- Goodbye Nat and Austin
- Goodbye London
- LNer Train Ride
- Edinburgh
- Mackays on the Mile
- The Mitre Bar
Nat and Austin are returning to the US today. They got up early for a short jump back to Dublin and then the return to Mpls.
Our flat owner Ian had earlier offered to let us stay past check out time, but then messaged and said his parents wanted to use the place today. So he arrived for cleanup around 10 am. Aside from the hooligan noise, it's been a good place to stay, central to everything. We chatted for awhile and he invited us to stay again, and to refer his place to our friends, suggesting we connect with him directly instead of through a booking app. I'm assuming that also means a discount? That was all very nice, but I'll bet it will be awhile before we return to London. The crowds were a bit overwhelming.
We took a taxi to Kings Cross station, where our North bound train was to depart. Yelena got a snap of platform 9 3/4. For the non-Potter fans, it's a Harry Potter location from the books and movies. Of course they had marketing gimmicks setup there.
We had an hour or so to kill. We just sat outside the station and had quality people watching time. Natalie notified us that she and Austin had made it to Dublin for their return trip home.
We boarded and within 15 minutes were underway. I booked the "quiet" car in the LNER train to Edinburgh, as that was an option. Unfortunately not all of our fellow passengers followed the "quiet" rules. There were crying kids, phone conversations, a guy listening to tiktok videos on speaker. Sigh. I guess quiet was too much to hope for. Those issues aside, the train was a very civilized way to travel. Roomy, no security checkpoints, no safety walkthroughs, freedom to move around, etc. However, the seats were hard, not at all cushy. But the sandwiches we had from the cafe car were perhaps the best deal on the trip thus far. £6 for chips, soda and sandwiches (hot ham cheese), which were tasty, warm and large!
A note on money. The UK is on English pounds (£), thanks to Brexit. The exchange rate on dollars is currently about 1.5 dollars per pound. As for Euros (Irish Republic), it's about 1.2 dollars per Euro. So long story short, things are very expensive in London. It's more expensive than Dublin. Price for a pint of beer in a London pub is $12-14. Edinburgh (also on the pound) promises to be only to be a bit cheaper.
The 4.5 hour train ride from London to Edinburgh was scenic and lovely. We had about 8 or 9 stops along the way. I read a lot. The time passed quickly. While on the trip, Lex updated us that he was also in Scotland, via ferry into Glasgow.
It was raining intermittently in Edinburgh, exactly as expected. Our rental, the Princes Street Suites, was a 10 minute walk from the train station. We were greeted by a odd, wee, cheerful, friendly Scottish man at the front desk who gave us the hotel rundown. Our suite is... Really nice! Very long hallway, bedroom, nice bath and small kitchen. Private and quiet! The only complaint is the kitchen is very dimly lit.... like purposefully dark. Maybe it's a Scottish thing.
We walked over to High Street, where all the action is. Again, only a 10 minute walk from our hotel. We tried a few traditional looking pubs, which were all overbooked & busy. Finally we found "Mackays on the Mile," a newer restaurant (not an old pub look) with central spiral staircase and cool art on the wall. We had burgers with gin tonics, made with local Edinburgh gin. Yum!
For a nightcap, we stopped at "The Mitre Bar" along High Street. This was a more traditional pub. We sat at a table overlooking High Street and watched people pass by. Finally, we did some breakfast and snack shopping at the closest grocery (Sainsburys). Angry "1 star" reviews for it online, but it was fine for us.
Back home for the night and planning for tomorrow!
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