zombie apocalypse kicks off

29/03/20 End of March and the zombie apocalypse is underway. The good news, the VERY good news is that we are allowed out to exercise. As long as we stay 2m away from the great unwashed. At first the temptation is to think of all the lovely places to visit to get your daily run in. Unfortunately everyone else has thought the same and so the Water of Leith paths (for instance) have become choked with dog walkers and new runners. Not good.

Lots of new runners about. I'm not sure how you can tell but you can. There is a look that folk have, perhaps imperceptible to the non-runners, of a newbie who has looked out trainers or track suit from a well intentioned decade gone by and has decided to make a go of it in this time of innactivity. Or feel that since the Govt. have determined you are allowed out for (specified) exercise, that you can only leave the house if you are simulating some sort of exercise. Not just having a bit of a wander. I may be slightly smirky about this but totally give it the thumbs up and would heartily recommend starting running, walking, jogging, whatever, as something of an antidote to the stress, worry and annoyance of the lockdown era. Also, and this is a huge also, it has been shown that you are likely to suffer more from Covid 19, the worse your health is. Fitness seems to be something of a defence against the virus. It makes sense: if you look at who is getting it worst, it is the old, the frail and those with health problems. So until a vaccine comes along being fit and strong is probably your best bet.

So we started this run going along the Water of Leith but due to it being too popular Mary had the idea to divert from Stockbridge up through town and try Princess St. It is one of my least favourite places in Edinburgh, being synonymous with repellent shops and tourists. I was not keen but surprisingly it was a great idea. 

no covid

this interesting phone box in Queen St
(locked)

filled with old world charm

tailor's dummy with mask

George St. empty

Now there were a few people in Princes St Gardens. (One of the few public gardens left open - till about 5pm daily I think.) But plenty of distance between them and tons of room to see them a mile off and choose a different path to avoid any close encounters. Far better than the narrow trails of the Water of Leith or the Hermitage where you can be forced into proximity with passing strangers. We did a lap of the gardens then out onto the Mound for urban tarmac hill-reps.

The Ross Fountain. Purchased (£2,000) by Daniel Ross, gunmaker, in 1862 after it was exhibited in the Great Exhibition same year. Brought to Leith in 122 parts and installed in it's current position in 1872. Ten years after the water stopped flowing it was refurbished and opened again, in 2018, painted in turquoise gold and brown. Refurb cost £1.9 million! 

This is no relative of the Ross Bandstand further along the road which takes the name of William Henry Ross, a distiller. I think the moral is if you want to make money, make whisky or guns.

I think we thought we might do several reps on the Mound, but after 2 felt that was sufficient. 

Hume and St Giles

the National Gallery - closed for a while

John H also enjoying the freedom of the streets

Hume being philosophical about the lockdown.

Above is the statue atop the Bank at the head of the Mound. (John Rhind in the 1860s.) It represents Victory (usually winged but not in this case perhaps to avoid the extra weight or the wind stress of such a precarious position.) She is handing out Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and bonuses to bankers. She was re-gilded in 1995 but a lot of the shine came off in 2007~8. 

Steve C was sufficiently impressed by Mary's photos of the empty streets of the town centre that he went for a run there shortly afterwards. And found it teeming with folk. So be warned you could get lucky and find it quiet, but it does get busy too. 

6.5 miles