I started off my day by getting up at 7:15 and not wanting too. I finally did and started packing things into my backpack. (I hope I’ll be able to pack everything I need for spring break in my tiny suitcase, my backpack was full.) I showered and got everything organized and ready so I could leave. I headed downstairs around 8:45 which didn’t really leave me time to eat breakfast at the hostel. I asked for the key to luggage storage and left my things in there, trusting no one would steal anything. (storing luggage in there at my own risk, according to the sign) I headed off to Starbucks to meet up with Katie and Emily. Katie Holmes by the way, I know someone famous! Haha I was actually early, about 5-10 minutes early, the first to arrive was Katie and then Emily made her way down the street towards us. We got some something to drink and sat down in the additional seating area upstairs, thank goodness there was an upstairs. We sat and talked for a bit before deciding to head out. We headed down to the Haggis building where we bought ourselves some Scotland Wild & Sexy shirts. Then we headed towards the castle. We didn’t go in, since it costs about 11 pounds and needs at least 2-3 hours of your time, which none of us had. We got some pictures of the castle and also of the school that Harry Potter may be based after. We walked down to Princes Park, after walking five flights of stairs a couple times, my legs were tired, but I stuck it out. It wasn’t that bad since it was all downhill. The park actually used to be the Nor Loch, something along those lines. Since the city is more set on a hill, when the rain came it ‘flushed’ all the sewage down to the loch, so the loch used to be very gross and smelly, they drained it and it is now a park, very beautiful. From the park you have a great view of the castle and other parts of the city. We headed back up to the Royal Mile and parted ways; Katie’s train was leaving at noon, Emily had to figure out where she was leaving to Tuesday and there was a free city tour going on at 11 I wanted to attend.
The free tour takes you to different places in the city of Edinburgh, the old city that is and is very informational. The tour guide we had was Seth and he was pretty funny. We went to the City Chamber building, the outside, and he told us some of the history of Edinburgh. We went to a sort of statue where they would have people yelling the news, and if you stole something your ear would be nailed to it. If you lasted all day or 24 hours the nail was taken out. For those who couldn’t stand being nailed to something, you could usually tell because they would have a torn ear, ouch. We were told about St. Giles Cathedral, or church, where three of the only four angels playing bagpipes are at. We were shown the statue of King Charles II, and kind of saw where John Knox’ grave is, underneath the parking lot. There used to be a grave there, but they moved them all to somewhere else to put in parking. Since in John Knox’ will he put down that he wanted to be buried near the church he preached at, he had to stay. There is a yellow stone in the parking lot to show where he is buried. We made our way to outside of The Hub, where Seth told us they have concerts and sell tickets there. He said it was a good place to come later on, when they were having performances around. Off we were to have a different angle of the castle, we went below it. He told us how when Scotland wanted to claim independence (yet again), they snuck into the castle with 30 men and took over. Our next stop was the Grass Market where we were told about Burke and Hare (that may be how his name was spelled). They were some pretty famous murderers back in the day. They suffocated people and sold them to a Dr. who was at one of the medical schools. The school usually got about 2 bodies per year from the government, so he would pay whatever for a body to come in so the students could study/dissect/learn from it. They eventually got caught, but Hare said it was Burke’s fault and he got hung and killed instead of Hare. What a good friend. The Grass Market used to be the place to come to buy opium and drugs; it’s a street with a lot of pubs/restaurants. We learned about Maggie Dickson, whose husband was always away started to work at a pub for some money and ended up falling in love with the landowner’s son. They had to sneak around since only the husband could ask for a divorce; she became pregnant and for seven months she hid it. When she had her baby it was stillborn. She was going to throw it into the river but didn’t have the heart so she buried it, but someone saw her and turned her in. She was hung, not for having an affair but for hiding her pregnancy which was against the law then. While she was being driven to the grave, the driver heard a banging on one of the coffins, when he stopped to see which one it was, he opened her coffin and out she came, alive. She wasn’t hung again since she was already proclaimed dead, also, she wasn’t married anymore since ‘death do us part’. She married the landowner’s son and attended hangings at the gallows in Grass Market.
