December 29, day 8

Scott Monument with the fair 

We decided that today would be Edinburgh day, with the main goals of eating at Mary's Milk Bar and walking through Christmas markets. We meant to get up at 915 but ended up sleeping through it until about 950. We stayed up late last night watching a movie called The Scandalous Lady W. It's a tough movie to watch at times but also so good - the main character is Natalie Dormer. Anyway we ended up getting to Edinburgh and started walking through the markets. There were big amusement park rides scattered through the market and it was a lot of fun. We got a cheeseburger and chips for lunch and the guy didn't charge us... So later we also got mulled cider (way too sickly sweet) and sort of disappointing fudge.

After eating and getting cider (we were charged £2 extra to be served it in a little Edinburgh markets mug, we were refunded £2 when we returned the mug) we went into the Scottish National Galleries. Not sure if that's the actual name but it was fun to walk through. Lots of different styles of art, and the Scottish art they had was sort of impressionistic with muted colors. I'm glad that Darren enjoys going through museums too.

I got a polish brat after the museum and we went up the Scott Monument. The stairs are incredibly narrow and steep. If you came across someone going the other way in the stairs, you had to squeeze by them or wait until they did. It was scary since I don't like small enclosed spaces or heights but I still enjoyed it. The views were fabulous and it was sort of fun to struggle in the stairs haha. 

disappointing fudge

Since I was still full from the sausage I'd eaten, we didn't go to the ice cream place yet. We went to another Christmas market and I bought two red rings. One is sort of tear drop shaped with a ruby and the other has a thinner band with dyed red turquoise. I loved both and couldn't decide which I wanted so I just got both, they were a good price. After walking around there for a bit more, we sought out Marys Milk Bar. It always seems like it's in a weird part of town and we ALWAYS get lost trying to find it AND leaving from it. Mary's must be cursed but it's SO worth it. Darren got milk flavored along with tea and crumpets (he said his tastebuds were confused because of how much it tasted like hot tea) and I got peanut & cinnamon with dark chocolate. I love Mary's and would get it so often if it was by me. Such a cute little indie retro place. 

We searched for a bar Darren found online after Mary's but after looking for maybe an hour or hour and a half we gave up and went down another street closer to the station. Every single pub was completely full. Eventually we went back to the start of the street and found one table open so we sat and both had some strongbow before going to the train. While waiting for the train, a woman pushed in front of us and ran in the car before us. We still got the best seats. 

got somebody to take a photo of us in the monument

We are about to go to dinner at Tony Macaroni's with Darren's family to celebrate his moms birthday, which was the 26th. We didn't go out that first night because it didn't work out with everyone's schedule but now it seems like they're all catching something! I'm glad that we're not staying with them because of that but otherwise it would have been fun to see them more. Can't wait to eat some Italian food!