Dùn Èideann - Edinburgh

We had a good time in Iceland and now time has come to travel on. After relaxing at the Blue Lagoon we got on the bus to get to the airport. On the bus was a guy from Scotland asking if we also going to Edinburgh, after saying yes he said to me that I do not sound Scottish, well not typical that Germans travel from Iceland to Scotland.
We waited a long time at the airport in Kevlavik, realising that it is forbidden to cook and camp inside the airport building.
Late at night we arrived and took one of this double decker busses to get to our hostel, Bernd got very tired and luckily we only had to walk a few metres from the Haymarket to the hostel. Bernd got to bed as soon as we finished our check in, cause I wasn't that tired I stayed in the lounge and talked to an Australian girl staying for two days here and going to study in Germany. She took the chance to practice her German so it got very late until we got to bed.
First place we went to the next day was the castle, well not directly to it more like to a spot were we could have a good view on it.

When we headed to get to the castle by chance met the Australian girl and the guy who checked us in close to the castle. He was giving her a tour through Edinburgh and they invited us to join them. So we walked around with them and also could listen to the stories he knew about Edinburgh. He lead us to the Grassmarket were they did not only bring the cows to feed and trade them, the place was also used for hanging criminals. There was a woman who's name was Maggie Dickson, she survived the hanging and first the guys wanted to hang her again, but a judge stopped them because she already got her punishment. Since that people called her 'Half Hangit' Maggie' (-> wonna know more ?)  Interesting story, gave the next persons going to be killed there a bit of hope surviving.

Because J. K. Rowling was writing the Harry Potter books in Edinburgh he showed us some places from were she got the ideas. Like the school next to the Greyfriars Kirkyard (-> wonna know more ?) were she got the ideas of the names of some persons in the book. Like a grave from Thomas Riddle and some others, our guide was still searching for Snapes grave.

Also from the cemetery we could take a look to the school from were she got the idea of the appearance of Hogwarts and with the four houses. So seems worth getting to this town when you're a big Harry Potter fan. Bernd still doesn't like him and was not so interested in the stories. What was more interesting for him was the story about a homeless getting into the mausoleum of McKenzie and breaking through the floor, people hearing him thought that there was a poltergeist and since then the mausoleum was known as the Black Mausoleum.

After passing by at Rowlings favourite pub we went to the St. Giles Cathedral were we had to split up, so from that point Bernd and I kept on exploring on our own. We took a look inside the cathedral taking our time of looking at all the Christian arts in there and got to the castle of Edinburgh, or better said to Edinburgh, before we were only in the city around it.

And we have seen an invisible man reading his newspaper at the street. Strange he might be able to do amazing things, maybe he got bored of the things you might think of when you'd be invisible.

There were like millions of people wanting to get in so we decided to try later and keep on exploring, so he went away from the castle down the street and went to Calton Hill (-> wonna know more ?)were we felt like sent to Greece, there was a building with high columns looking like a Greek temple. The National Monument of Scotland, some Britain's call it Greek folly. From up there we also got a great view to a mountain looking like a huge cliff, first Bernd wasn't in the mood of getting up there, but after thinking of having a good view from there above Edinburgh he loved the idea.

So we walked down the hill, passing through a park to the Palace of Holyroodhouse a place we would not have seen that day if we were not heading to the hill. Because Bernd got so excited into the idea of getting up the hill we more like passed by at the palace, especially it was already closing when we got there.

Not far from there we walked up the cliffs, which belong to the Holyrood Park, so supposed to be close by. It was an easy walk up there and the view was amazing, also the weather was with us so it did not rain at all.
But the hill was not high enough for Bernd, so we climbed up to Arthur's Seat and not only got a view on Edinburgh, we also could see more around the landside and into the highlands.

After the trip up there we walked all the way back to the hostel, stopping by at the ruins of an old chapel. It seems we always walk to much and do not have enough breaks, so Bernd got to bed when we came back during I was talking with some other travellers.