Day 51-55: Edinburgh

Five Days Without Papi Edu
Yeah, I know—it sounds dramatic. And it was… at least at the beginning. That first day, I felt like I’d been dropped off at a boarding school for good dogs. I walked slowly, ears half down, everyone offering me stuff while I gave them my best “what even is this?” look. But that only lasted one day. By day two, I was already making myself at home.

Fabi—now Uncle Fabi—is a super chill guy. He lives in a cool flat in Edinburgh, and there’s also his girlfriend Maggie (an absolute sweetheart) and Maggie’s daughter Cassie, who seemed shy at first but quickly got my vibe—no words needed.

Uncle Fabi’s first big discovery was that I sleep more than a cat on a lazy Sunday. He said he couldn’t understand how a dog as energetic as me, who’d crossed half a continent, could now spend half the morning snoring with all four paws in the air. What he didn’t get is that here, there’s no engine noise, no curves, no honking, and no alarms. This is real, real sleep.

One morning, Fabi tried to take me out early, around half past seven. He opened the door, all excited, but I didn’t even twitch an eyebrow. I went out just to be polite, sniffed a bit for show, but no pee, no poop. I turned around and sat by the front door like, “Thanks, but I’ve got a bed waiting and my dream wasn’t over.”

Now, about my toys—Uncle Fabi was amazed. He discovered that each one has its role: the duck is for pre-meal rituals, the teddy is for nap time, and the ball is for high-voltage zoomie sessions. I don’t mix them up—I’m a pro when it comes to fun. One day he tried to get me to play with the duck outside of mealtime, and I gave him a look like, “Bro… that’s not how this works.”

Oh, and guess what? Uncle Fabi has a YouTube channel called “Viajar con Fabi” (https://youtube.com/@viajarconfabi). It’s a great channel where he shares his world adventures with his own special flair. And just the other day, he posted a short titled “Mi nuevo amigo viajero 🐶”… and yes, that traveler buddy is me!

With Maggie, I explored the whole neighborhood. She took me through parks, quiet streets… but one of the best walks I had was with Fabi—a little trip to the Union Canal. I loved it. I spent ages staring at these shiny black swan statues, life-sized and mysterious. I didn’t bark, but I watched them closely. Real swans make me nervous. These ones looked frozen… still, I don’t trust them.

And Cassie, Maggie’s daughter—what a lovely surprise. From day one, she let me hop onto her bed during the day while she read or scrolled on her phone. I’d curl up next to her like we’d been friends forever. During one of those cozy naps, everything was so peaceful that, well… a little fart slipped out. Just a small one, but it made itself known. She looked at me like, “Excuse me?” and I turned my head like, “Weird noise from the hallway, huh?” Nothing to see here.

These past days, I haven’t missed the camper at all. No twisty roads, no empty fridge, no midge-infested showers. I’ve had a bed, walks, treats, long naps, and lovely humans around me. But something tells me Papi Edu is coming back tomorrow. I don’t know how I know—it’s just that doggy instinct, right next to my radar for detecting ham being pulled out of the fridge. I’m ready to go back, even if it’ll be hard to say goodbye to this Edinburgh crew.

Uncle Fabi, Aunt Maggie, cousin Cassie… thank you for these amazing days. You’re not Papi Edu, but you’ve been the closest thing to him in this rainy corner of the world.