E is for Edinburgh! 041022

Welcome to the fifth installment of (missing) travel adventures in Morning After Thoughts. What's on your mind this morning? Here we go, Day 44!

Windy top of Calton Hill, Nelson Monument, Jan. 2018. Photo by Mr. Snugs

1. Edinburgh is one of the most architecturally beautiful cities in Europe that I’ve been to. In Old Town, the labyrinth of alleys and cobblestone streets are gorgeous, but definitely wear comfortable footwear. When I took a side trip here in-between a pilgrimage to Ireland in January 2018, I went with my mom and Mr. Snugs. We stayed in a hotel, Fountain Court Royal Garden Apartments, across from the Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queens St. It is the most pristine hotel I have stayed in, ever. We had multiple wings, two bathrooms, a kitchen, full dining room, living room, and made it easy for Joel and me to bring new friends back to at two am after a night of dancing, and not disrupt my mom, in case she was sleeping.

2. The vegan food in Edinburgh, like Dublin, is ever-changing to exceed expectations. Two places that we enjoyed immensely were Hendersons and NovaPizza. I hope they both survived the pandemic in one form or another. A photo of my meal at Nova. I just couldn’t choose one! They also had an excellent wine list.

   

   Vegan gnocchi and pizza margherita, NovaPizza. Photo by JBS

3. Speaking of excellent wine lists, Edinburgh is a city filled with drunken mating calls. (They are infamously known for stag and hen parties.) My mom, Mr. Snugs, and I started every night at my personal favorite, The Queens Arms Pub, a hidden jewel below the cobblestone streets. Its oversize red armchairs, stacked book shelves, and extensive booze list attract visitors and locals alike. The people we met in Edinburgh were some of the most friendly. We met gems from Australia, India, and the local University of Edinburgh. The couple from the university even saw us off to the airport showering us with local goods before we flew back to Dublin. These memories do remind me that there are good people in this world, maybe we just have to go out and find them.

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From sex and family drama to work woes and hangovers, what's on your mind today? Welcome to a space to reflect light on three things, and please share if you're comfortable doing so. Happy Sunday, friends.