ADVENTURES IN SCOTLAND-PART 1

Hey there! It has been a while! Here we are, almost at the end of July 2026, and I still haven't shared the adventures from the last few months of 2025. I don't have a valid explanation for why it has taken me so long. Maybe it was the daunting task of narrowing down which memories and photos to share, or perhaps I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to go on such an amazing trip. Anyway, here we go!

October 2025-SCOTLAND

This adventure will require several posts.....

In early October, my husband and I spent just over a week in Scotland, and I still find it hard to believe that this amazing trip wasn't just a dream! 

It all started with a casual conversation about Scotland. Ray said, "Why don't we go?" I hesitated and replied, "We can't just go to Scotland!" But he insisted, "Yes, we can!"

I initially laughed at the suggestion, but our conversation reignited our long-held dream of visiting Scotland—a bucket-list trip for me that we had talked about over the years. 

We didn't even have passports, so how could we even think about traveling abroad? 

It turns out the passport thing was pretty easy! Ray saw that the library right around the corner from us was accepting passport applications, and next thing you know... we were holding our passports in hand, thinking perhaps it was time for an adventure!!

I immediately began researching flight costs and was pleasantly surprised to find they weren't too expensive. What initially seemed like something only other people did started to feel like a genuine possibility for us! However, there were so many factors to consider.

Will my doctor give her approval? I was, after all, still immunocompromised due to my cancer treatments. Could I do all the walking I had read we would need to do? When should we plan to go? Where should we stay? Will I be able to handle an overseas flight with my fear of flying over the ocean? So many questions!

And yet, after talking to my doctor, we decided to go for it!! She said to mask up in crowds and on the flight, but to go and enjoy myself!

We decided that rather than waiting, we should do this right away. We didn't want to wait until winter, when many things would be closed or harder to reach, or until spring either. So, the first week in October looked good??!! OMG....We were going to Scotland!!

Leith, Edinburgh

We decided to stay in Edinburgh and take some day trips from there. After doing a bit of research and chatting with a couple of people who had been to Scotland, we opted to stay in Leith, which is only a quick tram ride from the city center and the Royal Mile. Leith turned out to be the perfect spot for us. We found some really nice surrounding neighborhoods, and the waterfront area was beautiful, with some awesome seafood restaurants.

After our flight, which turned out to be much less frightening than I had anticipated, we arrived in Edinburgh at 6:30 AM. Even after going through the airport, collecting our luggage, and taking the tram to our hotel, we still had plenty of time to spare before we could check in.

We decided to drop off our bags at the hotel, have breakfast, and then take a walk around the area while we waited.

Newhaven Harbour, located just west of Leith, is a beautiful area and was a short walk from our hotel.

This area was breathtaking at night!

Pier House had some amazing fish and chips!

It was also pretty cool during the day!

The Ship on the Shore in Leith was fantastic, and the fish and chips were absolutely delicious. However, I must say that the "mushy peas" are likely an acquired taste and definitely not my favorite.

Yes, this WAS my second time ordering fish and chips! 

Robert Burns-Scottish Poet and Lyricist
 

Although the area around our hotel was beautiful, there is so much more to share from our trip! 

Next up, some sights in and around the Royal Mile and City Centre in Edinburgh! 

ADVENTURES IN SCOTLAND-PART 2

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

There is so much to see and do in Edinburgh. I took countless pictures on this amazing trip, but I still feel like I missed capturing many things and places because I was too busy simply enjoying the surroundings. And walking! Boy did we walk!

When planning our trip, we discovered that October weather is often wet, windy, and chilly, so we packed some waterproof gear.

Surprisingly, we enjoyed mostly dry weather, with only light sprinkles one morning. 

A great day just wandering around Edinburgh!

Rose Street, often referred to as Pub Street, is situated in the city center, parallel to Princes Street and George Street. This narrow strip is famous for containing over a dozen traditional pubs, historic watering holes, and lively bars within just a few short blocks.

A little walk calls for a treat! 

    

The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. At 200 feet tall, it is the second-largest monument to a writer in the world. 

My Mom's maiden name was Scott-perhaps we are related??

                              

                                                                        

EDINBURGH DARK HISTORY TOUR

The tour started at St. Giles' Cathedral. St. Giles' Cathedral, known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, was founded in 1124 by King David I and has served as an active church and site of worship for more than 900 years.

