we rock a lot of polka dots: on monday i jumped on a train nice and early, glasgow bound. my sparkle boo lynsay met me at the station (both dressed head to toe in polka dots!), and we quickly headed back to the rainbow palace to pick up gary and head into queens park for a wee wander. the day wasn't too pleasant, but the company made up for it - especially when i was welcomed back into the warmth of the palace with a can of diet coke and a fancy straw! that night gary cooked us delicious vegetarian burritos, and we watched a lot of home renovation programs while we chatted into the wee hours. because, we're all adults now.
brunch with babes: the next morning we met up with ayden and headed to the glad cafe nearby, for an exceptional brunch and gossip session. in the short few hours we were there i devoured some delicious french toast with bacon and maple, two large caffe lattes, and a whole heap of chat about some of my favourite scots' lives. it was so nice to see lyns and gary again, and finally meet ayden. the internet, eh!
seeing the sights: from there, lyns, gary and i headed back into glasgow via the banks of the clyde and klingatron's epic tiger mural on the city-side. we wandered up past "the bridges" until we hit the "entertainment park" (all official terms of reference), before walking back into town and putting me on a train. this wasn't my first trip to glasgow, but it was nice to see some different sights to the last time i was there.
all the baked goods: because donuts are always a priority.
all the indian food: because when you can incorporate your love of craft beer with your love of spicy food in one place, well you do. on my return to edinburgh, the girls and i headed to v deep in leith for a night of tearing and sharing and enjoying the "craft beer and curry odyssey" the restaurant is renowned for. the food was great, the beer was better. the sexy green both complete with disco ball that we were issued for our stay was the absolute highlight.
this thing with doors: edinburgh might be pretty grey, ok, it's that time of year after all, but can i just say that this city certainly has a thing with doors. every single building has a bright door and colourful threshold adorning it, to give each and every home or business a bit of personality. it's a theme i can definitely get on board with too (evidence: door ways four ways). take note london!
the pitiful mob: on the night of the 30th we made our way down to opening night of edinburgh's famous hogmanay celebrations - the torchlight procession. we congregated on george iv bridge for about an hour while all the torches were lit in the street by event staff, and then we were off! we walked down the royal mile onto princes street as the least angry mob ever, although possibly the most terrified; open flames, long hair and polyester coats do not have a place being that close to each other - ever. we have up at the bottom of calton hill and put our waning fire sticks out before finding a great spot for the fireworks and watching those before hitting the hey for an early pre-new years eve night.
hogmanay! the following night was the big one, and we weren't afraid to let our hair down! with seven girls staying in the flat, plus some pre-drinks guests, it was always going to be difficult to make sure everyone was having a good time, but we did alright! with shots of petron, jager and vodka jellies on the menu before we'd even cracked open the bubbles, we were well on our way to warming up for the street party ahead, and that was before the quick pub (with open buffet) trip we had planned too. with thanks to a slight drunky hiccup from the squad and a quick save from kirsty and adam, my night also included a few rounds of heads up and being victorious at my first ever game of cranium (thanks to sunae's epic sculpting skills!), but ultimately still ended with an incredible group of friends, far too many drinks and a fabulous light show in this amazing city. hogmanay = done.
a world of illusions: after the new year, the squad diminished somewhat, so rebekah, sunae and i decided to get in some more of the city's best attractions by heading out to the camera obscura in the old town. it's been on my list of things to see for ages, and i was glad to finally be able to check it out myself! for hours we were entertained with six floors of optical illusions, magic eye puzzles and the grand daddy of them all - the original camera obscura on the roof. the weather was a bit shite, of course, but it was fun to see the retro piece of tech in action!
colourful edinburgh: the best part of my couple of weeks in edinburgh has been the wonderful pops of colour that litter the grey, cobbled streets. wherever you turn there's a bright door (see above), neon sign, stained glass window or vintage car there ready to brighten your day. it never gets old, and it's something i could definitely get used to seeing more regularly.
hope you've had as colourful and eventful a new year as i have!
