1st Day - Monday - Arrival
Today I start my journey but I am not really excited, surely I am too tired. Yesterday I had a choir performance in the church. My mum who should take me to the railway station was more nervous then me. And so we started early, at 9 am, half an hour later still would habe been early enough. And so I entered the platform with my suitcase, backbag and handbag. Then I took the S-Bahn to the station "Berliner Tor" (Berlin gate). Here I changed into the train (S11) to the airport - what meant one stairway down, another up, a wee bit straight ahead an then another stairway down to the next platform. And the train was just gone, so I had to wait 10 minutes for the next one. After 20 minutes travel time I reached the airport, for the first time by train. Then to the check in. I actually had check in from home online and reserved my seat but I had to checked in my luggage and changed the e-mail into a "real" boarding pass. As I was far too early at the airport (departure time 12:30, I arrived 2 hour earlier) I thought it might be a good idea to have a Café latte to start my holiday. And I read a bit, of course in English. Then, finnaly, it was time to go to the gate. For a change there was no sound at the secury controll - don't asked me why, I do not know. But I had to take off my belt and my shoes. The plane to Amsterdam was not fully booked so I had a 3-place row all for my self.
When I arrived in Amsterdam I had to find my way at the airport Schiphol. London Heathrow is bigger butit is definitely better signposted. In Schiphol you follow an endless row of signs but if you have a connecting flight you how to turn sharp left under a strairway you are just coming down. Here is another security checkpoint. At the same game as in Hamburg, I ahd to takle of my belt and shoes and had to put it on again after I ahd pass the controll. Now I was hungry, the so called snack at KLM on the flight consist of a very small bag of savoury biscuits or a small chocolate bar - really opulent. But somehow I must have over estemate my appetite. From the salad I ordered I only ate the chicken meat and the rocket, then I had enough and left the rest on the plate. And then the next flight, this time the plane was a so called City Hopper. And this one was filled up to the last seat. After a bit more than an hour we arrived our destination - Edinburgh. Here I had to look for the counter of the car rental. The last time I was in Edinburgh (5 years ago) it was at the arrivel terminale but that had changed. When I asked at the information they told me that the car rental now have their own building outside the terminals. After a walk of 5 - 10 minutes (it seemed like a enternity to me) I reached the car rental building. We did the paper work and then the lady told me, where I could get the keys and the car.
Here are 2 pictures of my small runabout, a Chevrolet Sparks
Okay, here we go, luggage into the car and than driving to the City Bypass. But it was nearly 5 pm now and rush hour had begun. What means many cars on the road and low speed But it was okay to get used to the car. Despite my good memory I took the wrong exist first. But for a round about it was no problem to get back to the Bypass. Then I got the right exist and immediately I found the street where my Bed and Breakfast "Rowan House" is. Angela welcomed me warmly and with united power we carried my suitcase upstairs.
After spending the whole day on airports and in aircrafts I needed a walk. The way to the castle took me rough three quarters of an hour. But I could not get as close as I could 5 years ago. For some reason the Castle Esplanade was closed and big scaffolding where build on the right and the left of the Esplanade. I could not enter the Esplanade and the Castle just closed for the day. Okay, than I go back. Of course I took a photo of Greyfriar's Bobby.
On my way back I got caught by a shower. It was drizzling for a while but now it really started to rain and at least it hailed. When I finally reached my bed and breakfast place I was soaking wet and the sun was at the sky again. That is Scotland. It was the first time but definitely not the last time I got wet.
Here are some impressions from Edinburgh.
