Today has been one of the most touristy days I have had in a long time – my little tootsies are very much deserving a rest so tomorrow will be a bit more relaxing.
This morning I had plans of a nice breakfast in the Hostel restaurant and then start my day back near the Castle at 10am. I came downstairs here and the minute I stepped foot in the foyer, off go the alarms. As in fire/emergency/whatever – screeching! I wasn’t overtired or anything, as last night I had a long but interrupted sleep with the people in the rooms around me slamming doors for about four continuous hours straight. In the end I just screamed out “SHUTTTTTTTTTTT UPPPPPPPPPPP!” in what must’ve sounded completely psychotic as I didn’t hear anything after that. Yay for 3am psychoness!!! So back to the adventures this morning – hearing alarms like that, at that time of the morning is not good at all… so I bolted up to the bus stop and was at Waverley Bridge by 9.30 – grand except NOTHING is open! Then after walking one block I see the travellers shrine – MACCAS. All hail the fact they are always open, it is always warm and I know I can get some nourishment. They deserve even more worshipping here in Scotland as Maccas serves – PORRIDGE. Woohoo! I was in heaven and the porridge was piping hot – just what I needed. So I promptly made my way to Mary King’s Close. Steph, if you are reading this – thank you soooo much for telling me about it. It was awesome! What a great experience and the ghost stories were fab and learning about Edinburgh’s not-so-sanitary past was very entertaining.
It was then time to make my way to Holyroodhouse Palace. For some reason, here in Edinburgh it seems more English than England – I feel I have learnt more about the Royals and their history than I ever did after six months in London. Holyroodhouse Palace was just gorgeous – it had a lot more of a lived in feel than Windsor did and I swear I could almost feel the hauntedness of Mary, Queens of Scots apartment. Just gorgeous. If I could hang a poster on my wall of what I want to call my favourite Queen, I think it would be her. She was so cool. I have to say, I didn’t expect visiting here to bring back so many memories of my time in London – there are times that it feels like I am right back at Queensgate. So that has been somewhat of a novelty – and I am LOVING this darkness at 4.30pm!
Anyway I decided to make my donation to Prince William’s future wedding with a dainty lunch in the Palace Cafe. Ohhh I love just saying that. The food and the way everything is prepared is just like Sessions Cafe at Parliament! I got the soup which was… made exactly like at Parl – with leftovers (or what resembled them)! So when the Queen was over opening Parliament way back, she must have dropped her secret soup recipes off somewhere as the similarity was almost scary! Betty uses LEFTOVERS!
After feeling very proud of myself for spending some time in the giftshop and not purchasing anything (this is a big achievement for me – tracky souvenirs just call my name) it was time to make my way to Ocean Terminal, Leith to visit the Royal Yacht, Britannia.
Arriving at Ocean Terminal, I was expecting something like Station Pier in Melbourne. It was more like Doncaster Shoppingtown! So, in all of my outside photos of the Yacht I was trying so very hard to not get in the Debenham’s store sign in the background to ruin the Royal seaside effect! This was such a great visit and I am sooo pleased I went out there to see it. The Yacht is massive and the whole thing is basically open to us who like to gawk. Unlike the Palaces, where you hardly see anything. The family photos around the Yacht were great – including one of the them all on a family cruise back in 1997. I took a stack of pics as it was really so homely – and to see their living quarters and where they entertained – it really was an important part of their life that I never realised. Visitors are also able to see mess areas for the crew and their sleeping quarters as well as every little area – including the laundries. So with that it was 4.00 and getting dark so a quick dash into M&S to get my goodies for dinner and my day is done!
Tonight I will plan my next two days – I am thinking of making a day trip to Glasgow and will probably visit the Parliament building tomorrow.
Ediburgh was somewhere where I really had no expectations and I have never thought this place would be so beautiful and that I would enjoy it as much as I have. What a great beginning to my trip! 🙂 🙂