This week was busy getting everything back to normal after being in Scotland all last week.
It was also back to baseball, gymnastics, play rehearsals, etc...
Lots of activities and beautiful weather this week!
Aiden loves baseball! He was looking forward to the season starting for weeks!
Aiden also loves mowing the lawn!
Not only is it fun to drive the riding lawn mower but he puts his headphones on and jams out while making the yard beautiful!
Fresh cut grass!!!
I also had to post.... all these delicious strawberries for only 5 euro!!
I managed to save enough strawberries to make 2 huge jars of jam! (More like strawberry sauce... but still delicious!)
We decided it wasn't quite cold enough so we headed a few hours north to the Highlands!
I had to take this picture in case it was the last picture ever taken of us. Yes, we were all scared about driving in Scotland (and a manual car even!)
Scottish for Yield?
It was really strange to drive on the left side of the road, to pass on the right, to have to look the opposite direction for oncoming traffic and for Jeremy to shift with his left hand. But.... he did so great!
Gas station food in Scotland
All the sandwiches had coleslaw in them
The most unique chip flavors! I wanted to try just a few from each bag! My absolute favorite was the Curry Chips.
These shortbread cookies were everywhere too. So good!
Driving through the Highlands
The church cemeteries looked like they were out of a movie!
Yes, the Highlands have snow!
Our little town for a few days
Our very quaint and charming hotel
Loved the rooms! We had to get 2 rooms.
Normally it's boys and girls but this time we put all the kids in their own room. They did great by themselves.
The view from our window. I had to get out and explore right away!
Out hotel had a Michelin star restaurant inside, which also happened to be just about the only place to get food in our little town.
We loved their menu though so that was ok. The best part was that they brought us ice water with lemon as soon as we set down.
Ahhh...... the little things!
Tomato and sweet potato soup
Fish and chips with mushy peas
The menu called this haggis but it tasted more like beef stew
Aiden got the lamb, Connor had a steak sandwich on foccacia bread, and Whitney got a beef/haggis burger.
Throughout the week we ate just about everything on the menu between the 5 of us!
We woke up the next morning to a fresh coat of snow. Absolutely beautiful!
Aiden's camera is so much better than mine!
Breakfast by a wood-burning stove
The waitresses spoiled the kids all week long. They promptly brought them a large hot cocoa with whipped cream and marshmallows every morning.
We loved the daily Scottish breakfasts! (except for the haggis)
The little shopping area in the town
Almost $1,000 for a bottle of Scottish whiskey!!
Stopped inside a little cafe
Even the local police station is charming! (And they have their own garden?)
Off on a crazy adventure!
Jeremy booked a day of activities for us in the Highlands.
More hot cocoa to warm up before our next activity
The competition was fierce! But, Connor came out with the fastest lap.
We all came out dirty and cold!
Time for some archery
Our instructor was so great with the kids! We had had sore sides and cheeks from laughing so hard.
Whitney did great! She realized it's harder than it looks on cartoons.
These two were tied the whole time and went into a sudden death round. Aiden ended up getting a bullseye and winning!
Another delicious dinner at our hotel that night but this time with dessert! Sticky pudding... more like a cake with caramel sauce on it. oh my!!
After-dinner cuddles and movies after a really long, fun day!
A really beautiful drive through the Highlands on a castle scavenger hunt
Sheep everywhere!
We wanted to take one of the baby lambs home with us. Sooooo cute!!
We were wondering if Pheasant was the Country bird. They were everywhere!
Castle #1: Kildrummy
All that is left are ruins of the castle but it is easy to use your imagination. We were the only ones there which felt a little eerie. More of my ancestors possibly lived in this castle - in the 1200s the Bruce's were there and in the 1300s the Stewarts were there, both in my family line.
This old home is on the next to the castle ruins but is unused today and is believed to be haunted. *shivers*
Trying to figure out how to get to the ruins.
So pretty! But a little creepy... fresh snow without any foot prints, not another person in site, and everything is fenced off.
We had no choice but to hop the fence!
The chapel. I guess it was really beautiful when the sun would shine through.
The kitchen
The bread oven
The "Latrine Chute". This is where they would pour their bodily fluids down the side of the tower.
A very sturdy looking bridge to use to cross the little stream!
