No Haggis for me, thank you
Meeting some locals in Edinburgh
This was my first attempt at a weekend trip, and it was successful. Edinburgh may have been cold and windy, but it was still really enjoyable. After a full workweek, we woke up at 4:30 in the morning on Saturday to catch the first tube to the train station out of Kings Cross. All the train stations are attached to tube stations making rail travel really easy. The train ride was about five hours through the rolling hills of England and then into Scotland. To make the trip more interesting we called out each time we saw a herd of sheep (and we saw a lot of sheep). Once we arrived at the station in Edinburgh, we quickly found our hostel conveniently located on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Then it was off to explore.
Edinburgh Castle
Our first tour was of Mary King’s Close. Beneath the Royal Mile are what are called closes, or dwelling that the original population lived in with Edinburgh was built. Many of them were deserted after the plague, but we were able to see what a close actually looked like (short ceilings and very close quarters). This underground tour of Edinburgh gave perspective on what the day-to-day life was like back then. We saw where Mary Queen of Scots spent her last night in the city and heard the stories of the real people who lived there.
Then we headed up the Royal Mile to pick up some plaid and postcards and went to learn about scotch. They were working on renovating the building so rather than seeing the barrels where the whiskey is stored, we learned about the process of making whiskey as well as the difference between single malt and blended. Afterward, we tasted the differences between them.
Saturday night we headed out for dinner and avoided haggis at all costs. After having a few pints and some cheap cocktails, we found a fun-dancing place called the Hive. It was much different than going out in London because there were so many specials and everything is much more affordable. We didn’t want to stay out too late, however, since we had a full day the next day. On Sunday, we went out for breakfast and I had the vegetarian Scottish breakfast. Vegetarian haggis was much more manageable and less scary. After touring the castle, we needed a break from being outside. The castle was wonderful: especially seeing the crown jewels and the dungeon. There was even a dog’s cemetery, but it was windy and chilly and we needed to go inside for a bit.
We found a comedy club with coffee and free improve. The show, Whose Lunch is it Anyway, was highly disappointing. I laughed a bit, but realized that we didn’t have much time left in Edinburgh. Thus, we snuck out and on the way out, heard them making jokes out of us. That was fine. As long as it was funnier than what they had been performing. The train back was snowy. I’m glad we got back when we did. Buses were canceled today and many tube lines were canceled. The others had severe delays. In fact, it is sill snowing outside and I wonder how I am getting to work tomorrow since I couldn’t get to work today.