Cullen Skink and Sticky Toffee. Oh yes I did.

Edinburgh did right by us today, despite the dour forecast for rain. We hopped on the tram this morning and in about 20 minutes, jumped off on Princess Street and from there, it was off to the Royal Mile with the rest of the thousands of tourists. It's a slow, but entirely pleasant, walk up the hill to the castle, with every kind of tempting store and market to lure you in. We did not go into the castle itself but loved the views from the top of the windy hill. Edinburgh looked green and charming, despite her blackened historic buildings and sooty church spires.

After our usual few hours of exploring, we managed to find a wee pub somewhere on St. Mary's Street. Almost three decades ago, mom, Jan and I were quite insulted by the bartender's admonishment to "move yer bags offa the table!" at the Jolly Judge Pub. He was anything BUT jolly. I am happy to report though that the atmosphere today was much more cordial, and my lunch of cullen skink (I'm going to make you look that up, but just know it was delicious) and sticky toffee pudding (everybody knew I'd cave) was delicious.

In the afternoon, the wind off the North Sea became strong and biting and the clouds rolled in, so we headed back to the apartment for the sad task of final packing, downloading boarding passes, and perfecting our exit strategy for tomorrow morning. There is a 100% chance of rain, so we'll try and figure out how to poncho our suitcases for the 20 minute walk to the tram station.

And so, this brings to a close the amazing European adventures for 2023. Ahead lies an 8 hour flight to Calgary and then the last short leg to Comox, which should get me home Saturday evening. I will then succumb to jet lag and use the quiet days ahead to reflect on the learnings of this journey, and all that it has added to my heart. Boudica, signing out.

The Firth of Forth, Newcastle

I really feel I have to give a shout-out to European airlines, both Ryanair and Vueling. I was absolutely stunned to find my luggage had arrived before I even made it to the pick up spot, both times. I mean, seriously, it was about a 10-15 minute walk off the plane and down to the luggage area. And in Barcelona and today in Edinburgh, two gynormous cities, by the time I got the carousel there my little blue suitcase was, merrily spinning around and waiting for me. Outstanding service, and maybe this is the result of non-union handlers. These are no-frills airlines with rock-bottom prices (unless you pay for carry-on luggage, in that case, it costs more to fly your luggage than it does to fly you) - they even charge for water. Planes are efficient but decorated like a sardine can. Still, that's probably why it cost less than $150 to fly from Barcelona to Edinburgh, a 3 hour flight. Amazing, considering WJ charges more than twice that just to get to Vancouver from Comox. After picking up our suitcases, we lost no time in opening them up and donning fleece vests, coats, and my favorite red scarf that has accompanied and comforted me on so many trips around the world. This time around, it has acted as a light blanket, a mosquito net, a shoulder shawl and a pillow. It is the most versatile item in my suitcase, and I have treasured it for more than a decade. Thanks to my sweet sis! Anyway, I am back in the English-speaking world, and I have to admit my ears were delighted to experience conversation that they understood. We caught the tram from the airport to the current lodging in Newcastle, and was absolutely charmed by the friendliness of the tram operator, the people I met along the way (like the Scottish gent busily walking 5 dogs at a time), and the helpful check in crew here in this pretty apartment that is overlooking the North Sea, complete with tugboats and massive cranes. This is a working port. I had fish & chips for lunch and a pint of some kind of ale. It took every bit of resolve that I had to decline the sticky toffee pudding, but who knows, maybe tomorrow. Now it is time to plan out tomorrow's day in Edinburgh. For 5 pounds, you can buy a tram ticket that is good on any tram or any city bus, right up to midnight. Hopefully the rain will be polite and we can get into the inner city, the Royal Mile and the Grassmarket area, which is tucked into the heart of the Old Town. I've got butterscotch, toffee and fudge on my mind, not to mention a bar of Scottish chocolate. Good thing there's probably 20,000 steps in my future!

Adios, Tarragona

You were a lovely spot to spend a few days and soak up the Spanish sunshine.