Bonjour á tous! Greeting from Lille!
[Finally fixed my post, been having problem posting cause of the really bad internet connection in my dorm in Lille, so please forgive the messy fonts!]
I'm currently embarking on a very veryyy
exciting 1 month adventure in this beautiful French city. It's not gonna be
easy living here only knowing how to say "Bonjour" and
"Merci", but I absoIutely can't wait to share with you about this
adventure!
I was so thrilled when Jane suggested the
idea of this travel blog because everyone knows, I am a travel freak. Friends
who followed my instagram have this perception that I am always on holiday.
Well, its kinda true... BUT hey, I studied hard as well ok!
So I am gonna backtrack and share on all
the places I have been to ever since I've arrived in the UK. I have no idea
where to begin with but guess I shall follow the timeline and start off with my
first trip in UK; Edinburgh,
Scotland.
First of all, some tips about travelling
around by rail in UK:
All cities in UK are well connected by the
rail system and as well as coach services. There are many different rail
service providers for different parts of UK and each has their own individual
website. To make things easier, just log onto http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
to check out on the rail prices and schedule.
Do book your ticket in advance and this
will save you lots of ££££££ and usually rail schedules will only release 3
months before your travel dates!
For students and young adults, if you are
wondering if you could get a discount for rail tickets, the answer is YES!
BUTTTT.... provided that you have a "16-25 rail card".
This "16-25 rail card" is
eligible for anyone age between 16 to 25 to apply. The rail card will cost £30
a year but it's super worth it if you intent to travel all around UK. Because
you will get 1/3 off the original fare for all rail services. To apply, simply
head down to any rail station with your passport and 1 passport photo, and
immediately you will be issued a rail card!
Ok, back to Edinburgh!
Whenever I think of Scotland, I will think
of Skyfall the movie, all the mountains and gorgeous scenery. But
unfortunately, those places are only accessible by cars and I don't drive and I
always travel alone. So in the end I decided to go on a 1-day trip to the
capital of Scotland.
9.30am
Edinburgh is quite an accessible city; the
main train station is located in the heart of the city. Most of the famous
attractions are located near the train station as well. You can easily go
around the city, visiting attractions just by foot.
9.30am
Edinburgh Old Town
Like all the other UK cities, Edinburgh has a really charming Old Town with some really classic European architecture.
10am
Edinburgh Castle
The Edinburgh castle is one of the most
famous attractions in the city. Edinburgh Castle dominates Scotland's capital
city from its great rock, and its story helped shape the nation's story.
Battles and sieges were fought over it, royalty lived and died within its wall,
and countless generations have been inspired by it. I guess it’s a really
unique attraction to visit if you are interested in history.
However, with the whopping price of £16.50
just for the entrance fee, personally I would rather spend it on food... So I
didn't enter the castle. What a shame, but I'm just a poor student. :(
11am
I am always a foodie. Was freezing under
the insane typhoon-like wind (was January when I visited, the coldest month of
the season), so i randomly hopped into a cafe to get some warmth.
I was certainly not interested in the
Scottish haggis (a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck, something similar to the
english's black pudding), so I ordered a typical pancake with bacon.
One of the reasons I decided to hop into this cafe was because I spotted
a long queue into the cafe (being soooo singaporean here), was still wondering
why was there a long queue only until upon leaving the place then I realized...
Oh my word! This was the cafe where J.K. Rowling sat writing much of her early
novels.
12noon
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Chanced upon this galley while walking
down from Edinburgh Castle to Princes Street. Its free entrance, so why not?
Princes Street
Tried to get some bargain from the last
bit of the post christmas sale and headed to princes street to have a look.
This street offers a wide variety of brands and as well as restaurants.
Scott Monument
At the far end of Princes Street, you can
easily spot Calton Hill.
2.30pm
To walk to Calton Hill from Princes
Street, you only have to walk straight and turn left once you have spotted this
sign. It was only a short climb with a few flights of stairs and you will
arrive at the peak of the hill and greeted with some magnificent views!
The National Monument
Duglad Steward Monument
Sky line of Edinburgh overlooking Princes
Street
Every spot of the Calton Hill has its own
unique view of different side of Edinburg, but all are truly magnificent and
stunning! Despite the really crazy wind, I stayed there for more than an hour
walking around the hill, and admiring the beauty of each and every view.
ps. To be honest, I was waiting for a chance to ask a stranger to help me to take a photo too, but FAILED and I almost died from the cold... :X
4pm
Princes Street Garden
Despite all the bald trees, this is still
a nice garden to chill at. Located right next to Princes Street, you can take a
stroll in the garden to getaway from the hustle and bustle city centre and
enjoy some peaceful time.
4.30pm
Randomly picked a restaurant for early
dinner at Rose Street because it was raining heavily. However, Rose Street
still has plenty of bars and cafes to choose from!
5.30pm
Sun sets at 4.30pm during winter, so I
decided to catch the train home after the sun sets. I think that if you are
travellers like me, prefer touch and go kind of sight-seeing, a 1 day trip
might be sufficient, but Edinburgh has so much more to offer as a tourist
destination. I somehow wished that I had more time so I can visit attractions
like Arthur's Seat, whiskey museum and many more! If you are planning to visit
Scotland, do give yourself at least 3 days to fully discover Edinburgh!
Till next time,
xx Pk