day out – The Rambling Sloth 🦥

Check me.

I’m on the train heading into our big smoke, Glasgow. I’m off to meet Mum’s cousin, Joyce, for lunch. Something we’ve talked about doing so often but actually never quite get around to planning… yet here we are! She’s waiting for her train in Edinburgh and I’m almost in Glasgow so I can walk from Central Station to Queen Street Station and meet her.

I didn’t get to bed until 11pm last night after the Beith Young Farmers concert. Louise next door was amazing in it. She did so well, I don’t know where the years have gone but she’s grown up into such a lovely girl and it’s amazing to watch her up there.

I was awake at 6am… as usual and heading out with Calaidh, Bhruic and Freya before it even got light. (Sorry, Evelyn!). I did have my hi vis vest on and a head torch though so I was very visible. It got light pretty quickly as I walked. I forgot to pick up my phone but the sunrise was lovely and red.

I dropped them home and got Khaleesi and the phone and headed back out again.

We met Rachel two doors down, with Nacho, so once again it was great to have company on the dog walk.

Khaleesi is still fascinated by the cows! This big bull was staring at her too but the moment had passed by the time I got my phone out!

Showered and off to catch the 10.12 train to Glasgow Central.

Glengarnock Station was looking really quiet this morning on the Glasgow bound side.

I loved the colours on this mild autumn morning.

😂 I’ll take a photo of anything!

My trip with Helen from Exmouth into Exter made me appreciate the beauty of our journey into Glasgow. The colours are amazing this morning, I’m sure it’s going to rain at some point.

It was much colder in Glasgow than I was back home, yet it’s only half and hour away. I wish I’d worn a proper coat instead of my denim jacket. I also took a cosy black dress off as I thought I’d be too hot. Nope, freezing! 😂

I’m early to meet Joyce so took a wander around to take some photos of Glasgow… of course I did!

This is Central Station.

This is the Citizen where we are going for lunch.

I have to say that it strikes me that Glasgow is pretty quiet traffic wise but that’s the first time I’ve been in since the Low Emission Zone came into force. It’s definitely easier to cross the roads!

This is George Square. The heart of Glasgow city. It’s pedestrianised at two sides now, such a difference. It seems more European if that’s possible.

Here’s our famous Duke of Wellington statue with its traffic cone! A symbol of the humour of Glasgow. Every time they take it down, someone else puts it back up so I think it’s finally here to stay! (Shame about the scaffolding!)

Maybe as I’m more keen to travel and appreciate the present moment, I am much more aware of my actual surroundings. I used to fly through here and barely look up.

The city was the draw for everything when we were younger. Every night out, every celebration. I feel like it’s moved on and left me behind and now I can look at it as a tourist which is really quite nice.

In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. 🥰

I love this. I’m standing in Queen Street Station waiting on Joyce writing all this.

There’s a guy playing the customer piano in the station and he’s great! I’m nearly in tears with the emotion and memories that his music stirs up…. Anyway gotta go waltzing over to meet Joyce while he blasts Abba’s Mama Mia!

We have had such a lovely time! It’s been great to catch up and have such a good chat.

The Citizen is beautiful inside.

Even the toilets are lovely! (Uh huh…. I took photos inside the toilets 🚻)

The food was so good. We had drunken prawns with bread and olives to start followed by Grilled Halloumi Salad for mains. I’d love to know how they made that as it was so tasty.

It doesn’t look it in this picture but it was huge. There was a lot going on underneath the halloumi!

Lots of chat later and a quick wander around the shops and I’m back in Central Station ready for the 4.15 home.

I’ve done 15.5K steps so far and my legs and bunion joint are really sore. I need to do something about that. I don’t know why I’m so stiff. It does all seem to be muscular. Joyce did ask me today if I needed new knees?!?! 😳 I seriously hope I just need to loosen up the ones that I have 😂😘

A lovely day out with lovely company.

Have a great weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Another full nights sleep last night. Just bliss…. Up bright and breezy today to get my toes painted and eyebrows done before heading off to Edinburgh to spend the day with Mum.

Mum doesn’t need me to have my eyebrows done and toes painted 😆 but the girl I go to only works a Thursday and Friday, so I’m restricted to those days. She changed my 9.30 appointment to 8.30 which was really lovely of her. We have another wedding on Wednesday night!

