Edinburgh Day 1

To give a bit more detail to Sarah's succinct summary ...

We recently returned from a four-day Bank Holiday weekend in Edinburgh. It's the only city we've revisited, and sort of a homecoming for us, as it was our first quality time in Europe two summers ago.

Our trip started on Friday. Margo and I had taken off work, and written a note to excuse Sarah's absence. We left Ipswich just after 8 in the morning. Our train took us north to Peterborough. The land became more flat, and after some time we saw some of the Norfolk Broads, a series of canals raised above the fields that are used for leisure boating in the spring and summertime.

In Peterborough we had some early lunch and changed onto a London train bound for Aberdeen. After a while we passed through York, which hadn't seemed to have changed much since we saw it last weekend. Then Newcastle again. I'd seen Get Carter since our last visit, so this time I recognised the multistorey car park from the film that's soon to be demolished.

We've been to Edinburgh and to Newcastle, but hadn't previously traveled between the two, so the remainder of our route was new scenery, and quite interesting at that. The hills became higher, and eventually we saw the North Sea to our right as we followed the east coast north, then gradually turning west as we approached Edinburgh. We saw Arthur's Seat long before I recognised it for what it is.

Margo and Sarah wanted to go straight to our bed and breakfast for afternoon kips, and I couldn't imagine turning down a chance to stroll around one of our favourite cities, so after we pulled into Waverley Station, I walked them to the taxi stand and we parted ways. My first stop was to cross the street to the same tavern (The Doric Column) where we had our first pints (and my first fish and chips) in the UK. Remember this from two summers ago?



Here I am again.



Then it was up Cockburn Street to Avalanche Records, one of the last and finest of the UK independent record stores. Up briefly to the Royal Mile, then back across the way from Old Town to New Town and Princes Street, visiting a few shops and taking more snaps.



Then, at the end of the street, I went up one to Rose Street and toured the pubs. I forgot how rubbish most of them are. Signs of a mediocre pub. The Scottish standards are Deuchars, Tetleys and Caledonian, so seeing one of these three on a window or doorway: bad sign. Advertising footie games on a big screen: bad sign. Warnings about wearing football colours: a very bad sign. I think I stopped somewhere but it wasn't memorable. I noticed a Fopp record store and browsed. Then I found a bus heading south, paid my one quid fare (cheaper than even Ipswich) and headed to our bed and breakfast.

I caught up with Colin and Trina, the caretakers at our bed and breakfast, the same one we'd stayed at two summers ago. I'd assumed Margo and Sarah had taken naps, but they were wide awake, having just finished afternoon tea with Colin and Trina. It was great to be back in our room. It's a huge room, perhaps the best we've had at a bed and breakfast. Really high ceilings, plenty of space, and extra chairs for reading or just lounging.



We decided to get dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant we'd visited last time. It was quite good, though perhaps a bit pricey for the quality. We came back as the evening sun was setting. The weather was supposed to be rainy for the rest of the weekend. I considered making a climb of Arthur's Seat while there was still some sun, and to my surprise, Sarah wanted to go also.

So after dinner, despite being overfed, I changed into trainers and we walked up Dalkeith Road to Holyrood Park Road, entering the park and climbing partway to the top. I made it to a road that circled the Seat, but didn't see a safe way to the summit in the setting light, so Sarah and I enjoyed the view from where we were. Sarah, of course, posing in her special way.





Then it was back to our room to conclude our first day in Edinburgh.