Scottish highlands and islands

May 2024.

Edinburgh - first days in Scotland

 

I didn't know what to expect from Edinburgh and I loved it so much. It enchanted me. The architecture, the walkability, the many delicious vegan food options, the bookstores, the artsy vibe, the history, the Harry Potter Easter eggs - like Victoria Street (above), said to be the street Diagon Alley was based on. I just loved it. My only regret is not having longer there, and not getting a vegan afternoon tea.

 

The weather was gloriously clear and mild. (Our cab driver from the airport reported that until a few days before our arrival, it had been raining for about five months straight.) The sun was up until after nine o'clock.

 

So many fellow tourists. So, so many. I heard so much French, German, and American English.

 

Erin had told me, "King Arthur's Seat is worth the climb, even if (especially if?) it's foggy." That's the hill pictured above, peaking at 822 feet high. Funny story, but as an adult steep hillsides and cliff edges make me irrationally uncomfortable; they feel like they have a force to them that will yank me/my car over the edge if I get close enough. I ended up taking two long breaks on the hillside to wrestle with my urge to come back down. BUT I did manage to make it to the very top, and dashed off a postcard to Erin as I sat there.   

 

 May 2024.

Warming up

Hopes and fears and
daydreams, all
a-whirl for now
The names of our destinations
alone are like wine
to my imagination
I fear the size of the suitcase
my mother will pack
I fear the days flying by
too quick for me to catch
I wonder what London
will look like from
its airport's windows - the closest
we'll get, having prioritized
Celtic splendor
I worry about my aerial calluses
and muscles failing, plot to find
all the monkey bars
I paint vague and glorious
landscapes in my mind
I am doing my best
to warm up
my writing muscles,
ought maybe consider
my photography muscles too...
(St. Christopher protect us
and grant us worthy travel journals)

- NaPoWriMo #14, April 2024