Back to my Motherland

We have seen temples, gilded palaces, and the finest beaches in the world, but I have to say Scotland may well be one of my favorite places we have visited! Besides all the fun we had, I got to see the burial sites of my great great great great grandfather John Gallacher and my 5x great grandfather Feryle Gallacher as we ventured the countryside of Scotland. It is a moment of pride and humility I will never forget to be that close to my distant relatives and the roots of my livelihood today.
We stayed in Edinburgh (pronounced like bur-ah) at the most adorable bed and breakfast called the Southside. It was a home from the 1800s and our innkeeper was so sweet though I should have said something about the ALL purple room- very interesting decor haha. After settling in we met my friend Kristina Joss and her boyfriend Simon at a pub for drinks. She is currently getting her masters at University of Edinburgh (and she is also responsible for introducing Tom and I years ago). We laughed and sampled different brews, some were great others were awful. I also had my first "pie"- a traditional pub fare. After staying out super late, we meandered the next morning to a late brunch with Kristina before venturing to the Edinburgh Jazz Festival with several of her colleagues. It was the first sunny day they had had in quite some while so it was packed. In the biergarten we all debated nature versus nurture, the global economy, Eco-tourism, and various other super-acdemic topics- though I think most of this ws fueled by the vast amounts of Pimm's Punch we consumed (it is almost like Sangria). We then leisurely sat and talked in the Meadows, a large open park. Overall it was an incredibly enjoyable and relaxing day with friends (most of whom had lovely British, Scottish, and other European accents!)
The next day was super touristy. We hit up the Edinburgh Castle first. The highlight was the wedding taking place at the tiny chapel on the castle grounds. We got to see the bride and hear the bagpiper play. Afterwards we went to the Scotch Whisky Experince, where we learned about how they make scotch whisky. We almost died laughing though because you get on this ride type thing to learn about it. It reminded me of Mr. Toads Wild Adventure ride in Disneyworld. But it wasn't child's play- we then got to taste whiskies. Fun for Tom, but I still can't enjoy whisky. It tastes awful!!!! We window shopped a bit down the Royal Mile before meeting up for a lovely good-bye dinner with Kristina and Simon.
Up early the next morning, we rented a car and Tom tested his skills at driving on the wrong side of the road (thank god we got an automatic car or we would have been testing all driving skills in a huge city!) We struggled at first with the grace of roundabouts but Tom soon got the hang of it, and even mastered a DOUBLE roundabout! The landscape was so beautiful with green expanses dotted by old stone fences, sheep, and castle ruins. After a two hour drive through the countryside we arrived in Dumfries. We arrived to St. Marys Church on English Street and found the burial tombstone of my ancestors- John Gallacher, his wife, two sons, and five other relatives. We brushed it down and removed some of the built-up dirt and cobwebs. I felt so honored to stand there. I hope our family in the future continues to take pride and seek us (maybe my great great great great granddaughter will find me one day). We also found the house he once lived at 69 English Street in 1851. With our stomachs grumbling we went to have lunch and a pint at the Globe Inn where famed poet Robert Burns (he wrote Auld Lang Syne) often wrote. There was one mishap, we first went to another pub by the same name first. My parents had recommended the Globe, but I was really taken aback by the putrid smell, nasty floors, peanut shells, and paint stripped walls of the seedy bar we entered. Seems they have been in on the joke and a lot of tourists come there first and just stay since they are thirsty. We ended up finding the right Globe Inn though and had a great cozy lunch. Back to the road we went to Prestwick, home of the founding of the British Open. Atop a hill overlooking the old course next to a tiny chapel is the grave of my 5x great grandfather Feryle and several other relatives. He has an amazing view of the sea and a famous golfing landmark.
I am still so excited to have connected with my roots. It was a once in a lifetime experience!! Now off to PARIS!!!! Could it get any better?!?