Edinburgh city of hills

 There have been times on this trip when I have thought we should pack it up and go home. Especially on travel days. Sometimes I want to be in my own home, my own bed.

Then something remarkable happens. Like the train trip to Scotland where I see some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen.  Beautiful ocean views, rolling hills with cows, sheep and horses. It makes it all worth it.

How can I let some minor inconveniences stop me? It would be insane to miss out on all of this.

So settled in our new airbnb, the best one

 so far. That’s been the hardest part, adjusting to staying at new places. 

Found out today Edinburgh is a city of hills. Seven of them in fact. Experienced a couple of them today . Also lots of old stone stairs.

Today(sat) we went to jazz/blues festival which required going up a long hill, going through a narrow steep walkway with several flights of stairs. I did ok. London s underground got me in shape for it.

The jazz/blues festival was great.

Ode to the northern quarter, Manchester

 Goodbye Mani. Goodbye to very slow trams that I grew to like because it showed me the city. 

Goodby northern quarter. You are one of those run down neighborhoods the cool kids find. They start going to the pubs and making them hip. They open vintage clothing shops. Coffee places start popping up. Little funky businesses rent shops that are dirt cheap. For now. 

Pretty soon the artists and cool kids start renting the cheap apartments even though the neighborhood is still iffy. Because it looks rundown, it still keeps a lot of people away. For now.

Street art starts appearing, a lot it is really good. Music spots start opening. More people are showing on weekends. It becomes THE place to be. 

Other people start finding out about this quirky, funky neighborhood. Weekends start to be really busy. More and more “normal” shops appear. It is written up in the paper as the next trendy place.

Then it happens…tourists appear with their iPhones taking selfies in front of the David Bowie mural.

 The northern quarter is now TRENDY. Uh oh.

Beatles rule Liverpool and make people a few bucks too

 So today we went to Liverpool, home of “Ladies and gentlemen the Beatles!” (Their first appearance on Ed Sullivan show in 1964). I was nine when they played on Ed Sullivan.

This is Beatles town. There are Beatles stores, Beatles restaurants. There are Beatles bus tours called the “Magical Mystery tour” in which you can visit where they played before they were famous, John, Paul and Ringos childhood homes, where they went to school, etc.  I hear they stop where Ringo used the toilet once. Har.

There are Beatles museums. I imagine there are old guitar,

lyric sheets, clothing, etc. One place has an ashtray with a cigarette that was actually smoked by John Lennon on May 6, 1965.

Here’s an interesting fact; “ After a 2008 topiary tribute to the Beatles was unveiled in Liverpool, Ringo’s leafy head was cut off after he said he missed nothing about his hometown”.

You might think I don’t like Liverpool. I loved it! Especially the waterfront. Oh and I love the Beatles Who doesn’t?

Getting your prescriptions filled for a slow traveller

Naturally I love Mani. I love all these places. 

The women's European cup for soccer started here last night. Over 70,000 people at the first game. That’s amazing for womens sport. Never happen in the U.S. By the way England won against Austria. 

So I am on 3 medications that I take every day. I knew that this was going to be a challenge.  So starting looking into how to get more. Asked a pharmacist who told me I have to see a doctor and have them prescribe. He gave me a number.

No go. Said he never should have given me the number. Went to another pharmacist. Gave me a number to a private doctor that you can see the same day.

Called them and made phone appointment which was cheaper than in person. So next day wait at at appointed time. Nothing. Called them an hour later and the woman had put me down as in person. Couple hours later nurse practitioner called me. Able to give me one month supply. Messaged a local pharmacy. Cost: $60. 

Went there few hours later. Not ready and oh by the way we can’t fill one of them. We ran out. Called back to NP office. They gave me paper prescription to try at another pharmacy. Cost for two meds for a month supply:$30.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to get it or not. It is usually combined with another med. We’ll see.

This slow traveller loves Cardiff Wales

 Interesting contrast between London and Cardiff. London has 9.5 million people and covers a huge area. Cardiff has 485,000 and is compact. 

London is frenzy, Cardiff is calm. The biggest difference I’ve noticed between the two is the people. Londoners seem posh. It seems like nobody goes out of their house without making an effort to look good. Not everybody, but most. 

I don’t want this to sound classist. It is not intended that way at all. The people in Cardiff seem like regular everyday people. Working people. They aren’t trying to impress anybody. They dress how they want. Casually. Very few people here are made up like models or celebrities.

I feel more comfortable in Cardiff. They are more my kind of people. They will look you in the eye. Say hello. In London no one said hello. It’s probably just the difference between a big city and a small city.

Wales is like the working class cousin of England. There are rich people here but they don’t feel visible. They probably shop in London. Spend lots of time there. 

Cardiff gets 20 million tourists a year. The bay is beautiful and it feels like that area is going to to explode in popularity in the coming years. Cardiff has lots of shopping. Central Cardiff has lots and lots of small shops of all kinds, many in arcades and shopping centers tucked away. Lots and lots of pubs. Beautiful green spaces. Lastly it has rich history. 

Cardiff is a place you have to explore in the nooks and crannies and alleys to find interesting things. It’s worth it.