No wonder today was exhausting, we were trying to make up for all the things we missed because of our travel delays and boy are we paying the price! The fit bit was BLOWING UP today. The day was gorgeous I must say, sunny and fresh ALL day long. After all the cold, rain and wind, we sure did thank God for this ray of sunshine, literally! I hope you are ready for a long post today, if not, feel free to come back if you so choose to do so. I broke the day down by where we went to today to make things easier to follow, at least that's what I was shooting for!
ELEPHANT HOUSE
The day started with a visit to Elephant House Gourmet Tea and Coffee House and Restaurant. After waiting in a very short line to be seated (shocker, because the rest of the day it was packed to the gills), we enjoyed a delicious cup of hot chocolate. The coffee house was made famous as the place of inspiration for J.K. Rowling where she sat writing much of her early novels at a table which overlooked Edinburgh Castle. It is a small coffee shop and a "wee" bit busy (see what I did there? I'm speaking like a local now!) The bathroom walls and dare I say it, even the bathroom stalls are COVERED with signatures, quotes, messages, etc. to characters and the author herself. I captured some of my favorite quotes from the series. Check out the coffee shop website to learn more about this small coffee house and view even more photos of tourists who have visited the shop.
EDINBURGH CASTLE
Next stop was Edinburgh Castle, thank goodness for T-Mobile! As much as I complain about a weak signal, it has saved us so many times here (I have the global plan so I'm covered for texts and data just no phone calls). We were able to purchase tickets online then print them on site which saved us HOURS of waiting in ticket lines.
Anyhow, once we were in, it was beyond our expectations. Every corner we turned gave us glimpses of Harry Potter and everything Hogwarts, what do you think? If you have ever read the books, or dare I say it, just watched the movies, you'll be able to see for yourself! Check out the views we saw through our camera lens (mind you, justice is never served):
Greyfriars Bobby and Greyfriars Kirkyard
After the arduous but well worth it winding roads of Edinburgh Castle we proceeded to have lunch at Greyfriars where we enjoyed a delicious traditional Scotland soup and Pie. A short hour later we reported for a free Harry Potter Trail at 3 p.m. We learned about the grave of the 19th century gentleman Thomas Riddell, who died in 1806 and whose name is said to have inspired J.K. Rowling's famous villain, Lord Voldemort.
Nearby, we found the gravestone of poet William McGonagall who is said to be the inspiration for the name of Professor McGonagall, the head of MY favorite house, Gryffindor. Right next to the grave stone beyond a gate is the school that is claimed to be the template for Hogwarts: George Heriot's School, where J.K. Rowling's children attended school. Check out their site for the history behind the school, it really is very interesting. Students in the school are sorted into four houses just like in HP series: Lauriston, Greyfriars, Raeburn and Castle
THIS AND THAT
Finally, during the Harry Potter Trail tour, we were taken to a distant corner where we could view the Spoon Cafe, where J.K. Rowling was said to begin writing her very first story, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, or as they call the first book in the UK, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. (If you zoom in and look closely you can see the cafe on the corner of the building)
Did you know that it took J.K. Rowling manuscript was rejected several times by Bloomsbury Publishing? The UK book company did not believe her writing would be a success and even went as far as telling her that a woman's name would not sell books to the target audience: BOYS. So, she decided to use her initial J for Joanne and incorporate her grandmother's initial K., for Kathleen. J.K. Rowling does not even have a middle name!
After her first book was somewhat of a success in the UK, Scholastic Book Publishers immediately realized it's worth and quickly picked up the book in the United States and the rest is history. Rowling was finally able to quit her day job from the sales revenue and work full time on the rest of the series. J.K. Rowling, really is quite a fascinating author who cares about others and continues to give of her time and money to those less fortunate. Read about her humble beginnings and decide for yourself if you would like to give this magical series yourself.
We also searched for City Hall ourselves to find J.K. Rowling's hand prints on the cobblestone leading up to the building. My walking shoes are peeking below the hand prints as proof that I was there!
No wonder the fit bit was blowing up today!
Thank you again for reading all the way to the end, if in fact you did! The blog is a way for our experiences to stay fresh on our minds and to share a little bit of what we go through every day on this magical journey. Until next time!
#iwalkedsomuchmyfeetache #twentyonethousandstepstoday #harrypotter20 #imdeadonmyfeet #tookfourhourstowritethispost #butiloveit