The Roods at Inverkeithing

We finally made it to our new B& B, the Roods at Inverkeithing, after an interesting course of events, one of which involved the minor emergency room at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.

Rest assured that all is well, but Marty had some issues with a back problem and after two days of suffering I finally convinced him to get someone to look at him.  After 2 hours of waiting, he was examined by a highly competent doctor who gave him some meds for the pain and sent us on our way.

She did mention that Physical Therapy would be of great help, but was not an option, since the waiting lists are quite long and it would take more than two weeks for anyone to actually schedule an appointment with a PT here in Scotland.   Free healthcare might be great, but it seems to me that waiting more than 2 weeks for relief would be quite a drag.

Our original intention was to get a prescription for muscle relaxants since they had proven affective in the past.  We were surprised when the doctor told us that they do not prescribe muscle relaxants in Scotland because there is no way to monitor who is receiving the medication in order to prevent abuse of the drug.  So the thinking is that strong enough pain relief will essentially stop the back from spasming.

We were certainly relieved  that Marty's problem stems from simple back strain and not something more serious.  And, thanks to my jaunt to ASDA yesterday morning, we now own a hot water bottle with a nice fuzzy white cover.   Can you beat that for a souvenir?  I figured that white was the best choice since the other options were a super hot-pink fur and cookie monster blue fur.  Actually, put a couple of eyeballs on it, and it would look like you were squishing cookie monster.  Yep, white was the best option and it has already gotten great use.

But I digress.  As I was saying we finally made it here, and I stress the word finally because, as it turns out, we were ringing the bell of the next door neighbor quite by mistake.  Marty called the B& B number, and the man who answered was explaining that the doorbell no longer worked, but I heard it ring no less than 4 times.  (Ok, so I rang it twice....I knew someone had to be inside!)  Quite luckily, the neighbor was not at home, but when I told the story to Isobel, she laughed and said that I should have simply yelled "Trick or Treat" had they answered  the door.

I have the feeling that the poor neighbor must put up with this quite a lot as The Roods is definitely not standing out in view.  I'm just relieved that they weren't home, or if they were, that they chose to ignore us.  Really, quite embarrassing, but after the morning that we had, I was just anxious to check in to the place.

Now that we are here, I can tell you that we are once again in for a real treat.  Pat, Isobel's husband, was home to greet us, and he immediately told us that he owned a Steeler's shirt with Santonio Holmes name on it.  I can't recall how the subject came up, except he seemed to think that everyone from the United States was a Steeler's fan.   He went onto brag about how Holmes scored the winning touchdown in the last Steeler's superbowl.  Now, would you have guessed that there would be Steeler's fans in Scotland?

He also went on to tell us of a previous guest, who when Pat mentioned his ties to the Steeler's, began to frown and say that he did not like the Steelers.  Pat was shocked by this comment.  He said that he told this guest that he thought everyone liked the Steelers in America.  The guest  commented that there were plenty of people who hated the Steelers because they played "dirty".

Before Pat could go any further, I stopped him and said,  "Let me guess, they were Baltimore Raven fans.!"

Guess what?  They were from Baltimore!

Can I call it or what?  Pat was really surprised that I was right on the money in identifying where this man came from.  I personally think that any Steeler's fan would have been able to come to the same conclusion as I with no further prompting.

But now, Pat is eager to wear his Steeler's shirt tomorrow so that he can share his enthusiasm with us.  Opportunities like this don't come along too often.

The ties to Pittsburgh here never cease to amaze me!

Isobel was out when we first arrived, but when I snuck down to meet her upon her return, she was quite excited to share some of her Halloween fun that she has ready for tomorrow evening. She showed me a bowl filled with candy which has a skeleton head attached.  When  you reach for a piece of chocolate, the head lunges forward and the skeleton yells "You can't have that!  It's all mine".  Quite entertaining.

What's even more entertaining is hearing that it scared the bejeepers out of Pat last night who was obviously attempting to sneak a piece of chocolate only to be caught by surprise.

In any event, Marty had a very long meeting via teleconference today, and when he was finally finished, Pat drove us to the next town to a lovely restaurant called the Clubhouse.  We were going to take the train, whose station lies just across the street, hidden behind a stone wall, but he insisted on giving us a lift, and we took him up on the offer.

