Blogs from Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe - page 2

I took the Ryan Air commuter from Dublin to Edinburgh on Tuesday morning. Expecting full customs and passport checks I arrived at the Dublin airport 2 full hours in advance. Big mistake. Apparently travel within the EU is much easier than I expected. Perhaps I mistakenly took the wrong line, but it seemed like everyone from the US was going through the same line - group think at its finest. At least if I was wrong I will have plenty of company in jail. The flight itself was extremely uncomfortable. Ryan Air crams people onto their planes with almost no leg room at all. Even though I had no sleep (again, despite my best efforts) I couldn’t get into a position that allowed me to sleep on the plane. Once I sat down my body was ... read more

Today went to Edinburgh Castle, ate Haggis at Deacon William Brodie's Tavern, and went on a whisky tour. It was a wee bit rainy and very windy but still fun. At the Castle we saw the Scottish Crown Jewels and lot's of exhibits about the Scottish military. At the restaurant we ate haggis and drank. I had a couple pints of beer; sadly, Charles's had two pints of cider and--it pains me to write this--one of the pints of cider was flavored with raspberries. On the whisky tour we learned about how whisky is made. The whisky sampling portion of the tour was very interesting. During it I learned two things: 1. I really like the smokey flavor of whiskies from the Isle of Islay and, 2. French men begin giggling like little school girls when ... read more

A gentle rain falls as the sun sets in Edinburgh. Charles is still taking a nap. At first I couldn't figure out how to turn on the lights in our hotel room. Then I discovered that you have to put your room keycard in a special slot for any of the lights to work. Interesting... I was disappointed not to find a bidet in the bathroom. I haven't used one since 1988...good times. There was, however, a liquid soap dispenser in the shower labeled "English Leather." I used it quite liberally during my douche (European for "shower"). English Leather has a scent similar to Mane 'N Tail. I told Charles, "Help yourself to the English Leather all you want, but don't even look at the Verticoli (my nickname for my toothbrush). Charles has awakened from his ... read more

After 3 blue sky mornings in a row, this morning is a bit cloudy. Well this is winter. The Grassmarket newly refurbished hotel is so comfy that I'd rather linger in my bed today. url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186525-d582548-r149479477-Grassmarket_Hotel-Edinburgh_Scotland.htmlRead my review here.After so many early trains, I need a holiday within a holiday. One of the good thing about solo trip is you can do whatever you want. And today I want a late start. I enjoyed my breakfast in bed while watching some property show and holiday scam series, and actually enjoying this. I walked along the Royal Mile, not that hard to find the Edinburgh Castle. Just before the castle there's a Whiskey Museum but you have to pay 12 GBP or so. Not drinking alcohol at all, I decided to give it a miss. I finally able ... read more