Our Morning With the Group
Our next stop of the day was the National Museum of Scotland. Helen took us to several rooms to point out things she thought were significant, then we had a few minutes of free time. We headed to the roof terrace first to see the views, then found the most famous sheep in Scotland, Dolly. There was lots more to explore in the museum, but that was about all we had time for. We put returning to the museum on our "maybe later" list!
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Exploring Edinburgh Castle
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After we left the National Museum of Scotland, Helen took the group past some of the sights that Mom and I had explored yesterday. Passing several of the Harry Potter related places like the Elephant Café, the church graveyard, and a winding street that could have been an inspiration for Diagon Alley. It was fun to see them again, but I'm glad I had gotten to explore them on my own to take as much time as I wanted yesterday.
Finally, our walk ended at the Castle at the top of the hill. Helen gave us a whirlwind tour of the layout of what we could find in the different buildings and then sent us off just a few moments before 1pm so we could see the cannon fire. The rest of the day was on our own. Mom and I watched the cannon go off, and decided that between the crowds, the HEAT, our exhaustion, and our HUNGER we were done! |
Our Free Afternoon and Evening
We made our way down the Royal Mile and found lunch in a cool-ish café. After a bit of a rest and some nourishment we found just a little bit of energy to tour the Museum of Childhood. It was a short stroll through nostalgia as the museum isn't very big. We did purchase a children's book of Scottish History there. This is one of my BEST tips! We were having a bit of a hard time following all the in's and out's of the Scottish history. I find that children's books are a GREAT way to understand it all. Typically it gives you just enough of the info to make it interesting! The rest of our day was rather quiet with a rest at the hotel and a dinner at the convenient hotel restaurant.
Our last adventure of the day however was the BEST. We decided to get some ice cream, as it was HOT and it was vacation. The hotel clerk had suggested we go up to a hill top park that was basically around the corner from the hotel. With dripping ice cream in hand, we headed with a bit of hesitation up the many steps to the park. We were rewarded when we got to the top and turned around. The cooler night air was moving in, the sky was turning pink, and we got to see Edinburgh in all its beauty.
Our last adventure of the day however was the BEST. We decided to get some ice cream, as it was HOT and it was vacation. The hotel clerk had suggested we go up to a hill top park that was basically around the corner from the hotel. With dripping ice cream in hand, we headed with a bit of hesitation up the many steps to the park. We were rewarded when we got to the top and turned around. The cooler night air was moving in, the sky was turning pink, and we got to see Edinburgh in all its beauty.
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Here's what I wrote to my friends about the day...
What a day in Edinburgh... We saw lots but I have no special words of wisdom.
It was HOT and SUNNY here in Edinburgh, and those are not two words you generally associate with Scotland.
The highlights of the day:
Seeing Dolly the sheep. You may remember her as the first cloned mammal from adult DNA cells. (I read the blurb on the sign) She agreed to a selfie with me.
There were beautiful blue skies over the Edinburgh Castle (ummm don't ask me what else was at the castle... By that point in the day I was hot and tired and we skipped most of it! My brain just couldn't cram any more information in it. And I just couldn't be crammed in with all the other people)
The best find was this evening. We ventured out for some ice cream and took it up to a hilltop park near our hotel. With the sun setting, and the cooler air moving in we were rewarded with spectacular views of the city.
Tomorrow we move to the countryside. I am hoping for some animal sightings and cooler weather!!! (Now watch in a few days I'll be telling you how cold I am)
It was HOT and SUNNY here in Edinburgh, and those are not two words you generally associate with Scotland.
The highlights of the day:
Seeing Dolly the sheep. You may remember her as the first cloned mammal from adult DNA cells. (I read the blurb on the sign) She agreed to a selfie with me.
There were beautiful blue skies over the Edinburgh Castle (ummm don't ask me what else was at the castle... By that point in the day I was hot and tired and we skipped most of it! My brain just couldn't cram any more information in it. And I just couldn't be crammed in with all the other people)
The best find was this evening. We ventured out for some ice cream and took it up to a hilltop park near our hotel. With the sun setting, and the cooler air moving in we were rewarded with spectacular views of the city.
Tomorrow we move to the countryside. I am hoping for some animal sightings and cooler weather!!! (Now watch in a few days I'll be telling you how cold I am)