Edinburgh update!

Sorry about the absence of posts these past few days. I can assure it's not for a lack of stories!

Edinburgh's not quite like any of the other cities I've visited this year. It has a flavor that is all its own, and I've had a grand time exploring it with the lovely Aunt Di as my tour guide. The buildings are all more or less the same color, and the whole city feels centered around this castle that overlooks Edinburgh perched on a volcanic plug. The weather hasn't been half bad - definitely a bit colder than Southern France, but that's to be expected I reckon. 

Standing in line at immigration, I met a chap with a U of M sweatshirt. Not exactly what I was expecting to see, but a nice reminder of home nonetheless. Getting into the country was a bit difficult since I didn't have the address that I'm staying at, but I must say I did appreciate the seriousness of the immigration official who was interrogating me - she wouldn't let me in until she knew that I wouldn't be "sleeping on the gutter tonight." Which meant that she went so far as to call my Aunt and if she was "happy with what your aunt has to say" she would let me into her country. Every single other country that I've been through immigration since January - in Germany, France, Austria, and Belgium - hasn't asked me a single question, or even said a single word to me. Austria didn't even stamp my passport, which I'm still a bit miffed about.

But I made it into the country eventually, and there was Aunt Di, waiting for me with the very same facebook Happy Birthday Kathryn blue and green sign! One of two bags was also there waiting for me, but the other was not there waiting for me. First time to have a cancelled flight, and first time to have lost luggage. Not bad after the year of traveling, I suppose! And then it was into our taxi with the driver on the wrong side of the car and off to Tipperlin Road. 

Since then, again thanks to Aunt Di, I feel like I've traversed more or less every street of this city! Soon I must go get myself ready for church (at a church where Eric Liddell taught/attended, nonetheless!) So enjoy these pictures and wait in breathless anticipation for more stories to come including haggis at a soup kitchen, the Scottish version of boot camp, a trip to the castle, a misadventure to the park, and a Scottish ceilidh with lots of old Scottish men in kilts and real live Scottish music playing.

The castle from the perspective of the famous Greyfriar's church.

Castle!

So awesome.

They had medieval dress-up clothes at the museum... for adults too!!!! Score!!!!

Watching the cannon go off from the castle at 1:00 PM sharp...though not this cannon with my feet perched on it...

Inside the castle!

Oldest chapel in Edinburgh - 12th century!

Lovely, lovely water!

This cannon can shoot a cannon ball 2 miles.

In the castle dungeon...sooooo spookily awesome.

More castle awesomeness...

And lots of cousin awesomeness too...