I Love the Sky! Also Climbing Way too Many Hills

 So the other day, the sky looked like this.

Seriously.  This is not photoshopped. 

It really goes to show that even on the greyest and most miserable looking days, the sun still finds a way to make awesome things happen.  I don't care what people say about Scotland: it's not nearly as gloomy as everyone thinks.  Even when the clouds do seem to cover every scrap of sky, there's a bit of sky like this.

 Or, well, sky like this.

It was partially cloudy and I was walking back from classes feeling decently happy with the world when I noticed that the sun was frolicking about in the sky and making all manner of glorious things happen...




... right behind the castle!


So, up to the esplanade, I ran, and enjoyed a capital view beyond the walls of the castle.  The sky here is truly amazing.

 Sometimes, though, the rain does fall and the sky does turn that flat, nasty grey.  Such as, right as I'm getting ready to go on my Saturday walk.  Of course, that morning, it was all nice and blue, but as soon as I step out the door, the weather decides to pelt me with rain.

I had none of it.  I pulled my hat low and kept walking.  It was Saturday.  And on Saturdays, I talk walks, I take pictures, and I enjoy myself!

The weather not only conceded defeat - I gave me a rainbow.

 Before I'd even reached the bottom of the Mile on my way to Holyrood park, the clouds had broken and the blue was showing through all over the place.  Definitely a win.

 Silly moon, it's daytime!

 Holyrood Park is so beautiful - obviously, there is Arthur's Seat rising up above the city.  Most of the tourists who come to the park make the trek up to the top and it's a good, brisk climb.

But there's more to the park than Arthur's Seat.  There are hills and hills worth of paths to take.

 Did I mention the sun came back out?  It was a bit deceptive because it made me think it ought to be warm, but it was still quite chilly.

 At the base of the hills I was planning to wander through, there is the swan lake. 

There are swans on the swan lake. 

I know.  Crazy.

 Silly seagull, this is a lake.  You are not a lakegull, are you?

Didn't think so.

 As I began my climb up the hills, I began to appreciate a wider and wider vista of Edinburgh sights.  There's Calton Hill.

 The castle is easy to spot because it sits at the highest place in the city.

But I'm going even higher.

 Hmmm, 'twould seem a giant was here before me.

 Let's see where he headed!

 I actually had intended to keep my walk fairly short and not too intensive (for me, anyway), but every time I reached the top of one hill that I thought was the highest one, there would be yet another beyond it even higher.

And I couldn't resist going to see the view from the next vantage point.

 The paths seem to lead into the sky...

 It looks like the clouds are making a nice, pretty arch for me to walk under...

 The wind made the sky extremely changeable.  One minute it would seem to be mostly blue and clear and the next a dark cloud would drift through, spit rain for a bit, before moving on.

 At the top of one of the highest hills, I decided to take a break.  I sat down, hugged my knees, and watched clouds moving across the sky, watched ant-people making the long hike up to the top of Arthur's seat, watched miniature cars and tiny double-decker buses move through the city, watched the water sparkle where the sun managed to escape through the clouds.

 But it was chilly up there and extremely windy, so I finally headed back down.

Or tried to.

I think this path was meant for goats.

 Possibly walking at the edge of a cliff when the wind was that strong was not one of my better ideas.

 Sneaking through the bushes!

Finally at the bottom, I appreciated the regal (but somewhat overbearing) swans before heading off home again.

It's a bit daunting to realize that after all of that climbing, I still have a mile to go uphill to get back home.

But I can't say I regretted a single one of those hilltops.