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Published: July 26th 2008
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This morning I had a wonderful power shower. In a lovely bathroom. Ahhh!!!
Breakfast was a full cooked one for me and just cereal for “The Small Young Gentleman”. Unsurprisingly, didn't like the sausages, baked beans or tomatoes! The plan today was to go on a Walking Tour. Yesterday, we popped into the Tourist Information Office who forgot to tell us that Bus 36 ( which we needed ) had been diverted and wasn't actually going to the bus-stop they had directed us to!
Anyway, I saw a walking tour called “Saints and Sinners” and it was FREE.
Yes please!!
We had a great time and as you can see the pictures speak for themselves.
The meeting point was at “Ryan's Bar” right at the far end of Princes Street for 11a.m.
Our tour guide was Chris and the 10 of us consisted of 4 Americans, an Irish couple, a North England couple and us. Chris took us through the cultural “New Town” part of Edinburgh with histories of former English kings and queens on Charlotte Square, the buildings and the English quarters depicted by the stone carving of a Rose. The Rose is
the symbol of England.
We were also told that Princes Street is the only significant street in the UK that has buildings on only ONE side of the street. There is nothing on the other side of the road except for statues, the park and a glorious view of Edinburgh!!!
Chris also took us through the darker Old Town with many tales of witches, tortures and hangings. Like many European cities of old, superstition was part and parcel of daily life and even mild suspicion was enough to be accused of witchcraft and thus burnt at the stake or thrown into the river but no matter. If you were guilty, you would come out alive but if you were innocent, you would drown!
“The Small Young Gentleman” was given a mask to complement the story of robbery by an important town official and also went to the school, cafe and road that inspired J.K.Rowling to write the Harry Potter saga.
The tour ended in Greyfriars and Greyfriars Bobby grave which is Edinburgh most haunted and historic graveyard.
Again, I must say that the weather was mind-bogglingly fabulous. So fabulous that by 3p.m we gave up
on wandering the city and just found a nice grassy spot and chilled out. I mean, how many times does the sun shine as well as it did?
In Scotland?
Gosh. We're on holiday mate!
I did feel a little guilty that we should have gone to the National Museum....instead, we laid on the grass, ran around and had a jolly, sunny time!
Before long it was time to log on and thus we went to a local child-friendly pub called “The Baroque”. At the time we arrived it was close to 6p.m and children were not allowed in but the Manager was very accommodating and as long as “The Small Young Gentleman” didn't run around wildly, it was alright. In fact, he was so well behaved that the Manager himself gave him free crisps, chocolate and fizzy water whilst I had a couple of bottles of cider before we hopped back to our B & B.
All on the house too. Wow!
Early to bed for tomorrow is an early ride to Aberdeen.
See Ya!
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