From Deb's Desk: Edinburgh City, A Boat Ride, and New Friends

June 23, 2017 - Waking up today I saw storm clouds outside and thought we were going to start paying for all the beautiful weather we have been having. I headed out the door to the bus stop and rode downtown to where I would be meeting Thru The Stones friends who happen to be in Edinburgh now also! Golly, social media is a wonderful thing!

Passing by a store I popped in and bought a small red plaid umbrella (brolly here) just in case. I travel lightly without a backpack and hated to carry it but it sure looked like rain. Walking to the appointed meeting place I soon see my companions for today as we had messaged each other what we were wearing so as to find each other. A lovely lady, Kathy and her daughter Heather attended TTS 2016 and with them was another daughter Stephanie and Heather's son. I needed to buy my ticket for this tour and I was able to do so right at the bus stop. there are several young people there to help with this and they take your money or credit card and print the ticket on the spot from a handheld credit card processor and printer! Quite efficient! The five of us boarded a tour bus for our morning's adventure.

We were going on a tour called the Three Bridges tour. As the giant tour bus winds its way through narrow streets I marvel at the bravery of these bus drivers. I would never want to maneuver these huge vehicles around town and these streets are so narrow that when two buses meet and there is any road construction going on, the bus on the left takes to the sidewalk to pass by. As we drive to the docks at the Firth of Forth in the North Sea and see the rain falling on the giant bus windows and I am glad that I bought the brelly. But in about 20 minutes, the skies are clearing and sun is peeking through the clouds. I guess the weather here is like Illinois weather and you can experience all four seasons in a day! The time passes quickly as these five traveling companions get to know each other by swapping stories and some Outlander talk!

When we arrive at the docks we see the beautiful spans of the bridges and boats moored seaside. Getting out of the bus we also notice the strong winds and see white caps on the water. Boarding a boat is a test of balance and soon we are chugging out to sea bobbing up and down on the rough waters. I am grateful that I don't usually have motion sickness trouble and enjoy the ride as we pass by other boats big and small. I see a big ship loaded with cargo containers pass by and there is an oil rig out here sucking up the earth's blood.

We pass by beautiful islands as the loudspeakers tell us about the area and the wildlife here. There are puffins and many sea creatures in these waters and at one point everyone excitedly points out porpoises bobbing in and out of the water. What fun to see! We pass by an ancient Abbey and I find myself wondering about the people who worshiped at this far away place and how they got there and how challenging life must have been for them as I eat a scone with strawberry jam from the on board kitchen. What a contrast!

We pass by more beautiful islands covered in sea gulls and one island inhabited by colorful cement gnomes! It was quite funny to boat past and see all different sizes and colorfully dressed gnomes standing on the rocks looking back at us! When we turn to go back we are warned that the waters will get even rougher as we are now fighting the current and the waves are quite large and the boat is lunging up and down. A crew member points out a boat up ahead that is spewing water high into the air as the wind grabs it a flings it away. He told us it was testing its water hoses so it must have been a fire boat. Not sure on that but it sure could spew water! I moved to the inside because it was so very windy and I was getting cold and I was glad I did when I saw waves splashing up and over the rails and soaking passengers who stayed outside who then quickly scurried in. That crew member was right when he said it would get rougher!

All too soon we were back on dry ground and boarding a bus to go back to central Edinburgh. We need a little information so we go to the tourist information center in the middle of town. It is quite large with four people working the desks with room for at least that many more. They are constantly busy and we stand in line to get to talk with them. People here are all quite kind and patient as I ask questions about buses and trams to the fair I plan to attend tomorrow - where to pick it up - which mode of transport is better - those kind of things that I am sure they have answered a hundred times before. I want to say that almost without exception, everyone here has been very kind. All but one young lady I saw yesterday at the Holyrood House who was quite impatient when people were stepping out of line to read signs up above and were told to "Get back, Get back!" I guess she was having a tough day.

We had discussed what to do for the afternoon and had decided that we wanted to do a proper Scottish Tea. I wasn't exactly sure what that was but agreed it sounded like fun and learned that one was available on the top floor of the Edinburgh Museum so we boarded another Hop On, Hop Off buses and went there. These tour buses are great. You buy a ticket for 24 or 48 hours and can get on and get off as many time as you wish anywhere along the routes. It is really quite handy and they had this system in London also. Bagpipe music plays in the background as live performers stand at the corner and play for coins dropped in a little container by passersby.

