What is a Close - Arthurs seat - Museum

On the Way:

Today  we went back to Edinburgh old city. 

On the way we found a gun hole that was protecting a back alley.  

Beloved Nancy Davis snuck up,  and hid out of musket angle.  Safe until they poor the hot oil on her head.

Found while walking down an alleyway.

Closes:

This is going to be a hard topic to describe but I will do my best. 

• In Edinburgh in the 13th century there was a castle on a hill.  
• The hill sloped to the east.  
• A major avenue grew along this slope with the main businesses fronting this street.
• Perpendicular to this main street heading down the slope to the north buildings sprung up.  
• If you think of a normal street, with house fronts on each side.  Picture this street the width of a sidewalk and a mile long.   
• The dwellings connected one to another and every mainstreet building was the opening for another close.
• By the 16th century the buildings were 12 stories high.  The bottom levels never saw sunlight.
• The poor people lived on the bottom level.
• Twice a day all 12 flights tossed their buckets of excrement out the window. 
• You had to shout something to let people know wht you were doing.  I bet many of those who lived below often heard "oopsie, sorry mate my mistake, could you use a towel" twice a day.
• the poor people lived on the bottom level with the smells. 
• The rich people walked up a spiral staircase 12 flights to their homes in the ~fresh air and ~sunlight.

In the 19th century they knocked down the top 10 flights and built modern buildings across the closes.  In the 21 century they take us on tours to see the bottom two floors that are the still the foundations of the modern buildings.  After 800 years that is some strong concrete. 

Example of the size of a close opening.

Arthurs Seat:

On the outskirts of edinburg there is a hill 1500 feet high.  They left it as a park for all to hike.  Jeff and Dad hiked up something like this in Pheonix.

Nancy was game and it sounded like a great idea, so we got some sandwiches and took off for the top.

At the start of the hike you pass an old chapel.

Looked better in the brochures.

 This a view facing north. 

The hike looked steep but with very little stopping we were soon eating lunch.  I wish we would have found a non-Scottish sandwich shop, but the potato chips were good.

View from the top.

Facing north west.  You might be able to pick out edinburgh castle in the center. 
When we got to the bottom we found an Ice Cream shop and per John evans we earned an ice cream.  This was the best ice cream cone I have ever tasted.  It is real ice cream in soft ice cream style. 



MUSEUM:

by the time we got to the museum we were tired as I am now.  We saw old stuff on the 0th floor we will have to go back.

On the way back:

If you look closely this car is parked perpendicularly to the street.  Now that is a smart park job. 

I've got a belly bigger than this car.