Day dreaming

Another good thing about Edinburgh is that I get to enjoy it with my darlingo :) He decided to surprise me today by coming and meeting me on my lunch break!...so now I'm just counting the minutes while day dreaming about our picnic :)

It's a nice, crisp autumn day. The sun is shining, not sending too much warmth though, the sky is bright blue, the clouds white and fluffy and the colours of the trees...like fairytales :)

I can already picture us sitting on the grass enjoying the day...well, the hour, but we take what we can and say thank you...hope he'll bring 'Claire' along ;) as my sweet tooth troubled me these last few days...who am I kidding, it was there my entire life. I just love sweets!! Can't resist them, not for too long anyway! Confused? Let me bring some light into this...'Claire' is our code for eclair! Cheesy, I know!

Bye bye, going to see his cheeky face now!

More places to try...

We continued our quest of discovering the best coffee shop in Edinburgh by checking out 3 new places in one weekend! Quite an achievement I would say :)

The first place is The Square. Lovely, friendly staff, creative interior, delicious food (we tried the all day breakfast and we recommend it)! Lucky you if you are an early bird as the place gets busy really fast! And as we always say, this is a healthy sign for a good place :)

Fortitude was the next lucky place to try....or were we the lucky ones to have found it? Great coffee, really tasty cakes, the inside is nicely decorated. Central location, as the above one
hence, no need to say, seats go fast!

My darlingo was flagging a bit after 6 hours of shopping so I thought he could do with the energy boost that good caffeine intake gives you. That's how we ended up at Hendersons! Although we got there quite late and they sold out on scones and other cakes, they had a large variety of high quality chocolate and coffee! Exactly what we needed to recharge our batteries. :) 

Bundle of joy

My family is scattered all over the world, 4 corners more precisely. Although I love living in Edinburgh, I sometimes can't stop wondering how would it be for all of us to live in the same place again! We all have our lives now but some day dreaming from now and then never hurt anyone :)

The very exciting news is that we have a new addition to the family: my one and only niece! She is just a bundle of joy, fluffy cheeks, blue eyes and with every day that goes by her energy goes through the roof!! Exhausting for my sister but there is a silver lining: she has her dream body weight now :)

Although she is only 7 months old she knows what she wants and knows how to get it :) She makes the sweetest face to make it clear to you that she doesn't like something!



And if that's the case you better comply if you don't want to be on her bad books as this could mean you will have to go on the treadmill holding her! Yes, you heard me, that's what calms her down.

And you have to appreciate that she's a girl who started her exercising in early stages ;)    

Welcome to the family! :)            





Bon appetite!

Bonjour mes amis! :)

Fancy something French? I've got just the perfect thing! A new cafe opened up on Victoria Street. When you first step into this place, two nice girls welcome you with a lovely French accent. And they are actually French!!

Fantastic macaroons display, creative walls with engraved real sea shells, appetising cakes and all sorts of pastries, delicious coffees. The cafe is quite small and the decor is very pleasant. I would say these small, cozy places are becoming more and more fashionable and why not considering they offer an intimate, romantic atmosphere?

The location is also good as there are many restaurants and pubs around, also if you are in the mood for shopping there are some great shops that you shouldn't miss (at least for window shopping as they are quite pricey).

Au revoir et bon appetite!

Go exploring...!

I love days when I just wake up with nothing planned and wonder where will the day take me. Last weekend was amazing, Indian summer, off work, no plans. And where did I end up? In Falkirk :)

I know some may say 'Why Falkirk? What is there??' Something called The Kelpies. These are 2 huge (30m) £5m horse sculptures, a cafe, nice park, boat trips. And an ice cream van :) Also, again, very good company offered by a witty, crazy man. In my world, this goes down as a pretty good day.

And as a bonus, there was a car boot sale near by and I found a really cute broche! Old fashion, I agree, but it reminded me of the hummingbird broche from The Hunger Games. :)

Let all days be good days! And all of them are good for exploring!

Are you up for trying new places to eat?

When a new place to eat opens up I am always excited :) I get to try and assess and make my mind if it's worth going back or not.

