Afternoon

Even though the roads are a mess and, given the lack of proper cycling provision, so long as you’re comfortable and assertive enough to ride in traffic, Edinburgh is a marvellous city to cycle in. It’s small and not very hilly and any decent hills like, say, Dublin Street or The Mound, can be worked around to make them longer but less steep.

But when you’ve gone in early to dodge the rain and now you’ve got three hours to kill it’s just too small unless you head out to Portobello and just tootle around. So, having got off the train at Waverley it turns out you can be anywhere within 10 minutes or so. I’d been to the Brewstore and got my hops and still had nearly three hours before I had to be in the pub. So I headed back along towards the Meadows up to Peter’s Yard. It’s a good spot for a sit outside people-watching with a coffee and a cinnamon bun. There’s an interesting stall of Christians. Young folk, students and one clearly older organiser type but they’re not so hot on the proselytising. They only talk to each other or people who are obviously known to them when they’re not trying to dance themselves warmer. Maybe it’s cold when you've been standing around for Jesus, although even in shorts I didn't feel it but then I’ve been cycling. 

You also get to watch the cycle path and check out the bikes and their riders, quickly passing judgement on bikes, bike sizes, saddle heights, inappropriate speeds and the use of high gears for climbing hills. Good time-passing stuff for as long as the coffee lasts.

Back down to Princes Street for Waterstones (nothing) and then I gave up cycling and just walked. Walking uses up more time so I wandered along to the Portrait Gallery and arrived just in time for closing and then walked down Broughton Street and along to Howe Street where I’m lured into 6º North for tasty beers. It’s not my destination. A foolish detour but it’s nice to sit in, reading. So quiet, even with music on, that it’s like a library that sells beer. Maybe that’s where libraries have been going wrong.