The New City...

Edinburgh is a very active city, always bustling with people.  Fortunately it is very safe too, I noticed that the police here do not carry guns, just pepper spray, which is otherwise illegal.

 

All the sides streets are connected through alleyways, which are all lit up and used often by everyone, unlike at home in a city where an alleyway would be quite sketchy.  Many shops and smaller pubs are located down some alleyways.

When I arrived the winter festival was still going on.  I didn't go on any of the rides but at night everything was lit up nicely and they even had an ice rink set up.

As you can probably imagine the city is beautiful lit up at night!  I've been lucking out in my opinion since I've got here with the snow falling.  Typically, Edinburgh does not get that much snow during its winters, they are very unprepared when a lot of snow is dumped on them.  They do not have any plows (most the roads are cobblestones anyways so plows would not do well) and they do not lay salt down.

Me and a few others walked through the Princes Street Garden in the heart of the city the other day.  At one entrance is an old fashioned cozy style home (pict below).  Overlooking the city is the castle of Edinburgh, standing high up on a cliff.  Bunch of us are planning on touring the castle this Friday.