Friday 14th June

Road Trip, as they say in American movies. In this case though, I’m driving the eldest and two of her friends to Edinburgh, so they can look around the University. For the next couple of months and the through the autumn term, teenagers up and down the country will be visiting places of higher education to try and decide, grades permitting, where they would like to study. We pick her friends up early though being summertime it is light, and therefore so much nicer than in the dark of winter. When I used to work for a living I spent countless hours driving up and down motorways, it’s not something I miss, though I am quite happy to do it if I need to. We quickly escape the urban sprawl and are moving happily north up the M6. When I look around I realise the excited chatter has died down and all three teenage girls are asleep. Maybe it was just too early for them.

I pull off at Teebay Services in Cumbria, and they awake. I get myself the days’ first cup of coffee and stand outside eating the bacon sandwich I made last night, the eldest tucks into hers with a cup of Hot Chocolate, and we watch the ducks on the pond and admire the scenery. We’re soon back on the road and thankfully the traffic is still light. We easily get into Edinburgh and the Sat-Nav quickly routes us to the University where I drop off the girls at 10.30am, bang on the time I was aiming for. I know some parents go around with their kids, but I feel the eldest needs to get a feel for a place herself and make up her own mind without being influenced by Mrs P or me. I tell them to call me later and go off to find somewhere to park. Edinburgh is not a city I know well but I can find my way around. I was staggered firstly, at the cost of on-street parking, the best I found was £9 for 6 hours and secondly, at the amount of traffic wardens there were. They’d have to book a lot of people to cover their wages. A car park off Princes Street wanted £16.50! I ended up near Holyrood paying £6 for the day, which seemed reasonable in comparison. I know you probably pay a lot more in London, but crikey parking is expensive.

I wander up the Royal Mile to the Castle, marvelling at the number of tourists, and the tourist shops. Then for a bit of culture I popped into St Giles’ Cathedral and caught the end of a service that was in progress. It included the fastest rendition I have ever heard of The Lord’s Prayer, given by what sounded to my untutored ear an American though he may have been Canadian. I then pop into Piemaker for lunch, consisting of a Scotch Pie and a Haggis Pie. Well “when in Rome” and all that. The pies were excellent, and reasonably priced, and I follow them up with an Italian coffee in an independent cafe a couple of doors down. It too is excellent, and I’m please I avoided the usual corporate chains.

I wander down onto Princes Street and go into the Scottish National Gallery where they have some wonderful paintings and spent some moments lost gazing at an Édouard Manet. They also have Rodin’s ‘The Kiss’ on loan, and I am once again amazed by the power of great Art. The sun is shining and so I take the opportunity to sit in the gardens on Princes Street and watch the world go by, people really should “take some time to smell the roses”. It really is fascinating, and it’s free to appreciate the good things in the day.

Late afternoon the girls call to say they’re finished and we meet up for a final wander up to the castle before setting off home. Once again the traffic is good despite it being a Friday. In fact I am surprised how easy it has been to drive into and out of Edinburgh. As we hit the motorway into England the heavens open, and torrential rain comes down. Funny that, sunny in Scotland and wet in England. We stop at Westmoreland Services, once again in Cumbria on the way back down and I get the days’ final coffee, as much as anything to keep me alert. Apart from the rain the drive is uneventful and we drop the girls off home about 9.30pm. The eldest and I then go via the chippy on the way home. A nice end to a fine day.

Yours tired but smiling.

Jay