Finally doing some touristy things...

Hey all - John and Alix here... it's been a few days, so I wanted to remind you.  Lots to catch you up on.  First of all, we have a place to live!  We have settled on an apartment in Musselburgh, Scotland, which is an outlying suburb of Edinburgh.  This was a great compromise for us as John's school is out in the country, but we can still enjoy the benefits of a slightly bigger city (restaurants, shops, etc) - oh yeah, there is pub 30 feet from our front door.  And this is the view of the river that our apartment overlooks.

Our new neighborhood - we are in the brown building (2nd from far right)

I also wanted to share with you some pictures of our adventure through the city.  We started at our AirBNB by the Meadow park and hiked up to Arthur's Seat - didn't look that hard, but there were so many steps.

View of Edinburgh from Arthur's Seat - that is the North Sea in the distance

The view from Arthur's Seat toward the East... we aren't that far from the edge of town

Ruins from a Chapel (~1400's) at the base of Arthur's Seat

Proof that we were both there

A bird at the top of Arthur's Seat... I know he's closer to me

than the Huskie... but really?  This was a BIG bird

Then we made our way to the bottom of the Royal Mile, which is a stretch of road full of shops and restaurants making their way up to the Edinburgh Castle.  

Edinburgh Castle

The Royal Mile - perspective from the Castle

(look at all those people!)

John and I with the Castle behind us

All in all - a great day.  Lots of steps on the pedometer.  And a few other things we came across recently:

Finally - I got some ice cream here - mmm...

A nice Thai restaurant we came across -

lots of good food available

John's first bottle of Scotch Whisky

(no - I didn't misspell) -

is this available in the states?

 Alix and John out....

Things we have learned since we have arrived in Edinburgh (AMENDED!):

3. Everyone wears skinny pants - and you can't buy anything else... I have discovered why this is... it rains (A LOT) here and the ground is always wet.  This is why pants tight at the bottom of the leg are the best way to go... or these:

For those of you who were concerned about John's wellbeing - and I know you are out there - never fear, John has been successful in his search:

There is a Chinese grocery store very close to where we are staying - I think we will need to visit there often.

The search for a place to live is still a high priority for us - but we are realizing that it is not as easy as we thought.  They require a lot of documentation, especially since we are unemployed students - and we don't have what is called a UK Guarantor - or someone to basically say we are good for the money.  We have a couple of applications that we are working toward, and believe we should be in something by the end of next week - keep thinking good thoughts for us!

Alix and John out...

Things we have learned since we have arrived in Edinburgh:

Edinburgh Castle - who would be able to storm this thing?

1. Scottish accents are not that hard to understand - although we haven't been out of the city yet...

2. We still don't know which side of the sidewalk to walk on - it should be the left, right?...

3. Everyone wears skinny pants - and you can't buy anything else...

4. Small business is still a thing - I literally bought a fish from a guy who caught it today...

5. Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar chips - delicious...

6. One flight of whisky between the two of you is enough - no really, just start with one...

7. Some crosswalks require you to run across - or you won't make it in time..

8. Fish stores are closed on Sunday and Monday since they don't fish on the weekend - see number 4 above...

9. They don't have tumble dryers here because it's so windy - yes, cold, rainy and windy...

10. They drive on the other side of the road - yes, knew that already, but I am confirming that it's a thing...

Edinburgh Castle seen from Princes Street

We are having a great time, although truthfully we haven't ventured to too many things as I have been busy getting ready to start school next week and we have logistical things to work out - like a place to live.  We have a line on a place, but we won't see it until tomorrow.  I think that school will be fun, but it is certainly going to be lot of work and I think I may be the oldest student in my program.

John is well, but struggling... his new life's mission is to find any Sriracha that might be in this country - he saw a bottle of Sriracha and Frank's in a restaurant window, so it must exist here, but I'm starting to see the signs of withdrawal.  I don't think a pizza with sardines and jalapenos is enough to satisfy him...

Alix and John out...

 

Here!  Made it to Scotland... we are really tired.

Alix and John out...

Starting out...

And we're off!  Today is the day that John Grillo and I start our grand adventure living abroad just outside Edinburgh, Scotland for one year.  In case you missed the memo, John will be attending the Chippendale International School of Furniture - Furniture Gallery, and I will be getting a MSc of Business Analytics at the University of Edinburgh.


We started by leaving Bradford, PA - where we were visiting John's parents - and driving up through Niagara Falls to Toronto where we will leave for the airport on Saturday morning.  We had a beautiful drive up Niagara Parkway where we saw some of the most beautiful houses - one after another.  I don't know what the housing prices were, but it was certainly a neighborhood to strive for. 

For those of you who are still wondering - no, we don't yet have a place to live when we get to Scotland.  We will stay in an AirBNB near the University of Edinburgh for one week, in which time we hope to find a furnished apartment to rent - wish us luck!

Alix and John out...