Castles and Busses*

Hi everyone!
Today I went to Edinburgh Castle. It's built on top of an inactive volcano.

The author in front of the entrance to Edinburgh Castle. The castle is made of dark tan, and greyish brown colored stone. The castle has multiple levels, the highest of which is on the left side of the photo, gradually decreasing to the right side of the photo.

The great hall has been around since the 1400's. While most of the hall was carefully restored in the 1800's, the wood timbered ceiling is original.

The great hall in Edinburgh Castle. The lower half of the walls are decorated with intricately carved wood paneling. Mounted on the paneling are historic weapons and spears, arranged in artistic patterns. The upper half of the walls are painted bright red, and are also decorated with historic spears, arranged in a fan-like pattern. The arched ceiling is made entirely of heavy, dark wooden beams. In the center of the room is a stone fireplace, flanked on each side by two sets of medieval knights armour.

It's super cold up at the castle! I wore my hat and gloves the whole time I was inside.

The author with a tour guide from Edinburgh Castle. He is waring a black fleece jacket with an Edinburgh Castle logo, a black brimmed hat also with the castle logo, and black gloves. The author is wearing a purple knit cap and purple gloves. In the background is one of the castle's stone walls. The stones range in color from medium tan to dark gray, and are varying shapes and sizes.



This afternoon I took a hop on hop off bus tour, and my feet are incredibly grateful! It was a good way to learn about the city, and see the important sites. After that I went to St. Mary's cathedral.

Exterior of St. Mary's Cathedral. The cathedral is made of dark tan stones, and has two tall towers with pointed spires on the top.

Interior of St. Mary's Cathedral, facing the high altar, and taken from the choir stalls. The high alter is carved off-white marble, decorated with religious figures. Behind the high altar are three narrow stained glass windows that extend up the the high arched ceiling. The choir stalls are a warm brown wood decorated with carved flowers and vines. The music stands on the stalls are long panels of glass, and accented by lit candles in brass and glass candle stands.


I've spent a good portion of my time here wandering up and down the Royal Mile, the street that runs from the castle straight down to the palace where the Queen stays when she visits Scotland. All of the shops close around 6, so taking photos then is great as most of the street is deserted.

A view down the Royal Mile at sunset. The buildings surrounding a mostly deserted cobblestone street are dark tan and brown. A steeple tower with a clock is the main feature of the city buildings, the top of which is bathed in the golden light of the sunset. A red British phone booth is visible on the right side of the photo. The street slopes down and away from the camera, and in the distance the ocean is visible .

Tomorrow I'm headed to Durham, where I will be sleeping in the castle. I'm not sure how good my cell reception will be, and I've heard there isn't WiFi. I may not be able to send out an email tomorrow, so I don't want anyone to worry. I'm only there for one night, so you should hear from me soon. In the meantime I'll leave you with a sign I found outside a pub.

An A-frame sign displayed on a stone street. The sign is black with white and yellow lettering. The sign reads: "The White Hart Inn, Edinburgh's Oldest...established 1516. Husband day care centre: need time to yourself? need time to relax? want to go shopping? Leave your husband with us...Standard package: one pint, Deluxe package: double whisky"

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