Fall break wonders

Another week with lots and lots of pictures - we hope you don't mind. As most of you know, we went to Edinburgh, Scotland for three days of our fall break to meet Mark and Jan Kelley. What a smashing time we had with them. Edinburgh hasn't changed much - more Starbucks than I remember but just as many Pizza Hut's. We avoided the Pizza Hut and only stopped at one of the five Starbucks we found there.

But, before we get to the trip, a quick language lesson. Okay, when picking a name for a café, one should probably avoid words which, when Americanized, make the place sound less than appealing. Case in point: the sign for this café on a square in Basel makes it sound like they came in last place in a rating context because the food was less than edible.


What the sign actually says is that they have a sausage grill on Barefoot Square (Barfüßerplatz or "Barfi" in the dialect). We have been by this place several times (our tram passes by on the way to church each week) but I finally got a picture. I still haven't gotten the nerve to try the vittles.

Oh, here is a great picture on the same square of a tram sponsored by a bank. Get it? Piggy bank... We loved it! Delynn suggested that it looks like something from Disneyland...


As long as we are in Basel, I'll lay out a few pictures from our trip there Saturday. The weather was peerless, the market was fragrant with fall, the pedestrian zones were bustling - it was a perfect day.

Basel Rathaus (City hall) with the fall market (Herbstmarkt) on the square

Rathaus courtyard above. Same courtyard with Delynn taking a quick break below.
This exceptional stained glass was in the Basel Münster - it was just one of many wonderful pieces there.

Okay, as mentioned, we did go to Edinburgh. We spent Monday visiting the Castle at the west end of the Royal Mile, visiting the Queen at the east end of the Royal Mile at Holyrood Palace (alas, she was not at home that day...) and stopping at nearly every tartan, cashmere and cheesy tourist shop in between. (Well, at least a couple...)

Nice view of the Castle from the bottom of Frederick Street were our hotel was situated.The view from Edinburgh Castle was again exceptional. That blue bit in the background is the Firth of Forth, a huge estuary and river system which we visited on our second full day in Edinburgh (more below).
More from the Castle - it costs 11 pounds per person to get in, so we spent a considerable amount of time there. Frederick street can be seen just to the right of my elbow...

Here are the intrepid travellers in one of the many little side alleys, or closes, that are scattered throughout Edinburgh. The enclosed pathways often lead to elaborate interior courtyards that allowed the more well off to have their residence off of the main street which was often overcrowded with selling stalls, people and animals (along with their odors...)

This is the Firth of Forth - we spend most of the day here. Can you believe this is in October? Most of the Scots were marvelling at how great the weather had turned. The train bridge behind the sailboat is one of the engineering marvels of the world. Built in the late 19th century, it took 5000 men working seven years to complete. It was a revolutionary design at the time and is the Scots equivalent to the Eifel Tower.

Finally, this is the 12th century Inchcomb Abby, lying on an island within the Firth of Forth estuary. We took a 90 minute cruise out to view the island and the wildlife. They are famous for the Puffins that inhabit this and nearby islands in the estuary, unfortunately the birds have migrated to their winter homes.

We greatly enjoyed our first break, especially the chance to see Jan and Mark. Back at it tomorrow with two days of teacher development. You know, I used to think that teacher development days (a.k.a. in-service days) were just days off for teachers. I have come to find out that we actually have to work... We will be focusing on biblical integration and curriculum mapping as well as various other topics.

Oh yeah, we got a tip on a Christian radio station, which we finally picked up. It comes out of Mulhouse, France and they have Christian music in French, Spanish, German and English. It is really cool to listen to praise songs that we know so well in English being sung in different languages, worshipping the same Lord.

We love you all - thanks for the comments and emails, we read them often and they make a huge difference for us; thank you also for your prayers. Nuf said.