My first day in Edinbourgh was very nice. I slept until 9:30 in the morning. When I set myself upright on the bed got to know my new roommate. His name was Shawn and he is from Los Angeles. We began to have a nice and long conversation: He told me of his background to visit Scotland. He finished his time of school last year. By the end of march he went on his way to discover Western Europe. Starting his tour in Berlin he continued through Amsterdam, Paris, Switzerland, Venice, Bologna, Rome and Madrid. From there he also arrived in Edinburgh yesterday. And for tomorrow he planned to continue to London and end his trip on Friday. It felt funny for us to be the only who were occupying our room for six.
As we were both there on our own we decided to discover the city together. We left our room at half past eleven to walk in direction of old town. Reaching High Street we found a restaurant to have some lunch. We were about to enter when there became some music hearable towards us. We got to see a horde of people approaching and going by. They played music especially bagpipes (quite loud) and holded some information signs up with different sayings. Apparently it was a demonstration where behind each other different political parties presented themselves due to an election.
For lunch we went to The Royal McGregor restaurant recommended by a hostel’s reception officer. Shawn ordered three different types of Scottish whiskey. They smelt interesting and one reminded me of a sirup I had taken into against caugh. For our meal we both got a traditional Scottish dish – Haggis. It was a round confect made of three layers – Haggis base made of lentils and beans, mashed potato and turnip topped with whiskey sauce.
After lunch we continued the way up. Behind the Adam Smith statue there was a street acrobat. As he told he is from Mexico and tries break a record of jonglage which he wants to solve right here. It was about a box with a long role and a wooden board on which needs to be balanced. To support him a nice man from Wales and I holded the board. He carefully went onto it, counted down from 3 and we ran in distance. He holded three jonglage balls which he began to juggle with while balancing a pink Slightly bigger ball on his forehead. We threw two other juggle balls. The world record’s challenge should be juggle like that for at least 3 seconds. Unfortunately, he managed (only) up to two. Before this show, however, he asked for volunteers choosing the Welsh man and me. We layed onto the ground and were told he would walk over us juggling. I thought he aimed to walk on our bodies themselves which made me a bit nervously. Even though he just went over us having us in between his feet I had a similar feeling.
We walked further next to St. Giles Cathedral in which we had a little look. The building inside looked beautiful and so big.
Shortly afterwards we arrived at Edinburgh Castle on the top of the hill. We visited having a walk into its different chambers and a nice view of Edinburgh. We got the idea to walk up to the peak of Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood-Park. I had part of our hike barefeet but there ware fragments of glas sometimes so I finished as soon as there was not enough gras any more.
Where we arrived back downstairs there was a small lake, St. Margaret’s Loch. There were many swans swimming and a family having a barbecue. As Shawn told me to feel starving the best he would have had some grilled goods. One little sun of the family feeded a swan with white bread even though it was explicitly advised against it by an information board.
For dinner we discovered a nice bar restaurant while walking. Because they were full we stood outside again thinking of an alternative. As I had suggested Shawn I asked the waiter in fact whether to be seated to a table which was was half wise occupied. Actually Shawn had felt impolite for us. But it should become a brilliant evening with a nice couple also from Milwaukee, USA. We had a nice conversation throughout this evening. Two of us including me went for Haggis (again). And again it was nice. Later, a musician began to play. Hence it became too loud to talk properly we went to a more relexful place. The I even talked with the man, Noah, in German because he had been in Heidelberg for two years 16 years ago and his wife had asked me to do that as a refreshment for him.
All in all I can say it has been one of my best days in Great Britain so far. I am looking forward to other five weeks here.