Sammy Who Has Pictorial Proof of Her Stay in Edinburgh

    Your eyes do not deceive you. I actually got my camera in working order and, finally fulfilling an aged promise, took pictures of my surroundings. This week was more relaxed than the last but this gives me time to rest up before my dear friend Hannah comes to visit. I'll need to be in top form to keep up with the fantastic adventures we are bound to have. When Hannah and I get together, there is always a story. Sometimes, we're the only ones that think it's amusing but, there's a story nonetheless. Past ones have included failed attempts at cow-tipping (no bovine abuse actually occurred) and nocturnal scaling of public schools and those were both before we had even hit 15. You see? Trouble, no doubt about it. Consequently, I'm tickled pink to see what's in store this time.
     I did manage to make it over to the National Portrait Gallery on Princes Street. I actually did so at the request of my "Visualizing Scotland" professor, who promised that the classics referenced in class could be found in its collections. Indeed, they were present, mustering all the pomp and circumstance that tartan is possibly capable of. However, my favorite part was actually a photography series about the medical profession in Scotland. In this exhibition, they actually had a plaster mold of Dolly, the cloned sheep's face and a sample of her wool. Honestly, tufts of fluff don't normally produce that much excitement in me but if ever there were a cool ball of lint, this was it. I mean, it's Dolly's! And they say we sociology majors can't appreciate science, pffft. I always appreciate science when it's filled with cute animals. Anyways, enough of my ramblings. I do tend to go on and on.
      Now to the pictures! These were taken during a beautiful Saturday walk I had. I swear, Edinburgh is just the biggest flirt. You turn the corner of any given street and there it is, putting on all its debonair charm and seducing you with cobblestones and bagpipes. It'll even throw in some haggis if you're playing hard to get. The worst part: it always works. Every time I go exploring, I find myself drooling over the scenery. You'll see what I mean.

This is a building near Teviot, the student union, where they take exams. Yes, what would be a state house in the United States is an examination hall here.

This is the King's Building. Classes taught here are geared towards law and poli science so I steer clear unless I want to take photos. All the stones are stained with green vegetation, just in case you forgot their noble antiquity. 

They're all bundled up like it's freezing. In reality, they were just being ninnies. I did without a coat for most of the day.

 I do love a good, spindly tree 

A wonderful aspect of Edinburgh is the mixture between old and new. Here you have the Sir Walter Scott Monument adjacent to a giant Top Shop poster. It keeps you guessing.

At this point, I was becoming one of those tourists. Not the ones that just take the picture and leave but those jerks that pretend they're Ansel Adams and wiggle about trying to get that perfect angle. But you know what I say? Dignity is for the dogs and I enjoy playing pretend.  

I love train stations. This is Waverley Train Station and it's quite fun to watch. Due to the warm weather, I bought myself a strawberry ice cream cone and perched on a park bench to watch the bustle. God I love lazy Saturdays.

While I enjoyed my cone, this bagpipe player was serenading me in the background. Well, me and the legions of other tourists present. I particularly love that I could get an angle with the Scotland sign, but then again, I am Ansel Adams. 

This is the Sir Walter Scott Monument. I'll have to figure out what I'm going to accomplish that will guarantee me one of these... 

This is the statue in the middle of the monument. On top of all the talent, he wasn't a bad looking fellow either. 

This is a picture of the Nelson Monument (Trafalgar Nelson) and the National Monument. The latter was built in memory of those lost in the Napoleonic War. The best part is you have an itty bitty hike to get to them so once there, you have a fantastic view of the city. It was so beautiful that I was muttering excitedly to myself in between pictures. Thank goodness I came to terms with my social awkwardness a long time ago. 

This is the view the top Princes Street. The other side showed the coastline, of which I stupidly did not get a photo. See, it doesn't always rain in Scotland. They just say that to keep the Americans at bay. 

This was in the same area as the monuments. That peak is King Arthur's Seat and the building below is the Holyrood Palace. Sometimes I think Edinburgh is just too cool for me.

Battle canon. Typical.

This was in a graveyard that I aerially spotted while viewing the monuments and graveyards are always good fun. This specific site was a memorial for David Hume, although he was not actually buried here. 

Do note the creepy trees in the background.

I thought this was fantastic. It was a tomb where the moss had grown into the imprinted letters. 

This is part of the Royal Mile, or as my Scottish professor says "The Mile of Shame" due to the herds of tourists that crowd up its sidewalk, ambling about with tartan doodads and outdated information booklets. 

This was a completely random find on my way home. Yes, that is a mounted boar's head... I think there may be room in my suitcase for that. What else could be a better souvenir of my time here?

My parents told me the other day that there was a Nor'easter that caused a great deal of snowfall. Well, you can see from the picture that we are also experiencing harsh conditions.

There are daffodils and crocuses everywhere. As if Edinburgh needed any more quaintness!

Do excuse the less than beautiful architecture in the foreground. This is where I live. Do not let Rowling fool you; student accommodation does not look like Hogwarts. The building with the brown top is where the JMCC dining hall is. I've referenced its less than desirable fare before. More importantly, this is the view from my bedroom. That's King Arthur's Seat, practically cradling Pollock Halls. At almost all day-lit hours, you can see people sprinkled on the top of it. I plan to do a sunrise hike when the weather is just a tad warmer and watch morning break over Edinburgh. Study abroad is a tough existence, let me tell you.

     And thus, I've followed through on my promises and produced photos to, once and for all, prove that I actually am in Scotland and this isn't all some sham. On a more serious note, waking up to this scenery on a daily basis makes you ever aware of your good fortune. With spring bounding around the corner and a very mild winter making its retreat, I am more than ready for the slew of adventures coming in March. I realized the other day that I am quickly approaching the halfway point of this voyage and I can't believe it. At moments, I could swear it's only been a couple days and as quick as a coin flip, it feels like its been ages. If the last couple months are half the experience of the first couple, I'll thank the stars for having more than my fair share of luck.