Dinner was fabulous,

 and when we were finished, we easily walked across the street from the restaurant, hopped the train, and were back in Inverkeithing within 3 minutes.  You just can't beat that for convenience!

Let me leave you with a photo of my scrumptious dessert:  Chocolate iced terrine with raspberries and Vanilla Ice cream.  Served on a slate.  I have no idea why.  But, I can tell you that it was quite decadent.

Yep!  I have the feeling that it's going to be a great couple of days.

Laying low at the Dunnikier House Hotel

Today was an off day for me, as we are staying in a B&B off the beaten track, north of Kirkcaldy and any adventures would involve me hiking about 2 1/2 miles to the train, and after all of the walking this past week, I decided just to stay and enjoy my surroundings.

Our room is on the top floor in the front of Dunnikier House Hotel.  It is on the far left of the photo as you look at it.  We have a lovely view of the Firth of Forth from the room.

If you look closely you can see two little white dogs romping along the path with their owners strolling along behind.  I had a great time watching those two dogs running back and forth in circles on the property, always returning to their owners when called.  Great afternoon entertainment.

I ventured out this morning for a walk since the weather was perfect.  Sunny with just a bit of a chill.

As I walked along, I turned around to photograph the  Dunnikier

And here is a photo from the street. The hotel is there in the middle, believe it or not.

As you can see, the place is more than a wee bit from the road. 

And,  just for the record, golfing is obviously not permitted on the front lawn. 

 I had quite an enjoyable walk, returning through Dunnikier park which is adjacent to the hotel.  In the back of the hotel there is a golf course which was quite busy today. As I could hear them on the other side of the hedge, wondering if I needed to worry about a errant ball hitting me in the head, I actually thought to myself, that if I played golf, this would have been the perfect day to do so. 

But instead I spent the day enjoying a great meal in the restaurant for lunch, and reading a book, first by the fire in the lobby, and then by the window of the room.

So, today's blog doesn't have anything too exciting to share.  

Wait!  Except that being in Scotland, I was able to watch an episode of Downton Abbey that will not be released in the United States until January.  Amy and I have enjoyed this Masterpiece Theater program in the past, and we were both looking forward to Series 3.  So, this was definitely a treat for me! 

Unfortunately, it was obvious that a LOT happened since this new series began, but I still  have those episodes to look forward to this winter.  And, don't worry, I don't plan on leaking any secrets in the meantime.

Also, something that I've been meaning to mention.  This is in reference to the word, Slippy.  Coming from Pittsburgh, I never realized that this word is not one that is used regularly in other parts of the country until I moved to Berks County, where the local people were not familiar with the word.  I just added it to the list of Pittsburgh words like Yinz, gumband, worsh, etc.  

But guess what?  I've heard the word several times while in Scotland.  Particularly in Dunfermline.

So, I have a theory.  I can't help but wonder if the word originated in Pittsburgh from Andrew Carnegie and the Scots who emigrated to the Pittsburgh area.  After all, there has to be some link.

Oh, and I also forgot to mention a VERY important fact related to Stonehaven.  This is the birthplace of the man who invented the pneumatic tire, Robert Thompson.  Now there's a great piece of info to pass along, don't you think?  Everywhere we go, we find some interesting fact worth passing on.  You really must admit, the Scots really do have an incredible history.

In the meantime, I leave you with an evening view from the window in our room, taken just as the sun was setting.  The light blue in the background is the Firth.

Tomorrow we transfer to a different hotel, closer to a train link, so that I can go out exploring if I choose to.  It won't offer this type of view, but I'm fairly certain that there will be some type of excitement that I will be able to share.

After all, I haven't disappointed you so far, have I?

Continuing the Scottish Castle Tour

Sunday morning began with Mass at the local Catholic Church in Stonehaven.  For as ornate as the outside is, the inside was surprisingly stark.  And, obviously unheated as there was quite a chill inside.  But the priest made everyone feel quite comfortable and he smiled a lot during the service.  He began his sermon with a reference to something that Benjamin Franklin had said at the Constitutional Congress, which I found interesting, since I'm sure he did not expect Americans to be listening to his homily!

A pipe organ added to the service, and I particularly enjoyed the version of Amazing Grace, which was one of my grandmother's favorite hymns.  The sound of the congregation singing radiated through the interior, making it that much more enjoyable.

It was obvious that we were not locals, and as we were exiting the church, one of the woman from the parish named Mary invited us to the hall next door to join their weekly tea and biscuit bunch for a wee chat. 

