Travel blog about trips to wonderful places around the world
Day 3: our wonderful train ride from London to Edinburgh
Today we woke up early again, 05:00am. Checked out from our hotel in London and caught an Uber to the train station King’s Cross.
King’s CrossBeautiful London in the morning
We bought a nice coffee and hot chocolates and went to the train.
Gate 5 – LNER Azusa to Edinburgh Waverly. The train is hitachi and Japanese.Here we are, before we tipped the hot chocolates all over the place. 😅Somebody is tired.Beautiful sceneryThe ocean
Berwick upon TeedMagical trip
And here we are, in Edinburgh Scotland. 😀
Edinburgh Waverley StationLook at Edinburgh old town. Massive stone block buildings and bridges at cobblestone streets. The architecture reminded us of Budapest.Architecture in Old TownThe old town is on the top of a hill. You have to regularly go up and down several alleys and stairs.We were hungry and decided to have lunch before the first tour. We googled and found this gem. 4.9 Google starts with nearly 10k reviews.It is considers the 1st best restaurant in UK in 2024 according to TripAdvisor.
I tried to reserve a table but Google offered me a table only 2 months later. So we stood in front of the restaurant before it opened to try to grab a free table… and it worked. 😀
They serve slow cooked lamb shank and angus on all sorts of mashed potatoes.Simply out of this world. So tender, so much flavor!
Before our first tour, we stopped at this Church in the old town.
St. Gile’s ChurchIt was built in 1124… 900 years old! 😳Look at this place. The altar is located in the center of the Church., offering 4 sitting areas 360o around the altar. Look at the ceiling.These are the battle flags from hundreds of years ago. After every victory, the flag used in the battle was brought to the church.Scottish people are also proud for having developed the anesthesia with chloroform in 1847.
And off we went for our Edinburgh Castle tour with a local guide.
This massive structure on the top of the hill is the castle.Edinburgh CastleAnd here the view from the castle towards the city.
Here some interesting facts about the castle (from ChatGPT):
Edinburgh Castle, perched atop Castle Rock, has been a significant Scottish stronghold since at least the Iron Age. A royal residence from the 11th century, it transitioned to a military garrison by the 17th century. The castle has witnessed numerous conflicts, including the Wars of Scottish Independence and the Jacobite rising of 1745, making it one of the most besieged places in Great Britain. Notable structures include St Margaret’s Chapel, Edinburgh’s oldest building, and the Great Hall. Today, it houses the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish crown jewels) and is a major tourist attraction, drawing over 2.2 million visitors in 2019.
Entrance of the castle
Some very interesting facts about the 2 statues, the emblem and the Latin motto (ChatGPT):
At the entrance of Edinburgh Castle, two prominent statues honor Scotland’s national heroes: Robert the Bruce and William Wallace. These statues were added in 1929, with Robert the Bruce sculpted by Thomas Clapperton and William Wallace by Alexander Carrick.
Above the gatehouse, the Latin motto “Nemo me impune lacessit” is inscribed, translating to “No one attacks me with impunity.”
The lion rampant symbol, prominently displayed on a shield above the entrance, represents the Royal Banner of the Royal Arms of Scotland. This emblem features a red lion standing on its hind legs against a yellow background, symbolizing Scotland’s sovereignty and royal lineage.
View from up there. This canon fires every day at 13:00h to inform the city about the time.This is where the castle is located.There is a small city inside the castle.View from up there… it was a cold day.Several buildings inside the castle were used differently during the centuries since this castle existsThe chapel, the oldest building in the castle.Scotland Flag
After walking through the castle, we took another tour to get to know the city. Our tour guide was Colin and he came dressed with a Scottish kilt! That was cool!😎 Although the temperature was freezing today…
Me, mom and Colin. Colin was great, had a strong Scottish accent and a great sense of humor.Houses in Edinburgh in old town
To be continued tomorrow. I will take a rest today.
According to Colin, hundred years ago these parks were fenced and only the rich people could enter and parade in the park. Emphasis on parade because the ones walking here wanted to be seen by society.Colin also showed us several of these narrow passages between the buildings in Old town. Here where this picture was takes is the Main Street, where the rich lived. The further you went down the passage, the lower the income level of the inhabitants.On such passages the sewage was thrown in the open air from the windows of the rich people living above.Main Street in the Old Town.And we also found a few bagpipe players.Scott moment dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, writer famous for novels and romances.
And then we climbed a hill.
Beautiful view from the top of the hill.Look at the sunset. Mommy took this beautiful picture.
From up here it became very obvious that Edinburgh has many many parks full of trees.
On the way to the restaurant, some more nice views of this very nice city.
Exclusive hotel, the Balmoral.
Look at this street and buildingsWe decided our dinner should be Fish&Chips tonight. It was delicious. The restaurant was called Landy’s in the Old Town.
By the way, the Scotsman don’t say Edinburgh, they say something like “Edinbara”.
An amazing day, full of experiences!!! Now I am tired, see you tomorrow!
Biel On The Go 
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