Thursday, in which I did stuff.

It's Friday as I write this. Thursday I needed to take care of accommodations. I decided to stay in Edinburgh about another week, but I had only booked through Thursday morning. I had extended it by an additional day, but Northumberland was already booked for the weekend. So, I spent some time searching online for other places to stay. It's a good feeling that I'm getting more familiar with the area and I can judge what's too far away and what's practical. I found a hotel just up the street, the International Guest House, which I could stay at on Friday and part of next week, but nothing for Saturday. I walked up there and negotiated with the proprietor, talking him down from £55 to £50 per night, which is still about $75 but not bad considering not only where I am but that prices in the UK are just more expensive in general. I reserved a room around the corner for just Saturday, but I got an email that they had actually already booked it but recommended a place across the street that had a room for £50. I walked over and checked it out...ugh. Nice, but a long walk. At least the International Guest House is on the main road, but this little B&B is about three blocks away, plus there is a LONG flight of stairs from the street level up to the main door, then another set of stairs inside, and then ANOTHER flight of stairs to the room itself. I said I'd have to consider it, and I wasn't going to take it, but after looking around, there just isn't anything less than £100 nearby for Saturday. So, I emailed her and reserved it. Not that I'm afraid of a little exercise. Good heavens, not after the past week. But, it's a long way to haul baggage, and especially if I'm having to check out Sunday morning and try to get to church without being all hot and sweaty.

I have to strongly recommend the Northumberland Hotel. For all the complaining I did, it's a very nice place. The room size is good, the shower water is reliable (although I had to figure out how to work it), and the Internet connection is good, at least downstairs. The free continental breakfast of cereals, toast with jams, milk and orange juice is enjoyable. And while I was there, of course I met Malcolm and Catherine of Birmingham, England. I also met three women: Erica from Peru and her friends from Spain, Milla and Sarèla (guessing on how to spell that name). There was also the couple from Belfast but the husband is originally from Yorkshire, and a mother/daughter whose names I forget but are on holiday from Australia, as well as a man from India whose wife is currently working at a university in Florida while he takes his own little holiday. He has been in Edinburgh about a week and this morning he was taking a bus to Aberdeen in the Scottish Highlands. I think the management (George, who spent "forty-some-odd years in South Africa before coming to Scotland to torture THEM", indicating the native Scot Barbara; there is a man with a Scottish accent but looks possibly Middle Eastern but I didn't catch his name) got fond of me. I was friendly to just about everyone and I think our conversations made the place feel lively. Knowing my housing situation, they said they will have a room for me Sunday and for part of the week, without going up on the rate. And also, they said I could keep my extra baggage free (souvenirs, nothing vital) in the closet that they normally charge £7.50 for. :) It's always good to be polite and make friends.

Speaking of friends, on Malc's and Kate's suggestion, I tried out a pub down the road called The Abbey, which stands out with a green storefront. They had said it was a great deal, and they weren't kidding. I got the Highland Chicken, only £6.25, and ice cream, £2. I could NOT eat all the ice cream. I only bought the ice cream because the waitress was cute, honestly. The Highland Chicken was two pieces of baked chicken with haggis smeared between (it was like flavord minced meat, I don't know what all the fuss is about), with broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, peas, and maybe some other vegetable I'm forgetting, in a very tasty brown sauce. I could NOT stop eating it.

Side note, I've learned how to order water. There is sparkling, still, and tap. Tap water is free, and comes from the tap. Still water is bottled water. Sparkling water is tonic water. In London, I paid over £3 (five bucks) for a big bottle of still water. Lesson learned.

Another side note: Edinburgh's businesses are smoke-free. That means if you want to smoke, do it outside. They have it almost right. But maybe because everything is so crowded together, people that go outside tend to stand IN THE FREAKING DOORWAY, which of course blows the smoke inside, so it doesn't solve much, in my opinion.

Well, after I ate at The Abbey, I decided that I needed to walk it off, so I made the long (in my opinion) walk back to the hotel. It probably helped in the long run, but I was really tired when I got back, haha. But I rested in the lounge with Malc and Kate and the man from Belfast (I forgot his name). After staying up past everyone else using the wonderful wireless signal downstairs, I headed up to bed.

One more post and I'll be caught up on my timeline. Yay! Then it will be time to find pictures to post...