The Boston Marathon 2026 (Recently Married Edition)

 This year's Boston Marathon was a little different because it was David's first time seeing it. With our marriage last fall, we both now live together right near the route in my good old hometown of Hopkinton, where the marathon begins. So we were able to easily get a good spot along the route, less than a mile from the start line. Despite the chill in the air, which was good for the runners, it was fun to watch! 

The calm before the storm...

We took some selfies while we waited. It's fun having a significant other after years of not having one!

First came the wheelchairs, handcycles, and duos, all of which are are always inspiring.

These runners run and push the wheelchair and its inhabitant the whole way. It's inspiring, and there's such great philosophical/inspirational/religious symbolism in that.

Next came the elite men, made up of world-record holders, Olympians, and the most excellent of excellent runners. 😄 

I like seeing the live coverage of the race on TV a little later and recognizing the winners from seeing them earlier that day and in my pictures. The black man in the blue shorts ended up winning the whole thing. 

The next wave was the elite women.

A cool military plane flew by as part of the festivities.

Then came the para division, which is always a tearjerker for me.

A blind athlete with a guide

And finally, the first of several waves of all the rest of the runners started...tens of thousands of them (over 25,000!).

Filling in more...

Everyone cheers the runners on, and it's such a good time! 

We tried to take some selfies with the wave of runners in the back, with varying results:

The road was totally filled with runners by this point!

This is how side roads to the route are blocked off so that cars can't get through.

Here are some of David's pictures. From this first one, it looks like a normal spring morning, nothing special. Who would ever guess that ~25,000 runners were lined up nearby, getting ready to run one of the world's hardest marathons?

I enjoy ringing the cowbell for the runners.

I crack myself up

I hope we'll be back again for next year's race—it's such a fun and inspiring tradition!

Wrapping Up Scotland

 I wish I could have wrapped up Scotland with a bow and taken it home with me, but that of course is impossible. These pictures, along with my souvenirs and memories, will have to suffice, along with my plans to return in the future. It was such a beautiful place and a wonderful trip, and I'm so glad that I went! 

This bumblebee runner was in a church in Edinburgh and reminded me of David.

A cool statue in Glasgow

Cullen skink soup again. It was my favorite food!

Gift shop fun:

Afternoon tea at Mackintosh Tea Rooms in Glasgow. This was a treat!

I was too full from afternoon tea to eat much at dinner that evening, so I had this tasty burrata appetizer for my dinner. Cheese and tomatoes is one of my favorite food combinations.

These were so good. Gummy peaches are a weakness for me, so I hardly ever get them.

I took this as a sign from the universe that my next international trip might be Egypt! This was at the airport to fly home from Glasgow to the U.S. {We had to be there horribly early.}

Home again in Boston! Good 😊and not-so-good 😔. 

I can finally say that I've been to Europe! 😄

The Token Museum Post

 What trip to Europe would be complete without visiting a museum? While we were in Glasgow, we spent a few hours at the Kelingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It had an excellent collection of art and historical artifacts, and I highly recommend it if you're ever in Glasgow.

There was an amazing organ in the main hall. We were hoping to hear the daily afternoon organ concert, but it didn't happen while we were there.

The building was majestic and impressive!

The ancient Egypt section is always one of my favorites in a museum.

Don't mess with Sekhmet! See below for why!

Side view of Sekhmet

Now that's a coffin...

I liked this!

 {Little did they know that a Savior would provide the only way for them to survive death!}

Sekhmet again. Was she a cat lady or something? 😄 No, she was a lioness goddess.

An actual ancient Egyptian coffin

Other cool findings in the museum (that I took pictures of; there were many more than this!)...

Studying original art in museums feels so refining!

Stained glass always reminds me of my friend Meredith, who makes stained-glass art.

A marble bust of Queen Victoria from 1888

I really liked this painting of the Highlands with Balmoral Castle in the background.

An explanation of the painting:

How cute is this tartan dress!?

😍

This is Salvador Dali's famous and controversial actual and original painting of Christ on the cross. The museum bought it the year after he painted it. 

This Viking longship was neat.

Armor and weapons galore

These soldier models in the midst of battle were interesting.

I couldn't resist this photo opp outside of one of the gift shops. I can't wait to go to Egypt someday!

But for now (or then), I was thrilled to be in beautiful, historic Scotland!