This was a "relaxing" day of getting to know Edinburgh better, with no planned tours.
We started by finding a wee Italian cafe that provided the healthiest of breakfasts.
(When you're on holiday, every food is good for you, that's the rule.)
(When you're on holiday, every food is good for you, that's the rule.)
An Italian pizza made special for my stomach? Couldn't pass that up!
I desperately wanted to sample their gluten-free desserts as well,
but that pizza blew me up like a balloon. Next time.
We found a joke shoppe that looked quite like the inspiration for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
On passing St Giles' Cathedral again, I couldn't help but giggle
at the seagull so perfectly perched on his head.
And the unicorn spotting continues!
For a creature of myth, we certainly found a lot of the beasties... :)
We found a Warhammer!
(They make miniatures and games.)
We slipped into a boutique and found these GIANT COOKIES
along with steampunk pocket watches and handmade scented soaps.
Down the Royal Mile we ambled, unknowingly snapping shots of Calton Hill
(friends informed us later what exactly we saw).
Making our way to the end of the road,
we came upon Canongate Kirk blanketed in pink petals.
The kirks in Scotland certainly are peaceful places to rest your cares (and bones).
We reached the end of the Royal Mile and found ourselves at the Queen's Gallery
the museum guarding the entrance to the royal residency of the Queen in Scotland.
Unicorns helpfully pointed us inside.
"This way, if you please."
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge had just been born,
so the ticket office was full of celebratory pastel plush toys and tea sets.
After purchasing tickets for a tour, we were handed free audio guides
and set loose on Her Majesty's royal grounds.
The left towers are preserved original stone, while the remainder of the palace
underwent renovations some hundreds of years prior to our anniversary-ing in Scotland
by kings and queens of old.
Outside the palace, we received a royal welcome from
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
in the most English accent I have ever had the pleasure of hearing.
We toiled outside, enjoying the quiet courtyard and sparse fellow tourists.
Isn't this stonework incredible?
I can't even make a cup out of clay.
Leisurely, we trailed behind a group of businessmen towards the palace,
our comfy tourist clothes clashing loudly with their fine suits.
Heralded by unicorns, we entered Her Majesty's royal palace.
As this is still a functioning residency for the British monarchy when visiting Scotland,
photographs are only permitted outside its protected walls.
After learning much from our audio guide on the history and goings-on of Holyrood Palace,
we found ourselves in the remnants of the royal house's abbey.
Many a poem and inspiration has come from these ancient ruins.
I felt a bit whimsical myself just standing there.
The early afternoon sunlight threw deep shadows against the stonework,
causing the intricate designs to stand out boldly.
We only bought standard tickets, not wanting to foot the extra garden tour fee.
However, there were parts of the royal gardens open to thrifty travelers like us,
giving a taste of the quiet beauty surrounding the palace.
Some of the architecture looked ripe for the picking to a budding conspiracy theorist.
Just what do these designs signify? Our audio guide was silent on that answer.
Our audio guide did inform us that the gardens of Holyrood host royal celebrations,
and I could just see modern equivalents of this minstrel strolling about, fiddling away.
Outside the Holyrood Abbey rest its original ancient foundations,
well preened and maintained for royal usage.
After learning about the dramatic history of the royal line,
we ducked into the palace's café for an afternoon tea of rich hot chocolate and cake.
This orange cake was the gluten-free dessert option and it was divine.
If you visit Holyrood Palace around teatime, do try a bite in Café at the Palace!
Full of creamy chocolate and cake, and wanting to give our feet a rest,
we hailed a cab to take us to Scayles, a music store I had my eye on.
It did not disappoint me either, I found an abundance of ethnic woodwinds!
Happily, I bought a beautiful new penny whistle in low G
(which I have yet to master, as it is much bigger than my high D whistle.)
Lazily, we strolled towards where we thought our flat might be
and found ourselves on Candlemaker Row, outside the gates of Greyfriars Kirkyard.
And this time, they were open.
Only having a few minutes to spare before we needed to meet friends,
I scoured the grounds, searching for Tom Riddle's name.
There were so many tombs and headstones, I could not find the Riddle one.
I did however, find a Mr. John Watson. :)
Scrambling to unload any unnecessary baggage in our rooms,
we hurried as fast as our tired feet could carry us to meet up with Fox Amoore
who had trained across the firth to show us around Edinburgh.
He again proved an invaluable guide, telling us the story of this curious cannonball
that escaped our notice the first few times we passed Edinburgh Castle.
Story goes, soldiers got a wee bit drunk and fired towards Holyrood House
where Bonnie Prince Charlie (the Jacobite leader) was staying at the time.
Only, they missed... a little.
Other folks say it was placed there as a marker for plumbing in the city,
but I like the first story better.
While waiting for Fox's friend, Stuart, to arrive,
we ambled towards the castle, breathing in sights like Arthur's Seat from afar.
Ahh, the castle in the evening glow.
I could've stayed there until the sun finally rested.
But no! There was so much to see with Fox and Stuart!
Promising the best of pub dinners in Edinburgh, they lead us into The World's End.
(Photo courtesy of Stuart!)
I ordered a proper Scottish meal of haggis, neeps, and tatties.
(Sheep... stuff, turnips, and potatoes.)
This was honestly the most delicious dinner I ate our entire stay.
If you get a chance, go to The World's End!
(Just try not to fall off the edge, hee hee.)
Our authentic dining experience was not yet over
until we had the most Scottish dessert imaginable...
a deep fried Mars bar.
The cook was very kind, helping me film the entire deep fry process
and offering advice on how best to eat the resulting creations.
Horrified yet amused, KK and I accepted our Scottish companions' sweet gift,
delicately nibbling as much as we could physically stomach.
It tasted like an incredibly rich donut.
Fox tweeted the experience.
Clutching our stomachs, we hiked back up the Royal Mile on a mild pub crawl.
After the two Scots graciously helped another group of foreigners find their ghost tour,
we stopped at Frankenstein: A Monster Experience.
This pub had silent films playing in its dark rooms while pop music boomed.
We finished our crawl in Greyfriars Bobby, the pub neighboring Greyfriars Kirkyard,
where we happily chatted away with our friends as the sky finally darkened.
All too soon, we parted ways, needing sleep for our tour of the Highlands the next day.
We will forever be grateful to Fox and Stuart for their company and guidance around town.
To be continued... in the final post!
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