Looking the Wrong Way for Cars

Today I woke up early (and by early I mean 8 AM) and decided to go to this restaurant right next to my hotel, Urban Angel. I got French toast that was under a literal pile of bacon, but I ate it before I took a picture so all I have is this smoothie with orange juice, berries, and bananas.

Then I walked down to the Royal Botanical Gardens. It started in 1670 (!!) and have moved and expanded to where it is today. There's also other branches you can visit in other areas of Scotland, based on where the best climate for the plants are, like in the Highlands!

Arthur's Seat (on the left) and the Salisbury Craigs (on the right). 

The National Monument, perpetually unfinished. 

Nelson Monument, in honor of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, made to look like an upside down telescope, with a time ball on top to help ships in Leith and Firth of Forth set their chronometers.

Dugald Stewart Monument, a renowned Scottish philosopher. 

View of Edinburgh Castle and Scott Monument.

The Surgeon's Hall Museums. Inside this there is a small pocketbook, made from the skin of a man named William Burke, who, along with his partner William Hare, murdered 16 people in order to sell the bodies to be studied by anatomy students. There's also a lot of preserved organs, old medical tools, and ENTIRE SKELETONS OF CHILDREN WITH THEIR VEINS FILLED WITH WAX USED TO STUDY HOW BLOOD FLOW WORKS.

I'm not particularly squeamish but I lasted about...15 minutes. I found the book about 10 minutes in and then decided to call it quits. 

After this I made my way back to my hotel on the other side of town. Even though I hit a lot of touristy spots today, I started to finally feel like I was finding my stride. Maybe breakfast helped, since there were locals and tourists alike there. Or that fact that I woke up before 2PM. Anyway, I had a great time today. 

Happy travels!

Jasmine

P.S. I'm home now, btw. :)