With the greatest of respect, Americans are not the best walkers in the world, so it was with a little trepidation that I agreed to take Ed Conn from Los angeles California on a walking tour- Ed is almost 90! His son Martin decided to treat his dad to a visit to Edinburgh. I met him at the Apex International Hotel and we went from there to the Castle and took it in. Ed moved with some degree of difficulty and was slow but gee did he have what the Duke of Edinburgh used to call ‘stickability’. Throughout the day, Ed was positive and was great company with his constant stream of ‘old folks’ jokes. He managed to do the whole of the Royal mile before declaring himself ‘exhausted’, so a taxi to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society for a farewell dram and back to his hotel. Well done, Ed and have a safe trip home.
Next day I met Lee and Cathy Drouin from Memphis Tennessee at the Balmoral Hotel. In their mid 70’s they had also been given this trip by their son who had given the organisational responsibility to Luxury Vacations UK. It was the first day that the wind had dropped ehnough to let the sun give us some warmth. We had a leisurely walk through Princes Street Gardens and through the Old Town taking in the Castle and engaging in regular sessions of retail therapy. When they had had enough of walking, we adjourned to the Guildford Arms for a farewell dram.
It was a new experience for me to do walking tours with Elderly people but, hey I’m no spring chicken either. I loved being with them and how do they do it? It must be the amount of fish they eat They loved the Hadock, whether battered with chips or smoked in Cullen Skink, it meant that what they lack in pace and stamina, the Omega 3 is certainly keeping their minds active. Slainthe, Bill