Edinburgh 2

Before you read this: Note that I have added links to the previous blogs (at the end of each blog) to my Kodak Gallery albums. If you want to see more pictures than I am including in the blog, just go to the link. Also, since the biggest complaint about my Japan video was that I was not personally in very much of the footage, I decided to include myself a bit more in this trip in an attempt to reduce the number of complaints (I hope this makes you happy!). I have been a few days behind on the pictures... sorry.

OK, here is another round with me still in Edinburgh. I like it here, though I probably stayed a bit too long (I waited too long to get a plane ticket to Dublin, so I had to schedule a bit further out). Tomorrow, Saturday the 26th, I leave. Since I've been here, I have been doing a lot of aimless wandering, which has served me VERY well, especially when I just decided to go for a walk yesterday down to the palace (there is a palace, and a castle here, so mind the difference). Anyway, I just walked down to the palace, and wanted to see what the surrounding grounds were like, so I walked around the whole thing. Since I had quite a bit of time before Judo started, I decided to just sit down on a bench behind the palace in a little grove. About ten minutes later, I hear a helicopter land about 50 yards from me, and out comes the QUEEN! I only got 2 pictures of the helicopter before a police officer told me to stop taking pictures, but it was pretty cool anyway (I asked him who it was, just to make sure, and he said it was indeed the Queen).


I also went up to Edinburgh castle, which I think I talked about in my last entry. This castle is really neat from several different angles though:
I think one of the best parts of this place is that there is beautiful architecture everywhere you go. Most people here don't notice it, but when you are from the States, and you see buildings that were in existence before our country BEGAN, it's pretty cool (like ninjas!). Here's another picture of the castle, at night:

This is not from the bottom of the hill, as was the last one, but you get the point.

Today, though, I spent the morning climbing up to what is known as Arthur's Seat, which is just a rock on top of a hill that overlooks the city. Although it is no Everest, it is still VERY treacherous, and I actually almost died!!!

OK, so not really, but you get the point. It had a great view of the city, but it was really cold and windy up there. Speaking of weather, Scotland's weather really sucks. I have worn jeans and a hoodie every day since I've been here (except the first) because it only takes about 5 minutes to go from hot to cold, so it's always a good idea to keep some warm clothing nearby. In fact, I must have put on and taken off the hoodie about 5 times today. One thing I've noticed about Great Britain is that it has a certain smell to it... not a bad smell, but I just notice it every once and a while (it was the same down south too). Just kind of interesting I thought. OK, that's all about Edinburgh for now... you can see pictures below (once they are uploaded), and I'm going to go to my last Judo practice with this club (which really sucks, because there are about 7 of the 14 Great Britain Judo team that work out here... and consequently kick my ass pretty bad). Good bye from Scotland!
A very special thanks goes out to the Edinburgh Judo Club... they were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and I had a great time getting to know them as well as getting to know how badly they could whoop me in Judo.

For more pictures, click here.