The Hub’s passport was full, each page suffering travel stampage overload. So I dropped him at the American Consulate in Edinburgh. “Wait,” said the nice lady at the door. “He needs a special delivery envelope to send off the passport.”
Armed with detailed directions—”Straight off down Regent Road, ten minutes walk, easy-peasy.”—the dog and I set off.
And it would have been easy, not to mention peasy, if Scotland hadn’t decided to hold Spring that day. We were distracted by a billion daffodils.
And by the “New” Parliament House (which actually never was, and which locals still call the Old Royal High School)
Then there was the Duke of Wellington on his famous horse Copenhagen outside Register House.
Oooh and Old Calton Cemetery, with its graves of famous dead A-listers, giant obelisk memorial to early martyrs for universal suffrage and…
Yes, that’s Abe Lincoln and a freed slave on the Emancipation Monument in honor of Scottish Americans who fought in the American Civil War. I couldn’t make this up. [This isn’t my image because I couldn’t get close enough. The monument was surrounded by an entire busload of confused-looking Japanese tourists. So this image is from Wikimedia Commons here]
And of course, the fabulously over the top Art Deco St. Andrews Building, the Scottish Government HQ.
But really, we would STILL have made it if it wasn’t for…
The Sir Walter Scott Memorial, the tallest writer monument in the world. How could a writer resist?
After that, the only thing left to do was to head down into Princes Street Gardens, under the watchful walls of Edinburgh Castle.
We would probably still be walking if the Consulate hadn’t called to see if we’d had trouble with our easy-peasying…
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macjam47 said:
Thanks for sharing your lovely photos with your usual dose of humor!
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barbtaub said:
Thank YOU for joining us on our walk.
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tidalscribe said:
I love Edinburgh, but for some reason have only been there in the winter so far! But when we were staying in the Borders we made it to Sir Walter Scott’s house – a fantasy castle surrounded by beautiful gardens..
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barbtaub said:
Then we’re even—I’ve wanted to visit Abbotsford for ages. Hopefully, someday soon?
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Janet Gogerty said:
We were staying near Melrose, a lovely town and caught the bus to Abbotsford then walked back.
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Kassandra Lamb said:
Love this!!
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barbtaub said:
Thanks!
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quiall said:
It’s nice to know the consulate cares!
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barbtaub said:
I’m sure they cared, although it was seemed they also cared about getting us out of there in time for their own tea…
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lbeth1950 said:
Wonderful walk. Thanks.
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barbtaub said:
When the sun shines, Edinburgh is one of the prettiest cities I’ve ever seen. Absolutely irresistible.
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Andrew Joyce said:
Now there’s a dog!!!!
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barbtaub said:
Or, as we say here, a fine wee doggie!
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jenanita01 said:
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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barbtaub said:
Thank you my dear friends for the lovely reblog!
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Cathy said:
We have to make the most of good weather….and you made good use of it. Lovely photos…the Walter Scott memorial is incredible!
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barbtaub said:
Especially in Scotland, where the weather (and the dog) are the only publicly acceptable conversational topics.
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calijones said:
And you got to be in Edinburgh that day! Love that place.
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barbtaub said:
On a sunny day, Edinburgh is amazing. On the FIRST sunny day after an exceptionally long winter? Magic.
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lindahuber said:
Lovely photos, but you didn’t take the dog up the Scott Monument – did you??!
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barbtaub said:
She wanted to, but we did have that envelope to deliver…
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Mary Smith said:
Lovely walk in the spring sunshine, Barb. I think we might be about to have a second day of spring – maybe tomorrow – or next month.
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barbtaub said:
I love your incurable (although almost certainly misplaced) optimism!
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The Lockwood Echo said:
I can vouch that the top of that Scott Monument is one heck of a cardiovascular experience! How lovely that Spring coincided with your walk 😊
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barbtaub said:
It was so spectacular that I (almost) didn’t even mind the aching feet at the end of the day. Almost…
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Teagan R. Geneviene said:
How could a writer resist indeed! Wow, so much detail in that one. I loved the shot of the cemetery where you caught the doorway and the obelisk beyond. Thanks for a marvelous stroll, Barb. Hugs.
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barbtaub said:
I don’t think anyone could have resisted Edinburgh’s magic, especially the day they had spring.
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Pam said:
Awesome photos!
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barbtaub said:
I guarantee that the photos don’t even begin to do justice to such a beautiful city. Especially that day!
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robbiesinspiration said:
How wonderful that you have traveled so much. A really interesting walk. I would also have been distracted.
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muniyracampbell said:
A lovely read. And beautiful pictures. I dream to one day visit Scotland.
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barbtaub said:
I hope that day comes soon. Scotland is waiting!
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muniyracampbell said:
Thank you. I hope so too 😊
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