All the best things

Let me tell you about yesterday...

Edinburgh.  I feel rather surrounded.  Our hostel is on the fourthish floor of some building on a tiny street surrounded by tall stone buildings.  In fact, I think everything we've seen here so far is stone, but we haven't seen much.  Much of the city is out of our sight and obscured and away from our discovery.  We don't even know what things there are to see here that we haven't seen, although surely there are lots (like more galleries).  This hostel is much nicer than the last.  The kitchen is shiny, the chairs & bed comfy, and the people friendlier.  And it's quiet enough at night to sleep even (oh the luxury of it all)!

It was an eventful day here.  Castle, Crown Jewels, Monet, Rembrant & Vermeer, as well as finally stumbling upon some chai tea!  The castle was crowded crowded crowded, and Meredith & I split up for much of our exploring there.  Best part of the castle - I enjoyed sitting and pondering for a time in the large & impressive war memorial.  It is beautiful and in a prominent place, but beyond that, of course, significant.  I also enjoyed reading about the history of the crown jewels.  How fascinating!  (And I have rediscovered how much of a sucker I am for postcards). 

We stopped in at the National Gallery on the way back, and not knowing what to expect, I was absolutely delighted (I may have even gasped aloud once or twice) to discover pieces in the flesh that I know and am familiar with through textbooks.  Vermeer, Rodin, Turner, Constable, Rembrandt.  The Rembrandt in particular - it is the self portrait of him at age 51.  Unfortunately, closing time prevented me from discovering the VanGogh & Monet (a haystack)!  I will be back Tomorrow!

It was a good day.

Tomorrow being today I should mention that we did go back.  I saw pieces by Monet, VanGogh, Cezanne, Picasso!  I could have gazed at the VanGogh all day!  I also saw some older works that we missed the first time through.