then we walked the Royal Mile.

Lunch with a view.

St. Giles' Cathedral

At the end of the Royal Mile is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, residence of Queen Elizabeth II when she is in Scotland.

We went to the roof of the National Museum of Scotland for a view of the city. The stadium structure in front of the castle is for the military and artistic performances that are done for the Edinburgh Festival in August.

On the opposite end of the Royal Mile is Edinburgh Castle.

The castle prison.

Our last dinner in Scotland.

We spent our last evening people-watching and getting dessert in the Grassmarket.

This was our second time getting the Millionaires Shortbread. So good! It is shortbread with a layer of caramel and chocolate on top and originated in Scotland.

So thankful for an amazing trip with these friends. 🤍