Why Would Anyone Ever Leave Here?

Seriously, this might be the best place in the world. It's definitely the best place in Europe.

I'm at an Internet Cafe because if I need to use the computer, this makes me less wimpy for wanting/needing to sit down. This is what I'm telling myself. The constant travelling is beginning to get draining. Also, we kinda climbed a mountain today.

Mountain's a strong word, but we climbed a big hill to get a full view of Edinburgh. It was well worth it, but my feet were unhappy with this. We got lost walking (we've only been here 24 hours, don't judge us!) and seriously, THE FIRST PERSON who walked past us with our maps out stopped and asked us if we needed help. This place is perfect. I don't know why anyone would ever leave. You'd have to have some complex where you get frustrated when people are too nice to you.

So, after we climbed the mountain, we went to Hollyroodhouse Palace. It was really beautiful. I didn't feel the same reverence that everyone seemed to (although I've been here a month, I'm not assimilated enough to really find the Queen that big of a deal). Then we went to the Canongate Kirk. Then the Epic Search for the Birthplace of Harry Potter. We found it, but it wasn't quite worth the hour it took to find it (blasphemy, I know, but that was ridiculous).

You can barely go a block without running into a bagpipe player, but I'm getting used to it. Edinburgh is a fabulous town on any day, but during Fringe Festival, it's hard to imagine being anywhere else. It's almost like Mardi Gras without being pelted in the face by beads (I know what you're thinking, what would the point of that be?).

We ate haggis (peer pressure is the worst of all possible things). It was kinda like weird meat loaf, not particularly good, but not that bad if you could make yourself forget what you were eating. My sausage and mash and Colby's Steak and Guinness pie were infinitely better. We also tried whisky fudge (the guy at our hostel said we needed to). It wasn't terrible, but I can go the rest of my life without eating that again. For sure.

This time tomorrow, I'll be in Belfast! Very excited! Looking forward to being able to sleep someday (presumably, back in the States)!