The next morning I wake up to the joy of rain. It is warmer than the day before, but still cold. Now it is just complimented with rain and clouds. Not a hard rain that soaks you, but one that keeps you sufficiently wet and uncomfortable.
I get ready and head to the castle gates to meet my new French friend. We get there, get tickets and start the tour. Sadly, it is raining and that means low visibility, which ruins some of the effect of the view. But still, we tour the museums, buildings and see the official Scottish Crown Jewels. Very cool, but kind of like comparing your artistic 8-year old nieces drawing to a Van Gogh. Impressive, but not a masterpiece.
After the tour we walk around the old town together. Get lunch, check out the old Parliament building and gift shop. Now, that day was a big day for me. Why? Because I am a nerd, that is why. After about 2.5 years wait, the final book in the Eragon series was coming out and there is no way I wasn't buying it. Luckily, my accomplice on today's adventure is a fellow reader of the fantasy genre. Not this series, but there was no judgement in my request to go book shopping.
We find a store and I buy the 1000+ page tome in my backpack. After this we keep walking for awhile and try to make it down to the bay. After some confusion, we figure out how but have run out of time. My friend has to be back at her hostel by 4pm to check on some work stuff. I am tired and feel crappy in the rain and so we part ways never to see each other again. ::Tear:: But thus is the life of an adventurer. (You can see I like to dramatize and romanticize my trip).
I go back to the hostel, the sun as almost set (we are far North) and just pull out my new book. In all honesty, I spend most my night reading it. I am sit, cold and tired. What better than reading a book? It just sucks that it happens to be in such an amazing city, which so much to do. But I am at the peak of my cold and really don't want try to make more new friends in my state of discomfort. Plus, who wants to hang out with the sick guy?
Well, disregarding my previous comment, later that night I make some more friends. I notice an American guy talking to two girls. They make a joke and I laugh, revealing I had just heard it. Afraid I sounded creepy, I apologize and instead they invite me to their conversation. The guy is from California and doing a similar trip to mine. One girl is from Liverpool, England and the other from Athens, Greece. After a bit I find out that they are sisters. 1/2 English, 1/2 Greek. Each raised in both, but decided to live in different countries. It was confusing because one sounded like she had a Greek accent and the other sounded pure British.
They are really nice and friendly and I enjoy the conversation. The guy is nice, but clearly is trying to impress these girls. For a little bit the conversations seems to be a competition for who has a bigger wang between me and this guy, except I didn't realize I was playing. When I caught on and realized he apparently cared about winning I let him go and feel like he won. He was a little socially awkward. Well intentioned, but still awkward.
After a bit the girls say they need to go, leaving the next day (bummer, got along with them). The guy tries to convince them to stay, but they are not having it. He keeps engaging them in conversation and they kept saying good-bye, politely, but progressively more annoyed. The sister that didn't get trapped in the loop keeps talking to me as she waits for her sister to escape. I promise not to abandon her to the wild before than. Finally, I notice a break in the guys rant and decide to throw the sisters a bone. I say, "Man, I am tired, I really need to go to bed, see ya." And the sisters spring on it and start to follow my lead to the dorms. The guy keeps following (same hostel) but now can't get the momentum. Pack, as I break away towards my dorm room, the sister mouths, "thanks!" And who says chivalry is dead? I will have you know the sister I was talking to was cute and interesting, but I sacrificed that conversation time for their well being. Modern day white knight, I am. Also, I was tired.
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