Well, today I was going to spend in a much more relaxed way. After walking all day long yesterday, I thought I’d take today off, but if you know me, I can’t seem to stop. Especially when I am in such an interesting city. So today, after sleeping til 9, I left the apartment at 10 and didn’t return til 4—that’s another 6 hours of walking with only a short stop for lunch again.
Today I walked back over to the Royal Mile to look once more for Trunk’s Close, and this time, I found it. Don’t know how I missed it before. In this close is Moubray House, the oldest house in Edinburgh from 1477. During the eighteenth century it was a tavern and a bookshop. Daniel Defoe, who wrote Robinson Crusoe, lived here when he edited the Edinburgh Courant. John Knox house is at the front on High Street and on the street is one of the wells which used to provide the water supply for the Old Town.
It is so interesting to be on the Royal Mile when one of my ancestors was murdered here! Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch, a great grandfather of Sir Walter Scott, was murdered by the Kerrs and Humes at a booth-door on High Street in Edinburgh in 1552. He is the Scott known as "Wicked Wat" and was knighted at Flodden in 1513. His second wife, Janet Betoun or Bethune, was accused of witchcraft because it was said that she caused the attraction between Queen Mary and Bothwell, all because she supported and encourage the relationship.
Beside John Knox house, which is now a storytelling center, is the site of Allan Ramsay’s old wigmaker shop. He also ran the first ever library from this shop, loaning books to people.
I also found Gibb’s Close, the site of one of the murders committed by Burke & Hare. It has been closed in for use as a shop. Then I went into the shop at Holyrood then all the way back up to North Bridge. Stopped at the Scotsman Hotel to take a picture of the beautiful steps. This short-cut down to Waverley Bridge, in effect a link to Old and New Towns on two different levels of the city, used to be a magnet for drug-delaing, begging, and homeless people (as they call them over here—rough sleepers). The steps were originally built in 1899 as part of the Scotsman building. The 104 steps were recently refurbished with each step a different color of marble. A rainbow of steps! My favorite is the very top step in a gorgeous swirl of blue.
We took the steps the other day but this time I walked over the bridge to Princes Street. Here I popped into the Clark’s Shoe Store, but over here, it seems these stores only have clearance shoes.
I walked up to Hill Street and found #17-19, the home of The Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary’s Chapel) No. 1. This is the Freemason Lodge I mentioned yesterday that has its minutes going back to 1599, the oldest in the world. I saw the Symbolic Diagram cut into the front wall that supposedly lists their office bearers in some obscure code. I also saw the lantern with the Freemason symbol upon it. It was once lit by oil, then by gas, and now by electricity. The bracket holding it was taken from one of the old buildings recently demolished in Old Fleshmarket Close. The oak entrance doors have the dates 1599 and 1924 carved into them.
Stopped in a few more shops then over to Waterstones Books. None of the books I want are in stock, so I bought an Ian Rankin novel set in Edinburgh. One of his Rebus series, which Colin introduced me to on TV long ago.
Then it was back up North Bridge and over to Bella Italia for lunch. I sometimes have a problem eating alone, but I was absolutely at home and comfortable yesterday and today eating all by myself.
While at lunch, I saw 3 interesting things. The first was a gentleman standing on the opposite corner of the street, dressed in a suit and tie and with a briefcase---and seemingly arguing his case in court to no one! He was really into it. Just standing there arguing. And he DIDN’T have a blue-tooth, because I looked for it. He finished his case and walked away.
The next was a couple, not that old, who were walking all bent over. I thought that was strange given that they certainly weren’t in their 60s yet and it was BOTH of them. Then I realized that maybe they had been walking the Royal Mile for 3 days, going up the hills and down the hills—that’ll do it.
The third thing was the most interesting. Now picture this--A young, thin girl in her early twenties, wearing shiny black ankle boots with 6 inch platform heels, stockings in an off black color with dark black lacy appliqués all up and down them, cut off jeans with the pockets hanging out the bottom, a plaid flannel long-sleeved shirt with large red and black checks, AND—wait for it---BRIGHT NEON PINK HAIR!!! She was quite a sight to behold.
After lunch, my energy was back and I headed up the Royal Mile and over to George IV Bridge to go by The Elephant House Café. I decided to wait to get a cookie til my next visit and went on to the National Museum to check out the Viking Game.
After that, I popped into a few charity shops then got some smoked salmon and lemon cupcakes for dinner. What could be better.
Pictures from top: back of Moubray House, the oldest in Edinburgh from 1477; my favorite Scotsman step; The Lodge of Edinburgh; Symbolic Diagram at The Lodge; Elephant House sign with elephant with a cup of tea.
