There are no stars so lovely as Edinburgh street lamps. - Robert Louis Stevenson
So dear readers, I must beg your forgiveness, because I lied to you... Yes, I thought I gave my heart to London, but after last weekend, it will forever belong to Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the most bewitching place I've ever been... spooky buildings, darling shops, castles, mountains, cobblestone streets, bookstores, kirkyards, pubs... and I got to see all this and more with three of my favorites, Teresa, Adriana, and Melissa.
day 1
First things first, we got some grub. Melissa, Terese, and Adri outside a pub
Then, on to Edinburgh Castle... Robert the Bruce took this castle with 30 men. Steven Wood could take it alone.
The view from the castle
Kilts. They're are all the rage here.
a castle cellar
the great hall... where medieval feasts were held...
After the castle, we went on the Scotch Whiskey Tour... We heard all about how whiskey was made, so now Teresa and I can make our own whiskey. You better watch it the next time we have people over...
Afterwards we met up with Adrianna's friend, Leyds. She let us stay in her flat for free and showed us all around the University of Edinburgh. This is the Library Bar, an old library that was converted into a pub. Note the walls lined with books...
day 2
christmas cups at starbucks!!! only 33 days until we come home and 36 until Christmas!!! WOOHOO!
so there was this sweet blue wall...
We perused a few old book shops... Armchair Books and The Old Town Bookshop are a must if you are planning a trip.
Armchair had an entire shelf of G.A. Henty... quite fantastic, if you're a bit of a history nerd...
Teresa and Ledys eating tradish Scottish food... Pie of the day and Haggis, Nips, and Tatties.
I ordered a cheeseburger. (They are better than the english burgers, but just not quite up to American standards.)
The cutest coffee shop, Chocolate Soup.
Teresa ordered the Harvest Spice Hot Chocolate. So good... cinnamon, nutmeg, and whipped cream.
Waiting for the ghost tour...
It met at an old pub, the Last Drop, that was built on the site of Edinburgh's gallows...
Our tour guide
day 3
We got up early on the last day and climbed Arthur's Seat, an inactive volcano that sits on the edge of the city. It was beautiful.
We climbed it in the rain...
roundhouse kick to the face
As we were climbing down, it stopped raining and there was a rainbow. So pretty!
Edinburgh offers a free walking tour of the city, which is incredible... it hits all the big sites.
St. Giles Cathedral
Greyfrair's Kirkyard (kirk means church in scottish...)
The Covenanter's Prison... Where 400 men and women spent an entire winter for refusing to deny their Christian faith. The prison cells had no ceilings.
The elephant house... the coffee shop where J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter books.
Iron Brew... an energy drink containing so much sugar and so much caffeine that it is outlawed in the states. We didn't try any.
We tried to think up a bestseller while we were sitting at the elephant house, but to no avail...
The Sir Walter Scott Monument at Sunset... I love this city. It was such a fun weekend and I loved hanging with you girls! Yay for Scotland!
The girls
Maite and Pauline
Vanessa!
Heather made some A-MaZiNg apple pie
And the guys did the dishes... good job, boys!
Elia and Matheus
Adri and me :-)
Alexandra, Heather, and Pauline
Melissa, Vanessa, Maite, and me
Me and Alexandra
Adri, Heath, Vanessa, Pauline, and Melissita
Adri and Heath
And Matheus came too, who I think had more fun laughing at us girls getting so into the game than actually playing
"Don't let them gain another yard! You blitz all night!"
It was a great, American day :-)
