As luck would have it, (and we welcomed that luck) we arrived at the Royal Mile on the first week of the Fringe Festival. Purely by accident and the entertainment was aplenty, a fraction of what is seen in the following gallery:
Into The Fringe
With an assist from Google Maps we found a walking path from our AirBnB apartment to the center of town. Our point of reference was the Edinburgh Castle. The castle was the center of the day’s activities. We walked towards the canal at the end of our street. It was a beautiful day. Beyond the expectations of the previous night. The weather truly turned on a dime. When we reached the canal we saw several long colorful boats in the water. Beyond a locked gate proved to be the porch for boat owners. There were deck chairs and tables out on the walk along side a number of the boats. The one boat we were able to get close to said it was for rent. A party boat!
Our destination was only about a twenty minute walk by my calculations and we headed in the general direction with any points of reference obscured by the stonework of the historic buildings locking us down.
Our first castle sighting was caught from a casual glance between the stonework of the buildings. It is difficult to describe that initial view. There is nothing short of breathtaking excitement when you see one. We were immediately branded tourists. The path between the buildings dropped down a steep grade and immediately filling the sky was the Edinburgh Castle.
Breakfast of Champions
Back in the apartment everyone had risen from their slumber. I was telling them about my short excursion and now they were ready to tackle the neighborhood and some breakfast. Coffee often came up in the conversation. Taking the stairs down to the street level we exited the door into the bright sunlight. It was going to be a beautiful day and the weather was definitely on our side I was to find out as the days unfolded. We came upon the Magma Cafe just a block from where we were staying. A whiteboard at the entrance along with the notes posted on the cork board promised a delicious breakfast with vegetarian options. We found the atmosphere cozy and the woman waiting on us was kind and welcoming. Tina and I ordered separately while Queena and Sarah shared. Once we ate we planned the day ahead. The first step was to find the Edinburgh Castle. From my earlier exploration I had an idea of the general direction we needed to go. So it was back to the apartment, where we mapped out our path to the center of town.
Thursday Morning 3 AM
Thursday morning I wake before everyone else. This is no surprise, I am spinning between time zones, still riding on a plane over the Atlantic Ocean, it will be another several days before my sleep patterns catch up only to be thrown back into disarray.
I walk into the kitchen of our little apartment. Checking out the appliances I figure the process of making hot water with the electric kettle and proceed to make a cup of tea. By god, we are in the UK and I will drink like the natives. The window over the sink provides the view of all the back yards of the permanent residents here.
It is a beautiful day and I am ready to explore the neighborhood. Last night someone mentioned there is a coffee shop up the street a few blocks. I get the key to the apartment and my camera. Everyone else is asleep as I quietly close the door behind me and make my way down the stairs and out the door onto the street.
Back home, it was not long pass 3 AM. It is when I often find myself awake, with Max the cat digging at the blanket, my feet under the covers. But the day itself was alive and wide awake. It was a good thing too, as the double decker buses were daunting and unexpected surprises as I walked along the sidewalk. I followed the road and made notes in my mind of the buildings and unique landmarks along with memorizing storefronts. In this maze of stone walls, I would not be surprised if I found myself stupidly lost.
Before we left the States, I arranged to have our phones access service if we needed it on demand. So far, only Tina had activated her access. This way we could pull up Google Maps or call out for an UBER if needed. I was consciously trying to not activate the service on my phone.
I saw across the street a coffee shop, Machina Expresso was lettered on the window. I craved coffee and maybe a bite to eat. I had no way of telling if Tina, Sarah, or Queena were out of their jet lagged slumber. I walked into the cafe and looked around. The counter was to the left, a couple of tables were at the front and two more were outside on the walk. There was a back room beyond the counter. Several people were behind the counter; a tall blonde man asked if he could help. I tried to recognize his accent, but I was at a loss. “Are you Scottish?” I asked. No, he was from Italy, but he had been here for awhile. In our conversation, he said, “now both our countries have a clown and a criminal at the helm of the nation.” I had to agree, sorry that now in the eyes of the rest of the world we were on the same leadership level as Italy. A joke. There was a time when I rode my bike in the streets of DC, feeling proud and hopeful, I hadn’t felt that way in almost three years.
I ordered a slice of banana bread and a coffee with room for cream, but milk would have to do. There was nowhere in the UK a person could get some half-n-half. I spoke with my Italian Barista about living in Scotland. So far the only people I had spoken to at length were from Poland and Italy. Edinburgh attracted people from all over Europe. I would eventually find the diversity in this city was amazing and welcoming. From what I could see, they welcomed immigrants into their community. My coffee and banana bread came. Finding an empty table in the back room, I sat. I spread butter on the warm bread, making up for the lack of cream in the coffee. It was quite good and I was feeling comfortable in my surroundings.