So I’m on the 9.12 train from Glengarnock, North Ayrshire to Edinburgh Waverley, via Glasgow Central. It’s been a long time since I got the train and the ticket was £41.40!!! On the grand scheme of things, it’s not that much but I think I expected about £25 😆 times are changing!

For those of you who don’t know, I’m an Edinburgh girl. I was born in Edinburgh at the Simpsons Memorial Maternity Pavilion (I’ve always loved the lilt that has) and grew up in Penicuik about 10 miles south of Edinburgh. I went to Napier University in Edinburgh so it was always my old stomping ground.

Thinking on it, even back then I felt bit different. When everyone was obsessed with going out, partying and drinking, I’d much rather have stayed at home. I did go out but I never really enjoyed it. I think that drinking helped me relax and forget my discomfort and there the story begins…

So back to today, sadly the forecast is pretty wet. It was sunny when I got on the train but spotted this 🌈.

And now it’s raining!

So into Glasgow Central.

Had to hot foot it across Glasgow to Queen Street Station for the Express Train to Edinburgh. It only take 50 minutes.

Nelson Mandela Square a bit wobbly while crossing the road!

Honestly Glasgow feels so alien to me now. We are never in the city anymore. There are people everywhere, obviously. Jeez that’s a bit of a scary selfie in Buchanan Street.

The Edinburgh train is heaving! It’s lovely to see loads of tourists heading to Edinburgh.

I am so excited to be on the train. It feels like a real adventure. I feel like I’m on holiday. This is the station from a bridge above it later on in the day.

Met mum and we walked up Cockburn Street!

Made famous by the Avengers movie.

When I was a teenager I used to get lots of my stuff out a shop at by the bottom called Cockburn Market…. It’s not there anymore 😂😂

We turned up on the Royal Mile and headed up towards Edinburgh Castle. That’s St Giles Cathedral where the Queen lay in state in Scotland before flying back down to London.

This is Deacon Brodies pub that I used to go to in my student days.

Looking back down the Royal Mile. Blue sky!

Thought this was a lovely building almost up at the Castle. The Scottish Whisky Experience.

I didn’t think the Castle Esplanade would be open to the public as the Edinburgh Tattoo scaffolding is all set up. It was but we didn’t get in to the castle as it was fully booked. Never realised that it could be but I guess during the Edinburgh Festival, that would be obvious!

Never going to get a photo without lots of people but thought I was pretty lucky with this!

Looking back down the castle esplanade to the Tattoo seating!

It got really dark!

And then the heavens opened!!!

This piper was really good.

Heading down the Mound to Princes St Gardens. This is the Bank of Scotland…. I want to say Head Office. If it’s not, it should be.

Walking down the steps towards the National Gallery and Princes Street, in the pouring rain.

Lovely view of the Sir Walter Scott Monument.

Think this is the best photo of the day as there were no people in it!

Mum took me to the Scottish Cafe and Restaurant for lunch. It was a lovely treat!

I had a buttery with wild mushrooms and soft cheese. It was really lovely.

Looking over Princes Street Gardens. This is where the Christmas Market is held every year. It’s nice to see it uncovered and green.

The Balmoral Hotel looking very imposing on the East End of Princes Street.

The new St James Shopping Centre… it’s streets ahea of what it was when I was a kid. More designer shops that anything else. It’s a lovely shopping centre but I’m not sure I’d feel the need to rush back.

There’s a lovely view from it, down over Leith and looking out to the Firth of Forth.

We popped into Harvey Nichols… way outta my league! We just did a tour of the escalators. The one pair of trainers I looked at were £595 😳 didn’t like them that much!

Mum headed off to the bus station to catch the bus back to Penicuik and I headed back down to Waverley for the Train to Glasgow Queen Street. It was so lovely to get to spend the day with her and do something different!

I passed the Royal Bank of Scotland on St Andrews Square. It’s been there since I was wee… and obviously a long time before that!

Crossing Princes Street looking west. It’s still really quite dark but dry.

Here’s a tram passing.

Back into Edinburgh Waverley.

It was such a lovely trip. I love being on the train and I’ve enjoyed exploring today almost as much as being on the PS Waverley. 🚢 it was lovely to see Mum as I can’t remember the last time we did something like that.

The train trip went really quickly writing this. I should have been a bit more present in the moment.

Back in Glasgow! So many cities!