One of the problems with this blogging business is that things pile us when you don't post. The bigger the pile the less inclined you are to resume posting. I've decided to cut this Gordian knot by ignoring everything that I should have recorded since my last post. For those who were there the memory will be as St. Crispen's day. Those who weren't won't give a damn.

It was a lovely bright morning today and I kept telling myself that I should get out into the fresh air. When I did, after lunch, it began to rain but I persisted. I'm glad I did because by the time I got to the top of Calton Hill the sunshine was back. I can't count the number of times I've been on Calton Hill But I have never until today climbed the Nelson monument.

Although there are lots of steps it's not half as much effort as climbing Arthur's Seat and the views are equally stunning. You can see the monument clearly from my little balcony as in this picture.

Logically you can thus see my balcony from the monument but to tell the truth it's not so easy with the naked eye, or at least with my naked eye. Next time I'll take a telescope.


The souvenir ticket seen here carries a painting of the monument decked in flags. I've seen it like that but hadn't the wit to realise that the flags were flying on the anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar and that they spell out Nelson's famous dictum "England expects...."

Of course as a good unionist we must suppose that he subsumed the Scots in that. After all it's not England that rules the waves but Britannia.