Why the Long Face?

9 years I've lived in Edinburgh, and today was the first time I've ventured into the castle. It didn't have anything to do with the fact that it was the annual free St Andrew's Day weekend thing at all. Oh no. Mind you, it was blowy and cold and more than once I did wonder why we'd got up early specifically to do this, but I have to say that the site is as impressive, if not more so, than a lot of the French Chateau we saw in October.

I have no idea who the girl on the left is. She wandered into shot, and unlike someone else who started taking a photo behind, I didn't shoo her out because I thought it added to what was, when all is said an done, just a photo of a stone horse.

But that was us for the day - arriving there before 10 to miss the worst of the crowds, then back home for a little work in the house and on the website, as well as having a gander at some of the cameras I got yesterday again. The compacts will be going straight onto eBay. The 6x6 format thingies I need to look into a bit more (but even though two have film in them already, at around £20 developing a roll, unless you can do it yourself, I'll be selling them as seen). Lovely fold-out bellows on them, really pretty bits of kit.

The Minolta SLR will get some film put through it, so the three lenses can be checked, and then everything can be split for sale. Mercenary? Me?

the other thing done today was sorting out an Easyjet flight for next year. Stelios doesn't quite hit the heights of sleazy-creepdom of Mr Ryanair O'Leary, but there's something about the 'spin' that all of these companies put on things. In charging an additional £18 for hold baggage (since the hand baggage limit is 50x40x20cm) I'm not told that this is a 'charge'. Instead I'm told I've actually 'saved' £18 by booking online rather than just checking in hold luggage at the airport. Wow. Thanks Easyjet! I can't really complain given the relative cost of the flight itself, but no, I don't want speedy boarding for more money. No, I don't want your own travel insurance for extra money. No. I don't want you to save me money on my hotel or car rental. Yes, I do want to pay by visa debit. What do you mean that's an additional £3.50 charge? Visa Electron is free is it? And what do I have to do to get one of them? Slaughter a virgin goat before casting its entrails form the highest peak of the Pentlands while reciting a mantra to the god of all things annoying and cheap, Saint Peter of Andre? I do get a seat don't I?

Cheap international travel can be overrated...

The day's other main shot:

Panorama