Scotland VI: Edinburgh

Tuesday, I ordered my first Uber, which was a nice, clean, pleasant experience that cost us less than a taxi would. We were dropped off at the roundabout just downhill of Edinburgh Castle and slowly made it the last, few yards up to the ticket lines that had already formed. We didn't have to wait long before they started letting people in and the next couple of hours were spent showing the yanks around Edinburgh's nicest piece of real estate. We started out with breakfast at a cafe. As per usual, a bird bullied me out of my sandwich. Well, it was a big seagull and he had a sharp beak so what was I supposed to do?

Eyeing me.


Eating my breakfast.


He gave me the evil eye before flying off without so much as a "thank you". *sniffles*


I have no idea who lives in that little house there, but I would murder him/her to take over.


Nice views.


We ended up in the Great Hall, where the roof, made from Norwegian Wood, was the only original thing left.


Lovely fireplace.


We even attended a half-hour long presentation by a guy who knew just about everything there was to know about medieval instruments and music. He was funny to boot and I think we all wanted the presentation to last longer. Ever the adventurous, we then took a stroll a little ways down the Royal Mile, stopping to look at a big guy dressed up as a Pictish warrior, who allowed himself to be photographed with people for a donation to some anti-cancer thingy. He turned out to be a history teacher with quite the background, he even showed us pics on his phone of when he'd been partying with Lemmy from Motörhead, who had been a friend of his.


Outside a place called Frankenstein, I was caught by the scruff of my neck.


Next door was The Elephant House, one of several places where J. K. Rowling sat and wrote the Harry Potter books.


The next day, the yanks flew down to London for a couple of days of much needed me-free sightseeing, while I flew home to a cold, grey, bleak Norway. Meh. I had prearranged a wheelchair from the boarding area to the airplane for this boarding and here, they're loading me onto this infernal contraption like some piece of cargo. Which in so many ways I guess I was. This was the only pic I got in before I was told that taking photos was strictly verboten.


Me in the cabin before departure. Me leaving Scotland. Me sad.


Me home in Norway. Now me really sad.