Day #5 - Camera Obscura, Acropolis and Witchery at the Castle

The next morning, we walked back into the city and noticed a few more shots we'd missed the day...what I love most about being abroad is that even a walk through simple suburbia can be fascinating/ignite the senses for us country/island folk.

As it was scheduled to rain earlier that day, we made sure to schedule our indoor activity that AM- a stop at Camera Obscura, located right next to the Castle on the Royal Mile!

It was an interesting place- a few floors of underwhelming, not very interactive exhibits, and a few floors of fun! The museum focused on the history of cameras, optical illusions, the use of lenses, mirrors, etc.

One plus- it offered a 360 degree observational deck of the city...which was very different from the hike, as it was in the center of the city. We were also lucky to have a momentary break from the drizzle that day once we got to the viewing deck.

It ended with a walk through the tunnel (think Universal Studios) that resulted in nearly everyone stumbling blindly into the railing and staggering around feeling nauseous after. Even though I closed my eyes for most of it, I felt gross for half an hour after .

We were lucky that the gentle drizzle started and ended while we were in Camera Obscura, and walked over to the other side of the city's big hill to view the Acropolis...also known as 'Edinburgh's Disgrace,' The memorial was meant to honor the war dead/veterans by replicating the Parthenon in Greece, but because the economy was suffering at the time, they were unable to raise the funds, and the memorial was unfinished.

To get there, we walked through what we thought were the Castle Gardens (psst, it was not! Oops).

We were also able to get another view of Arthur's Seat (which looms behind the first big hill), that we had climbed the day prior in clearer weather.

The Acropolis was quite beautiful and like many things we would find on our trip- nearly empty of visitors.

While we were on the hill, Ryan spied a building he called 'the poop emoji,' which was actually a mall we ended up visiting to momentarily appease our slightly bored teen. Ryan was happy to see the Japanese store 'Super Dry' there and was surprised to be asked what university he attended so he could get the student discount. ;-) He had to tell them he was still in middle school!

We also spied what I thought was mistletoe, but which my botanist-friendly brother pointed out is just ordinary holly. However, unfortunately for Ryan, we convinced him it was mistletoe and demonstrated what one does under it. He was not pleased and was only laughing hysterically because he said his dad's face was ticklish/pokey. What looks like joy is sadly- mortification.

On our walk back up the Royal Mile, we excitedly forced him into holding this owl named 'Fluffy' as wanted him to experience the Harry Potter vibe of the city to the fullest extent (the city is where JK Rowling penned the series, and you can definitely see why). First he tried to insist it was not worth the 5 pounds sterling, which I poo-poohed. Then he changed strategies and said he just really didn't want to do it, but his parents were not having that either. His final attempt was that "Mom, it's so not worth it to only hold it for 60 seconds." But you can see how that argument worked for him... Again, that smile is a lie, and what he is really telepathically transmitting to the camera is- " Oh my God. Take the damned picture, take it! Hurry up! Jesus!"

Parents- 1 Ryan- 0

We still had time to kill before our dinner reservation that night, so we killed time writing in our journals at a coffee shop, where we met a gentleman who was there for COP26. He kindly gave up his seating area for us, so we gave him some macadamia nuts/chocolate that we always carry to say 'mahalo' to folks who are kind to us.

Our big dinner that night, which I'd made a reservation for months in advance, was at the Witchery at the Castle. It was located right next to the Edinburgh Castle and Camera Obscura, and the ambiance was everything I'd hoped it would be. The food was...decent/good, but the pricing definitely reflects the experience more than the culinary quality.

My mushroom risotto (it was good)!

Ryan said his butternut squash soup was 'okay, but not great.' (Amount consumed- 20%) His lamb cassoulet was 'not terrible' (amount consumed - 40%). On the upside, he did consume 100% of his bread/butter. However, he declined every offer of dessert, largely so he could make a quick exit and get out of there. Ryan M - not a foodie.