Zoë Bowyer

Edinburgh is stunning, but not so much if you have been before. The first time is like magic. Last time I was here I followed D in a daze, just absorbing all the new sights. This time I feel like I am getting a better understanding of where places are in relation to each other. I think that If D were to blindfold me, take me somewhere, spin me round and round and then abandon me, I would be able to figure out where I was and find my way home.

On our first day we went to the Camera Obscura, St Gile’s Cathedral and then Lupe Pintos Deli. We took our time and took plenty of photographs. Later we ate in the Bombay Bicycle Club, which was good, but not super scrummy. D has been farting ever since and it is not pleasant. Afterwards, we went to the Cameo cinema, where we watched Control. It was a very good film, very moving. I doubt there was a dry eye in the room at the end.

Yesterday we ate eggs for breakfast and then headed to Holyrood Park in order to climb Arthur’s Seat. The views were, as expected, wonderful. We got a good clear day. From there we walked down to Duddingston Village, where we hopped on a bus and went to Portobello beach. We ate lunch in the Dalriada Pub on the promenade; D had Cullen Skink and I had hummus. Further down the beach I lost my Canonet lens cap and had to run around looking for it, fortunately it turned up.

We went to the amusement arcade as I fancied a go on the slots - damn things get you hooked and make it very difficult to leave. I was trying very hard to get myself a lollipop, but a wee boy next to me gave me a packet of Haribo chews as I was having no luck. Outside the amusements I discovered that I had lost the lens cap of my DSLR. A quick retrace of our steps and it turned up.

Next we jumped on a bus to get to Calton Hill. We had a quick detour in John Lewis so I could ogle some yarn. Up on Calton Hill I took some photos, my last being of D with the columns behind him. Then I walked a short distance to take some more shots, only to find that I had lost my lens cap again. I retraced my steps, but in the couple of minutes since losing it and realising it was gone someone must have picked it up. I felt pretty stupid having lost a lens cap three times in one day. So my photographs suffered from an inattentive photographer.

We raced to Jessops to buy a new lens cap.

For dinner we ate in Viva Mexico. It was very nice. I didn’t have time to finish my choc chili cheescake as we had booked ourselves on the Mercat Tours Ghosthunter Trail. It started at 10 pm and took us into the Edinburgh Vaults and then to Canongate Cemetery. It is Halloween after all! The Vaults themselves were interesting, our guide, Black Agnes, was very good and put on a good show. Fortunately, I am not a believer in ghosts so I had no reason to feel spooked. The cemetery was lovely; the moon was out and the night was mild. One of the best things was getting to see all the people out in the city in their Halloween costumes.

It wasn’t until I went to bed that I started to think about all the ghost stories and get a bit scared. I pulled the duvet over my head so that nothing could get me.