What a delightful way to begin the day!  They were mostly women, but all were eager to learn about us and each felt the need to give us some sort of travel tip.  It was cold, miserable, and raining like crazy outside,  only making our indoor experience that much more enjoyable.

Soon the time was up, but not before Mary insisted on taking a photo of us outside the church in between the raindrops.

Ok, before you make judgement on my choice of outwear, let me just say that this cape is made of wool, and is actually quite warm,  and it repelled the water quite well, too!  The length keeps one's legs warm as well.  I purchased it in Edinburgh on my January visit and was surely glad that I brought it along for the trip. I may stand out in a crowd, but at least I'm cozy!

Ready to face the weather, we jumped in the car and headed to Dunnottar Castle on the coast of the North Sea, just south of Stonehaven.

This place was amazing.  The wind and the rain didn't keep us from exploring the grounds, which were really quite vast.  William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots, and King Charles II all found safe harbor in this castle at some time.

It was here that a garrison held out against Cromwell's army for 8 months and saved the Scottish crown Jewels.  They now have safe harbor at Edinburgh Castle.

What is so amazing about this castle is how it stands high on ground jutting out into the North Sea.  It really is surrounded on 3 sides by high cliffs and water.  And the 4th side takes some real climbing up and down a long series of steps in order to get to the castle.  Invading it surely could not have been an easy feat!

Words really cannot describe the beauty of the area where this castle stands.  Dolphins were swimming along the shore of the North Sea,  and sea birds were nesting in the rocks.  The crashing of the waves only enhanced the experience.

We really could have stayed longer, but the cold, rain and wind convinced us to travel on where we could spend time indoors away from the harsh conditions.

About half an hour away, along a beautiful scenic route featuring the autumn leaves along the hills,  was Crathes Castle, built in the 16th century.  (What were you expecting?)

This castle appears to be much smaller than some of the ones that we have visited, but the tour inside was spectacular.  We actually walked through 4 floors of the building.  We kept finding ourselves in a turret, making our way up the circular steps to the next floor for viewing.

The tour was self guided with information sheets in each room, so we could look about at our leisure.  There were guides in some of the rooms if we had any questions.

When we first entered the castle, there were a couple of features that I found to be interesting.  First of all, the walls were well over 6 ft. thick.  The doorways were deliberately made low to prevent anyone who might choose to invade from running through the castle at high speed.  An intruder would have to duck, thereby slowing his pace once inside.  Clever, don't you think?

But first, he would have to manage getting past the Yell, a special metal gate behind the wooden door, that was built in such a way that it would be very difficult to penetrate.

And, as if that wasn't enough to delay an invader, the 11th step up the turret tower is a "trip" step, designed as such to cause someone running up the steps to trip due to the slight difference in height.

The castle was built with 2 sets of turret steps so that the family could escape down the one set if invaders came up the other.

Personally, having seen a lot of castles, I'd say that the guy who built this one suffered from Invasion Paranoia.   In the history of the castle, it was never mentioned that it had been invaded, but I suppose that back in that time period one couldn't take too many chances.

No photos were permitted inside, except that we were permitted to open the windows on the top floor and get a beautiful shot of the gardens.

We had chosen not to tour the gardens, which was a smart move on our part, since the rain began to fall once again upon our exiting the castle.

By this point, with the change in the time, it was getting dark earlier, so we opted to head to Kirkcaldy, which was almost a two hour drive along the scenic roads of Angus.  We drove through Dundee, across the Firth of Tay and into Fife. Believe it or not, we could see the sun low on the horizon, and, luckily, it has lingered into this morning.

We are staying at the Dunnikier house which is an old hotel.  It has quite a bit of charm to it, with a roaring fireplace and big leather sofas in the lobby, but the rooms definitely show the age.
Our room is on the top floor, which involves many steps, but I am happy to be on top.  I feel bad for whomever might be below because it is impossible to walk anywhere without hearing the creaking of the floorboards.

We have a lovely view of the Firth of Forth in the distance, and I could watch the sunrise this morning, over the firth.  Just lovely.  I'll try to take a photo and post it so that you can see how lovely it is.

Time to enjoy the sun while it is shining!

Exploring the Sites of Scotland

Can you guess what we saw yesterday?

Snow?  Yes….but only on the far distance mountains.

