July 13 – A Weekday in Edinburgh (1/2)

Meals

• Breakfast
  • Toasted Bread with Bacon, Haggis, Sausage, and a Poached Egg on top garnished with some greens
  • Mocha Latte
• Dinner
  • Pepperoni Pizza
  • Sausage and Bell Pepper Pizza
  • Garlic Dough Balls

Weather

• Morning showers
• On and off cloudy weather throughout the day
• Beautiful sunset at night

A Trip to the Subway

The day started early. Our train was scheduled to depart at 7:15 am so I woke up at 5:30 am to shower and pack a days worth of clothes. We had to use the subway to get to the train station so we slated to leave our dorms at 6:20 am. Fifteen minutes to walk to the station and then an extra fifteen minutes on the subway to get to the train station. It would be another 50 minutes on the train until we arrived at Edinburgh. The train took us through the countryside and we passed lots of green farmland. I saw sheep, goats, cows, and even some horses. It was a very serene and peaceful train ride.

Wavery Station

We arrived at Edinburgh Wavery Train Station and headed up to our accommodation at the Backpacker’s Hostel. The train station was massive and as we were leaving I could see all the rails converging into the station. As we were leaving, I saw many people with luggage in hand. It’s the beginning of the three day weekend so I guess everyone was travelling. It was sprinkling a bit when we got outside and the area looked slightly gloomy. We navigated through some small streets to get to our hostel. I must admit that the area did look very Harry Potterish.

Meeting Up For Breakfast

The plan for breakfast was to meet up with Anabella, Robert, and Raya at 9 am. Based off the recommendation of one of our other flatmates, we decided to eat at The Pantry, one of the more trendy brunch places. I ordered the Small Fry, which was toasted bread with some bacon, haggis, sausage, and a poached egg. I have yet to try haggis so I thought why not now. The dish looked beautiful but I must say that haggis is not something for me. The texture is mushy, which is what it’s supposed to be, but I think that’s what off-put me. The meat was good, just not the texture. Everything else though tasted great. I also got a mocha latte to drink and the foam design was very aesthetic. Altogether, it was an enjoyable breakfast.

Into the Castle

After breakfast, Justin and I went to Edinburgh Castle and arrived at 10:45 am. The Castle was magnificent, from its cobblestone floor to its prisons. When we got to the castle, a free tour had just started so we joined in. We were given a one hour tour of the main parts of the castle and were told the history of each section of the Castle. Some of the highlights are that the castle is used as an active military space to this day. The top of the castle is known as Crown Square as is where the Crown Jewels are stored. I got to see the ancient Honours of Scotland, which include The Crown, The Sceptre, and the The Sword of State. There was no photography inside the room so I have no pictures of that. Also surrounding Crown Square is a medieval dining room that has been transformed by the military and also a building that serves as a memoriam for the soldiers who lost their lives in World War II.

After the tour, I wandered around the Prisons of War and the National War Museum and read about Scottish history. At 1 pm, I watched a soldier fire a cannon. This is a tradition that has been repeated everyday with the exception of Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas since 1861. The cannon was fired as an auditory signal for the time. Back in the 1800s, sailors would have to calibrate their watches to to the local time. There was something called a Time Ball that was raised everyday at 1 pm at the top of Calton Hill’s Nelson Monument, but since it is often foggy in Edinburgh, an additional signal that did not require sight was produced. The cannon firing was very processional, with a soldier coming out ten minutes before the firing. The suspense was heavy at 12:59. We could all see him place his hands on the cannon and we were all just waiting. The seconds felt like forever and then everyone around me jumped with surprise. He fired the cannon! The sound was quite loud and some ash flew out of the cannon’s muzzle. After that, everyone flocked around him to get some pictures, me included.

Art and Music

The next place to go was the National Scottish Gallery. It was amazing to see the progression of Scottish art. There was one piece on display that was truly awe inspiring. I would try to describe it but I don’t have the words for it so if you would like to see it online, it is called Alexander III of Scotland Rescued from the Fury of a Stag by the Intrepidity by Colin Fitzgerald. There were also a few paintings that caught my eye, one of which being a painting of Venice by Canaletto. The meticulous detailing of the city transfixed me. It was Greek like but also not. The other painting that I particularly enjoyed featured a woman walking through the snow by Farquharson. Something about it makes me a bit nostalgic, as if it were something I would see in an older movie. The whole scene is very powerful though and I can imagine the bitter chill of the air.

