OAfter a dip into Dublin, we flew to the UK for a Scottish Christmas in Edinburgh.
Pros: Edinburgh was aesthetically stunning and I bought the warmest wool scarf there
Cons: Nearly everything "touristy" was closed for five days straight and the grey sleet was nonstop
BW, brother TheHipster and I all agreed that we wish we would've planned our whole vacation just for Edinburgh. We felt we didn't give it enough time, especially with things being closed between holidays and a museum workers' strike. We were enchanted by the grandiose architecture and ghostly little passageways and gobs of artsy/foodie spots.
On Christmas Eve, there were a number of fairs/markets open in city squares, but the weather was positively prohibitive. Those people on ice skates below are a hearty bunch; it was literally raining ice needles in the photo. About 5 minutes later, everyone headed for shelter.
We followed the Royal Mile up to Edinburgh Castle on two different days, stopping to poke in shops and churches and things on the way. It's a shame we couldn't actually get into the castle, but we got some good shots of the outside.
One of the few attractions that had open doors was the Scotch Whisky Experience, so we partook in that. To my surprise, I (sort of) enjoyed a smoky sample from the peat bogs of Scotland.
We spent Christmas Day in a beautiful apartment rental; luckily, we'd raided Marks and Spencers the day before along with everyone other person in central Edinburgh. The place was a war zone, with shelves gone bare and food trampled on the floor and people pushing to get the last mince pie. Just nuts! (Pardon the pun.) But we made it out with sausage rolls and salmon and other goodies.
Speaking of food, a restaurant in Edinburgh that we LOVED was The Dogs. An old, high-ceilinged flat filled with mismatched antique furniture, it served amazing gourmet food for not a lot of money. And it was a welcome find after the night prior, where we went to an Asian restaurant and ordered the special hot pot menu that all of the Asian people around us were eating. The waiter wouldn't let us have it because he said, "you wouldn't like it. Too Asian." What?? But it was the only place open in the neighborhood so we didn't argue.
In a way, it was rather lovely just having time to walk about and take panoramic pictures rather than rushing from tourist site to site.
We saw a home where Scottish poet Robert Burns (yes, of the infamous Burns Night) lived. And we met a friend who took a train in from her family's village to show us some of the historical pubs downtown.
And then we hopped a bus for... Glasgow!
Pros: Edinburgh was aesthetically stunning and I bought the warmest wool scarf there
Cons: Nearly everything "touristy" was closed for five days straight and the grey sleet was nonstop
BW, brother TheHipster and I all agreed that we wish we would've planned our whole vacation just for Edinburgh. We felt we didn't give it enough time, especially with things being closed between holidays and a museum workers' strike. We were enchanted by the grandiose architecture and ghostly little passageways and gobs of artsy/foodie spots.
On Christmas Eve, there were a number of fairs/markets open in city squares, but the weather was positively prohibitive. Those people on ice skates below are a hearty bunch; it was literally raining ice needles in the photo. About 5 minutes later, everyone headed for shelter.
We followed the Royal Mile up to Edinburgh Castle on two different days, stopping to poke in shops and churches and things on the way. It's a shame we couldn't actually get into the castle, but we got some good shots of the outside.
One of the few attractions that had open doors was the Scotch Whisky Experience, so we partook in that. To my surprise, I (sort of) enjoyed a smoky sample from the peat bogs of Scotland.
We spent Christmas Day in a beautiful apartment rental; luckily, we'd raided Marks and Spencers the day before along with everyone other person in central Edinburgh. The place was a war zone, with shelves gone bare and food trampled on the floor and people pushing to get the last mince pie. Just nuts! (Pardon the pun.) But we made it out with sausage rolls and salmon and other goodies.
Speaking of food, a restaurant in Edinburgh that we LOVED was The Dogs. An old, high-ceilinged flat filled with mismatched antique furniture, it served amazing gourmet food for not a lot of money. And it was a welcome find after the night prior, where we went to an Asian restaurant and ordered the special hot pot menu that all of the Asian people around us were eating. The waiter wouldn't let us have it because he said, "you wouldn't like it. Too Asian." What?? But it was the only place open in the neighborhood so we didn't argue.
In a way, it was rather lovely just having time to walk about and take panoramic pictures rather than rushing from tourist site to site.
And then we hopped a bus for... Glasgow!
Linking up with Pack Me To, Chasing the Donkey, The Fairytale Traveler, A Southern Gypsy and Ice Cream and Permafrost for The Sunday Traveler.