Castles?  You betcha!

A man with a mattress?  Nope….and that was probably for the better anyway.

I have to admit that the arctic blast has definitely hit and the temps were pretty frigid.  

So, we bundled up and headed out early for a short drive  to Huntingtower Castle.  

This castle was previously known as Ruthven castle, and it has a unique history surrounding the kidnapping of James the VI of  Scotland (who became James the I of England) at the age of 16.  He was held there for 10 months prior to escaping, and he was not so kind to  the conspirators, including the owners of the castle, as a result of their successful plot.

The castle is very well maintained, and features a remarkable original painted ceiling.

But there is another story associated with the castle which I only learned while touring the castle,  that I would like to share with you bloggers.

This castle once consisted of two towers, one square and one L-shaped.  It was built in such a fashion as to have a "house" for two families, namely brothers, who had originally lived on the property.  The towers were separated about 3 meters in length.  If you look at the first photo, take note of the middle part of the castle where there are 4 windows, 2 on each floor.  That part of the castle was not yet constructed at the time of the story.

There was a young maiden named Dorothy Ruthven who lived in the castle with her family in the square tower of the castle.  One day, a young man came to visit, and Dorothy's mother gave him a room in the L-shaped wing of the castle so that he could rest there for the night. During the course of the evening, the story goes that Dorothy quietly snuck up to this young man's room.  Unfortunately, the maid spotted Dorothy as she entered the room, and immediately went running to Dorothy's mother to inform  her of Dorothy's inappropriate behavior.

Needless to say, Dorothy's mother was in a rage at the news, and went running up the steps of the wing to confront the couple.

Dorothy, however, realized the danger she would be in if they were discovered, so she darted out the window, ran to the edge of the tower, and leaped across the 3 meter length to the tower where her own bedroom was.  Dorothy would have jumped from just about where I stood to take this photo to the round tower that juts out.  Remember, the middle part was not yet built at that time.

She somehow managed the jump unscathed. In the meantime her mother, when her mother arrived at the guest's room, she found him fast asleep, or at least he appeared to be.  

Not quite satisfied, she ran back down the steps, out the door to the other tower, up the steps, only to find Dorothy blissfully sleeping in her own bed....alone. 

Dorothy's mother was relieved at the sight, and went off to bed with no worries about the young couple.

The next day, Dorothy and the young man eloped and, according to the legend,  lived happily every after.  No one ever said what happened to the maid.  And I'm not quite sure what "happily ever after" constitutes in Scotland.....particularly back in that time period.  In today's world, I'd say that the young miss would have made quite an Olympic long jump athlete, though!

Here's how I look at it, Dorothy probably figured that she could die from falling and possibly break her neck, or she could risk having her neck broken by her mother if she was found out. So the jump was certainly worth the risk to her, and apparently all turned out well in the end.....according to the legend.   Great story to start the day, don't you think?

After our visit at the castle, we headed to Dunkeld, a small town on the Tay, where we were surprised to find quite a crowd of people. Apparently some type of festival was going on,and we were lucky to be able to find a parking spot so that we could check out the town.

It's a charming little town that lies along the River Tay.  The National Trust bought up a series of properties in Dunkeld, and they have been well preserved.  One of the houses still holds the "ell" on the side of the building.

The "ell" is a measure of length which was used by the scots for fabrics, etc.  The Scottish ell was standardized in 1661 at 37" long.  The ell faded into obscurity with the imposition of the metric system in 1824.

"Gie 'im an inch, and he'll tak an ell"  was a famous expression back in the day.

We walked around the town, checking out some of the sites

And Marty made a little friend:

Then, we hopped in the car and headed east to Glamis (pronounced Glams) Castle.

We were awed at the site as we drove down the lane towards the car park.

                                   

Look closely and you'll see the snow capped mountains in the distance.

This was the childhood home of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.  Elizabeth was the daughter of an earl, and this is where she grew up.  She married George, who became King when his brother Edward abdicated the thrown in order to married a divorced woman.  If you saw the movie, the King's Speech,  know that is the story about King George.

It interesting to note that the royal family considered Elizabeth to be a commoner.  I can't imagine living in a place like this being very common.

Our tour guide, Linda, was fabulous.  There were only four of us on the tour, and she admittedly gave us much more information than would have normally been given on a tour.  In fact, the next tour, which would have begun 1/2 hour after our's, was right on our tail, and Linda had to keep asking them to wait just a wee bit longer.

