Edinburgh, Romantic Athens of North.

Pete Doherty, a musician in Lawnsmarket' .  He plays and sings 'Sweet Child of Mine from Guns n Roses. Scottish ambience dominates his song. I keep rhythm with my feet to his song, energy is coming from his beautiful eyes. All of these charming houses are sequenced from High Street in the row like pearls. This clean and fresh air city, reminds me of Reykjavik . From Calton Hill it is like I'm looking Edinburgh from a bird’s wings.   Yellow daffodils cover the hills of Edinburgh. Hill slopes here smell of daffodils. There are few meters down the road lovers, making love, kiss, showing their love to each other. This town is windy and cloudy, which houses a separate romance inside. Calton Hill looks like a virtual Acropolis. When I look tower and monuments it makes better sense of why, they say Athens of North for this place. , I'm starting to Edinburgh tour from    historical buildings surrounding Royal Mile.  First of all St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, the National Gallery of Scotland, the Scottish Parliament and, Hollywood were historical palaces attracted my attention. I see the effects of   Gothic architecture to postmodern understanding.   Gothic buildings, homes, churches make us one of the heroes of a fairy tale.   When I walk in the house of Canongate I look finely squared white windows and I live stories of people who live in that houses. There are stairs and belts in streets of city connecting down streets to uppers streets. In my first day in Edinburgh, I stay in the house of my Polish friend Eliazs from Couchsurfing site.  Eliazs is a social, chatty, slightly punk, slightly R&N style friend and flat of Eliazs is located in 300-400 meters to the castle from “Old Town” and there is a pub in the entry named Jolly Jodge. Pub is opened to a yard with few trees and I drink 2-4 pint Tenents in its old chairs and feel this good atmosphere in my soul. At nights this gothic city is windy. While Canongate is full of tourist in daytime, it is very silent at nights. Squared windows of my room kiss wind all night.

I start my second day in Edinburgh with British breakfast in Urban Angel as scheduled in mu Lonely Planet guide. In a slightly ramp street doors of houses remind me New York, and ramps of roads and slopes remind me San Francisco. This city contains something from everywhere: few London, few Athens, few New York and few San Francisco. My breakfast menu is scrambled egg, big Scottish mushrooms, crispy bacon and fresh orange juice. Of course a breakfast to keep me alive. Girls in café are also friendly. Then I continue. People established stands in East Princess Streets through yard of castle.  Help campaigns attract my attention. This campaigns help to African women violence victim young people, AIDS patients. Among these stands one with 8- people attracts my interest. They help hungry people in Tanzania. Activities of constructing school, provision of food and transportation of water are the remain activities. Scottish people give their used commodities, pens, books and etc., there are many boxes collected for these African people. Further, there is a stand of women with 104 pairs of shoes and photograph exhibition.

They took photographs of women's shoes that have been exposed to violence.   And then, these shoes are distributed to people who need shoes or to the poor people. These women are without race, language, Muslim, Christian from any place of world.   Interestingly I did not see, this style of   exhibitions in most countries I have traveled. United Kingdom is a different land people are very civilized and level of progress at the highest possible levels.  I meet African elegant women at the end of park. I go there and enter their company. I don’t know whether they speak Nigerian or Ghana language. I think they are from West Africa. I observe their hairs, shoes, skirts, skin and colors. They have very colorful earrings, bracelets and necklaces I appreciate their beauties. As our ancestors say “It is a grace to look at beauty.” Beautiful energy of their beauties covers my soul. Trees, flowers, dogs and humans in park all are in harmony and feed each other. After park I find Lucano Café on my road. Tea time 5 o’clock as English people says came. I make a change and drink orange tea instead of Earl Grey tea and watch people running to stores from large windows of café. There is also jug of water in my table as natural and clean water from tap; water always accompanying me, washing my inside and purify my problems, water reaching to our mouth and neck from high mountains of Scotland.

 Edinburg is a city begs for being discovered. All corners invite you there with rural atmosphere in urban area. Sudden view and unexpected scenes and green, sunny heights call you from every corner. I strongly recommend making plans to visit this festival city in the shortest possible time with your lover, close friend or family.