I had about an hour of time to pass after viewing looking through the art museum. Luckily there was a band of buskers called The Spinning Blowfish at a nearby intersection that consisted of a drummer, a bagpiper, and a guitarist. Interesting, right? I had seen many solo bagpipers but I had never seen one in a group with other instruments so I just had to stay and listen. Their music graced my ears for 40 minutes so I purchased one of their cd’s for £5 to support them. They placed traditional songs like Auld Lang Syne and even some more recent songs like the Tetris Theme. They had such an invigorating and upbeat presence that there was a decently sized crowd around them the entire time I was there. The time was approaching 4 pm, so I started to head over to a nearby Starbucks for a two hour tour of the city.

A Tour of the City

The tour was amazing and I learned a lot about both the history of Scotland and about Edinburgh. I will do a quick summary of the best parts, with pictures included! One of the first places we visited was Mercat’s Cross, which was a symbol of the market place. The most interesting fact was that thieves would get their hands nailed to the Cross to serve as a reminder to others not to steal. The small circles used to be filled with wood but have since been taken away.

The market ended up being moved to Grassmarket Street to make more space for executions. There is a famous pub on that street called Maggie Dickson, named after a woman who survived getting hanged. The story goes that she was sentenced to hanging for trying to conceal her illegitimate pregnancy. She was hung with several other people and their bodies were put into a cart headed for the graveyard. The cart went over a bump and Maggie woke up! The rope used to hang Maggie was a lot shorter than the others and she might had only passed out by the time they cut the ropes. Scottish law said that a person cannot be tried for the same punishment and since she actually served her sentence, she was free to go. She ended up living for many more years and marrying the man she got pregnant with. One of the happier endings in Edinburgh’s history.

We finished our tour in Greyfriars Kirkyard, where J.K. Rowling found the name McGonagall and Dobby, as well as where Tom Riddle’s actual grave resides. On our way out, I looked up and saw several stories of buildings with a tall clock tower in the center, all behind a deep azure sky.T hat backdrop ended up being the location of group picture and I think it truly encapsulates Edinburgh. The blue sky and green fauna give off the brightness of summer and the cityscape behind us just screams of the architecture of Edinburgh. It was a steal picture.

Pizza and the Park

We were pretty hungry after walking for two hours, so we went to PizzaExpress. I was a bit surprised when we walked in because the interior looked posh (to me at least). We sat down and split two pizzas and some garlic dough balls. The pizza was pretty tasty but a Costco or Domino’s pizza would have been better worth the price for the same amount of taste.

After that we went on a walk through the Princes Street Gardens before Anabella, Robert, and Raya had to walk back to the bus station. On the way, we passed by The Elephant House, where J.K. Rowling is said to have written her books. The park was very lush, as much of Scotland is. There weren’t that many people and we were strolling down the path when we came upon Ross Fountain. It was very ornate and majestic. By that time, we had to start heading to the bus station.

A Summit Sunset

The last thing to do for the day was head up Calton Hill and look at the view. It was around 9 pm when we got there but the sun was still going strong. There was at least another two hours of sunlight but the sky was starting to turn in to a nice pinkish sunset color. Better yet, there were some clouds obfuscating the sun, meaning a great view would happen when the sun emerged from the clouds. Being on top of the hill was a serene feeling and the view was just breathtaking. We stayed there for around 30 minutes, taking pictures and just admiring the beauty. On top of Calton Hill is a an acropolis, which is an unfinished monument that was originally called the National Monument, serving to honor those who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Also situated on the hill is Nelson’s Monument, which looks like a lighthouse, and the City Observatory. Talking doesn’t do them justice so here are the pictures!

• 

• 

• 

• 

A Nebulous Night

We walked back to our hostel after enjoying the sights of Calton Hill. The town was starting to look like a bustling night city and I managed to capture this cool shot. The building that looks like a bit like a cathedral in the foreground is a hotel called The Balmoral and the pointy building in the middle is the Walter Scott Monument. We discussed a few logistical plans for day two but besides that, our day was pretty much over when we officially checked in to the hostel at 10 pm. My feet were aching by the time we got back but it was a fun day and well worth it!