Afternoon hike

On Sunday, I packed a picnic and headed to Salisbury Crags, which is near Arthur's Seat. This is a photo of the steeper side of the Crags.

You can see the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which is where the Queen lives when she's in Scotland-- usually at the beginning of the summer. Apparently she's not too fond of the Scottish winters.

Some people climb up the cliffs, but most make their way up from the other side. The base of the crags is filled with families picnicking, playing football (soccer) and flying kites. Dogs run freely everywhere, as there are no leash laws. But the dogs are extremely well trained, from what I've seen in my few weeks here. Even in the city, they seems to stay right with their owners all the time without a leash.

Doing some reading for Scottish Lit...

I love that I can see the ocean from up there.
After my hike, I picked up some groceries from a corner market and then headed back to the flat. I went to an evening service at a small church near where I live. It was definitely an interesting experience-- the musical worship consisted of only voices, and no accompaniment. The people there were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and it was really cool to be a part of such a different type of church service. After a chilly walk home, I made some oatmeal-pomegranate bread, which was a huge hit with the flatmates-- it's almost all gone after only 24 hours!