Enchanting Edinburgh

Exhausted from travel, and jet lagged, we overslept our alarm and arose at 10:30 a.m. after a well needed rest.  Today is a travel day as we make our way by train to Edinburgh.  On the way to the station, we discovered a wonderful, Seinfeld themed breakfast venue called Serenity Now. It was a challenge to choose our meal as it all sounded so good. We shared a rich Kale Quinoa Soup, a scrumptious tofu scramble with sweet potato hash and, as a treat, a banana peanut butter smoothie.

The Queen Street Station in Glasgow has trains to Edinburgh,  leaving every 15 minutes,  every day.  We got our Britrail pass stamped and boarded the comfortable train for the one hour ride.

Edinburgh is one of the most enchanting and charming cities I have ever seen.  It has its own old world character along with a modern personality.  It has been named a Unesco World Heritage Site.  The Old Town and New Town are divided by bridges and they are as different as night and day!  The Old Town dates from the 15th century and the buildings are built in a Baronial Medieval architectural style.  The New Town was constructed between 1767 and 1890 and has a Georgian style reminiscent of Bath in England.  You need to be in pretty good shape to climb up and down the steep cobblestone streets of the Old Town.  Thankfully I am mostly recovered from a bout of plantar fascitis and was up to the task.

Our hotel is situated in the Grassmarket area, right behind the Edinburgh Castle.  Our room is quite tiny so the bed takes up most of the space.  It’s like being on a cruise ship but it’s nice to have a safe for our valuables and a pot to boil water for tea and oatmeal.  The location can’t be beat as we feel like we are in a medieval fairy tale every time we venture outside.  In addition, I got one night free by booking with hotels.com. When you book 10 times with them, the next room is free!

Since we didn’t arrive here until 4 p.m. we decided to feel the lay of the land, by way of a stroll through town.  We sauntered up the hilly streets to the Royal Mile.  This is a lane lined with local shops on one side and beautiful old buildings on the other.  We enjoyed photographing St. Giles Cathedral, a gothic medieval Presbyterian place of worship which is a spectacular sight to see.

Darkness began to fall as we reached the New Town.  For our dinner destination, we had chosen Hendersons. Hendersons was founded in the 1960s to utilize the organic veggies being grown on a local farm. It has been a vegan haven since then.  When we arrived after a 45 minute walk, the sign said they were closed. After a moment of panic, we realized the deli upstairs was closed but the cozy candlelit restaurant under the stairs was open.  A fabulous jazz band played as I sipped my relaxing fennel tea.  We ordered and enjoyed a brothy Beetroot Fennel Soup with homemade crusty bread. Then KO got a vegan haggis. Haggis is usually made of sheep’s heart, liver and lungs and is a Scottish classic. This healthier version was composed of lentils, peppers and gravy and was delicious.  I had a vegan version of Shepard's pie with a wonderful side dish of thinly sliced savory turnips.  The food was unique and well prepared.  It was the perfect end to a lovely day.

Walking back to the Old Town we were enchanted by the spires of the Gothic building silhouetted against the deep blue sky.  Time for a good night’s sleep to prepare for an early morning tour of the Castle.  Our trip so far has surpassed all our expectations and we can’t wait to see what surprises tomorrow will bring.