Day 13: Farewells and Cats

  I had a leisurely start to the day. Others, including Melody and Sheelagh, had gone before I got up. I had packed last night so was able to take my time over breakfast and spend time talking to mates. At 10.00am I had my bags carried down to reception ( did not trust myself to manoeuvre my bags up and down 2 sets of stairs) said farewell to those waiting for taxis, and set off down the road to my next hotel

Genevieve, who is staying on at the Arden for a few days offered to walk with me. It was a very simple walk, but did help to have a second pair of hands manoeuvring it over the slate paving stone.

As I expected, my new room was not ready, so we checked in my bags and went shopping. I wanted to buy a screwdriver and go to the Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Genevieve to Boots. We got the screwdriver at a hardware store. I will now be able to tighten and change my hoop! Genevieve helped me choose a top and we got what she needed at Boots.

On our way we saw an billboard for a Cat Cafe. Genevieve knew about this from her son, and was interested to explore, so when we had completed our shopping tasks we followed the signs to the Shakespaw Cat Cafe.














It was one of the madder places I have been to.

For a modest entry fee, you get to order drinks and food amongst the cats. It is, apparently, a Japanese idea, meant to relax and calm.

There were, I think, about seven cats on cushions, blankets, towels or various structures designed for their pleasure.

The proprietor serves food and drink from a kitchen behind a hatch. This is the signal for the cats to come, hoping for milk.

Once our coffee was served the cats lost interest and went back to sleep, but since we paying to watch the cats, the proprietor woke them up with treats.






That worked for a while.

There are more rooms downstairs, including a cat bedroom. Genevieve went to inspect, I didn't.













As soon as she left her chair it was occupied by a cat.

Another climbed on our table to get to the windowsill.



The proprietor got on with her work.








There was a helpful mirror to allow you to see what was going on at the other end of the shop.

I'm so grateful to Genevieve for treating me to this experience.  I would never have done it on my own.It was extraordinary, and to me, vaguely creepy. It was not a calming Japanese zen experience - but a good story.

Genevieve left me at my hotel. I hope her husband arrived safely and they are enjoying a relaxed, delicious meal at the Arden.

At the Mercure, I was given a choice of a room next to the lift with a shower over the bath, or one of the two rooms with walk-in shower either up a flight of stairs or a circuitous walk from the lift with a few steps along the way. I went for the walk-in shower.
This hotel is full of steps and stairs. Fortunately, my room is on the first floor up one relatively short, straight set of stairs, not those shown here.
Here the rooms are named after Shakespearean characters. Mine is, unfortunately, called Macbeth! Only Macbeth and Hamlet have walk-in showers.



Inside it is a reasonable size, comfortable, but not well-lit.


I unpacked, did a few stitches, then set off for Shakespeare's New Place, where he lived for 19 years before his death. I arrived just in time for a talk - a recounting of the history of the house with diagrams. Fundamentally, it predated Shakespeare, was remodelled, demolished, rebuilt, demolished and created as a memorial to Shakespeare by the Shakespeare Trust.







It has really lovely Elizabethan-style gardens including sculptures inspired by Shakespeare, pennants for each of his plays, the opening lines of all the sonnets.

It is next to the Guild Hall, with good views from the garden.











It was, by now, raining, so I didn't linger in the garden.












Back at the hotel I settled myself in the lounge area, in front of a window at street level, with good light and worked some more of Nicola's Titania. A fellow retreater went past and tapped on the window.

I had not registered I was visible to passers by!



I ate in the restaurant attached to the hotel. The best part of the meal was the Affogato.

My thanks to Genevieve for keeping me company this morning and helping make the choice of top -I'm pleased with it- and for taking me to the most extraordinary cafe.

I do hope all my fellow retreaters travelled well and safely.

Tomorrow Christine and Eddie are coming to see me. Woohoo!