Marking off the List. Tuesday, November 1

Got to feeling bad again last night, so in the interest of getting better for the rest of the trip, I have marked two more things off my list of things to do--Kilconquhar (related to my family genealogy stuff) and Dunfermline Abbey.  We are having lunch in Kinross then returning our rental car. It's trains and friends from now on.  We'll check into the ibis on the Royal Mile, getting there by taxi, then we'll have this afternoon and tomorrow in Edinburgh.  I had planned to go to Rosslyn Chapel tomorrow, but I may make a easier day of it and just hang around in Edinburgh.  Shipping some things home while there.  Temps have gone REALLY cold, which has prompted me to do these changes.  Temp in Edinburgh this morning was 1 degree C which is 33 degrees F.


Oh guys--whole trip has turned around.  Arrived at Edinburgh airport to return rental car--went without a hitch and everyone so nice, and I could tell you horror stories about how past rentals have gone.  Taxi driver from Shetland Islands and treated us like royalty--insisting on carrying our many pieces of luggage inside hotel for us.  Hotel host greets us like royalty, too, and carries our luggage to our room, and our room is 20 times nicer than ANY ibis we've ever stayed in and has a cool arched window looking out onto the Tron Church, right on the Royal Mile.

 While Ray figured out how to ship some things home, I walked down to Cranachan & Crowdie, one of my favorite shoppes here, and got some Island Bakery Lemon Melt shortbread cookies then popped in to Mimi's bakery to see what favors of cupcakes they have today and my favorites was Lemon Meringue, so got one of those for after dinner, which will hopefully be at World's End pub.

We did have dinner at World's End pub--salmon for me, burger for Ray, very nice waitress, Vicky.  Walked up to St. Giles cathedral but it was closed for the day..  Early evening of people watching out our wonderful window.  Crowds from bars loud for a while, but interesting.


Building the new Firth of Forth Bridge:

 

Forth Railway Bridge:

 

Our ibis Hotel:

 

 

Our wonderful people-watching window:

 

 

looking out onto Hunter's Square:

 

World's End Pub:

 

from our table:

 

 

View from Royal Mile to Calton Hill:

 

 

Balmoral Hotel with its clock tower: 

 

 

 

St. Mary Magdalene Church in Cowgate, lit with blue lights:

 

Snazzy dog coat of Harris Tweed:

 

 

Hunter's Square:

 

 

 

Interesting kilted guy shows up to eat lunch while standing, and the birds try to share: