Edinburgh, Scotland A Magical Place - Even In The Snow!

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Edinburgh is a very expensive city.   We were very undecided on where to stay, and we looked for places outside the city.  No go on that.  We chose a hotel, and as all things go, once you arrive, you can find even more, less expensive options.  You win some, and you lose some.  We had a nice hotel near the airport with great transportation.  Free parking is almost non-existent.  Street parking runs from £7 to £15  (9.50 to 20.00 USD). 

The hotel has to pay for parking, which they pass on to the guest.  However, upon registration, they have a tablet where you can enter your license plate number, and that will be good for the three-day stay we had.  The hotel was very luxurious and comfortable.  It made us rethink our future strategy for travel.  In fact, we are currently in Newcastle and heading to York tomorrow.  We will be in a hotel there as well.  

The hotel is 10 minutes from the park and ride for the tram to downtown.  The tram only runs on one line.  You can transfer to buses along the route.  I would bet to say, although I haven't checked, the city is built around the tram.  You pay with contactless (debit/credit).  If you tap on and then off again at each station, you will have the daily rate of £5.50 for the day.  If you don't tap off, you lose the deal.  Park and ride is free parking, but the bus, tram, train, and parking in the U.K. is a huge moneymaker.

In the city center, there is a below-ground mall.  I took this picture for a niece who has a similar coffee and ice cream shop in Monterrey.  She now does events as well and is always looking for new ideas.

You probably know the tourist in this picture, enjoying his retirement and the views.

On our first day, we were off to the center of town.  What a beautiful city, and one of the cleanest we have seen.  The dirtiest and most littered is Newcastle.  Liverpool was second in that category.  There is a park that runs through the center of the city.  It was 4 °C that morning and cloudy.  

They call these winding staircases a "close".

It soon turned very windy to the point that the rain had started but you couldn't use an umbrella.  People were running to take cover.  We ducked into a Burger King for a coffee to review our plan.  We moved to the front window to people-watch, and to our surprise, there was a snow flurry.

The wind had slowed down, so we headed to an indoor spot.  The National Gallery was a good place.  It was warm and dry.  We spent a good two hours there with some great art and history.  I'll only post one or two, but some interesting stories.

A monument dedicated to the writer and poet Sir Walter Scott

  Balmoral Hotel 1902

The nine-hundred-year-old cathedral of St. Giles is known as the mother church of Presbyterianism.   St. Giles or Aegidius was born in Greece and moved to France.  He is the patron saint of the disabled and lepers.   Outside on the ground is a heart-shaped figure in the walkway that marks the place of what was once a prison.  Scots will spit on it for good luck.

Thousands of tourists are taking photos, videos, and selfies.

The next day off, we went to the city center.  This time to see the castle.  It is so Disney-like, and it sits high on the hill. 

Being Easter Sunday, there were quite a lot of tourists.  They were heading for the castle, but we wanted to save it for day two.   Something I would have never expected to learn is that the castle is built on top of a 350-million-year-old extinct volcano.  1100 years old it has served as a fortress, residence, military base, and a prison.   The castle has been the place of over 26 major battles and was the point of independence from England.

After, we returned to the hotel.    Tesco is everywhere, and they come in all shapes and sizes, from superstores with a cafeteria to express stores (convenience).  Next door to the hotel is a superstore as well as a restaurant. We were tired and had put on about 15,000 steps, so we ordered some fish and chips to go from Crab & Lobster.  It's the only one in the U.K., but they are going to build another.   This is the best fish and chips ever.  In fact, the night before leaving Edinburgh, we went there for dinner.  

Some advantages of the hotel: they deliver ice to your room, fresh towels and linens, they clean the room, and you don't have to prepare meals.  We had our "Mate" with us to keep our ice, vodka, cheeses, and milk cold.  Our rule is, "never do without".

As we left Edinburgh and headed to Newcastle upon Tyne, we took a coastal route, and sure enough, there was another castle!!!!