The Whimsical Ewe crew loved their Scotland vacation!  Our youngest daughter had finished grad school and stayed 2 years longer.  We really missed her.  And since she is a contributing W.E. crew member, wasn’t it time for a face-to-face meeting?  YES!    So, lets fly to Edinburgh!

Left: Whimsy stayed home spinning, sending little Knitting Sheep abroad in her place.  Center:  Lil’ Whimsy was most eager to depart PDX!        Right:  Despite jet lag, Lil’ Whimsy was delighted to meet Jenna, the distant member of our Whimsical Ewe crew.  Lil’ Whimsy is also charmed by Edinburgh’s cute red postal boxes.

How chilly was Edinburgh?  Aren’t we well-insulated?  Are we fortifying ourselves with hot cocoa?  And tea…must try tea.  We stop into Jenna’s favorite tea shop: Cuttea Sark.  Third generation Edinburgh resident & owner, Jacqueline, is charming and knowledgeable.  A few questions about preferences, and she’s quickly selected for us the Blue Lady blend.  Such a heavenly, enticing scent – it would make lovely room potpourri.  Plus it’s delicious!  We also stopped at the IJ Mellis Cheesemonger  on way home.   I especially enjoyed how small shops allow a friendly relationship to form between owners & frequent customers.  Ps:  can you spot Lil’ Whimsy in the tea shop?  She’s there!

Walking Edinburgh’s narrow streets is serious exercise, and {{cobblestones}} add to the challenge.  Crucial gear: comfy shoes + thick, warm scarves.  The tall buildings really funnel cold wind at you.  You also might notice Lil’ Whimsy is an enthusiastic tourist, sometimes obvious, other times playing: “Where’s Lil’ Whimsy?”

Wandered around gawking at fabulous old architecture, tottered across cobblestone and dodged ‘wrong way’ traffic.  Paused at The Bow Bar, a cozy small pub with a classy atmosphere and friendly staff.  Snuggled chairs close to the fireplace to warm ourselves with a pint, including Lambic Framboise beer (French for raspberry = yum!).  Lil’ Whimsy imbibed a tad overmuch.

Since we were crossing Edinburgh University campus, we stepped into McEwan Hall, (click the name link, or google images).  This is the glorious setting in which daughter received her Master’s diploma.  Very Harry Potter-esque, with its soaring ceiling,  wood panel stage & massive pipe organ, plus the painted murals on the stone walls.  Floating candles would have been a nice touch.  We’d missed the actual ceremony, so it touched this mother’s heart to see the hall in person (even despite scaffolding work in progress).

1st Day’s last challenge: tackling the 4-story stairwell to daughters flat (apartment).  Ouch!  Then to sleep away jet lag and recharge ourselves.