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Published: March 7th 2007
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Ringin on the old box
Royal Mile phone boxes!! I know, I know, its been a long time but ive been busy...earning!! I'm actually earning pounds which is hopefully going to curve my converting to Australian dollars which is just to painful. So much to write and remember so I might try to do it in sections.
My job. I;m so glad that this place was where I ended up. Nearly excepted a job at a ladida 'bit pretentious' restaurant for less but got the call up. The Wine Cellar is about 10min walk from my place along a road that goes straight pass the castle. Its been operating for about 150 years I think. One section looks that old, it has five sunken little rooms that are like barrels from cellars (hence name!) but 3 years ago they extended and added on a restaurant part. The bar is like an island bar and gets quite cosy with 6 people working the bar. I'm pulling beer!! From memory there are; Bitter and Twisted, Duechers IPA, Tennants Lager, Baltika, Kronenburg, Kronenburg Blanc, John Smith, Guiness and Guiness Cold. 2 are pump bbut the rest are pouring on the side, which I'm getting better at doing the correct amount of froth!
Then there arre the wines, too many to mention and hard to find. Also hard to hear, everyones pronounciations. As long as you say Iye about twice in each sentance and alsways doing it in a response you sound a little bit Scottish and people know you understand. My accent is also a bit difficult for them to digest I think too. I'm often greeted with a confused look or a 'what'. The menu changes daily nad is mainly made up of seafood and traditional Scottish meals, which I'm slowly making my way through. Not only did this job have the most money per hour (£6 plus a £ an hour tips) but we get a free meal and a free taxi home at nights! So im getting my main £9 meal in every day. I'm full time staff (theres about 14 bar staff in total) so im getting around 40hrs a week, either the 10-5 day or 5-1 night.
I've worked with most of staff and they seem quite a convivial team. Most have worked there for a couple of years or longer but i seem to be getting along. Its fairly social, as I've heard of most
3rd floor second from right
This is my little slice of edinburgh, where I live looking down cowgate from goerge IV road Scottish, they are a fairly alcoholic lot. Most nights they stay a few more hours after work for drinks, Have done so with them to be social for the first couple of weeks but may have to curve it down a bit I think. Most of them are 20-25ish and staying after work you get to hear everyoes stories. The mornings im usually on the floor and its not stressful work. I've been on bar at night though and its constantly busy from 5-1. The clientel are like the business 'old money' types of edinburgh, hardly anyone coming in is not wearing a suit. They all seem to be nice there are about 30-40 regulars who i also need to get to know as they have accounts behing the bar.
Its been a bit hard not letting out that i'll only be there for a couple little whiloe, especially after work getting to know everyone, like 'so how long are u going to stay in the backpackers' but thats only 1 thing so i think i will be ok.
Its my second week in the long term backpackers and i think i'll be quite comfortable here for the
the castle
I live in the building just infront of you there, ciew from candlemaker st next six weeks. I've only got 1 male and two females just moved in today from french canada so that will girly up the room a little bit! There are around 60 others in this part so I've gotton to know a few from the communal kitchen and lounge. Most are working and most in hospitality I'm guessing by all the black uniforms I've seen around. also most of them are Aussie, with a few french stuck in. The location is pretty amazing, right in the middle of old town (see pictures) and you can walk everywhere. Every building is hundreds of years old with cobbled streets and am venturing further abnd further down the royal mile (main st old town). From pretty much any vantage point you can see the castle. Great view even from my hostel window. The weather, which seems to get a lot of conversation over here hasnt been that bad. Sure more rain then sunny days, the wind is pretty fierce and not much heat in the sun when it does come out. Walking around the streets you usually get the faint whiff of bagpipes, either someone playing them on a corner or most probably blaring out of a Scottish shop selling kilts.
Over the last week I've also planned and booked most of the major parts of my trip. So in the shorthanded version here it is;
Ending work around the 20th April - depending on how much I've saved not sure what i'm doing in the UK until -
Start Busabout Bus on May 4th going to - Amsterdam, Berlin Prague, Cesky Krumlov and Vienna till 22nd May. Then going to Budapest and strarting a wekk long Romanian Tour with Eastern Trekker (ET). Then heading down to Split, Croatia to do the busabout Croatian Sail Week starting on 2 June (looking forward to that already) After that doing a 4 day one way ET trip up to Ljubjuania, Slovinia and heading over to Venice on the 14th of June. Starting up the Busabout ticket i then go to - Venice, Rome, Florence, La Spezia, Nice and Lutterbruin, on the 28th June. Not sure on the next week of travel yet but on the 5th of July will be in Paris to meet up with Mum and Dad for a few days. Hopefully then on the 8th will fly to Dublin to do a week tour of Ireland before arriving back in London on the 14th and flying home on the 16th. YAY!!, a lot of organising and money saving still to do in the next couple of months but hopefully all will go as planned. If any reading wish to join (maybe wish isnt the best word) or meet up your more than welcome!!
Have just joined the Library up the street, hence big blog as internet is free (as £2 an hour was getting expensive) Alos a few views of Edinburgh on nice days for you. Nice 'wee' blog and 'good chat' 'Iye' (few words, herd often)
Til next time...
ps will add photos soon, stupid computers
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