Edinburgh day 1

I had a smile on my face. It's good to have someone to talk to again, namely Anne my parents' friend and her husband, and this morning I had mail from a certain pandalicious friend and sister #1. Brief notes, but when I've pulled up roots and am floating across the world, frequent if brief contact is good for feeling connected.

Hint, hint.

Also had an empty FB wall post from niece#1 but that seems to have been her using viral apps.

I'm walking toward downtown - it's a gorgeous day - and had a black pudding roll along the way. Now I've got less of a smile. It was... ok. I think it'll stay down though I'm not totally certain. My impression is that it's basically cooked blood, and it has nothing on a good sausage. No haggis yet, though I've seen it on a breakfast menu.

It's sunny and I'm further north than I've ever been. I wonder if I should be worrying about sunscreen more. Oh well - Jewish gene powers activate!

Anne says I can leave my heavy bag at her place while I explore Glasgow and western Scotland and the Highlands, so that'll probably be the plan after Friday. But for now, Edinburgh!

Oh, getting to Anne's. Got helpful instructions from a homeless guy at the station, especially after I gave him a pound. And passed a troupe of blacks wearing "Zambezi express" shirts doing a drum and dance number, that was neat. Probably connected to the Festival or Fringe.

Addendum

If you want to know what black pudding looks like - well, there's Google Images, and I didn't take photos. But mine looked like a couple of dark and crumbly sausage patties, about hockey puck sized, more crumbly than normal sausage. Not how I imagined it, or the D&D monster named after it.

I'm in a Museum of Childhood. Unrelated to the one in London, I'm told.

The bus last night didn't have any form of stop annoucements.

Market street has lots of shops and old buildings. Including a fudge shop - and Games Workshop, the Warhammer people, the first suh store I've ever seen. I came all this way... There were two women in it, out of a dozen, both companions.

Now in St. Giles cathedral. Very confusing layout, not that I have a lot of experience with churches. Seems like the priest goes in the center with seating on both sides, but there's also parallel alcoves of seating that look like they'd be attending to someone else.
One wall has memorial plaques - including "Thank God for James Young Simpson's discovery of chloroform anesthetic in 1847" which is the best one I've seen.

Trash cans here have labeled gum traps on top. Never seen that before.
Did I mention that pretty much all public bathrooms have hot air hand dryers exclusively, with no paper towels?

(Later) Been walking around. Market Street, Grassmarket where the gallows used to be, the castle (£14 to go inside, so at 4:30 I didn't), free sample haggis (can't say that it really grabbed me; thumb-sized 'sausage' with meat and some grain in it). There's a camera obscura and illusions museum, and a Scotch whiskey tour, I could go back to.

Found the central public library. I am moderately certain that the top floor (general collection) and bottom (Scottish books and maps) combined are smaller than the Monroe County Public Library which serves maybe a fifth of the population.
Oh, I may be wrong. There's a whole separate reference library floor, and a fine arts floor too, though that one is smaller.
Library still has its card catalogs, though electronic ones too.
Bathroom had paper towels. Hah.

Found Meadows Walk, and the Meadows, what looks to be a large park. Well, lawn with paths. Right by the University of Edinburgh.

You can pay parking by card via mobile phone.

BTW, the answer to odd escalator behavior has been provided in a comment in an earlier post. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/london_film_festival/article6883065.ece