Edinburgh time

We used to live in Edinburgh and just loved it. So, we were pretty excited about revisiting the old haunts (if they still existed)

The train from Inverkip was painless. The cheapie hotel (Travelodge at the Haymarket) was not. Never ever stay there unless you want to feel every bed spring and shower with some nice black mould for company.

More positively, we enjoyed walking around the city, seeing the chaos caused by the tramline work (well over budget and time) and visiting places with our friends from Australia, Peter and Amanda. Yes she is the one who sort of offered to act as godmother to our wayward penguin, Patrick. The famous Princes Street gardens and the castle:

Jenners, the posh department store (kind of the Harrods of Edinburgh) was the venue for afternoon tea:

It was a freebie - when we went to pay the nice lady said that we had no tab open on our table as a guy in a stripey shirt had paid for the 4 drinks and a bottle of water. So, whoever you are, thanks Mr Stripey shirt. We think it is probably an American tourist who is right now complaining about how expensive a coffee is in Jenners...

Most importantly we visited a local institution - Luca's Cafe in Musselburgh where they produce the BEST ice-cream. We used to join people queuing up on the pavement outside in the rain for during our time living in Edinburgh. The cafe looks very down market:

They used to offer vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Why spoil the lovely vanilla flavour with the other stuff was always our view. Now, they are very Scottish - Irn-Bru flavour is on offer:

They also offer a gin and tonic sorbet - for the more sophisticated English pallet???

Peter (a dentist and doctor and consultant with more letters after his name than he can remember or possibly need) offered an insight to an old issue - why do so many Cornish people have bad teeth? Apparently most dentists practice very close to where they study and as the nearest place to qualify is in Bristol, Cornwall might be a bit short of dentists that speak English and have a real degree.... Second issue is the lack of private practice opportunities of course as the area isn't too prosperous. You live and learn.

We had a great afternoon walking around the old royal yacht Britannia. A real time warp with equipment on board that hasn't been updated much since the launch in 1952/3. By the time she was decommissioned in 1997, she was seriously out of date. This is the admiral's chair, the only seat on the bridge:

Contrast it with the captain's chair on our little boat from earlier posts! I know who is most comfortable underway.....


The navigation kit was basic. Very basic. We have 3 GPS receivers that are all better than the one on Britannia. The bridge is truly a time capsule from 1953:

The phone system is equally impressive:

Of course, they have a bigger and better laundry than us so the crew and Queenie were sparkling:

We slum it:




The dining room was a picture of 1950's elegance though. Strange to think of all the famous (and infamous, Bill Clinton was on board too) people who have eaten here and now ordinary folks like us are let on board for a small fee. No comment.

As it was a touch soggy outside, we decided to live the royal lifestyle had shared a bottle of Britannia pink sparkly stuff on board:

Mind you, Queenie's cocktail cabinet had down market Gordon's gin in it:

Patrick would have been at home. The Officers were given a stuffed Wombat toy and devised a contest in the Wardroom - who could knock it and wedge it in the ceiling fan:

When we get back on board, that penguin is in for a shock....

One piece of bad news. The Edinburgh Zoo cannot resolve the "is it Patrick or Patricia" debate for us as we are unable to provide a feather for analysis. They say fur will not do and then quizzed us deeply about how we have a furry penguin. I think we might get reported to the RSPCA for leaving him / her on board alone too. Talking to them was, in hindsight, a bad move.

Finally, for all the Scottish nationalists out there, look at what your national flag means in boat speak. Perhaps there is a subtle message in here ?