Scotland part Deux,day 3

Got up early to face clouds but the rain never showed itself. Instead it turned into what I would call a lovely early fall day. Even if it is spring in Scotland. The people were out in droves, many many Americans and Japanese tourists were out and about. Stopped by the Whiskey distillery for a tour, that was as entertaining as always, then dropped by a phone place to get some pay by the minute cell phones. Those came in handy off and on during the day for all of us to locate each other. Especially my dad who does have a habit of wandering.

Any case, we tooled through some gift shops then finally struck out through some of the side streets (called a "close" here) which would end in a courtyard almost always, and sometimes with a walled garden as well. Many had a cafe or small shop and all seemed to have a bronze plate up to some historical significance. So there was no loss of entertainment.

Down one such close, we stopped at an honest to goodness tearoom. Teas, scones, you name it.. all on fine china with gold plated edging. And it was actually fairly inexpensive! It seems we had found a place the locals go to and do not normally tell tourists...but they still accepted us with no problems. It was as if they had the attitude "Ok if you can find your way here.. then you're good enough for us to stay." Who knew?

After that, we all went on a tour of underground Edinburgh... literally. It seems that when the Scots in Edinburgh build the City Council building in the early 1700s, they literally built it on top of four "close" streets.. one of which being Mary King's close. This was all on the heels of the plague so the area was beyond economically depressed, it was actually considered haunted.

Any case, the lower half of the original medieval buildings were still intact and there. We were part of a tour that wound underground through that several blocks beneath Edinburgh and saw (and smelled ... one room was used for cattle storage!) apartments for both the very poor and what was then the middle class. Our guide was in period garb and very well schooled on the time period. I learned a LOT. It was a remarkable distinction between poor and not poor. The well to do had wood paneling and such and even a strange plaster that was apparently made from human bones! Our guide joked about it saying "In a way it makes a bit o' sense y'see.. that way ya really kin have granny for yet one moore Christmas,eh?" Needless to say I enjoyed his dark humor.

He even took us to one room that was supposedly haunted. And yes, that room was *definitely* colder. It had been the bedroom of a little girl that had died of the plague. Actually, her parents had locked her in when they saw she was very ill with it as a way to spare the rest of her family. Apparently she haunts the place still. When her body was removed the cleaners had burned her clothes and doll. Which disturbed the spirit until a noted Japanese psychic tested the place and found the girl still there... wanting her doll! So now dolls have been brought down to the place and left. Which apparently makes the spirit of the little girl happy. I had to admit.. something was off about the room. Even before he really talked about it. Naturally imagination plays into some of it... but when shadows move oddly, temperature drops... sometimes I'd rather err on the side of 'could be'. Especially when it could be the ghost of a lonely 8 yr old girl who was abandoned by her parents in a bad time in history.

So... yes, my paladin side came out with that notable rattle of sword, shield and armor. I am a sucker for people in trouble.. especially kids... even dead ones. I made my own contribution to a small dedication there. After I made my contribution, I lingered back after the group left. I smiled at the shadows while in that room alone. Nodded and wished her well and told her it would be alright. I *swear* the room felt better and I didn't feel cold, but "warm" somehow. Not hot but soothingly warm. Maybe I imagined it.. dunno. I like to think maybe she gave me a hug or smiled back.

In any case ... rest well Annie. You deserved better but now you should have plenty of warm wishes and dolls.

After that we walked well the length of Royal Mile. We were weary and in the end it was Dad and myself who hit the streets for dinner. We found some trendy place down Fisherman's close that was... welll....trendy. Food was good... but .. trendy. Serves me right for not just getting a burger.

Now the day is closing and I'm for bed.Tomorrow is more touring and then the train for Inverness. I'm looking forward to re touring Loch Ness and then Culloden battlefield and all the sites up north!