Monday, May 31, 2010

Edinburgh


Hello again, so today we spent the day touring Edinburgh. And what better way to start seeing a new city then to take an awesome and FREE walking tour, provided by Sandeman's New Europe tours. The tour was awesome, our tour guide Andrew was awesome, and we can't wait to take their free walking tours in many of the other major cities we will be in.

We saw so many things and places on the tour it is going to be pretty hard to sum up... I was keeping a running record of the tour as we wen't along in my journal so I'll just kind of bullet point some things from the tour and you can google them if they pique your interest.

  • Edinburgh City Chambers
  • Market Cross
  • St. Gile's Cathedral
  • Lady Stairs House
  • Writer's Museum / Stairs Close
  • Edinburgh Castle
  • Balcony where some of Burke and Hare's murders took place
  • Greatfriar's Kirk
  • Black Mausoleum
  • The school Hogwart's is based off of, and the graves around are where the names of many characters in Harry Potter came from (Malfoy, Longbottom, etc.)
  • John Grey's grave and the statue of Greatfriar's Bobbie (this HAS to be the story that inspired that super sad dog episode of Futurama, its the same thing but in real life!)
  • Elephant Cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote the first few Harry Potter books
After that we hadlunch at a place called Garfunkel's on High Street (what the Royal Mile becomes if you go down a bit more) and Dave and I split a haggus to give it a try, we are in Scotland after all. It wasn't bad... it wasn't great or anything either, actually kind of bland. But it was okay and I'm glad I tried it.

After we stopped into some small shops and looked around, got some deliciuos smoothies from a place called Hula on Victoria at the corner of the Grass Market, and went to a food mart to buy some stuff to make in the hostel kitchen for dinner (hooray for 50 pence dinners!).

Later tonight we are going to go back out and take a ghost tour (from the same group that did our earlier tour) of all the haunted places and paranormal happenings in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is quiet the paranormal hot spot apparently, and we are excited because it is like the only thing that seems to be around to do after 8:30 here haha. (There are actually a lot of different ghost tour signs all over the city)

5 comments:

  1. Your pictures are amazing Pat! I am thoroughly enjoying them. :)

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  2. Hello Patrick,
    Great pictures, great writings also.
    You're tempting me, someday perhaps.
    Stay safe and say hi to all.
    Regards,
    Uncle Jim
    PS: When the Mets and Yanks win they win big.
    Also a perfect game by Philly Halladay

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  3. I can't believe you got to see the school that Hogwarts is based off of and that you got to go to the same spot where J.K. Rowling penned Harry Potter!!!!!! That is just totally awesome! You guys are so lucky!!! Hope your having fun :D
    -sHaRoN [your cousin]

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  4. Hello Pat and Company, Wish we were traveling to all these great place. The ghost tour sounds fun. Maybe you'll run into Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington (Nearly Headless Nick). Wishing you good fortune and many more memorable adventures. Love Barbara and Jim

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  5. I ain't afraid of no ghost!

    Can't wait to hear about the things you saw/learned about in the ghost tour!

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