Last Day Was A Good OneOct 14, 2009
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The Wallace Memorial
Wallace Doesn't Look Like Mel Gibson At All
The Wallace Sword (from it's size they estimate he was 6'6" tall!)
Hello again everyone and thanks for following along on my trip. I may have been alone on this journey but I never felt lonely knowing so many friends and family were sharing in my adventures. Today was both a busy and emotional day. I started out with another great Scottish breakfast and then checked out of my B&B in North Berwick. I got into my rental car and braved the roadways for the 80 mile trip to Stirling, Scotland where the William Wallace Memorial is located (Jake's suggestion). It was well worth the drive as it is an amazing monument built 140 years ago by the Scottish people in memory of their hero(nationalwallacemonument.com). The walk up the hill to reach the monument was a very good workout but then I had to get my second wind to climb the 246 steps to reach the top. The view was worth the climb and it has an excellent view of where Wallace and his small army gave the English army their first defeat in 10 years. The victory paved the way for Scotland's independence from England which came later under Robert "The Bruce" after Wallace was captured and put to death for treason.
Next I drank a cold Iron Bru to recover(a popular orange flavored soda in Scotland) and drove 40 miles to Edinburgh. When I turned the corner and saw Edinburgh Castle I got goose bumps because I knew I was in the same place my Dad visited 66 years ago while serving in WWII. I toured the castle and then did some shopping on the "Royal Mile". I went into a little shop that sold kilts and traditional clothing and happen to tell the salesman that my Dad wore similar stuff in the photo that was taken of him when he was in Edinburgh. He told me that there was a place near the castle that still takes photos of people in traditional clothing so off I went. I had forgotten to bring the picture of my Dad with me which was in my rental car (way back down the hill) so I had to go from memory when I picked out my own outfit. You be the judge when you compare the new photo of me to the one of my Dad in update #3 but I think I nailed it! I started a family tradition now so Jake & AJ will have to come here someday to keep it going! After the photo shoot I found a pub nearby, raised a toast to my Dad and washed down my last bite of Haggis, Neeps & Tatties (it's really good if you don't think how they make it). Next I drove through rush hour traffic to try and find a place to spend the night.
Two stressful hours later I found a great B&B in the City close to the airport with a great internet connection (that explains the number of pictures and length of this update). I am all checked in for my flights and will fly home to LAX in the morning. I had a great time here and would recommend Scotland to anyone. Thanks again for joining me on the trip and I hope you enjoyed the updates. See you all back home! ... Kevin
