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Published: December 3rd 2009
Me, in Edinburgh!
Overlooking the Princes Street GardensPICTURES have been added to all blogs- go back and take a gander! 😊 Plus, if the Internet connection holds up tomorrow, I'll be posting some videos soon too! (all G rated, except for the one with the donkey.)
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
Dublin, Ireland to
Edinburgh, Scotland. All is right with the world, I'm in Edinburgh! Leaving Dublin was uneventful. At some point I'll get use to having that backpack on my back- who knew 38 pounds strapped on your bag could be hard to carry around? Well, okay, everyone knew, but I still hoped I'd have super human Buffy strength kick in. No such luck.
So, for those of you that know me well, how much sense does this sentence make: "Today I used public transportation!" I know! Look at me, I'm growing! Sure, I had a massive panic attack for the entire 30 minute public bus ride to the airport, but I survived. Holy crap does illogical fear suck. Anywho, so took a plane from Dublin to Edinburgh and once I got here, everything made sense again. Sorry Dublin, we'll try again another time. The Wicklow tour bus guy did mention that if you wanted to
Old Town.
Taken while on Ferris Wheel. see/get to know the real Dublin, don't stay in the Temple Bar area. So I'll try a different area next time.
Edinburgh was clear and sunny, looks like I missed rain earlier in the day. It was funny to ride in the bus from the airport to the hotel (did better on this one) and hear the exclaims of the other tourists as they saw
Edinburgh Castle and
Old Town. I felt all righteous and thought, "Well I'VE seen it before." Inside I was giggling and exclaiming as well. It really is a gorgeous city, as, hopefully, my pictures will show.
I didn't have to walk too far from the bus to the hotel (with the house strapped on my back). I'm staying at the
Royal British Hotel and I'm feeling spoiled. I have wifi in my room (so I'll never have to interact with locals/be forced to experience the real city) again! Actually, it just means I can get my blogs updated. Needless to say there are other things I'd rather do than cruise the net right now. Plus- a TV in my room that works! So I don't have to listen to "My Name is Earl" anymore. While sorting thru
my day backpack I turned the TV on for a moment to get my fix. Disturbingly, the first thing that came up was some music video with Nicole Kidman and Robbie Williams singing "Something Stupid". The TV was then turned off.
There's a fair in town and located across the street in
Princes Street Garden (right next to the
Scott Monument). So, I paid 4 pounds and took a ride on the Ferris Wheel. Have I said "gorgeous" yet? Oh, I did? My bad. I then wandered up to the
Royal Mile in Old Town and took a tour that I had been interested in taking last time I was here, the
Mary Kings Close tour. I had the cashier swear up and down that this wasn't a "thriller" or "haunted" tour. I 100%!d(MISSING)o not like being scared and it usually results in me getting angry, and then bursting into tears. He said a couple of ghost stories were told but that it was more of a historical tour. So, myself and two other people followed our guide (who did that annoying "character actor" bit- I really hate that) down into the Underground City of Edinburgh. The tour was interesting but there were more
Calton Hill in distance
Taken while on Ferris Wheel. than a couple of ghost stories and I started not thinking clearly. I displayed this fact when our guide was telling us about this one room that we were not allowed to go into but he would open the door so we could look (apparently the floor was old and unstable.) He said he first had to make sure the ghost wasn't in, knocked, and then slowly opened the door and motioned for me to move forward. I started babbling that the cashier told me that this wasn't a haunted ride when he physically stopped me. I was getting ready to walk into the room with the unstable floor. To loosely quote him, "as i just said, you cannot go in, the floor will give way." Oops! I was too busy looking for other character actors who were going to jump out that I kind of forgot that part. Thankfully that was towards the end so I only felt like an ass for about 5 more minutes then I was able to run away. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take any pictures inside the close. I did take a couple of pictures in the gift shop of some models of
the Close, so maybe that'll help explain what this Close is (along with above link.)
Crossing back into
New Town, I stopped on the other end of Princes Street Gardens where a German Festival was being held. Now for the second shocker of my blog- I ate food from a street vendor!! Normally I'm convinced that it's unsanitary and certain death will find me, but I was friggin' hungry and the hotel was nearby, so I could die in peace. I had some kind of pork steak on a bun and declined the sauerkraut sauce. It was good! Another growing experience for me (though, I shall daintily admit, it did not agree with me). I was wandering back to the hotel, eating chocolate covered strawberries on a stick (any food on a stick has my vote) when someone commented on the smile on my face. It's sad that it took chocolate and Edinburgh to finally bring that smile out, but there it was. I then stabbed that person in the eye with the stick and ran away- that'll teach a stranger to talk to me! (yes, last line was a joke... maybe)
It was only 4 o'clock but I
Edinburgh Castle & Princes Street Gardens.
The Castle is up on the hill on the far right. was beat. So I headed back to the hotel and worked on the pictures for a bit. My lover, the TV, was kind enough to air some Friends episodes so I got my American fix. Plus, oh the excitement you are about to read, it was time to do laundry in the sink and bathtub! Joy oh joy. I wanted to find a rock and head over to the shore and beat the clothes against the rock until they were scrubbed clean. Well, not really, I didn't even want to wash them in the convenience of my own bathroom, but it had to be done. I'm not entirely sure the jeans and shirts got as clean as they could have, so I might have to hunt for a laundromat next time.
Around 7, I went out to grab some food since the pork sandwich was, shall we say, no longer. I decided
Jimmy Chung's 7 day Chinese Buffet was just what I needed. Hell, if the German food hadn't killed me, surely I would survive this as well. It was really good but had a few extra touches that we don't see in Chinese Buffet's back in the States; namely Roast Beef and Yorkshire
Pudding (yes, John, you would have been in heaven.) Buffet's make a killing off of me because I rarely go back for 2nds when I eat out (notice the distinction). Afterwards, I strolled around the block before heading back to the hotel to call it a night.
No idea what I'll do tomorrow, I'll figure that out when tomorrow comes. I don't leave for London until the 4th so I have one more full day in Edinburgh- yea!
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Chris
non-member comment
You killed a local, then played in a condemned building?
Not sure what to say after that. Scotland is on the top of my places to visit, so I'm loving the pictures. Have fun!!