Edinburgh Day

The much planned Edinburgh day finally came off yesterday . The previous week the Castle Howard spicy soup had put paid to the plans , but the tickets were rebooked ( and fully refunded as well which was a bonus , thanks to D going to the station on the day we should have travelled . Going even a day later would have meant a ten pouds charge . Worth knowing , that is . Strikes me though , if you cancelled due to illness how many people would be able to get there on the day of travel to claim the refund ? I digress ) and plans were made .

A faster than usual tour of the cats , birds and fish , managing not to set any alarms off to slow my progress , and we were at the station , brilliantly sunny day , with time to spare .

Out of knowhere as we sat outside Costas Liz appeared . I havent seen her in ages , since her book launch in fact when she was so busy launching we didn't have much time for conversation . I've had one or two enigmatic texts since then proposing meetings which have somehow never quite come to fruition though we did get so far as to name a restaurant .....

She was with A , her partner , and her two sons and a friend from Kenya , Mark , a lawyer, and they were also having an impromtu day out though with firmer plans than ours ( which were mainly shopping dominated in line with N's desires ) to take in the Arts , some theatre and even a craft event . J , at lunch , " can you imagine , mum even went to this thing to make FELT ! "

We hesitate about trying to switch our tickets so we are travelling together but finally meet for lunch later in the day and a happy couple of hours are spent touring the city and taking in the sights and the sun whilst trying to locate a lunching facility which will accommodate all our needs ..... Mark's for meat , A R and J for something veggie though there were additional Issues for J of a twelve year old boy nature which I didnt fully appreciate , myself having a thirteen year old who eats Chips with gravy or Chips with Gravy please . After several false starts , including being in a queue with trays loaded with items which have to be abandoned right as we approach the cashier , as there is a distinct lack of the right kind of Meat , we finally descend on British Home Stores , laughing at the notion of travelling to Scotland for BHS food .

We walk ( and shop ) for what seems like miles .....and N and I wind up the day pretending to be old ladies and soaking our feet in a bowl of Radox Substitute . Bliss .