Just to give you an idea of how odd it was to drive on the left side of the road.
Spence had to sport Vanessa's sunglasses at one point--so stylish Spence.
Once we got to Edinburgh, we ate lunch. The food was really anything you like--nachos, cheeseburger, salads, and pizzas, wraps, sandwiches, oh the choices. Anyone notice a pattern? We don't miss meals or a pint of the local brew!
We found a place to stay for the night. Our choices were slim because of a rugby tourney in town that weekend. So a 5-star hostel was ours. 5-star because it provided sheets, towels, and soap. We didn't come prepared so all those items were KEY.
We walked around the area. Below are some pics from our stroll. Beautiful city street known as the The Royal Mile. Decorated for the holidays and the stores were bustling.
The Edinburgh Castle.
The massive structure built into the rock ends one way of the Royal Mile.
Mom, this one's for you. My grandfather's name was Boswell.
The City Chambers.
Deacon Brodie's Tavern. We ate dinner here Friday night.
The story of Deacon Brodie. He was a skilled cabinet maker but at night lead a gang of burglars. He was tried and convicted of his extracurricular activities and hung. Robert Louis Stevenson, whose father had furniture made by Brodie, was inspired to write The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
The boys tried Haggis, neeps, and tatties. Faint of heart? Skip to the next pic. Haggis is like a large, round sausage with spiced sheep's innards and seasoning. Tatties are potatoes and neeps are turnips. It was not terrible but I couldn't eat an entire serving of it.
Then on to our haunted tour. Mary King's Close was built in the 16th century when the poor were too poor to live outside the city walls, but not rich enough to live on the main streets either. So they built up and down. The closes on this side of The Royal Mile led to the North Lake where lush gardens now grow. It was closed off many years after the devastation of the 1645 plague and is now completely covered above by the City Chambers. We were not allowed to take pictures except this on the outside.
The closes were narrow streets with tenement housing in between. The poor ran their businesses from their small room with usually one or two families living there.
The tour gave the view from the 1600s with a character tour guide. We learned how they lived, worked, and died. A must see if you visit Edinburgh.
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