Monday, October 3
This morning we sleep in till almost 10:00, missing breakfast! This is a first! We will have to transfer to the Hotel Holiday Express where we will meet our travel group and spend the next two nights. We take a taxi and leave our luggage in the hotel's luggage room till we can check in later this afternoon.
We took our mandatory COVID test last night and got the all clear.
We find a Starbucks for some coffee and a muffin and then look for bus #19 to Dean Village/Dean Bridge. (Greg's camera hasn't caught up with the correct time yet this morning.)
Beth has read about this picturesque old mill town and we've chosen something out of the main town, since we will be doing more touring in Edinburgh with the group tomorrow.
Took a couple of tries to find the right bus stop, but a young woman with all the bus stuff on her phone sets us straight. The buses accept the touch feature on the credit card, which makes it easy to pay. (We also like the fact the the restaurants all bring the card reader to your table rather than taking your card away.)
Someone on the bus tells us to get off at the church over the bridge, and we then walk down to Dean Village. Very nice old mill town from the 1880s, with a stream (Water of Leith)running through it. We walk some pathways and enjoy the houses, bridges, and old buildings. Lots of trees, ferns and moss in this cool valley, and few people.
If we kept on walking, we're told, we'd end up at the sea. We come back and walk the other direction for a while.
We catch the bus back into Edinburgh and check in to the hotel for a little R&R. There is construction (no noise) across the street from the hotel where a statue of Conan Doyle that marks his birthplace is missing for the moment. The pub with his name is nearby, though.
Our hotel is behind Greg to his right.
Across the street and to Greg's left is a large shopping/entertainment area called the Omni.
Nice room, good wifi, hot shower! We watch a little soccer on tv till it is time to meet our tour guide and group for a welcome drink in the small bar area. Our guide is David Hoole from London, and the 20 other people on the tour are from California, Arizona, Utah(6), Maine(4), Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina and Vancouver. Ages from 30ish to 70ish. David gives us some information - most importantly to look BOTH ways when crossing streets, and reminds us that COVID is still out and about. Everyone introduces themselves. There are probably about 10 of us about the same age.
Then we board the bus to go to a welcome dinner at a restaurant called Indigo Yard.
Nice meal as we begin to learn people's names. Unfortunately the majority of the people, including us, did not get their travel info from GoAhead in time, which included name tags. Greg and I choose roasted pumpkin and sage soup, king prawns and chili linguine and a sticky toffee pudding dessert from a limited menu. Good food! Some folks walk back to the hotel, but we opt for the bus tonight.
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