Goodbye Edinburgh

I hardly knew ye. Actually, I feel like I got a pretty good taste of the city for the amount of time I was there. Since the last two days were focused on Old Town, we decided to concentrate our efforts on Princes Street, New Town, and possibly Calton Hill. Thankfully, we had more than enough time to pretty much traipse all over.

Mom would be proud.

But first, I had to do a redo of spitting on the Heart of Midlothian. Yes, spit. It's a heart set in cobblestone on the site of the Tolbooth prison, and you're supposed to spit on it to ward off evil. And who doesn't need to ward off evil? J wouldn't spit on it at first - I don't think he believed my story about the evil fighting and thought that I was tricking him into spitting on a landmark. But right after I made him at least pretend to spit, a local streetworker came over and gave the stone a good hock. And then J felt okay with actually spitting on the cobblestones. I guess he finally believed me.

First off, we decided to head over to Always Sunday, a cute café on the Royal Mile, for a full Scottish breakfast, and to answer that unanswerable question - haggis or black pudding? Yet again, we encountered more shenanigans on the Royal Mile. We came across a strange obstacle course along the main road with bales of hay and people diving into giant inflated barriers with gusto and emerging with smiles all around. Definitely interesting to watch with your morning black pudding.

I swear I've seen this before on American Gladiator...

Wheeee!!!

Random bales of hay. Sure, that's not weird.

We then walked along Princes Street and checked out the Gardens and The National Gallery of Scotland, which had the Impressionists on exhibit. We took a quick gander around the gallery and wandered back to the gardens to admire the most excellent views of Edinburgh Castle. We also walked by the Scott monument, and it really does look like a gothic space ship. It is kind of amazing that this kind of monument would be made for an author. Think Danielle Steele has enough money to put something like this up in her 'hood in San Francisco?

I managed to convince J into walking New Town with me (or should I say I wandered there and J had no choice other than to follow me since I had the map), and it wasn’t as great as I expected. There are some great views of Firth of Forth just looking down the street, but nothing in particular to really marvel at. We passed by St. Andrew’s Square and Jenners, the veritable Scottish department store, but we didn’t really want to shop so we kept on going.

Even though it was a pretty cold day, we were game to trek up Calton Hill and check out the monuments up close. On the way, we popped into Calton Cemetery, which houses the bones of David Hume and some other not so famous people. It was very a propos with the gloom and doom weather we were having, and J made his peace with my fascination with cemeteries.

We finally made it up the Hill and checked out the various monuments and observatory, including Nelson’s Monument. Nelson’s this famous sailor that’s also got the monument in Trafalgar Square back in London, but I’m told that he’s much more important in English history than in Scottish history. Anyway, the dude’s got two more monuments than me, so he’s the clear winner here. The views are insane up there and rival those of the Castle, except it’s completely free. The place was pretty deserted since it was so windy out, and we wandered around while trying to avoid getting blown away.

The Fife and the Firth of Forth behind me. Seriously.

Arthur's Seat to the left. Dude had a giant butt. I mean Arthur, not J.

By the time we finished, I was completely frozen and J was pretty tired so we headed back to the hotel for some R&R. The hotel has this fabulous drawing room, and we cozied up on our armchairs with coffee and biscuits and some books we bought earlier from the Waterstone’s across the street until it was time to head to the train station to go home.

All in all, this was probably one of the best weekends I’ve ever had, and I fell completely in love with Edinburgh. The city is impressive and incredibly beautiful in a bleak sort of way. I hope we could come back one day and maybe see a highland coo. J is still determined to see a leprechaun even though I’ve told him time and again that they don’t exist.

I Heart Edinburgh, Part II - More Pics Added

The day started with breakfast at the hotel restaurant and then we headed out straight to Edinburgh Castle. But then a funny thing happened on the way out. We noticed a room on our floor that had a plaque reading “The JK Rowling Suite.” The story is that J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter novel in cafes all around Edinburgh as a single mother on benefits. She wrote the final one under vastly different circumstances, specifically, in a suite at the Balmoral Hotel. She purportedly celebrated by graffitting “J.K. Rowling wrote the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series in this room” on the walls of the suite. It appears that we found the room, and I wonder if we can get a glimpse into the room before we leave?

