I didn’t think it could happen but today’s weather has actually been better than yesterday’s. 60’s. Clear skies. Tons of sun. I took advantage of the weather and walked down to Leith waterfront this morning.
It’s kind of amazing to walk around in a city where no one knows you and you don’t know anyone. The two mile walk from my b&b to Leith helped me shake off the jet lag cobwebs so that by the time of arrival at Her Royal Highness The Queen’s Britannia, I could truly enjoy the tour. The HUGE royal yacht was impressively simple. The most amazing room was the Royal Dining Room (which was designed more to impress others and less for the Royal family.) The bedrooms were small and plain (very tiny single beds except for the honeymoon suite). The drawing room was big but probably not nearly as fancy as many of the living rooms I’ve been in. But it was ROYAL so, of course, I loved it!
The Royal family used the Britannia for decades as a way to get away from the demands of their day to day life. They spent time together, played games on the Veranda Deck, and enjoyed the sport of sailing their smaller (yet still huge) sailboats off the main yacht. Of course the Queen still conducted any major state business from the yacht but even she was able to be a little more free when aboard and sailing. Duties were set aside in order for time away to renew and have a little fun. A major role of the Royal family is to make appearances. They can’t do that when they are on a boat at sea. That’s the point and the joy of sailing.
So I couldn’t help but wonder…Where do I go to escape the demands of daily life? How can I learn when I need to stop work and set sail to play? When do we drop our day-to-day duties and opt for fun..the kind of fun where we’re out of touch and free to be who we are, instead of who others demand us to be.
What’s my Britannia? What’s yours?
I’m not sure…but after this morning’s visit, I’m seriously considering saving up for a yacht.
Seeking Sabbath 