July 26, Melrose

 I had booked a taxi to take me to Melrose—could I have taken a bus?  Yes, but I did not want to schlep with my back pack and a suitcase on a bus, so I opted for comfort—worth every pence.  The taxi driver was very nice but drove too fast, just like the other taxi driver.  Because he showed up 25 minutes early due to a miscommunication (actually, a non-communication), I was worried that I would get to the hotel before the doors were unlocked and would be standing outside in the rain, which would be most unpleasant.  However, maybe because I had been such a pest about the whole thing, the door to the hotel was left slightly ajar, so I went in; no one was there; I hunted for a bathroom, found one, used it, came back to the front desk and a few minutes later the receptionist showed up.  It all worked out perfectly except for the rain.  It was raining—but not too heavily!

Off I went to Abbotsford, home of Sir Walter Scott.  It was a lovely riverside walk.

This is not the riverside, it is Eyemouth Beach at 6:15 a.m. (I had time for a walk before the taxi came.)  Prizes it won't win even at its best:

This is a section the riverside walk path:

And this is the river Tweed with one of its residents:

The bottom of the bottom sign reads, "Walk your way to health and happiness:

Who might this fellow, near the entrance ot Abbotsbury, be:

Why, it isTam Purdie.  This is the story:

"In 1804, the 37-year-old Tam Purdie was caught poaching on Scott’s land at his former Borders’ home of Ashestiel, near Selkirk, poaching back then being an extremely serious offence. Scott himself had been appointed Sheriff Depute in the County of Selkirk in 1796. Purdie pleaded his case, citing his impoverished circumstances and duty towards his family as motivation for his crime. “Work is scarce and game plentiful,” he protested, adding slyly that he had merely “girned a hare or twa to prevent them from doin’ ony mischief,” a risky strategy in a court of law …

But these pleadings worked in Tam Purdie’s favour, and he escaped the charges, though on the condition that he work for Scott. He began as a shepherd, and, given more and more responsibility, eventually became Scott’s personal assistant, an eclectic mix of gamekeeper, forester and librarian when Scott eventually moved to Abbotsford. Indeed, in 1812, Scott invited Purdie and his family to come to stay in his household.

For the rest of his days, Purdie and Scott became almost inseparable. Scott was deeply affected by the death of his trusted companion in 1829 when Purdie was sixty-two years old. A stone sculpture of Tam Purdie stands at the entrance to the Abbotsford Gardens overlooking the river Tweed, and he has the honour of being laid to rest in Melrose Abbey."

Even though I had purchased a ticket on line, I still had to get "processed" at the Visitors' Centre before gaining entry to the house. It took the woman at the ticket counter about twenty minutes to do this.  

If you are interested in Abbotsford or in Walter Scott, click on that link and you will get a good tour and see excellent photos.  

Here are a few  of my takeaways from me:

Impressive library:

Many many many books.

Some beautiful windows:

In fact, it was surprising to see so many large windows and so much light.  Most were not stained glass, but there were two beauties.

Trivia:  Abbotsford was the first home in Scotland to have gas lighting (so they say).  

There was an armoury containing many arms. This cabinet was of interest because of the crucifix among the weapons:

Cardinal John Newman (now a Saint, apparently) a great lover of Sir Walter Scott's work, gifted some vestments to Scott's great granddaughter 

Do not confuse Cardinal Newman with Isidore Newman of New Orleans (as I did until enlightened) who founded the school where Alex Allain and Michal Kern met and became life-long friends!  And if you are interested in Cardinal Newman you might want to take a look at Seven Facts you never Knew aoubt him  And if you are interested in Isidore Newman you can read about him here.

A tiny picture in a huge frame:

There were gardens.  Some not too impressive

                                        

Some with a whole bunch of different varieties of flowers but all in large rectangular beds so the garden feeling, if you know what I mean, was absent.

Sightseeing over, I stopped in at the cafe where for $5.34 I bought a dixie-cup size ice cream which was so freezer burned that it met its fate in the garbage.

The walk back was one of those put-the-rain-gear-on-take-the-rain-gear-off sort of affairs, rather tedious, but when I arrived vack in Melrose, I could check in at the hotel into a huge room, so I doffed the boots, put on my sneakers and headed for the Co-op to buy supplies for dinner.  I have a whole new approach!  Instead of "This is what I want," I focus on "This is what they have," and make it work!  Usually it works!

Melrose is an upscale Scottish Boarder town.  Quite pleasant.