What I did on my Holidays, Edinburgh Part One : Arthur's Seat.

So I'm back home with the washing machine churning away and RSI from editing and uploading all our photies! It has been a fantastic week and I've only got an hour or so of computer time before I am off to my parents house for a family get together. My sister is visiting with her beau, busy times!
The weather was wonderful all week, we travelled up to Edinburgh by train via London because it was about 3 hours quicker that way!?! I have never gone the east coast route before and the views were lovely especially at Berwick where they were downright spectacular. The embankments were thick with primroses and gorse and there were bluebells in the woods *SIGH* I love this time of year so much. There were fields and fields of sheep with lambs. Which always reminds me of the time I mortified my bestfriend on the Oxford Tube bus into London. There we were glammed up to the nines being very cool and I forgot myself enough to point and declare, much louder than I intended it must be said, 'Oooh look at all the lambsies' She did concede that everyone looked out of the window at said lambs first, before they looked at me like I was a mad woman, but I digress.
 We arrived in Edinburgh and it was pouring with rain! Thankfully it didn't last and by the time we got to our B&B in Leith the sun was out again. Our B&B was lovely and in what was possibly the only nice bit of Leith. I'm not trying to be offensive to Leith but when you realise Trainspotting was more like a documentory of the place than a fictional film you stop walking and take the bus! Oh and I have never been anywhere where the pubs are open and frequented by patrons before the shops have opened for the day!!!
We did venturer down to the Quayside and had a restorative drink or six whilst listening to a local band The Jaywalkers. I got a bit tired and emotional as the celebrities say and woke up feeling decidedly delicate.

Easter Sunday was a gorgeous day and as we weren't sure what would be open we decided to climb Arthur's Seat, along with most of Edinburgh it would appear. I became acquainted with the custom of egg rolling which was new to me. the children seemed to love it and so did all the crows who were tucking into all the abandoned boiled eggs with great gusto.

We went to Regent's Park first which only proved to me once again how deeply unfit I am as I collapsed weakly at the top gasping and wheezing. I still had a volcano to climb after that mind, yes the one behind me in the above photo.
In Regent's Park there were some pagans doing a ritual, a wedding party taking photos and a group of lads with lots of drums, not sure if that is usual or not! On the way down we found an amazing churchyard and spent an unscheduled half hour wandering round the graves.

Finally we found the right way round to the bottom of the climb. Himself was striding out at a cracking pace and I just could not keep up, so I sent him on ahead. I am quite horrified at how unfit I actually am, but I was determied to get to the first peak at the very least and with many MANY stops and one large ice cream for sustenance I'm proud to say I did it.

 Coming back down was a bit hairy especially when you have very unsuitable footwear on. We headed off for a much needed cup of tea in Deacon Brodie's. I fell in love with this little china cat so I sneaked a photo.

All in all a fab but tiring day.