trains and bridges and other good stuff!

day 14 July 1
Didn't want to blog this one while we were there because we wanted to surprise Harvey...I hope to take him on this part of the journey someday...

Nice warm day...we hopped a train to Luchars. Rode across the Firth of Forth Rail Bridge, the gigantic suspension bridge that I came here to see. It is quite massive though I thought it looked bigger looking at it than it did when riding on it. Cat did not care for the bridge, doesn't like heights, but I was all over the place snapping pictures, mostly getting the big red sides and the construction/painting equipment. I tried! Once across we rode right on the side of the North Sea. Beautiful! Huge cliffs that drop right down into the sea, little villages right along the edge, even some trailer homes (first ones we saw over there) right on the sides of cliffs in little settlements that looked like vacation spots. Really a very lovely sight, so very different from the coasts in Va.

We got off the train in Luchars to wait for a bus...while there we heard and saw jets very loud a low, just above the trees, looked like Tornadoes(sp)-type military jets. After reading some if the info at the train station we learned that Luchars means "air base". The jets were flying all around us, doing touch-and-go landings and who knows what else. (The day after we were there one of the jets crashed into the side of a mountain while training not far from Luchars...that was quite tragic and a little spooky....)

Bus arrived and we were off for the 15 minute trip to Saint Andrews! We entered the town right at the Old Course where we have seen the British Open played many times. Beautiful once again! Went to a golf info place on the way to the course from the station, got a map, and were told we could walk right out on the Swilken Bridge, the famous bridge you see when St. Andrews is shown on tv, right on the course even while golfers are there. So we did! Of course we waited to be sure no one was teeing off....didn't feel like getting hit with a golf ball! There was another couple from the states there enjoying the photo opp and we took pics for each other. The bridge is really dinky...like over a creek you could jump over, but it is very famous. Harvey tells me it is also called Arnie's Bridge for Arnold Palmer...golf trivia! And since it is a bridge it fits right into the theme for the trip! As we were taking our pics some very important looking men in suits arrived and took pics right after us. Looked like they were doing a publicity shoot for something (maybe the Open in 2010 when it is back at St. Andrew's?), so we may have seen somebody important but we were clueless as to who it was! There is a small road that cuts across this same hole on the way to the North Sea beach which is right beside the golf course. We crossed the road, again avoiding being hit by flying golf balls, and walked across the sand to the North Sea. The tide was way out and the beach was huge! We got our toes wet in the muddy muck where the tide was going out but we got grossed out by bajillions of wormy looking things all over the mud, so we retreated back to the sand. Kids were flying kites, folks were sunbathing... Went to the golf shop there but didn't really find much (better stuff in Edinburgh!). Went by The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse, but even the benches were painted with the words "FOR MEMBERS ONLY" so we couldn't even sit much less take a look inside! oh well... Walked along the edge of the sea (on a cliff, not in the sand) and had lunch right across from the course at a pub. Saw signs for the aquarium so we figured why not....pretty unimpressive but some interesting sea things were there. Walked on up the street to the ruins of the local castle (every town in the UK seems to have a castle and a cathedral!) Dating to the 16th century, it is on a point of land almost in the sea but on a cliff of course. Went over to Market Street where we had been told there was pretty good shopping, but by this time we were hot (beautiful sunny day!) and wanted a cold drink. Good luck there!
When we got back to the bus station the shuttle to Luchars was right there so we hopped on, made a timely connection with he train, headed back across the Forth Rail Bridge as it started to POUR! This was the only real rain we saw the whole trip so I couldn't complain, and it stopped before we could get back to Edinburgh and the sun was again out.

Had dinner at an Italian place (surprise!), Gusto, and the folks we had traded picture taking with in St. Andrews were there too. It was the first time we saw people that "we knew". (kinda sorta) The restaurant did not have "air con"...nothing does in Scotland...so we ate outside, even Cat was hot!

First totally clear, unfoggy, unhazy, could-see-a-long-way day. When we got back to our room on the 7th floor and I was enjoying the view of EVERYWHERE I realized that in the distance I could see the Forth Rail and Forth Road Bridges! A major moment of excitement for me...I did a lot of just looking out the window and treasuring the fact that I was in that spot at that moment! (The Forth Rail Bridge and the Gateshead Millennium bridges are the ones I saw in a book and had the feeling of "I've got to see these one day!". They are why I decided on a trip to the UK when I was nominated for the REB! And to actually be here and see these things for myself...I do not have words! [yea I am a bridge nut])

It was warm, probably about 80, but not humid and the cool breezes were still coming off the Firth, so we found it amusing that they were calling this a heatwave. The tv stations were giving advice on how to handle the heat! (refrigerate your drinks and use ice, get some "air con"...duh!)

Saw the Queen on tv at Scottish Parliament so she was still in town, but we were not invited for tea and Holyrood Palace...maybe next time.

We had the windows open since it was warm and again no "air con". The baby and mama seagulls outside the window screeched at the top of their lungs constantly! Woke us all night long...who knew seagulls were so LOUD!

Good day---and still loving Scotland! The people are so friendly and they like our accent..that tickles me!