Day 10, Aug 19 (Sunday)

This was just neat.  That's the castle, in the background.

I still love Barry

yes, boxing friends, they have THIS compass, too.

Day 10, Aug 19 (Sunday)

Up early today, took the bus to see Georgian House.  Georgian House is an example of New Town fine living by the wealthy.  It was neat, but pretty small considering how large a space they have.  It would be nice if they would restore more of it and open that to the public as well.  It’s another rainy day in Edinburgh.  We are pretty fed up with tourists and their umbrellas by now.

We beat feet to make a musical show about antibiotic resistant bacteria, but that show was not on (flyer said it was).  Thought about going to Holyrood, but decided to skip it as well.

Instead we stopped at another café for a mocha and treat, but instead got shortbread bar with caramel.  This is now a must-do for our next party.  Apparently we need to learn to make shortbread next.  Diane said the loo had an air freshener that made it smell like a damp kitten belly, the best smell ever.  Early return to MacKenzie for packing to leave for the castle bed and breakfast.

An interesting coat of arms on the old church, near Tolbooth Market, our favorite venue.

Once again, some inky fingers...

I never got tired of the views down the streets.

We saw a lot of people promoting their shows by doing weird things in the street.  Basically they want to be interesting enough to get you to take a flier and attend their show.  This person is undoubtedly in the cast, in her costume.  They hustle hard for their audiences.

Another common strategy to get people to accept a flier.  He was hawking his wares hard.

Up and down the Royal Mile there are "fountains" that were installed back in the 1700's.  In many cases their are original, in others they were updated in the 1800's.  This was part of a public works project that started with hollowed out log pipes to bring clean water to Old Town.

The last underground tour included a torture implement museum.  The guide explained how each piece was used.  Like all the guides, she had her own unique style and was quite knowledgeable.

One last tour of underground fun!

This is the person who booked us on the tour earlier in the day.  It felt super sketchy, and she was a little more "friendly" than we were accustomed to seeing in Edinburgh.  If I met her in a bar, I wouldn't have let my drink out of my sight, and I definitely wouldn't have accepted one from her.  Turned out she is a Spaniard, living in Edinburgh, working on her English skills so she can get certified to be a tour guide.

Various torture implements below.  These all dated from the Cromwell era and the religious wars around that time.  I think they were used through the last of Jacobite uprisings in the 1700's.

This one is my favorite, just for the appearance.

One last series of pictures in the vaults.  I don't know why I'm drawn to this kind of photography, but it gets me every time.  They are damp, smelly, and creepy.  Feels like home.