St Giles' Cathedral played a big role in honoring Queen Elizabeth II following her passing in September 2022. 

The Queen's coffin lay at rest, and a national service of thanksgiving took place here. Later, a commemorative memorial stone was dedicated.

                     

We didn't get to spend much time inside the Cathedral because we had very little time left before meeting the rest of the tour group. We planned to come back another day, but we never found the time. Hopefully, next trip!

John Knox House is the oldest original medieval building on the Royal Mile, dating back to 1470, and is famously associated with the turbulent Scottish Reformation.

The original owners were James Mossman, a wealthy goldsmith loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots.

The house is now a Scottish Storytelling Center and museum.

Robert Fergusson's Bronze Statue

Robert Fergusson's Grave in Canongate Kirkyard Edinburgh

Back at the hotel. A late-night snack, accompanied by a delicious fruity gin beverage...and I think we will call it a day!

           

Tomorrow we celebrate the hubby's Birthday!!

 

43rd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH SIR ROD-PART TWO

 Ah....Rod, it's been a while! 

However....YOU WEAR IT WELL!

Ray and I both had a fantastic time at the concert, and I got some great photos, even though the couple in front of us stood the whole time! 

It was pretty funny because right before Rod came on, the woman leaned over and told us they weren’t 'concert standers' and wouldn’t be blocking our view. So I was somewhat shocked when, about a minute into the show, she and her husband jumped up and stayed on their feet for the entire show! 

The guy in the red hat and his wife beside him were lovely people, but they lied about the "not standing" thing! LOL

That was okay, though, because hardly anyone was sitting, including me and Ray!

I've seen Rod in concert quite a number of times over the years, but this was the first time since around 2007 or 2008. He remains the ultimate entertainer! It was such a blast!

After just standing and dancing around in the heat while watching Rod perform, I kept thinking, "HOW does this 80 y/o guy do this night after night, traveling all over?" 

The entire show, from start to finish, was incredible! Rod, his band, his backup singers, the dancers...all were absolutely fantastic!

The woman on the right in the photo below has been playing with Rod for many, many years, and she's great!

You're In My Heart-

There was a tribute to Tina Turner just before Rod and one of his backup singers sang the song Rod and Tina had recorded together many years ago. It Takes Two.

Rod sang 'Forever Young' in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who had passed away the previous week. 

I could go on forever about how much fun it was being at the concert! I will remember this fun night for a long time to come! 

43rd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH SIR ROD-PART ONE

Celebrating our upcoming 43rd Wedding Anniversary by finally seeing Sir Rod Stewart again! 

I wanted to decorate my vest for the occasion! Obviously, if you know anything about Sir Rod, you know he loves his animal prints and pinks! Also, if you don't know what Every Picture Tells A Story is...you should check out some of his old music!

BACK OF MY VEST

READY TO SEE SIR ROD

You can read all about our trip to Vegas a year ago (right here and here ) to see Rod on our anniversary. That didn't turn out the way we would have liked, but we were really hoping this year would be much better. 

Sir Rod

We were only allowed to take in small posters, so I wanted them to convey a big message on a small surface! 

Since Rod and I have both gone through a cancer diagnosis twice, and Rod's music made so many bad days better for me, I thought my sign was perfect! And the hubby's sign is self-explanatory! LOL

MY GUY SHOWING HIS SUPPORT!

Cheap Trick would be opening for Rod, so we had a while to wait for our guy!

While we were waiting, we had a great time chatting with a security officer and some of the other people sitting nearby. We were surprised by how many younger attendees were excited to see Rod!

We had a really unexpected experience while we were sitting there. A guy came down from the stage and handed Ray a pair of drumsticks, telling us that they belonged to Rod's drummer. We were both so surprised that we didn’t say much other than, "Thank you!" We did wonder aloud if they knew Ray was a drummer, but the guy just smiled and went back on stage.

I took this pic from the program we bought! This guy is a great drummer!

Cheap Trick had some issues with their sound, and although they didn't sound bad, they didn't sound great, partly due to the sound system issues. 

I managed to get some good photos of them since people weren't standing up, which gave me a good view of them all. 

                                                 

Anxiously awaiting Sir Rod! Did I mention the "feels like" temp was 102 degrees??! 

Finally...it's time to take our 3rd ROW SEATS  and get ready for SIR ROD STEWART!!