Hello all!
We woke up today and lo and behold the meteorologist was correct, it was warm and sunny! There is only one thing to do when summer reaches Scotland, go outside and celebrate. We started by heading out for lunch to Cafe Grande, good burgers and the front walls open out when it is this nice out. Lili went with the standard chicken and pulled pork burger, while Andrew was a bit more local, the Scot, a burger with bacon, cheese, and haggis piled on top, yum.
We then hopped on the bus and made our way into town. Things kicked off with a visit to one of the local cemetaries. These are really fun to wander around as some are extremely old, at least compared to back home, some of these cemetaries existed while the US was still considered the colonies. This one wasn't bad, but not as fun as Greyfriars.
Soon we were on the way to the next stop, Calton Hill. We had previously visited the hill for the Beltane Fire Festival, and were impressed by the nightime views so we had to visit during the day to see the view. The view did not disappoint. Being in the heart of the city, every street unfolds beneath Calton. You can see the glasshouses poking up from the botanical gardens, the castle, Princes Street, the Firth, and of course a great angle of Arthur's Seat and Salsbury Crags.
Part of Calton Hill is an unfinished relica of the Partenon. It was started, and then funding was pulled and never was finished. It now stands at the top for those wanting to climb up and relax against some giant pillars. We went around and took a seat in the shade, it has been 9 months since this much sun has beat down on us and sunblock was not high on the list of things to pack for Scotland. Taking a break and enjoying the view and weather, we chatted about where to next.
Next was time to start making our way back. The sun still high as we walked down through Princes Street Gardens. We stopped to get a bottle of water and relax in the shade of some trees, underneath the watchful eye of Edinburgh Castle. Days like today will be missed when we have to head back home, perfect weather in an old city with the same features it has had for hundreds of years.
After all this there is only one way to properly end the day, ice cream. We stopped by San Luca, Lili a modest 2 scoops and Andrew the perfectly normal 4. The scoops are a bit smaller than back home, 4 is a lot closer to 2. That was it, a quick stop to get some food from the grocery for dinner, and it was home to plan for the next day.
More soon!
-L&A
