Harry Potter!!

On our last day in Edinburgh, we didn’t have any specific plans as we had already toured the castle and the Highlands, so at Kevin’s suggestion we decided to visit the Scotland History Museum, a 7 floor museum dedicated to the History of Scotland from Prehistoric Viking filled time to the present. It’s free and has some really great artifacts (like coins from the entirety of Scotland’s history sure to excite the coin enthusiast such as Dr. Chattybox). The only problem is that the museum can be a bit overwhelming, so its best to just focus on one particular area and come back another time. After all, its free!

After the museum, we decided to take a short walk across the street to a cafe that Mumsy had seen in the guide book described as having good tea (surprise surprise) called The Elephant House. I immediately was keen on the idea since the front window of the store loudly proclaimed “Birthplace of Harry Potter”. Only the night before, I made Mumsy and Don watch “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” on TV. (Granted, the main reason I wanted to watch this movie took the shape of a vampire wizard named Cedric Cullen, but that’s besides the point). Apparently when JK Rowling was broke and writing the very first Harry Potter book, she wrote most of it from that very cafe. The cafe did have great food/tea/desserts and would make an excellent stop for everyone, not just the Harry Potter fan. Behind the Elephant house is Greyfriar’s cemetery (considered the most haunted cemetery in Great Britain) and a maze of winding cobbled streets edged by dark gothic buildings that is said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley. A large private school founded in 1628 called George Heriot’s School is also said to have inspired Hogwarts.

After the brief insight into JK Rowlings inspiration, we did a little shopping where I bought a new purse (since my old one broke, not because I have an issue with too many purses or anything…) and Mumsy bought some Cashmere products. Next up on the Adventures of the Lester(s) with Mumsy and Don is London.