Half Term Break to Edinburgh
october 28-30 2016
I Decided to take a break from cooking during my half term break and took a road trip to edinburgh with a few pit stops on the way there and back. a nice three day getaway to see another part of this island.
DAY 1 OCTOBER 28 2016
As it's about a 6 hour drive to edinburgh we decided to find some place to stop to break up the driving time. we had heard that the lake district was nice, so we decided that stop there as it was just about the halfway mark.
upon arriving we realize how large this place was, so we just randomly stopped at the first place that had parking, near lake windermere. we walked around the lake, it was very peaceful and beautiful and visiting at this time of the year there was an array of colors due to the falling of the leaves.
we then stopped by to have a simple lunch by the lake and to enjoy the view. i can see why people like it here and spend their holidays here.
AFTER LUNCH WE then DECIDED TO WALK TO AMBLESIDE, A BIGGER TOWN WITH MANY SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS, some LOCAL AND some CHAINS. THIS WAS MORE TOURISTY THAN WINDERMERE BUT THERE WAS MORE TO SEE. I REALLY LOVE THE BUILDINGS IN THIS AREA.
i Wish we could have stayed longer but now we have to continue our drive to Edinburgh. but our ride there was actually quite beautiful as we didn't drive on the main roads but took the country roads so the scenery around us was breathtaking and saw thousands of sheep everywhere.
We finally arrived in Edinburgh just as the sun was going down. As it was Friday rush hour getting through the city and to our hotel took longer than we had expected. once arriving at the hotel, we decided to take a little rest and figure out what we would do later and where to eat. i checked on yelp and found a restaurant that was actually in walking distance from us. so we called them and luckily they had a cancelation and were able to squeeze us in at 730 on a friday night.
THE DOGS KITCHEN AND BAR
Just a few minutes walking from our hotel we arrived at an old building, upon entering we walked towards the back up a large staircase with unique furniture and decoration. the place was funky and the owner even more funkier. the food was tasty, the wine was delicious, and the ambience was very chill, although a bit noisy but it was a busy friday night. to start we had the wild mushroom and ASPARAGUS stir-fry with fried duck egg and orange and the roasted butternut squash and sage barley risotto (not rice) with balsamic reduction. for mains we had the braised and pulled oxtail stew with dumpling and vegetables and 1 6 oz steak with chips and tomato. for dessert we had the treacle tart with pear and ginger sorbet. its a place to get good tasting food but also to come in just for a drink.
Day 2 October 29 2016
after wandering the streets to find some breakfast and coffee, we went to the tourism center as it was just around the corner. as we both had not been here before, we had no idea what to do. so the first recommendation was to go see the edinburgh castle so we did. nice views, interesting new and old buildings, and learned a little history. i definitely would recommend going as early as possible because when we left there were long queues to get in.
we walked around downtown and through market street, walking pass many little shops, restaurants, cafes and whisky stores. we ended up buying some SCOTTISH wool scarfs to keep us warm during the winter. then we ended up at the national museum of scotland. the museum itself was similar to the national museums in the us with some science exhibitions, TAXIDERMY animals, artifacts, and art. but the building was definitely the highlight, it didn't look like much from the outside and upon entering from the ground floor it was quite dark. but then once ascending up the elevator the light came through and you were able then to see the amazing space. high ceilings, wooden floors, large open middle space with lots of light. a very nice setting just to walk around in. after that we went back to the hotel to rest our feet for a little while.
WHISKI BAR AND RESTAURANT
as being our last night in edinburgh, we decided to try some scottish specialities. for starters we had haggis and cullen skink (fish chowder with smoked haddock). for those who don't know what haggis is, i just found out that day what it was, it is a pudding that includes sheep's heart, liver and lungs minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, and spices. It used to be encased in sheep's stomach but now its encased in ARTIFICIAL casing. it was actually not as bad as it might sound, actually quite tasty. then we tried the steak and ale pie and sausage and mash. also quite good, but also a lot of food. we tried some local beers as well, a bit too early in the evening to do a wisky tasting.
Haggis
Steak and Ale Pie
Cullen Skink
Sausage and Mash
