July 7, 2008 - Stirling

We spent the morning taking a walking tour of Pitlochry. It's a small town, only about 2,000 residents. But in the summer the town thrives on tourists. It's a pretty town with very friendly people. It has one main street, filled with interesting shops and lots of flowers.

We seem to have the celebrities following us around. Last night Elton John played just down the road from us.

I forgot to mention yesterday that after the ecumenical service we visited Chequers Nursing Home. We visited with several of the residents in the day room. It was a rewarding experience for both groups. One of the residents, Christina, was celebrating her birthday, so we sang to her. We also sang our national anthem for them before we left. I spent quite a bit of time with a delightful little lady named Helen. She had a great time looking through my photos from home. She loves animals and I had some bird pictures, some of the deer, and, of course, Lil'E and Oliver. She loved them. I brought little bottles of Bath and Body Works lotions for the ladies I visited.

We left Pitlochry after bidding farewell to Pauline, the area director for Scotland. She was a lifesaver in helping me locate the doctor. Then, after the sick delegates were checked out, she took us to her home, fed them soup and ice cream, and even had some sparklers for them to light before we left.

We drove to Stirling for lunch at a cute little spot called Birds & Bees. It was decorated like an old pub and the food was great! We had salad and huge baked potatoes topped with chili or cheese. But the best part was dessert. It was a wonderful little concoction called Sticky Toffee Pudding. It was the consistency of gingerbread, but oh, so much better!

We needed that great lunch for our next adventure. We explored the Wallace Monument, which is visible throughout Stirling. The path up to the monument is quite a hike. It sits at the top of the hill, and the path to it is winding and steep. Then, once you reach the monument, it" a 246-step climb to the top the staircase is similar to one in a lighthouse, narrow and spiraling. Fortunately there are landings at three different levels with information about the monument and the opportunity to catch your breath before you continue to the top.

When we reached the top it was raining (I think it's because we were in another stratospheric level!), but it didn't diminish the marvelous view of the countryside. We could also see Stirling Castle, the castle Wallace defended.

The trip back down the hill was a challenge, since the path was wet. We managed to get back down with only one minor mishap (no, it wasn't me).

The hostel we're staying in for the next two nights is really neat. It's an old building just a short walk to Stirling Castle.

Tomorrow: Edinburgh.