inverness

after three days in edinburgh we've taken a 3.5 hour train ride north to inverness, where we'll be until monday.  gorgeous views from the train as we drove - desolate hills with wildflowers and sheep galore and maybe a highland cow or two (becky has her eyes peeled) and an occasional small town with little stone houses.  we found our way to our bed and breakfast here in inverness, and i am already in love - adorable little rooms and homemade ginger shortbread cookies on the bedside table for us to snack on.  (i've already eaten three.  if becky doesn't hurry up i will eat the fourth and final cookie and she will lose out BIG TIME.)  it's great to unpack a bit and be in a comfy bed after an afternoon of toting my belongings everywhere.

becky's favorite parts of edinburgh:
"the dog cemetery [at edinburgh castle - those who have been there before will agree that it is awesome...soldiers who worked there made a cemetery to bury their dogs - complete with headstones.  the dogs had awesome names like gyp and winkle and scamp and tinker and the gravestones call them "a loyal companion" or something similar]."
"i liked the scottish parliament except when i get chastised by you for asking too many questions. [okay, she asked like a hundred questions during our hour long tour.  well, maybe five.  and they were good ones.  but the tour needed to go on!  at least she didn't ask how the cleaning staff cleaned the intricate windows on the building like one ridiculous woman on our tour did.  this ridiculous woman's husband later asked if one of the walls was a load-bearing wall.  WHO THE HELL CARES, BUDDY??  there was a lot of becky-claire eye-rolling at those two.]"

i would ask the other members of my family the same question, but mama is in bed and dad is out at a pub listening to folk music.  so they'll have to chime in later...