City of Edinburgh - 64 hour adventure - (part 2)

In my other blog I posted the general happenings, while this post I wish to share some photos, unexpected moments of beauty and discovery on our adventure packed 64 hours in Scotland. 

On Afternoon Janice had a meeting for a few hours so I took the opportunity to explore the inner city and around the bridges. The festival had just continued, which was likely a blessing, there was still a few after events happening yet the general mass exit had occurred! I found on the street though a typical Scottish busker, if I had forgotten I was in Scotland the air filled of his band pipe sound echoing off the buildings. 

First impressions when I took a moment to be a tourist and just be surrounded by the atmosphere, buildings around me, was it felt rather small, dark and compact. The city has touches of England with double - decker city buses and red telephone booths scattered around the place. It doesn’t take long to adjust vision to realise that Edinburgh is one of Scotland’s proudest cities. I noticed bagpipes been played everywhere on the streets, even at night the music carried with the wind over the building tops. The blue Scottish flags waved from nearly every building and the streets aline with Scottish restaurants / bars flooding the streets next to the souvenir shop to get a kilt or quirky Scottish hat. 

It is rather Picturesque city, with all the buildings and arcticture seem to be left untouched for centuries, and have impressively maintained their old vibe to 400 years ago. The churches, the big castles and the cobblestone streets will send one back in time to the olden days. 

I walked down the ‘Royal Mile’ which I had done on previous trip. It has changed little, as I guess its Edinburgh’s most famous attraction. Though ’attraction’ isn’t really the right word, since the Royal Mile is so much more than just a singular thing to see. 

Down The Royal Mile is St. Gilles Cathedral. We actually saw this in the evening, so sadly were unable to go in. It is a 14th Century cathedral with crown shaped steeple. Not only is the church beautiful on the outside, from memory it is amazing inside too, with stained glass windows and plus ceiling and intricate Thistle Chapel. 

Another night adventure took us to see the Edinburgh Castle that sits proudly at the top of the Royal Mile, and can be seen in most of the lower parts of the city. We didn’t go in as with an entrance of 16.50 pounds felt this was too expensive considering all it holds is some military exhibits and a little bit of the building… Yet in saying this it does offer amazing views during the day and evening of the castle sitting proudly above the city. 

Photo credit to net - not mine. 

In the heart of the city there is also the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This place is at the bottom of the Royal Mile and is still an offical royal residence to the British monarch in Scotland, and the Queen comes to stay every summer. 

Sadly we didn’t get to meet the Queen nor do I believe she was there at the time. Yet still… a reminder how much the Royal Family have presence here in UK. 

As I adventure from Royal Mile, I went to explore Princess Street. It is the main shopping street in Edinburgh. It also home to the Princes Street Gardens which sadly I didn’t have the time to explore. In truth this street is not really my scene as I would rather explore some other parts of the city in my few hours than shop…. 

I am taken by the buildings, which I have been this whole time while over in Europe. It is amazing how much a building can characterise and give indication to the resources and way of life. In Australia it is common to build your house from brick, yet it is not stone like here, rather a thin timber frame with thin red bricks of one thickness piled up around the frame. This is all placed on a slab of concrete. No in-depth foundations of the frame structure or thick stone used. It would be a house made out of sticks like… and here we have houses made out of bricks. Good luck to the wolf here!! He would have to blow with a breath so strong. 

As I walked through the township the new buildings do stand out a little as they have not aged, or rather can see different material used on them. However in saying this they are still holding the character of the city, of the land, of the culture. I like this! I stumbled upon Dean Village, which is know as new town. It is a little neighbourhood characterised by  colourful historical houses and the Water of Leith running through it. It lays here giving indication of the new city and old city. Both of which are laying side by side in unison. I rather love this aspect, a union in buildings, a union in a city that could so easily be dismissed of its age of buildings to take shape in modern living. 

  

One of my favourite streets in the city was Victoria Street. This street is full with lots of cute little character stores, a few charity shops and so much character that it makes you feel artistic even without expression. I loved it. We walked this road a few times as it was the faraway from Janice house to the other locations, bus stops that we adventured too. 

  

On our 64 hour journey we were never short of starving! We covered a lot of different ethnic foods. Haggis was not on the menu after all both of us had tried before. We had dinner in buildings steeped in history, meal in a funky vegan place called pig something, it has the most strangest music that was a relieve when we left, yet the food was well enjoyed. Mexican and Italian, British tea and Scottish tea. Eating felt like we energy for the journey walking miles, up steep stairs and hills in the city understandably a hearty meal is required. 

Generally speak the 64 hours was jam packed few days. At times it was about seeing the best of the city from vantage points, be it of a double decker bus, a 60 meter high monument or the summit of Arthur's Seat. Then slip below the surface to discover the secrets of Edinburgh's oldest streets. The blend of history and culture with a throw in a dash of green spaces, good food, add some evening entertainment with the companionship of a deep friendship and what can we say... the recipe for the perfect few days!

Thank you Lord for the blessings - Thank you Edinburgh - Thank you dearest Janice -