Sunday, May 20th Edinburgh

For fun, I'll start with today's whisky report.  We went back to Whiski Room and had flight #9, Tour of the Islands.  Arran 10 yr, Jura Superstition (Tom), Talisker 10 (Maxine), and Scapa 10.  Then flight #6, Islay, which is my favorite region for whisky's.  Bunhahabhan 12 (Maxine), Lagavulin 16, Laphroig Quarter Cask (Tom ), and Ardbeg 10 (Maxine).  Then, I had a half pint of Innis & Gunn (remember Tom the German from last night?).  I was surprised that it tasted different than the Oaked I&G I'd had at the Tate Modern in a bottle. Then, surprise surprise I read that they have a number of different beers.  Here's to beer experimenting in Scotland!

OK now, earlier in the day...  We got Hop On Hop Off tickets as a way to see the city.  Turns out that Edinburgh is small enough that we didn't really need to and spent some money unnecessarily.  Oh well.  We did hop off to catch a bagpipe parade heading from the church up to the Castle.  Fun.

There's always the occasional bagpipe playing in the distance somewhere.  OK, not always, but once or twice a day you can catch it.

A soccer win parade had threatened to block the streets later in the day.  Turns out that for the first time in over 100 years 2 Edinburgh teams were the UK finalists.  One, obviously, won.  So, they had a sure thing going -- there would be a parade.  We'd found out at our hotel -- one of the managers was a fan.  I tell him I'm sorry that his team lost.  "That's OK, I'm used to it"

We watched a bit of it, mostly interested in seeing how people lived outside of our tourist bubble.  The parade ran down the Royal Mile, which is where we wanted to be anyway.  Eventually we walked to the high side end of the Mile, which is the Edinburgh Castle.  They were setting up for the summer tattoo (a bagpipe party?) which seemed like it could be a lot of fun on some future trip to Scotland!

Amazing views of the city and surroundings from the castle.  There was some sort of street festival down below, with music, booths, and a stage.  Again, great weather.  We continuously marvel at how lucky we are.  Everyone in London had told us that Scotland was cold and rainy and that we'd probably be spending a bunch of time in our hotel reading.  But, nothing of the sort.  Great, glorious weather.

We're concerned at how much we're influenced by the weather...

We continue walking Edinburgh after the castle, in part covering areas we'd seen earlier in the day by bus.  The Grassmarket area.  Then, we find the Bow Bar and stop in, not for whisky in the afternoon, but for a couple half pints.  Caledonian Deuchars IPA and Ascot Brewing's Anastasia's Stout.

Maxine, humoring me enormously, then offers to walk with me over to Brewdog (it's a Scotish brewer, even though we went to their London branch twice) so I can see (not sure they even have any) if I can buy a T shirt. Thanks!  I do get one, and am happy.  Back to the hotel, then out for dinner, once more on the Royal Mile, at an American-style place called The Filling Station.  Then (see above)....