Blogs from Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe - page 8

We had a bit of time to kill. The appointment at the Palace of Nicola was not until 11 am. The events of the week in London suggested security would be tight, so we decided to give ourselves plenty of time. Check out complete and bags stored at the hotel, we set off for a stroll round the New Town. The city centre of Edinburgh is in two distinct sections, Old and New. The Old Town is dominated by the imposing Castle, perched high on the crag. The Royal Mile runs from the Castle to the Palace of Holyrood lower down the hill. A series of lanes and alleys runs off the main drag in a cluttered, unplanned system. The New Town is the complete opposite - planned on a grid. The masterpiece of town planning ... read more

The haunting vocals of Katie Stelmanis boom out across the small room where Canadian electro band, Austra, are showcasing their new material. "There is only one way" "Future Politics" The new album was launched on the same day a revolution in populist politics came into power across the Pond and a President decided to become engaged in an argument about the size of an inauguration crowd, as opposed to anything meaningful. I don't know whether the choice of the title track of the album was coincidence or indeed the launch date. The timing to be in Edinburgh on a day of potential political significance was also spooky. The worldwind that was and is Brexit looms large over British politics and this week was to have seen the latest quest of the Scottish Nationalists to push for ... read more

Had a very entertaining trip to airport courtesy of Stephen and Fred's left tonsil! Chockey still coughing but not complaining. As we promised ourselves ,had champagne breakfast at Edinburgh airport. Will attach photo when we suss out how to do this. Next stop Heathrow!... read more

Our closing day began at 9:00am. I wasn't sure when the laundry was being picked up, so I sat in the back of the room. Roger felt worse than the day before, so he stayed at the apartment. During the 11:30 break I got a text from the laundry service. He arrived in his BMW SUV about noon. Roger needed some OTC medication. While getting that I also picked up a couple small boxes and packing tape to get new purchases sent home. The final conference speaker announced the next ISBA gathering would be in Iceland in 2018, and just like that the 10th Annual was over. Goodbyes all around. I'd see one of the delegates in Colorado the following week. At the apartment I packed the boxes and filled out the paperwork for international shipping. ... read more

Because I'd registered the day before I didn't have to be at the conference until almost 10:00am. With my day set, Roger again set off to explore and take pictures. The best speaker of the morning was a mother from a tiny town in Ireland whose son was diagnosed with Autism at 20 months, 22 years ago. Her story is a wonderful example of why I started Respite, Inc. The international conference shows how much of the world recognizes the benefits of such programs. The venue was built in the late 1700s and is tastefully elegant. The workshops that followed weren't nearly as motivating. I was disappointed in the one presented by two national organization representatives from the USA. Other sessions were worth attending. The conference finished for the day about 4:30. I took a longer ... read more