Friends in Edinburgh

After the holidays came to a close we had a week of down time at the flat. We spent a lot of time resting, and many days we took Logan to the park and the museum. He loves the National Museum of Scotland and all the children’s areas there. The park across the street was great too, as long as the weather was not too cold or wet. Logan has a small red ball, which he named Clifford (after Clifford the Big Red Dog). One day he insisted that I push him on one swing, and Clifford the Ball on the other swing!

Logan and "Clifford" swinging at the park across the street from our flat.

One morning we awoke to a white meadow across the street; it had snowed overnight and stuck with the cold temperatures. 

View out our front windows.

We hadn't had a lot of snow, and when we did get snow flurries it rarely stuck to the ground. So we took advantage of the experience, bundled up and headed out to have some fun. Logan enjoyed running through the meadow, and pulling snow off the side of the trees to eat!

On a couple of afternoons I went out on my own and relaxed in a darling little tea house. The scones in Edinburgh are fantastic, served with clotted cream and delicious fruit jams. It was a nice break and some fabulous alone-time for me.

In mid-January our good friend, Alan, arrived to visit for a week from California. One clear day Alan led us on a nice walk up Calton Hill (Alan visited Edinburgh two years ago and remembered the walk). Calton Hill is set right in the city center. At the top of the hill you can’t miss the Athenian acropolis poking out along the skyline. Started in 1822, the acropolis is actually an unfinished tribute to those who died in Napoleonic wars. It was originally meant to be a replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, but the funds ran dry and it was never finished. 

Walking up the peaceful Calton Hill was a nice respite from the city life we had been leading. With panoramic views of Edinburgh’s main shopping thoroughfare, Princes Street, and the Edinburgh Castle, it was lovely to look atop the city. Also at the top of the hill are two different observatories and Nelson’s Monument, a tower with more great views of the city. I always appreciate an opportunity to let Logan run free with no fear of him getting hit by cars. The sloping grassy areas on Calton Hill were perfect for this!

At the top of Calton Hill, beside the Nelson Monument.

During Alan’s visit we took a short train ride to the history-packed city of St. Andrews, globally recognized as the “Home of Golf.” 

Taking an hour-long train ride to St Andrews.

Standing on the Old Course.

We took some pictures standing on the Old Course (golf course) in St. Andrews. St. Andrews is also home to the University of St Andrews (where Prince William met Kate), a crumbling cathedral built in 1160 (which was the largest building in Scotland for over seven centuries), an abandoned ocean-front castle, and the Old Course (golf course) where the PGA 2015 Open Championship will be played in July. We spent a day walking these beautiful sights, stopping for some warm food and tea on Market Street, and enjoying the history of yet another gorgeous Scottish town.

The Old Course.

Logan in front of the crumbling St Andrews castle.

The remains of the once-great St Andrews Cathedral and attached cemetery.

More of St Andrews Cathedral.

Alan celebrated his birthday while visiting us. I accompanied the birthday boy for some Scotch whisky tasting on the Royal Mile. I am not a huge fan of whisky, but since it was Alan’s birthday, I was happy to do whatever he wanted to do! We had two different tasting flights, one for beginners, and one with top picks from the pub staff. We shared a delightful plate of artisan breads and tapenade to make sure we had food in our stomachs as we tasted. I was proud of myself for tasting, but still have yet to acquire a favorable taste for scotch!

On our outing, Alan and I discovered a man in full Scottish dress playing the bag pipes. As true tourists should do, we stopped for a listen and a quick photo.

Before heading home we had some tea and scones at one of my favorite little cafes, Patisserie Valerie.

While Alan was in town, he and Taylor had a few guys’ days/nights out. At the Balmoral Hotel they were delighted with an impromptu personalized scotch tasting with explanations about whisky characteristics such as flavor, alcohol content, and smell. They ate some great food, saw a local jazz band with our host and friend, Sam, and had lots of fun in Edinburgh!

Alan in back of the Edinburgh Castle. 

Mr. Alan Bond found Mr. James Bond while shopping on the Royal Mile.

Some delicious "man food" and an amazing drink. Alan was very excited about this meal.

Balmoral Hotel drink.

After Alan left, we had another week on our own to relax, go to the park and museum, drink tea and eat more scones! 

