Edinburgh to London

Well, bit of a jet-set life over the past week! So this page is dedicated to discussing my two trips: Edinburgh for an engagement party and a baby-naming dinner (Saturday-Monday) and London (Wednesday): 1023 miles in all, in 5 days!

Jump to: Saturday ~ Sunday ~ Monday ~ Wednesday

Edinburgh

Saturday saw me getting up at 5am, and being out the door by 5:45am, so that I could catch my 7:00am flight to Edinburgh. It was only about a third-full! Landed quarter of an hour early (at 8am), and then, on Chris' instructions, caught the airport bus to the city centre (Lots more organised up there - buses every few minutes to and from the city centre to the airport!). Met up with Chris (who had just come back the previous evening from Keswick) once I was off the bus, and we caught another bus to his flat.

Didn't really do much that morning. Around lunchtime we walked up to Walkabout, where the party was being held later, to check out the private room Chris had booked, to see if Suz needed to decorate it. Chris was particularly chuffed to see his name on the door:

While there, we caught the first half of the Lions game, and I seen a flag for Pontyclun RFC and Tondu RFC...

Then we went for a general wander around Edinburgh center (Princes Street mostly), and caught a bus back to Chris'. Played on the PS2 until Suz and friends (AKA bride & bridesmaids) came back. Didn't do much then until we had the chinese takeaway, then at quarter past seven Chris and I decided to leave, to make sure there was someone there at 7:30 (the time the party was supposed to start), and we went via Dougan's (sp? pronounced Doogan!) and dropped off my bag (that's where I was going to be sleeping that night). Chris had said that we wouldn't have a problem hailing a taxi outside his front door, so we didn't bother booking one.

Can you guess how many free taxis we seen while walking up the street? None. We finally seen one when we were half-way up Easter Road, and by this time it had started to drizzle. We hopped in, and dropped off my bag at Dougan's, then went up to Walkabout, arriving just before half-past. Chris and I got talking to the barmaid while we were waiting for people to arrive, turns out she was Canadian who had travelled across Eastern Europe in her spare time - thereby setting Chris off with his account of his and Suz's travels. Chris ordered a pint of Guinness, and it tasted something like one of Tom's 'pint of Arse' - it was the first pint of Guinness pulled that evening though, so he ordered another one.

That one wasn't much better...So he ordered a bottled beer. Slowly the room filled up, and various people I knew (e.g. Rose & Ed, Auntie June and Uncle Johnny, Heather, and that's about it) turned up. About half-way through the night (around 10ish if memory serves), Chris asked if he could borrow me, and asked me if I wanted to be an usher! I said yes, and was about to say I would be the only sensible one up there (i.e. not wearing a skirt ;-) ), when he said there was a condition - that I had to wear a kilt...Riiiight...

So I stuck to what I had already said, and agreed. We went over to Ed and Dougan (Usher and Best Man respectively), along with Auntie June et al, and announced that I was going to be the second usher. Everyone seemed pleased, and everyone had a good old chuckle when Chris told them I'd be wearing a kilt...So then Ed proclaimed himself 'head-usher', based on age me thinks, and Dougan, Ed and I held the first meeting for planning the stag do. Some good ideas from Dougan and Ed, who have obviously been planning it for some time.

So the party lasted in Walkabout until 1am, when the bar closed, and we had VIP passes for Jongleurs, so some of us went there. Myself, Dougan and Louise (Dougan's girlfriend) lasted until 2am, by which time I was knackered, because I had been up since 5am. So we left, followed by Ed, who wanted to share a taxi - the major downfall in his plan being that we were walking home, since it was only a couple of minutes walk...Before leaving, we arranged with Chris to meet up at the gym of the Scotsman hotel at 11am the next morning, for a swim to shake off the hangover.

Do you think we could raise Chris in time to get there for 11 on the Sunday? Could we hell! He maintained afterwards that he was awake, but me and Dougan doubted this very much... ;-) He came round Dougan's about 12ish (bearing in mind we had a meal to go to at 1pm), and me and Chris (minus Dougan) walked over to the Scotsman's gym. Very nice it was too! Had a swim, then a relax in the Tropicarium, then another quick dip, before getting showered and dressed, and hurrying out and meeting Suz at the top of the Prince's Mall steps, and then we hurried along George Street and found that the restaurant was at the opposite end of quite a long street to where Chris and Suz had thought it was.. We got there only 10 minutes late, but with plenty of time to enjoy a very nice meal and have a chat with family!

I know it looks like that's a doll in the middle, and that Ed is sleeping, but I can assure you that neither of these is true! Jack apparently likes ice cream, he couldn't get enough of it!

So, after the meal, Chris went round to work to punch the guy who gave him a dirty shot (containing, among other things, half a bottle of Tobasco...), and after that Chris, Suz and I met up with the bridesmaids, and after losing one of them, went for a bite to eat. After that me and Chris walked back to the flat via Dougan's to pick up my bag, while the girls caught the bus back and got there only shortly before us - probably because they were doing shopping! ;-). Then we lost another bridesmaid, and we went up a pub just up the road for a quiet drink, and not long afterwards Dougan and Lousie showed up for a swift pint, since they were going to see Star Wars: Episode 3. Nic (the last remaining bridesmaid) met up with some old school friends, and when we left, she left with them. We got home not long after 11pm, and me and Chris had an hour on GTA: San Andreas on the PS2 before turning in.

So Monday, Suz had to go to work, but me and Chris were suppoed to be meeting up with Rose (and Jack) to do something at that point to be decided. When we both got up (around 10ish), Chris gave her a ring, and we decided to meet up in Edinburgh centre for lunch, and then a browse around the shops. So me and Chris were waiting at the bottom of Frederick Street at 12pm, and this time it was Rose's turn to be late, and we then wandered up to the Standing Order (a Whetherspoon's on George Street) for food, as Rose had vouchers for money off. While Rose went up to the till to order food, Chris played with Jack:

Chris and Jack playing	Jack eating his cow

Jack was asked if he wanted his bottle at one point, and he replied "yeah"!!! 'Twas a one-time-wonder though, and despite our coaxing, he wasn't going to say it again...So then after out meal, we went down to the bottom of Frederick street again, this time to meet Suz who clocked off work early. So we wandered up Prince's street (again!), and went in the "Pride of Scotland" shop, looking for Perry tartan, but no luck. Did see a rather nice plain black kilt though, and since I'm not Scottish, I think that's an acceptable comprimise. I will, however, not comprimise on my Welsh dragon pin!

So after Suz had gone to meet up with the remaining bridesmaids, Chris, Rose, Jack and I wandered to Waverley Bridge for me to catch the airport bus. When we got there, I said my goodbyes, and hopped on the bus. Half-way to the airport I realised I still had Chris' bottle of coke in my bag.. The flight back was about half-full, so I had a row to myself. Dad picked me up from the airport, and when I got home, I couldn't wait to collapse on my bed!

London

So, only one day later, another 5am start saw me in the car by 5:45am, and getting to Dave's place by 6:10 am. We missed the 6:40 train, which we had intended to catch, and instead waited twenty minutes for the 7am train. Knowing it was a 20 minute train ride meant cutting it fine for the bus we had to catch. But the bus was there waiting for us when we got off the train, and so we went and sat down and got prepared for a long trip to London. There were 13 people (plus the driver) on the bus - a full-size coach...Before we pulled off, the bus driver announced how the previous day's coach had to turn back because of an accident on the M4, and how he hoped the same wouldn't happen that day...Jinx?