| I simply loved Edinburgh! You know, as much as I love | | | | exquisite animals and also a bird show. We were |
| ice cream. Like most big towns and cities of Scotland, | | | | pleasantly surprised with a complete view of the larger |
| at least those that I have seen, Edinburgh is also a | | | | Edinburgh area, bigger and in some ways better than |
| perfect combination of the old and the new; the | | | | the view from Arthur's Seat. |
| historical and the modern. Where you can see | | | | Another stretch of Edinburgh worth mentioning is the |
| charming old streets and buildings, beautiful castles and | | | | Royal Mile. It is the longest and probably the most |
| oodles of natural beauty, you can also see high street | | | | historically endowed street in Edinburgh. It runs from |
| fashion stores, sprawling supermarkets and great | | | | the Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood. Even |
| shopping malls and cine-plexes. Beauty and comfort in | | | | though we wanted to, we could never walk down the |
| one place! I lived in Edinburgh for many months when | | | | entire mile (seems longer than that!, I guess due to the |
| my husband was posted there, and I think I will never | | | | sloping road) in a single trip. We did bits and pieces of it, |
| forget it. | | | | sometimes by foot, sometimes by bus. I am sure, all |
| Edinburgh is vast in terms of the places to visit and | | | | the way by foot would be a great way to see all the |
| things to do, so perhaps it is better if I stick to what I | | | | great buildings (some tourist attractions and some not), |
| loved the most. It is difficult but I will try. Starting with a | | | | shops and eating joints that this street has to offer. |
| place that is the heart of the city. Princess Street is a | | | | It was a while before I realized that being coastal, |
| mile long street with many many shopping and eating | | | | Edinburgh would have a beach. We didn't waste much |
| opportunities on one side and impressive gardens on | | | | time when we found out about the Portobello beach, |
| the other. The Princess Street Gardens are a | | | | just under 15 minutes from the city centre by bus. |
| welcome green paradise in the otherwise 'hustle and | | | | Turned out to be a fun little place for family outings. |
| bustle' shopping area. We found the gardens a great | | | | The beach was clean and not very crowded so the |
| place to relax, stroll or play with our toddler in the | | | | walk on the white sands was nice. We also found two |
| colorful play area. The gardens offer a majestic view | | | | interesting mini amusement centres with video games, |
| of the Edinburgh Castle which makes for an amazing | | | | pool, mini casino games (no serious gambling, just |
| sight. There are many parks and green areas in | | | | simple stuff for kids) and some fast food. It seemed |
| Edinburgh; another one of our favorites being The | | | | like a peaceful neighborhood and was a great place to |
| Meadows. | | | | hangout. |
| Then there is Arthur's Seat, one of the many | | | | There were also some other streets that I found really |
| volcanoes Edinburgh is surrounded by. Yes you read | | | | picturesque especially during fall, such as George |
| right: volcanoes, of course, thankfully, extinct volcanoes. | | | | Street and the entire route covered by Bus No 2; |
| Now it has become a nice little hill giving ample trekking | | | | which brings me to the Lothian Bus Service. The public |
| opportunities for those who wish to get some | | | | transportation in the city was so good, we never once |
| panoramic views of the area. On a side note, the | | | | thought of purchasing a car. We did rent a car once in |
| word 'panorama' was first used by the Irish painter | | | | a while for going to nearby cities but never for within |
| Robert Barker to describe his panoramic paintings of | | | | the city. The bus and train services were fast, |
| Edinburgh. Interesting, right? We climbed up a couple of | | | | convenient and comfortable. I loved the fact that I |
| times, taking the easier route considering we had a | | | | could take my toddler and his stroller easily in the bus |
| toddler to cater to, but there are more difficult treks | | | | without thinking twice. |
| possible too. The view from the top is heavenly and | | | | Last but not the least, I loved the people of Edinburgh. |
| you can see many landmarks of the city including a | | | | Simply put, helpful and honest. We got help where we |
| perfect aerial view of the Palace of Holyrood, the | | | | needed many times and on at least two occasions, |
| Queen's residence when she visits. | | | | we discovered how honest people were, and this |
| I also cannot forget our trip to the Edinburgh zoo. Apart | | | | impressed us no end. |
| from the fact that it is a haven for animal lovers with | | | | There are many more places in and outside of |
| many different species of animals and birds including | | | | Edinburgh that one could visit for their beauty and/or |
| zebras and penguins among others, it is also the only | | | | historical significance, but they would be too many to |
| zoo I have seen that is built on a hill. You need to wear | | | | mention. I would say only this: Edinburgh should |
| your best walking shoes when you visit as you will | | | | definitely be on your list if you are visiting Scotland. |
| have a full week's worth of workout while touring the | | | | I have put down my thoughts on moving to Edinburgh |
| zoo. It was in fact, immensely enjoyable, especially | | | | in another of my stories. |
| when we reached the topmost portion to see some | | | | |