SCOTLAND ODYSSEY : OVER THE BORDER & BACK
Trip Start
Unknown
1
15
18
Trip End
Ongoing
Dalgety Bay - York , Scotland, United Kingdom
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
I decided to do so on the spur of the moment not far out of Edinburgh with the thought that I couldn’t possibly visit Scotland and not see anything of that wonderful city which I had last visited at the end of 1977. An sms from sister Jennifer also prompted the idea.
From the station I walked up to the High St, a steep climb via 'Advocates Close’, and emerged in High St to see a magician in an orange and black outfit starting an act outside a church across the road. He was highly entertaining and it was well worth the while spent watching him.
As he got to the serious part of his act quite a good group of spectators had assembled and he involved a sweet little girl and her sister who were watching with their parents, nicely in his act. Her name was Maia and her delight at the tricks that were being performed was as enjoyable as the show itself.
I tipped Todd an R50 note with my name and email address written on it and suggested he come to the Grahamstown Festival in 2010.
But back to the trip to York, it was an absolute pleasure relaxing in the train watching the world rush by after all the driving of the last week.
I spent the whole time scribbling furiously just as I am doing now and in no time at all it seemed, it was actually 2-odd hours later, I alighted at York and there was Barbara to meet me.
Driving out to Easingwold through York there was a lot of activity in the streets and one got a nice sense of the City and also a view of the old City Walls and York Minster.
I assured Barbara that sight-seeing wasn’t on the agenda and it wasn’t even that important to take in the sights of Easingwold but I did have an opportunity to do so while out walking together.
As was my by now established modus operandi in all the places I visited, I took myself off down to one of the local pubs during the early evening.
I was collared by a fellow in the pub who had had a couple too many and who complained about not really being accepted in Easingwold because he was a Cockney. I was reminded of the Manchurian I met at Invergarry who also complained about feeling out of place.
Barbara’s house backs onto a meadow with a view into the distance and I was pleasantly surprised to see the famous White Horse on the hillside on the horizon. Apparently, it was the work of a teacher and local farmer in 1850 or thereabouts.
Easingwold is quite rustic so the one night I had there was completely peaceful and I had a marvelously restful sleep.
The next morning we visited a couple of local shops where Barbara wanted to pick up some gifts for me to take home. I also chose a couple of nice prints of Easingwold scenes by a local artist.
On the way down to the shops I was introduced to ‘The Squeeze’, a tight doorway created between two buildings.
Easingwold could easily be nicknamed ‘Pleasingwold’ and if I was to describe it in a word, the word would be "pleasant".
The morning flew by and it was soon time to be taken back to York Station allowing me just enough time to take a photo or two of the interior of the station’s vaulted roof, built on the curve.
I left Easingwold and York feeling fully restored.
Back on the train, I once again couldn’t get over how effortless and efficient train travel is in the UK and after the break in Edinburgh I arrived back in Inverkeithing where Tom was again waiting to fetch me.
Nancy was off in London for the day and would only be getting back later so the idea was that Tom and I would go somewhere for a beer or two and Tom would later prepare supper.
And that was how I spent my last night in Scotland. But an eventful day lay ahead.