Castle #2: Fraser Castle
The home of several of my ancestors. It was constructed in the 1500s by Michael Fraser (the 6th Laird of Fraser) and then passed down through the family line of Frasers until almost 1900 when the last Fraser died childless. His widow was forced to sell in the 1920s to the Pearsons who used it as a shooting lodge until the 1970s when it was given to the National Trust of Scotland. This castle was the exact opposite of the Kildrummy castle - very well kept and even had a lot of it's original furniture!
Jane Hays was married to Charles Fraser and had 14 kids in 16 years in the early 1800s in this castle!
This was a smoking room for the men. Those "footrests" are actually really large ashtrays when you lift up the lid
These are gout stools. Apparently the diet caused a lot of gout back then - lots of alcohol and meat. The men would rest their feet on these stools to relieve the pain.
This was the children's room... I'm hoping all 14 kids weren't in this one room!
The bassinet, however, was used with all 14 babies.
The bed for the Lady of the Castle
In the fenced area are the old bee hives they used to collect honey. The other building were horse stables.
The second oldest tree in Scotland - dating back to the 1700s
Charles Fraser with his hat and a hand written receipt
Charles Fraser was shot in the head and survived because one of the patches sewn onto his hat stopped the bullet. In the case is his hat and the bullet that almost killed him. He did however lose his leg in another battle.
One of his many legs
This rocking horse was very expensive back then and used by all of their children
An entire room FULL of stuffed animals - including dogs and cats
One of the "toilets" - they would use the vase on the bottom to do their business and then wash in the basin on top. The servants would then come to empty both.
Others would just go right next to their beds
The Laird had a secret room with a vent that was used for spying. They were practicing catholics but could not be caught worshiping so someone would be on the lookout while others worshipped in the chapel next door.
The vent on the bottom went to the great hall so they could listen to see who was coming
Elyza Fraser was the first female Laird
Another spy hole
The other side of the spy hole
This was an underground hiding spot in their chapel for their worship materials.
When they heard someone coming they quickly hid everything in this secret hiding place.
The Fraser family crest includes strawberries that you also find all over the castle due to their name coming from the French word for strawberry "Fraise"
They had an area to sign if you were from the Fraser family line
I wish this picture would have turned out better. Lots of Frasers and some Drummonds - who are also our ancestors.
We could not go up one section of the castle because we were told there were bats living in it and bats were protected in Scotland. However, I can't help but wonder if it was due to the princess who was brutally murdered in the tower and people say she still haunts it today.
Castle #3: Dunnottar Castle
Unfortunately, due to flooding, this Castle was closed when we went to see it. This castle has to be the most dramatic by far! It is also said to be one of the most haunted castles in Scotland, home to several ghosts, including a "green lady".
It was freezing and the wind was INTENSE! Aiden tried to use an umbrella to block the wind but it was pointless.
We could understand why this castle must have been very hard to overtake
We had 6 castles on our list but we were done!
Back to our little hotel and a delicious dinner! Once again I forgot to take a picture first.... I had Hake and potatoes and Jeremy had a haggis and beef burger.
Last day in Scotland... we decided to keep it low key and see a movie in a REAL movie theater in English!
We surprised the kids with Ready Player One.
Outside the movie theater was the Britannia, her Majesty's Royal Yacht - so cool!
Returned the rental car right on time without a scratch! Now on another double decker headed to our hotel by the airport.
The Edinburgh Castle from the other view
We had it in our heads that our flight left at 11 and then realized that morning it left at 9! Yes, we panicked and packed up in 10 minutes. Everyone was still half asleep on the taxi ride from the hotel.
Goodbye Scotland! Unforgettable experience of a lifetime!
We must have looked ridiculous with our big heavy coats! It was warm and sunny in Italy!
Home Sweet Home!
Kayla made a new friend while we were gone!! :)
What a difference.... hats and gloves yesterday and dinner outside wearing shorts tonight!
To end the week off right, we enjoyed a BEAUTIFUL walk/bike ride in our little town to go get our first gelato of the year!
As we approached our local gelateria (which also happens to be the BEST that we've had in Italy) we were wondering why there was a mass of people in the parking lot....
We soon realized it was the line for gelato!!! We have NEVER seen a line this long in the 31/2 years that we've been going here! I guess everyone else had the same idea as us.
All of our regular flavors with some new ones!!
We all agreed it was worth the wait! Except Connor who refused to come with us.
