Sofas and birthday parties.

Only one topic of conversation on the radio this morning. The breakfast programme journalists can understand the control tower in Washington was short staffed but  find it difficult to fathom out what DEI has to do with it. The implicit assumption is that aircraft disasters are simply not the thing that politicians would ever be expected to comment on . That's what accident investigators are for. " Of course we've sadly not been blessed with politicians that are omniscient " says one pundit with the faintest undertone of what might, or might not be, irony.

Down to Edinburgh ... and back. The trains run on time. In fact the return journey sees us arriving three minutes early.  Parking at the station is 60p a day. Can't be many stations where 24 hours parking is less than £1.

It's sunny all the way which makes the small storm battered fishing villages look uncharacteristically inviting.

The up escalators at Waverley station aren't working. The up escalators at Waverly are never working. The down ones never have a problem. Go figure.

Angus goes off to see a man about a sofa. All he has to do is agree a price and a timetable for delivery.

What should have been a ten minute visit turns into an hours ordeal of trying out cushion fillings to judge their hardness. Whoever knew cushions came in so many varieties of firmness ?

From the back of a cab on my way back  I see a cafe serving coffee, porridge and cake. Add on bacon rolls and you'd have the essence of Scotland.

Gordon Ramsays on St Andrews Square does a £20 two course lunch. Sea Bream with steamed vegetables  for 'The Font' and a steak and chips for me. There's Apple Crumble to follow. We're in and out in 45 minutes which means we can get the 1:30 north. Six identikit Scottish ladies are at the next table. It's the eightieth birthday of one of them. Her name is Jessie. A bottle of wine is ordered and then a second. By the time we're leaving a third is on its way amid expressions of ' I shouldn't but I will '. The six ladies were happy when they arrived and are well on course to be even happier when they leave. 

Recommended by a Professor at Columbia. Slightly out of tune but very French. The violins are great  :https://youtu.be/BRTDC9Z5UdE?t=13

India through Indian eyes :https://siddhesh.substack.com/p/culture-shock-2

Is this unexpected ? :https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2418077122

The bizarre restaurant reviewer tries a Scottish chain with outlets in London, Tokyo and Bangkok. Who has ever heard of a Scottish restaurant chain ? Bars yes but restaurants ?  Irn Bru makes an appearance :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkYnEykGloY