Saturday started as a travel day. We had until 10:30am to have breakfast, get packed up, and get to the Carlisle station for our train to Newcastle. We were there by noon, and our train for Edinburgh leaves at 12:30. So we spent a half-hour waiting on a train platform choking in diesel smoke.

Our next train was a sleek and speedy main-line train that treated us to a scenic tour of the English coast becoming the Scottish coast.

By 2 o’clock we were in Edinburgh. The station is in the bottom of a deep valley, and it’s a steep climb to get anywhere else in the city.

Argyle Place, approaching our hostel, which is at the end of the block on the left.

As we hiked up out of the valley, we were greeted by ornate buildings in every direction. We made our way to a Backpackers Hostel on Argyle Place, where we had reserved a private room.

Most hostels have kitchens where guests can prepare their own meals, and this one was no exception. Across the street was an organic food store, so we ate quite well.

A block away there was a park with sprawling expanses of flat lawns, and it was a bright and sunny day, so we found space between the soccer players to fling the frisbee back and forth to each other.

We were liking this town more every minute.