canny good: Day 6: Edinburgh Hikes

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Being January 1, we slept in a bit and got a late breakfast in the hotel. Then we walked to a place called Calton Hill, which is a park on top of a big hill. It's at one end of the city and has some cool monuments at the top. It was a popular place to view the fireworks the night before. We had pretty good views of the city, and great weather too.

From Calton Hill you can easily see Arthur's Seat, which is an even bigger hill/mini mountain. We decided to leave Calton Hill and make the hike to the top of Arthur's Seat. Steven is a trooper, but I almost died from exhaustion. My body ain't built for steep, never-ending climbs. But we eventually made it after lots of snacks and breaks! The 360° views we were rewarded with made it all worth it. It was mostly cloudy, but every now and then the sun would poke through and cast a golden light on the side of the mountain.

By 3:30pm the sun was going down. We hiked back down the mountain and made a bee line for the hotel. Everything was aching and we took a much deserved short nap. Then dinner downstairs in the hotel restaurant.

After we got back to our room, we watched the New Year's day specials of Doctor Who and the Great British Bake Off, live on the TV in our room. Two of my favorite shows, and they just happened to be showing new episodes! *Nerd alert*

Tomorrow is our bus tour through the Scottish Highlands and up to Loch Ness. I remember how breathtaking the highlands were when I visited last. Hopefully we'll have decent weather too - and we just might get a glimpse of Nessie.

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Travel Tips:

Sunlight: Since the UK is so far north, the amount of sunlight it receives varies drastically between the seasons. In the winter, the sun rises at 8:30am and sets at 4pm. But in the summer, it rises at 6am and sets at 10pm. If you visit in the winter, make sure you do all your outdoor activities while you can still see outside!
Expect the unexpected: Not everything will go as planned when you travel. You'll get on the wrong train, miss the bus, have a delayed flight, not know how to order food, and question foreign customs/cultures. Don't freak out. The unexpected, while inconvenient at the time, simply adds to your story. Go with the flow. Eat the weird foods you don't recognize. Use charades at the train station when you don't speak their language. Get on the next bus that comes. Ask someone for directions or help. You'll be okay and, believe it or not, you'll be able to laugh at it later.