Edinburgh

After a restless night spent in noisy, airless room at an airport hotel in Nantes (forgettable or unforgettable, depending on your point of view) we board a Ryanair flight to Edinburgh. Two hours later, we land in Scotland and check in to a modern, spacious apartment with super-fast internet. Our flat is located in New Town (“new” being a relative term, as this part of Edinburgh was built between 1767 and 1850 so that the more well-to-do residents could move out of the over-crowded slums of the medieval Old Town) and within walking distance to restaurants, shops and pubs, including a friendly, well-stocked watering hole that we dub “our local”. Well done, Dave!

Rose: Besides booking all our lodging, Dave has also researched places to eat, and one of his recommendations is just around the corner from our apartment. We poke our noses in and enquire about dinner reservations but they are fully booked. However, the kind lady tells us, there’s plenty of room for lunch. The clock has just struck noon; we are hungry; we decide to stay. Bird in hand. Our meal rivals any that we enjoyed in France. Scotland a Foodie Paradise? Who knew? Will all our meals in the UK live up to this high standard?

Rose: Plenty of walking. We walk most everywhere, and especially enjoy a visit to the National Trust property at 7 Charlotte Square, considered one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the city. Furnished to show how it would have looked when John Lamont and his family lived here from 1796-1815, each room contains a fine collection of period furniture and objects illustrating the clothing, social habits, and lifestyle of the time. Despite my entreaties, Dave refuses to get a kilt, preferring a Georgian hat.

A Rose and a Thorn; Two Notable Impressions of Edinburgh:

1. Everyone we meet, from taxi drivers to bartenders to restaurant staff, seems helpful and friendly; genuinely interested in our welfare.

2. The traffic lights are inordinately long. “A person could die waiting for the light to change in Edinburgh!” Dave comments to a taxi driver, who laughs heartily and agrees.

Rose: A tour of the 413 foot Royal Yacht Britannia, decommissioned in 1997 after safely carrying the royal family on 968 official voyages. It is an undeniable—if slightly voyeuristic—thrill to view the royal family’s private quarters, the vast engine room, the 24-hour laundry facility, the old-fashioned sick bay, the officer’s quarters and the almost inconceivably cramped crew quarters. The hierarchy of social class and naval rank is almost painfully evident in the contrast of accommodation and privileges afforded naval officers and members of the royal family versus lower tier officers, other staff and regular seamen. 

Rose: We continue our candle lighting tradition, seeking out churches and taking note of the history of each one. We are not religious, but nevertheless feel a sense of reverence and awe in these ancient, sacred places.

Rose: A surprisingly delicious dinner at Le Dôme. We choose the restaurant in order to experience the opulence of its interior, but find we are equally impressed by the excellence of its cuisine. Scotland’s reputation as Foodie Paradise is upheld! At least in Edinburgh; a small sample size, to be sure, but it’s all we have, for tomorrow we drive to England.

During our dinner at Le Dôme, a man approaches from a nearby table and asks if we would like to see the photo that he has just snapped of us. He is American, from Sacramento, California. At first we feel mildly intruded upon, but it is interesting to see the candid photo, and the man doesn’t seem to have any ulterior motives aside from friendliness. Dave returns the favor by taking a photo of him with his wife and son. Such small encounters season our travels the way salt and pepper season our meals.