Friday, May 09, 2003

 

Day 16. To Scotland. Saturday 10 May 2003. Up To Edinburgh

Five of us for breakfast this morning and an excellent spread from Joan on the large table in front of the window. Across the road "Grayrigg Hall" was spelt out in faded daffodils. We piled our mound of baggage in the hall for Anthony to carry and Ian to pack it into the car. How did they do it? The amount baggage we 5 had was... incredible.

First we headed down to Verd and Kathie's to say good-bye and take photos and by midday we were on the M6 motorway heading for Scotland. Passing Carlisle and arriving at the border of Scotland we pulled off the motorway and into Gretna Green. None of us had been there before. We stayed for a while to watch the marriages. A wedding party was waiting to go into the Smithy to be married, a party was in the Smithy being married and another party were being photographed after the marriage ceremony outside, beneath the trees. As the photographed party moved off in vintage wedding cars the just married party moved out to be photographed and the waiting party moved forward into the Smithy to be married. Pat watched, observed and remarked it's a production line. She was not at all impressed. I learnt later from the wedding car chauffeurs that there were 18 weddings that day. I also had a talk to the senior marriage Smith, the one pictured on the postcard; an assistant was doing the ceremonies that day.

Just down the road a mile or so was Springfield. Here was where my great aunt once lived, now long gone. And another great uncle, so I would have loads of unknown second cousins in this area, it was a funny feeling.

Heading into Scotland, we then left the motorway and travelled across country and stopped at a small town around 2.30 p.m. for a late lunch. Everyone ate heartily except me, I had vegetable broth that was like a thin soup, soup was off the menu.

We arrived in Edinburgh at 4.30 p.m. and headed for the centre. Parking, Ian, Anthony and Gillian headed for the Tourist Office to look for accommodation and we stayed in the car and watched the passing shoppers. They were quite a while. However we were suitably "entertained", a beggar long, lanky and 50ish came along and sat down in a doorway across the way from us and put out his tin and just sat there looking down. Of all the people passing only 3 gave him something. After awhile a policeman and policewoman on their beat came along and a conversation with the beggar took place. The beggar made to get up but the police indicated for him to remain seated. One spoke briefly into his phone as they moved away. A short time passed and an athletic man in track shoes came jogging along, a parcel under his arm and sat down beside the beggar. He gave the beggar the parcel and appeared to be holding an earnest conversation with him. From the indications of the athletic mans arms he was telling the beggar to stay there, eat the food and something or someone would be coming to collect him. We watched an absorbing story all in mime taking place before us, we in the front row seats so to speak. We didn’t see the conclusion.

Gillian, Ian and Anthony eventually returned with news of B & B for the 5 of us. We would be contacted by cell phone shortly, all very mysterious to Pat and I. The cell phone call came with instructions to drive down a particular ‘A’ road and look out for a grey Mercedes car with number plates GI TED parked half a mile down the road on the left hand side. Suddenly I saw the GI TED grey Mercedes parked just off the road and I shouted to stop. The driver indicated he had seen us and motioned us to follow him. We were taken to a street of 3/4 story terraced boarding houses and Ted, we called him Ted after his number plate, pulled up in front of one of them. Ted, an upbeat Scotsman introduced himself and ushered us into the hall of our B & B. Ted inside 30 seconds then told us he owned 2 B & Bs, we would be comfortable here, introduced us to the manageress and told her we were special and to look after us well and then he shot out of the house no doubt to ferry another party to somewhere. I stood there trying to take it all in.

The manageress took charge of us and showed us our rooms, she was we learnt later Egyptian and her husband French... with a Scots twang. The rooms were comfortable but ours was small with a squeeze-in shower... there was no elbowroom, but we managed.

That evening after settling in we went to a small Indian restaurant the Pataka just up the road. Crowded, we were lucky the only space was a booth for 5. A pre wedding stag night was in progress seated across from us but almost through their courses. We were quickly served and the food was good. We left the restaurant and headed back to our B & B and an early night, once more a busy day.

In the middle of the night there was a bang, bang, bang, creak. I woke up; it was air in the water pipes to the wall heater. Next morning the plumber was called to bleed the air from the pipes.

But that is in tomorrow's story.

posted by OldEric 4:46 pm