Day out in Edinburgh

We decided to be total tourists today. Inspired by a very odd tv show called Reichenbach Falls we decided to climb Calton Hill, go to Mary king's Close and generally mosey about.
We parked at the park and ride and got the bus the rest of the way - so much easier. We started with Calton Hill, which the council had done everything they could to put you off going up. the steps we headed for were closed and appeared to have suffered from a rockfall, or more likely lazy workmen who had just dumped the aggregate everywhere. There was no sign telling you another route or anything so we just sneaked past the closed sign and up the hill.
It is so worth the short climb up there. Lovely views of the firth of forth, the pentlands and the classic "princes street" shot that you always see in the news. We had a look at all the follies and bits up there and then headed down for something to eat. As we had taken the "proper route" down we ended up near Elm row. So we headed to "The Street" and had a gorgeous apple martini (Zybrowka, apple sours and elderflower) which supped down far too fast. We then really needed food and I saw a man walk up Broughton Street with a fab looking roll so we headed down there. I ended up in a nice little bakery and got a goats cheeses, roast veg and tapanade and Keith found a Polish deli and got chicken mayo with smoked cheese on white and he just about died from sandwich ecstasy!
Anyway, enough about rolls.
We then headed up the High Street and bought tickets for Mary King's close - which gave us a bit of time to kill which we filled with Coffee at the Elephant Sufficiency, a look around the Museum on Chamber Street, a quick pit stop at the comic shop and then off to the Bow Bar for a swift half and then off to The Real Mary King's Close experience.
It takes about an hour to go around, led by a very perky little tour guide who was really good at bringing the place to life. You wander around lots of little rooms, houses and streets, all below the main streets of Edinburgh, when you look up their are a good three stories above your head, buried beneath the streets of Edinburgh. Pretty cool.
After all that tourist led excitement we walked over to the bottom of Dalry and met Martin and Lisa at Sushirya for some farewell Japanese food. As usual the service was dead slow and stop but the food lovely ( really, really quickly, rainbow sushi, veg tempura, seafood yakiudon and green tea ice cream). We sat and chatted for about 2 hours and finally, after hugs and goodbyes headed off.
Lovely end to a lovely day....