Edinburgh, by Instagram

I’ve been away in Edinburgh, where love has taken me by surprise.

For love has a way of doing that, doesn’t it? Be it love for man, child, and even city.

All my life, I’ve dreamt of loving only a handful of cities –Tokyo in the spring when the cherry blossoms perfume the air and carpet the ground in white and pink and Paris all year round, from rue to café – surely my destiny is French.

Tea-Poached rhubarb with clementines, apples and 5-spice
Tea-Poached rhubarb with clementines, apples and 5-spice

So I wasn’t prepared to fall head over hills in love with Edinburgh.

Royal Scotland, love the statues!!!

But head over feet and toes I was, and still am….and for the first time in my adult years, I’m unsure about Paris being numero uno.

It might be because Edinburgh was the first city I ever visited.

It might be because Edinburgh with its hills and castles was the first place I began my romance with food at Wimpy’s fast food restaurant.

It was 1985 when we flew British Caledonia Airways – my dad, my older sister and I. I can still remember my excitement at the kid’s pack on the flight – white pencil cases with sailor blue and tan inscriptions, full of coloured pencils and God knows what else.

We’d come to spend time with family, to visit my cousin and her husband who lived here.

Its 2013 and I’m back again. This time my sister’s getting married.

Scottish bridge
North Bridge, Edinburgh

Back to being the little girl in knee highs and a Scottish skirt.

The memories come in waves. Princes street, upon which the castle sits on a hill. The clock in the gardens, where I spot springs hand of hue, in bright red tulips. The knowledge that my love for food, started 28 years ago when I ate the ‘first meal I ever enjoyed’ at Wimpy’s fast food restaurant.

#Flickr
Real Scotsman playing bagpipes!

Before this time, I was a food hater.

And though I’ve always held Edinburgh dear, the week I spent there  makes my love wax stronger – the city lends itself to love. The best charity shops I’ve ever been in,…I got some beautiful silverware, cake platters and lots more.

A taste of #spring-#rhubarb crumble! Yum!!
Cake slice – a charity shop find!

It has the most gorgeous architecture I’ve seen outside of Paris, more history and culture than I can absorb in a couple of visits, and most of all, stunning scenery of green and sea and hill.

It’s love that brought me here too, for a few weekends past, my sister got ‘hitched’ to a Scotsman, so yes…an arm of this family is kilt-loving, Irn-Bru drinking and very welcome to our fold.

But she’s not the only one who’s caught the love bug – I have too.

With the Instagram on my iPhone. This filter-photo happy app is keeping grown men and women busy….and in love. The photos remind me of polaroids, bejewelled. Makes me feel nostalgic. And the wonderful thing? Even ‘poor’ photos get a new lease on life.

I love the  colourful doors of Edinburgh;
Loving the doors of Edinburgh

The sloping streets, stone walls and gorgeous architecture;
#edinburghsoldtown

Cheesy shop windows;
Gorgeous shop window, Stockbridge

And Sticky Toffee Pudding.

This version was as light as a sponge served with whiskey ice-cream in a brandy snap basket and drizzled with toffee sauce. A stunning revelation in Scottish puds.

#scottishrecipes, sticky toffee pudding

It was the Haggis which surprised me – I totally loved it. The combination of liver, pinhead oats and spices had me taken. I even brought some back.

The full 'Scottish', complete with delicious haggis! Truly enjoyable!!
Haggis (brown crumbly bits), east of the black pudding round, and south of the rasher of bacon

I enjoyed my fair share of rhubarb, I even brought some back and have been enjoying all the famous English desserts where ‘celery with pink lipstick‘ stars.

Pink of spring, rhubarb!

And a Rhubarb Crumble to live for.

Tea and citrus poached rhubarb, topped with a five-spice and cardamom crumb. Equally delicious with vanilla ice cream, warm from the oven…and with Greek yogurt, the morning after.

I thought the Dutch had a sweet tooth with Stroopwaffels, but that hardly compares with the national Scottish sweet, known as ‘Tablet’. Think Fudge, but sweeter and crumblier…..and eaten straight – no black coffee, no straight tea, just sugar, bite after bite.

Tablet, the national sweet treasure of Scotland! Sweeter and harder than fudge!!!!!

I didn’t try Irn bru, but I had sweets, bearing its name.

Scotland's national brew Reminded me a bit of Lucozade, the energy-giving drink.

Iron brew everything

It was a great trip, a wonderful if not ‘restful’ holiday and an absolutely gorgeous wedding.

I leave you with one of my great charity shop finds. Isn’t it wonderful :-)?

#foodies and #foodlovers will heart this #sign
Thin cooks can’t be trusted

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Edinburgh, by Instagram – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]

13 Comments

  1. I love Edinburgh as well. I was a student there and I know the Wimpy you speak of! Now I live about an hour north. I did VSO in Sokoto State in Nigeria. Does any of your Nigerian food travel to that area as well or are there dishes you eat from the North?

  2. what a lovely post and how cool my bro is getting married next month in Saint Andrews 🙂 Edinburgh is a fab city and I bet you will be back

  3. Congratulations to your sister and her Scotsman! Now you will have plenty of reason to go back again and again. I’ve visited Edinburgh only once and thought it spectacular, now I’m craving to go back again…

  4. Best kind of love is the one that takes you by surprise no? We “ignored” Edinburgh as we drove up to the highlands last summer on our vacation. But we ignored it only because I want to come back and give proper attention to the city! Glad you’re in luuuuve!

  5. I have dreamed for YEARS to go to Edinburgh, and I’m so happy I can visit it through your images and descriptions. 🙂 So beautiful and inspiring. I’m delighted you got to experience this. 🙂 XO

  6. Oh yes! We went to Edinburgh 3 years ago and reading this post has made me relive most of those memories. Irn bru, haggis, the castle and bagpipes. Oh it’s such a lovely city and I can understand why you feel in love with it so much.

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