Our last weekend in Edinburgh we had a visit from some of my family’s longtime friends. Twenty five years ago my parents took a trip to Acapulco, Mexico. While there, they met a couple on their honeymoon, Ian and Julie. The two couples became friends and kept in touch. One year later Ian and Julie came to California and my parents spent two weeks taking them on a whirlwind tour from San Diego to San Francisco, and east to Las Vegas. A year after that (1992), my family flew to the United Kingdom and met up with Ian and Julie. They reciprocated the fun and showed us all over England and Scotland with stays at a castle, a traditional Scottish farm, and more. 

1992, visiting Ian and Julie in the United Kingdom. 

We all kept in touch over the years, sending letters, Christmas cards, and eventually connecting on social media. When Lauren visited Europe in 2004 he met up with Ian and Julie. In 2007 my friend Lyssa and I visited England and also went to visit Ian and Julie along the way. I distinctly remember being very sad to say goodbye to them when we left after a 4 day visit. They always treat us as family, and I just love being around them. 

Visiting Ian and Julie in 2007 with my friend, Lyssa. Newcastle upon Tyne.

When we were planning this trip and decided we were coming to the UK, I knew I had to see Ian and Julie! It was time to introduce them to Taylor and Logan!

They arrived in Edinburgh on a Friday evening via the train and we hosted dinner at our flat. Earlier that day we walked two miles to a highly regarded bakery that specializes in traditional Scottish meat pies. We all enjoyed them very much for dinner that night! The next morning we met early and took a taxi to the Edinburgh zoo. We got lucky and the weather was clear, although cold. The zoo is a sprawling place with lots of hills. We started our day with a visit to the giant panda bears. The female panda entertained us by cruising in circles around her enclosure and coming within just a few feet of the glass that separated us. 

The penguin exhibit at this zoo was the best I’ve ever seen! As it turns out, the main penguin pool is the largest in all of Europe! The viewing is so close that you can almost reach out and touch the animals. There were tons of different species, absolutely gorgeous.

Next up we wandered into a stinky, warm room housing two Indian rhinos just in time for them to come out for some snacks given by a zookeeper. I have never been that close to a rhino before, and watching them eat is extremely strange and interesting. Their mouths are so weird-looking with their upper lip acting like a hand grabbing food and shoveling it into their mouth. They are very large, prehistoric-looking animals with intelligent eyes. I enjoyed seeing them very much!

We also saw a handsome lion and his lioness, a tiger eating a massive piece of meat, koalas, tons of different species of primates which we loved watching and interacting with, meerkats and more! It was a lot of fun and Logan loved it!

After Logan napped that afternoon we met back up with Ian and Julie for some dinner. We went to a place on the Royal Mile called Whiski (where both Taylor and I had previously tasted Scotch Whisky with our friend Alan). We all ordered the Whiski Burger, covered in haggis, cheese, smoky whisky and onion chutney, and smoky bacon. It was humongous and a deliciously unique Scottish indulgence. Logan ate some children's fish and chips and he was very well behaved during our leisurely dinner. Some fellow diners even commented on his good behavior. After six months of travel and lots of time in public spaces, Logan has learned to be a very good little boy.

Logan licking his lips at the delicious-looking, haggis-topped Whiski Burger!

The next day we spent the day wandering the Royal Mile, Princes Street and George Street. We went all the way up to the Castle, back down and around all the side streets too!

We stopped at The Dome for some tea/coffee and scones/shortbread. The Dome is a compilation of conference suites, a restaurant/bar, a cafe and more set in a beautiful building located in Edinburgh’s New Town. The building, built in 1775, began as the old Physicians Hall, but then was bought out by the Bank of Scotland, and is now a fantastic place to meet some friends for drinks or a bite to eat. 

Gorgeous chandelier in the entryway of The Dome.

We walked some more, and as the weather got colder we found ourselves back in a pub on the Royal Mile for some cask ale, cider, and appetizers before Ian and Julie had to get on their train to head home. I was so sad to say goodbye to Ian and Julie. We hope to meet up with them on shared vacations in the future!

We thoroughly enjoyed the UK and our time living in Edinburgh. Our flat owner, Sam, became a friend that we will remain in contact with. Sam and his son, William (6 years), came over to have dinner and a playdate with us on a  few occasions. Taylor went out with Sam a few times as well to see some of the local spots in Edinburgh. We feel very blessed that during our seven weeks in the UK we saw many old friends (Eddie in London, Ian and Julie in Edinburgh), made new friends (Sam), and had family and friends come visit us as well (Corey, Dani and her family, Monica & Shelby, and Alan). The time there flew by with all the visits and time with special people. We said goodbye to Scotland a few days ago and we are now onto our next adventure…Vienna, Austria for one month!