Author: Peg

It was a fine and glorious day. So, I just headed out wandering. It helps me to be wandering somewhere and my somewhere was The Faraday Museum. Yet another virtually unknown and little visited establishment. Faraday wanders around way back in my brain. Induction coils and stuff like that. And Faraday cages. Because you all known about my interest in the Carrington event in 1859.

I happened to wander past Sotheby’s. Stuff was being carted in like crazy. It was time for a coffee stop. So, I plopped down in Sothebys coffee shop. 

Londoners smoke more than North Americans. Smoking is not allowed in bars. Simple solution, patrons stand on the sidewalk, not in the street, and drink and smoke. And, their bar orders are taken and filled. One stays on the sidewalk and does not wander off to another saloon. So, it’s not like New Orleans. 

The Dog and Duck is across the street from my hotel. I am too old to stand up outside just so I can have a beer. 

After 30+ days of travel, I am pretty damn tired. Mentally and physically. And that is one of the reasons that I am pretty sure that nobody over the age of 70 should be president.  

Should be in Bermuda by sunset tomorrow.  Let the resting begin.

i had a great day of playing tourist today. First, I headed for the Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret. But first you have to get there. The old OR can only be accessed from the old stairs to the bell tower.

On weekends there’s a program but I just had to imagine the horror myself. I recommend this fine little museum.  Notice, not many visitors.  No waiting.  But there are those 52 steps. 

Time for some refreshments. Off to the Borough Market. Where I find these lovely mushrooms. 

Do the math. I did not have any mushrooms.

Time to get back into the tube and find  The Grant Museum of zoology. This is fascinating collection of zoology specimens form the 1800s.  Pickled, taxidermy or skeletons. It was great and no need to climb any stairs. They have skeletons of critters that don’t exist anymore like the dodo, Thylacines. And quagga.

After all that fun I returned to my lodgings and took a nap.

Today’s little event was a trip to Greenwich to checkout The Royal Observatory, Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian.

77 degrees from home. I have some sort of sinus problem. I don’t feel very good. I am tired. I could use a laundromat. But I am not really for the adventure to be over. I am just getting good at it. I’ll get over the sinus infection. I can find a laundry or do a Jack Reacher buy a new jacket and pants. Hell, I am up for another lap or two around the planet. 

Somehow, I bet that when I am dying it will be the same story. I be sick and tired and not ready for the adventure to end. 

 I stopped by the Royal Maritime Museum as well.

My tentative plan was to go to Paris tomorrow.  But europe is having a major heat wave and 95 degrees is predicted. In addition to it being dangerously hot, I believe temperatures that high might adversely impact train traffic. It would in the US. So, no Paris tomorrow for me. And, there is no heat wave in London.

When I left Edinburgh at noon it was 50 degrees. 300 miles and 4 hours later it was 77. It was so nice that I decided to ditch the tube and just walk to the hotel. 

And quite a hotel it turned out to be. 

when I arrived they took one look at me and they decided that I didn’t belong on the 5 floor since they have no elevators. I am on the first floor. 

Took a couple of fun shots during my last few hours in Edinburgh.

dr Livingston, i presume

and now to bed with me.

Don’t take the “new” in New Town to seriously. I think “new” was 1720. 

The plan was to go walkabout this morning and then walk off in the other direction for brunch. Well, what ever happens is what I planned.

I found the city gardens. It was quite grand. Nobody does gardens as well as the British, or the Scots. 70 acres of perfectly manicured plantings. 

They have one of those giant stinky plants getting ready to bloom. These things are pretty special in most conservatories. This one is no exception. They were distressed this morning that they were not able to get their live streaming system to work.  They were expecting big stinky to open sometime today and were looking forward to selling 10 pound tickets to see it this evening.  I don’t feel cheated that I showed up 6 hours too early. Hey, I avoided the crowds. And, only paid 5 pounds to get in.

By the time I made it back to the hotel, I decided that I needed an afternoon off more than I needed brunch. So, that’s what I did. Travel at 75 is not like travel at 25.  

Tomorrow it’s on the train back to London. I got my ticket yesterday. Have no plans for London. 

But, I will miss this guy.

This is a small room and this guy covers an entire wall 

Took the train to Stirling to checkout their castle today. Mighty fine graveyard next to the Stirling Castle. Carlton loved cemeteries. We examined every cemetery we found in our wanderings. He used to ride his bike to Columbia Cemetery everyday and he was buddies with the grave diggers. So, I had to inspect the cemetery. Lots of gloom and tombs. 

