Yesterday, David and I took a day to be a tourist. We walked about eight miles around streets and museums, taking in our beautiful adopted home. Edinburgh is just gorgeous, even when it's overrun by tourists dragging suitcases and natives who haven't agreed on a side of the sidewalk to walk on. (That is a whole other blog.)
Just a few highlights:
the National Gallery
. We were delighted to find portraits painted by Sir Henry Raeburn, as we've read about him in novels. (I like how you can learn just as many interesting facts from a novel than a work of non-fiction.) Also, we live just off of Raeburn Place, so it was extra-exciting to see his work. We also saw a few Botticellis and Raphaels, while David tried to explain the Holy Trinity -- something about which sent me into a hysterical fit of giggles, until David slinked away to the gift shop in embarrassment.
Museum on the Mound
Did I mention already that most museums are free over here? This fact gives even the peasants (and students) a chance to see one million pounds in person. We weren't allowed to take photos, but imagine, if you will, a glass c
ase with 50,000 neatly stacked twenty-pound notes. I've seen the movies and read the books, and I understand that money isn't everything. But it was pretty cool to see the ancient coins from King David I of Scotland and that case of banknotes. Great museum.
The rest of the afternoon -- it gets dark at 4:00, so we only stayed out for a few hours -- consisted of more wandering, several shops, a portion of chips, a gingerbread latte, a pear cider, ice cream, and garlic bread.
I love being a tourist.
Just a few highlights:
the National Gallery
. We were delighted to find portraits painted by Sir Henry Raeburn, as we've read about him in novels. (I like how you can learn just as many interesting facts from a novel than a work of non-fiction.) Also, we live just off of Raeburn Place, so it was extra-exciting to see his work. We also saw a few Botticellis and Raphaels, while David tried to explain the Holy Trinity -- something about which sent me into a hysterical fit of giggles, until David slinked away to the gift shop in embarrassment.
Museum on the Mound
Did I mention already that most museums are free over here? This fact gives even the peasants (and students) a chance to see one million pounds in person. We weren't allowed to take photos, but imagine, if you will, a glass c
ase with 50,000 neatly stacked twenty-pound notes. I've seen the movies and read the books, and I understand that money isn't everything. But it was pretty cool to see the ancient coins from King David I of Scotland and that case of banknotes. Great museum.
The rest of the afternoon -- it gets dark at 4:00, so we only stayed out for a few hours -- consisted of more wandering, several shops, a portion of chips, a gingerbread latte, a pear cider, ice cream, and garlic bread.
I love being a tourist.
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