Some things we saw along the Royal Mile:

High Kirk of St. Giles.

Some Roman dude on a horse.

Heart of Midlothian.

Another weird thing happened on the way to the Castle. We saw people randomly gathering on the pavement alongside the Royal Mile west of the North/South Bridge, and the street was closed to traffic. We asked a local policeman what was going on, and he informed us that they were welcoming back soldiers from Afghanistan. We hung around waiting for the parade, and it was well worth it. Everyone started clapping to the music as the honor guard marched past, and the crowd burst into cheers when the soldiers went by. It was really great to see everyone supporting the soldiers, and the authentic bagpipe music was really cool.

Cutest mascot ever.

Honor Guard.

Honor Guard musicians.

Soldiers returning home.

We finally got to the Castle, and it was every bit as amazing as the guidebooks said it would be. It’s all inclines and declines everywhere, the ground is cobbled, and there’s a special path everywhere meant for horses carrying provisions. I saw some girls wearing stiletto heels on the Royal Mile, and I prayed for their sakes that they weren’t headed to the Castle. The Castle itself is a combination of well-formed stones and craggy rocks. The views were beyond amazing, and you could see all the way to the Firth of Forth. It’s the kind of place you just have to visit to do it justice.

The Castle Gate.

View of the Castle from the Gardens.

View from the Castle.

Sculpture of a baby clinging onto a soldier.

Yep, I think we're just about ready to fire

Can I live here?

After roaming about for 3 hours or so, we finally left, but we made sure to stop by the Scotch Whisky Heritage Center where J picked up a couple of small bottle of scotches. Lush. We then headed to Victoria Street where J was excited to visit Iain Mellis Cheesemonger. And they let you sample whatever you want! J settled on a hunk of aged Gouda.

Victoria Street as seen from the Terrace.

Iain Mellis, Cheesemonger.

We made a quick foray down Cockburn Street. The schoolgirl in me is still giggling. It’s a little seedy looking, and I saw a store named “Whiplash Trash.” Gotta love it. J noticed that there were potato shops everywhere, and the smell was delicious even if a bit incongruous. Then it got even better when we hit up Fleshmarket Close. What kind of perv named these streets?

J didn't want to walk down this street for some reason.

No objection to this one though. Strange.

 J finally tired out, and we headed back to the hotel to figure out our dinner plans. Be forewarned, make your dinner bookings well in advance. We had walked into the Witchery by the Castle earlier in the day, and the only slot open was a seating at 11pm. We had our hotel concierge check everywhere, and there were no bookings to be had. I think J was pretty happy about it since we got to change into lounging clothes and order room service. We both ate too much steak and fries, and now we’re fat and happy watching X Factor. All in all, a great Saturday.

I Heart Edinburgh, Part I - With More Pics

After we said goodbye to our new friends at Edinburgh Waverly station, we made the very short walk to where we’re staying at the Balmoral Hotel. It’s a landmark hotel, and here’s an amusing little fact about the place: it has a clock tower that’s kept two minutes fast to encourage its guests to be on time to catch their train. Isn’t that considerate?

Home sweet punctual home. For two days anyway.

We checked in very quickly, and everyone was very nice and courteous. And I’m not just saying that because we got upgraded to an executive suite without even asking. The room is huge with high ceilings so it feels even bigger, and we were welcomed with French peaches and a nice welcome note.

Is X Factor on yet?

After dropping off our things, we decided to head east to Holyroodhouse Palace. Initial first impression of Edinburgh: it’s much more dramatic than London. There are views of the mountains with all these crags, and Old Town isn’t flat, which makes for some amazing scenes just looking down the street. All the streets are still cobbled. There are a lot fewer people here than in London, and the general air is just a lot less hurried. Is it bad if I say that I love it more than London? It’s definitely got an air of history tinged with a bit of melancholy.

