Bartimaeus

We really enjoyed seeing so many of the family at the 80th birthday gathering. I realised the next day that Anne and Richard having come from London might still be around, and were staying with my niece, Lorna, so I got in touch to see if they were available to meet up. I got a bus to Portobello.  The driver was in such a hurry that it flew past two stops before I had chance to read and confirm it was where I wanted to get off. The next stop was in the middle of a retail park, quite a bit further away. I had a hand knitted cardigan on, and had hoped that would be warm enough as a sea breeze or haar was possible on the coast. It was in fact sunny and now I was running to get there as close to the suggested time as I could, I was definitely more than warm enough. I found a note on the door saying "in the garden", so they were obviously enjoying the sunshine while they waited. 

Lorna had planned a walk and we had to be quite smart about it as we were fitting in lunch and getting Anne and Richard to the train. Much of the walk was familiar from bike rides as it was on the shady Brunstane path. At the end we broke out near the shore to arrive at the prom. It was a great view and Richard remarked on the balcony over the shore of a nearby house. They clearly loved the sea.

We got back and Lorna produced lunch in less time than any of us thought possible including changing the table in the back garden. I certainly wasn't needing that cardigan.

Lorna whisked Anne and Richard to the station. I came too and waved Anne and Richard off. What a pleasure to fit in those extra chats. Leaving the station behind, I headed up towards home and saw an American couple, gazing up The News Steps with their large suitcases beside them. I had considered climbing them, and seeing if it was much easier without a back pack, which I normally have when leaving the station. I decided to share with them that, while they were welcome to the cardio workout, the steps went round the corner and up as far again. However there was a route around, avoiding them that might be easier with their wheeled suitcases. The woman was clear she would like to avoid the steps so we walked around. Their hotel was in the High Street or Royal Mile. The man made a joke that he had Siri but I had a better accent as we went around. The woman was dressed in layers of black woollens and said she had expected cooler weather in Scotland. I assured her that on a haar day she would be needing that outfit.

Once I had pointed out the gold lettering of The Royal Mile, I headed for a bus stop, then suddenly realised I had no cardigan round my waist. I might have dropped it , or it was in the car, perhaps loosened by the seatbelt or I had left it in Lorna and Paul's flat. I back tracked to the station and then headed to The Mound for a bus, walking through Princes Street Gardens. I saw an ex-colleague, the organist and music teacher from a school I worked in and we sat down for a chat. He said he would love a trip on a boat, and he enjoys a train journey too, so we will see if we ever make that happen. If he starts checking "Where is Bartimaeus" that "Guess which church this organ's in!" game I play, will lose its challenge a bit.

I still hadn't solved the "guess where your cardigan is" game. I messaged Lorna. The sky had become overcast and being without the cardigan and far from home didn't appeal so I wasn't going to Portobello on spec. I took the bus home and she later confirmed it was at her house. We made arrangements to meet in town the next day, since she had cause to go there anyway. I was only too happy to meet up again. It was a cool start to the day so we got lucky at getting a seat inside.

The sun started to come out and the toes on the Hume statue were glinting, where tourists rub them. I saw he had a trans flag sticker on his folder. Hume seems to be wearing a flowing dress so he might be a supporter.

In the afternoon I had an outing with my sister, Lorna's mum. I must say, for an eighty year old she can fairly climb a hill. I was panting more than she was. Towpaths dont have much of a gradient.

The weather was fluctuating. A grey cold morning gave way to sunshine, but the walk had a cool breeze in places and her fleece zip was broken so she had to hold it shut. Luckily we didn't need it all the time, but  choosing the right clothing was again key. On top of the hill we had a flask but sat in a hollow, the wind was not a problem. 

We noticed that we had a good view all round, but that the tops at Hill End and Arthur's Seat were in cloud, so we agreed we had the best hilltop view of Edinburgh that day. We saw a red admiral and a speckled wood, near the top, so there was enough sunshine for the butterflies up there too. 

In the evening, Nye persuaded Shane to try a virtual reality game. Reality is exciting enough for me. This game had the advantage that non players can see on the screen what is going on so spectators could make suggestions. Rather like an escape room, there were puzzles to work through to achieve the mission.

The next day my mission was getting a load of washing done and taking advantage of the sun in the back green. I got the chance to meet a new neighbour. Nye had already told me she was very friendly, so when she popped out as soon as I started to string my line up, I was very  happy that she came out to chat. She was not just introducing herself and being sociable, she had some advice about where not to put the line, so it didn't get spoilt by a faulty drain pipe awaiting repair. It wasn't a spot I had planned to use, but it was good of her to let me know. 

On Wednesday morning  I was off to my see my sister again, last time before I returning to Bartimaeus. While I had boating in mind, I was getting off the bus, and was surprised to see a group of sailors being put through their paces at the nearby barracks.

The sun was not making an appearance in the morning, so my visit to my sister was an indoor affair with coffee, cake and crosswords. I gave my teeth a thorough scrubbing after that as I had the dental hygienist in the afternoon. We had been lucky to fit in two dental appointments and a scan within a week of the 80th birthday party.

Returning to the boat on Thursday we had a smooth journey, with a quick change at Crewe and no time for shopping for shoes. In Nantwich we picked up stocks before walking back to the boat. It was very warm and I took off my cardigan on the way - the very one I left behind then had picked up from Lorna.  The weather seemed perfect for driving and less good for mooring. Speedy Whippet II had been right that boats pass particularly fast here. Our spikes, despite Shane's extra precautions had been ripped out and the fender hook had snapped off and the fender was gone. We hadn't gone far before Shane spotted it in the other side of the canal and I managed to retrieve it with the boathook. 

Reuniting with something you think you have lost is much more exciting than simply having it. We could now have a relaxed drive in the sun, enjoying the flowers and birds.