Usually I don't tend to go back to a place where my first experience was bad. Don't get me wrong, I believe in second chances but considering Edinburgh has so many places for all types of people and all pockets and so much competition, I consider all these places should be as customer focused as possible!

Without any further ado, Polentoni is a must try cafe! Small, cozy, nice feel to it, great food, nice coffee. What makes it different? It's close to where I live :)...just joking, not the only good thing, obviously! The items they have are freshly cooked, are unique, affordable prices and everything on an alluring display.

Just mouth-watering! Bon appetite! :)

Warning! Stay indoor tonight!

Warning!! Warning!! People of Edinburgh do not leave your houses tonight! Danger on the road after 7 pm! I am out driving!! :) Yes, I finally did it! And it wasn't even a long process, I was made aware that there is a promotion, went in there, paid and now I'm wild on the Edinburgh's streets! :)

That easy? If only! To much of a responsibility! Feel too old to learn. When we are young things are so much easier, at least that's how they seem. We are fearless, don't realise the danger, the world is ours! But with age comes wisdom (or that's what they say) and we are more aware that things are not that simple, that we are not the only ones that influence our life and with all our carefulness someone else's misjudgement can hugely affect us!

Well, all sorts of thoughts run through my mind, it's so easy to talk myself out of doing things that push me out of my comfort zone. Not much to do now, already paid for the lessons so AYE, AYE CAPITAN!! FULL STEAM AHEAD...hmm, really?!...sure thing driving on the streets of Edinburgh is not as sailing with pirates!!...or is it?! :)

On a quiet Sunday!

I've just been into the city and although fairly busy it does seem relatively subdued after the buzz from the Fringe Festival. Of course, I don't mind some peace and quite after a busy month (wish darlingo would get the hint sometimes) :)

We made it a tradition to try a different coffee place every weekend and today was no different. This week's lucky place was Wellington Coffee on George Street. Incredibly small but tastefully decorated, this coffee shop knows how to tempt you to come back. Amazing coffee and delicious cakes. It's a must to try their scones! We got a take away one and I doubt will last long ;)....and, have to mention, the great company was the cherry on top!

Just delicious! Can't wait till next time!

PS.: I love their carrot cake!! So moist and such a thick cream :)

Quick draft...

Let's get to the point! The main reason I created this blog is to share my experiences in Edinburgh and around Scotland!

Yes, moving is difficult and stressful but we have a say in how we approach an already tough situation. I decided the glass is half full rather then half empty. Edinburgh is an amazing city, busy but not mental, the architecture is breathtakingly beautiful, the weather is not as bad as everyone thinks so don't get your wellies out just yet :)

There is always something happening in Edinburgh: Fringe Festival, Tattoo Festival, Leith Festival, Hogmanay, theatres, cinemas, restaurants, lovely cafes to suit all pockets, fancy gyms, ice skating, squash, concerts, film festivals, you name it I'm sure Edinburgh has it!

I've got so many places to share and just not enough time! Patience please, I'll get there.



P.S.: Pictures will follow soon :)

My first year after the first three

Decisions, thoughts, plans, insecurities... Will this work? Should I be doing it? I am actually considering this option! I am moving! Again?? I hated it the first time, what will be different this time? Experience, people who support you, stories similar to yours. And I've got my darlingo with me! :)

A new path, only a few months into my new life and so many experiences and stories already! So many that I feel the painful need of letting it all out! Sharing with everyone willing to listen!

Yes, the first time I moved was terrifying, I was depressed for months before slowly sketching a life. I made friends, good friends, the best someone could have and that is so rare! I had the job I was dreaming of, a lovely flat, amazing views. So why giving all these up? Because a big chapter of my life ended and that place started to feel too small. So I started packing and off I went...

 

Destination Scotland. :) Why here? Because it's still close to keep in touch but far enough to be myself. A girl in another country than her own can be foreigner in England or Scotland...just start building, enjoy the new and stop being scared! A too familiar feeling for all the people out there who for one reason or another ended up in a country which is not theirs...yet. Conquer the world one day at a time! :)