 Okay, so we all have wishes and hopes and dreams, right? Well here are some of mine. "3 Random Reasons Why I REALLY Want To Go To..." is a segment on The Drifters Blog wherein I share with you one of the many places I have always wanted to explore and 3 reasons why I feel a trip there is warranted. Next up: Edinburgh, Scotland. Recently I have been reading a lot from other bloggers such as Megan at Meganotravels as well as Miranda & Dylan at Endlessly Changing Horizon about the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. This has re-sparked my interest in visiting this European city. I say "re-sparked" because I have heard of this place before in the past, from personal friends who live there and from friends who have visited there before. No matter how I see it, Edinburgh has always been one of those places that I REALLY want to go to. Here are just 3 random reasons why... #1 Afternoon Tea and Coffee are Regularly Served in Fancy Shmancy Hotels Truth be told, I would really love to kick back and sip on a hot cup of coffee or afternoon tea in Edinburgh. Accompanied by sugary snacks and savory bites, this sounds like the perfect way to enjoy Scottish bites. I worked at Four Seasons Resorts Lanai in the Food and Beverage Department for 8 years and am familiar, front to back, with the "Americanized" process of serving high tea. Sampling those little sandwiches, scones and cakes are one of the things I miss most about that job! From what I understand, there are many hotels in Edinburgh where I'd be able to sit back amongst posh and luxurious surroundings feeling like a total fish out of water while enjoying afternoon tea. And I'd be totally fine with that. Why? Because I love caffeine. There, I said it alright. I love caffeine! What's cool is that many of these hotels that serve afternoon tea can also be booked for accommodations at a reasonable price, once you find a hotel that has tea service, just look for listings of that hotel on venere.com to see what kind of great bargains are out there. Of course, if fancy schmancy settings are just not your thing, then there are many other down-to-earth options out there, such as cafes and tearooms, for getting your routine caffeine fix on in Edinburgh. #2 Festivals of Food, Film, Art, Books (& Something Called "Fringe") Are Organized Up The Wazoo! Who doesn't love a good event? And what better way for a city to host one then to organize a festival? When it comes to cultural festivals, Edinburgh excels. In fact, the city is supposedly so good at throwing a memorable festival that they have enough festivals to be spread around for practically every month of the year, (if they wanted to do so!) Already in this year, Edinburgh has hosted two festivals, one on science and another for children, with another festival presently going on! (This one is about film and it's scheduled to go on until June 30th.) The most thrilling of all the festivals, however, and also the one of the most highly regarded cultural festivals held worldwide, is the Edinburgh International Festival. This is basically a 3-week long event that highlights classical music, theatre, opera and dance. As most of you know, The Drifters Blog is all about documenting travel through exploring the culture, language, food and arts of a certain place, so this little factoid is definitely one of the reasons why Edinburgh, Scotland is on my list. #3 An Extinct Volcano is Surrounded By Architectural Masterpieces, Both Historical and Modern Okay, so as a Hawaii born islander, we've got the whole "volcano" thing down. I mean, we have volcanoes that are extinct, dormant or presently active. So why go to Edinburgh to see some extinct volcano? Well, because unlike Hawaii, Edinburgh's volcano is virtually surrounded by architectural gems that date back for centuries! Sure, Hawaii has beaches and wildlife galore, but it's relatively new status as a place where cities are built makes the tropical island paradise seem like a newborn baby compared to the ages and ages of historical layers that can be found in Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century, and as such, it's Old Town district boasts some real jaw droppers, like a medieval castle and distinctive tenement buildings that were once the tallest buildings of their time. And lest you think their recognition of being a UNESCO World Heritage site means the city solely hosts old building sites, remember that Edinburgh has a distinguished New Town as well, where modern wonders such as the Scottish Storytelling Centre and the Scottish Poetry Library remind us the old can always be incorporated in with the new. And there it is, just 3 random reasons why I REALLY want to go to Edinburgh, Scotland. Of course, this is just one of the many places that are on my hot list of places I've got to see at least once, so please keep following along to see where else on the map has been pinned for future drifter exploration!
33 Comments
I was in Edinburgh last summer when the Fringe Fest was going on (didn't even know it was happening until I was walking around one day and all the comedians were out doing bits and passing out info for their shows). Also--I realllllly wanted to go to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, but tickets were completely sold out! (I'm still toying with the idea of going this summer though!) 6/21/2013 11:19:09 am
So you spent all that time in Hawaii where *I* would love to go, yet day trips to Edinburgh would be what you would like to do... haha! The grass is always greener on the other side, right? To be honest, I never had much interest in European history because, as you say, I was born and raised in HAWAII of all places! But when a bunch of friends forced me to go on a trip to Europe a few years back, I realized there's more to things then fun in the sun and laidback beach life, there are layers and layers of cultural history that goes back hundreds of years, or even thousands in some places, that can still be seen today.
Kalei
6/21/2013 02:25:23 pm
I would like to see an actual castle... not the made up Disney ones. 6/21/2013 02:40:59 pm
I love castles! I might go back through all my photos at uni now and do a special British one, castles and Edinburgh ;) 6/22/2013 02:37:39 am
Scotland is on my list, too. Now even more so that you point out the afternoon tea and other food to eat. You can get me to want to go anywhere if you mention great food! I want to go back to Edinburgh for the Scotch mostly. It's also nice to go to an English-speaking country that feels like a real foreign experience because you can't understand what half the people are saying. I still don't know what that guy was talking about in the pub... 6/23/2013 05:31:29 pm
Edinburgh is amazing. If Scotland wasn't so damn cold all the time I would actually consider moving there. The Scots are hilarious. An awesome bunch of people and their national dish haggis is the best. It sounds disgusting, but you have got to try it! Actually, I've always thought haggis looked like a great dish to try! I never really understood what the big deal was about it being 'disgusting' as there are lots of other dishes out there that are way more questionable than that. I can't wait to try it, thanks for the encouragement! 6/24/2013 02:26:32 am
Any reason is a good reason to venture anywhere! Love your three! 6/24/2013 01:30:57 pm
All great reasons and ones that make me want to go sooner than later.
Estefanía García
6/27/2013 05:56:29 am
Dream Trip: UK (all of it)....Nuff said! 7/6/2013 05:33:24 am
I would like to see the highlands in Scotland! I've seen so much of it in movies. Looking forward to visit it someday. 7/10/2013 10:10:39 pm
I absolutely love Edinburgh! In fact, a few years ago, I really had no desire to go there, but my Irish cousin and her friends head there all the time for a quick getaway. So for New Year's Eve 2011, we met there and I had the most amazing trip! NYE is the perfect time to go, and the celebration is incredible. I would go back in a heartbeat. :) Leave a Reply. |
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 ABOUT ME
I'm JR. I come from a long line of adventurers, some were nomadic explorers of the sea and others wandering cultivators of the earth. Ultimately, this legacy of drifters has deeply affected my view of travel. Read more...
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