Edinburgh

I woke up this morning feeling not 100 percent, but managed a light breakfast, no full Scottish this morning. Feeling a little better after we decided to have an easy day in the centre of the city, doing touristy things, for after all that's what we are.

We crossed North Bridge and went onto The Royal Mile. I fancied seeing the parliament building so we walked down to the end of the mile where it sits. A very interesting building, inside and out. Next door is Hollyrood Palace, we didn't go in but pressed our noses to the gate like the poor being told "let them eat cake".

Instead of walking back up the Royal Mile we went up Calton Hill and cut through the cemetery. This worked out an easier way, for me, of getting back to the city centre without the long slope up the mile. We popped into the other cemetery at the top, very interesting.

Fancying a cup of tea we went to the National Gallery to use their cafe and loo. I decided not to go into the David Bailey exhibition but had a good look through the catalogue in the gift shop.

Then back up to The Royal Mile and headed the other way, to the castle. I'm not sure why all the defences and guns point south, I guess they didn't expect the English to creep around the back. Then down the Mile a little way to Gladstone's Land, a Scottish National Trust Georgian house.

Finally we wanted to have a look at the architecture of New Town, plus find the vegetarian restaurant Henderson's. After a drink at the shop we went for a walk around, coming across the Oxford Bar in the walk back to Henderson's. They actually have two restaurants, a vegetarian and a vegan. We went to the vegan and had a lovely meal.

It was then the bus back to A-Haven, a quick chat with Roz, deciding that I'd miss tonight's frivolity with the Edinburgh crew as I didn't want whatever it was this morning to recur and I still didn't feel fully OK. Sorry Shev, maybe next time.

Heading for an early night now having sorted through the one or two photos I took today, 48. I could publish any of the touristy photos I took today, but I guess you've seen most of the classic Edinburgh shots, so instead I'm taking inspiration from a blipper I was told about recently, Lali, who publishes some wonderful shots of Edinburgh. There are quite a few wynd (passageways) leading off The Royal Mile, they all reveal secrets, this is one of them.