Once More with Feeling

If there's one thing that I've learned in my travels it is that I'll never see everything I want to see. The truth is, there is just too much to see and do and not enough time. Perhaps that's not entirely true. Perhaps it's just the universe that conspires against me. Whether it's bad weather on my day off or missing my alarm when I had wanted to wake-up early enough to take a day trip. Either way, I never made it back to Glasgow to see the Mitchell Library. I don't like having regrets.

There's not much I can do about it now. On the bright side, one of the reasons I won't have time to go to the library is because in two days my mother will be here! Yes, I'm very excited.

While Lorena and I were in London, she had confessed that she was nervous about getting to the airport. Catching a train and then the shuttle service to the airport while dragging two suitcases seemed a bit daunting to her, so I told her I would go with her. It's not like it was terribly inconvenient, and since I plan on picking my mother up, it would be good for me to learn the best way to get there and back. Plus, I could spend the day in Edinburgh.

Hold on tight, kiddos, 'cause here it is.

After dropping Lorena off, I caught the shuttle back to Waverley. From there I decided to go to the castle since I hadn't gone when I was in Edinburgh with Sami. Now, when I was on the shuttle with Lorena we passed signs on Prince's St. which led to the castle, so, like an idiot, I was walking around looking for those signs. I couldn't find them, and after ten minutes of walking up and down the street, I decided to just head to the place itself. Kinda hard to miss a castle.

I took a road that was very windy and wondered briefly if I was headed in the right direction. Then I remembered first coming to Scotland and the woman who had told me that if I was in Scotland and walking uphill, I'd more than likely run into a castle. And, I was definitely walking uphill. Turns out she was right, and I found myself at Edinburgh Castle.

The view from the top of the hill was amazing!

Two more to add to the collection!

The thing about Edinburgh Castle is that it's more known for being used as a military base and fortress than it was for any royalty that held residence there prior to the seventeenth century. Where Stirling Castle is all about the royals that lived there, Edinburgh Castle is about the role it played in history. History not being my best subject, I had no idea that prisoners of war from the War of Independence were held in Edinburgh. One of the exhibits in the castle is the Prison of War where they have replicated what the prison cells would have looked like in those times.

One of the POWs carved the American flag into one of the doors.

Now, most castles have cannons and Edinburgh Castle was no different. However, I found it very amusing when I noticed the position of one of them. It was pointed directly at the Edinburgh Winter.

"Here at Edinburgh Castle we don't believe in fun."

I wish I could have explored the castle a little more. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or if it's the weather, but my knee was killing me. I had had a bad twist when I was a teenager but over the last few days, it hurts when I walk down flights of stairs. So, when I saw some of the exhibits that were spread out over several flights, I could only sigh with longing.





So my adventure in the castle was a little cut short. That was okay because I wanted to check out the Winter Wonderland. I was determined to ride some of the rides that I missed out on in Hyde Park. Fortunately the cost of the rides was cheaper so I indulged. By indulged I mean I paid money to scream so loud that the sound cut off completely. It was wonderful and rejuvenating and it made me feel like a kid again. Of course I took pictures like a tourist.

This is my favorite kind of ride. It's like the ultimate swing.

I didn't ride the Ferris wheel because there were too many couples in line. And we all know what couples do on Ferris wheels.

This is a seven foot penguin. Like I wasn't going to get a picture of it?

 Right, so I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand it's more honest of carnies if they sell the stuffed animals at a high price. Of course they're ripping you off; that's the point of carnival games. But if you're going to blow that much money, wouldn't you rather have fun doing it and earning the £50 stuffed animal?

I was looking at all the pretty lights, eating a warm, tasty pretzel when I felt a shooting pain in my right foot. Sadly I've been feeling these pains ever since I returned from London. It's enough to make me stop walking and want to cry. I think it's because I walked all over that wonderful city in a pair of Converse. Love the shoe, but my feet don't. I can honestly say that I would have spent another hour there had it not been for the pain.

But that's the end of this adventure, and what a sad ending indeed. But, my mom's coming into town, and she's told me that she really wants to go to London. This time, I will pack better shoes.