Scotland, Day 1

We've decided to take a redeye to Edinburgh, leaving Logan Airport in the evening, transferring at Heathrow, and arriving in Scotland at around noonish. Four of us and luggage can fit comfortably in our minivan -- E's mom makes five of us, though, and it's a tighter fit, with bags in laps. We manage with minimal grumbling from the younger set, thankfully.

 

The flight to London is more cramped than any I can remember; I've never felt more keenly that I'm a consumer from whom value needs is to be extracted at minimum cost. I'm not a large man, and even so there's barely room for my legs and backpack; even G sitting next to me has to struggle to access their bag.

 

Sadly, I've lost the ability to sleep on planes, so I while away the time reading on my Kindle app, playing games on my Steam deck, and watching something I don't even remember. Meanwhile G inhales Simpsons episodes before conking out, head in my lap.

 

The changeover at Heathrow, during which we have to switch terminals, has been my biggest concern, but it turns out to be quite straightforward (although we endure a shockingly long walk without any bathrooms). Customs is fairly smooth, and we have time to kill before our connecting flight, so I take J&G and go look for weird local snacks -- the Thai Sweet Chicken crisps are particularly good.

 

I also spend some time wandering around the airport shops with J commenting about what we see, which is, honestly, a nice bonding experience. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but I feel like a different kind of dad to him now that he's a teenager, more of a friend and peer (though no less an authority figure), and we can banter and tease each other in a way that wouldn't have felt right just two or three years ago.

 

On another note, something unexpected about UK airports, apparently,  is that we don't get to know our gate until an hour beforehand. It's a bit jarring, but fine.

 

The next hop to Edinburgh is quick and painless, and we eventually find our way to the tram to the city. On the way, every sign I see from the window fills me with the urge to yell out what's written in a terrible Scottish accent. I'm also inordinately excited by seeing such extreme mundanities as council houses.

 

Our first few days we're staying at CityRoomz, a budget hotel that, while not fancy, will do just fine, and is right in the middle of things. The folks manning the desk are very friendly and eager to help, giving us clarification on how buses work, local tourist spots, etc. Of course both children want the top bunk, so we rule that they'll alternate during our stay.

 

It's a bit past lunchtime, and we find a nice place nearby called the West End Brasserie, with pretty solid standard fare. We have our first (but not last!) bite of haggis, and I find it tolerable but vaguely unpleasant, with the metallic bitterness of organ meat.

 

To try to acclimate faster, we try to put off going to sleep for as long as possible, taking a full ride on the Hop-on Hop-off Tour to get a pleasant, low-key overview of various attractions around Edinburgh Castle. There's an audio tour that we can plug into, with a "Horrible Histories" option that highlights some of the more gruesome tales of our route. G, of course, goes straight for that one.

(It's also quite surreal and amusing to see a Jollibee, a Filipino fast food chain -- even better, throwing a gauntlet at the McDonald's next door.)
 

It's dizzying to grasp how *old* everything clearly is, realizing that much of the architecture we're seeing predates America, maybe even Columbus. Edinburgh Castle itself stands on a high hill overlooking the rest of the city, a imposing, watchful presence.

 

Dinner is at the Grosvenor Pub across the street, and I'm a bit surprised to see quite a sophisticated variety of options. With our last remaining shreds of cope and consciousness, we grab a couple of pints and funky sodas, some small plates to share, and then head back to our rooms to collapse.