National Gallery of Scotland

We took our time today getting ready and are still trying to get the

wifi sorted.  But at least my amazon package finally got sorted and I have floss for the rest of the trip.  We decide to try to see the National Gallery here and Oscar says that he’s up for it because he wants to see the art.  We get down to the gallery and I tell him that he can participate in John and I’s favorite game when we go see a collection together.  We have to pick one piece in each room that we would have if we could.  He buys into this completely and plays along.

He takes pictures of his favorites with my phone, but has to be told repeatedly not to sigh dramatically when someone gets in the way of the picture he’s taking.  But, we successfully get through an art museum with Oscar not asking once, “when are we leaving?”.  It’s amazing and a turning point in travelling with him I think.  It helps that Scotland’s National Gallery is small and just made up of about 20 rooms of amazing

art.  What every art museum should strive to be I think.  We go from there to Waverly train station because we have promised McDonald’s if he makes it through the art museum and then we walk around New Town trying to find a place for John and I to

eat that has a view of the tram tracks.  But this does not happen after walking for over an hour.  So, we head into an alleyway (Rose Street actually) and hit a pub that is full to bursting.  All of the pubs are full to bursting and it’s at the end of lunch time and too early

 for dinner, but all of the French Rugby fans are in town now for the big game between France and Scotland here tomorrow.  We are surrounded by French speakers, all having fish and chips like me.  It was the best fish and chips I’ve had on this trip, so didn’t 

Princes street being built, Arthur's Seat in the background

disappoint.  We took our time walking back, ducked into the museum on the Mound, ducked into the library (Oscar and I to read children’s books on the real library side, John to see first editions and notes of Hume’s on the archives side) and then head back to the place.  I’m planning on buying

Edinburgh back in the day, see the Castle in the distance?

      some groceries tonight, but can’t summon the energy to head out of the house again.  I’ll go in the morning, we’re imbibing all of the alcohol we’ve purchased including the amazing Sloe Gin from Stonehenge because we can’t mail it home.  So, it’s easy to lose a desire to head back out into the cold and the rain….