I went to Edinburgh on the 11th of October and returned on the 13th of October.I primarily went to catch up with an old high school friend but also to visit the city.I did my due-diligence.I learnt some useful and trivial info about the city which has a coffee shop in which J.K Rowling wrote The now famous Harry Potter fantacy series.
It was nice to catch up with my friend.I also met his family etc.While going around the city it was interesting to meet a wide array of people I had something in common with.Firstly a tour guide who had been to South Africa in the apartheid years of the sixties as a ship stewart.He related a story of some racist Afrikaaner(not I said some because not all of them are) who sneered at him for serving a black patron.Apparently he ignored them,and liked the black patrons more becasue they offered better tips:)Secondly I met a chinese girl working in a souvenir shop in one of those hidden away streets like Mary King´s close who had been to Madrid and related that she went to the bullfight and liked the fried pig´s ears(Orujo) as it reminded her of Chinese cuisine.Then I met an Italian who had a Spanish girlfriend and he asked me to read and translate a message from her.He then introduced me to a South African who lives in the Northern Surbabs of Johannesburg.Actaully,this guy predicted the Bok victory and wished he would be in South Africa with a braai a big yard,Castle Lagers and good friends enjoying the rugby final and victory.
All in all,Edinburgh is a beautiful city,with rich history.Its clean,however with my euro currency I cringed each time I went to change the money.My highlights were(in no particular order)
1.Eating Haggis(Pronounced Huggies,like the nappies)
2.Going to Ceilidh and sancing many Anglo-Saxon barn dances.It was lots of turning and twisting,and I had the usual chest pain and dizziness.I went to the urgencias in Madrid for the chest pain,and it turned out not to be something serious,thank God.My time spent there was fun,I was nervous I would mutilate my friend´s toes but,I got the swring of things,and had fun.It can be exercise too.I just hope the Polish guy sends the pictures soon.
3.The bus tours.My initial day after losing my camera in luggage and having to get disposable cameras,I was without joy(my friend says this,I think its sweeter than saying upset,or other directly negative words:))Anyhoo,this is the place I met the tour guide.It was because I was on his bus three times,and even said over the announcer/loud speaker I was stalking him:)
4.The stories about Edinburgh...the first Scottish serial killers,
5.The story behind the bars The Last Drop and End of the world.The link added is a practical directory and profile of bars and restaurants in Edinburgh.
6.The impenetrable Edinburgh castle
7.The Royal mile
8.The story behind Georgy Porgy song
9.The eandearing story of a loyal dog in Greyfriars Bobby.The link´s is interestingly called dogsinthenews,so its useful for people who adore our furry friends like me.
10.Apart from J.K Rowling,who is a modern day writer the city has a rich history of gifted people and pinoneers.For example Alexander Graham Bell was born there.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,author and creator of Shelock Holmes was born there. Other great Scootsmen include Andrew Carnegie(Personal Development hero of mine),Sir Sean Connery and James Young Simpson the father of chloroform in surgey and not forgeting the romantic poet Robert Burns.
All in all,I liked my time in Edinburgh.The hostel was modern and I met two nice Japanese girls there.I still had not seen all there was on my itiney like the galleries(Andy Warhol´s work was on display,what a loss!),museums,the secret underground routes like Mary King´s close,shopping in Jenners(Apparently its not Harrods of the North,but Harrods is Jenner´s of the South because Jenner´s was there first..this analogy is compliments to the really gloriously entertaining guide on my tour on the second day.)
The weather wasnt that bad.It was chilly,and a sweather is advisable.It drizzled on the second day,and I went to the parliment whic I learnt was a hotly debated project.It was apparently opened by the Queen in October 2006.The controversy is due to its final pricetag.Apparently the parlimentary building was designed by a Catalan architect,Enric Miralles who has since passed away.It was initially budgeted at between £10million to £40million but it was completed 4 years late at a whopping £414million.Well,perhaps the bamboo sticks were that expensive.I would like to return to Edinburgh,even if its to get a kilt!
