We opted to travel by bus from Leeds to Edinburgh just because we thought it would be nice to see some of the countryside. The trip took two more hours than by train but we were both happy to have chosen this mode of transportation as we did get to see more of the rural landscape than we would have by train. The city I was most impressed with was Durham and would definitely make that a stop at some point, possibly on another excursion. We were very tired when we arrived in Edinburgh at about 4:30 pm and had to get our bearings in order to find our hotel. After walking a bit through a very brisk wind and different weather than we had encountered elsewhere, we hailed a cab to get to our hotel which ended up to be just a few blocks away, but totally uphill. It was worth the 3.65 pound cab fare. The hotel is very fine and we have a splendid view of the surrounding old town area. Edinburgh Castel is right around the corner, as are all of the other places of interest. After setting up, we took a stroll to find a restaurant as all we had eaten for the day was the full English breakfast before checking out of our hotel in Leeds. We choose a small cafe, Le Sept, around the corner from our hotel and I ended up sending my dinner back - rabbit stew that looked like the rabbit regurgitated it - mainly because it was inedible due to the amount of salt the chef used. I would not have been so bold to send it back if I wasn't akin to all the cooking shows, especially those that feature chef competitions. I think even though I find it hard to watch Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen - he is so mean and foul - I have learned a lot from his insistence on quality meals going out of anyone's kitchen. Even though I might disagree with how he goes about it, I now know how to be an empowered diner and am confident that I am doing the chef a service by letting him know the quality demanded by the public in order for an establishment to remain in business. I noticed that when Gordon Ramsey tries to rescue restaurants in trouble, his first questions involve asking chefs what the problems are. Most chefs, to their discredit, remain in the dark when it comes to knowing why their customers are dissatisfied and don't repeat bookings. If you don't let the chef know what is wrong, they will assume their meals are prepared properly and are appreciated by their customers. I can see how very important it is for a chef to get out of their comfort zone of the kitchen and speak first hand with their guests. For this, I must thank Gordon Ramsey.
After a good night's rest (even though I was waking up every hour to blow my nose), we started our day off with some much appreciated, hot and thick, Scottish porridge with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of honey, along with some brown toast and, of course, tea and coffee. It was just what we needed considering we got a late start and it was rather cold and windy outside. There are many more Americans, it seems, in Edinburgh than in London, or for that matter, Leeds, and many more people in general in the small Castle area of this city. I also noticed that people here are not as friendly as in England. I don't feel as welcome here as I have in other areas of the UK.
After booking a 3 day tour of the highlands and Isle of Skye (2 nights on the Isle), we headed up to the Castle for a tour. I'm not sure I would do that again except for the wonderful 360 degree views. Not much of the Castle is open to visitors as it is actively inhabited for other functions and the museum area displays are rather confining and small. For instance, you walk through a maze of corridors and displays, packed in like sardines, just to get a glimpse of the Scottish Crown Jewels in one little room at the very end. It's almost as if there isn't really much to display at the Castle and so they make these rather elaborate walkthroughs to get to the real item of interest, and then you're done. The real highlight however, was the Whiskey Heritage Museum right outside the gates of Edinburgh Castle. I would strongly recommend the Gold Tour as you get to taste more whiskey at the end of the little barrel ride through the museum exhibit. I feel like I know quite a bit about a beverage that is really rather simple but has taken on many different forms and varieties. I hope it's medicinal as well, as I'm still fighting this head cold.
On to dinner at a local pub and wow, was it great. Not only did we get to experience a bit of the local rowdy crowd of footballers, but we also had a wonderful meal of Irish Stew for Bob and fish and chips for me. The fish was firm, flaky, moist and tasty with a light batter that was not drenched in oil. With a drizzle of brown sauce over the top, I was in fish and chips heaven. Good and cheap with a pint of Guinness, and nothing sent back to the chef this time. We were both very satisfied and are ready for another good night's sleep.
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