So after our last day in London we took an overnight bus to Edinburgh, which we narrowly avoided missing due to a tube mixup. We literally had to run full speed from Victoria underground station to Victoria Coach station with our packs on (about one major city block in TO). Not fun. The bus definitely wasn't the greatest experience of my life - mostly because we got stuck in the back with a bunch of rambunctious teenagers getting drunk. Kids these days... We're pretty sure they were Russian and kept wishing Joel were there to translate for us! We got into Edinburgh at about 8 am, and the city was still sleeping, and not much was going on. We had to wait until 1 o'clock to check in so we left our bags at the hostel and wandered the city. It's strikingly different from London in that it's mostly one colour - a brownish-grey, and the buildings are all pressed closely together, with not nearly as many gardens or even flower beds interspersed throughout the city. It has it's own unique charm and is full of friendly people and lots of fellow travellers. Edinburgh's known for its stone tenements, which are everywhere and very tall. Here are some pics of the city:
There are all sorts of free museums in Edinburgh. I went to the Museum of Childhood, which was a great find. Here are some highlights. (Side note, the woman at the counter here called me a 'lass' and said 'ta' when I gave her money for postcards!)
Child chimney sweeps.
On the first night here we checked out an open mic night at a pub close to our hostel.
In my first 2 days here I took 3 different bus trips aroung town to see different sites and learn a bit about the town. Jules and I were doing different things one of the mornings that I took a tour, but I managed to spot her from my bus hiking up a hill! If you look closely you can see a blurry Julia in this pic:
I took a trip the Edinburgh Castle, which was a delight to see. There were different museums within the castle grounds, which was basically like a smaller city within walls built on a cliff. Here are some highlights:
Approaching the castle.
Inside the castle walls.
View of downtown from a look out.
In the Military Museum within the castle is the painting The Thin Red Line.
The Military Museum had a great contemporary photography exhibit.
A truly massive gun. It would fire thouse BOULDERS to the left.
Last night Jules and I went on the Auld Reekie Terror Tour which took us into the underground vaults of Edinburgh. 'Auld Reekie' is apparently an affectionate name for Edinburgh, meaning Old Smokey because of the plumes of smoke it used to release from so many wood and coal fires. The tour guide also told us about the city's filthy, murderous, and torturous past. It was pretty grusome and a lot of fun. Some pics: 
The poorest people of the city used to live in these caverns - with absolutely no light. They couldn't afford candles.
Ghostly! 
So we have 2.5 more days in Edinburgh and there a still a bunch of places I'd like to visit. I might not get a chance to blog again before we go to Cardiff, Wales - our next stop. We're staying there for at least 7 days to WWOOF by helping to set up a permaculture show for a woman who specializes in edible gardens. I miss you guys, and hope you all are well. We'll be in touch soon!
I'll leave you with a Robert Louis Stevenson poem about a leerie (lamp lighter):
The Lamplighter
My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky;
It's time to take the window to see Leerie going by;
For every night at teatime and before you take your seat,
With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street.
Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea,
And my papa's a banker and as rich as he can be;
But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I'm to do,
O Leerie, I'll go round at night and light the lamps with you!
For we are very lucky, with a lamp before the door,
And Leerie stops to light it as he lights so many more;
And O! before you hurry by with ladder and with light,
O Leerie, see a little child and nod to him tonight!
4 comments:
That's so cool that you're WWOOFing in the UK! BTW, I think the best peculiarity of Scottish people (the few I've met anyway) is how they replace "little" with "wee" in every single way you can think to use the word little. Like "Oh, just a wee." Or, "There's so wee time!". Or "I had the wee-est one."
I hope you guys are having good weather over there. It's been snowing in Ottawa for two days!
is Edinburgh as nice as i've imagined? i've always thought it to be like it's from a different time. i love love Robert Louis Stevenson, i'm glad you included him.
mo, i haven't heard 'wee' yet! that's so cute. i'll keep my ear out. we've been so lucky with the weather lately - today is the coldest day yet, but the temp fluctuates a lot and it's definitely bearable. Jules and I marvel every day at what people in london and edinburgh wear - we've seen shorts, flip flops, skirts with bear legs, tanktops!! - and i'm, literally, wearing 4 layers, a scarf, hat and a hood, and fingerless gloves!!
Miri! - it IS beautiful! it definitely is from a different time. the best part is 'The Royal Mile' a stretch of cobblestone street lined with tenements with shops, cafes, and museums at the bottom that stretches from the Palace of Hollyrood, to Edinburgh castle. so amazing to walk!
Hi! I’m the Community Manager of Ruba.com. We’re building a website to highlight some of the most interesting places travelers around the world have discovered. We’ve read hundreds of blogs about the UK and we think that yours is awesome! We’d love to highlight excerpts from your blog (assuming it’s OK with you of course) and to discuss other ways of tapping into your expertise if you are interested. I’m at erin@ruba.com.
Thanks! :)
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