Mrs. Teabody Finds Healing in Scotland Among Friends

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Mark Twain

Mr. Friese poses with The Band before our departure from Mercersburg to Dulles.

If there has been a tougher end of March into late April 2019, then my memory has lost it. If I could take the collective grief associated with the loss of a beautiful and kind cousin, a genuinely funny and loving son of a friend, and the brilliant but down-to-earth beloved physician and turn that grief into food, I could feed the world. However, in the middle of all this loss and heartache, there was a trip that had been planned for almost a year. Over how many lunches, through how many hours of research in guide books and on the internet did planning and discussion turn into an itinerary. Flights had been purchased, a flat rented and those two major investments along with the time involved had to be respected. While almost every part of my being wanted to wallow in my grief, the  small intellectual part of me said that by being somewhere else, the loss would seem less great because I would be less important. It's much harder to consider oneself and one's feelings in the face of a history full of folks who shaped the destiny of a nation. We decided to go. It was a good decision.

Bridges

The Forth Railway Bridge Sir John Fowler, Sir Benjamin Baker (1882-1889)

Two bridges: in front one from 1964 (the Forth Road Bridge) and behind it (30 August 2017) the Queensferry Crossing

One of our first stops when we ventured outside the city was a body of water called the Firth of Forth where several Scottish rivers come together joining the North Sea with Fife on the north coast. I'm a big fan of bridges and was quite thrilled to see the legendary Forth Railway Bridge but even more excited to see the bridge involving  the many talents of former county resident  and all-around wonderful human being, Jared Carlson. Now in my head, Jared himself built this bridge single-handedly overnight and I know what he'd say to such a claim. Still it was and will be "Jared's Bridge" in my mind and it is a doozy. Looking at these feats of human genius and sweat spanning 135 years of purpose did much to take me way outside myself.

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

It dominates the city of Edinburgh as no other edifice could hope to do. It is massive and seems to grow out of the extinct volcano on which it is planted. You cannot get to it without climbing and once there, you cannot hope to siphon off a tenth of its history.  Inside you can look at the Crown Jewels of Scotland, visit a wonderful war museum, have a look at royal apartments and/or massive canons and/or step inside an armor-filled great hall to listen to a lecture on Medieval music instruments. You can't possibly see it all nor hear everything you'd like to hear. At the end of the visit I almost didn't exist.

On the Road 

MacKenzie the Great

For years I've been hearing that there is no better way to discover the world outside Edinburgh's city walls than Rabbie's Tours. It was only this visit that I learned it is pronounced "Robbie's" for Scotland's premier poet, Robert "Robbie" Burns. Setting out for Saint Andrews and the fishing villages of Anstruther, The Old Course, Falkland, we were in the best hands possible with guide and Son of Scotland, MacKenzie or "Mac". Over the course of our day, Mac would regale us with stories of everything from Scotland's Green side--between 70 and 118 percent of Scotland's energy is coming from renewable sources, Scotland's fight for independence, the role of the fish wife and fishing in Scotland's history, to the grisly details of the rule of Mary Queen of Scotland. Oh, and once he'd sent us down a hill over ankle-turning cobbled streets, the legendary tour guide went about picking up trash. By the end of our tour we all wanted to adopt him. Truly a treasure and not once did I think about myself.

Chapels

This is Rosslyn Chapel made famous around the world by "The DaVinci Code" but one that had its start as a private chapel for a noble family. The groundbreaking for it occurred September 20, 1456. The exterior is simply breathtaking and inside you will find some of the most ornate and intricate plaster work and carving you will find anywhere in the world. Photography was not permitted inside but here is an image borrowed from the WWW

In sharp contrast, have a look at Saint Margaret's Chapel inside Edinburgh Castle. This chapel is as plain as Rosslyn is ornate. It was built during the reign of King David I from 1124-1153 and inside its lines are simple and serene. It was here that I sat for a long time contemplating a world without the aforementioned departed friends, lighting a candle, praying for their families and for all of us in  this season of loss.

Messing About with Friends

One little blog cannot hope to cover all the adventures we managed to cram into eight days. Our days started in a relaxed manner enjoying simple breakfasts and lots of tea in our flat in our pajamas and then, depending on the day, our friend Linda would make a call and a few minutes later a big black taxi would pull up outside our flat and our day would begin.

I'm not usually a big fan of taxis, but with taxis large enough to accommodate our whole group and with our splitting the fares five ways, it was perfect. Our drivers were unfailingly polite, friendly and competent.

It was a taxi driver who would take us as close to Arthur's Seat as we might hope and give us the best view of Edinburgh. Through downpours and in fair weather,  on journeys as far as Rosslyn and as near as the Witchery by the Castle, our taxi drivers got us there with great efficiency and in good humor. In spite of all our riding about, we still managed to walk a minimum of three miles each and every day. Our days ended much the same as they began but I must mention the three portals of entry that had to be conquered before entering our fortress. Once inside, we made ourselves comfortable, poured wine, sliced some mature cheddar, tore open some water biscuits and washed some fruit. The teetotalers amongst us made tea. And in that spirit of bonhomie we arranged ourselves around our imaginary fire and reviewed the day just past. Good humor and high spirits etched the events of the day even more sharply on our memories and softened the rough spots. You never really know what aspects of travel will stick with you: cascades of pink petals, a vibrantly-colored raspberry cocktail, the clever chiding of a trash can— the unexpected delights of unfamiliar places. All of it tickles us, takes us outside of ourselves. My most important advice of all: travel with folks who make each day worthwhile. This "band" with their many talents, exemplary character traits and ability to find the silver lining in every experience will always be the bright spot in this spring laden with loss. And for this I am forever in their debt.