River Tyne, Haddington

It was the Merry Widows’ day out to Haddington today and we bowled along on the X7 bus suitably masked and distanced, passing villages which had grown in size since I was last in those airts. Even Haddington had sprouted huge housing developments on its outskirts. I suppose that in time if the population increases as it is doing, there will be one huge conurbation stretching from Penicuik to Haddington and taking in Edinburgh en route- a scary thought. It will be like London or Los Angeles.

We walked along the river in Haddington in heat and sunshine. It was beautiful and peaceful. We admired the manicured gardens of the houses on the opposite bank whose lawns sloped down to the water and watched the breeze playing in the leaves of a huge weeping willow whose branches swept the river.

We turned round reluctantly to be sure of having lunch at the Falko restaurant in town. The food was delicious but the service was slow, and even though this wasn’t an issue for us with all the time in the world, but I suppose it might have been for some.

It was the slow 104 bus home, sitting on the top deck with the view. I made a mistake about its terminus in Edinburgh so that we had a surprise tour of the western approach road before we were dumped unceremoniously at Haymarket. I’ll have to live that one down!