A series of essays....
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HANGING OUT ON FREDERICK STREET—IN OUR PAJAMAS— UNDER A CRESCENT MOON. |
....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
The story takes me back to a wind blown store front somewhere along Frederick Street, New Town, Edinburgh, Scotland. The time was shortly after midnight. Even though it appeared that a slight drizzle might threaten us, a sliver of moon was visible between wispy clouds as several vehicles, their lights strobed across the store fronts, pulled up in front of the hotel. I remember as if it were just last week; the four of us huddled together on the front steps of the Eteaket Tea Room located across the street from our home for two nights, the Frederick House Hotel.
We kept blinking in order to keep our eyes open and be able to take everything in. Wrapping our jackets tighter around our pajama-clad bodies, we speculated as to which area of the hotel might be burning. We hadn’t smelled any smoke on our recent journey down the open stairwell. Stretching our necks up towards the front windows of the top floor, we located our rooms still glowing from the lights, hastily turned on, and shining like two beacons over the Edinburgh nightscape .
“Man, I’d finally fallen asleep when the alarm started blaring.” Caught between jet lag and an adrenaline rush, Dan’s face said it all. Actually, all of our faces did.
“Maybe we’re still dreaming,” Marsha contributed. “I would never wear this outfit out on a cold, late September night at home!” she grinned while looking around at our faces and flimsy clothing being continuously splashed blue in the bright wash of lights from the Scottish Fire And Rescue Service vehicles lined up across the street.
The large group of young, French students sharing the hotel with us massed together along the sidewalk in a football huddle formation attempting to keep warm. Other guests chose to stand curbside and take quick snaps of the procedures taken to secure the building and right what was wrong. And, finally, after nearly thirty, teeth-chattering minutes, our hotel manager stood before us with the news that all was clear. “This has happened before when a basement switch malfunctions and sends notice to emergency services of a potential problem. We apologize profusely and want you to know that you will be able to sleep comfortably and safely now. We are very, very sorry for this inconvenience.” Did an apology sound better in a Scottish accent?
As all of the weary guests, most of us clutching purses or satchels containing our passports and cash, made their way back across the street, the boys of the Scottish Fire And Rescue Service were wrapping things up and exchanging some final words with our hotel manager.
We climbed the stairs with the hope that slinking back under the warm covers would make everything better.
Reflecting back on the arduous day we had just had beginning with the long, night flight out of Detroit and landing at Edinburgh Airport, mid-morning UK time, jet lag seemed to be our greatest concern. The bus driver taking us into the city passed a block away from our hotel but held on to his original destination along North Bridge Street and nearly three quarters of a mile from Frederick House Hotel. At least we got the ‘lay of the land’ perched above the crowd as we were. So, backtracking and pulling our numerous pieces of luggage along behind us, we rolled along Princess Street in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle and along the edge of Princess Street Gardens until we found Frederick Street, once again.
Our pre-arranged accommodations were clean and cozy and the soft, comfortable bed with its crisp, white linen enticed our weary minds and bodies. Being up on the top floor of our hotel gave us the advantage of a glorious view of the city all the way across the bay to the north and out to the North Sea. Bonus!
Realizing that attending to our need for nourishment rose even higher in importance than our need for sleep, Michael, having gone back down to speak with the concierge, was told about the best place to look for a satisfying, local meal within walking distance. “She said to backtrack towards Princess Street and when we come to Rose Street, take either a right or left. There are plenty of shops and restaurants either way,” Michael explained.
We hung a right on Rose Street which turned out to be a quaint, pedestrian alley lined with small shops and enticing restaurants. With amazing aromas wafting all around, we decided to step inside a restaurant/pub filled with an abundance of laughter and bright, rosy faces. The establishment looked like a nice mix of tourists along with locals out for a pint and a bite before heading home. Some were already lifting cream-topped pints of Guinness while others waited for theirs to ‘settle’ nicely while resting on the two-tiered drain near the taps along the top of the bar.
“I don’t know about everyone else, but I would like, no—I need a Guinness and an order of fish-n-chips!” I cheerfully exclaimed, after the bartender seated us in a cozy booth adjacent to the bar with the promise to return, shortly. Our first meal in Edinburgh was not disappointing and set the stage for many delightful meals to come during our week long exploration of Scotland. (I still dream about the risotto I thoroughly enjoyed in a small restaurant outside of Stirling Castle.)
Walking back up Rose Street and getting closer to our ill-fated destiny and midnight rendezvous on the front stoop of a tea room, shivering and wondering where the hotel fire might be, we decided to forgo further exploration and get the much needed sleep we required. “Good night, good night, good night, John Boy,” we recited from our respective doorways. “See you downstairs for breakfast around eight?” we inquired. With that, a good night’s sleep was all we asked for. After all, climbing up to Edinburgh Castle and trekking along High Street and the Royal Mile the next day would take stamina and clear minds.
It was a good plan until the fire alarm interrupted the entire building with its shrill, staccato screams meant to awaken every soul in the building. Success!
Now that the dust had settled from our bone chilling experience outside, we realized that we’d be talking about this unsettling ordeal for years to come; hopefully, in a much more jovial and lighthearted way. Finally, we snuggled back into bed to sleep the remainder of the night away; visions of sugar plums and old castles drifting in and out of our dreams.
In a more perfect world, this would be the case. However, our introduction to Edinburgh, Scotland had a completely different plan in mind for four weary travelers from Michigan, USA! As if still in the fog-like snare of loud alarms and multitudes of feet tramping down open stairwells, it was difficult to shake dream state from reality when sirens assaulted us for the second time!! Checking the time, just after three o’clock, we found ourselves in a true ‘Groundhog Day’ scenario a few hours later.
“Okay, we can do this. We can put on more clothes than last time because we know the drill,” I, almost too casually, said to my husband who was swiftly slipping on jeans, socks, and a warm sweater. I truly admired him right at that moment. “This is crazy, I know, but what can we do?” Dan said. “Let’s make sure Michael and Marsha are ready to go back out into the street for round #2.”
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ROUND NUMBER TWO ~ SCOTTISH FIRE BRIGADE |
I was feeling extremely sorry for anyone who might have taken sleep enhancing medication before going to bed that night. What a daunting experience this would have been for them. Then again, taking some form of drugs seemed very appropriate this time around. Same scenario; same place of refuge; same throbbing blue lights, same duty shift for the boys of the Scottish Fire And Rescue Service; same malfunctioning switch in the basement; same (similar) amount of time out in the frigid, early morning temps; and same shame-faced manager fearing that everyone would ask for monetary compensation after all was said and done. We didn’t go there.
The same moon (only shifted a bit in the night sky) stared down at us as though the Cheshire Cat was mischievously flashing his huge grin. What a welcome we had been given by mysterious Scotland during our first night there. Did we pass your test given to first-timers? Actually, that’s all the four of us ever really wanted to know.
Stay safe. Stay strong. Wear your mask and we’ll get through this.
Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
Photos Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
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