Curiosity Pays Off

I was so excited to get off the tram, that I left my sweater. The porter heard me bang on the door and retrieved my abandoned sweater before the tram left the station.

I walked a few blocks to my hotel to stash my bag and “get out in it” as my friend Jan likes to say. I tried using my iPhone for directions but could not access the internet or any of my apps. I turned on international calling with Verizon but I guess that only meant I could call and text. Oh well, I decided to just wing it. Everything seemed worthy of a picture and started down the street passing pubs with street side tables. Should I stop in for a pint? Maybe later, I must stretch my legs a bit. I saw on old church down a side street. The church was backlit with the setting sun. I tried going around the back. Then I noticed a sign for an art show. I followed the path up the hill. There were others coming down, some with dogs. As I tuned the corner I saw people picnicking on the hillside. I continued climbing the steep hill until I reached the top. What I found at the top of the hill wasn’t an art show or a view of the city, it was a city in its own. A magical area called Calton Hill.

Below are a few of the amazing views I saw my first few hours in Auld Reekie (old smokey).

This lad with his playboy socks and two dogs were sunning themselves on the hillside: