It took a few days to settle into the swing of things and catch up with relatives and friends. A friend of Alison came up from London to join us and apparently to watch Wimbledon on TV. It was good to have more time on our hands. Our previous trips to Edinburgh had been a bit rushed. We discovered a nice way into the city was a walk alongside the canal.We tried to impress our hosts by emulating one of the dishes we had learnt at Roanne. They were certainly impressed by the enormous amount of preparation time it took and the amount of wine consumed during same.
We picked up a hire car in the city so we would not be so dependent on the goodwill of our hosts. A manual with no handbrake and lights and wipers that come on automatically - what next?
I took a trip out to the Red Moss at Balerno just outside Edinburgh. This is an impressive area of raised peat bog surviving only by very regular rain. There were a variety of mosses of various colours, but certainly some was red.
I headed off to the Wirral to have a few beers (too many sadly) with old friends - one visiting from Canada. I drove down via the North York moors hoping to get a short hike in. Weather was wet and foggy and I didn't bother stopping, though some of the views during the drive were spectacular.
I then stayed with my sister nr Manchester and Alison came down by train and I met her at Manchester Piccadilly for a pleasant lunch and a walkabout taking in the Irwell and the "Peoples Museum".
On Thur 15 July we left on an evening flight for Sydney with a 3 hour break in Abu Dhabi - time for a shower and browse the local papers - there are a few in English. We arrived back home Saturday am to settle into a long period of recovery from jet-lag and sorting out photographs etc.
All-in-all a great holiday and lots of memories to reminisce over.
Red Moss:
Castle viewed from Grassmarket.
Castle viewed from Grassmarket.
Boatshed on canal.
THE END
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