Sunday June 10 - Attack on the castle

Well, we decided that since we've just been vacationing so far it was time to get busy and do some serious attacking. So we started out in the morning to make a run on Edinburgh Castle and then we saw where they put the thing and decided to think about it a little more.


This thing is clear up on top of a cliff as you can see. Here's a better view from below...




Then we got to the top of the hill and found out if you give them 9 pounds they'll let you walk right in and do just about anything you want except take flash photographs of the "honors" which are the stone of destiny, the crown, sword and scepter. So we gave them the money and went for a walk around. Here's what we saw:

One of the windows in St. Margarets Chapel a beautiful tiny chapel on top of the hill. The window is a depiction of Wm Wallace I think.



Here's a little something for the warmongers among you. This is a Georgian Trench Mortar. It is quickly repositionable cannon made of bronze. This particular one is the first model they came up with. The base is wood and it is designed to move quickly to reposition and fire. Guerrrrrrrilla warfare if you will. This model was revised when they got it in the field and discovered that every time they picked it up to move it the thing wanted to turn upside down. Later versions had a wider wooden base and the handles were positioned on the sides instead of front and back to carry the thing.



They also have an impressive World War I memorial right smack on top. They really know how to make things look like they've been there all along. Maybe it's just that everything has the same layer of soot on it.



Once done there we went on the Whisky Heritage Experience and learned all about how to find a single malt that will become our friend for life. Hannah said "this is where alcoholics come from". I didn't take any photos there. We were taught how to properly appreciate a scotch whiskey and rode through a Disney-esque (sans moving mannequins) presentation in a four seat whiskey barrel. They have a real odd thing here for taxidermied dogs and cats. There were two dogs and a cat in this presentation.

Wandering down the Royal Mile we shopped again and again and then Terry and I went into St. Giles Cathedral for a look around.


Lovely stained glass (though I thought Meg's chapel were more beautiful) a huge pipe organ and a choir was practicing for a concert so the hall was filled with voices. It was a restful moment.

Later we continued down the hill and ended up back on Rose street which is where there are many restaurants. We selected a likely looking location and went inside for a pint or two and dinner. The hilarity began when we tried to order. For the sandwiches you could select from a wrap, multigrain or white bloomers, or white bap. I tried my luck with the bloomers and it turned out fine. Just whole grain bread. There was ketchup for the chips and Terry ordered nachos which were really good.

Then things started getting dodgy again. Meg and I went up to the bar to order more drinks (there's no table service in pubs here) and there was a man standing there wearing a car length coat and he did not appear to be wearing any pants. He was not wearing a kilt either. I'm assuming that he had on short shorts under that coat but I decided to restrain myself and not peek. The funny thing was another guy at the bar apologized to us saying it wasn't at all the usual fashion for guys to go into bars bare-assed (though I have seen them go out in their y-fronts - but that's another story). Meg and I shrugged it off Meg ordered three pints then went back to the table.

Well, we didn't look at the tap when we ordered the drinks and ended up with three pints of cider, which looks just like a lager but when you drink it just messes you up. We wandered on after that, unable to suck down an entire pint of the cider and went to another establishment for a nice predictable brown ale and another chocolate monstrosity for Hannah before heading back to Princes street and the buses back home.

We took turns plotting against the people on the inside of the restaurant who kept staring at Hannah and jacking with the locals by trying to remember how that song by ...oh hell, now I can't remember the name of the band. But we finally remembered the song and I'll share it with you now....(throat clearing noises)...Come on Irene oh I swear da da da da....you mean everything ....da da da doo....Dexies Midnight Runners, yeah that's it. I hope you enjoyed this musical interlude and now we return you to your regularly scheduled program so that I can once again prepare to board old number 44 for the daily trip into town.

Later...gj