Vacation Day 11-Edinburgh

This morning was MUCH better weather wise than the day before. It was warm and sunny. I took a coat with me when I went to meet my friend, but I didn't wear it until we went on our bus tour. After a good night's sleep, I also felt 100 times better too.

I got to our meeting place early and so I went into the tourist information office where I signed up for an internet access account and where I also started collecting information for a one-day tour somewhere close by. (I ended up deciding against a day tour since I was already taking the side trip up to Glenfinnan.)

When Sue met me, she came with her luggage. I'd forgotten that she'd have to check out of her hotel since she was leaving that night. We immediately bought tickets for the double-decker sightseeing bus tour of the city that allows us to get off and on at any of the stops. This had headphones so we could listen to all the historical information about what we were seeing. We got off along the Royal Mile and walked up to Edinburgh Castle. My friend wasn't too interested in going inside and I've been in several times, so we just walked around it and took some pictures. Here is my friend Sue in front of Edinburgh Castle.

If you notice on the sides of the picture there are bleacher seats. This is in preparation for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a concert they have every August (for the whole month) with traditional dancing, bagpipes and military bands from around the globe. It's a wonderful show to see if you ever get the chance! I went in 1997 and I still think about it!

After walking around there for a bit, we went to a cafe right by the castle. It was in front of an old church. Do click the link because it is a beautiful place. We sat outside with the beautiful sunshine and the crowded streets and enjoyed our drinks and snacks. Of course, we talked the entire time!

When we finished, we hopped back on the bus and rode through the streets of Edinburgh up toward Calton Hill. I've never been up to this end of Edinburgh, so I was excited. Except...the bus driver didn't stop and we had to backtrack to find the steps to get to Calton Hill. And let me tell you, those steps were a killer! I had to keep stopping to catch my breath and let my legs rest. BUT the view was so worth it! Here we are:

And then some shots of the view (Thanks to Sue. A couple of these pics are hers!):

This is the view over Edinburgh.
I'm not sure, but I think this is called Arthur's Seat. (If anyone knows for sure, let me know!)
These were other views from the top of those grueling stairs.

See the little yellow dot in here? That's me!
After this, we made a couple more stops and rode back up to the Royal Mile. We shopped a little and ate at Deacon Brodie's Tavern, which turned out to be my home away from home. We walked a little more, talked a little more, stopped for a coffee and then it was time for Sue to take the bus back to the airport. I was sad to see her go. I had a great time with her and only wished an ocean didn't separate us!

The rest of my evening was uneventful. I walked to the bus stop and went back to the guest house to do a bunch of little domestic things-laundry, cleaning out my bags, organizing my next few days. I still hadn't done any writing by this point and I was a little concerned. Still, I decided not to be too hard on myself. I was on vacation, after all! So what did I do? I read.