A Dayin Edinburgh

 Last Thursday we went up to Edinburgh for the day. 

I love how I can just say that, almost as much as I love that we can do it. There were a couple of exhibitions we wanted to see ( a recurring refrain over the next twelve months I suspect and not just applying to Edinburgh) so we just hopped on the train and there we were. 

Edinburgh was blessedly empty. Empty is a relative term of course when you're talking about a much visited tourist capital but there weren't all that many visitors about (well, it is January!) which made walking not only easy but actually a bit of a pleasure. Walking down the lower half of the Royal Mile it was possible to  look up and appreciate all the beautiful architecture from  many different periods without worrying that you were gong to bump into anyone while you gawped upwards. 

Here's a photo which is a great example of how the old and the new live alongside one another.  On the left, The Palace of Holyrood. On the right part of the Parliament Building. Bottom left a car which I would have liked to edit out,  but the editing software thing-y has changed and I'm bowed if I can work out how to use it. 

First stop was the cafe at Holyrood where we swelled the Windsor coffers by having a snack.

That was,by the way,the second most disgusting scone I have had while out in my life. Scones are not meant to have a crust on either the bottom or the top, let alone both. The walls were adorned with lots of large photos of the Royal family. It occurred to me that even if I ran a cafe with my family I would not decorate the walls with pictures of the OH, the sons, the siblings, etc etc but I suppose it's different when you're royal. 

Annoyingly we had passed several very nice looking cafes on the way which would probably have served us much nicer food, but we had no idea what the queues would be like for the exhibition so wanted to get to Holyrood to suss that out before we thought about eating. In the event there were no queues and I think next time we go to an exhibition at the King's Gallery we will pass on the Windsor caff and eat elsewhere. 

The exhibition was something the OH was keen to see - Drawing in the Italian Renaissance. When I say the OH wanted to see it, I don't mean to imply that he dragged me there kicking and screaming, because he didn't; have to do that. I just prefer paintings to drawings, probably because, as noted here many times before, I cannot draw to save my life, and therefore the techniques of people who are talented in that direction are a Closed Book to me. That said  there were a few drawings that caught my eye 

A pleasingly muscular Enthroned Christ  and 

a little botanical drawing of a blackberry branch. 

There was of course a shop and it did not, of course have postcards of the exhibition but it did have a box of notelets relating to it that was half price so I got that. 

Once out of Holyrood we made our way back towards the station, opposite which is the City Art Centre.  I've been there before and it has some excellent exhibitions.  The one we were there to see was Scottish Portraiture and this was much more my cup of tea than the drawings. I loved it. What I didn't love so much was the lighting which,  as always seems to be the case at the CAC was very badly placed so that too much light reflects off the pictures. I also didn't love the fact that you're not allowed to take pictures, but that seems to be a bit of a lottery with galleries these days so I didn't stress. I wouldn't minds seeing that one again before it's over but we'll have to see if we can fit it in again on another trip. 

When we'd finished there we crossed the road to the station and by the time we'd found when the next train to Stirling was and located the platform it was only five minutes before the train arrived. So much easier than seeing things in Edinburgh used to be for us.