At the Museum we take the lift to the top floor and enter a beautiful room done in purple tones. Velvet circular benches and tufted chairs circle around tables and we are escorted to one. This place is pretty fancy. It looks out over the city and if it weren't so windy we could sit on the terrace and take in the views. You know, the kind of place where the waiter places your perfectly pressed white linen napkin on your lap for you. Yes, he really did that! Then another server whisks away extra knives and forks from our place setting as we need fewer for tea, and perfectly places a small plate in front of us with a certain flair that is reserved for times such as these.

We choose our tea and are given the afternoon tea menu to look at but the food will be the same for all, just the teas are different. I choose an Earl Grey with citrus notes and it soon arrives piping hot and I add a bit of milk to cool it and take my first sip. Still too hot to drink but it is quickly followed by a beautiful selection of various goodies perfectly placed on a three tiered stand in front of us. We are given instructions as to how to eat it - (as if I need instructions! lol) - but apparently I do as we are told to eat it from the bottom up.

Perfectly cut dill and cucumber sandwich triangles, ham and cheese, egg salad, beet puree with salmon, and a tiny vegetable quiche are on the bottom level with the sandwiches perfectly cut and the crusts removed. Wouldn't want those nasty crusts to spoil the beauty of this presentation! The second layer is made up of small scones with strawberry jelly, a luscious chocolate trifle, and a lemon cake square topped with whipped cream and a perfect red raspberry. As I rearrange my sitting position to make room in my stomach for the top layer we laugh at how we didn't think when it arrived that we would have enough food, but there really is plenty and we are getting full. The top layer was a perfect looking meringue tart that surprised me with a lemon curd layer that was absolutely delicious and also a chocolate cream puff. What decadence! We ate till we were stuffed and sipped our tea - not sure if anyone stuck out their little finger or not - and enjoyed each other's company talking about our lives and interests. It was a delightful afternoon tea!

After we were finished and the servers had whisked away our plates we went out on the terrace for pictures with the Edinburgh skyline in the background. It was the perfect ending! We take the lift downstairs to ground level and step across the street to Grayfriars Bobby. Bobby was a Skye Terrier in 19th-century Edinburgh for supposedly spending 14 years guarding the grave of its owner, a police nightwatchman, until he died himself in 1872. A prominent commemorative statue is a tourist attraction and we stop by for a photo.

Now it was time to board the tour bus and head back through the city, while listening to a live tour guide talk about the sites we pass along the way, and head back to the Waverly stop which is the first as well as well as the final destination because the buses make various loops around the city and different buses bake different loops depending on what you want to see. I have taken them all by this time and seen a good bit of the city - some of it several times - and yet I continue to marvel. One thing that saddens me is that I see a few homeless along the streets sitting on a blanket, some with their dog and a bowl for coins to be dropped into. This is a sad thing that I am seeing in the large cities that we visit and so different from Orion. Oh, I forgot to tell you that the buses that do not have live guides have a system where you plug in ear buds and listen to a recorded message. This method is quite clever and I learn a lot this way.

We take our leave of each other and as we say goodbye I marvel at the new friends I have made - all because a woman wrote a book and I decided to host a convention! What a world we live in! I grab the number 24 bus back to where I am staying, stop by the little market for a couple of snack for the evening and head home. I am really beginning to feel comfortable navigating this part of the city by bus and feel rather accomplished. As I ride home it is Friday evening and I see multiple people with flower bouquets from the markets in their arms presumable heading home to decorate their homes for the weekend. One lady had a huge bouquet of lilies and I thought how wonderful her home would smell over the next days.

At "home" (which I found on Airbnb), is a welcome sight after being away all day and I gratefully climb the three floors of steps to my flat. A short time later the lady that lives here, Danielle arrives home and I hear her doing laundry and putzing around in the kitchen. I pop out and we have a chat while her frozen pizza cooks and learn that she is 25, studied art, walks 25 minutes to work each day never taking the bus even in the rain, and is going to visit her mother in Glasgow in the morning and is taking the train because she does not drive. Such a nice young lady and I am happy to get to know my house mate just a bit.

Alas, I have a big day planned for tomorrow and I better get some sleep! Good night for now and tomorrow we will continue with more Edinburgh adventures.