Day 5 - Train to Edinburgh

It was another rough night for sleeping. I'm hoping tonight is better. We got all packed up for the long train ride to Edinburgh, then went down to a made-to-order breakfast. The hostess called a taxi to take us to the train station. We decided to leave right after breakfast thinking there might be places we could shop around the train station. No such luck. So we had a couple of hours to just sit there.

Taken in front of the B&B.

View from the front porch.

Leaving Cheltenham Spa train station for Edinburgh

The next few pictures are taken from the speeding train so I apologize for the blur through the scratched window.

We had a 40 minute train ride from Cheltenham to Birmingham, a change of trains, and then a 4 hour ride to Edinburgh. As we were getting off the train at Birmingham, the conductor announced that our train to Edinburgh had been canceled and to see the "crewe" for information. As it turned out, the train we had just exited was going on to Edinburgh but would take about 45 minutes longer to get there. So, we ran back over to get back on. We lost our shopping time in Edinburgh (and our reserved seats) but still managed to get there today.

Lunch - we don't always have gourmet fare. 

An interesting train station 

First glimpses of the North Sea. 

The last we'll see of England. 

The sometimes English sometimes Scottish town

Shores of Scotland

 

We made it to Edinburgh and up the gazillion steps to our hotel. You really can't imagine how many steps there were and we were dragging our heavy suitcases up them. Well take a photo tomorrow but it won't do justice to the reality. We must have looked really pitiful because about 2/3 of the way up, two men said please let us help you. While job Anne was saying no, no that's okay, I was handing off my bag. 

The buildings here are astounding. 

Jo Anne in front of the kilt shop. 

Edinburgh castle

The Apex Grassmarket Hotel. 

In one little block there is the Grassmarket Hotel, the Apex Hotel and the Apex Grassmarket Hotel. We are staying in the latter but we stopped in all of them thinking it was the one. 

We were starving after our water and bread lunch and a 6 hour train ride!!! This is Jo Anne's spicy beef pizza and below is my veggie pizza.

After

Edinburgh castle at night. We had to get out and walk a bit after supper to make sure we got our 10,000 steps in today and work off some of that pizza and tiramisu. Yummm!

Stats for today: 10,601 steps, 4.43 miles an easy, breezy day!