Landing in the early morning, the light rain mixed with the rising sun to create an auspicious beginning to our adventures: a rainbow. Weaving our way through the empty halls of the Scottish airport, we caught the bus into Europe’s most beautiful city. Clambering up a hill to the only cafe open on the entire street, we pile ourselves and our baggage into luxurious chairs to sit back and enjoy an extra strong mocha. Once the sun had risen a bit further, we ventured out onto the royal mile. Meandering uphill we pass a beautiful Gothic church, and a bank that looks as if it came out of any fairytale storybook. At the crest of the hill rises the impressive Edinburgh Castle. Not only beautiful, it served its function as an impossible-to-breach-fortress well. As the second highest point in the city, the Castle offers one of the best views of the old city. In order to over look the new city, one must climb to the top of the hill adjacent to the castle. Amongst ruins, museums, and memorials one has an almost 360 degree view of both the old and new cities.
The old city laid out in a charming lack of organization, streets meandering and wandering as casually as the tourists that flock to the beautiful city. The new district, originally meant to mimic the Union Jack, is more direct, but didn’t resist the natural Edinburgh charm: the urge to slow down and stroll. Even amongst the energy of the city there are places, if one is open to finding them, where you can stop and smell flowers – literally. Gardens
The Castle from the Princes Gardens
dot the city in the most unlikely of places, along with courtyards of fairytale flats. As the early afternoon sun slants in to touch the window gardens on most window sills, one could believe they had been transported into a fairy world. As the sun sets on Princes Park, we grab a bite of take away, and make our way back to our beach-side hostel. After a day of roaming all through the city, we’re all ready for a bit of rest, tomorrow is another day!
To catch the bus back into the heart of the city, we cross a golf course and a sheep field, and the sheep are so fluffy and friendly! A coffee and a wander later, we find ourselves on the famous Grassmarket Street, filled with quaint cafes and vintage shops, we get lost amongst the neon feathers and aging leather. At the base of this avenue, we go into the Lot, a charming cafe where today we will enjoy an American Thanksgiving dinner and a traditional Scottish Ceilidh. We now understand how the people of such a chilly northern city stay warm: excessive dancing – it is great cardio! After we’ve said our good-byes and good-nights, a few of us can’t say good-bye to the festivities. We stroll about the now dark city, but it is early still – barely five in the afternoon. A pub that could easily be overlooked, a door barely wide enough for any of us, this is where we land for the next few hours – a cozy basement corner. Sitting back, enjoying the student burger and local cider, a group this large just laughs and talks over one another. Yet after a time, we push on. Our next stop is down a steep flight of thin stairs, but there’s locals and good live music packed in for the night. Finding a table to fit all ten of us isn’t easy, but we prevail. Enjoying the music and the company, our excessively large group of Dublin-based Californians marvel at our differences and commonalities, reluctant to return to our hostels. We eventually
go our separate ways; those who are hungry and those who wish to find more fun and live music. As a few of us sit in the warm take away, who should come in but our friends with whom we not long ago parted! Turns out that good stout will never compete with fresh chips. After lingering over the amazing food, we all step out into the night, heading to our different hostels. Parting in Edinburgh, all reluctant to go, but knowing we’ll meet again in Dublin.
Early the next morning, in the half-light of predawn, we clamber into the bus, on our way to the airport. As the sun rises over the coffee gripping passengers, we board our plane back to the land of Guinness, sad to part with the fantasy world of Edinburgh.
