The Royal Yak

It seemed appropriate to be a cheapskate in Edinburgh.  The Scottish are fond of being thrifty--and vocal about it.  So I bought "The Royal Edinburgh" package from the tour bus company.  Two days of bus tours (any of five different bus companies), tickets to the Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Royal Yacht Brittania, and a kids activity pack.

These are the signal flag storage boxes.

Since we're getting on the Queen Mary II in a week, I thought I'd help the kids get in the mood by touring the yacht. 

First, we spent a half hour giggling over the kids pretending to not understand the word yacht.  Olivia settled in calling it the Royal Yak within four minutes of me bringing up the topic.

Formal dining room.

By happy coincidence, we toured during the one week per year that the decommissioned ship welcomes back the sailors who served on her in the past.  Everywhere we went, there were men around to answer questions and tell stories.  We also got cake, champagne and rum (I skipped the last one, the kids skipped the last two).

This lounge was lovely.  Plus, I love it when nice strangers offer to take photos of the girls and I together.

The kids liked playing in the different crew social areas--mini-pubs, of sorts.

The laundry room seemed huge, but then I realized that this was a ship of state for the Queen, fer cryin' out loud.  Of course they needed everything perfectly pressed!

Behind the kids, you can see the tents with food and live music for the sailors. One shared that as long as he gives up a week of work, the crown pays for everything for the week--hotel, food, excursions.  He told me how his two marriages collapsed because of his military service.  Then he said it was for the best.  He had gone back to his bunk, unfolded it, sat down and cried.  "I didn't cry during either of the two divorces, but being back on this ship with these men really gets to me."  It was great talking with him.

The ship is behind this huge, half-empty (or should I be an optimist and say half full?) mall.  All three floors boast 30 foot ceilings.  So this cafe in the middle, which features an open wall on the sea, boasts a nearly-100 foot glass wall!  Gorgeous!  We should've had tea here, but I was scared we'd miss our bus back to the hotel.  Next time.