It was a bit breezy last week, even for Caithness. Ferries to and from Orkney were cancelled. Storm Floris blew through Scotland on Monday and Tuesday, ripping countless leaves from the trees like sails in a gale. In Wick, one tree landed on a statue of Dr John Alexander, dislodging but not toppling it from its plinth. According to the John o’Groat Journal, “Dr John Alexander (1839-1901) was a highly respected medical officer of health for Caithness. The statue was erected a few years after his death.”
The high winds – Wick had the highest reported gust of 84 mph – also prompted a postponement of a trip to Edinburgh. I’d planned to travel on Monday or Tuesday, but decided that perhaps Wednesday would be better, allowing one day for the storm and one day for the clear-up. It was just as well, as two of the bridges on the route had been closed, causing a lengthy detour.
Storm-toss’d trees
The journey to Edinburgh was also to test the feasibility of a longer trip in an electric vehicle. It was unexpectedly doable. On the outward leg, I made one charging stop about 200 miles away. I made two stops on the way home, one at a Starbucks in Perth, where I’d charged on the outbound journey, and one at a garden centre outside Inverness. Both were preferable and far more pleasant for a break than a motorway service area.
The reason for the trip was an annual eye exam. The cataract they’d found the year before had become slightly worse, but didn’t need repair yet. I’m slightly more farsighted, and the frames I wear regularly need updated lenses. And then, still being tired from the long drive, I chose new frames. That’s one of the reasons I still go to the optometrists in Edinburgh – they have a fun, funky collection of frames.
Only during the Festival
Edinburgh is chock-a-block during August, packed to the gills with Festival and Fringe go-ers. There wasn’t anything I fancied in the Festival programme, and the Fringe programme . . . is so massive that it’s impossible to find anything. There are posters all over town as well, but few of them appealed. Thus, I didn’t attend any events.
I stayed with a friend as I usually do, just a few steps from a convenient bus stop. One of the trips into town was amusing. Soon after one stop, a young woman’s voice shouted from the back in an American accent, “Give a great big woo hoo if you love Eddinberg!” In the pin-drop silence that followed, everyone held their breath, waiting to see who had the temerity to woo hoo. I whispered to my seatmate, “Where is this Eddinberg?” She replied, slightly sourly, “I don’t know, but it’s not where I live.”
Welcome Home
As a consequence of the time away, there hasn’t been much progress on the gansey this week. It came with me to Edinburgh but wasn’t even taken out of the bag. When I wasn’t traipsing in town, I was chatting with my friend and her daughter. I’ll do my best to catch up this week.
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