Edinburgh and a Scottish Caeli!

So, yesterday was a really long day. Really fun, but one of those days that just keeps going and going- thankfully I had access to enough caffeine that it worked out.

First of all, I saw Edinburgh yesterday! We went on a day long bus tour that the program offerred- took about an hour to get there and it really was beautiful. There's a whole rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh, so on principle my standpoint is that Edinburgh is aiight (that was me being gangsta, by the way). It isn't really fair, because I'm going to put some pictures from yesterday up, and as I haven't had time to get any Glasgow pictures, all of you are going to automatically have an Edinburgh bias. But it's okay, we're going to campus today, and I'll take some lovely snow-capped pictures of the university and the city and then it'll all be right again.

Anyway, in Edinburgh we basically just walked around and got our bearings (well, other people walked around and got their bearings, I just walked around). To quote our tour guide (who was an elderly woman with a "posh" Scottish accent): "Don't ever buy a map of Edinburgh, it's too hilly. Just use your instincts and walk!" She clearly hasn't met me before. Oh! And we passed by the Elephant Bar, where JKR wrote the first chapter of Harry Potter (also yes, it might be written in Edinburgh partially, but Hogwarts is based on the University of Glasgow. So there. Also, factoid!) and no, Kerry and Arianne, I didn't go inside it. I promised I'd wait for you guys. We also went to a little museum and ate lunch at a pub on Royal Mile. Apparently one group found a gluten-free restaurant, which would have been AMAZING for me, but naturally fate saw to have me in the group that gave me a salad, again. No worries though, handy dandy granola bars always at the ready.

We got back around six, sprinted (cabbed) back to Wolfson for dinner, then got ready to go out. We went to a Scottish Caeli, which was wonderful- it's like Irish dancing and square dancing combined (which actually makes it almost a contact sport). Elbows everywhere. Afterwards we went out to a club, which was club-like, and we didn't get back till late. Jetlag actually worked in my favor for that. Weirdly, late still means that I can talk to people in the US, because of the whole UK-is-farther-in-the-future thing.

So, pictures. Remember, don't be all gung-ho Edinburgh until I put up some Glasgow pics too. 

Edinburgh Castle.

And again. Oh and by the way that's the castle that Danny Macaskill rides off of in his youtube video. Yeah.

The city itself. Yes, yes, it's lovely.

The gate to the Queen's Palace, which she apparently visits once a year.

Mom specifically asked me for pictures of ironwork. Ta-da!

The rock I'm standing on has footprints under the snow, and it is supposed to take you into the future. So, that's me entering the future. Boo-yah.

And that's the circle of rocks that surround the future one.

I liked how they had snow on their heads.

I almost didn't include this picture, and then I saw the perfectly posed bird and had to put it in.

Oh, and then some people met Kip. This is Camila saying hi to Kip.

And Ian apparently trying to eat Kip?

And Peter being forced to interact with Kip.

And me and Kip!

And Kip and a Scottish phone booth- it's like hide and seek, find him!

Oh and our bus driver, who karaoke danced to Elvis' "Hound Dog." I loved him at first sight.

And one last picture of lovely Edinburgh, at sunset. Which is at 4:30.

And pooh quote: "You can't help respecting anybody who can spell Tuesday."