Bends Toward Justice

 We visited the Royal Botanical Gardens, as the title indicates   As previously noted, I’m more interested in human artifacts, so I took few photos   This first one is an Aolian harp.  That means it should be sounded by the wind. The Queen Mother’s Memory Garden. I was taken by the window arches as much as by the roses. Garden cottage moved & rebuilt.  We’re not really done with John Muir.  These are little giant sequoias. Then we went shopping.  Bill Murray offers my new philosophy outside a pub on Rose St.   The sorting hat on Victoria Street.  More inspiration on the outside of a building.  I did not expect to encounter Frederick Douglass in Edinburgh.  Impressive Celtic Cross.   I bought a Black Watch tartan kilt.  We leave early tomorrow.  “There’s no leaving Edinburgh, No shifting it around: it stays with you, always.” Alan Bold “And yet the place establishes an interest in people’s hearts; go where they wil...

  “This is a city of shifting light, of changing skies, of sudden vistas. A city so beautiful it breaks the heart again and again.” Alexander McCall Smith We started with a tour of the Castle. This first view is from inside the arena they build each year for the military tattoo in August, then dismantle.  The entry gate features statues of William Wallace and Robert Bruce.    Uphill is an older actual defensive gate. You can see that that the stonework of the upper part is newer than the lower.   You can also see our guide Elinor’s green umbrella in many of my photos.  The Castle is a military base. The area pictured below is all military museum stuff. The statue is of a guy named Haig who was celebrated as a hero of WW1, then reviled as “Butcher Haig,” and more recently had his reputation somewhat restored.   These guards were headed from their barracks to their duty station.  Elinor is in the frame, too.  This entire building is a memorial ...

  From Waverly Station it was not far to the Doghouse tasting room.  I’ve enjoyed drinking cask ale, and had some refreshing lagers, but the Hazy Jane NE IPA is happiness in a glass.  Our course from there was a meander toward our AirBnB. A bit of the Royal Mile: The backside of the grandstands they build for the Tattoo: Grassmarket and the execution site, with the nearby pub, The Last Drop: A long wander through Greyfriars Kirk burial ground, with the new Bobby Statue: And a memorial to men who died for loyalty to the Covenant: Some Potters: We didn’t look very hard for the McGonigal or Tom Riddle markers.   I chose to do some goofy stuff: This one’s titled Oops: This is untitled: The last mile to the AirBnB felt long, even though half of it was through or beside a park.  We thought we were done with John Muir, but guess who’s name is on the apartment building doorway?