Some Who Wander ARE Lost

I spent the past two days meandering through the city of Edinburgh on delightfully circuitous paths to well-marked and highly visible points of interest that would have been quick and easy to get to had I chosen to consult my map. Of course, seasoned city-explorer that I am, I tend to avoid consulting the map until absolutely necessary. This is mostly because it is generally a bad idea for a misplaced tourist to advertise themselves as such, especially those of a female persuasion, and all the more so after somehow finding a way to the 'dodgy' end of town. For the record, I was only lost for about an hour, and I still found my way back to Matt and Jeni's flat with only a glance or two at my map. Just prior to my scenic route home I was thinking how all this time I must have been wrong and I actually do have a natural sense of direction. After all, I made it to all sorts of places yesterday without looking at the map at all, including back to the flat, all via routes I had not already walked with Matt and Jeni. And that cruel irony, my friends, is why I carry a map even if I have no intention of using it.
Today I literally walked for 6.5 hours. I don't think I sat down at all. And the first hour or so of that was an unnecessarily steep hike up the wrong trail to the wrong scenic vista in Holyrood Park. Yesterday I walked about that long, but with a break for lunch. It's pretty much the best thing ever, except that now my feet and joints are rebelling with a whole day to go before they rest. I've seen a lot of the standard Edinburgh fare (Castle, Palace, Craigs, St. Giles, John Knox's House, etc.), but thanks my rejection of the direct path I've also seen some great little nooks and crannies. To top it all off, I get to spend my evenings with Matt and Jeni and Hosea, the world's cutest baby (seriously!). Tonight I sampled haggis while explaining the differences between Wesley and Calvin on Christology and Sanctification (hey, they asked - I don't think I'm that much of a theology nerd that I would just randomly bring it up). I'll post some photos when I get back. You'll be delighted to see that wandering alone makes for some fantastically awkward self portraits.
Cheers!