Today I went back into Edinburgh to pay some money into the account of people in Sandwich, where we will stay later in the tour. (We had tried to do it on-line back home, and it worked, so I had the details saved. However, the final part requires a security number being sent to my phone number, and that can't happen because we are not at home! We had gone in yesterday together, but discovered that even tho they didn't have a Public Holiday for Easter Monday, a lot of businesses were closed, including the banks, AND there is another Bank Holiday next Monday!)
So, off I set through the grounds of this wonderful house, through two gates and a mini woodland, towards the local train station, which is the last stop before the trains cross via the railway bridge over the Firth of Forth, before going on into Edinburgh.
I missed the train!
But, I had over twenty minutes to stand there in early morning sunshine, and took in the whole experience. There were no sounds, save for the other trains which sped through the station with no intention of stopping. There in the relative stillness, I could here birds chirping, small voices coming from the boys primary school across the road, but not much else. Then, quietly, a few locals would emerge up the stairs to the station , and then carefully cross over the tracks, and go to the only local shop which provided them with their daily newspaper, and then just as quietly come back, cross over again and go home to read what's happening in the world.
The other thing you notice is the deteriorating state of the station. Paint peeling on disused station doors, exposed wires into what was the ticket office or whatever, but NO STAFF!
You need a credit card, or you don't get a ticket. There is this very solid, very efficient machine with a touch screen, which you poke and prod, and then insert your card. The card disappears for mere seconds and almost instantly your tickets appear. One for the OUT, one for the RETURN, and the third one is your RECEIPT.
A voice from 'invisible' speakers announces the imminent arrival of your train. The train appears on time, (in my experience ALL Scotland trains are on time, very clean, and very efficient), you push the door button which opens to allow access, and you're off.
Sparkling sunshine through the windows, and a huge view of the river, far below.
If you catch the wrong train in this area, it is almost entirely your own fault! Once seated in your carriage, there are announcements about where your train is going, what the next stop will be, and when you are approaching it, and then the next announcement about the next station.
Unless you fall asleep, you cannot fail to get where you are going.
So, for something that started out as a drudge, and had to be done, I had a very pleasant morning.
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