Stirling Castle was more than just a pretty place for King James the what’s it to hang his crown. It was in a hugely important strategic location. It changed hands numerous times and was under siege at least 8 times.

The guide said that the garden serves as an early warning system about an impending royal visit . The queen comes calling every couple of years. Mostly to check on her regiment which still calls Stirling Castle home  

Anyhow, the queen likes gardens. So, before she arrives much money is spent buffing up the garden. Which is pretty sweet just the way it is today.  

When I got back to Edinburgh, I stopped to pick up a takeaway sandwich at the grocery store.

Don’t think you would see this back in Falls Church.  And the train was also in an LGBTQ+ kind of a mood. They had a booth setup with info about job and training opportunities for LGBTQ+ kids with the railroad. That seems more useful than rainbow wrapped sandwich’s. 

Sinuses still crappy.  But that would be my only problem. 

Good thing that I woke up too early this morning. If I had snoozed to a civilized hour, I would have missed the show.

Today’s event was a visit to the Royal Highland Show  Think state fair. Without the midway.  It was interesting but not on the regular tourist route.  I might have been the only foreigner there . My only disappointment is I missed getting to see the inside of the cow barn and the hairy Scottish cows .  By the time I found the cow barn it was closed for cleaning.  

 I saw cows, just not the one I wanted to see.

And, I watched the preliminary round of sheep shearing.  I was rather impressed, one guy sheared 3 sheep in 5 minutes . But apparently the really good/fast guys don’t compete until Sunday.  Not real sure that I would like to be one of the sheep!

Lots of things to buy. Everything from ginormous tractors to alliums.  

When I got back to my hotel, red chairs had sprouted in the square and folks were lapping up summer as only folks from the north can.

6 miles walked in the brisk summer air – high was 58 degrees – left me rather tired.  And, I am enjoying a little case of sinusitis. When I consider how much time I have spent on airplanes I am not surprised.  

 I know that it is not-but I always think of this as St. Pancreas as in the anatomy and not as St. Pancras  as in the church.  

the weather was nice. The scenery was pretty. Lots of sheep. Plenty of cows. A few horses. The trip took 4.5 hours and the train was packed.  Glad that I got my ticket last night. 

So, all day it had been sunny, the instant that I stepped out of the station it starts to rain. Cold, driving rain. Nothing to do but dig out the umbrella and trudge off to the hotel. 

My room has a nice view.  The clientele is much younger than I am.  That shouldn’t be surprising but it is. 

While I was getting settled and having a nice cup of tea, the rain stopped so, I went for a little walk. 

i didn’t find any bag piping, that was good. Nor did I find any studly guys in kilts. Most everyone had on parkas, puffy jackets etc.  I may have to acquire another layer.  At the very least I can wear my rash guard. I have new respect for anyone female or male who wears a skirt in Scotland!

More tomorrow, the goddess willing.  

pretty sure that it will be lights out early.  It is 5pm and I am going to have to force myself to go out on a scouting mission.  

As far as travel days go, this was an easy one. British Airways isn’t my most favorite airline, but it got me here in one piece. And on time.  

the plan is to go to Edinburgh by train tomorrow. That is why I should go scout out the train situation this evening. I should go out anyway. Need fresh air. 

 I would not have said that a few days ago.  But the place sort of grew on me. 

And now it is after 9, my bedtime is approaching and I have done zero to be ready to depart for the airport at 7am. Well I took a bath and got my passport out of the safe.  I will now drink a cup of coffee and eat a cookie  and put off packing until tomorrow morning,

Next stop London. 

 I am suddenly taken seriously sleepy. So, I shall retire for the night.  

My hotel is also the tallest building on the planet. Most of the day I felt like I was a trustee in a very nice prison. I got stopped a couple of times while walking around outside. I had to be escorted to and from the world’s largest shopping mall. My purse got run through a scanner when I was let back in from the mall.

 I was generally hating Dubai, the hotel everything thing. So, I took a nap. And when I woke up I realized that I wasn’t the problem. The problem was the building. After all, remember what happened to the world’s tallest building 18 years ago.  

That simple realization made everything all better. I went outside again, got jacked up by security. And continued on my outside night time adventure. 

It had cooled off to a delightful 105 degrees by 9pm.

And, Dubai is worth the trip.once I realized that I wasn’t really a prisoner  

This is what I walk down to get to my room. It is majorly weird. The rooms don’t have door knobs.  Now, actually you don’t need door knobs but, after 75 years, I am sort of used to door knobs.