Greyfriars was our next stop; there is a church there and also a grave, where many, many, many people are buried. A well known grave there is, John Grey’s grave. For many years he was a night watchman around the area. He decided to buy a dog; the dog was the tiniest thing, strange for a watchman to have a small dog. The dog’s name was Bobby. Two years after Grey got the dog he passed away, Bobby came to the funeral and for 14 years he sat by Grey’s grave. After Bobby died, they wanted to bury him in the church graveyard right next to Grey’s but since he wasn’t human, or Christian (no one know if he was Christian or now) he wasn’t able to be buried by his master. Instead he was buried outside of the churchyard. There is a statue erected in his honor. During the tour we got a semi close up view of the school that Harry Potter could be made after, we also saw the window the J.K. Rowling looked out of and where she worked on the first two Harry Potter books; in The Elephant House, I was thinking of eating there but ended up not going back. We headed back to the Royal Mile, which really isn’t a mile at all, it is longer than a mile, and then to Princes Park. We also passed the Writer’s Museum. When we got to the park, Seth told us about the Stone of Destiny, which was never replaced with a piece of Granite. Someone did steal it from Westminster though and a stone mason did put it back together. Scotland finally got it back in 1996, when the conservative party gave it back, hoping they’d get a vote from the Scot’s.. No such luck, the labour party offered them something better, their own parliament.
The park is where we ended the tour. I decided to walk ‘through’ New Edinburgh, to the Walter Scott Monument, it is huge! I then crossed over a bridge and walked back to the Royal Mile. I headed down towards Holyrood Palace, thinking I would be able to see part of it, not much luck. I think I saw a little bit of it, but not a lot so I headed back. I stopped at a few souvenir shops, and also a little fudge shop. I did buy myself a couple pieces of fudge, and I can’t wait until I eat them. I did buy some souvenirs, which people will find out later what they are. I then went and got my bags from the hostel. I got the key and headed down to the room, this is where it gets interesting. Some random guy is in there, well he had a bag in there, but he seemed kind of suspicious. I went back to my bag and saw that is lying on its back, not where I left it, and one of my small zippers was unzipped. I looked at him and he kind of looked at me and was maybe saying something. I was making sure that nothing was taken, which thankfully my oyster and railcard were still there as well as my passport, the main things I need. I am assuming that this man was going through my things. I still stole some glances at him, he was just standing there. Finally he said something and grabbed his bag and left. I should have said something to him, maybe asked him if he was going through my things. I don’t think he spoke a lot of English, he looked foreign. I then headed out with all of my stuff, a lot of stuff it was, and headed to the train station. I told myself I wouldn’t buy anything else, but I was hungry and I knew that an apple, chips and candy would not suffice, so I bought myself some Burger King. NOW, I can’t buy anything! I got to my train, and settled in. My whole trip I’m going to have someone sit by me, not too thrilled but not a lot I can do. I am looking forward to having the window seat yet again to see the scenery, at least part of the way.
About 15 minutes, by train, before the Newcastle stop our train stopped. Someone had stepped in front of the train and we hit it. I didn’t know that it was our train until I saw some police officers walking to the front of our train. The driver sounded very distraught, and he was later interviewed. I don’t know what goes through a person’s mind when they do something like that, but there’s something there. We were stopped for a little more than two hours, when our train started going again. We got to Newcastle station where everyone had to get off. That train was going to stop there, for investigation I assume. We waited at least another 30 minutes, since other trains were delayed as well. I did meet a nice woman while waiting though. I am not sure where she lives, a small town I know, but she recommends that I go to York, I may just have to. One of her daughters actually works for a producer at BBC, which I thought was very awesome. Someone her daughter knows also does something for Grand Prix, so they get to go to all of those races. Finally, a new train to Kings Cross came, around 8:20pm it showed up. We were on our way, I still had about three hours to go, I think. When we were a few stops from Kings Cross, the train ran over something, it just sounded like a branch. I believe train electrical people were out, and whatever we ran over broke something; someone came on the intercom and told us that we would have to go at 50 mph for the rest of the trip, which would delay us again. They later told us we would get there after midnight, fantastic! What was supposed to be about a 4-5 hour trip, turned into longer than 8 hours. That makes me super excited for my 8 hour plane flight on Wednesday. Going back somewhere always makes me not in a good mood either. With going back to London I just wanted to get back, poof, just show up, but that didn’t happen. With going back on Wednesday I will also feel that way, or hate leaving London.
When I got to Kings Cross, finally, after midnight I was a little worried that the tube wouldn’t be open and I am not good with the bus. It was still working, so I took the Victoria Line to Victoria Station and decided to quickly walk back to VH. I got back, and put all my stuff down; I showered, finally, and it felt amazing; I didn’t want to get out. I then talked to Joe for a bit telling him only a little about what I had done since I’ll see him Wednesday and it was super late and it was literally a very long day for me. Then off to bed it was! Hope everyone’s Monday was better than the last part of mine! Cheers
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