This city is great, it’s beautiful, elegant, historic, lively, and from what I can tell friendly. I will tell you about Thursday evening before I get into Friday.
But first. . . How can you have a mall with NO BOOK STORE?!?!?! Let me repeat the local mall had NO BOOK STORE!!! How was I supposed to get my copy of Harry Potter in its birth city without a book store? So I left the mall.
Directly across the street was Balmoral Hotel!! Can you believe it, I was so excited I forgot my previous disappointment and became giddy. I took lots of pictures and even went inside. VERY fancy. There was no indication, however, that it was the site where Harry Potter came to an end. Still, very exciting- for me.
I wondered around the main shopping street, found a book store but it did not have a copy of Philosopher Stone in English. I mean come on people work with me here. Had dinner at a cute Italian restaurant down the street where I made friends with the owner. He was very nice and gave me some tips on how to get around. I have yet to have any “Scottish” food, but from what I have seen of haggis and black sausage, it’s probably better that way.
Friday morning was sun shiny and windy. I walked to Hollyrood Park, not a misspelling, and climbed to Arthur's Seat. I keep calling it a chair and getting funny looks. Either way it’s not a chair or seat but the top of a volcano. The view was spectacular, 360 panorama view of the whole city. The hike up was exhausting but worth it, the hike down was the scary part. Jesus had to have held my hand because my eyes must have been closed for some of it, really something I should have done with others.
Safely down, I walked along the Royal Mile heading to Edinburgh Castle. Midway there I stopped and had lunch at the Elephant House, the birthplace of Harry Potter. While I was there, a big guy in a kilt and leather jacket with tattoos came in, I tried not to stare- come on, everything said mean, tough, biker, except the “skirt”. I lingered as long as I could bring myself to sit still, took many pictures and moved on. (Only momentarily and slightly bitter about not having a HP to read while there.)
Edinburgh Castle was great. I got to see the Crown Jewels, notice the lack of quotations, there was a scepter, sword, and crown. All having been used since like 1200 or so. There was the also the Stone of Destiny, which looks like a really big rock, that they slide under the throne during the swearing(?) in of the king. I don’t get it, but then I am American.
After the castle I went the Edinburgh Film Festival. On the way I stopped and filmed a Scottish band playing on the street, of course they were all in kilts. Again they were mostly very manly men who looked like they should be. . ., oh I don’t know what do manly men do? Any way at the festival I saw “Red” and even stayed for the Q&A with the director and screenwriter.
Today was eventful and exciting. I love Edinburgh.
PS My cell phone doesn't work here after all.
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