Just A Walk In The Park

Actually, Maverick would prefer "Just a walk in the park, Kazansky."  For those fans of Top Gun, that quote is just for you.


Melinda and I have taken two underground tours of Edinburgh.  Much has been made of the appropriately named underground cities, although we have discovered that there is some debate over the origin of these subterranean layers.  Some say that the areas were constructed after parts of Edinburgh were erected, others contend the city was built over existing areas, and still some parties claim that shipping magnates eventually enclosed sections of the cities as bridges were built, aided by buildings (some as high as fourteen stories!) that encroached upon houses and closes and wynds, all  of which eventually caused the entombment of citizens.  

Lounging on the Nor' Loch

Regardless of what one believes, it is evident that an underground population did exist.  It is also evident that sanitation removal was very crude and rudimentary.  As we walked through Mary King's Close, our guide mentioned that sometimes as many as twelve or thirteen people might live in very cramped quarters, and the only available toilet - or loo - was a single pot.  (If you are from Kenbridge, Virginia, this is known as a "slop jar").  Flushing toilets - or "Thunder Boxes" - were very rare.  Twice daily, the pot was emptied out of the window.  Bear in mind that Edinburgh is a very hilly city; thus, this excrement would flow towards....a central point.


Ever wonder why Princes Street Gardens are so green?  If you look closely at the picture posted above, you will notice the steep incline towards the city in the background.  Indeed, it is from this bustling metropolis (roughly 30,000 people in an area no bigger than one square mile) that the waste of many flowed from the High Street to the Nor' Loch (or Lake), aka Princes Street Gardens.  This area was flooded in the 15th century to help protect the city, and initially would have been pristine; human filth - along with bodies of plague victims and executed criminals - certainly tainted the water.  And yes, the Nor Loch was the source of drinking water for many: cholera and typhoid were common.    



Further down High Street (or the Royal Mile), there are many things to see.  Fancy some fudge?  I passed by this little shop not too long ago, and the treats looked yummy.  If you have not already gathered this vital bit of information, there is plenty to munch upon in this country.  So, have a bit of fudge and lounge in Princes Street Gardens - human bones only surface after prolonged rainy spells.  And of course Scotland is always sunny...

Flowers in Princes Street Gardens...good mulch