Unfortunately, once again, there was no photography permitted in the castle, but take my word for it when I tell you that it was spectacular.  I couldn't help but smile when Linda pointed out two small wooden chairs next to the huge fireplace in the one room.  She mentioned that the Princesses Elizabeth (now the queen) and Margaret would often come to this house to visit the grandparents.  The "wee" little chairs were for them to sit upon.  Of course, they would have had wee little Royal cushions on them so that their wee little Royal bottoms would be comfortable.  Of course!

On the way out of the castle, we had some entertainment from this Highland Cow (pronounced Coo).

The clever guy was quite adept at turning his head and working his horns through the wires so that he could munch on the freshly cut grass on the other side of the fence, only proving that the grass was much greener on the other side.

After our delightful tour of the castle, our travels took us to Stonehaven, which is located right on the North Sea.  We had a fabulous dinner in a nearby restaurant.  The owner of the B&B had booked a table for us on the second floor, overlooking the water.

 Can't say much about the view since it was already dark, raining, and the moon was hidden behind the clouds.  

But I can tell you that dinner was Fabulous!

Another fun day in Scotland

Did you ever notice the large signs along highways that light up and flash important information as you drive along?   Usually they warn you of possible congestion or hazardous conditions.

Well, today, as we drove along the M90 on the way to Perth (remember...pronounced Pear-th), we passed two such signs lit up along the highway.  Each said Snow Report.

We waited in anticipation for more information, but the sign never changed.  Sure, the temperatures are cold as a result of the Arctic blast hitting the area, but the sun was shining and the skies were a brilliant blue, so we're not quite sure what snow the sign was reporting.  We were kind of left hanging.   At least I can tell you that we've seen nary a snowflake where we are.

But speaking of signs.....I'd say this one pretty much takes the cake, as they say:

Sure seems kind of bazaar to me.  I have the suspicion that the man with the mattress has been alerted to the fact that someone is looking for him.  

But he must be doing a great job hiding out with his mattress, because the sign was still in the alert stage several hours later as we walked back from dinner.

It's hard to come up with an equally exciting description of the day in comparison with that last sign story, but we did manage to get to Scone (pronounced Scoon) palace and tour the rooms that were opened for viewing.  No interior photos permitted, sorry to say.  The place was really grandiose and actually has the longest hall in all of Scotland.

The castle is signficant since it once held the Stone of Scone (Interesting analysis here:  This is pronounced the Stone of Scoon....not the Stoon of Scoon).  This stone was famous because it was used for the coronation of the Kings of Scotland through 1296.  That's when Edward I stole it and had it placed in Westminster Abbey.   He, obviously, is not favored here in Scotland.

The stone has since been removed to Edinburgh Castle.  Whenever a coronation will take place, the stone will be pulled out and moved to England for the ceremony in order for the tradition to continue.

Here you see a photo of Marty on the replica of the Stone of Destiny, as it is sometimes referred to.

I know......, it's not as exciting as the man with the mattress sign...

So, here's a photo of Marty in Perth:

OOps...I promised him that I would't post that one.  Here's another photo of Marty in Perth:

Sorry, but I don't know the significance of the bird on the fish.  But it looked entertaining standing next to the river Tay.  (pronounced Tee....remember the story about Fay?)

And, here we are, together, using Marty's uncanny ability to take self photos:

Aahhh.  What talent that man has!

Off to enjoy another frigid, but beautiful, day in Perthshire!

Fun in Dunfermline

Today we make our departure from Dunfermline after Marty returns from the plant, which generally closes around noon.
True to form, the lovely proprietors had no problem with me hanging out in this lovely sitting room until Marty can come and pick me up.  The resident cat doesn't seem to have an issue with my presence either.  Last evening, he even strutted over to me and mewed a few times while making his way to the front of the fire to warm up a bit.

Unfortunately, he turned his head just as I was shooting the photo.

Interestingly enough, I'm allergic to cats, but this one hasn't bothered me a bit.  But he has been keeping his distance, and these people have a crew that comes in every day and cleans this place like my spring cleaning, so the chance of cat hair floating around is nil.

One of the features of this lovely room, is a small bar set up.

