Waverly Railway Station,
Edinburgh.

September 1, 2014 -- We've bid farewell to Roger and Helen this morning. They were wonderful hosts and we enjoyed our stay with them more than I can express. Helen dropped us at the Gloucester Railway Station on her way to work this morning and we boarded the 9:50 a.m. train to Birmingham. Changing trains for Edinburgh was a "snap" as we simply had to walk across the platform. A couple of minutes later the train arrived and we were on our way.

Linda and Sir Walter Scott

Linda and I have completed a good amount of travel during this trip, and we've been on lots of busses and trains. As mentioned elsewhere in this blog, all through Ireland the "inter-city" busses and trains were comfortable and provided us with a free high-speed wifi service.  This isn't the case with our experience in England. Not only does the train have a "pay as you go" wifi service, it very VERY slow. So, most of the time, one is waiting for the page to load and appear on the screen. Add to that the train (I am writing this on our way to Edinburgh) is most uncomfortable. The seats are cramped and rigid with no leg or foot room.  There is no "food service" and some of the restrooms are "out of order"! Add the fact that it is a 5-hour train ride to Edinburgh and it means we're in for a long day. But -- we're healthy, happy to be on our way to Scotland and to have had such a wonderful time on this trip.

Starbuck's?? In Edinburgh, Scotland.

11 p.m. -- We arrived in Edinburgh at 4 p.m. and checked into our lodgings. They are just a few minutes away from the railway station and easy to find. After checking in, we got a tourist map from the receptionist and found our way to nice Italian restaurant on "Rose Street" in "New Town". After, we continued to explore the area, met some folks, drank some beer and enjoyed learning about Edinburgh.

Tomorrow will be our last day in Europe and we have the full day here in this beautiful city. So, I'll be sure to fill you in on our adventures for the day.

Ciao