Back in the Burgh

I certainly feel like I have hit the ground running this term. After the first full week at school and the whirlwind that always is, we spent Friday evening packing up with Tom for his move back up to Edinburgh for year 2 at uni. I would not fit in the car with all his kit and kerboodle and so I caught the 7.09am train (for free, courtesy of Tesco vouchers) whilst Peter and Tom drove up. I arrived about 3 hours ahead of them and so I had a pleasant stroll around the town before a very long walk to the area where Tom now lives. As I passed the meadows and an art gallery which sold Harris tweed tea cosies, amongst other things, and a very up-market looking co-op which was oozing out the aroma of freshly baked bread, I decided I rather liked Tom's new home. He lives on a lovely road in a block of tall, stone houses.

The flat itself is huge. His room is only the second largest and this is it! I very much approve of the wooden floors, knowing how seldom those boys use a vacuum cleaner. Although there is a glimmer of hope; when we arrived one of the boys had just finished scrubbing the cooker hood. He has a desk with a very nice office chair and a view. I think even Tom might find it hard to mess up a room this size, with this much storage space. The downside is that it is on the third floor, so there are 9 flights of stairs to climb! I guess it will keep him fit.

We stocked him up with food and toiletries and he was very happily installed.

It had been difficult to find a hotel with any vacancies, as so many parents must have been doing the same thing as us. We had the serendipity of finding a perfectly charming, small hotel literally at the end of Tom's round, which turned out to be just perfect. They even let Tom in for a full Scottish breakfast. We will definitely be back!

Another stroke of serendipity was the discovery that Tom's church was just a short walk from his flat. Peter and I hadn't visited before as he'd been going somewhere less local up until the latter end of his first year. Whilst he liked it there, he felt it was too big and too far away and that he needed something smaller and more personal. We were delighted with the friendly welcome and the general feel of his new spiritual home. He will be well looked after here.

 Interestingly, the first minister there was the hymn writer Horatius Bonar.

After lunch and the discovery of a chocolate cafe in the neighbourhood, where they serve the most amazing chocolate and ginger ice cream, we took Tom back to his new abode and wended our way home, feeling heavy hearted at leaving him behind (I had rather got used to having him around again these past 3 months) and yet excited for him and the life he has there.

I just don't know how I will bear it when Anni goes too....