Popped next door for a simple continental breakfast and notice it's raining - I can't complain, it's been beautiful the last two days. So I'm trying to work out what to do - maybe buy an umbrella, taxis, change of plan? Then I remembered that I have my waterproof, non-leather hiking shoes and my waterproof snow parka for Iceland and I can walk about in the rain just fine!
After breakfast, I came upstairs to pack. While I'm doing this, the fire alarm goes off! What?!? Didn't this happen in the last hotel? What's going on? Went downstairs and it's just testing. Good-oh. Back upstairs and finish packing.
My first port of call today is listed as a must-see of Edinburgh and seeing as I never came down here the last three or four times I was here, today is the day. First, to the station to store my luggage for the day, then off along Princes Street and the other side of town to...
Dean Village is the cutest little hamlet and just 15 minutes from town. It's on the Water of Leith walkway. I'm wanting to walk along the walkway to Stockbridge but can't find which way so I ask a lady walking past for directions. She's so sweet and more than happy to give me directions and a bit of information about her village. She's very proud of it. There's the mill, the schoolhouse and the oast house.
Here she is, walking towards the schoolhouse.
And the old building that's been painted an awful dirty yellow/brown by the government - to her disdain! I didn't dare take a photo of it!
Now it's the walk along the Water of Leith Walkway and it's so pretty! And everyone you pass nods and says good morning - that doesn't happen in town.
According to my village lady, these are water art sculptures...
At the end, I get to Stockbridge and while I'm trying to work out directions on my screen shots of google maps, a parking inspector walks by and gives me directions back to Edinburgh. And it's all uphill...
Now to the bus stop for the Leith bus. I'm pretty sure this is the bus I took to work as it goes in the right direction and I'm guessing Cadell Plumbing was down one of the side streets. The bus continues down to the waterside and to...
The decommissioned yacht is moored here and you can tour it. And that's what I'm doing next! After getting the ticket, you go through an entrance foyer with lots of information. I liked this chart of the order of command - the commander in the middle and all the departments feeding down - sailors, engineers, musicians, cooks, all the departments needed to run the ship.
Then it's the actual entrance way where you pick up your audio tour and head on in, starting in the bridge.
And the flag deck where the flags are stored and the codes for which flags to fly. (That's probably a very untechnical sentence!) (As is that one...)
Along the deck where Diana famously ran to hug her boys...
..and it's here I took the slight detour to Royal Deck Tea Room for cream tea - coz you have to do that. I've been wanting to have a cream tea all week, and finally found one - and it couldn't be a better one, really.
See the napkin!
The Queen and Prince Phillip had quite a bit of input in the decoration of the yacht and they didn't want it too opulent, more a country home feel. They have separate quarters, with single beds, connecting door, designed to their taste. It's obvious which is which...
And the honeymoon suite...
..with the only double bed onboard - Charles brought it on for his honeymoon with Diana.
All the windows of the royal apartments are higher than normal so no one can accidentally look in! Next on the tour is the Queen's office, state dining room and the drawing room, among others.
The audio tour is great, lots of information and it's really well organised. There is also the galley, laundry, hospital, officers' messes - different ones for the different ranks, their living quarters - all communal and cramped.
They have tiny lockers in which to store all their belongings. One of the most important departments is the musicians - they have around 16 different outfits depending on the event and they are all kept in the tiny lockers and must be pristine and ready at all times.
It is a magnificent boat, very 1950s and I'm pretty sure the Queen would have been very sad that it had to be decommissioned but it cost the taxpayers too much.
Then it's back into the rain and onto a bus into town, heading for Hendersons, one of the top vegetarian restaurants in Edinburgh - not sure who that is according to but it was indeed delicious! I had a mushroom, squash and spinach pie with cabbage and salad. The pie crust was that lovely traditional old pie crust and it was good! Doesn't look great but it was...
Love the address...
After dinner it's yet another walk. This time to the Edinburgh Playhouse for...
Perfect place to see this show!
This isn't a good sign - hordes of tweenagers! Shouldn't they have been at a matinee?
But they actually combined with lots of other young'uns to create a great atmosphere - they weren't littlies but teenagers, who actually appreciated the show. They may have laughed at different things, but they were good. The guy next to me must have been late teens as he proceeded to withdraw two beer bottles to drink through act one and two more for act two.
The show was fantastic and I really loved it! So glad I got to see it, I only decided last minute to get the overnight train to London meaning I could go. It wasn't on Monday or Tuesday (even though the website advertised it being on Tuesday and I even rang to ask why it wouldn't take my booking).
The music had snippets of other musicals here and there that were hilarious - bits of Wicked and Sondheim and so on. I think the ensemble cast was even better than the leads. This is not saying the leads were bad, just the ensemble was terrific. And Lord Farquhar was sensational - on his knees throughout as the gag is how short he is.
After the show, I walked back to Waverley Station to catch the train, very happy with the day. Then at the station I can't see the gate for the Caledonian Sleeper. So I go to ask information and they say, "Didn't they contact you? That train is leaving from Glasgow." What???!!!? I had an email from them at midday saying departing Edinburgh and that was it.
So what do I do? Go to track 15, they say that train won't make it in time, go to track 8. Go to track 8, they say that arrives in Glasgow at 23:40 and the sleeper leaves at 23:00. So back to track 15 and they contact the train. They are sending a replacement bus at 23:40 which will take us to Carstairs where we'll pick up the sleeper. I'm saying 'we' coz they expect there will be others. So now I sit in a station pub with the sparkling water I had to buy in order to sit here and wait...
There were 48 others in the same boat (unfortunately not a train) as I was. And the bus driver had been contacted early afternoon to drive the bus. What they didn't do was tell all the passengers. And, more importantly, tell the information people at Waverley so they could pass on the correct information and not scare the life out of me.
The bus ride is an hour and the train is waiting for us. It's 1am when we get on...
To top it off, there's no wifi! So I can't post this til the morning.
On a good note, driving past the castle at night was lovely - it was all lit up and mystical. And on another good note, I got an email from St Giles Hotel saying they were refunding my full night's accommodation for the Saturday night flood drama!
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