During our cruising lives we tended to take the path less traveled.

We enjoyed spending nearly a month exploring Florida’s St. John’s River, hanging out in the Bahamas’ Red Shanks Anchorage for weeks, or meandering through the Great Dismal Swamp Canal.

So, why choose to fight the heat, crowds, and flight delays to visit Scotland, now? It’s our love of adventure and as Brother Dave has taught us, “those unknown stumbling blocks while traveling are just part of the world adventure”.

At noon Sunday, our friend Pete dropped us off at New Bern’s tiny Regional Airport, two hours before our flight. With no one at the American Airlines ticket counter, we were the second travelers in the building. In fact, there were more TSA Agents on duty then customers.

Traveling in our best commando, *not what you think*, that is traveling with only carry-on backpacks we settled in to enjoy our favorite sport, “People Watching”. As more travelers arrived, the terminal sprang to life…somewhat.

We watched the expression in the eyes of those entering the nearly empty terminal building, experiencing a small airport for the first time. It was almost as if they were saying, “But…but…the web page said to be here three hours before my international flight”. We told one young Marine, “it’s alright, here only one aircraft goes out at a time”.

Fifty-five minutes after boarding our small commuter jet we were in Charlotte. Then came the long 7+ hour flight to London-Heathrow. Working on the “next day” with little sleep we watched flight delays and cancellations pop-up on the Departure Screen. Then, after what seemed a lifetime of delayed boarding, Heathrow to Edinburgh Gate A-4 appeared, we were on our way.

On the eve of Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival and Historic Military Tattoo, Scotland, the UK, and much of Europe, is experiencing unprecedented record high temperatures. Wouldn’t many travelers be deterred? Guess we will see over the next few weeks.

The high temperature here is forecast to be Forty-one, today. Your first thought might be, “hope you packed warm clothes”! But, that is 41 degrees Celsius or nearly 106 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fair (Cool) Winds and Quiet Anchorages,
Jeff and Wendy