After Marty and I returned from a late dinner, we came into the room to warm up by the fire (remember...arctic blast).  Jim bounced into the room, and asked if we'd like a drink.  Well, it didn't take long for us to warm up after sipping some wonderful drinks, which Jim ended up giving us "on the house".  Did I mention how great these people are?  

Of course I did, but it certainly is worth stating it again.

I thought I'd have a bit of fun with this blog and share some items that I found to be amusing.  Of course, you may not have my sense of humor, but I'll risk it anyway.

I decided to tour the little museum in the Pittencrieff house and found myself following the children's mascot,  Calum the cockroach, who was great at giving out simple explanations for complicated geological subjects.  Much of it was rather interesting.  Did you know that the grey squirrel is not indigenous to Scotland?  They were brought here from the US.  And now they are outnumbering the red squirrel.  

This seems to be of some local concern according to Calum.  There is some speculation that the grey squirrel population is higher because these creatures  are not as discerning in what they eat, so their survival chances are better.  

All I have to say about that theory is that I didn't see any red squirrels getting into line for the peanut handouts.  Perhaps red squirrels don't enjoy peanuts and don't realize that beggars can't be choosy.  

Perhaps red squirrels are more tasty to foxes.  Who really knows?  I didn't spot one red squirrel while walking through the park, but nearly every bend that I took had grey squirrels in numbers.

Now let's move onto another subject:  Snails.

Did you know that snails have 25,600 teeth?

I don't know what your first reaction would be, but mine was wondering who in the world would take the time to count them?  Considering the size of a snail's mouth, I can't help but wonder if someone lost count.
And, they can sleep for 3 to 4 years without eating and drinking.  Can't figure out who is watching them that entire time to see if one of those little eyes pop open.

And, last, but not least, snails have no ears or nose, which may explain the extended sleeping time since no noises or smells would be waking them up.

Pittencrieff house has beautiful gardens which include a conservatory.  Inside I spotted a banana tree:

Some beautiful flower beds

Something called a donkey tail

which is apparently very fragile according to the sign.

Then there was this:

Socanum Mammosum, also known as the Nipple Fruit, Fox Face or Titty Fruit.
I'm not really sure who did the translating here.  It could be that great Scot sense of humor coming through.  If any of you readers know otherwise, please feel free to pass on the info.
All I know is that I laughed out loud when I read the description.  Luckily, I was alone in the building at the time.

Walking outside brought a truly spectacular view as the sun popped out.

And, now, just a few words about the Scottish language.  Most people presume that because the Scots speak English, that the language is the same.  But I suddenly realized that the Scots have a language of their own, and that I should be making every attempt to learn it since I'm walking around this country.

On my first day out at the Abbot House Museum, I learned that Fee is not a Scottish woman's name.  It is actually Fay, but pronounced Fee.

We will be traveling later today to Perth.  That is pronounced Pear-th.

And, we hope to see Scone castle.  And even though those tasty, melt in your mouth delights are pronounced as we would say it, I was politely corrected and told that the castle name is Scoon.

So, I have a wee bit problem with the language.  But no worries.  I'm still gavin a grand time.

The Andrew Carnegie Story

Didn't think I'd forget to highlight the life of Andrew Carnegie, did you?

His history is fascinating and worth sharing for those of you who may be interested in learning more about this man who has strong ties to the Pittsburgh area.


Andrew Carnegie was born in a cottage in Dunfermline,the son of a linen weaver.   Thanks to his wife, Margaret, who purchased it as a gift for him, the home still exists today and is open to the public for touring.

 Here you can visit the room where he was  born.

The same room was the kitchen, dining, and living area for the family.  The downstairs room was devoted entirely to the looms.

Now, here's what I learned about weaving looms:  the air must be kept humid to keep the flax threads from breaking.  So, the floor would have been dirt, and the room would have been cold since no fire was ever made near the loom for fear of drying out the threads.  

Two windows were in the rooms that held the looms because that was the only way to get light in order to see the intricate threads in order to weave the linen.

This loom is over 200 years old and you can see the beauty of the jacquard that is being woven on this machine.

Just imagine what it must have been like to have to depend on the light through the windows when the days in the winter are only 6 hours of sunlight, and even at that, much of the day can be cloudy.  Add to that extreme humidity, and it's no wonder these people suffered from rheumatism and trouble with their eyes!  

There is only one original item in the room where Andrew was born. That is a desk that was his father's.  He had sold it in order to pay the passage to the United States and the family of the buyer donated the desk to the museum.

