Edinburgh visit

Today we explored Edinburgh. We had a little mcdonalds breakfast this morning since it was right across the street. My kids polished off 8 pancakes between the 2 of them. Crazy. Learned that they just must not have chocolate milk or something, 2 times we ended up with chocolate shakes which the kids hate thank god for that. Our hotel has an amazing view, at least from Melisa's room. The kids like to hang out on the bay window and look out. We have the sir Walter Scott monument right out the window there which is just amazing. I can't take enough pictures of it. This morning they had pipers playing in front of it. The hop on hop off bus is also righ out in front of the hotel as well. We got lucky. That was the first thing we did this morning was to get on the bus and view the city. Too bad Jeannie wouldn't let me listen to the recording. I took lots of pictures, the bus gives a fantastic view from the top of the double decker. The kids were so excited to see the Edinburgh castle up on the mountain. Jeannie calls it momma's castle. We hopped off right where we hopped on and let the kids get the wiggles out in a really night grassy park right under the Scott monument. They all chsed each other in circles for a little then we made our way up the hill to the castle. When we arrived there we found out that the queen was visiting so the inner portion of the castle was closed off. However, after we ate lunch there in the courtyard we found. Out that the queen was going to be driving through! There were hardly any people there so we got a very good view of her and she waved at us. We were only a few feet from her. I loved how the castle seemed to just grow right out of the mountain. It was so beautifully built I could just look at it forever. We went through a couple of the exhibits showing the military dress and styles and then found out that we would be seeing the queen driving out as well. This time there was even less people! Again we got to wave at the queen. Mom was just kidding when she mentioned waving to the queen to one of the people working earlier. When we made it out later Scott swore he saw her again. We then made it down the hill. Jeannie finally fell asleep. She was exhausted and crazy there for a while. Scott and Melisa went to some really cool pizza joint and mom, dad and I and the kids went into the elephant house to see the inside where jk Rowling write her books then greyfriars bobby pub for lunch. I had Good fish and chips there and Jeannie stayed asleep for me.  We then caught up with Melisa and Scott and all went to the cemetery where grey friars Bobby's master is buried. Loved the headstones there! Everything is so old it really takes you back. It is like nothing in the states. There were the most beautiful headstones I have ever seen there. I Took lots of pictures of them. They were like nothing I have seen, so intricate. We let the kids run wild in there again and then headed back to the grassy park for a few minutes. We heard some rock style piping on the other side of the museum and wished we had the energy to seek it out. The kids danced a little and then we headed back to the hotel to get ready for bed. Mom, dad and Scott jwent out for whiskey this evening, I was too pooped.