Climbing Arthur’s Seat

October 10-18, 2019

If you have been following along my journey to this point, you know the ups and the downs of this adventure.  Each day I am challenged to live my opportunity to the fullest – no matter what shows up.  Isn’t that what living all in is about?  Whether we are at home in our normal routines or traveling to new places and meeting new people.  It’s about integrity and making good choices.  It’s about serving and looking for ways to contribute.

I have found so many of these along the way – especially when I begin my day in prayer asking for them.  

I spent 8 days resting and relaxing with my newest friend Gill in Edinburgh.  She offered to let me stay at her home and unpack for a while.  I had begun to get sick, but I quickly recovered with some vitamin C, Zinc and a lot of rest.  I enjoyed early mornings pulling weeds in her garden and long walks in the neighborhood.  

Gill has a friend, Betty whom she has been looking after for many years.  Betty lives in the care home across the street from Gill’s flat and is in her 90’s.  She doesn’t have any family still living to visit her.  I began going to visit Betty most days and enjoyed finding ways to connect with her through music and photos to help ease just a day or two of her loneliness.

I jumped right back into Gill’s routine of serving in her community and helped teach the new quilting technique I had just learned a few weeks earlier to a group of women.

We met a new young lady named Margarita who was studying English in Edinburgh.  She was 20 and from Italy.  She was delightful and had tickets to a candle light concert that evening in St. Giles’ Cathedral.  Gill and I were able to get tickets as well and enjoyed one of my most memorable concerts ever.  We listened to the London Concertante Chamber Ensemble and is regarded as one of the finest chamber ensembles in Europe.  It was an absolutely superb performance. (See video clip posted on facebook.)

• 

• 

The next day, Gill introduced me to her friend Flo who is also a long standing member of 5W (Women Welcome Women World Wide).  We had breakfast together and then walked to the Parliament Building.  We were able to get tickets to an event which was discussing the representation of women in British politics.  Andrew Marr from the BBC was the chair and several members of Parliament were present for the discussion including the Rt Hon Ruth Davidson MSP.  They shared their personal experiences and discussed how inequalities can be overcome.  It was fascinating – especially during this very fragile time in history here in Scotland with Brexit.

Gill and I climbed Arthur’s Seat later that day.  It is an extinct volcano and the highest point of a group of hills surrounding Holyrood Park.

The hill rises above the city to a height of 822 feet and provides excellent panoramic views of the city and beyond.  It is a relatively easy climb until the last hundred feet when the terrain becomes slippery with gravel.  

Gill went to visit her son on the West coast and I remained in her flat while she was gone.  “Our” walking group picked me up for the now “regular” Monday hike and we made our way to the foothills of the Lammermuirs to a tiny town called Doon Hill.  For more than 5 miles, we explored the countryside in it’s autumn glory.  The trail followed open paths with views of hedgerows, cornfields, pastures and moors, hilltops and coastline.  Pheasants frequently were startled from their resting spots and were beautiful in flight. It was a fabulous day and I was so grateful for the lift from my hiking buddies.

• 

• 

I spent my last day in Edinburgh a bit sad and not really wanting to leave.  I wandered around parts of town that I had not yet explored. 

• 

• 

Gill drove me (in the rain) to a shop so I could replace the vacuum bags I use for my clothing that had split after so much wear.  She also helped me check out a book from the library on Ireland and I began to plan the next leg of my adventure.