Scotland - Friday and Saturday (Home & Earthcache Weekend)

Friday October 6, 2017

As usual we spend the day at home after a big day out, and yesterday was one of those! ;-)

More time is spent on the blog (why the heck do I take so many pictures???) and more shopping.  We have found an Aldi, not far from ADSA, so we give that a try.  Patricia had been out during the morning to do some exploring around the shops as she needed some sewing items. I keep myself occupied as usual.  I have my laptop, sodoku puzzles, e-reader, card making materials, sketch book and drawing utensils and some knitting work.  Half of it hasn't even been out of my suitcase...

So, the rest of the afternoon is spent with reading, sudoku puzzles and answering email messages.  There was too much outstanding stuff to leave it too long.

Oh, and Patricia has finally been able to get the TV going, which means that I will be spending lots more time in the kitchen as I can take only so much TV in a day: not from 8 in the morning till bedtime.   I don't mind though, Patricia loves her TV and can watch without interruptions and I do my thing in a different corner.  It's all in a day's work. ;-)

Saturday October 7, 2017

This weekend, for the geocachers among us, is an earthcache weekend, which means that if you find and log an earthcache you will receive a virtual souvenir.  I am not eager enough to try this every year at all costs (I have skipped a year now and then), but this time it is probably worthwhile as there also is an event in Edinburgh that we can attend.

We catch the bus at a reasonable time.  I have downloaded the bus app on my phone, which is a tremendous help.  It shows you all you need to know including the 26 or so stops (the trip from the airport to Moat Drive!).  And it is easier to work out when you have to get off the bus, as the map locator follows you on the trip and shows you where you are.

On the way to Holyrood Park

Back to the story.  We arrive at the designated place, Holyrood Park and find the people who have organised the event.  We have a chat with a few and find out that we are not the only travellers from far.  We meet a Kiwi and a Norwegian lady.  We also meet a Scot who is happy to lead the way to the various earthcaches in the vicinity.

Playing for a charity

The five of us walk to the hills and climb to the highest (for us) earthcache of the day, the ruins of an old chapel.  Patricia comes halfway, but decides that the climbing is a bit too much for her and returns to the event.

We make it to the top and work out the answers for the cache.  We return along a different route, shorter but it would have been too steep to climb.


At the event we check our answers with the CO and get the go-ahead to log.  Patricia joins us here again and we walk into town to find a few more earthcaches.  It's earthcache galore here in Edinburgh, but you have to know your rocks and minerals, because it's all about rocks!

To keep a long story short, we go home with 6 smileys, 5 of which are for earthcaches, and an earthcache souvenir.

Earthcache Edinburgh - Arthur's Seat (Event)

1754 - St Anthony's chapel

1755 - A Vague History Queen Mary's Bath House

1756 - Just a bunch of Rocks! The Canongate Wall EC

1757 - The fish beneath our feet

1758 - Earthscape Scotland

By 2 pm Patricia and I had seen enough rock and since we were close to the Dynamic Earth centre we hopped in for a long overdue coffee, after which we walked back through the old town via Holyrood Road.

No level crossings here...

The Toon COOsillor

Holyrood Road leads into Grassmarket...

...from where you have a different view onto the Castle

Next we walk around the castle grounds (didn't need to climb that height again!) to Princes Street to catch the bus home, but not before we have found a cache in the gardens:

1759 - GC10 Edinburgh Castle

This was a bit of a climb, but not too strenuous, however it was nice to have a seat on one of the park benches and watch the world go by before we caught the bus home.  This time we sat on the top floor of the double decker bus: