July 27, Melrose to Dryburgh round trip

 The stage from Melrose to Kelso—we are now on the Borders Abbeys Way, and in Scotland, although Eyemouth is in Scotland, too—is close to twenty miles (depending on which source you get your mileage from), and that seemed like too much.  It is not supposed to be difficult, but still.  Since I had an extra day in Melrose, I decided that I would walk to Dryburgh, about 4 1/2 miles distant along the route and either take the bus back or walk back.  Then I came up with a super good plan!  Take the St. Cuthbert's Way route to Dryburgh and the BAW back to Melrose.  In brief, the "out" was way more fabulous than the "back."

The sun was shining brightly before 6:00 a.m.  The colour was not like this,  but I guess this is the effect the suns gives when you try to take its picture:

Can see the cows! (Don't forget to enlarge.)

The first thing I noticed was how easy it was to breathe.  The air, OMG, the air was so cool, and clear and not humid.  It felt so good!!  And thank goodness because.....

Hills, man, were there hills, the Eildon Hills

Fortunately the severest elevations were at the beginning of the walk when you can give it all ya got.  Not only were there long, steep climbs, there were stairs.  The first staircase to heaven was 133 steps, followed by 95 down followed by 64 up and then I stopped counting and making notes  But it was so so gorgeous!

The staircases had benches about every fifty steps!

(I did not use them.)

More heather is beginning to show:

A florette of mushrooms (if there is such a thing):

St. Cuthbert's Way and the Borders Abbey Way are sometimes one and the same.

which, for some reason, makes me think of the song from Oklahoma, "Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends..."

The Abbey at Dryburgh was not open when I arrived and I did not feel like waiting 45 minutes, so I headed back.  The Borders Abbey Way route was nowhere near as pleasant as the St. Cuthbert's  Melrose—Dryburgh had been.  A fair amount was on asphalt, which is so so tedious, but it was a lot shorter.

I passed a cake shop:

And an ad for a polar spa:

That sounds like the worst thing ever!  But I suppose if you have an injury or something, the cold might be therapeutic.  In my world, the words polar and spa simply do not belong in the same sentence. Marjorie, not for your party even if you beg!

After returning to the hotel and changing to sneakers, and having a raspberry ice cream, I visited the gardens in town:

Apples working on getting big:

And there were flowers:

The gardens were nice, just not super impressive.  They did, however, afford a good spot from which to take a picture of Melrose Abbey: