27/1/09 You're Up: Edinburgh II

I slept incredibly well last night. After spending some time in the internet room (a poorly named roomed) typing up what I did, I went to the room and three other guys followed shortly. We all turned the lights out, climbed into bed, and I was asleep before I knew it, probably around midnight.

I woke up around 8:30 when other people starting getting up. What they were doing at that time, I have no idea. But the whole place cleared out, so I had my picks of showers. I have a feeling a lot of them are long-term visitors and maybe even have jobs? No idea.

I walked down the street a little to St. Giles, basically Scotland’s version of Westminster Abbey or Notre Dame. The interior had the high vaulted ceilings, tombs all around, but the biggest differences was it wasn’t that big and there was no guide or any sort of landmarks there, so I couldn’t look at the church that long before it just looked like an old church. I stayed probably 15 minutes.

Then I walked down to the Children’s Museum, a disappointment. I think I was too young/not British enough for it to mean anything for me. But it was free and they had a Lone Ranger costume set, so it wasn’t so bad. I didn’t stay more than 10 minutes.

I continued my way down the hill, stopping to walk through closes.

My next stop was at Parliament. I did the usual security check and looked at some displays. I really don’t understand Scotland’s whole government. The parliament voted to end themselves in the 1700s and they restarted in 1999. They built a new building, opening in 2004 with sort of a modern Frank Lloyd Wright vibe.

They weren’t in full session, but they were doing committee meetings, so I went to the European Relations Committee Meeting (my expertise). They had a webcam set up so they could talk to experts who weren’t there in person. I came in at the end of the first session, so I stayed maybe 10 minutes before they took a break. I couldn’t really follow what they were talking about, and it didn’t sound all that interesting. It felt like a city council meeting, except with less people in attendance. I was one of two other people watching it. We sat about 5 feet from everyone, no sound barrier or anything. It was sort of incredible. I've seen more European governments in action than American.

Next I decided to go to the Elephant House, the place where JK Rowling would sit in the back and look at the castle through the window and write longhand the first Harry Potters. It had a writer feeling to it. I got a mozzarella and vegetable panini and Darjeeling tea, and they had a 10% student discount. It was pretty crowded, but I got in the back where I could see the castle over my shoulder. This was probably the highlight of the day. Plus the panini was really good and I’m on a big tea kick right now.

I wandered around for a while, ending up in the Edinburgh Museum (free) and I definitely wouldn’t have paid for it. It was just sort of a chintzy museum, nothing really memorable, although they seem to be big on silver plates and things like that here.

Then I stumbled on the Writer’s Museum, in an old 1600s mansion with artifacts from three Edinburghian writers, Walter Scott (talk about a great name), Robert Burns, and Robert Louis Stevenson. I only knew Stevenson before I got here, and I enjoyed his section. But Scott and Burns are absolutely huge here. Like the Beatles if they were 19th century poets instead. They just had Robert Burns day here on Sunday for his 250th birthday and I guess the whole city had a huge party. I didn’t really see anything of note from them, and they had more of those corny Disney figures at tables. Lame.

I went down into New Town and stopped by the National Gallery, which was surprisingly good. Rembrants, Picassos (including one Olive Tree one I really liked), Raphaels, and Titians that are involved in a big controversy because the owner wants to sell them for £50 million each to the museum or else going to sell them to whoever. So the debate is if the Gallery, publicly funded, should pay for them or not. I tend to think no, but I’m the guy that would buy Tiger Stadium if I won the lottery.

The museum felt like I was inside an old mansion, carpeted floors, ornate seats all around, couches, deep painted walls. It was sort of strange, but at the same time, I liked it. It was a world class museum, unlike the last couple I’d been to.

I wandered around New Town until I came across an old cemetery with a number of notable people in it. There was a huge Washington Monument figure to some judge guy, the biggest gravestone I’ve ever seen. But the museum was in awful shape. Bottles everywhere, stones broken and tipped over, graffiti. Even Robert Burns’ grave site was broken. Pretty sad.

Then I headed up a hill and saw a monument to Admiral Nelson and the starting of a recreation of the Parthenon from the 1800s, but only 12 columns were completed before they ran out of money. Whoops. The rain really started up about now.

So I decided to go inside, this time to the Scottish Museum. It's a very sleek new museum, nice displays, but I just didn't know that much about Scottish history. The most interesting thing was they had Dolly and the guillotine they used for executions, both of equal scientific value.

I decided to look for a place to eat. After striking out at a couple places, I ended up at an Italian restaurant on the Royal Mile. The building dated from the 1700s when it was a tobacco shop that drew huge lines, as it turns out, because they would put cocaine in the tobacco and people would get addicted. So the little bit of history sold me on the place. It was empty other than one other lady. I had a gnocchi with spinach and cheese in a cream sauce with a Earl Grey tea. It was alright. Not the best, and the fact that they played American songs (including the mockingbird song from "Dumb and Dumber") it just ruined the atmosphere.

I had more time to kill than I wanted so I wandered around the Royal Mile and in and out of closes. I bought some shortbread and a miniature castle and went up to the real castle and ate my shortbread. It was pretty good, and it turned into a clear night so I could see for a long ways. It was a nice way to end the trip.

I walked down the steps to the hostel, grabbed my bag, and made it over to the bus stop in about 10 minutes. The bus came around 9:30 and everyone got on, I had another seat to myself. I didn't get to sleep right away (I kept having thoughts about moments in time I wish I could have witnessed. The one that stuck out most to me was, 'Sorry Pete, but we're kicking you out of the band. We found a guy that likes rings.')

I slept the majority of the way back. My first trip a success. I saw everything I wanted, had a great experience with the hostel, and it made me excited for future trips.

And one final exchange rate related photo for dad.