Scott: It was approaching nightfall and I needed a camp site. Campsites were marked with a large "C," and it was too late to ride all the way to Edinburgh. I couldn't find any camping places, so as a last resort, I went up to a door and knocked.
An older woman answered. She looked like my third grade teacher, but I found out later she was a researcher at a lab. I asked if I could set up tent in the yard and stay overnight, but she wouldn't hear of it and insisted I come in and sleep in her house.
We sat up until 2 am talking and drinking tea. She told me of her research projects and in the morning insisted on fixing me breakfast and giving me points of interest to see in Edinburgh. She was delightful. I left with many thanks and again, put her name and address in my log book.
I spent a week in Edinburgh, a couple days of that spent with the captain of the French Olympic Ski Team. We rode together. His English was excellent and he was definitely fit!
My researcher friend told me to visit Holyrood Palace, so I did. When I saw the sewing table that Sir Walter Raleigh had given Marie Antoinette, I imagined him saying, "Marie would like that!" As strange as it sounds, I cried at the thought. For some reason, this whole adventure was putting me in touch with feelings I hadn't had for quite awhile, if ever.
Since there was some time before the Edinburgh Tattoo was to start, I made a side trip to Inverness to see the Highland Games. On my way, I came across Ferdinand, the Bull, right out of my childhood memories. This was the bull that would rather sit under trees and smell the flowers than fight. He was huge and yellow and there he was grazing in a pasture as I rode by.
While at the Highland Games, I watched marching bands, sword dancers, and caber tossers; all the men were in kilts. The bagpipes played. I ate a meal with the top scorer in the games.
Back in Edinburgh, the highlight of my visit there was the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. It's an annual event performed by the British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and International military bands and display teams on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. The stage was lit and there were probably 5000 people in attendance. I had center, second row seating from the performance. Mists rolled over the bulwark of the castle and out of them came 500 pipers and drummers. It seemed if as the audience all gasped in one breath at the powerfulness of the moment. A speaker began. I can't begin to describe it.
I left Edinburgh and headed south towards Hamlet's home at the head of Loch (Lake) Ness, but turned south to look for the monster. No one I met had seen the monster, but they were all excited to talk about it. The further south I rode, the more Anglicized it became. I was heading for London.
The Last Apocalypse is available at Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527
and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/
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