Thursday 15 August – Ros’s birthday

Ros’s birthday today. Last trip overseas we were in Paris for birthday celebrations, this year it’s Edinburgh. After working out that a number of nice places for breakfast were quite a walk away, we decided to just have eggs and toast at the flat before heading out.

We walked with Carwol and Mick Mick to show them where the tourist bus tours of the city departed from. Ros and I hadn’t ventured into the ‘New Town’ last time we were here, so we wanted to see some of that. We went past where I had booked dinner at The Dome, based on a suggestion by David Mossom.

Continuing on a walk around the New Town we found a place to have some more scones and tea/coffee. It was up two flights of stairs (then up another flight for toilets). It was very filling, especially the clotted cream. Ros tried to find a new top so we visited a few stores – H&M, Primark and something else I can’t remember. [The ‘New Town’ has buildings from the 1700s, so still older than Australia’s]

We decided that we preferred the Old Town so we headed back, going through Princes Gardens for a look. There was a section where they had a floral clock, that they have been doing for many many years. The walk back up to the Old Town was probably the most direct route – up one of the Close’s, quite steep. We literally came out of the Close and ran into Carwol and Mick Mick. We headed back to the flat via a few more souvenir shops. As the girls were in a shop, Mick and I waited out the front listening to one of the girls performing. She was singing ‘Barbie Girl’ while playing an accordion. An old cranky woman interrupted her and told her to stop singing. On walking past us, the woman muttered something about ‘who told her she could sing here’. I’m guessing it was the Fringe Festival people who organised the whole event. Who knew. But that wasn’t the end, a second woman was still having a go at the poor girl telling her to go away. The performer said she would continue her performance as she was entitled to do. The woman did some hand gestures, said some choice words and stormed off.

After that and on the way back we came across a nice smell – fudge cooking. Upon entering the shop the guy was about to finish the latest batch. We watched him lay out the hot fudge on the marble table, firm it up and cut it into pieces. We had taste and it was beautiful. Ros and Carwol also tasted a number of the other flavours. We walked out of the store with 4 pieces of different flavours.

Another rest was in order before dinner. We had already walked 10000 steps by this stage. Rather than walking back to the restaurant we got a taxi. At The Dome, we had dinner in The Club Room. The setting was fantastic, as well as the food. We shared various meals including Haggis Bon-Bon’s, Ox Cheeks with neeps and tatties. Dessert was great as well, with both Ros and Carwol getting happy birthday sung by the two waitresses and candles to blow out. Very fitting way to end the night. Another great way to celebrate Ros’s birthday.

We were going to have an early start (7am pick-up), so went to bed after a very enjoyable day spent with my birthday wife 🙂