Today’s guest picture is another from my sister Mary’s recent visit to Hyde Park in glorious weather.
We didn’t have any sun today but we didn’t have any rain either and it was a good deal warmer than it has been so we were duly grateful.
I have to get up very early tomorrow morning so I am trying to keep this post brief. I spent the day going to Edinburgh to see both the number one son, who gave me lunch, and the number two son, who gave me an evening meal.
They were both on good form.
Tony met me at the station and took me off to an eating place for lunch. Tony had already eaten and we had a coffee each and I had a nice plate of gnocchi and spinach and to my great surprise when I tried to pay the bill, I was assured that it was on the house. Tony, who is a painter and decorator to trade, had made such a good job of painting the place a year or two back, that the owner was delighted to see him again.
That got my trip to Edinburgh off to a very good start.
Tony then drove me through the town, passing this interesting group above the entrance to the Scottish Portrait Gallery…
…and some of the posher parts of the New Town…
…before dropping me off at a bridge over the Water of Leith….
…where he took my picture and then went off to walk his many dogs.
I spent a happy hour or so walking along the paths and roads beside the Water of Leith taking pictures as I went. There are too many for this post and if time permits I will put a record of the walk in a separate post tomorrow as it had many exciting bridges to offer.
Here is a sample.
This is the first that I went under….
…and this is the last that I went over….
…and in between, there were many things to enjoy.
My only disappointment was that in spite of a thousand very healthy looking buddleias on my way…
…I didn’t see a single butterfly.
When I got to the uncompromising clock at Canonmills…
…I made a small diversion away from the river and walked through the Botanical Gardens.
They have a beautiful meadow there…
…which I think will shortly be filled with red poppies.
I took some refreshment in the grounds of Inverleith House….
…and enjoyed the view of Edinburgh Castle through the trees from the lawn.
Then I walked back and continued my walk down the water of Leith.
I received a call to say that Matilda would be ready to see me soon and I was at just the right place to cross the next bridge and walk through the town, passing an unexpected old paper mill on my way…
…and arriving at the door in good time to play games of snap and pelmanism and have a chat with Matilda and her parents about a visit to an Art Garden which they had undertaken in the morning. Matilda had seen a peacock which had impressed her a lot.
I was treated to pizza and pasta for my tea.
By the time that I went to catch my train home, it had rained but had then stopped and the day had brightened up enough for me to enjoy a passing castle out of the train window.
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We loved the Leith river walk AND Dean’s village-it was my request to find something out of the touring path. Photographed and now in a memory book. Always something in Edinburgh.
No wonder it is a big tourist draw.
A beautiful city, with a plethora of excellent photo opportunities!
That is the first time that I have done that walk so it was a treat for me.
That meadow is amazing and so are the views, especially of the castle.
I’m surprised there were no butterflies on the buddleia. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one blossom so well.
There were lots and lots of buddleia along the banks and all in fine flower4ing mode so the lack of butterflies was a big disappointment.
I loved the varied subjects that you shot, from the architecture to the bridges, and especially the flowers. But, the thing that impressed me the most was how clean everywhere you went in Edinburgh was. People here in the States are pigs, there’s trash everywhere. I take that back, even pigs are cleaner than many of the people here.
It was a surprisingly litter free walk which is not always the case in the UK.
People throw trash from their cars and trucks down our embankment, which we are always picking up. Some even make a game of hitting trash cans along the road before the collection truck arrives.
So many beautiful places. 🙂
Edinburgh is a wonderful city
I would call that a double A day.
Sounds and looks like a most enjoyable day. Look forward to a further post on the Waters of Leith as and when.
Lovely pictures from start to finish – what an excellent day.
What a gorgeous meadow!
It should be sensational when the poppies come out.
Yes, what an excellent day. So enjoyed seeing pictures of you and your sons. Also the city. And that meadow! Lots to admire.
It was a grand day out.
I can never get over what a beautiful part of the planet you live in. I am sorry to hear you are not seeing butterflies either. I have come to celebrate one single Cabbage White in my yard with hope that someone else will stop by. Love the free lunch, the bridges and the meadow particularly.
The meadow was an unexpected treat.
How lovely to have a meal with both sons and then to enjoy such a great walk with all those bridges and that beautiful meadow. You’ll have to return later …maybe to have another couple of meals and visit the meadow when the poppies are all out.
I was thinking about revisiting the meadow of time permitted.
Such a beautiful meadow! I was pleased to see a photo of New Town as we were visited yesterday by my cousin and her three children, the fiancée of the elder son and two dogs. Her younger son is at Edinburgh University and is studying economics and shares a six bedroom house in New Town with friends. He might live in the less posh part though.
If it has six bedrooms it is probably in quite a posh part. 🙂
Edinburgh Castle is impressive, and that is a very beautiful meadow at the Botanical Gardens.
Excellent sights and a superb meadow. And your children give you food, Hmm, curious…
Mrs T had great parenting skills.
She is clearly a woman to be treasured.
I treasure her.