That's one festival free week over and it's back to normality.

In my case that has involved the DORA AGM, my first rehearsal as Cicero in the Grads' production of Julius Caesar due to be presented in late November, a day in Glasgow and a birthday party(not mine).

In Glasgow I paid my first visit to their botanic gardens.  The gardens were neither as extensive nor as attractive as their Edinburgh counterpart but the hothouses were brilliant. Apart from wonderful plants one building shelters a number of statues including this intriguing one of King Robert of Sicily with a monkey on his lap.  There's a story there that I'll leave you to find out about on your own.

 A degree of normality has been restored to Edinburgh's buses too with the re-opening of York Place.  We will have to get used to going to stops we haven't frequented for yonks and whilst it means that progress is being made on the trams there's always a little downside.  My choice of six buses to get me home from Waverley has been reduced to two.