On the Water

Home again. I stayed overnight in Edinburgh because the event was scheduled to finish after 9pm. I could have taken the car, but after several brain numbing encounters with Edinburgh traffic recently I opted to leave it at the local park & ride to take the bus into the city.

Hats off to Stagecoach. When I got to the bus stop after checking out of the hotel, they were listing 3 services in 10 minutes to take me back across the water. The first one arrived 3 minutes later and 20 minutes after that I was there. These are fast, comfortable coaches rather than a typical city bus and the drivers do like to belt along in the outside line. 

I had chosen the Moxy in Fountainbridge for my overnight stay. I have stayed in one before, so I had a rough idea what to expect, and the price was good. That part of the city centre has been redeveloped since I was growing up in Edinburgh, and even then it is not one I frequented, so it was a wee novelty to explore a bit this morning. 

First stop was the coffee shop across the street. I had opted for breakfast there instead of the hotel’s all-you-can-eat buffet, because these things test my willpower and I usually enjoy failing. I saved £1.50 as well. 

Then I had a walk along the Union Canal. It re-opened in 2001 after being neglected for a long time, and you can now travel by boat between Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

I got my Blip there. The Extra is the canal boat where I got my mid morning coffee.