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castle with 21st century high fashion shopping district is remarkable! In addition to marching in the parade, there will be opportunities for static performances in the gardens, as well as in the beautifully appointed civic auditorium in central Edinburgh.
While Mike shot 18 holes at an adjacent golf course, TR toured several hotel options for our trip in March. If all holds true, we'll be located in a hotel just adjacent to the staging area for the parade, and within a VERY short walking distance to the Royal Mile. The evening was spent enjoying a traditional Scottish Ceilidgh at Prestonfield House, a "Taste of Scotland" show with song, dance, bagpipes, and haggis! A very enjoyable evening.
Our site inspection trip ended with a return trip to London, where we were able to walk to the newly dedicated memorial to Princess Diana in Hyde Park. Called a fountain, the memorial is in the circular shape of a downscaled water slide. Children and adults enjoyed wading in the water, up and around textured hills and slopes that ultimately met in a basin where the water recycled. It very much seemed a fitting tribute to the Princess of Wales.
On our own for the evening, we decided to take in a show: "Jerry Springer (the Opera)". Quite an experience....
Our departure flight left Heathrow the next morning, and 7.5 hours later we arrived in Detroit. It was a most memorable trip! We found Edinburgh to be place that legitimately feels "safe". There were very few uniformed policemen, and we were told that much of the security force was in plain clothes. The pace is very different from that experienced in London or Paris; it feels "comfortable". Experiencing the marks of civilization which were established hundreds of centuries prior to our own is an awesome privilege! And we could only leave you
with these few
words to represent our experience: "We can't wait until March!"
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