The End of a Lovely Day

Another hot, sunny day.

I decided to walk down to the Museum of Scotland via Morningside,  the Links and the Meadows. Many people were out soaking up the last of the summer. 

I went to school in this part of town, and seeing the sunbathers reminded me of the lunchtimes we used to lie on the gently undulating slopes, undeterred by reminders from certain maiden lady teachers that didn't we know that Edinburgh's plague victims were buried under there? 

The Museum is displaying the Galloway Hoard, a collection of Viking age objects. Located by a metal detectorist a few years ago, it had lain hidden for  more than a thousand years. 

 As well as a large number of silver armbands and ingots, there are some beautiful glass beads, a gold pin in the form of a flamingo-like bird, an inlaid pectoral cross complete with chain (was it plundered from some monastery?), some little balls of dirt which contain traces of silver, gold and bone. Perhaps souvenirs of some saints shrine?

Some of the objects had been wrapped in cloth and placed in a lidded metal jar, which had also been wrapped. Some of these textile fragments survived - wool, silk and linen. There's a lot for the archaeologists to work on, but it's looking as if some of these originated in Persia, or even further east.

Walking back across the Links, the sun was getting low, but it was such a lovely afternoon that I decided to miss the bus and keep on walking. 15,000 steps is quite a lot for me!!  I think I'll sleep tonight.