I was able to stay up until about 8:30 pm local time last night and jumped into my cozy bed. Unfortunately, it is football season and some enthusiasts were outside the pub that is underneath my apartment building and woke me up. They weren't super loud but loud enough that my ears picked up their voices even with my 'white noise' video playing. In spite of that, I managed to get a decent night's rest and woke up at about 8:30 am the next day - twelve hours of shut eye.
It was lovely to discover a Moka coffee maker and a gas stove - the best combo for some espresso. It is a BIG pot, so I enjoyed several cups of Americano with my granola breakfast. I got myself together and plotted a plan of action. My goal was to walk towards Arthur's Seat to possibly walk to the top since the weather was gorgeous. Directly walking the almost 3 miles would have taken about an hour which I definitely could do, but I was exploring, so distractions ensued. No worries for me because that is how this traveling girl rolls - go with the flow when you have a general sense of purpose.
My distractions included coming across nearby Parish of
St. Cuthbert Church which was founded in the 7th century and is the final resting place of
the inventor of logarithms, as well as,
Thomas de Quincy, a writer suggested as the guy who started the tradition of addiction literature in the West. I wasn't able to get into the building but I was very happy to tour the grounds and spot the
Edinburgh Castle!
I also got to check out
Ross Fountain which was on my list to check out. Oh - there were public restrooms which were FREE (in Rome, you have to pay to use the public toilet). On the other side of the park is the
Scott Monument, in honor of author Sir Walter Scott, and it happens to be the second largest monument to a writer.
I made my way over to the
Devil's Advocate for lunch as it was recommended to me and what a treat it was! I enjoyed my next taste of whisky and a most delicious meal of crispy pork belly - O.M.G. was it good. Thanks for the suggestion, Jessica!
I so needed to walk off that meal and headed up to
St. Giles Cathedral. I was planning to visit the site next week but since it was so lovely out, I made my way there as it was just at the top of the stairs. Paying attention to my gut turned out to be quite wise because that evening's performers were doing a dress rehearsal of Vivaldi. It was so special, I was moved to tears by the whole experience. There is a free concert there on Sunday that I hope to check out.
I got myself home for a nice video chat with my pal, Lauren, who lives in Oregon. We've known each other for a very long time and when the pandemic occurred, we spoke on the phone every week for about a year. We kept up the conversations twice a week on Fridays. She is a good egg, that one.
The noise from the pub persists, so I have moved to the bed in the common area for the rest of my stay. It is much quieter and I am sure Lila is going to love having the bedroom for her use when she comes to visit Edinburgh for FIVE WHOLE NIGHTS next week. Speaking of the darling daughter, I am heading to St. Andrews tomorrow to see her and I can't wait. We haven't seen each other IRL since Italy, back in July.
PS I never made it to Arthur's Seat. Maybe next week?
PPS It is 9:09 local time and I am not yet in bed!!!!
If you would like to see all the photos I took today, here is
the link. Enjoy!
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