June 17th Edinburgh

 Last day in Edinburgh before we head to the Highlands. I have booked a “Hop on Hop off” bus just so we can leisurely see Edinburgh without a lot of walking. 

But first we are awakened by a knock on the door. Assuming it is the landlord, I am greeted by two Jahova’s  Witnesses and handed some literature. I will “Save” that for later reading. 

So we walk to the bus stop for the tour bus and ride it for an hour until we are back to where we started. Did not use the audio ear plugs because I just wanted to relax and see the sights. Here are photos from the first circuit. 

As we walk to the bus stop we

Notice Somebody is getting a new slate roof. 

View of the city from inside the bus  I moved outside for the rest of the trip.

Monument to Sir Walter Scott  

Houses on the hill. 

Houses higher up on the way to Edinburgh Castle.  

The view from our bus. 

This was once a great place to watch movies. The New Palace Cinema. Pictures. No more. 

In 1688, King James VII felt bad about how Sir Thomas Moodie had been treated, so he ordered this church to be built. 

A different shot of Edinburgh Castle. 

Monument to Herman Melville in St James Square. 

We decided not to add to Gordon Ramsay’s wealth. So we ate elsewhere. 

And one of the many Edinburgh hotels we could never afford. 

However we did fine a pub in the Grassmarket section of Edinburgh. You order both food and drinks at the bar. Bar’s name. The Beehive. Mice selection of

Beers

I had haggis and potato mash pie. Very much better than the haggis we would eat on Robbie Burns Birthday in Kearney NJ. 

Mary Ann had fish and chips. I am waiting to get it from a vendor on the road. 

The Grassmarket area is known as the place where public executions were held in the 1600’s. One

Lady known as Miracle Maggie was sentenced to hang because she concealed a pregnancy and the child died. But the rope broke so she was allowed to go free. Many others did not survive. 

Now the Scottish do have a sense of humor. Notice the name of a pub in Grassmarket place. 

National Gallery . 

Just another Edinburgh street. 

Characters from Jenna’s books are even in Edinburgh Scotland. 

A view of Grassmarket place. Lots of places to eat. 

Could not tell if these flowers were real or artificial. 

These steps are known as Jakob’s Ladder. I neither went down or up. 

This is the street we stayed on. 

Steps to our basement apartment. 

Mountain Outside of Edinburgh. 

And so we Uber to the airport tomorrow to pick up a car and practice driving on the other side of the road. And get to see the countryside where I feel much more at home.