We woke to a warm sun and gentle breeze,
perfect weather to train across the river
and explore one of the ancient capitols of Scotland,
and explore one of the ancient capitols of Scotland,
Dunfermline!
Here is a 45-second visual of our journey across the fife,
with a peek into my musical friend's studio!
Not knowing a thing about the town before we arrived,
we stepped off the train into a quiet neighborhood,
following the most interesting sign we found.
We fell in love with the houses along our walk.
I felt like I was living in a poem.
Dunfermline, as we learned from helpful signs,
is the ancient seat of King Robert the Bruce
who ruled Scotland in the early 1300s.
He is a most famous king,
known for warring with England for Scotland's independence.
Bruce King.
Hee hee.
The abbey and palace stood proud and strong on a hushed hill of green and tombstones.
Bells tolled to mark time's passing,
birds tittered in the trees,
and all else was silent.
King Charles I was born in this ancient capital,
known for his deviation from political and religious traditions,
his people plunged into civil war and ended his reign with execution.
He also fathered King James VII who inspired the Jacobite uprisings in Scotland
when his daughter and her husband claimed his throne in England.
The Jacobite rebellion is a popular topic in Scottish history,
one I find to be incredibly fascinating,
much to the thanks of the book and TV series, Outlander.
Leaving the peace of the palace, we strolled down the path
and found ourselves in the breathtaking Pittencrief Park.
Dogs and children played in the vast green fields around us
as we lunched in the park's cafe, The Peacock Room.
Mmm, I could've soaked in the sun and grass all day if we had the time.
Ordering the daily soup (tomato basil), I was shocked when they brought it to me,
the portions seeming much more American than British.
Ken-kun's tuna melt toastie seemed a lot more manageable.
One of my favorite British words... toastie.
Topping it all off with a famous original Cornetto!
(I snarfed the top, Ken-kun polished off the gluten-y cone.)
We rambled farther into the park, trying to walk off our lunches.
Isn't this museum so perfectly orange? Oh, I love.
We saw so many dogs and flowers, my heart nearly burst.
But then we realized our train was leaving soon and we were off again,
whisked away to the tiny town of Dalgety Bay.
And before I knew it, I was meeting one of the most inspirational musicians
I've had the pleasure of working with,
Fox Amoore!
He welcomed us into his home with all the hospitality of a Scot,
offering us Scotland's other national drink after whisky, Irn-Bru.
(Psst... it really does taste like oranges and bubble gum.)
And then he showed us his studio, the place where magic is made.
You can find the song we listened to here. I'm the siren, hee hee.
We toured the town, Fox proving to be the best type of tour guide,
leading us to curious places off the beaten path.
And then, we found the beach.
The waves lapped sleepily over stones, the water ruffled slightly in the breeze.
As our feet carried us nearer to the water, the winds picked up, tossing my hair in the air.
Oh, I felt alive.
And cold. Alive and cold.
Forth Bridge in the distance,
a bridge we used many times on our journeyings through Scotland,
and one we later discovered is slowly falling apart.
This old light post now offers a landmark for annual boat racers.
And near here, a young seal studied us from the waves before swimming closer.
After a few heartbeats later, satisfied, it disappeared under the water.
And this spot is allegedly a favorite alcove for young couples, hee hee.
A most contemplative Fox.
No wonder his music is so magical, if this is his home.
And then the clouds parted to reveal something we have never before seen,
a circle rainbow!
Fox lead us up a hill to ruins that looked newer than any others we had seen on our trip.
He asked us to guess what they might be.
"Chimney? An old house? Er... a farm?"
"An artillery emplacement."
Of course, Ken-kun guessed it, being the military buff he is.
Dalgety Bay housed shore guns for World War II, and this is all that remains of its story.
Dalgety Bay has it all, from shorelines to wee forests...
...to perfectly lovely walking paths.
Fox told us many flowers in Skyrim were inspired by Scottish flora.
I can believe that.
Did I mention I love this place? Because I do, so much.
We followed Fox to a local favorite eatery, Louie Brown.
I, of course, got the divine lamb shank.
Ken-kun chose more traditional Scottish food.
And Fox... er, Fox?
Fox, are you eating your burger with utensils?!
We laughed as he demonstrated different accents of the United Kingdom,
strolled back with him through the parks and greenery of Dalgety Bay,
and then all too soon it was time to board the train back to Edinburgh.
To be continued... in the next post!
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