We cashed in some Marriott Points (didn't even know I had them) for one 5-star hotel in Edinburgh and one 4-star hotel in Glasgow. The trip up to Edinburgh was relatively easy, although it involved a 25-minute walk to the Greenock train station, a 1-hour ride to Glasgow, a 20-minute walk to another train station, another 1-hour ride to Edinburgh, and a walk down a hill to the hotel. Worth it! Edinburgh is the jewel in the crown of Scotland (many of you have been there), gorgeous from every angle. The golden and brown stone buildings radiate former power and elegance, and the people couldn't be more friendly. Janna thought it was excessive for me to have my (cool) sneakers polished at the hotel, but the results are in and I'm thrilled.
We walked and walked, up to the castle, down to Holyrood Palace, through backstreets and along the main thoroughfares.
The highlight, though, had to be dinner at Atelier (put it on your list). Gorgeous modern food, friendly setting, casual and efficient service. Short descriptions: Beetroot with goat cheese cake, chutney puree, orange gel and balsamic caviar; Sea bass fillet, crispy prawns, smoked paprika puree, pak choi, basil mash and a light bisque:
Lunch was at the Dome, a converted Bank of Scotland building. Take a peek:
Then, we trained back over to Glasgow, where we took in the new Zaha Hadid Riverside Transportation Museum, the Tall Ship, and the Govan (medieval) stones.
Dinner at a typical Scottish restaurant (recommended by a friend), and more wandering this morning before we came back to the ship. Tonight, BBQ, several meetings, and we sail off toward Dublin. Totally weird event: we are leaving the MV Explorer and docked next door (next slip?) is a large container ship painted turquoise. I casually said to Janna, "Hey, there's your ship -- they painted it for you!" Here's the random kicker: when we looked closer, we saw what it was actually named. Rod Serling, anyone?
No comments:
Post a Comment