Edinburgh, Scotland

Finally I get to write about my favorite corner of the whole UK: Edinburgh! It was much cheaper to take the bus to Scotland, but before we even arrived in Newcastle, my mom and I were ready to jump ship. Or bus for that matter. Newcastle looked gorgeous under the fresh layer of snow, but we didn’t have time to include this stop on our itinerary. We were completed wrecked when we got into St. Andrew’s bus station. I asked a friendly young police officer for directions to our hotel, and I had my first experience in Scottish hospitality. Every time I asked a person for help or advice in this friendly country, I had to sit through a half-hour long lecture about things to do in Edinburgh, the best way to get somewhere, the restaurants, the tours, ad nauseum. It was sweet, but got old fast for someone like me who likes to look at maps and figure it out for herself.

The skyline of Edinburgh looked stunning with twinkling lights and fresh white snow. This picture is a bit blurry, but worth including because it begins to capture the beauty of this charming city. I was instantly in love like I have never experienced with a city (except for maybe Prague.) Our hotel was a super classy, with a big comfy bed and a very powerful heater. All the news broadcasts during our entire trip were all about “Frozen Britain” but I felt positively tropical. We went around the corner for a Spanish place, Barioja Tapas Bar, that was recommended on chowhound.com. The owner recommended a delicious crisp white, Prado Rey Verdejo 2008. We shared tapas of chicken with olives, gambas al ajillo, and patatas bravas. We may have been in Scotland, but it was some of the best Spanish food I have ever had. I had reached a peak of happiness that bode well for the entire week in Edinburgh.

On our first morning we found a small funky café with carved wooden booths and a black magic theme. Scones, lattes, and free wi-fi are all it takes to make me a happy camper. I convinced my mom to take the Free Walking Tour. Our guide, Gavin, was an American who grew up in Germany and now lived in Scotland. He had the weirdest combination of accents and said “wee” a lot, but we loved him anyway for his theatrics and audience participation. Every time he said “The Stone of Destiny” we all went “Woooo!” Normally I think this stuff is cheesy and lame, but I was in such a good mood and so happy to be in Scotland I played along. We walked up the Royal Mile, pausing to hear stories about ghosts and horse statues that pee, and how silly tourists propose to their girlfriends while kneeling in the heart paved into the road. The heart that the Edinburghians spit on for good luck. ha ha! We walked past Edinburgh Castle, down some secret (and slippery!) staircases to the Grassmarket. We saw the café where J.K. Rowling wrote the first books of Harry Potter (gasp!) and made our way down to the Princes Street Gardens. At the end of the tour, Gavin told us it was his very first tour ever. It had been a magnificent day.

Historic Photo of Gavin on his first tour: