Last night was a little broken. For one, it was my first night in new surroundings and this always takes a little getting used to, for two although I am on the third floor, my hotel faces out onto the busy Rose Street with a couple of late night bars and a casino spilling out onto the road beneath. It was Saturday, there was noise till late. Still, I did sleep, and when I was, I slept well, waking not to early, not to late to take take in a relaxed breakfast (they supply it the previous afternoon in my fridge in my room), making use of one of the large coffee cups as a cereal bowl…

I then headed out in shorts and t-shirt into the gorgeous hot, sunny day. Making my way first up to South Bridge on the royal mile, and then struck out down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace, and skirted round the Scottish Parliament (under construction – still) to Arthur’s Seat. I ascended up beneath Salisbury Craggs stopping at points to take in the view, and take a series of photographs to stitch together into a panorama. Down the far side I took the steeper path up to Arthur’s Seat itself where I lazed and thought and photographed some more, before heading down the far side by way of a man-made loch, a ruined church, the Holyrode well, and the palace where I availed myself of an iced lolly.

In need of sheltering for a while from the afternoon sun (and since I was on that side of town) I took in Edinburgh’s Our Dynamic Earth – approachable by way of an amphitheatre (which I hope they use for theatre/concerts), and housed under a millenium dome style tent structure. It’s an interesting and thought-provoking exhibition that makes you want to learn more about climate, geography and our planet – and was thus useful research for Blood & Fire.

From here I headed back across town and called in to Blacks on the way to the hotel to purchase a hat (yeah, I know, a day late) and a silk sleeping bag sheet, for use when travelling (particularly in preparation for Hungary. I then retired to my hotel for a shower, a download of my 70 odd photos and a change around before my meal out.

This evenings restaurant of choice was Bar Napoli, just round the corner on Hanover Street, where I had a mozerella and avocado salad followed by veal in a mushroom and tomato sauce. Between courses and during the coffee at followed, the mood took me and I wrote a page more to my novel … I wonder if they mistook me for a restaurant reviewer? They certainly paid me a fair amount of attention.

A good day. A summer-like spring day. I feel like I am on holiday. I do not want to go to work tomorrow.

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