I am smack center in Edinburgh’s historic quarter trying to picture what life in the Middle Ages was like, when sanitation had no real meaning. Picture this: you’re standing in the street no more than 8-10 feet wide. An alley, really. On both sides are 8-12 story tenements, allowing a sliver of daylight to reach the ground where you are standing. Merchants surrounding you are selling everything from produce to sheep and other livestock. By 9pm, you hear “Gardy Loo!” shouted from high above. “Gardy Loo” is a loose phonetic translation from the French term Gardez L’eau, meaning watch out for the water. Only it wasn’t water. With no plumbing indoors or out, it was commonplace for people living on higher floors to toss the contents in their chamber pots out the window. An immediate and loud reply from below, “Hold your hand!” should buy you enough time to make a mad dash inside. The back splash can reach as high as the second floor.
The narrow alleys (called closes and wynds) are still there, unchanged; but instead of filth and stench, they are now a delight to explore.
Edinburgh does not rhyme with Pittsburgh. "Edinbrrah," say the locals. No, no; not Edinburah (nor Edinborough): "EdinBRRAH." Yes, that’s it! I thought it best to not even say the city’s name out loud during the rest of my stay.
Edinburgh in the fog - you can't get any more Scottish than that.
I beg to differ. I absolutely love the sound of bagpipes.
This image has not been altered. On this evening, the castle on top of the hill decided to bathe itself in magenta, while I took this shot on a 2 second exposure. The lamp post strategically illuminated the immediate area.
The Balmoral hotel does not exude the old glamour it once did, but nowadays, they can boast that J K Rowling finished her Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book during her 6-month stay here. Which room did she stay in? The J K Rowling Suite of course.
One of many closes (alleyways) in the old town.
Inside St Giles. This image captures a pillar separating two of the same architectural design, but seemingly from two different eras.
This is a park created from a drained lake. Notice the path slopes downhill. The lake was actually the town's reservoir where sewage washed into, and residents dumped their trash. This was also a place where women who were accused of being witches were downed. It was a test; if they survived, they were witches and will be hanged. Those who didn't survive were not witches after all and therefore was given a proper burial. Oops.
Monument to Sir Walter Scott, who was (almost solely) responsible for creating today's modern Edinburgh.
Falconry has roots in Scotland. This Falconry Center offers hands on experiences for visitors to fly owls, hawks, buzzards and other birds of prey. This is a large European owl weighing 4 1/2 pounds. Contrary to stories we grew up with, owls are not bright birds. So much for the moniker: the old "wise owl!"
By contrast, this is a Little Owl -- about six inches tall.
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