Day One - 23 August

Today we arrived in Edinburgh around the middle of the day. Tried a different airline and travel route this time.  Flew Qatar  - well actually flew Qantas to Perth and then Qatar to Edinburgh via Doha. Were all great flights.  Would fly Qatar again - very good food and service.  Saw many movies - most of which instantly flew from my memory as main purpose was to kill time not necessarily to be an edifying experience.  Doha airport is very glamourous.  Huge art works are on display throughout the terminals and many many shops full of luxury goods and expensive alcohol. (?)   The lounge was incredible - huge indoor water feature and huge restaurant there - pity was not hungry.

Caught tram from Edinburgh airport into the city centre - was very easy.  Met our friend David, picked up keys to his place, caught taxi with very talkative taxi driver - spent most of the time explaining how he was taking his ex-wife out for her birthday including how much he had spent on wine for the night and finishing with regaling us with a joke - most of which patter was wasted on me due to my continuing inability to decipher the scottish accent.  Stephen resisted the temptation to leave a sizeable tip - I understand his patter was pretty lame. Just back from wander around local grocery store to pick up some small bits and to keep moving so we do not fall asleep.  Just saw a squirrel in the garden - so cute I thought.  Stephen acts like a local  and dismisses its inherent cuteness immediately as it is a grey squirrel which is vermin apparently. Of course given Stephen is already speaking with a slight Scottish lilt I may have completely misinterpreted what he said and for example he may just have named our local squirrel Herman (lame I know).