Diary of an Edinburgher

By LadyMarchmont

Visa!

I managed half an hour on the bike, but it was a struggle. Mainly because I missed 'Homes Under the Hammer' to distract me. Or else I'm tired. Didn't bother with the cross trainer - that's beyond me at the mo.

JR went to the South African Embassy, because Kiwis have to get a visa to visit (we're going on safari there in September). She popped down to the office in Leith. No problem - just a twenty page booklet to fill in, and a £91 fee!! £91! Don't they want people to visit them? I suspect it's because they still bear a grudge because of the 1981 Springbok rugby tour to NZ which was disrupted in protest of the then SA apartheid government..

I've just checked. NZ apparently clamped down last year on the number of South Africans entering the country freely and staying illegally, and so SA has reciprocated. Though I suspect the numbers of illegal Kiwis in SA could be counted on one hand...

Archie and I went up the hill. It was SO warm. And I forgot my walking stick! DUH! I can manage quite well without it for a short time, then I get too tired. So I couldn't go far. But I had the tennis ball, and kept chucking it down the slope. Archie was fair puggled. I knew I'd do it just once too often, and yes, I eventually had to go all the way down the slope and pick up the ball myself while his nibs relaxed in the long grass, panting.

I popped in to the corner shop on the way back, and yes, there was a box of Almond Magnums for £2! Bingo. So I had one, while catching up on VEEP.

Rufus and his mum popped in with the new Fringe programme, and JR returned, still in shock from her £91 visit to the SA Embassy and in great need of a G&T!

A dissection of the election results was the topic of conversation, of course.

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