Wednesday in Edinburgh

My external mouse has died and I have difficulty using the funny little mouse on my computer( it is the size of 1/4toothbrush)) so I may not correct the odd typo or 3.

I caught a bus this morning – the excuse was to see where it stopped because I will catch it when I leave on Saturday. It stopped about 200m from one of the stops of the airport bus which will work well.

Then I walked up to the castle and joined the queue. The whole castle, palace, hall were quite impressive– though at ₤14 plus ₤3 for an audio guide, it was the most I have ever paid I think. They were disassembling the stands in the parade ground there for then tattoo. I liked the tiny little St Margaret’s chapel ( supposedly the oldest building in Edinurgh) and it’s lovely altar cloth, the 2 actors pretending to be 2 of Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers in the hall, the fact that the books of Scottish servicepeople killed in war had been kept up-to-date ( well, I hope it was up-todate) . The latest entry was 2009 in Afghanistan. There was a section about women in war in 1 of the museums and quite a large part was devoted to the land army. Needless to say after about an hour I needed my morning coffee. After my experience of the changing weather a few days ago, I have been looking at the forecast each day. Before I left it said 18 degree with a 20% chance of rain.. Hmmm. I decided to play it safe, wore my polartec and carried my daypack with goretex jacket. No handbag. By the time I got to the castle I thought – what a silly idea-, my polartec was off , it was bright sun. When I emerged for the morning tea stop, it was about 10 degrees and rainy. Yeh, I thought. But a few hours later it was about 18 and sunny.

After the museum I walked in a part of the Old Town where I had not been. I walked past a beautiful knitwear shop and tried a few interesting jackets on. There were several that were almost right but I resisted. I walked past Greyfriars church – yet another old church, I admit to thinking with little enthusiasm. Then I saw a school nearby and remembered that a friend went to school at Heriots and it was that school. I went to the gate to take a photo and as I was about to stick my camera through the bars I saw a big sign about CCV TV and no tresspassers and I thought better of it. I know I am not a dirty old man, but someone inside the school might wonder.

I had been recommended a place nearby for lunch ( by a member of the same family) called the Elephant Café (or something similar) . I was lucky to get a table and soon after was joined by 2 other ladies who asked if they could join me . I said ‘ certainly, as long as you talk to me’. One of them thought for a bit ( for the second or 2 t I thought oops – wrong thing to say) and said ‘good – I am going to your side of the world soon, that would be good’. Turns out next week she is flying to Aukland and travelling in NZ for several months then going to Australia. Her name is Lorna, but she said it in a sing-song Scottish way, rolled r, that she had to say it several times before I got it. We talked for quite a while – then I left them. So the experience of the Elephant was good, but I think the cook had an off day and forgot to put the vegies into the vegie quiche.

It is sometimes a bit tricky walking in the Old Town. A couple of times I thought - walk along here , turn R in 100m – only to find that the road I wanted to turn right into was 10m below and the map did, in fact, have a more solid line to indicate this, but you had to look carefully. I then walked to the new Scottish parliament buildings. They are next to Holyrood House and I had seen them last Sunday and wanted to go back. I was lucky and a tour had just started and I was able to join it. The guide talked about the architect , from Barcelona, and his ideas and the symbolism and how this was carried through the whole building, furniture etc. It was interesting. Really modern and many people here do not like it apparently but I did. I now have to make sure I go for a walk in the hills behind it. Apparently you can get good photos that show the tree structure. They have a crèche for visitors and a café which sells fruit salad.

I caught a bus almost to my flat for no reason other than I was tired of walking . My new shirt had arrived from Glasgow so I went and got it and I had remembered where the nice wool shop was so I went there to get a pattern. I spent a while in the shop talking to a lady originally from Zimbabwe who next week was going to Texas to visit her grandnieces and then to Australia to visit her brother in Perth. Over the road from the wool shop was a tiny little shop like many others in the UK that make a few nice things each day and sell them as take aways. In this shop was 2 different casseroles, 4 salads, and mushroom rissoly things. I bought 1 of them and got some broccoli and almond salad and bean and roast tomato salad..

My dinner awaits.