urbaneering incl. bee is for botanics

Last Sunday coach Hunter decided we should do a slightly longer run around town. The distance was fluid and a certain amount was to be made up as we went, but the plan started out as a run through Holyrood and then part of the 7 Hills in reverse and then back via a cafe possibly in the botanics or an art gallery.

after Holyrood up to Blackford

crossing the Hermitage there were a family of 4 Buzzards

possibly 2 parents and 2 youngsters making quite a racket calling out to each other

Mary found a gel which was later consumed!

The couple of times we have done this section in reverse 

we have had trouble finding the path down between houses.

Craiglockhart

onto the Water of Leith

While Mary stopped to stretch I took some panoramas of the river.

Sections are now complete and ready for the WoL Half at the end of the year. Although Murrayfield and the new riverside walkways may not all be open in time. This year I should be racing it rather than organising.

Sections at the Dean Village are still not officially open due to a landslip (that has very much stabilised.) However the locals have dispensed with the barriers that had previously been ignored or climbed over. Obvs someone got tired of the official line.

Mary had been mentioning tired legs or sore feet or something, so I was surprised (and pleased) when, nearly home, we diverted to the botanics cafe. You are not allowed to run in the gardens so I felt wrongly attired, but we walked from the gate and nobody gave us the evils for being dressed inappropriately. It was warm enough to sit at the outside tables and there was something about this that was less oppressive than the cafes of the art galleries. It was pleasant weather and the cider (£4.95! but nearly worth it) left me giddy for the walk round the amazing flowers. 

Mary put her gps off but I left mine on and recorded 1.8miles of sauntering round the beautiful plants. It really was outstanding, and both of us got caught up trying to photograph the fantastic specimens. Loads of bees, fewer butterflies than I would have thought. We spent all but 2hrs lost in a sea of pollen and dazzling slow motion fireworks.

Mary going for it. And she didn't even have the cider.

Having an afternoon nap.

This was along the massive border beside the hundred year old hedge. The flowers, partly grouped by colour, were all in full bloom and just magnificent. The Titan Arum was about to flower in the greenhouse and although interesting and probably worth a visit, this border is much more spectacular and hell, if you want to know what the smell of rotting meat is like come past our house a couple of days after we have cooked chicken and not thrown out the bins. 

Alien life forms

We hadn't realised Mary incorporates a nose space 

in her handling of the camera until we saw this!

Her pic of the same.

I had taken a pocket-full of nuts, mealworms and bread snacks in case we met any friends along the way. The only recipient was this plump pidgy who was snapped mid-snack by Mary. Best comedy pic of the day. Look at that beady eye!

sometimes the camera misbehaves to advantage

didn't have time to pander to the squirrels today

There was a massive cone bearing tree with these weirdly shaped/coloured cones. As we walked away from it we noticed a heron way up at the top having a snooze.

Regulars will know I am no fan of the festival and fringe. I have no immediate plans to visit any shows and although I'm sure there is the occasional decent show an awful lot is just trashy methods of removing money from the tourists.

(I did cycle past Richard Herring the other day: said his name and "love your work." While that is an oversimplification of the mixed feelings I have about his oeuvre, there wasn't time for the full dissertation, so that was all he got. And given the amount of freebie podcasts of his I have listened to at work, isn't that far from the truth. If his tickets are under double figures I might go along but I imagine they will be nearer three figures and so I won't.)

I have always said spend your money on a pair of running shoes and go for a run round Holyrood - it will fill your soul way more prettily and do you more good. Similarly take a break from the intoxications of the festival; cut your fringe, and visit the botanics. The folk there are masters of their craft and there is a peaceful beauty that distracted us for 2 hours, and we barely scraped the surface. And price of admission? Absolutely free. Best show in town. Highly recommended.

urbaneering

the best bit through the Botanics