A Tale of Two Cities
July 20,2026 – A Tale of Two Cities – Aberdeen and Edinburgh
One week and two cities in Scotland. Aberdeen is in the far north near the North Sea and is the center of the North Sea oil business. Around 1100 there were enough people living in the area that the King of Scotland declared that Aberdeen was a burgh. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and has been recognized as such since the 1400s. It borders the Firth of forth and Edinburgh Castle towers over the city. One of it’s nicknames is the Athens of the North.
Aberdeen
I think life has gotten too complicated for me. This is the settling‑in phase — the part of any long stay where you learn where the grocery store, the post office, the nail salon is. And in every settling‑in phase, there’s always something that should be easy but simply isn’t. In Ireland, it was the mail; in Scotland, it’s getting a UK phone number.
For ten days I’ve been working on this elusive UK number, because without it I can’t sign up for a Tesco ClubCard — which saves money and allows grocery delivery. I’m going to need groceries delivered because the store is not close by. I also need a UK number to have food delivered to the apartment. Except for signing up for programs< I don’t need a UK phone number, so I don’t want to spend too much.
Getting an eSIM seemed like the easiest solution. After a long downhill walk, I went to the Vodafone store, but they said I had to do it online. Since I was already in a nice shopping center, I stopped at a phone repair/resell shop. The clerk recommended an app called TravelOrange, and I did get a number — but it turned out to be some sort of international number, not a UK one.
After the long uphill walk home, I tried Vodafone online. They wouldn’t take my credit card. After chatting with them, I learned I must have a UK bank account to buy anything from them.
Then it became a quest for a UK bank account. I tried Revolut, but my bank wouldn’t send them money with my debit card. I may need to do a wire transfer. Not deterred, I tried Starling and Monzo. Starling required a UK phone number to complete the application. I think I have a Monzo account — they said my card would arrive in two days. Once it does, I can finally get a UK phone number (fingers crossed).
My apartment is very nice, but not particularly well located. Nothing is close by. The
grocery store is about a mile and a half up a steep hill. At least I’m walking downhill when I’m carrying groceries home. The shopping center is about two miles down a steep hill — which means uphill after a day of errands. This coming week I’m going to try to learn the bus system. I can take taxis, but they’re expensive and involve a lot of waiting around. The bus also involves waiting around, but at least it’s cheaper.
The apartment itself is modern, with fairly new appliances. I’m especially fond of my trash can — I wave my hand over it, and it opens, drop the trash in, walk away, and it closes. My bathroom has a large shower with two shower heads: a handheld one strong enough to take off a layer of skin if you’re not careful, and a rainfall shower head that sends water straight down. The bed is comfortable and not too low. As usual, I bought new pillows; I leave pillows behind wherever I travel.
I did have two problems with the apartment. The lock on the front door worked fine — until it didn’t. There was no warning. I left to go to Tesco, couldn’t face the long walk, and decided to come back and call a taxi. I put the key in the lock. It turned, but the door wouldn’t open. I jiggled and twisted, but nothing. I texted the owner, knowing he was offshore on an oil rig in the North Sea. I wasn’t sure what I expected him to do. I think I was hoping he would tell me to call a locksmith. I kept working the key and finally the door opened.
I took a taxi to Tesco and brought home four big bags of groceries. Once again, the door wouldn’t open. There I stood, surrounded by groceries, unable to get inside. Another tenant came by; he struggled too but eventually got it open. By then the owner had replied with a very kind message. He was concerned about the door/lock and sent his associate over the next day to check on things.
The next day his associate, Ana, came by. She sprayed the lock with WD‑40 or something similar, and it worked fine afterward. Still, every time I leave the apartment, I have a strange feeling I might not get back in. If businesses were closer, I might just leave the door unlocked — it seems like a very safe neighborhood.
While Ana was there, I mentioned I was going to buy stools for the dining table. The
chairs are very modern, and my feet go to sleep if I sit on them too long. When I stand up, I have to hold onto the table until the blood returns to my feet or I’ll topple over. Ana said she had a couple of chairs I could use. She brought them today. They’re a little low, but I’m sitting on the pillows I no longer need, and I think it will work out fine.
I like having to figure out how to make things work. It makes me feel like I can still handle life. I remember once in Ireland, I was so frustrated — I don’t even remember by what — that I thought, “I don’t need to stay here. I can go home. I just need to make the airline reservation.” Then I remembered Irish immigration had my passport. I couldn’t go home right then. I stayed, and I had a wonderful time.
I’ll get through these frustrations too — and I’ll have a wonderful time in Scotland.
Edinburgh
My granddaughter, Sonia, has been attending a summer program at the London School of Economics. We only overlap in the UK for about two weeks; she’ll head back to Texas on August 1. We decided to meet in Edinburgh for a long weekend. On Friday, I took the train south and she came north. It was her first time in Scotland.
Saturday, we spent touring Edinburgh. First, we took an old‑city tour. I wasn’t impressed with the guide. I asked several questions and he didn’t know the answer. He said I could look it up on Google.
In the afternoon, we took a Harry Potter tour. We were divided into the four houses of Hogswarts. I was able to answer one question right, but it wasn’t about the books. It was about Greyfriars Kirkyard which I had toured in the morning.
J.K. Rowling found much of her inspiration — and did much of her writing — in Edinburgh. For example, Hogwarts is based on four schools in the city. Sonia and others who know far more about Harry Potter than I do recognized the influences. It was a fun, informative, and tiring day.
When we got back to the hotel, we both fell sound asleep. Sonia was enjoying the air conditioning — her London dorm isn’t air‑conditioned, and London has been hot. The bed was comfortable too. European mattresses, especially non‑hotel ones, tend to be thin. Sonia complained about her dorm mattress, and I was enjoying a thick American‑style mattress after the Hungarian beds. I think both of us needed the break more than we realized. I was worn out from settling in, and Sonia was working hard at school.
Because Scotland is so far north, it stays light until 10:00 p.m. We never went to dinner before 8:00; we simply didn’t realize how late it was. Frequently we were among the last patrons in the restaurant. Saturday night, I seriously considered ordering pizza and staying in. But when you’re in a city like Edinburgh, you need to get out and experience it. Friday night we ate in a pub, Saturday in a delightful French restaurant, and Sunday in an Italian restaurant.
On Sunday, we left the city and headed north. We saw beautiful scenery, a castle ruin
(Blackness), and a loch (Loch Katrine). The highlight was seeing the Heiland Coos — Highland cows with their shaggy coats. One child on our bus held a long carrot in his mouth and pointed it toward the cows. A cow grabbed it. I was glad it was a long carrot, and we didn’t need to call an ambulance.
Sonia attends the University of Texas at Austin and has a stuffed Bevo, the Texas Longhorn mascot. She wanted a Highland cow to take home. The Highland cow will be Bevo’s cousin from across the pond. We finally found one that was acceptable. Most of the Highland cow stuffed animals looked like Alf from the old TV show.
It was so good to see Sonia and spend time just with her. It was a lovely break for both of us. She is now back in London studying, and I’m back in Aberdeen — still trying to get a UK phone number.
Weather in Aberdeen:
Sunny
High 69 F (20 C) Low 56 F (13 C)
Sunrise: 4:45 Sunset: 9:43 (21:43)
Hours of Daylight: 16 hours and 58 minutes
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