We walk the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is a disappointment for me. Everything old is gray from pollution. They tried cleaning it, but it ruined the stonework. The architecture is fabulous to look at but it's basically a tourist trap.
The girls love it since this means plenty of shopping, but not much for me to do. A portion of the Royal Mile is roped off for the Fringe. It's a wierd collection sort of a bad renfest. Chimney sweeps walk by. A hand sticks out of a coffin. I am starving. It's around 12, I duck into a newspaper stand and have a cold sandwich with a tough piece of bread. This is not good enough for the girls. So we eat at the Filling Station which is primarily American food except for Haggis Pizza and Haggis burger. Yes, you read right. I try the burger with haggis spread over it. It tastes like meat loaf. I wash it down with a bottle of Deuce - a guava and orange juice soda.
The girls decide to head towards Prince's Street and continue shopping there. I don't want a repeat of Munich, so with the map that Tim provided, I head out on my own. My primary objective is the Elephant Tavern where J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter books. My secondary objective is to circle the castle and photograph it from all sides. At the same time, shoot anything interesting.
The Fringe doesn't interest me. It seems intended for a college crowd and a drunken one at that. As you walk down the street, people would thrust pamphlets into your hand reminscient of Vegas. At least, they don't flick the cards to get your attention. How good can the show be if they are giving away free tickets. I find myself in old town and at another arts and crafts festival just below Market Street. I find the coffee shop at 21 George IV Bridge. It is packed with customers. I step inside making my way through the crowds and find a corner table that is reserved. It has a great view of the castle on the cliff. I hear this view was the inspiration for Hogwarts.
There are plenty of fairs today. The West End Arts and Crafts Fair at Lothian and Prince's street. There is also a book fair near the hotel. I am finally back in the room. Mary isn't back yet. I drop by Bill and Carolyn's room to pick up the backpack and Mary's souvenirs. I peel off my soaked clothes and crash for a bit. Mary arrives shortly afterward. Bill calls. He'll pick up pizzas from Pizza Hut on Rose Street. They have Italian crust "hand tossed", stuffed crust no pan crust.
The girls decide to head towards Prince's Street and continue shopping there. I don't want a repeat of Munich, so with the map that Tim provided, I head out on my own. My primary objective is the Elephant Tavern where J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter books. My secondary objective is to circle the castle and photograph it from all sides. At the same time, shoot anything interesting.
The Fringe doesn't interest me. It seems intended for a college crowd and a drunken one at that. As you walk down the street, people would thrust pamphlets into your hand reminscient of Vegas. At least, they don't flick the cards to get your attention. How good can the show be if they are giving away free tickets. I find myself in old town and at another arts and crafts festival just below Market Street. I find the coffee shop at 21 George IV Bridge. It is packed with customers. I step inside making my way through the crowds and find a corner table that is reserved. It has a great view of the castle on the cliff. I hear this view was the inspiration for Hogwarts.
There are plenty of fairs today. The West End Arts and Crafts Fair at Lothian and Prince's street. There is also a book fair near the hotel. I am finally back in the room. Mary isn't back yet. I drop by Bill and Carolyn's room to pick up the backpack and Mary's souvenirs. I peel off my soaked clothes and crash for a bit. Mary arrives shortly afterward. Bill calls. He'll pick up pizzas from Pizza Hut on Rose Street. They have Italian crust "hand tossed", stuffed crust no pan crust.
