Edinburgh September 3

Started the day at the Farmer's Market on Castle Terrace. Lots of fresh produce, eggs, cheeses, fish and meat for sale, much of it organic, or at least claiming to be so. Surprisingly much of the beef sold is in fact water buffalo, probably as it is much lower in cholesterol or fat content. Bought lovely new potatoes, apples and cherries. The Scots are friendly, not unlike South Africans, constantly smiling and happy to chat. Of course the chatting can be quite meaningless till you begin to decipher the accents.

Wandered through to Grassmarket from there, passing Maison de Moggy on the way. A tea shop with a resident cat population; you pay £7 to enter, another fiver for tea and you can wander around stroking cats for one hour, and all this for a mere R250. Strange. Or perhaps a sad reflection on our continuing estrangement from nature.

Edinburgh is utterly charming, truly a small city. Bookshops and good food abound, nowhere appears to be crowded and everyone is very relaxed. A good place to live, Hein loves it here.

Lunch was soba noodles from a stall in Grassmarket, then made the fatal mistake of going to Surgeon's Hall. Great museum but the pathology rooms are perhaps better visited before lunch. There was a wedding on at a reception room at the museum. Great delight, pipers skirling, men striding around looking very splendid in kilts and women in some very unfortunate frocks and hats.

Found an absolute wonder on Candlemakers Row: Mr Fossil, a shop filled with fossils from all over the world at very reasonable prices. Thank the lord for Qatar Airways generous luggage allowance.

Finally, dinner at a superb Vietnamese restaurant around the corner from Hein's flat. Beautiful Vietnamese waitress with just the tiniest beginning of a Scottish brogue. The mind boggles.Read more