June 23rd- Edinburgh

So Edinburgh really is my favorite city yet. I guess the phrase really does go save the best for last. This city has so much cool, brutal and ugly, and hilarious history. Its still so goregous and has all sorts of green open beautiful spaces!
Today we went on a free walking tour run by the same company that gave it to us in Paris. Our guide's name was Georgia and she was from NY but has been studying at the college in Edinburgh. So we started our tour on The Royal Mile and went all around. First we went to city chambers where she described how from the front of this building it looks about 4 stories, its actually 11 because behind it is all down hill cliff because of a volcano that was once in Edinburgh millions of years ago. Then we went to Meerkat Cross which is where they used to hold punishments for all sorts of things. Such as if someone stole they would have their ear nailed to the door and then left for 24 hours. If they couldn't bare the pain they could rip their ear out but then would have a lasting mark and people would know they were punished. This is also where, if the queen were to die, 3 days later someone would climb to the top and announce the predassesor. (i spelled that wrong) Then we went to St. Giles Cathedral (i'm not gonna give you all the history...it'd take forever) then we saw the statue of Charles II that people would laugh at. Lots of funny stories i'll tell you about sometime. Then we went to the Heart of Edinburgh right outside of the Cathedral. Ten we went to this building that is from 1550 (crazy old) it's now a museum about the classes. Then we saw where Robert Burns lived and we saw some trick stairs. These are very cool..back in the day they would install stairs in their houses that would have a faulty or trick one. This is because if a burgular tried to rob them they would not know to skip the 8th stair and fall through. Then the owner could catch them. They still exist today. Then we saw the sight by the castle that is where the Military Tattoo (a big festival) is held and where they used to do witch burnings. (i first typed bitch wurnings hahahah) Then we saw Edinburgh castle and then across the way we saw the building/school that JK Rowling used as her inspiration for Hogwarts! SOooo cool...it was actually first a school for orphans but now is an elite private school where Rowling's kids actually go! Then we went on Victoria St. which is home to the hostel that is part of William Hare and William Burke's story. I suggest you look that one up! or ask me when i get home..its creepily intersting. Then we saw Maggie Dickenson's Pub, another story i'll tell sometime. And Grass Market where they held all the hangings. We then saw the window where JK Rowling wrote the first book because she could see all of Edinburgh, including the Hogwarts building from there. Sooo cool! Then we went to Greyfriars church and graveyard which is supposidly haunted. We saw a mort safe, which is like this huge thing that rich pepole would put all around their grave so they couldn't get dug up. We also saw where John Gray was buried and where Grayfriars Bobby was buried too. If you've never heard of Bobby please please go google it. Its an amazing story.
Then we saw the Royal Museum of Scotland and the Elephant House, which is where Rowling also did most of her writing. We then saw Deacon Brodie's Pub, Deacon Brodie was the inspiration for Jekyll and Hyde, again i'd love to write about it but i've not got much time so google it!
Then we went across to Prince's Street Gardens. So so so green and beautiful. Breathtaking really. We saw the Walter Scott Monument and stoped in the park to hear about the Stone of Destiny. Seriously hilarious stories involved with that. Again...google it...especially read about what happened between 1950-1951
Then we ourselves walked up and down the Royal Mile and saw the inside of the Cathedral, closer veiws of lots of things, etc. I also bought some warmer clothes cuz its freezing here compared to Athens!
Well I'm running out of time! So write more later...once i buy more internet time!!
Love you all!!

EDIT: I forgot when I wrote earlier that after our walking tour we went to the Scotch and Whiskey Experience Museum. It teaches you how scotch whiskey is made and everything about it pretty much. It was interesting and we all got like an ity bit about of Scotch to try. It was eh alright...I mean if your an expert im sure it was fantastic, although I am not haha so that was cool.