Saturday, October 16, 2010

I'm 59a and a bit

Bloggy friends with long memories and not too much to think about may remember that in July I became 60, or as I like to think of it, 59a. And Daughter 2 gave me this fine voucher for a day with her (she's Boot - though this is not her real name, surprisingly).


For various reasons which now elude me, I didn't actually redeem this voucher on August 28th (though we did go and see Tim Vine - very funny) so she decided that we'd do it today instead.
And it was absolutely LOVELY!!!

Would you care to come along with us?

First we went to visit my confused aunt, but then set off for the Botanic Gardens, consuming on the way a packet of Giant Chocolate Buttons - mid-morning snack. It wasn't as big a packet as it looks here. Perspective, you know.

The sky was a brilliant blue. (Eat your heart out, Australia,)


Sedum Autumn joy, living up to its name.

My little flower with some - um - heleniums, maybe?

Michaelmas Daisies making a fine show.

And nerines - I wish I could get them to grow like this.

Lots of colour for October - though any day, much of this could be cut down by frost. This somehow made our balmy day more appreciated.

The rock garden. It looks small here but it's really extensive and usually has small children running around it.

Daughter 2 kicks up some leaves in an autumnal fashion.


After all that natural beauty it was time for lunch.



The view of Edinburgh as we left the cafe. Calton Hill to the left, with the Observatory and Edinburgh's Disgrace (a half-built Greek temple built in memory of those who lost their lives in the Napoleonic Wars - the story is that the money ran out) - and Arthur's Seat, the hill to the right.


Saxifrage and monkshood.


A three-seater bike. We all ride them in Edinburgh. (No, not really.)


Having left the Botanics, we then walked beside the Water of Leith to Stockbridge.



This is it. It's quite a nice little area with interesting shops.



We walked up a side lane to see where it went. And then back again. Not sure where you'd park your car if you lived here.



Back in the main road, we looked over the bridge.


Having looked in the shops and bought a necklace for the warden of the sheltered flats where my aunt used to live, to say goodbye and thank you, we wandered through "The Colonies" and met a nice cat.


As we crossed the river at the end of the next street, we saw a heron.


You wouldn't think this was a couple of miles from the centre of the city. There are houses behind that wall to the right.



And then we set off home. (We were about to turn right, not to crash into this keep-left sign. )


We fitted in a bit of cat time. Then Daughter 2 produced dinner.


Later we generously allowed Mr Life to come with us to the theatre, where we saw Alan Ayckbourn's "Bedroom Farce", which was quite amusing in a slightly painful way and not really farcical at all, happily. Juliet Mills (Hayley's sister) was in it, looking rather old, though pretty, and so was that chap who played Leonard in "Butterflies" on television a long time ago. He looked rather elderly too. I haven't changed a bit, of course.
I don't know when I had such a wonderful day. The memory of it will warm my heart for a long time. Thank you so much, darling Daughter 2. Are you sure you want to marry your actor and go and live in London? Look how beautiful Edinburgh is...























20 comments:

  1. Thanks I really enjoyed your lovely day out.

    PS London is further away for me than it is for you. So send my loved ones home then there will be room for your daughter.

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  2. You have made me very dissatisfied with where I live!! I think I'd like to live in Edinburgh; a row house in The Colonies would do nicely.....Do you happen to know if they sell shoes there big enough to fit over sz. 8 1/2 feet wearing five pairs of hand knit woolen socks? As soon as I get an affirmative on this from you, I'll book my ticket and call the movers.....

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  3. I did just that walk (Botanics, Stockbridge, the Colonies) with my sister 2 years ago (and posted about it too) - a very nice day out it was, with added squirrels. Train home afterwards, though - no theatre.

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  4. What a great day out. Such a blue sky too;^)

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  5. Sounds fantastic. What a nice person Boot is. I LOVED that show, Butterflies. And, no, I can't remember the name of that actor either, but he was good. I would imagine he is quite old now.

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  6. Well I enjoyed your day out - Edinburgh looks beautiful, and so nice to be with your daughter.
    We once saw Bedroom Farce starring Richard Briars and June Whitfield and enjoyed it very much - I can't remember the actor from Butterflies name either, but I think he's Bruce someone.

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  7. Bruce Montague ... i actually have no first hand knowledge, but the Internet is a wonderful thing, innit?

    and he is much, much older than we are - born in 1939 ... that would make him 59... er ... l?!?

    Edinburgh is so much more lovely than as presented in "Outlander"

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  8. Sounds like such a lovely day and has given me an idea for my mum's birthday in December :)

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  9. Oh, what a wonderful day!! To be in Scotland, AND on your birthday - what could be more perfect? Gads, I miss Scotland...

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  10. Oh, to be in Edinburgh again! Your pictures make me yearn to go back there. Looks like you had a lovely day.

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  11. what a fun day you must have had, i loved Edinburgh and its great to see photos of it. what a wonderful daughter and pretty too

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  12. I enjoyed sharing your day out. It looked perfectly lovely.
    Sad to think the cold is coming again. All those lovely flowers. Sigh.

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  13. Sounds like a wonderful day - what good children you have!

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  14. Oh, thank you so much for taking us along on your perfect day out. Boot is looking as adorable as ever. Also, I enjoyed seeing that three-seater bike -- I love our tandem but it's hard to ride -- I can't imagine three seats!

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  15. glad you had a great day - i'm all for extending birthdays as long as possible rather than cramming all the celebrations into a week or so! i kept thinking 'I've been there!!' - except for the play (and the visit to your aunt)

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  16. Your day sounds perfectly wonderful. What a sweet daughter "Boot" is (love to know how she acquired that nickname). She obviously enjoys your company as much as you enjoy hers.
    Lots of lovely things to look at in the gardens still. The Nerines are gorgeous!
    Your walk to Stockbridge was an interesting one with lots of lovely views.
    I've had fun catching up with your posts today, Isabelle. You always make me chuckle :)

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  17. Loved this post and what a terrific present from your beautiful daughter. Yes, we'll concede the wonderful blue sky!!DH and I were in Edinburgh in 2008; thought your Botanic Gardens were amazing. We were actually looking for a laundromat when we found them and ended up spending most of the day there.You live in a splendid city and one we hope to get back to visit for a bit longer in a year or so. (We did eventually find the laundromat;clean clothes again were much appreciated but the Gardens were a lot more fun!)

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  18. How lovely, and really much nicer to take a sunny day out in October than any day in August.

    My family sometimes called me Boot. I was Loot, from infancy and that rhymed with Boot, for some reason particularly when I was being difficult.

    Edinburgh and its environs look so beautiful and interesting, and I get the impression the Waters of Leith are swarming with bloggers, I come across them on blogs so often!

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  19. A lovely day indeed. Another of my favourites used to be poking around in the old cemetery at Warriston and then along the Water of Leith a bit to the Gallery of Modern Art (then ideally Loon Fung for dim sum!)

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  20. What a super idea - I've heard of those personalised gift certificates, but more of a joke than anything. I much prefer your daughter's version! LOL at your comment about the blue sky - why do people think that Australia is the only country with blue sky?
    Nerines - is that what they are called? They were all over our yard once, and I pulled them out, thinking they were weeds...

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