Crossing the Forth*
Oct. 5th, 2012 07:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shewhomustWe took advantage of our early arrival in Edinburgh to meet in real life someone we'd previously only known online: and here he is! We didn't even leave Waverley Station, but we had a drink and a very interesting conversation about SEO (his speciality), Dorothy Dunnett (he runs her website), Slovenia (which he makes sound very appealing) and more. Then we caught a local train to North Queensferry, over the Forth Bridge, and dragged our suitcases to our hotel, which - like most of the town - is under the Forth Bridge.
We spent our time in North Queensferry wandering around the town, admiring the many views of both bridges, road and rail, taking photographs from interesting angles, dashing out after dinner to photograph the bridge which is floodlit at night. And the fun continued today, as the bridge has been visible for much of our walk, starting with the moment early on when we looked up at the rumbling above us to see the Royal Scotsman crossing onto the bridge (there's something irresistible about trains with names). *This is why ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
durham_rambler thinks this post should be called 'A Wonderful Prospect of Bridges' (he hasn't read Iain Banks' The Bridge).
We've been walking along the Firth of Forth, a fractal line round bays and inlets (not to mention the scrapyards of Inverkeithing), the rail bridge appearing and disappearing, then the road bridge lining up behind it, then Inchcolm Island joined in the dance, and finally as the day brightened, the Edinburgh skyline became more and more distinct. At first we could just make out Arthur's Seat, and Leith beyond, then we thought that perhaps we could identify the castle, and eventually its silhouette was so sharp I wondered how we could ever have doubted it.
The walking is fairly urban: this was a deliberate choice, because it gives us easy walking and plenty of options if the weather is wet, as it still may be - buses and cafés are available. A lot of the paths are tarmaced, which is hard on the feet, and it's clear from the evidence that this is dog-walking territory. On the plus side, there are plenty of seats, and we lunched on one with a view across to Edinburgh and pleasantly shaded by trees, from which a robin emerged to share our sandwiches.
This was the shortest day; ten miles tomorrow!
All the photos of North Queensferry
We spent our time in North Queensferry wandering around the town, admiring the many views of both bridges, road and rail, taking photographs from interesting angles, dashing out after dinner to photograph the bridge which is floodlit at night. And the fun continued today, as the bridge has been visible for much of our walk, starting with the moment early on when we looked up at the rumbling above us to see the Royal Scotsman crossing onto the bridge (there's something irresistible about trains with names). *This is why durham_rambler thinks this post should be called 'A Wonderful Prospect of Bridges' (he hasn't read Iain Banks' The Bridge).We've been walking along the Firth of Forth, a fractal line round bays and inlets (not to mention the scrapyards of Inverkeithing), the rail bridge appearing and disappearing, then the road bridge lining up behind it, then Inchcolm Island joined in the dance, and finally as the day brightened, the Edinburgh skyline became more and more distinct. At first we could just make out Arthur's Seat, and Leith beyond, then we thought that perhaps we could identify the castle, and eventually its silhouette was so sharp I wondered how we could ever have doubted it.
The walking is fairly urban: this was a deliberate choice, because it gives us easy walking and plenty of options if the weather is wet, as it still may be - buses and cafés are available. A lot of the paths are tarmaced, which is hard on the feet, and it's clear from the evidence that this is dog-walking territory. On the plus side, there are plenty of seats, and we lunched on one with a view across to Edinburgh and pleasantly shaded by trees, from which a robin emerged to share our sandwiches.
This was the shortest day; ten miles tomorrow!
All the photos of North Queensferry
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no subject
Date: 2012-10-06 10:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-07 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-06 11:28 am (UTC)And bridges.
The fact that you are moving while doing nothing at going by train (but looking out the window) is geniale, almost buddhist an experience, if wanted.
Then, trains with names...there is so much childhood mystery in there, I wish I could recall all the ones I have been on, especially the steam variety to go to the former GDR from the western world, by.
Now at least in Germany they do give the fast TGV names.
Imagine going to Constantinopel (I may mean Instabul, off course;) on the "Mata Hari"; that kind of thing. I wish I could pay for the Orient Express but even if, suppose you might meet women in white stetson hats which would, in a certain way, perhaps not diminish the experience, hats being a mere matter of taste but still not the same somehow as if you could imagine it being something flimsy adorning a Scott Fitzgerald heroine, maybe a long missed heiress, making a cameo appearance in a Hercule Poirot mystery, etc.
no subject
Date: 2012-10-07 06:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-06 03:46 pm (UTC)It sounds like a lovely holiday so far.
no subject
Date: 2012-10-07 06:06 pm (UTC)"You are, dear."
"I am..."
From which you may infer another hard day's walking in the sun - and yes, going very well!