A bike, a book and a bandstand

After a lazy morning of minor backblipping it was lunchtime, and after a lazy lunching it was time to flop and read the internet all afternoon cycle into town.  Normally I avoid town during Festival time, because it's so unbelievably busy, but I wanted to go to the bookshop on Princes Street to find a book about trees that a colleague thought I might like.  I went the long way, just taking my time.

I couldn't find the book in question, but browsed for a while, finding a book that I think Ms BikerBabe would enjoy, and another that I think Mum would enjoy.

Retrieving my bike I headed west and halfway out of town to the bike recycling place that recently upped sticks from their big in of town warehouse.  But the new place looks so small now that I have no idea what they've done with the piles of useful cast-off stuff.  I looked in the window and then decided not to bother, so headed to Saughton Park where I found a bench next to the beautiful bandstand and ate my doughnut in the arriving drizzle.

Duly recharged but not really feeling like it I decided to try the newest bit of cycle infrastructure, a big wide path that goes over the Edinburgh-Glasgow railway and over the end of the West Coast Main Line using the supports of the original railway bridge and a new steel deck.  It leads up to Fountain Park, whereupon I realised I had less than ten minutes to get to the east end of Princes St to get my bike-bus home.

So instead, with half an hour more now in hand, I rode up to the Castle amidst thronging crowds, and watched a solo performer with guitar, microphone, backing tracks and a plethora of delay and loop pedals.  He was really good!  I think he was called The Journeyman or something.  I took my time heading down to the bus station, and was soon sitting onboard.

Back home I made a simple tea of omelette in a wrap with extra veg, and then a looooong phone call with Friend in Need who is now beyond need and quite possibly almost at the end of the road.  I don't know what else I can do to help, except win the lottery perhaps.  But I called lovely bestie afterwards to decompress a little, and we had a good wee chat for half an hour.