I’m finally getting settled in this city. I’ve found myself a place to live and am writing comfortably from along the shore of Leith, just north of the city of Edinburgh. I have some nice roommates and don’t have to put up with the hustle of a hostel.
And I liked the Westend Hostel where I was staying. It was clean and the people were less freaky than the usual hostel crowd, but with the big groups coming in and taking the place over and me having to switch rooms most nights I can’t say i was eager to keep living in a hostel.
Here I have my own room, internet, tv, space in kitchen and a dozen pubs within a stone’s throw. Plus Edinburgh is only a ten minute drive away. Its a bit more for me of course because i have to walk or catch a bus.
Plus, I walked out and a Robbie Burns statue is only a few blocks away. I’m not much for relying on signs or good luck, but that seemed like a good omen to me.
I’ve seen most of the key places for tourists. I walked up Calton Hill on my first night here. There is a monument up there to Lord Nelson, an observatory, a national monument with greek columns, and a view of the city that is hard to beat.
I did beat it though. A few days later I walked up to Arthur’s Seat and looked down on the whole city. The hike is just great and when I got up there I remembered reading that Arthur’s Seat is part of an extinct volcano. The rock at the top is a rust red colour. There were also some scraggly little plants that i couldn’t figure out, but I did appreciate the sound they made when the wind whistled through them.
I’ve been to the National Museum of Scotland, the National Gallery and enjoyed both. I haven’t been inside the castle yet. It costs 14 pounds to get in there, so I’ve been putting that one off. I also need to get over to Craigmillar Castle which I’m sure I’ll do this week. A couple of other highlights were the University of Edinburgh, the Meadows Park, Greyfriars Kirk, the football stadium, and Hollyrood Park.
I went to the writers museum and listened to all I could about Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson. I really lost myself there. I was sitting in the Rabbie Burns room and there was an audio recording of one of his letters. He was describing his upcoming arrival in Edinburgh to publish an expanded version of his successful printing of his poems. The city was unknown to him and bore no resemblance to his life in Alloway. He had no letters of introduction that would put him in good standing with important locals. He was forced to rely on himself and have confidence that his adventure would go the way he hoped. And me sitting in a building not 50 feet away from where he sat. His house in Edinburgh is no longer there but the writer’s museum is on the same close. I don’t write as well as he did but there is no author i sense more of myself in. He saw the unknown ahead of him, and he didn’t dip his toe in; he pressed on and jumped right in.
This week the challenge is finding some employment. The festivals are coming in August so that is my best bet to find some short term employment. Leith is also blessed with a few professional offices, and if I’m very lucky I might also find work there.
Wright After Reading 