...I'm finally back with with a bit more about my Scottish holiday in October, this time all ado with the fair city of Edinburgh (I started writing this post a good 10 days ago but my Christmas prep always has a way of getting the better of me!...); as mentioned in previous posts, one of my daughters is in Edinburgh for a year, studying at U of E, and I spent a good week there partly enjoying the sights with her, and partly on my own exploring the city all on foot.... And, I can tell you that the more I wandered through the streets of Edinburgh (and I really did wander according to all the steps recorded on my phone!...), the more I fell in love with this absolutely charming city so full of character!... So, I thought I would share with you some of the things that caught my eye during all my roaming...
I stayed in a sweet little apartment, suitably located a block away from daughter's student residences and very close to the University of Edinburgh, where I spotted this perfectly appointed soup truck which made me smile...
Before my trip to Scotland, I did some very cursory browsing of a travel guide about Edinburgh (I tend to be someone who quickly glances at travel guides before a trip just to get a lie off the land and then reads them in much greater detail once on site...) and quickly came across the terms "Old Town" and "New Town"; at that point I have to admit that I only really focused on "Old Town" as that's were my daughter is living and hence where I planned to stay. As soon as I got to Edinburgh though, I realized how that the juxtaposition of the Old Town and New Town is, in so many ways, what makes Edinburgh so very special...It really is a tale of two towns with both being historically fascinating in very different ways and both, beautifully preserved as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Old Town is the definition of quaint charm with its higgledy-piggledy medieval architecture and narrow cobbled alleys...
Having kids who embraced the Harry Potter series and basically grew up with it, I have become very familiar with the movie series having happily watched it with them about a kazillion times, so I couldn't help but be struck at how Edinburgh Old Town with all its darkly atmospheric spots must have inspired Rowling's work...
On the other hand, New Town, built in the 18th and 19th centuries, is as different as can be: considered a masterpiece of city planning, the streets are wide and the architecture, very Georgian in all its stunning formal and elegant glory...
Edinburgh has one of the things I that I think makes a city highly liveable: an abundance of great public green spaces, perfect for strolling and absolutely stunning in autumn whether from a distance,... 
...closer up,...
...by flowing water as can be found in picturesque Dean Village,...
...or from heights, such as on top of Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano smack-dab in the city, which offers absolutely gorgeous panoramic views of all of Edinburgh...
While summer was long gone by the time of my visit to Edinburgh, a few of its lovely last vestiges could still be spotted here...
...and there...
Scottish bagpipes and drums?... I will definitely stop for a listen especially when played by such a sweet trio!...
And given that they're no where to be found on our side of the Atlantic, I will always step into a Cath Kidston shop; this time though, I thought their sweetly appointed fitting room more eye-catching than their merchandise!.....
While rambling through the streets of Edinburgh, many shop and pub facades caught my eye and I though I would show you a few...
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But, the only shop I went into from all of these is the one just above because, well, yes, you've guessed it, it's a yarn shop!... And, I must tell you, it was delightful: Kathy's Knits turned out to be a sweet little gem of a yarn shop stocked with the loveliest selection of yarns from Scotland and Northern England, definitely worth a visit if you're a local yarn aficianado like me. I visited the shop twice and, luckily for me, both times, the very lovely and talented Lucy Hague, creator of stunning knitted cable designs based on Celtic and Pictish knotwork, was tending the shop while working on an absolutely stunning new cardigan design, beautifully detailed with her trademark cable work -- quite the treat!...
I hope you've enjoyed this little stroll through Edinburgh -- I do have one last thing I'd like to share with you about Edinburgh which I hope to do soon ... Thanks for popping by!...
