A slightly condensed version of this kind of post. Autumn was a busy season, here are just a few pictures of what happened… (Note: the last picture is the pumpkin that Fraser carved, as a tribute to Breaking Bad, our Heisenpumpkin. I thought it was amazing! It’s become a Halloween tradition for Fraser to carve an elaborate pumpkin).
Weeks and weeks and weeks ago Fraser and I went for a meal at Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant in Edinburgh. It was fantastic! It has moved to a new location recently and the restaurant looks lovely. Everyone was so friendly and there were so many great things on the menu. We chose two different things so we could try some of each other’s and we were impressed with both of the dishes. The meal was the result of a birthday present that Fraser got of vouchers for Jamie’s Italian, and we still have some left so we can’t wait to go again. And as this was around Halloween time (so long ago now!) we stopped by our favourite cupcake place afterwards and had a look at their Halloween cupcakes. There is clearly a lot of skill involved in this food business.
I highly recommend Jamie’s Italian if you find yourself in Edinburgh looking for a place to eat!
I know I gush about how lovely Edinburgh is in autumn (well, in all seasons really). But since we spent so much time outdoors this autumn it really struck me when I was going through my photos that there are so many great shots to be captured. One evening in particular, we were walking home across the Meadows and the light was just so perfect and autumnal. Here are just a few pictures to give a sense of the kind of sights you see wandering around Edinburgh at this time of year.
Breath taking, I am almost ready for winter, the change of seasons and the new images as I walk around this lovely city.
While my mum was here we decided to go and visit the building that used to be the Craiglockhart war hospital. A little context: we have both read the Regeneration trilogy books by Pat Barker. They are three astonishingly well written books, which are incredibly profound and moving. The first one is set in Edinburgh and is based on the true events in the life of Dr W.H.R Rivers and some of the patients he treated at Craiglockhart hospital during the First World War. These patients included some of the famous war poets such as Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. I have long been an admirer of these poets and when we found out that we were not far from the building that used to be the hospital AND that they have a little exhibition dedicated to the war poets, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to go and have a look and remember these remarkable writers.
The building is situated in a beauitful part of Edinburgh, and now forms part of Napier University. Despite having had a modern extension added to it, the old part of the building is still there.
The day on which we headed out there was beautiful. Cold but sunny in a golden autumn light. It is a testament to Barker as a writer that we both felt that the place was just as we had pictured it when reading the novel. The exhibition was very well put together and the stories of the war poets so moving.
It’s a little removed from the centre of the city but I would recommend visiting the exhibition as it is such a sad but important part of the history of World War 1 and its writers. And all of it is in such lovely surroundings. I was really glad that we made the trip out there and feel that it made me understand these people’s stories even better.
My mum has been here these past few weeks, which has been lovely lovely lovely. Made all the lovelier by the fact that Edinburgh did a good job of really behaving itself for most of the two weeks and giving us some stunning weather, really making the city shine.
So on one of my mum’s first days here we went up Calton Hill. You get the best views of the city from there.
On the way up we could see the Newtown buildings and beyond, as well as some lovely autumn colours on the tree tops.
On of the things that really interest me about this time of year is the long shadows casting such interesting patterns across the ground.
Calton Hill has some lovely monuments and sites that add to the peaceful atmosphere.
And you can look down and see every angle of the city, including the narrow buildings along the Royal Mile and elsewhere in Old Town.
You also get a lovely view of Princes Street.
Calton  Hill is popular but never really packed. People just stand and marvel at the views.
A few weekends ago Fraser and I went to the cinema to see the re-released Jurassic Park in IMAX 3D. I have to say it was the BEST way to spend a drizzly Sunday morning. But let’s be honest, there is never really a bad time to watch Jurassic Park. I have had a longstanding love of Steven Spielberg’s classic. I can still remember the first time I watched it as a child, seeing what looked just like real dinosaurs on screen. There is a simple and mesmerising magic to it.
I have watched the film several times since then, but I have to say that this time in the IMAX was the most I have enjoyed it since the first time I watched it as a kid. I wrote a slightly more extensive review here of the experience of watching this classic at the IMAX.
Fraser and I both love this film so were so excited. We were the first to get there and the IMAX screen is impressive as soon as you see it.
Putting on those glasses, getting into full dino-ready mode.
And then it was time to sit there for two hours of pure entertainment! Jurassic Park, I still love you!
Time, where does it go? I am no closer to finding the answer to that question as the last month seems to have just absolutely disappeared. I have been so busy with my new university course, which I am loving, but it has meant less time for blogging. I am determined to still keep up the blogging as much as possible, even if it means in slightly longer intervals. It is a great way to document my memories and a good way to ensure I write as often as possible and capture the little moments in life. Anyway, in the mean time, here are some snapshots of September, perhaps looking at these I can figure out where the time goes.
This week we celebrated Fraser’s birthday. Unfortunately he had to work on his actual birthday, which was on a Tuesday, so we just had a mini celebration in the evening, and saved the rest for the weekend.
But I decided to surprise him with a birthday cake when he came home. It may not look like a masterpiece, I was just glad when I managed to get the sprinkles in the shape of a ’23’.
The all important wish-making-candle-extinguishing procedure.
And then cake consumption.
The rest was saved for a celebratory day on Saturday, where we enjoyed some of Fraser’s favourite things. Such as a lovely breakfast
A lovely afternoon with some coffee and cupcakes, in a gloriously sunny Edinburgh.
Presents, cinema and dinner at Fraser’s favourite restaurant in the evening.
Being 23 really isn’t so bad.
Seeing as I will be starting my MA soon (that sounds scary, it’s very soon!), I felt I should have a look at the area in which I am going to be spending a fair amount of time.
I do know Bruntsfield reasonably well, it’s not far from where we live now, but I just felt like going to have a look at the Screen Academy itself and its surrounding areas. So we decided to get the bus out to Bruntsfield one morning, looking at all the lovely (and expensive!) houses along the way.
It was a bit grey and rainy at first but the day soon brightened up and we had a lovely little walk around Bruntsfield.
There are lots of nice things to see, and the area around the Screen Academy looks lovely, so I am really looking forward to spending some more time there.
Eventually we got hungry and headed back home for some lunch.
Seeing it made it all seem a lot more real, I am really looking forward to my course starting.
So, we’ve been back in Edinburgh for a while now. I am only just now catching up on some blog posts of Edinburgh.
My first weekend back was nice, but I was missing my family and Austria, so we decided to indulge ourselves. First we went out for a lovely lunch.
Fraser had to work on Saturday but the rest of the weekend we spent time wandering around our beloved Edinburgh, stopping off at a new cafe that has cropped up while we were away.
We made ourselves a nice Sunday lunch with delicious cookies afterwards as a treat.
Food makes everything better, even if it doesn’t quite get rid of homesickness.
I do love Edinburgh, and I am rediscovering all the things I love about living here.
Life is what happens 