July 25 – We’ve heard so much on the news about nightmare travel experiences; flights delayed or canceled, baggage lost for days or never recovered, that we approached our flights to Boston and then overnight to Edinburgh with some trepidation and more preparation. We packed a full change of clothes in our carry-on, just in case.

So although one flight was canceled and our new flight gave us an eight hour layover, and although our second flight was delayed due to lack of baggage handlers, and although my movie thingy didn’t work, you’ll hear no complaints from us. We’re here!

We landed at 9am, cruised through self-serve passport control (who needs passport stamps?) and customs (nothing to declare? Just walk through!) and we’re soon out on the cool and misty street. A modern tram with stations clearly marked got us to our Haymarket neighborhood in seven stops, and a five minute walk got us to our apartment.

Check in time isn’t until 3pm, so we dropped off our packs and ventured back out into the gray drizzle to find something to do for five hours. Imagine us, jet-lagged and sleep deprived, stumbling down the street in a surreal state.

Thanks to Google, we found the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art just up the road and popped in. The drizzle was now pouring rain, so this was a great place to spend some time and have lunch.

After a warm, fortifying lunch of squash soup, we walked back home via the Water of Leith.

Our apartment is a fourth floor walk up with a tiny modern kitchen – so modern that we can’t figure out how to work the stove! I sacked out immediately, but Jim went back out in the rain to get some provisions.

So we are here, warm and dry, full of salad, spicy edamame soup and toasted tattie scones (sort of thick potato pancake-like bread). A good first day!