The Big Trip Part 2 - Auld Reekie

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Kia Ora,

Time to catch up on our trip of about 5 months ago! How time flies...Ailsa is 8 months old on Tuesday! After a brief stopover in London for me to visit a software company that we're working with at the moment (Jo-Ann headed up to Edinburgh ahead of me with Ailsa), I arrived in a cold capital to a lift in warm car from my maw-in-law. We spent about 10 days with her in Currie in all with a couple of visits to my Mum & Dad up in Kincraig (next blog) and it was cool to be back - literally! We did score with the weather as although it was cold (struggled to get above freezing some days) it was clear and crisp - just the kind of winter days we both miss. Unfortunately, our prayers for snow were only answered just after we left for Singapore.

We had a couple o trips into town for some Christmas shopping - a bit of a shock to the system after the realtive calm of NZ Christmas shopping which seems much more low key. At least we were doing it mid-week when most were at work as there's no way we could have hacked it on a Saturday or Sunday. I even bumped into Bilbo Berwick of the Shire in John Lewis! I was also lucky enough to met some old Standard Life friends for a Friday fish and chipper lunch, a coffee and, a pilgrimage to Fopp on Rose St for some top notch discount CD buying with Mr Birrrell. I also managed to have a few beers later the same day with some other old freinds from the Standard Life days, this time some of the old crew from Direct Sales. You just can't beat crashing Christmas nights out! Especially at All bar One, Conference Square - it really hasn't changed but some of the old regulars are just a bit grayer.

I was also lucky enough to get a quality curry night out with the boys (yes, i did spend a lot of time with Ailsa, Jo-Ann and her Mum too!) despite getting woefully lost after getting on the wrong bus and massively underestimating the walk to the Pleasance. Just the 45 minutes in -2 degrees! The curry, beer and the company of olds friends more than made up for it - Mr Graeme E Pearson on form at The Mitre on the Royal Mile as well as well. Quality, just quality.....

Jo-Ann and I also had a lovely meal out at McKenzie's in Colinton which was a Christmas gift from her eMum who stayed home to baby-sit - brilliant!

Finally, we managed lunch down at Peebles with the Baillie family which was great - those kids are brilliant, Andy & Leyanne!

I was a bit frustrated that I couldn't do more as there were so many more people I'd like to have spent time with but it as that bit harder with Ailsa to look after. However, I should count myself lucky as Jo-Ann didn't manage to see any of her friends at all!

We did manage a few walks round Currie, Juniper Green and Balerno on some very cold days - luckily, we had lots of warm stuff to wrap Ailsa up in who wasn't used to such cold. It was quite funny to see her nose go red and her snotters freeze on her face! Didn't seem to bother her one bit.

And, of course, let's not forget Christmas day with 4 generations of the family together - Ailsa with her mum, her mum's mum and her mum's mum's mum! Ailsa also got to try on her family Christening dress which has been worn by all those generations - it was a special moment for all.

OK, got to go now as its time for missy to get out of bed after her mid-morning nap - off work today as its the Queen's Birthday holiday and appropriately its cold and wet - winter is officially here!

Later.....

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