Skyring
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- Joined
- Oct 18, 2005
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Old City
Once out of Edinburgh Airport, my troubles melted away. There is a tram direct to the city centre and beyond - it’s like having a tram that goes from Sydney Airport to the city along Pitt Street - connecting with various railway lines along the way for £7.50 single, £9.50 open return.
I wasn’t sure about my return plans from Falkirk but a couple of quid to keep that option open was pretty much a no-brainer so I chose the return. A couple of ticket machines on the platform accepting credit cards. Must say that it’s a lot easier to use these things nowadays when I don’t have to hunt down a source of local currency to feed into the slot.
Trams every few minutes and big enough to swallow a planeload plus baggage on racks.
There are also airport buses. And taxis for those with money to spare.
I settled my big yellow bag on a luggage rack and retreated to a nearby seat with my backpack and pouch. I have my passport and travel documents in the pouch and several thousand dollars of cameras in the pack. I’m reluctant to let those out of my grasp.
By this time it was evening but at this latitude and time of year, still daylight. Enough to enjoy the sight of semi-rural Scotland passing by. Fields, villages, increasing warehouses, train workshops, stadiums, shopping centres, before we were amongst suburbia.
I noted a few stations where connections were possible. Edinburgh Park was of special interest because I could change to and from the line(s) to Glasgow passing through Falkirk.
Haymarket, offering more choices. Princes Street and St Andrews Square for a short walk to Waverley Station near where my hotel was located. I alighted at Princes Street though when I checked the map St Andrews Square was actually closer.
Not to worry. Even dragging along a big yellow duffle, an evening walk along Princes Street on the New Town side of Edinburgh is a pleasure. The Princes Street Gardens on one side, the Castle rising beyond, and the retail heart of the city on the other side. I was saddened to see that Jenners, the iconic Edinburgh department store, had apparently ceased trading.
I passed the Scott Monument - an elaborate gothic confection not quite as awful as the Albert Memorial in London - where I had once damaged my knee through navigating the tight spirals leading to the top. A great view, but I couldn’t walk straight for weeks after.
I passed the entrance to Waverley Station where some sort of Edinburgh Pride event was in full rollicking swing, and turned up a lane to my hotel, the misleadingly named Motel One.
“Motel” implies cars and I doubt that there was any free parking for guests in the middle of Edinburgh.
I was expecting something reasonably good for the price. Granted the location was excellent and I’d selected it with the idea that I’d be weary after travel and not keen to travel much further or dick around with local buses and taxis. Also the thought that I might get up early to look around with a camera. And maybe explore some of the local bookshops.
Anything else reasonably convenient either cost a million bucks or was a hostel bunk bed or capsule hotel. I (so I am told) snore too loudly to be welcome in a dormitory situation and worse, another sleeper might be an actual snorer and keep me awake.
Motel One is a German chain bent on conquering the world. They have strong environmental credentials. No single-use plastics, disposable coffee cups in the rooms, lo-flo aircons, lights turn off when you take your key out of the socket. That sort of irritating nonsense.
Frankly, for the price I wanted something a little more luxurious, but here I was and I wanted sleep. And a coffee in the morning or in the middle of the night.
I went out and hit up Marks and Spencers Simply Food at the nearby station for some milk and ground coffee. I have my Delter plastic coffeemaker with me and so long as they have a way to boil water, I’m set.
I found a handy card to stick in the socket so my devices could continue to charge up while I was gone.
When I returned I discovered that there was no fridge in the room and a reason the previous occupant had set the aircon at zero.
Oh well, I needed sleep. My batteries had run out.
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