(photographed by Megan Rizzi)
Hello everyone and welcome to tea time with David and Emily! You are about to read all about what we are thankful for on this fine Thanksgiving week. You might be wondering, Thanksgiving? In Scotland?
Although it wasn’t a conventional Thanksgiving, we realized we have so much to be thankful for here in Edinburgh!
And don’t you worry the class still had turkey time, at none other than the Hard Rock Cafe; courtesy of Ms. Elizabeth Davis!
We are going to take you on a highlight tour through Edinburgh of not only the things we did this week but of the things we are most thankful for that we get to enjoy every day here.
Arthurs Seat
Arthur’s Seat might just be the best *chair* with a view anywhere in the world. It can be windier than a hurricane, but that can actually be nice after you’ve been sweating from the near vertical climb to the top. And if you’re lucky enough, you may even see a rainbow like we did last week! It sometimes seems like we are on a movie set, one minute you are in a bustling city and the next you have a 250 meter tall slice of the Scottish Highlands in front of you. The interns at parliament all have a view from their desk that over looks the mountaintop, and it’s a great reminder that even just outside their work environment there is true beauty in the nature and wide open spaces of Scotland. Spectacular spaces like Arthur’s seat inspire us to get outside as much as possible and take advantage of Scotland’s endless network of walking paths.
(it’s all about the climb, to Authors Seat credit-Emily and David)
Leo’s Beanery
Grab your cup of joe and stay awhile at the coffee shops here in Edinburgh! Whether you are in the mood for coffee or tea, Leo’s Beanery is the place to go! It is a local coffee shop where we tend to study for Napier classes and write our papers for Dr. Armstrong’s class. Leo’s is in the basement of a building, and when you walk down the six stairs and open the big glass door, you are greeted by a combination of freshly ground coffee beans and freshly baked out of the oven cakes and pastries. Leo’s is a home away from home for us, the baristas know us, they know where we like to sit, try and save us our table, and they keep out kettles warm and full. We love this place and are so thankful that the equivalent of our James B. Duke Furman library is in this quaint little local beanery, that always smells like home.
(studying hard or hardly studying, Leo’s Shots form one of our study days credit-E and D)
Stockbridge
Every Sunday that we are here in Edinburgh, we look forward to visiting the local Stockbridge outdoor market. A blend of tourists, hipsters, and young families stroll through this park filled with tents selling fruits, cheese, pastries, jams and so much more. But most importantly, Stockbridge Market has the best Sunday lunch options! Each week the food stands are different, but you can always bet you stomach will be full of international fare from savory and sweet French crepes, sizzling Japanese Gyoza, or even spicy Kenyan Street food. It’s also a great place to people watch, and make new friends.
This week while in line for paella, we met a friendly Belgian man who asked us (clearly locals) what our favorite spots in town were. Little did he know he was already our favorite Sunday hangout. To see what good eats we’re looking forward to next weekend, you can check out their website here that lists the vendors for the week.
(our local market gems, all the food we love credit-E and D)
Christmas Market
For the past month, the entire city of Edinburgh has been a construction site as the city has prepared for their annual Christmas festivities. Edinburgh does not take the season lightly; the Christmas market shines bright every night with it’s nearly one hundred stands and fair rides. In the past week, our class has visited the fair multiple times to enjoy the warm drinks and snacks and the thrilling rides like the Star Flyer that swings its brave riders 60 meters over Edinburgh. The City of Edinburgh Council released that the Edinburgh Christmas 2017 festival generated an economic impact of £113 million in additional output, equating to 2,260 full time jobs in Edinburgh making it one of the most beneficial single events for the city year round. Not only are we enjoying this annual tradition, but it looks like the Edinburgh economy is as well. You can learn more from Edinburgh’s Christmas official website here.
(Christmas Market morning and night credit-E and D)
Home away from home
They say home is where the heart is, and you can be sure that our hearts are officially here in Scotland. We are lucky enough to have spent 4 months here exploring and embedding ourselves into the Scottish culture. We are very lucky to spend our time living in New town. New Town is more residential and gives us the full package, as we can explore the hustle and bustle of Old Town while also getting to rest and live as locals do. Our flats are incredibly nice, one might say 5 stars, and we are surrounded by local shops and stores that we have become regulars at. There is a smell to Scotland, and every day it creeps up on you. It is unexpected but all the more satisfying as you take in a big inhale. We have spent the past months trying to figure it out. Our epiphany happened while walking past our local pub, the Wally Dog. They were receiving their daily shipment of kegs and one had spilled, when we walked past it we instantly recognized the smell on the street, and we knew in that moment that the Edinburgh smell we have been searching for was right under our noses. The delicious smell was the beer from all the local pubs and bars, case closed! With local businesses and hangout spots that make us feel at home and comfortable every day.
(80 Dundas Emily’s Home credit-E and D)
Family Fun, under the sunny RAIN.
Our families joined our adventures this week, as they spent their Thanksgiving break with the people they are most thankful for… us! We were lucky enough to take them to our favorite spots and enjoy good food, and even visit some sights we have never seen before such as, Holyrood Palace, the Royal Yacht Britannia, and some delicious restaurants we hadn’t discovered.
Throughout the week, the Savini’s had the chance to explore the city, and eat some unforgettable food. On the day of Thanksgiving, the Savini’s had an amazing Indian dinner (unfortunately no turkey) and then went ice skating at St. Andrews Square. Although not your typical Turkey Day, it was special celebrating in a new place and appreciating each other’s company in such a unique setting.
The Zeytoonjian family enjoyed time exploring the city, climbing the famous Royal Mile to the castle, eating good food for noodles to Indian but we can’t forget haggis, all forms, at every meal. The best Zeytoonjian excursion was to loch ness where we hunted for Nessie, and guess what we found her! She was a little shy so we couldn’t get a picture but let me tell you she was there. It was amazing seeing family especially around Thanksgiving, it reminded us how grateful we are to have them in our lives, supporting us and our time here. The Zeytoonjian family definitely loved our city and want to come back and stay even longer.
(Zeytoonjian classic Selfie credit -Father Richie Z)
(Savini Silly Skating credit- Mother Irene)