Our first sunset in Edinburgh.

Looking East down Royal Mile.

A Close off the Royal Mile. Narrow and steep.

On our way to Holyroodhouse, we passed by John Knox’s House and this really breathtaking cemetery. J was a bit leery of hanging out in a cemetery, the big chicken, but it’s incredibly old and amazingly beautiful. Even though it’s smack dab in the middle of the city, it had this really peaceful air about it. We also passed by Scottish Parliament, a building that was supposed to cost 40 mil, but ended up a 500 mil fiasco. The building is weird and different and kind of cool. J says it’s freaking funky. I guess it’s Edinburgh’s version of the Gherkin.

We finally made it to Holyroodhouse, and it was around 20 pounds for the two of us. It’s pretty cheap if you compare it to London’s sightseeing prices, and even better since it included a free audio tour. They allow photography outside of the palace, but it’s a no-no once you’re indoors.

I was in awe while in the chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots. I’ve read so much about her that she’s almost become a fictional character to me, and it was surreal standing in the rooms where she lived. The interior was pretty interesting, but it was the Abbey that truly impressed. It’s in ruins, and we got to really appreciate the place since it was practically deserted. There’s this feeling of peace and solitude that you can’t really get in most tourist spots since you’re jostling for space with the other tourists. I can’t emphasize enough how much being there with so few people changed the feel of the place. And it made it that much easier to get some pictures in.

 

 

We ended the visit with a stroll around the well-manicured garden, and we exited to the gift shop where we bought a Christmas ornament in the shape of a bear wearing the regalia of a Scottish guard. Its something that J and I like to do – buy Christmas ornaments from the different places that we visit. I love Christmas and traveling, so it’s the perfect match. At the end of the day today, I would say I really, really love Edinburgh. I hope I feel the same after tomorrow.

Coming to a Christmas near you...

Train Ride to Edinburgh

Warning: The Edinburgh posts are going to be in painful detail since this blog is mostly for me to read when I'm old and can't remember my own name, nevermind a trip I took long ago.  Take that, dementia!

Doing my best Vanna impression

Traveling is usually a pain in the ass, and I don’t think anyone likes to see the TSA rifle through their things. National security does not reside in my underwear. Which is why we decided to take the train on our trip up to Edinburgh, instead of flying. It was a short bus ride to King’s Cross Station, where we hopped on the East Coast train headed to Edinburgh. Train tickets here are a little funny – two one-way trips are oftentimes cheaper than a round trip ticket.

 The first class coach cost a bit more than the standard fare, but we decided it was worth it for the four hour ride to Edinburgh. We got free wi-fi for the duration (you only get 15 minutes free on Standard), and we sat in roomy chairs at a table for four. About an hour into our trip, a bunch of folks from Northampton heading to a rugby match in Edinburgh hopped onboard, and some of them joined us at our table and struck up a conversation. They were really friendly and all kitted out in Saints gear and wearing hats with green and gold ribbons. During the ride, I learned quite a bit:

Football is a gentleman’s game for thugs, while rugby is a thug’s game for gentlemen.

Close to the knuckle – You’re hitting too close to home

Morris dancers – Guys who wear hats and bells around their ankles that prance around waving hankies in the air

Billy: “I’ve been building boats all my life, but nobody calls me Billy the boatmaker” (a sheep loving joke)

Brighton is the gay capital of England

You should really visit Durham cathedral if you get the chance

Scrum is a big group of rugby players huddled and fighting for possession of a ball
Rugby players often have cauliflower ears like boxers and wrestlers
I was complimented for insulting a British man in British slang

Always travel with your own cooler of Guinness and have one of your kids dole them out as necessary

They got a kick out of calling Scotland “Northern England”

The people are friendlier the farther north you go

But it’s grim in the north, emphasis on grim

We learned a lot in those three hours. They were a lovely group of people, and not just because they kept offering us giant cans of Guinness at 11 o'clock in the morning. Very different from Londoners, they were proud to point out.