Falcon Crest Guest House, 70 South Trinity Road Edinburgh Scotland

I woke up around 7 and thought about sleeping until 7:30 am but soon gave up on that idea.   My plan was to check out at 10 am and head for the train station and drop off my post cards at the post office.

I ate the second half of my cheese scone with nescafe and packaged milk because my "fresh" milk smelled a little off.  Seems as if I might have eaten another of my leftovers but I can't remember what.  I finished packing and dressed in my refugee outfit with crocs for comfort and headed off a bit before 10 am.  I walked down Church Street looking for the side street with the PO.  I asked a worker on the street and he said I had passed the street with the PO but it might not be open because they are on strike.  The postal workers were only offered a 7% raise, in face of 8% inflation, and their boss getting over 2 million pounds or something like that.  He said the country was a mess.  I agreed 2% is not adequate.  I went on to the PO and went to the letter slots but they were taped over with a message to see a clerk.  I stood in line and when I gave the clerk my postcards, she was ready to sell me stamps.   When she saw I didn't need any, she told me to put them in the letter slot.  I told her they were taped up.  Apparently they hadn't taken noticed.  I wonder if they settled the strike.

Then I continued to the train station, but I had overshot it by a street so I entered through some side entrance but finally got to the concourse and saw the platform wasn't posted yet.  I waited at a table and then stood up and walked toward the ticket machines, wondering if I should try to get outside.  Meanwhile a horde of people started surging toward the machines, some in back of me, some to the side, bikes in front of me.  A nice woman next to me kept me informed about the posting of the platform.  The platform was announced and the gate opened.  They let through a whole bunch of people to the left of us - I don't know why.  Then they started letting us through.  I asked for Car A because I had a reserved seat but a conductor pointed out car A and said he didn't think the reserved seat policy held for Sundays and I should grab any seat I could find.   I got on the last door of A, looked around, then headed toward the small area behind the door that had 2 tables for 4, 2 seats for 2 and then 2 facing seats.  I went for one of the seats of 2 and had help putting my carryon in the overhead rack.  It wasn't the most desirable, but at least I had a window seat with half a view (forward at least), but sitting backwards.  A North Ameridan woman sat next to me but she was upset because she had a reserved seat.  In fact, the majority of people in that car seemed to have North American accents - there was a whole group of young Canadians.  We went through a lot of green countryside dotted with sheep as I had seen before.  I enjoyed it, but got a little sleepy and probably nodded off.  I wake toward the end when we went through Perth.  Then in Stirling I was able to identify the Wallace Momument for the woman next to me and her friend who wanted to visit it during their free day in Edinburgh.  It would take them an hour by train and they planned to visit the monument and Stirling Castle.

We went through Haymarket which looked very interesting and then we were in Edinburgh Waverly Station.  I had to take one elevator and one set of stairs to get out - but it was the Market St Exit so I don't know if it was the best.  Then I followed the taxi signs out of the buildings but had to walk at least a block to get to the actual taxi stand.  I was maybe 5th or 6th in line, but when the 5th person got her taxi, there was a long hiatus before another came.

My driver was a gem.  Now I forgot what he said he wanted to be.  He thought if he went to the US, he would make tons of money.  But he didn't and he becam a tree surgeon.  He did it for 20 years and loved it.  He told me about the Scots pines and how a native Scottish bird, a grosbeak, has a specially shaped beak to break open Scots pine tree cones and get out the seeds.  I asked him about douglas firs and he thought they were native to Scotland.  (Oh, oh, here comes the noisy dog with claws that clank on the floor and other disturbing sounds)  He said the Trinity neighborhood where I was staying was very nice and near the Botanical Garden.  I told him I was going to visit tomorrow and he told me how big it was and how great it was but that I could walk around it in a day.  He pointed out a restaurant at the beginning of South Trinity Road and said it was very good.  (The dog just laid down and scratched the floor with its claws.)  When I mentioned that I liked seafood he suggested that I go to the Old Chain Pier because they would have good fresh fish and seafood.   He said the harbor was not that far but suggested that I take a taxi in case I might get lost.  He also told me about Perth when I told him I was from Perth NY.  He said Perth was beautiful - lots of farmland - the gateway to the Highlands really.  He mentioned some other things I don't quite remember but he told me about the 8th wonder of the world - a beech hedge.  When Nikola was queen in the  old days, there was a big battle and everyone got killed, but somehow there was this beech hedge that got planted and then got covered maybe but anyway the plants still live now and some of the trunks are as big a tree trunks and it somehow regenerated.  I will have to look up this story.  He carried by bags to the door and seemed happy with my tip.  He was younger than I thought - still middle-aged, with a little silver hoop earring in one ear. 

I was let into the guesthouse and given the keys and shown how to work the electronic one for the outside door.  I filled out my breakfast request and chose 8:30 am as my breakfast time - I guess I get my breakfast delivered to the room.   I am on the 3rd floor and got winded by the time I climbed up here.  The woman said she had a bad shoulder so I had to wait for the husband to bring my bag up.  I said I would wait but might come down after it if I needed anything.

I sort of got a little settled in the room.  My bag did not get delivered by 4 pm so a bit after 4, I decided to go out in the clothes I was wearing - walk down to the Old Chain Pier and see what I could do for dinner.  When I got downstairs, a couple was checking in.  I waited for them to finish, gave my breakfast choices to the woman, and asked her how best to get to the Old Chain Pier since google did not show a direct street to the road along the shore. 

I managed to get to the pier, saw the Old Chain Pier Inn, and decided to walk farther to see what was to be seen.  I walked past two more restaurants, then saw a bus disgorging a whole bunch of people who walked to a set of modern buildings on the pier leading to a lighthouse.  Luckily, they were going for a boat cruise.  I asked some workers on the pier if they could recommend a fish restaurant but they could not.   I tried another person - a young woman - and she suggest the brasserie or Loch Fyne and then said Loch Fyne was preferred....so I went there.

I got a table outside, ordered a half dozen oysters, a starter of giant scallops with couscous,.   and a pinot griogio.  I tried to take a photo of the light house through the wine glass but the railing of the patio was in the way....or perhaps, the wine was.  The oysters were excellent.  The scallops were perfect.  The couscous was interesting but filling.  I contemplated ordering something else but had no idea what.  When I told one of the waiters that maybe I should have ordered the scallop special, he said the sauce and preparation were different and that the starter was better....so I quit while I was ahead.

I wobbled back along the seafront taking more photos of the harbor and the stone buildings and then I wobbled up the various streets that led to my guesthouse.  I overshot the street by one block and finally made my way through the gauntlet of the electronic key and mechanical key and sent out some photos for the day and am now finishing this blog.  It is only 8:30 pm.  I don't think I can fall asleep this early especially if I hear dog noises from next door.  What a crabby old lady!