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Sunday, 26 January 2014

THE CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL PART 3


I slept OK, must admit, not so well as I normally do when I stay away, but that was because of two reasons, one, I was getting my Husbands really bad cold and two, there was no air but for the air conditioning in the room. We didn’t dare open the window, as we were on the ground floor.

Our alarm went off and time to get up. I never heard one person through the night get up walk about or talk. I didn’t hear one door close either; it was as though we were the only two in the hotel. So rather peaceful.

So I called my Son to make sure that he, and the dogs were OK, they were and that put my mind at wrest.

Got ready and I longingly looked at the bath, which the night before had served me the purpose of comfort and relaxation.

But no time for that, so just a quick shower and through the many doors to find the dining room.

LC, was amazing. We had to go through four doors and lots of twists and turns. She walked us right there, it amazes me, as she seems to know where we want to go? I mean, my Husband didn’t have to give one single command, not one. I would have to say find the door find left right and so on, or find the room at least. Her, nothing, and so the night before, she walked us to reception. After the meal, Hub took LC out for a walk and she knew it was time to pollute the streets of Edinburgh.

Then this morning, she knew we needed to eat breakfast. A mind reader of a dog.

When we got to the dining room, we took a seat a cosy table and the lovely waitress came to take our order.

We spoke to a few colleagues who were busy getting their breakfasts before heading off to their various countries. It was odd for Hub I guess, as it’s normal for him to be the one traveling.

He said to a couple of colleagues; see you in Larnica/Cyprus.

Some guy laughed and remarked that he says to his colleagues. “See you on Monday, or see you at the office.

For Hub, the world is his office.

Breakfast was fresh fruit, Scottish breakfast; I had the vegetarian version and lots of toast and pastries.

And of course a pot of tea.

Time to sit and reflect on the beautiful short trip I had made and sadly back to our room to get ready to leave.

So many of the people we met with said what a great hotel it is. There are a lot of facilities there and they were great as in helpful and accommodating for every need.

My Husband organised it and thankfully it went well, with no hiccups.

He was rather anxious, but all was fine and important matters were solved.

It was rather interesting as the MP on our table was talking about the referendum which will take part the vote between supporters of Scotland leaving the UK and those who disagreed.

A subject that could have got rather heated if there had been someone on our table who expressed their views, either way. But we all knew to be politically correct on this subject. I wanted to say so much you know me, but held my tongue

Apart from asking what would happen to the armed forces if Scotland went it alone?

Answer, nothing would change… I then didn’t ask who would pay.

I was well behaved.

But a lovely German man asked us as English people, what did we think? The Scottish MP, answered for us. Haha!

It was rather interesting, but left me a little sad. I can see from so many sides why Scotland would want to leave the UK, why the UK would want them to, why some Scottish people would not want to be independent and why English people as well as Irish and Welsh, would want them to stay with us.

At the end of the day, if as a small group of people in the United Kingdom, can’t get on enough to stick as one, what hope does the rest of the world have to be civil and at one with the UK?

So we said goodbye to the room and LC took us to reception.

Hub had lots of things to sort out as meeting room’s coffee’s water and some finger foods needed paying for as well as the bill for the stay of everyone. We did that then took a taxi to the station.

When we got there, the driver dropped us off telling us he couldn’t take us in the station, and we had to make our own way down the large steep ramp. We heard the announcements so we knew we were in the right place.

We got on our train and Hub after an hour went to the buffet car and bought me a sandwich. He left me with the lovely LC of a guide dog. When he was away, I had a panic attack. I couldn’t find my white cane and was imagining it to have rolled down the train somewhere, and then remembered Hub borrowed it to take instead of the dog. A blonde moment.

Next thing we heard was the train wasn’t any longer going to London, so the people going to London, had to leave the train as there were changes. Why? Not sure, but the London train we were on wasn’t going there anymore.

Thank God we did not need to go there.

So the train was forty minutes late I don’t know why but it was late and became a different train.

Whilst it was waiting at Newcastle, six girls got on obviously been there for the night, perhaps on a hen night. We call it a hen night in the UK when a lady is to marry she has a party previous to the wedding.

Oh they were full of themselves. Real loud. When they heard because of the complications going to London, there were no seat reservations; they shouted that they were going into first class… Haha. I’m sure the people with more money than sense in first class would be delighted to share their part of the train with these jolly girls?

We had a peaceful carriage.

Any way we got home at last and back to almost normality, I say almost, because Hub has a week off.

So no work tomorrow.

But the end of a lovely 24 hours and a good memory.

With love. X

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