Returning to our Scotland adventures
I love cities. I love how much there is to see and do in cities!
So Tuesday morning we got up and left pretty early to have as much time as possible in the city.
We piled in the 2 cars around 7a or 730a and drove south.
Driving into (and parking all day in) the city of Edinburgh would no doubt be a HUGE pain … so Mom researched other options.
We ended up parking 30-40 minutes outside of the city and taking a bus into town. Only ₤5 round-trip each – and there were buses going all day (til late). It was one of the best decisions, for sure.
Interestingly, the bus offered free WiFi! It made me really sad I can’t take public transportation to and from work.
We got off the bus at the end of the line … Near (I think) St. James street, in the newer part of downtown.
We ended up walking maybe 8 or 10 blocks … headed to the very top of the Royal Mile – the oldest part of the city and at the top of the hill.
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It’s not a vacation until somebody gets hurt.
That’s something Angela told me once. Not a cheerful thought, but nevertheless true.
As we were walking from the downtown train/bus station to the Royal Mile, Chelsea tripped and fell!
She tumbled across some big stone tiles, dripping her big nice camera in the process.
The camera was fine, but Chelsea skinned up her knee and the palm of her hand… Sad!
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About Edinburgh FROM RICK STEVES:
‘The Royal Mile is one of Europe’s most interesting historic walks. Consisting of a series of 4 different streets – Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street and Cannongate – the Royal Mile is actually 200 yards longer than a mile.
As you walk, remember there were originally 2 settlements here, divided by a wall…
Edinburgh is the historical and cultural capital of Scotland. Once a medieval powerhouse sitting on a lava flow, it grew into Europe’s first great grid-planned modern city. The colorful hometown of Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns, Edinburgh is Scotland’s showpiece and one of Europe’s most entertaining cities. Historic, monumental, fun, and well-organized, it’s a tourist’s delight – especially in August, when Edinburgh Festival takes over the town.
Promenade down the Royal Mile through Old Town. Historic buildings pack the Royal Mile between the grand castle (on the top) and the Palace of Holyroodhouse (on the bottom). Medieval skyscrapers stand shoulder to shoulder, hiding peaceful courtyards connected to the High Street by narrow lanes or even tunnels. This colorful jumble is the tourist’s Edinburgh.
Edinburgh was once the most crowded city in Europe – famed for its skyscrapers and filth. The rich and poor lived atop one another. In the Age of Enlightenment, a magnificent Georgian city (today’s New Town) was laid out to the north, giving Edinburgh’s upper class a respectable place to promenade.”
I love how much history there is in old European cities …
I love thinking about how many people – big historical personalities all the way down to nobodies – lived and worked and loved and cried on the very streets where I’m walking.
Conquering armies lay siege to Edinburgh from this same spot. Grave robbers hid bodies not far away. The current Duke of Edinburgh is married to the Queen of England for goodness sake!
I love history!
(and I don’t care how nerdy it is)