Day 6-7: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK (Haymarket, Castle, Camera Obscura)

Okay, Edinburgh is my favorite place on this planet so far. I don’t really know why. It’s just kinda like when I met Mike, and I knew I wanted to spend more time with him, and so I did. I want to spend more time in Edinburgh too. I’m sure, as Mike pointed out to me when we first visited in August 2010, I’d feel differently if we were visiting in February. But at least in the summertime, Edinburgh feels like the place I want to be. I could pretend this is some deep-rooted connection in my DNA, but I think I’m like 2% Scottish or something, so that’s probably not it. Whatever it is, I cannot get enough of bagpipes, kilts, and the amazing Scottish accent. I love it all!

So I’m breaking up Edinburgh into multiple posts. My mom would say I’m savoring it. (Also, I don’t want to have a post that takes hours to read and bores you all to tears.)

We took the train in, and even just heading towards Waverly, I loved the views. Edinburgh is somehow the perfect mix of water, green, old history, and vibrant city life.

This was a super quick snapshot I grabbed on the train ride in.

We stayed in an AirBnB around the corner from Haymarket transit station, where we could catch buses, trams, and trains. Our place was accurately described as “quaint and quirky.” There was a washer but no dryer, one bathroom under the stairs with a toilet and sink, another with toilet-sink-bathtub but no shower, and a third with a shower and tiny sink but no toilet. Comfortable and adorable, in a great location. There was even a neighborhood cat that greeted us every day, plus a coffee shop dog at Throat Punch Coffee.

Which school subject does “this is how a clothesline works” fall under for homeschooling?

Mike with toilet paper in hand, because the entire UK seemed to be hiding paper products from him.

Guard Kitty for the Dalry Colonies.

This is where we got our daily coffees. The staff were all so great, we gave them all of our defunct British coins as a tip when we left (after we made sure they could exchange them, of course).

Bear. Terrible guard dog. Downright useless at scaring people away.

I had a few memories from our first visit to Edinburgh that I wanted to re-visit, so we hit the castle area right away. It was odd but nice how familiar it all felt to me. I could remember walking down the same stairs to the castle playground when Sagan was 4 years old. Or walking along the Prince’s Street Garden toward the Royal Mile. We lived in Chicago for 2 years, and it’s embarrassing how lost I could get in my very own neighborhood. But for whatever reason, Edinburgh just makes sense to me. (I know that is a big part of my love for it.)

I mean, come on. This is a real spot you can go too. How cool can you get??

And it didn’t disappoint on beauty, either. I still love the way it looks. And sounds! Bagpipes playing in scattered spots around Old Town. Kilts on men and mannequins. I just love it all.

Taken from the top of Camera Obscura.

We visited the Camera Obscura. It’s sort of a museum, but also a bit like a funhouse and also like living inside a kaleidoscope. It’s all about optical illusions, and it is just plain fun for everyone.

Mike’s been working out his brain a lot on this trip, and it shows.

Family portrait. You can see how hot we all are.

This travel is really bringing us closer together.

One of the best parts of Camera Obscura was the static electricity room, where you could touch hands and shock your family members. It reminded me of a very old scene from “The Simpsons,” where they all go to therapy together and get to punish each other with electricity. I couldn’t stop giggling with every scream. (I’m a loving mother and wife.)

This room f**ked with my head.

Accurate portrayal of the dynamic in our family. Poor Sagan.

To leave the museum, you have to walk through this spinning mess. Or run through it several times if you’re my kids. It’s crazy how hard it is to do.

The rest of the day was unplanned but spent wandering Old Town and the castle area (we stuck to the outside this time because we’re cheap). We looked up the Smith tartan, window-shopped for kilts, and ate at a top notch Scottish place called Bella Italia. (Basically Olive Garden for the UK.)

Story did fall for the Scottish prank where they tell us dummies that Haggis is a cute little animal. I let her believe it for a few days but eventually let her in on the joke.

Story: “Aww, how can they eat these little guys? They’re so cute!”