OK, now I'm going to try and catch up my blog, hopefully without my computer freaking out and loosing the entire post.

MONDAY

I had a great day with Emma yesterday.It started off meeting at Elephant House for coffee.I ended up being a tiny bit late due to not being able to correctly read maps.I seem to screw it up every day. Yesterday I had it upside down, go me.After basically walking around in a giant circle I finally asked for directions.This nice man drew me a map and I found my way just a little bit late.After coffee we walked across the street to the Museum of Scotland and wandered around.That is quite an interesting museum because it was designed by either A) a person with the worst case of ADD in history or B) someone who had never been in a museum in their life… it really makes no logical sense.After that we were getting a bit hungry so we got some lunch at this place called Chocolate Soup because they serve hot chocolate in a soup bowl, it is quite delicious (I had a ham and cheese sandwich with mayo, tomato and red onion, but I did pick off most of the red onion and tomato…) with my epic portion of hot chocolate. After lunch we went to St. Giles church, where John Knox essentially started Presbyterianism. After we went to the Museum of Childhood, which was pretty sweet.The museum is filled with all kinds of old toys, there is one whole floor devoted to dolls, I kept thinking that Auntie Eileen would be ecstatic to see them all, they were so old! After that we went to John Knox house, it was quite interesting, he was a little bit loony.We then walked to the Museum of Edinburgh which traced the history of the city from the dawning of time to present.After that we went to the parliament building and walked around it, I thought it was pretty nifty, albeit strange.

After the parliament building we went and sat in the gardens at Holyrood house and talked for a few hours, it was a lovely visit.The air was so clean, the sky was clear and the wind was slight.There were a lot of people out, Emma said that was strange for a Monday, apparently people thought it was such a nice day they were going to go out and enjoy it.While we were there we saw a falconer, quite a rare sight! I looked up and saw a falcon heckling a Sea Gull, and I thought it looked weird, it had jesses on its feet, I was about to mention it to Ems and then we saw this guy walking toward us swinging the lure around. I was rather shocked, so was Ems, apparently this is a first for both of us.

After talking for a long time we decided we were hungry so we walked to Leith (about 2 miles to the south of High Street) and got take away fish and chips, THEY WERE AMAZING. They were covered in this brown sauce (I have since found out it is called "Gold Star brown sauce") that is cut with vinegar; it is heaven in a paper box.I swear I've never had better fish and chips in my life, and the possible liver damage was well worth it.

After I went back to the hostel and went on line for a few hours waiting to talk to Mom on Skype and get very annoyed with the people in the hostel, they are so rude.I'm sitting in the corner, minding my own business using the internet and they run through with SQURIT GUNS and almost get my computer wet! The nerve of them! And even after I asked them to stop, they didn't, jerks!I got really frustrated and they kind of ruined my night, as much as I didn't want them to.I finally talked to Mom and the gang at midnight and went to bed, quite cross with all the drunks out in the common room.

TODAY

Today I woke up and got going at a decent hour, I was out of the house by 9 30 and off to eat breakfast (I went back to Chocolate Soup! So bad for me I know!!!) After I stopped by Mary King's Close and made reservations for the 1:20 PM tour.I went up to Gladstone's Land which is just a few doors down the way, it is really cool.Gladstone's is the oldest residence on the Royal Mile, it is from the 1620. It really was quite fascinating; they still have the original painted ceilings from when the owner lived in one of the apartments in the building.After the guide told me of 7 Charlotte's Square, the Georgian house that the National Trust restored, so I joined the National Trust (it was 17 quid and I get in free for a year, I got my money back for Gladstone's Land and got in to 7 Charlotte's Square free so I only need to visit one more and I've recouped my money and I'll be visiting Culloden battle field so that will count towards my free admission.I also get into all the places in England free, I'm sure I'll hit up a few more in my stay).7 Charlotte's Square was very cool; I loved the movie they showed about the lives of people during the Georgian period.

After that I walked back to the Royal Mile and got some quick lunch and went to Mary King's Close.In Edinburgh a close is really just an alley way between two very tall buildings, often tenements and business ect put together in a hodgepodge.In 1753 when the Royal Exchange was build the government leveled off the top floors of these closes and used the bottom levels as supports for the new massive building they constructed.The closes remained in use for a while but after the last family was evicted when the exchange was expanded they were forgotten about until recently.Now they have been opened up and we can tour them and learn the fascinating history of these people who lived in squalor.Since they had no indoor plumbing people would toss their chamber pots out the window with a shout of 'Gardyloo!!" and let it slide down the steep streets into the lake at the bottom of the hill, quite disgusting actually.This bread disease and the Black Death ran rampant through the squalid conditions of Mary King's Close (it is named after a woman named Mary King because she was a well known resident of the street).Mostly it was fascinating with several disgusting/disturbing parts and one down right scary.In one room they were insistent that we don't touch the walls, then they told us it is because they mixed horsehair and the ashes of dead people together to make the plaster (they tested it and it was 60% human ash, EEEK!), in another part we couldn't enter because the wallpaper was disintegrating and one of the ingredients was arsenic.Then there was the whole issue of the throwing the waste out the windows, thank God we only heard about that and never experienced it.The scary part was this little girl Annie, who made herself seen to a woman who claimed to be a psychic or something, and asked for her dolly, saying she had lost it.We have now assumed that Annie was abandoned down in the close when she contracted the plague since it was most assuredly a death sentence.Now people have left a whole trove of dollies for her, starting with the Barbie doll the psychic bought her.There is also a small bowl for donations that are used to buy toys for under privileged children in Edinburgh.That room freaked me out, I was one of the first to go, and I defiantly felt something there… I usually don't get those heebie-jeebies feelings where places are known to be haunted, but my skin was crawling in that room.

After Mary King's Close I went back to the hostel and packed my stuff because it was raining outside and I didn't want to get wet.I have to leave quite early in the morning and I don't want to wake up my roomies.After that I went to the post office and got some stamps and went to dinner and filled out some post cards and mailed them, so people should be getting them soon.I had Steak and Ale pie with mash and fresh veggies at the End of the World pub.It was very tasty.Then I returned to the hostel and typed this up… I've been working on it forever, I keep getting distracted.Tomorrow I'm off the Highlands! I don't know about the internet situation, but I'll try to keep it updated!