Edinburgh, Scotland. land of the kilts, bagpipes, and fine whiskey. All of which should be consumed in moderation.
day 1:
We arrived around noon and decided to take a taxi to a hotel we had previously booked. we were early and decided to have lunch in the bar downstairs. that was when we realized we weren’t in milan anymore, because our waitress and hostess spoke english. not broken english either. after a few weeks of only hearing italian or english with a heavy italian accent, english (albeit with a scottish accent) was quite jarring to say the least.
After checking in we explored the grass market – a tourist-y location. Then we paid 5 pounds for an amazing view; we climbed to the top of Sir Walter Scott’s memorial building, and we were able to see all the way to the sea.
We were also able to explore the Scottish National Art Gallery that housed quite a few spectacular pieces of art shown below:
day 2:
We took a bus tour that allowed us to explore 2 castles as well as the Scottish highlands. It was an extensive 10-hour, gorgeous bus ride. We stopped to eat, take photos, and generally enjoy being in Scotland, while simultaneously learning about its’ history.
day 3:
We decided to sleep in and grab a late breakfast. Where better to go than the cafe that J.K. Rowling spent hours upon hours bringing Harry Potter to life. The place is called “The Elephant House”, and they sell t-shirts that read “the birthplace of Harry Potter”.
Also, the bathrooms are covered in graffiti from people all over the world thanking J.K. for Harry Potter as well as making punny jokes or quoting the book itself.
It truly was a magical place.
For the rest of the day we simply roamed Scotland, and we tried to take in as much as possible before departing.
Strange to think that after only 2 weeks in Milan and it already feels like home, and I genuinely was looking forward to returning after such a long and eventful weekend. I’ve missed my CA Anna and the already familiar roads and cafes. Oddly enough, I also missed the uncomfortable feeling of not completely understanding what everyone is saying 100% of the time. Being forced out of my comfort zone is what attracted me to Milan in the first place; so, although Scotland was an incredible, English-speaking country, I am quite happy to be able to drink my caffe macchiato here in Milan.