than at which a stick can be shaken

Although what initially attracted me to Edinburgh was the smallishness, northernicity and relatively low entrance grades if I'd known about the vast collection of steps it possessed it would have made my UCAS selection much easier.

Within a couple of days of arriving (and replacing my parents' old 1973 Bartholemew Streetfinder with a more up-to-date version) I'd been on enough little fact-finding trundles to realise that the route I'd taken when I came to visit the previous March (Waverley - Fleshmarket - Mile - George IV - Middle Meadow - George Square) was fairly representative rather than (as I had thought at the time) an odd little back way with lots of funny little steps. Fleshmarket is probably the only really popular set of steps although a fair few tourists must use the set between Johnston Terrace and the castle if they're in a rush to get back to their bus. I'm sure that far more of them used to be accessible and that a few have been gated or otherwise closed off to the general public although it's reasonable enough for people to not want sleeping tramps, vomiting students or urinating stag party participants right outside their ill-ventilated front doors. Some of them only exist in order to permit access but most are highly convenient means of avoiding annoyingly busy streets (especially at this time of year) and are also a handy way of keeping the knees in good condition and the feet full of scamper. They're usually relatively airy and cool during the summer although an unfortunate few do suffer somewhat from unfortunate smells. They help make the city what it is, though, with he help of their colleagues the stepless alleys which probably outnumber them but which aren't quite as much fun.

To do them justice I really should have photographed them at the appropriate time of day for the sun to hit each of them and then done something fancy like printed out the pictures, laid them on some more steps then rephotographed them for the blip image. Too busy today though.

In non-assignment-related news: I have finished a wall after a minor altercation with some wires this morning. The spoon who installed the plugs in the flat can consider himself added to the revenge-list. This means that tomorrow I do not have to build a wall and may be permitted to scuttle freely in the nice warm fresh air. I expect it will rain but I will not mind.