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Story and photography by Barbara Penny Angelakis
Edinburgh
A Passing Glance
Last month I wrote about my visit to the Edinburgh Festival – see story in Events. This month I want to share with you some of my favorite restaurants – see Restaurant Notes - and impressions of the city. Since it was my very first trip to  Edinburgh, I had a bigger job than to just kick back and enjoy the festival activities. I wanted to get a sense of the city and its not insignificant history. This was a daunting task as the streets were filled with so many merry makers and ad hoc street performers that it was nearly impossible to “see” the city. It was however, relatively easy to get a “feel” for the Old Town, with its steeply pitched streets and alleyways known as closes, where ordinary people and aristocrats once lived “close” together or, cheek to jowl, along with their animals. The trick to really seeing the Old Town is to look into the closes, some of which are barely wide enough to allow one person to pass. But persevere, because that is where you will  find charming treasures of small shops and pubs, some with their original hanging wooden signs displaying their wares; private residence adorned with brightly colored flower pots; and lovely garden settings.
The Old Town extends from the Castle, sitting at one of the high peaks of the extinct volcanoes that ring the city – 7 of course, there are always 7 hills - on which Edinburgh was built; down to the Palace of Holyrood House, which is the Queen’s residence when she is in Scotland. Hence the street that connects the two is called the Royal Mile. The streets twist and turn and constantly change names so it’s difficult to follow a map… just allow your feet to find their own way and you can’t go wrong. In Edinburgh every direction is a good one for exploring.
Extending beyond Old Town is what is euphemistically called the New Town – amusing for Americans whose oldest stone buildings barely predate Edinburgh’s “New Town”. The New Town was built in the 18th century during Edinburgh’s Age of Enlightenment (1750 to 1820), to counter the over crowding of the city still confined within the limits of its defensive wall.
To get to the New Town which begins at Princes Street, you can skirt around the castle hill on the street called The Mound that was said to be created during the excavations for the New Town and which now passes the magnificent Princes Street Gardens, West and East. Before the New Town was created, the Gardens were a rather unpleasant place; they were in fact at one time a swampy dumping ground for the Old Town. The rich green lawn with its floral displays that currently occupies the site, now invites citizens to a pastoral reprieve from the city and it’s hectic pace. You might want to pop in to the National (Art) Gallery of Scotland and/or the Royal Scottish Academy (traveling art exhibitions) that separates the two sides of the gardens. By all means pause at the Market Street high point overlook for a startlingly stunning  view and perfect picture op.
New Town proved to be far less crowded with Festival revelers, and proudly displayed its smart Georgian architecture, luxurious green parks and broad Avenues. Edinburgh, both Old and New, is definitely a walking town providing you have strongly developed legs and good lungs as the hills are quite steep. This leads to strikingly beautiful city and surrounding mountain views but a feeling of often tilting at an angle.
Our hotel was the newly-opened Missoni. Constructed as a designer hotel by the Italian fashion house of Missoni in collaboration with The Rezidor Hotel Group, the hotel is in the most desirable location at the corner of George IV Bridge & the Royal Mile and just a short walk to Edinburgh Castle. Many of the design elements are luscious, such as the signature Missoni color combinations on walls and furniture. And some of the features are luxurious, such as the heated bathroom floor, the quality of bath towels and Missoni-patterned robe and slippers. Complimentary items include restocking the fridge daily with water, soft drinks and milk for the coffee pod machines located in each room, a large en-suite safe, a programmable TV with films on demand, and two items of apparel laundered during your stay. But the brightly designed rooms, while arresting, are small and the closet and drawer space is very limited even for 1 person. The lobby is practically nonexistent and the reception is far too small for a hotel of this size, while the bar that shares the entrance area is handsome and has ample seating. Overall, you can’t beat the location or the enthusiasm of the staff. www.hotelmissoni.com
2009 is the 250th birthday of Robert Burns, poet laureate and cultural icon of Scotland and in whose honor Homecoming Scotland was launched to welcome all those of Scottish descent that wish to connect with their roots and perhaps investigate their family ties. The National Library of Scotland has a fascinating exhibit on the emigrant experience www.nls.uk/jma and the National Archives of Scotland www.nas.gov.uk in collaboration with the General Register Office for Scotland www.gro-scotland.gov.uk has a unique center where you can access information on your personal Scottish family history. The fees are minimal and assistance is eagerly offered. For information visit www.scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk
I enjoyed my all too brief visit to Edinburgh and want to hear more of her stories, such as the amazing documented emigrant experience of departing and in many cases returning; tales of ghosts and hauntings; mysterious ties to the Knights Templar; the music of the pipers and the traditional dances; but all that must wait for another day.
For information visit the websites www.visitbritain.us and www.visitscotland.com
© October 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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