Scotland France 2019

The autumn tests are here again.  Less forbidding than the 6 nations tournament in the Spring - as the series of 3 matches seems less important than the 5 vital matches at the start of the year.

We dare to dream that we can win a couple of games. 

So tickets were bought months ago, and the date kept clear. 

 Then we got the surprise news that some of our french friends were coming from France to see the match.  We had a fantastic time with them - before the match.

We couldn't see them during the match, but they were somewhere over on the West stand.  
This was my first time at Murrayfield where I wasn't wearing full winter frost protection.  I even had the sun in my eyes at one point.  
Once again Mrs C and I forgot to bring water.  It is a recurring memory of the year.

And afterwards: where should we go to eat?  The Festival was in full swing and Edinburgh was mobbed as usual.  We sat on the steps around George Square and remembered Uni days in the 80's.  

It's nice to look at these places and have memories - much more than many of the other tourists.  I wonder if its the same for others when we are visiting their towns?

Do you remember the pizza cafe in Teviot?   We went to a show at the fringe this year, and it was great to be back in the basement where I used to play pool with Colin (from Blairgowrie).  I hope you are doing well, whereever you are.

So finally, back in the car, a quick tour of Edinburgh (Holyrood Park, Parliament, London Road, Queen Street, and out over the new bridge to deliver our friends back to thier B&B in darkest Fife.

It had been a great day, and the score didn't matter.

30 Long Years

1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1989th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 989th year of the 2nd millennium, the 89th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1980s decade.

1989 was a turning point in political history because a wave of revolutions swept the Eastern Bloc in Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power sharing, coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin Wall in November, and the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, embracing the overthrow of the communist dictatorship in Romania in December, and ending in December 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. These are collectively known as the Revolutions of 1989.

1989 marked the beginning of the Heisei period in Japan, which lasted until 2019. It is also the latest year, when written in Roman numerals, to have an L, and Mrs C and I got married.

So we decided to celebrate with a few days away - like a second honeymoon.

Using the ryanair flight finder option, we easily selected Luxembourg. 

So now the photos:

The celebratory coffee stop

The art gallery

 A black ink fountain!

The anniversary feast

The view from the big lift.