Simply..Topping....

25/1/2020

Topping and Company Booksellers in Edinburgh is a very welcoming bookstore first brought to our attention by Karen of Cornflower Books.

Welcoming (though you are not really meant to stand on the tables..).

Beautifully fitted out, an old clock, and rugs seats and tables, coffee, writer's talks - it has everything you would want in a bookshop. Mary found a few titles she had been looking for. It gets crowded at weekends and it's very easy to lose a friend in the warren of rooms!

The RSW exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy is very good this year. The luminous quality of Winter Sun, Cromar by Chris Bushe stopped me in my tracks.

Mary had booked tickets for the Joshua Bell concert with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in the Usher Hall well in advance. It was breathtaking. For me the highlight of the virtuosic performance was the exuberant Four Seasons of Buenos Airies by Piazzolla. You can get a flavour of it in this 4 minute mix...or you can hear the whole Piazzolla version by other artists on YouTube.

Loved it.

12 Comments

MaryB

25/1/2020 04:51:06 pm

Sounds wonderful! I think getting lost in a bookshop like that might be my idea of heaven. Imagine reading your way through all those rooms and coffee too !

Freda

26/1/2020 02:14:43 pm

That would make a brilliant retreat.

Catherine Pritchard link

25/1/2020 11:37:17 pm

There is nothing better than a good bookshop is there? I think the man maybe standing on a ladder behind the table though, LOL. It looks a good place to spend and hour or even two.
I had not heard the Piazzola piece before. What a bravura performance. So exciting.

Freda

26/1/2020 02:17:09 pm

You spotted it Catherine! There were lots of ladders and lots of people up them. Bravura is the word for the performance. I am looking forward to popping over to your blog.

Grace

26/1/2020 12:13:46 am

Must pay a visit to that bookshop next time I'm in Edinburgh. It looks very inviting. The painting is quite incredible. I thought it was a photo when I first looked. I'm off to check out Chris Bushe ...

Freda

26/1/2020 02:18:12 pm

There are still lots of things I want to do in Edinburgh!

Mary

26/1/2020 06:48:04 am

Freda did an amazing job of getting photos of Toppings showing so few people considering how absolutely packed the place was during our visit. She did have to work at finding me--lost in blissful contemplation of the books across any number of rooms.

And what could be better than attending an art exhibition with Freda. She personally knew a number of the artists whose work was on display. Had gone to art school with some of them. She was able to provide background information about their work and point out some of the finer detail. Asking questions about what moved me about some pieces. Sharing our views on various works. I've never had a more enjoyable visit to an art exhibition.

As Freda notes, the Bell/ASMF concert was marvelous. We (and the rest of the audience) were so moved by the performances, especially the Piazzolla piece. I've seen Joshua Bell play in a number of venues over the years--used to go to his performances in other cities when I traveled a great deal on business. I even scheduled my trip to the UK so I could attend this concert. Going to it with Freda was icing on the cake.

Finally, after the concert we walked from Usher Hall to The Dome in New Town--a fantastic place for the over-the-top decor alone (think Downtown Abbey posh), but the food was equally good. We spent almost four hours sitting there undisturbed, eating our dinner and talking, talking, talking. This, after already being together for almost four days. We never ran out of conversation.

It was a marvelous day and a fantastic visit with Freda. I can't thank her enough for agreeing to spend this time with me--leading me around her Scottish cities--and sharing so many great memories. xo

Freda

26/1/2020 02:25:04 pm

Well thank you for that Mary. It really was a memorable time and I am so very pleased you enjoyed it as much as I did! x

cath

27/1/2020 03:27:19 am

So happy for you both spending such a 'full' time together.

cathy

26/1/2020 02:46:21 pm

a friend & I once drove 3 1/2 hours to visit a 32 room bookstore. they'd converted 2 back-to-back houses. what fun to see what was around each corner. 1 room could only hold 1 person at a time, it was so narrow. then we drove home. a fun memory!

Freda

27/1/2020 03:06:20 am

That does sound like fun! And dedication Cathy. I hope there is a good bookstore near your new home.

Swissrose

30/1/2020 05:08:39 am

I love that painting, but then I do like me a winter landscape... A few years ago there was a very nice exhibition of winter paintings at the National Museum in Zurich and I Iove browsing the book of it each year, reminding me of the ones I enjoyed most IRL! Thanks for the reminder to visit my bookshelves again...

Simply..Topping....

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