Edinburgh, Scotland Part Two

Wednesday 5/27/15

Last time I was in Scotland I loved the countryside! It is my fondest memory of that trip. So I made it a point get out of the city for a day. We woke early and asked for directions. Unfortunately someone told us the wrong direction for the bus…so we traveled an hour in the wrong direction. Fortunately the bus driver let us stay on and take the whole bus route back. After 3 hours on the bus we arrived at the Pentland Hills!

Sidney reading on the bus after we found out we went the wrong direction

Once we reached the country we went for a great hike

There was short brush and a great view of the city.

Near the trails was a dry ski slope

Edinburgh from afar

Sidney climbing death hill, it was so steep it was practically vertical

Thursday 5/28/15

We checked out of our hostel early and started out for the Rugby Stadium or Pitch.

On our way we walked under beautiful gothic arches.

We also passed this gorgeous building. We looked for signs as to what it was but found nothing. 

The mystery house.

After 45 minutes of walking we turned the corner and saw the stadium! It is the biggest in Scotland, seating 67000 people. It held the first international game in 1871. In 1975, 10,400 people watched Scotland vs. Wales. It is the biggest game of rugby ever. People who fainted had to be carried over everyone's heads. In 2000 it was flooded. And in WWII, Scotland lost 30 rugby players. 

Before our tour we browsed the rugby store.

Bill McLaren was the voice of rugby. He was going to be a player when he got tuberculosis. He commentated table tennis matches in the hospital when he caught BBC's attention. He appreciates the game no matter who is playing with makes him a great commentator. 

Bill McLaren

BBC's film studio. Each game they lay 40 kilometers of cables and use 25 cameras to get all the shots. 

To the left of where I took this picture sit men and women who monitor the players. Each player has a GPS on their collar so every move can be tracked. 

A stain glass in the box seats. It has latin "Non Sine Gloria" meaning "not without glory"

When a man signs to play rugby they get a cap from their country modeled after the school boy caps where the sport originated in England. 

The Calcutta Cup. A while ago India had a rugby team but the country was not suitable for the sport. They took the 30 rupees the club had left and made it into an ornate cup and gave it to Great Britain. Each year the countries in the UK compete for the cup. In the 1990s two drunk rugby players kicked it around like a rugby ball. Thankfully it was repaired by the queen's jeweler but they left a few dents in it to preserve the story. The real cup is locked in England to prevent any more damage. 

We got to go in the locker room!

Me standing next to the 8-man's locker, the position I play.

Our tour guide standing next to their ice bath tubs. The New Zealand's team, the All Blacks, innovated this technique among many others that has made them the world champions for years. I was fortunate to see those rugby gods play in Chicago in October against the US Eagles.

We were even able to walk out through the tunnel

Sidney and I

After we went to the Writer's Museum

The museum use to be a house and houses in the old days had trick steps to prevent theft. The steps were taller to trip up thieves. 

I tried the Scottish soda Imbru which tastes like a weird orange cream soda…not my favorite.

On our last night in Scotland we went on a bar crawl. Above is Sidney at the Frankenstein bar, although Frankenstein has nothing to do with Scotland.

They even had a mannequin emerge from the ceiling and rise like Frankenstein came alive.

At 11pm we boarded a bus for London!