Walks of Edinburgh II

Monday was a typical Scottish day; the sun glistened for about ten minutes, the rain drizzled for hours, and then the sun hinted at a return before disappearing below the horizon.

Helen and I went for a walk. It was meant to be along the Water of Leith, but I found an alternate path and we ended up in an abandoned section of a cemetery. It was actually eerily beautiful, all these tumbled gravestones with vines growing over them. Old inscriptions with the stories of people long gone, leaving unknown pasts and connections in the overgrown greenery of Edinburgh.

It was also exceptionally muddy, and once we found our way out of the cemetery, we continued on the regular path and discovered a vegan friendly cafe, in what felt like the middle of nowhere. Turns out it a community space for artists, and Helen treated us each to a slice of lavender cake. It tasted like a country garden, but was pleasantly palatable.

The evening consisted of an incredible meal at Kalpna,

where the vegan thaali filled me to the brim. I'm sorry to say I didn't take a photo of the presentation, but I do highly recommend the place for a hearty meal.

A Monday night in Edinburgh isn't complete without a visit to Whistlebinkies, and Matt accompanied me for a night of music, talent, and whisky. The Scottish bartender was new and had no idea what Jura was, but his Aussie colleague (the one with the Ned Kelly hair and beard in a bright shade of orange) sorted it all out. I thought it was my accent at first but nope, he just didn't know his single malts....not that I'm any expert.

The rain continued in earnest on Tuesday, which didn't stop Carrie and I from meeting for pancakes at Seeds of the Soul. It was so lovely to see her again, so much has changed since we last met, not least the beautiful three month old Thea who joined us. She's such a sweet little girl, and as always, it was a pleasure spending time with Carrie.

The evening found me at The Wee Pub on Grassmarket, with the regular crowd of talent. Watch out for Vincent Gauchot, one of the most beautiful instrumental guitarists I've heard. Just a short walk from the pub was The Villager; open mic number two, where one of the regulars shouted me a Talisker and Luke sang some beautiful traditional Scottish folk.

I still can't believe the extent of the music scene here, and I left before our group headed up to Stramash; open mic number three. I'm heading to Live at the Loft tonight, for the final open mic before I leave. So much music, so little time!