I woke up in my London hotel, sad I was leaving my new favorite city in the world, but looking forward to the next phase of my U.K. adventure. Despite re-rolling all of my clothes, I could not get my suitcase to zip shut without having to expand it. This still mystifies me because I actually threw away an article of clothing so you would think I would have more room, not less.
I checked out of my hotel and made my final walk to Kings Cross station. I made a promise to myself standing in the station that I would return to London again sooner rather than later. And then the boarding for the Virgin East Coast train to Edinburgh was called.
Once aboard the train in my compartment, I stored my suitcase and found the window seat that would be my home for the next four hours. More quickly than I expected, we were rolling out of the London suburbs and into the countryside. Brief periods of rain lashed the window that I gazed out of, daydreaming. Before I knew it, we had passed the marker that divides England and Scotland. I began to see gorse and heather blooming on the countryside. The views of the North Sea played peek-a-boo with the train. The landscape began to get wilder and more rugged. And much too soon, we pulled into Edinburgh’s Waverly Station.
I grabbed my suitcase, hoisted my backpack on my shoulders, and proceeded to the exit for the Royal Mile. The most direct route was up a long flight of outdoor steps, slippery with rain. So did I go around and take the roadway that was slightly longer but less precarious? No, because I’m apparently a masochist. Sweaty and gasping for breath at the top (why in the hell was my suitcase so damn heavy all of a sudden?), I glimpsed the sign for my next hotel and quickly made my way out of the rain.
Fortunately, the room was ready and the very friendly associate gave me the keys so I could get settled in. My friend Natasha was due to arrive into Edinburgh soon; but when I finally connected to the hotel wifi, I had a bunch of messages from her letting me know her flight was delayed. Although I eyed up one of the twin beds longingly for a nap, I knew if I succumbed, I would likely sleep all afternoon. I grabbed my Kindle and went downstairs to hang out in the lobby so I could be there as she arrived.
After an hour or so, I spotted her walking through the square in front of our hotel and she must have seen me through the window, because she started jumping up and down before she even made it through the front door. I have to imagine that everyone in the lobby was either amused or horrified (or both) as she started screaming and then she dashed at me for a hug that almost knocked me over. I don’t think I’ve ever been so exuberantly greeted before in my life.
She dropped her bag in our room and we immediately headed out into the drizzle to go explore Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. I had selected the Ibis Royal Mile specifically for its location adjacent to the Royal Mile. The cost was reasonable, the personnel were super friendly, and the room was comfortable. We walked up to the Edinburgh Castle, which was closing for the evening, talking a mile a minute. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped in a little cafe. She drinks whisky far more than I do, and she offered to be my whisky sommelier, selecting something not too peaty or smoky for me to start out with. I surprised myself and actually liked it.
Edinburgh’s Royal Mile
The next day, we slept in a little because the beds were just that comfortable. She wanted to go to the bus station to buy a bus ticket for the next day’s journey. (I had pre-booked awhile ago.) So we set off, stopping in various shops so she could also look for shoes. I was doing fine with only window shopping until we went into T.K. Maxx (and yes to my readers in the States, in the U.K. it is not T.J. Maxx). Suddenly, I was finding all sorts of cool purses and shirts that I wanted to acquire. Ah, what the hell, I already had to expand my suitcase…
She got her bus ticket, and we walked back to the Royal Mile. The rain had cleared out and we ambled along, poking into random shops. From someone who never shops on vacation, I have to say that she was a bad influence. I got a craving to purchase scarves in a variety of tartan patterns and soft cashmere sweaters. Keep in mind, I live in Austin where the temperatures rarely dip below 50 Fahrenheit (10 Celsius). I have little need for warm clothing. I somehow justified it. I’m not exactly sure of the mental gymnastics I did to do so, but needless to say, I am ready if climate change throws us into another ice age.
We watched the changing of the guards at Edinburgh Castle, which was far more low-key than the ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Afterwords, we did my favorite thing – walking around aimlessly – and came across a place neither one of us could pass up, The Whiski Rooms. They had flights so you could sample four different whiskies and a bartender with the most adorable Scottish accent. We ended up sitting there for a few hours.
Sufficiently whiskied up, we made our tipsy way back through the darkened streets of the old town to the hotel. We went to bed early, which was just as well as we had a bus to catch the next day…