Soulshine

Just back in from Edinburgh. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite cities in the world, and I was very excited to go back.

Having already been there, it was harder to stay busy because I’d already seen all of the tourist attractions. So instead I mostly wandered the city, bought gifts, ate good food, got lost, and lounged. It was still a fantastic weekend.

After the six hour bus ride (and thank God because it’s the only reason I got my homework done…) we arrived in the rain to Prince’s Street and our hotel. On the first day I walked the Royal Mile start to finish, ate at The World’s End pub, and went to another pub later for drinking and dancing. I slipped into a graveyard that a few of you who know me might remember. We still arrived back at the hotel early.

View from my window

Gate of the castle

Scottish Parliament. In the background is Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano.

The castle from Prince's St

The next day was adventurous. This hotel included an actual hot breakfast, but we had to wake up at 8 for it. The only problem with that was that the National Gallery, my destination after breakfast, didn’t open until ten.

A group of us was supposed to meet up after that and failed utterly. So, instead, a friend and I took a cab to the Harley Davidson of Edinburgh because his parents collect T-Shirts. That cab ride was…a harrowing experience. I was certain the car wouldn’t fit down some of those alleys, especially not with so much speed.

 After that we found lunch and tried to walk to the Botanical Gardens. Of the five or so maps they gave us, not one included the city that far north, so that was…interesting. We only arrived about an hour late, though. The inside was worth the adventure.

Some apartments we wandered through while lost.

Us being horribly lost at the apartments.

Finally to the Gardens. This is the Glasshouse inside.

I have a small obsession with taking photos of benches.

Biiiiiig leaf.

Getting out, we were just as lost as going in, so this time we finally hailed the last cab of the day.

 Now we were at Grassmarket St, supposedly famous for its hole-in-the-wall shopping. How disappointing that the row was almost entirely pubs. Nonetheless we managed to have a good time, and somehow find the people we were supposed to meet up with earlier. We did what little shopping we could and saw the Castle from its other side.

Back to Prince's St--a band in front of the National Gallery. Guitar, drums and bagpipes.

After a break at the hotel we all met up again to find dinner. Despite the fact that we were all starving, it took us probably an hour to find a restaurant 15 minutes from our hotel. We were wandering in and out of shops and alleys, buying souvenirs and browsing the restaurant menus.

We finally came upon the best pizza I have ever had.

For the second night in a row, we stayed up in the room laughing until nearly midnight.

The next morning, after a blessedly hot breakfast, we boarded the bus. Saying goodbye to Edinburgh was hard. I hope to return.

 The trip was not over at Edinburgh, however. We stopped at three places on the way back. The first was the Scotland-England border.

His facial expression never changed...

After that brief photo opportunity we went to Hadrian’s Wall and the Housesteads’s Fort ruins. Built around the year 122 AD, the Wall was meant to keep the Picts out (I believe it was still the Picts at that time?) and enforce the area of Rome’s control.  

It seems like everywhere I go there are still traces of Rome.

North Gate of the Fort/Wall

...Even if those traces are covered in sheep dung.

The last stop was in Durham for lunch. We also walked up the hill to see the famous Cathedral, which was once used as a refuge for fugitives of the law. They were given a little over a month to get their affairs in order before they had to turn themselves in or flee the country.

There wasn’t enough time for us to see the castle, as well. However I did learn an important lesson in this town. “Marinara” in Europe is literal. There is seafood.

I ate it anyways.

Another stint on the bus and we were home. Overall, a full weekend. I can’t believe how much we’re doing! It seems like far longer than a week since I was in Stratford, longer than a few days since Lincoln. It’s a testament to how busy we are and how intense the academics and travel is that time has taken on an alien quality to most of the students here.