Scotland is having a heat wave

And no, I am not personally responsible :)

Quite funny really - it is just nice as far as I am concerned but the number of sweating people in Edinburgh yesterday was quite phenomenal. Put it this way if we saw people sweating like that, at the same temperatures, in NZ we would be a-thinking that there was some sort of mass heart attack deluge happening....

Anyway after leaving here I caught the bus into town - well that was the intention but I quickly realised that I could go unlimited distance on my one way ticket so long as I did not get off the bus - so rode the bus to the far terminal and then back into the centre where I hopped off and trundled into the gallery. The bus went right through to 'the Jewel' which is further on from Leith and Portobello. By the number of Miner's benevolence society buildings in the area this must have been a mining centre in days of yore.

The gallery was quite amazing. I am not really that much into gazing at paintings but I did find it interesting. Some of the paintings (bad me I did not make a note of which ones) had a luminescence about them which is totally lost in any form of reproduction. This was in the Italian gallery. Also the size of some of the works is just amazing. So are the humongous gilt frames, come to that.

There is a recent new acquisition in this gallery - a Titian - the gallery (and other collective benefactors) has recently just paid £50million for it. It was evidently a 'bargain' which came on the market because of the credit crisis - someone needed lots of dosh fast. Since then it has now been revalued at £100mill, so the gallery has just 'made' a 100% profit. Philistine that I am I commented that I would be selling it on and using the money for something 'useful'. A comment that I could get away with because I am a visitor I suspect - but the sentiment was shared by the other people there, they are all just too wussy to speak up.

Anyway I found (or rather 'relocated') the wonderful CD shop on The Mound that relieved me of a lot of my $$s last visit. I will wait until Glenda hits Edinburgh and go back then. She will be blown away...

Also went into the museum of the Bank of Scotland - they have a million pounds on display so that people can see what it looks like. The notes are ones which were printed especially by de la Rue and have never been in circulation - and have 'cancelled' printed right across them. One million pounds in £20 notes weighs 9 stone. Information like that is the type of irrelevancy that will stay with me forever (sigh).

Met up with the Sargisons last night. Neil came and picked me up from cousin Drew's and took me back to their place in Pennicuick for tea. It was so nice weatherwise that we ate out on the lawn. Then Neil , Marion and I headed back into the village for the concert.

The concert was held in the North Kirk - turns out that this is the kirk across from where Uncle Roy and Aunty Grace live (Drew's parents). The kirk is also used for community stuff such as this concert as well churching; it has the most amazing acoustics which were basically being stuffed up by whichever dolt was interfering (under the guise of working) with the sound system. Ho Hum. Nothing I could do, but I was not the only one who was commenting. The second half Marion and I went up into the gallery where the sound was fine as we were getting the unadulterated acoustics without all the mids rebounding and muddying the sound.

However that little thing aside the quality of the playing made up for it. The main bill was a group called Fantoosh; the classic Scottish trio of piano, violin/fiddle and cello. Think Chris Duncan or Catherine 'Whatsername' (Spencer?) on 'Presence' and you will get the idea. The Beeslack String Orchestra (the local high school) were the sub bill. The musicians from Fantoosh work with the schools about the place so some of the pieces they played were ones which the kids and musos have been working on together. - like 'da Slockit Light'. The trad side of things was mostly Shetland and the rest of the bill was classical.

I have an autographed CD. I said that it would be the only copy in NZ but evidently the nephew of one of the partners in the trio's, parent's-in-law live at Waitomo - so I guess I can say mine will be the only copy in the South Island. It is really a very small world...

Drew and Vivien are taking me out for a drive to Galashiels this afternoon and tonight Drew will take me out to meet up with Unk and Aunt, me thereby escaping from the invitation to a 'Body Shop' Party at Drew and Vivien's daughter, Maureen's place. Can you imagine me at something like that??? Gah!!!!!!

Well better log off and head back up the road. There will be no report tomorrow (Sunday) because the library is closed. Doubt that there will be much of great import to relay anyway, but still don't despair; like the Terminator, I will return.