Traveled the scenic views of Edinburgh yesterday. We explored the castle, The Royal Mile, the two coffee shops in which JK Rowling started the series of Harry Potter and climbed to the top of The Scot Monument. 

Another Castle!: I enjoyed the castle and its cobblestone walkways. However, up at the top you felt like you were experiencing your very own personal Scottish winter. I was thinking about hot chocolate and winter coats to keep myself warm. Nevertheless, the views were lovely.

Coffee Shops: Many shops lined the great city of Edinburgh. It was definitely a tourist hub of the sorts. We managed to find two coffee shops both claiming that Jk Rowling wrote her first few pages of her story inside their walls. Certainly neat and definitely inspirational. 

Scottish Monument: This was a huge tower with many winding staircases. You definitely felt claustrophobic when arriving at the last flight of stairs. However, the view was breathtaking. You could see every side street, every house and every church. It was magnificent. 

Personally, my favorite moment was stepping into the bus to head back to our hotel. The driver reminded me a lot of the Double Deck driver in the Harry Potter movie. He was a lovely person, so optimistic and so kind. When you meet a person like that who radiates happiness, it deserves a post. He whistled stranger in the night- a Frank Sinatra tune- periodically through traffic lights. He seemed like a familiar man in an unfamiliar place. With that, we have two more days and then back to Pittsburgh!