Let's take a walk

Today started off pretty lazy, it is Sunday after all and I had to give up another hour of my life. The threat of sunshine and nice weather pulled me out of my shell and I decided to take a quick loop around Old Town to take pictures (I hope you are ready for a ton of pictures).

First let's start with my part of town (gawd, I love saying that).

Looking out from the side door of the apartment complex. That's the crags in the background. 

Looking out the front of the apartment complex: Our Dynamic Earth (a fantastically cool science museum) and the crags.

My apartment complex on the left and Parliament on the right. See how close I am??

Parliament: so much prettier on the inside (or from above). I wave to Diarmid every time I walk by. :-)

The Park. My posh apartment complex. Squatter's Rights!!!!!

So that's my awesome and spectacular neighborhood. I'm.never.leaving. Ok, so maybe I will, but it will be against my will.

Then I meandered up to the Royal Mile:

Proof I was on the Royal Mile....along with a bunch of other tourists.

This mile is what made me fall in love with this city in the first place (The clouds kept coming and going, as is kinda their thing, so some of the pictures had great lighting and others not so much.):

St. Giles Cathedral

Looking towards Holyrood and the Firth of Forth.

Looking towards the castle (be patient, you'll see it in a sec.).

Tolbooth Kirk, though now it is apparently the office for all things festival. 

I managed to purchase another photo from a guy that I bought a picture off of back in 2008. He does great work and I was so excited to see his stuff there again.

This will go nicely with my other Arthur's Seat picture. His are way better than mine. :-) Photo is of the crags and the city.

That was all the shopping I managed. I kept walking up towards the castle. Here I just stopped for pictures. I didn't go inside. Another day.

The Edinburgh Castle. 

View south from the castle.

Side shot. 

View of Arthur's Seat from the castle.

Looking over the edge into the Grassmarket (loads of pubs here). 

Looking North towards Princes Street and the gardens. 

I was *finally* getting the nerve to ask this adorablesauce couple to take my picture (you know, for proof) and someone beat me in asking them. So I chickened out. lol I'm.an.idiot.

Another amazing Royal Mile shot. Who couldn't LOVE this place??

Then it was time to head towards New Town, so I picked a close (a small pathway leading away/to the Mile) and walked towards Princes Street and Waverley Station.

Lady Stair's Close. It's the writer's close...

because there's a writer's museum and because they have these awesome carvings in the stones. "My roots in the Soil of Alba." - fionn maccolla (1906-1975?)

"Auld Reakie wale o ilka town." - Robert Ferguson (1756-1794?)

This close comes out right by the National Gallery and provides some very nice views of the castle.

And of course the statues...everywhere statues...so scary!! (Watch the Doctor Who episode of Blink to understand the fear.)

And this jerk had a sword to boot....I had to walk down the hill backwards.

View over Waverley Station, the gardens, Scott Monument, and the Balmoral.

The gardens, Waverley, and the two bridges leading to/from the Old Town. 

Had a peek down Princes Street:

Always construction....

all the time.

And of course Jenners.

This needs a slight explanation. See, I met some friends for dinner and drinks last night and they said to meet them at House of Fraser on Princes Street. No problem, I say. Long story short, I went to the wrong HoF and made them walk an extra 15 minutes to get me. Yes, I'm.an.idiot. Luckily they are good friends and didn't hold it against me. :-)

OH, and we went to this awesome tappas place! The food was delish. AND we managed to stay there longer than an hour and 45 minutes (OH THE HORROR!!!). Haha, inside joke. :-) Then drinks at The Inside Bar (I think that's the name of it). Good times with good friends!!

Back to today. My walk continued towards the Scott Monument.

The gardens are just starting to bloom and they are already gorgeous. Can't imagine what they are like in a couple more weeks. 

Another castle shot in between the Galleries.

Sir Walter Scott, sitting peacefully. He's very patient for pictures.  

One final parting shot. 

Then I made my way over the bridge and back to my part of town to pick up dinner: Chicken Tikki Pasanda, Nan, and HFCS-free Dr Pepper.

Dinner. Yummy!! (and slightly messy)

I also managed to watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban while writing postcards, which I will mail tomorrow...assuming I have your address.

I'm never this productive at home, but then again, I haven't exactly gotten 'work' done. Maybe tomorrow...maybe. :-)