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Friday, May 18, 2012

Edinburgh: A Rainy Royal Mile

Today has been rainy, windy, and even somewhat cold, but we couldn't let that keep us from strolling down one of the world's most famous thoroughfares, the Royal Mile.





It doesn't look like a very good day for an outdoor concert, does it? The wind has obviously knocked quite a few of the chairs over.


It can't be a good day to sell kilts either, although we did see one stalwart Scot clad in plaid.






Of course, we spotted the kilts inside the Scottish National Gallery, where we spent the better part of two hours viewing Rembrandt, Monet, Rubens, Constable, van Gogh, El Greco, and still more. Free admittance too!

After a little more walking we decided it was time to try a pub lunch. They're all over and we quickly found ourselves inside the Tolbooth Tavern.



Kathy chose the Sausage and Mash.


Brian's dish was an updated Steak Pie.


Both tasted good, although the quantity was so large that neither of us could get absolutely to the end, even washing it all down with a glass of McEwans Gold Lager (who knew McEwans made anything other than dark beers and ales?).

From there we generally wandered back to the Hilton, skipping around puddles as best
we could along the way.

We picked up our tickets for the return trip to London at Haymarket station. We also learned that the attendants will admit us with that ticket and allow us to catch a train to the main station for free. That saves a confusing bus ride or an expsnsive taxi.

We like Edinburgh enough that we'd like to return sometime when the sun is showing, but that might be difficult to predict.




2 comments:

Gregory said...

I sure hope you leave the soggy weather in Edinburgh when you return to London tomorrow; I want only nice conditions for my 29 hours on the ground.

Kathy and Brian said...

It looks like showers are predicted for Sunday and Monday in London. Given the various forecasts, maybe we need to call ahead to the Crowne Plaza in Canberra to reserve our brollies. For whatever reason, we didn't pack them, although they would have been turned inside-out a couple of times today.