It's the same old story in this tug of war

Room 1

Back Blipped from Last Sunday

From Edinburgh, we moved to South Queensferry. 

Another horrific drive.  You wouldn't think, would you  - a mere 10 miles and it took us a lot longer than half an hour. 

It took us so long in fact; that we didn't have time to check-in before our Sail along the Forth.   South Queensferry has changed the road priorities and we couldn't get in from the East / North - We had to leave take the back roads and re-enter from the South/ West. 

We headed to the car park which the hotel advised us; it was full - with a queue.  We headed to Port Edgar Marina - and parked there, and then walked / jogged the 1.5 km from there to the other end of Queensferry to reach the ferry terminal.

The terminal was full of folk in Woolie hats, and thick jumpers.  We were stood in T-shirts and jeans. 

There was a band of Hooray Henries, - Barbours, hunting boots, hats, dogs  (not on leads), saying "oh kay yah"  A lot.   We watched as they firstly stood on the wrong side of the quayside - (right on the side), and then when they realised their mistake, crossed the quayside, and stood harbour edge to get on first, in front of all the people who had been waiting on the correct side. 

Of course, the boat couldn't get in , because they were standing where they needed to throw the ropes, so we stood and waited for them to understand the crew screaming at them to move back. 

They still got on first. 

We found seats, and thoroughly enjoyed our sail down the forth and over to Incholm Island; and laughed thoroughly as the Hooray's froze to death and resorted to tying their Barbour hats on with their scarves. 

We disembarked at Incholm, and it was lovely.   

The sun came out and it was warm and still.  There was a wedding just finishing.  And we watched as they clambered back aboard our boat and headed back to the mainland. Himself said, I never saw the groom, only the bride with her dad......  Erm, I think that was the groom. 

We wandered the abbey; walked in the steps of the monks - (I tell you what all those monks must have had the skinniest of arses to get up and down some of those staircases),  marvelled at the views, and then sat on our arses, and just enjoyed the view. 

We also enjoyed the sight of the island monitors, collecting all the confetti which had been fired from confetti cannons.  The bride knew they weren't allowed, but her guests didn't and they brought them out of their bags at the end of the service and let them go.... Personally, I would have made them get down on their hands and knees and sort it. 

The trip finished with a sail under all of the bridges.  

As we sailed under the road bridge; I couldn't believe how emotional I got, thinking of much younger me, standing on that bridge in June 1987 watching himself sail away for seven months on HMS Edinburgh,  I was distraught and had stood for 2 hours on the bridge waiting for it to pass under after walking from the dockyard gates. 

Our stupid car had not started that morning and we got a taxi over to say goodbye.  I couldn't enter the dockyard, so our farewell had been quick and panicked in the back of the taxi before he took him down to the dock. 

I had wandered the length of the road, and up to the bridge sobbing my heart out and then just stood.  And Stood.   

For a moment on that wee boat today; I had to blink hard lots of time, and then declare that the wind was making my eyes leak. 

After the sail we had to make our way to the hotel to book in; and that was where the fun started. 

We were read a list of rules; which included being fined £150 if neighbours complained about us; being fined £150 if we broke anything in the room; and being told that we had to be upstairs and in our room by 1115 when the doors were locked. 

More about that tomorrow.