So several guidebooks say to allow a couple of hours for Edinburgh Castle. Heh. . . we spent a whole day!
Field Marshal Lord Douglas Haig
Timing the 1 O’Clock Gun
St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, dating to the 12th century
This fellow made a gruesome presentation on weapons and tactics surprisingly, er, enjoyable
This gorgeous cat greeted us in Edinburgh several times. We began looking forward to seeing it, and were disappointed if we didn’t encounter it heading out to, or coming back from, our explorations.
While we were in Edinburgh, we walked trails near Arthur’s Seat several times, and rambled to the top on a fine, sunny day.
Trails began just minutes from our friend’s flat
Yumi pointing at the ‘hood where we stayed
Took a ten-day trip to Edinburgh, and shall catch up with a number of posts, dated approximately to the right dates.
First off, a number of sunsets from the high window in our friend’s apartment where we stayed.
Edinburgh Castle
Spotted these beauties early this morning in southeast Burnaby. Northern Flicker and what I think is a Eurasian Collared Dove.
OK, it’s late, and I’m sick with the flu, tired, and cranky. But. . .
So all these places that are taking down statues of colonial oppressors (Victoria [Sir John A], New Westminster [Judge Begbie] . . . )
(BTW I am not opposed to removing them. . .)
Why aren’t they changing their names?
Could you be any more colonial than having a name like Victoria? New Westminster?
I live in a ‘hood in Burnaby (named after an alien “explorer”) with streets around me like Nelson, Victory, Royal Oak. . . Sheesh.
Just because Robert Burnaby happened to be one of the first white folks in this area (coming after thousands of years of indigenous settlement) he got tons of stuff named after him, not only the city.
I love shotengai, or shopping arcades, in Japan. Here are a few shots from the one in Himeji leading from the station to the castle.
Visiting the statue of Sakamoto Ryoma at the memorial museum on the island of Shikoku, Japan, in April.
Ryoma is likely one of the most popular figures in Japanese history, with many a TV drama and movie about his life. Wikipedia.
We visited this research center and museum on the island of Shikoku in Japan in April. Loggerhead turtles use the nearby beach for nesting, but unfortunately records of nests have dropped precipitously 
.
Way back in early April we visited the Asamushi Aquarium during our trip to Japan.
