Traveling by Train

We woke up early on Sunday May 12th to start our trek by train to Lower Largo, Scotland.  We walked with our luggage (2 suitcases, a pack, a computer bag, and a carry-on bad) to our nearest Metro stop.  We had to transfer two times to make it to Gare du Norde in order to catch our ride through the Chunnel.  One of the pieces of luggage is very poorly designed, and has been the cause of much anguish on past trips.  The wheels are very close together so if you start walking quickly or go over an uneven surface it begins to wobble very badly.  Walking the distance we had to cover quickly in order to not miss our train was not very agreeable to this suitcase.  I was proud of Bobby for keeping his composure through it all...I just had to keep laughing (under my breath of course) at the comedy of our entourage.  We have decided that we would love to somehow consolidate even more so that traveling is not so laborious...hard to know what can go though...

We made it to London and rested for an hour in the First-Class Lounge.  We then boarded a train to Edinburgh.  We were all able to sleep in our first class seats. ;)  We watched movies, ate, colored, ate more, and watched the beautiful scenery.  Once in Edinburgh, we had to transfer to another train in order to get to Lower Largo.  Our apartment in Edinburgh wasn't ready so we decided to spend 5 days on the coast in a very small fishing town about 30 minutes outside of Edinburgh.  We only had 20 minutes to make the transfer with all of our gear and were a little nervous.  We were surprised by the care some of the passengers provided us to make sure we made it to the train with ease.  Two couples walked with us, helping us keep the kids occupied while showing us the way around the train station.  It was very nice the generosity of these strangers.

Amelie & Liam playing in the First Class Lounge.

Liam playing with the sugar packets while Amelie watches a movie.

We were able to see lots of sheep, cows, and horses from our window.

Once near Lower Largo, our gracious hosts picked us up from the train station and drove us to the apartment.  We were pleasantly surprised to find a cake, fresh fruit basket, and a goody basket full of treats/food.   So far, we have LOVED Scotland!

I am always relieved at the end of a traveling day when the kids behave and all goes smoothly.  I am thankful how well they roll with the punches.  They are amazing!! :)