Edinburgh Episode 1

I should have known that Edinburgh was going to be eventful when we got on the train and our first experience of Scottish people for the weekend was Grumpy McGrumpy, who wouldn't move to let us sit together. Apparently she'd sat there so that she wouldn't have to sit next to anyone. I was all for shovelling her out of her seat until McColleague (travelling companion) said "Well don't worry - if it's a bother we'll go and see if we can find other seats". And we started off down the aisle with me telling McColleague that I was in admiration of her understanding and patience, until I turned around to see her fuming and questioning how I didn't hear the "get out of that bloody chair you selfish woman" in her voice. Good. So it wasn't just me.

The rest of the journey passed with relatively few events - we munched on packed lunches created by McColleague's mum (how cute is that?!) and read trashy magazines until we were about an hour from Edinburgh. At this point McColleague reminded me that we would have to leave our seats about five minuges early to go and get our bags from Grumpy McGrumpy's carriage, which lead to me checking the time every five minutes for the next hour, fretting about missing the stop and abandoning our bags. Which, in turn, lead to McColleague and I having a melodramatic domestic on the train at the top of our voices much to the amusement of the pair of grannies sat behind us. But in all honesty, I think they missed us once we were gone.

After clambering out of the train all bags in tow, we decided (erm... there is a possibility that this is a decision I forced upon McColleague) to walk to the hotel, which was about one road away, and promptly got lost. Luckily though Kindman McHelpful came to our rescue (and salvaged the reputation Grumpy McGrumpy had created for Scottish people) by pointing out to us that we merely needed to walk fifty meters and open our eyes and there was our hotel.

So we checked in (five stars, don't you know - but no dressing gown - bit miffed - but great safe) and took the lift to the fifth floor where we discovered that the hotel's crowning glory was sitting just outside my room. Nope - it wasn't the amazing views of spires and mountains from the corridor windows, it was the ice machine.

Anyway - in an effort not to overload you on Edinburgh, I shall return at the nearest possible opportunity to report on american robots, cherry lips and the great escape...
So I shall leave you with this - the view which was outshined by the ice machine. Actually, I won't because my computer won't upload it. So i'll just leave you instead.