How to describe Edinburgh? UNDESCRIBABLE.

Just got back from Scotland a little while ago and was very sad to go. It's been a crazy last five days and I feel like I just crammed so much into such a short amount of time. On Thursday, we left for Edinburgh and stopped at Richmond's castle, which was a very fun experience. We also ate Fish & Chips which was so good but so greasy...ah...such is life. When we arrived in Scotland, we ate at an Asian all you can eat buffet called Jimmy Chang's where I gorged myself (I genuinely miss Asian food) but unfortunately for me, we had to run to catch a show by a Cambridge band known as "Truly Medley Deeply" which is a fantastic acoustic band that does mash ups of popular pop, rock, hip hop, and rap songs. Afterward, we went to a free comedy show about "Shagging" but unfortunately the comedic stylings were not so great. There was also some random nudity that freaked me out.

Friday was such a wonderful day as well! We started the day off with a tour of the Royal Mile called "Saints and Sinners" and saw so much of the city. The beautiful thing about Edinburgh is that it is the perfect combination of historical buildings but also modern ones as well. After a quick lunch of falafel wraps, we saw a play called "Bunny", which was a one-woman show that I greatly enjoyed. The actress was brilliant and I believe that it is very difficult to do one person shows but she pulled it off wonderfully. Afterward, we walked back to the Royal Mile to look at the art collection in the National Gallery of Scotland. I was unable to take pictures due to copyright issues, but I can tell you some of my favorite paintings there.

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_az/4:322/result/0/4986?initial=G&artistId=4971&artistName=Jean-Baptiste%20Greuze&submit=1

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_az/4:322/result/0/22819?initial=F&artistId=4755&artistName=Fran%C3%A7ois-Xavier%20Fabre&submit=1

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_az/4:322/result/0/5658?initial=M&artistId=3390&artistName=Claude%20Monet&submit=1

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_az/4:322/result/0/4758?initial=C&artistId=1947&artistName=Frederic%20Edwin%20Church&submit=1

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_az/4:322/result/0/5396?initial=S&artistId=4829&artistName=John%20Singer%20Sargent&submit=1

Sorry about that mass influx of links. Anyways, that night we also saw Dr. Faustus the play, which was quite interesting as well but I believe that I enjoyed Bunny more. That night we also went to Mother India, a delicious Indian restaurant that served food in the 'tapas' style. So yummy! A group of girls and I also went to a couple of clubs (Siglo and Espionage) to sample the nightlife.

SATURDAY! The day started off a trip to the Elephant House, which is a cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books when she was a poor single mother. Needless to say, I was freaking out. I normally don't even drink coffee but for Harry Potter, I will do anything. Then we went on what was supposed to be an easy hike but ended up in a lot of pain for us unfit Americans. Not so easy. After the hike up Arthur's Seat we were too tired for the tour of Scottish Parliament so we went out for lunch and then to the Edinburgh Castle at the end of the Royal Mile. So we got a brief history lesson from our program assistant (PA) about the place and got to see some very interesting things. Because we were staying at a youth hostel, there was a little kitchenette included and in order to save some money, we cooked ourselves a dinner of garlic ciabatta bread, salad, spaghetti pasta with meatballs and wine. Afterwards, a couple of the girls and I went out but I retired early because it had been such a long day.

On Sunday, we left for the Troussachs but I opted for a trip on Loch Katrine via ferry (I was under the belief that we were going to Loch Ness and got excited but was sorely disappointed) which was also very lovely. Unfortunately, my friend and I were left behind by the bus and after some frantic phone calls they came back to get us. I think we might notoriously be known as the "girls who got left behind" from now on. That night, we went to a play called Beautiful Burnout, which was absolutely fantastic. It was physical theatre and was about boxing which almost made me cry. Then we went to a vegetarian restaurant called David Bann which was also wonderful. We finished our last night in Scotland with a game called Mao, which was so fun yet very frustrating at first.

So today, we left early but unfortunately one of the buses broke down and about 20 or so of the people had to stay behind. I was also extremely carsick and it was not the best day for me. We also stopped by Fountains Abbey. At first, it seemed very mediocre but when we walked in we were so amazed by everything. It was a beautiful place and also extremely tranquil. I believe it is definitely a sight that people should visit if they happen to be in England.

Okay so that wraps up Edinburgh! PHEW! That was a whole lot. I hope you enjoyed the post.