Easter Hols - Day 19 - April 16th, 2010.

Right. Well, my alarm went off at 9, but I stayed in bed til around 10. After breakfast, Alex and I packed our bags and headed off to climb to the top of another one of Edinburgh’s 7 tops – this one called Arthur’s Seat. It’s said to look like a lion, which I only kind of can see. Maybe I was looking at it from the wrong angle or something, but it looked more like a human to me. Or a tortoise. Apparently there’s a story about how when prisoners were found guilty and were to be killed, they had the option of running the royal mile, and if they could get from the castle to Arthur’s Seat, and run faster than all the guards, they could live in the hillside – of course, they’d have to live on rabbits they catch or licking moss off of rocks, but hey, it’d at least be a life. Anyway, so we packed our lunch, bought some water, and dressed lightly due to the early summer-like weather, and headed off.

The view from the top was spectacular, it even made the hermitage view seem inferior. 

Once we got to the top, Alex and I ate lunch at the highest point in Edinburgh, and then more and more people showed up, taking advantage of the nice weather, so we left shortly after we had finished eating and went to a pond which was fullll of swans. I took some photos, and a funny video I’ll try and post somehow…

 This pigeon, like me, wouldn't go any closer to those swans. They may look 

nice, but do not be deceived, dear friends. No one wants to hear a swan hiss, believe me.

If any of you know how I feel about swans…you can understand how frightening it was for me. I mean, they’re pretty to look at…but they’re nasty little buggers if you piss them off. Trust me, you do not want to hear a swan hiss at you. The reason we ended up leaving was because one of them was staring me down and getting a little too close for comfort!

After the pond, Alex walked me through a bit more of the city, and we went along Princes Street, into some more gardens, saw the parliament building (which looks so ncie and modern!) and also the official Queen’s residence when she comes to Scotland. Very cool!

Scottish Parliament

Official Queen's Residence in Scotland

Then we stopped at a Starbucks (I got an iced caramel macchiato—my fav!) and enjoyed it upstairs while we watched the hubbub of the city below through the window. 

After our little pit stop, we continued back home, where we chatted with Marion a bit, caught up on some tv shows on bbc iplayer and then headed off to the movie theatre to see Kick Ass, the most gruesome, brutal, yet HILARIOUS movie I’ve seen in a long time!

I feel like much more happened today, but I can’t really think of anything in specific.

I guess I could just summarize by saying that I completely ADORE this city. I now understand the people who have said to me that “it’s the most magical place on earth”. I just love how there’s a certain small-town feel about it. How Alex tells me all these interesting facts about the history (however brutal it was at times) and how there’s so many great street performers, and how the streets are often cobbled, and windy, and the streets are so full of little alleyways and nooks and crannies and cute little cafés. I love that you can feel like you’re in the country yet look around and see that you’re surrounded by city. I love that the people are friendly and the weather has been beautiful.

I just love it here. I don’t know if any city has given me a more wonderful feeling, ever. Other than Kingston, perhaps, which will always have a special place in my heart. But Kingston doesn’t have the grandeur or the history or the same atmosphere that Edinburgh does. I love it for different reasons, you know?

Anyway, tomorrow I think the plan is for me to go and see the castle while Alex gets her hair done, and then we’ll meet up after and do something else for the afternoon. But I have to be up early because her hair appointment is at 9:50 and that means we’ll have to be showered and fed and out of the house in order to catch the bus a good deal before that. Yikes. I better go now.

Night!

Until Next Time,

Beckers

xxx