Day 3 | St. Andrews, Scotland (10/29/2022)

 Up at the crack of dawn in order to ease into my drive to St. Andrews.  I like to continue my morning practice as much as possible, even when I am traveling.  So I set the alarm for an early rise to enjoy some espresso, write, and eat some breakfast before Nicola arrived.  I learned that she and her husband launched their own driving business earlier in the year.  I learned about them through a gal I met via the online group, Solo in Style: Women Over 50 Traveling Solo & Loving It. Pamela had spotted my post about plans to travel to Scotland and as it turns out, is from Rhode Island!  She and her husband had just gotten home from their own journey there and shared a few resources.  Nicola got me to and back in a super comfortable drive for my visit with Lila in St. Andrews.  She is such a delight. I highly recommend Prestige Travel for transfers and tours!

 

I found Greyfriars Inn via a random internet search and it was the PERFECT place to stay while in St. Andrews - I highly recommend it if you are in town to play golf or visit the university.  They were very gracious in letting me check in early and honored my request for a top floor room.  The pub downstairs offered delicious food - I enjoyed two meals there: dinner and a complimentary breakfast. The hospitality in this country has been bar none. Whether in the 'big city' of Edinburgh or rural area of St. Andrews, everyone I meet is such a delight. I know - I have used that word twice now and I suspect it will pop up quite a few more times before the end of this trip.

The darling daughter and I had a bountiful, delicious lunch at a sweet little cafe called Bibi's Cafe before walking Lila to rehearsal for that evening's show.  I then ventured to explore the town and made my way to the water's edge before checking out the castle and cathedral.  I was more impressed with the cathedral because of the epic size it once was (you can check out a rendering of what it looked like here). And, in spite of all the ugly temporary fencing scattered among the grounds, I was still blown away by it.

After a quick shower, I grabbed some fish and chips in the pub and then ventured to Byre's Theatre to bear witness to Rocky Horror Picture Show that included instructions and props. I was impressed with everyone's performances and it was great fun.

To see all the photos from the day, click here!

Day 2 | Edinburgh, Scotland (10/28/2022)

I was able to stay up until about 8:30 pm local time last night and jumped into my cozy bed.  Unfortunately, it is football season and some enthusiasts were outside the pub that is underneath my apartment building and woke me up.  They weren't super loud but loud enough that my ears picked up their voices even with my 'white noise' video playing. In spite of that, I managed to get a decent night's rest and woke up at about 8:30 am the next day - twelve hours of shut eye. 

It was lovely to discover a Moka coffee maker and a gas stove - the best combo for some espresso.  It is a BIG pot, so I enjoyed several cups of Americano with my granola breakfast.  I got myself together and plotted a plan of action.  My goal was to walk towards Arthur's Seat to possibly walk to the top since the weather was gorgeous.  Directly walking the almost 3 miles would have taken about an hour which I definitely could do, but I was exploring, so distractions ensued.  No worries for me because that is how this traveling girl rolls - go with the flow when you have a general sense of purpose.

 

My distractions included coming across nearby Parish of St. Cuthbert Church which was founded in the 7th century and is the final resting place of the inventor of logarithms, as well as, Thomas de Quincy, a writer suggested as the guy who started the tradition of addiction literature in the West.  I wasn't able to get into the building but I was very happy to tour the grounds and spot the Edinburgh Castle!

I also got to check out Ross Fountain which was on my list to check out. Oh - there were public restrooms which were FREE (in Rome, you have to pay to use the public toilet).  On the other side of the park is the Scott Monument, in honor of author Sir Walter Scott, and it happens to be the second largest monument to a writer.

And, because The Royal Scottish Academy and the Scottish National Gallery are free and right there, I popped in for a visit.  I'll be return to RSA next week to check out the special exhibit of Impressionists.

I made my way over to the Devil's Advocate for lunch as it was recommended to me and what a treat it was!  I enjoyed my next taste of whisky and a most delicious meal of crispy pork belly - O.M.G. was it good. Thanks for the suggestion, Jessica!

I so needed to walk off that meal and headed up to St. Giles Cathedral.  I was planning to visit the site next week but since it was so lovely out, I made my way there as it was just at the top of the stairs. Paying attention to my gut turned out to be quite wise because that evening's performers were doing a dress rehearsal of Vivaldi.  It was so special, I was moved to tears by the whole experience.  There is a free concert there on Sunday that I hope to check out.

I got myself home for a nice video chat with my pal, Lauren, who lives in Oregon.  We've known each other for a very long time and when the pandemic occurred, we spoke on the phone every week for about a year.  We kept up the conversations twice a week on Fridays.  She is a good egg, that one.  

The noise from the pub persists, so I have moved to the bed in the common area for the rest of my stay.  It is much quieter and I am sure Lila is going to love having the bedroom for her use when she comes to visit Edinburgh for FIVE WHOLE NIGHTS next week.  Speaking of the darling daughter, I am heading to St. Andrews tomorrow to see her and I can't wait.  We haven't seen each other IRL since Italy, back in July.  

PS I never made it to Arthur's Seat.  Maybe next week?

PPS It is 9:09 local time and I am not yet in bed!!!!

If you would like to see all the photos I took today, here is the link.  Enjoy!

Day 1 | Edinburgh, Scotland (10/27/2022)

I made it to Edinburgh with only a slight delay.  My connecting flight from Dublin to Edinburgh had me sitting in the Dublin Airport for about five hours or so but it all worked out just fine.  It was only an hour and a half flight away to Scotland and I enjoyed a nice conversation with Beverly.  She hails from Boston and was on her way to visit with her son and his family up near Dundee.  She had the window seat and captured one spectacular shot as our flight was descending.

 

My AirBnb apartment is darling! Very comfortable and the light that fills it is downright artistic.  It is located in the West End (just like my apartment in Providence)!

I decided to hire a driver for a few point As to point Bs during this trip.  I get so stressed out when it comes to public transportation, especially in a foreign country.  Nicola was charming and very welcoming - she got me to my place and shared some pointers, like visiting the Johnny Walker Mega Store - it is supposed to be quite something, especially at night time.

My apartment is located on Williams Street which has shops and restaurants. It is also a couple of blocks away from St. Mary's Cathedral - what a stunning building!  I walked over and was able to go inside of it. Writer, Sir Walter Scott was a member of its congregation. He is known for his poetry and books, Ivanhoe and Rob Roy.  Here in Edinburgh, there is the Scott Memorial which I hope to see during my visit.

Not to be confused with St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral, the one I visited today is quite the structure.  It was designed by architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, with the foundation stone laid in 1874.  I was swooning over it - can you blame me?!

 

I had an early dinner at Teuchters Pub which is just a hop away from my place.  It was the perfect place to enjoy my first meal in Edinburgh and I got there just before the mad rush for football.  The waiter recommended the perfect whisky and I ate a delicious sausage dinner.  Just lovely before heading back to St. Mary's for a service with their choir.  I was so dang tired, I kept nodding off, so I just took off and now I sit in front of my computer typing this post. I am trying to stay up as close to bedtime as possible even though I had about 30 minute sleep in the past 24 hours.  It is now 7:45 pm Scotland time - I'm going to bed!

Check out all the photos from the day right here!