Edinburgh

I took it pretty easy this morning. I wasn’t hung over or anything, just tired, and didn’t make it to breakfast, instead deciding to lounge around in bed a little longer. I had yesterday’s blog update to write so I wasn’t exactly in a rush to go anywhere.

As ever, it took longer to write up a relatively quiet day than it should have done but I got there in the end.

After that I sorted myself out and headed out the door. My stomach was beginning to tell me that it was maybe a little too long since I last ate, the biscuits I had for “breakfast” not really doing the job properly.

It had been raining on and off throughout the morning but as I walked to the shops it’d stopped and it was actually nice and fresh out. First things first: food. I headed to Pret, got a baguette and a drink and sat in the gardens again on Princes Street. There weren’t as many people there compared to yesterday but that was quite nice.

Feeling better for having the food I headed off to sort out presents for Alice and Elisa. This was actually harder than you would have thought and the amount of tat that I came across in the shops was mind boggling. I finally found something I hoped they’d both like and turned my attentions to the next task: supplies for tomorrow’s walk.

Other than places like Boots or Superdrug I’d not actually come across a Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Co-op since walking around Edinburgh. I knew there had to be one but clearly I’d not walked down the right street to spot it, how else would everyone who lived in Edinburgh get their food?

While trying to find it I did manage to find a Rymans so I picked up some jiffy bags to send the girls presents off and the last of my used maps back home. That ticked off another item on my to-do list for the day.

I eventually found a Sainsbury’s local so I popped in there and picked up the usual fat ladened snacks for my lunch and then headed back to my room as my feet were beginning to ache. I don’t know why but I always seem to end up doing far too much walking on my days off from, er, walking.

I chilled out in my room for a couple of hours, enjoying having my feet up, and then headed out early for some dinner. I didn’t want a late night out this evening so eating early and getting back to my room to phone the girls would mean I wouldn’t be tempted with another impromptu beer session.

I headed along Rose Street to see if one of the other many pubs took my fancy, eventually choosing Dirty Dicks, a pub I’d not been in on any of my visits to Edinburgh. I didn’t stay there long though as I only had half an hour before I had to phone the girls but it was long enough to soak up the atmosphere in the quirky pub.

Back in my room I had a quick call with the girls – they were clearly distracted from being in the bath – and then set to sorting out my stuff before tomorrow’s walk.

One job I’ve been meaning to do for, well, two months now was sort out the rather large collection of receipts I’d been carrying around with me. I sat for some considerable time putting all the details in to my spreadsheet so that I knew how much I’d spent on this great walk of mine and set to, destroying the big pile of now useless paper.

All done I relaxed in front of the TV for the rest of the evening before settling down, hoping for a good night’s sleep before quite a long walk to Linlithgow.

I’ve really enjoyed being in Edinburgh again. It’s a city I could visit time and time again and still find it as interesting as the first time I ever visited. It’ll be a shame to leave but leave I must if I’m ever going to make it to John O’Groats this side of Christmas.

Photos

I f you want to find out more about this day you can see the photos I took.