Andrew's father was a highly skilled successful weaver.  His business prospered until the weaving process was replaced by machine.  Hand woven linen was no longer feasible in order to earn a living.   His father finally gave up the business and sold everything that he had to pay for the family's passage to America.  They set up residence on Rebecca Street in Allegheny City which I find interesting as this is the area near where Marty's family immigrated just about 10 years later.

Andrew's family had a child centered approach to family life which was unusual for the time.
They were avid readers of newspapers and they took great interest in the politics of the day.  Much of Andrew's love of books and political interests stemmed from the attention that he received from his mother.  He admittedly gave much credit to his mother regarding his success.

This was one of my favorite quotes in the heritage center: 

Now how nice is that?

Andrew trained as a telegraph operator, and soon realized that he had an unusual ability to translate the code by ear.  There were only 2 other people in the country with such a talent.  Now, this is something that I had never known.

His natural ability to translate code opened up many doors for him.  Soon he was an employee of the PA Railroad Co supervising the laying of telegraph wires along the tracks.

Andrew saved his earnings and made his first investment in 1855 at the suggestion of his uncle.
Less than a year later, he earned his first dividend check. It gave him the first penny of revenue from capital, something that he did not have to sweat to earn.  He considered that to be the goose that laid the golden egg.

His wise investments made him a wealthy man, but he believed that wealth required a person to help humanity.  So as soon as he began earning, he began giving his money away to needy organizations.

Coming from the Pittsburgh area, I had realized that Carnegie established many libraries in different towns.  The Homestead and Braddock libraries were set up for the people of the mills, so that they could have books to read, just as he had been given the same opportunity when he was young.  I never realized just how many libraries Carnegie was responsible for starting.  On my first trip to Scotland, nearly every town that I visited had a library set up by this man. Apparently,  he spent over $60 million creating 2811 free public libraries  around the world. 

The heritage center highlighted many organizations who are indebted to the man.  I won't bore you with that info, but I will admit that I was surprised to see these two familiar characters peering at me through the window!

The helmet is from Carnegie Mellon University.

This fabulous information center is attached to the original house.  It is well laid out and brimming with information that features the history behind this famous man.  I wonder just how many people realize that this man believed that it was his responsibility to give away the money that he earned in order to help others who had not been as fortunate as he?

The statue of Andrew Carnegie stands in Pittencrieff Park.  Carnegie purchased the park and bequeathed it to the town to be used for public recreation.  When he was a young boy, the owner of the house in the park would not let Andrew play on the grounds because of his parent's political beliefs.  But anyone can now play in this lovely park and I loved walking through the many trails and seeing moms, dads, and grandparents pushing baby strollers and dog  owners walking their dogs, or vica versa in many cases.

I had a delightful conversation with Molly's owner, who told me how the squirrels would be lacking food this winter because all of the rain has diminished the fruit from the nut trees.

I kind of felt sorry for the little creatures, until I saw a group of youngsters with peanuts in their hands.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, squirrels were lining up, kind of like the Pied Piper of Hamlin, looking for a handout. One squirrel kept following me, standing on his hind legs with his front paws held out, looking for a peanut.  I told him that I had nothing to offer, but he managed to get his prize from a big eyed blond little girl.

I was surprised to find him as I walked along the trail, where I watched him bury the nut and push some leaves overtop to hide the spot.  I had expected him to eat it!  

This guy kind of amused me because he never moved as I walked by.  I would have thought that he was stuffed, except, upon close examination, he blinked.  He must have been hoping for a little something himself.  Now his face is on my blog for everyone to see.

As you can see, the grounds are just stunning with the trees turning color.

I figured that I might as well take as many photos as possible now because with the expected arctic blast in the makings, those leaves aren't going to be there to enjoy too much longer.

 In this park stands a manor home, Pittencrieff house.  This was the birthplace of John Forbes who was the Brigadier General responsible for the withdrawal of the French  from Fort Duquesne during the Revolutionary war.  He was also responsible for  the renaming of the site as Pittsburgh, after his patron, William Pitt.

So, here you have three Scotsman from nearby areas:  Forbes, Carnegie and Pitt, all whom made great strides in the Pittsburgh area of our country.    Truly fascinating, don't you think?

And that concludes my lesson on Andrew Carnegie. I hope that you enjoyed the synopsis as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.