Sunday, October 1 – Brandi Green

The sound of the coffee grinder tells me it’s time to get out of bed. I’ve been conditioned over the last 2 weeks that a hot cup of coffee soon follows this sound, so it’s quite the incentive to leave my warm bed. Over breakfast we discuss our plans for the day and map out our bus route. Magellan I am not, so a missed turn on the way to the bus stop leads us down a road where we see both the Swiss and US Embassies. Very cool and I’m certain this footage is now in my official file somewhere.

We find a new bus stop and head to the Royal Mile. Truth be told, it’s a bit of a tourist trap, but I can now say that I’ve been there. Along the Royal Mile we saw men in kilts playing bagpipes, people with owls, and a man dressed as Braveheart. We also saw more authentic sites such as St Giles Cathedral, the Edinburgh  castle, and got to look down various Closes. We passed a tavern called Deacon Brodies, named after William Brodie, who was the inspiration for Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde. By day Brodie was a wealthy respected citizen, but by night he was a gambler and a thief. He was both born and executed within steps of the tavern named after him. And, coincidentally, we were passing the tavern on the anniversary of his execution.

The next (and perhaps most anticipated) stop was to Valerie’s on Rose Street. Valerie’s is a pastry shop that Mom and Sharon have visited on each trip to Scotland. They rave about their eclairs. We make our way to Rose Street and are rewarded with a small lunch and the best hot chocolate in Edinburgh. We order eclairs and scones to go…fingers crossed they survive the bus ride back.

To end the evening Mom and I take a trip to (the very steep) Calton Hill. At the top, we were rewarded with panoramic views of Edinburgh and an amazing view of Arthur’s Seat. We watched the sunset together and then started back down the hill for home. It was a good day.

 

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” —Mahatma Gandhi