"Eee-den-burg." "No, no... It's Eh - din - bur -oh." And after some more of this experimentation with mispronunciation, I finally heard from my friend Hamish the proper Scottish enunciation. "It's Eh - din - brah!" I still have yet to de-program my brain completely and accumulate the exact way to say it, and though try as I might, I still end up saying Ee-den-burg. Ah, yes, still American it seems! So, we began this day with a hearty breakfast and a couple of good laughs, and further solidified plans for the upcoming days. My friend Hamish managed to line up a gig for us a little outside of Callendar (Thanks Hamish!) and we also made the commitment to travel to Iona that day, although the trek to get there was a bit complicated... (More about this later!) So, because this is the way things often seem to go with us, sometimes we make plans, and then life says, "Nope, sorry, I've got other plans for you! " and this is how this day happened. We had planned to go on one of the free Scottish Highlands tours, the hooty yeti bus or something along those lines, but alas, perhaps due to the nature of it being free, the tour was sold out for the day. So Hillary and I ventured out into the city to discover what more secrets and beauty Edinburgh would reveal to us. We stumbled upon a place called, "The Whole Works," a holistic health care center which just so happened to have reflexology, which just so happens to be Hillary's favorite therapeutic thing to do! We'd actually half-joked about getting massages in Scotland for our shoulders since we'd been carrying so much weight. Well, lo and behold they had availability for Hillary and one appointment open for a "Therapeutic Massage" for me. Perfect. So after making our appointments for later, we meandered about the streets of Edinburgh, soaking up the still-miraculous weather. Apparently, they haven't had a summer like this in 10 years. Lucky ducks we are ! We stumbled upon the jazz and blues festival and bought some affordable tickets to see an incredibly talented rag time pianist in a beautifully remodeled cathedral/church. She was from St. Louis, Missouri, and her name was Stephanie Trick. We were transported into another world. Listening to her graceful spirit shine through as she tickled the ivory keys of her white-as-snow bay grand piano, we lost track of time and place and simply were present with the music. But before this blissful musical performance, Hillary and I experienced a different kind of excursion, which she'll tell you about now... As some of you may or may not know, I love whisky. I love it on the rocks. I love it neat. Sometimes I like sipping on a glass before a show or before I sleep. I love whisky. (Especially with ginger beer) Naturally, when I came upon a distillery tour on our first day in Edinburgh, I knew we would have to make time to experience the process of making whisky in the country from which it originated. We went on the tour without any expectations and it ended up being an hour n' a half long experience from start to finish. First, there was a little barrel ride that informed us of the entire process of making a single malt whisky. Then, we were taken to a special room where we were introduced to the four main types of whisky, their regions and unique flavors. They are Highland, Lowlands, Islay, and Speyside. Highland whisky has more of a smooth vanilla flavor whereas something from Lowland has more citrus flavor. (Grapefruit, in particular) Islay is extremely smokey and they compared Speyside to... Bananas. I didn't get the banana thing, but my nose didn't prefer that kind anyway. I ended up sampling a highland whisky and Hannah chose a lowland. Once we had our generous pour, we were taken to the coolest room I've ever seen. It was filled with 3,500 collected bottles of whisky- the largest collection of whisky in the world. The walls of this room were basically glass cases and from the ceiling to the floor, all you saw was whisky. We gathered around a round table where we were shown how to taste whisky. The most important part about tasting whisky is actually using your nose. We were told its best to open your mouth as you smell the whisky in order to get the most accurate "read" on the whisky. It definitely came in handy and I'm probably going to do that ritual every time I have a glass now! The best part of the tour was definitely walking around the room with a newfound knowledge and appreciation of whisky while gawking at the thousands of bottles on display. Needless to say, it was money well spent and I have no shame for falling into that "tourist trap" :) I could geek out even more about the experience... But I should probably leave space so Hannah can talk about the rest of our adventurous day! ... Thank you Hillary, newly certified whisky conessouir. After our adventures at the distillery and concert, it was time for our bodies to stop, rest, and take a break. Taking long bus rides and trains and planes every day can be pretty exhausting to the body, not to mention all the new sights and sounds combining to create "information overload" in our psyches. What started out as a simple way to relax turned into an intense emotional release! Both our practitioners, in addition to understanding the physical body, somehow also understood its connection with stored emotions. Certain areas of the body hold tension, and as a friend of ours would say, "Your biology [aka body] becomes your biography." It tells the story of where you've been. So, apparently these professionals had seen quite a few patients, as their authenticity and compassion created a safe space to let go. Their wisdom and gentle attitude provided not only a relaxation for our muscles, but also for our emotional health. What a beautiful, transformative experience that was for both of us! To dive deeper into the mysteries and wisdom our own bodies hold... And so, though in the morning we'd talked to our waiter about going dancing/clubbing later (haha!), we instead spent the evening further processing and reflecting on that experience, and really having a heart-to-heart conversation about the things that challenge us right now. All in all, it was a magnificent day, rich with meaningful experiences and time well spent :) More stories and reflections coming soon! Love, The Arrow & the Bow
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