From tacos to threads to trams on a late summer mission in Edinburgh

MXMp...HPV9

3 Sept 2024

Hello Hello Bulbers

Last week I was in Edinburgh, and It was the first time I was there this summer as I tend not to go when the festivals are on and the place is full of tourists.
I grew up in Edinburgh and I just can't get my head around how many tourists there are now! Mind you that is a general thing. Cheap accessible travel means places have never been so busy and quite rightly some places are seeing the backlash from locals.
Back to our walk! So we nipped off a bus on Princes St in the heart of Edinburgh.

Actually we have a few bits and pieces to do. One of which was a bit of a tech reccy for me.
So first up was a stop in ...

Mrs T did want to look in here too!
Then a bit of ...

No Currys is not a food shop but an electronics store and seeing this picture maybe I should have popped into TUI the holiday company and booked a holiday away somewhere warm!

I have fond memories of RayBan Wayfarers, as back in the day they were the first expensive pair of sunglasses I ever bought.
So to know now they have teamed up with Meta and have these smartglasses I was curious to see what they did and how much they were.
I do love my gadgets!
Not to mention checking out ...

VR and then AR...
Are you a Virtual or Augmented Reality user with one of these headsets?
I don't think they are the most comfy yet!
And what a fluffing difference in price between the Meta Quest 2 at around 200 quid to over 600 for a good sized memory Meta Quest 3!
Okay job done, and there are better gadgets on the go for me to get first!

John Lewis has been in its current position since ever since I can remember which is a fair few number of years! Being the anchor tennant in the old St James Centre and now the new St James Quarter.
JLP as it is now known, John Lewis & Partners is also a great place for both myself and Mrs T to visit as it has both my tech and her can you guess what?

So while Mrs T popped down to the first level to find the haberdashery department, that is such a cool word don't you think? I got on the escalators upto level 5!

Tech level

They had a much better demo display as I could try on the glasses and a VR headset. So it was job done for me!

Then I spied a sign with ....

Please pay here ....
At those prices ..... Not bloody likely mate! I thought to myself....
After I had a wee play of the demo gadgets it was time to find Mrs T as I know what she will be looking at but hopefully not buying. John Lewis really is great and you know you are buying quality but it is not the cheapest of shops, so if you are whimsically buying then it is not the best of places to go for your wallet.
I set off to find her....

Yep I found the wools or yarns!
Mind you they were pricey! I feel another shop coming up for that!

Wait ... what did I see?

I looked through the window and was fluffing shocked!
Firstly there was no rain but secondly there were no more roadworks on Leith Walk!

Miracles will never cease!
... and talking of miracles I had to hold patterns to get photographed as I know I will never make them!

Apparently there were 11 patterns on this but it was almost thirty fluffing dollars!
Thankfully there was no pound sterling price on it so it was put back with a ... "Well I am sure I will find it cheaper online!" comment from Mrs T.
But back to my window viewing. During the festivals there are fluffing signs of all sizes all over Edinburgh...

But enough with this, we are now on the mission for Mrs T...
Outside we went...
First though ... we passed this ....

At first I was like reindeer? But then I was nooo it was stags rutting! Rutting above you while you sit having a cup of tea!
Whatever next!
Time to go back out on to Princes St.
There is always a view.

Do you know they call Edinburgh the Athens of the north?

Do you know why?

And Sir Walter Scott celebrated in style with his momument in the picture. It has been many years since I walked up all those steps!
I need to come back when it or I am less busy and test out the camera on the phone properly!

The Castle with the temporary stand for the seating to the left of the picture. I was sneaky and clicked to make a less gloomy sky!
AI can be deceiving now, it is great for pictures though!

Hobbylobby I think was the name of the final shop on the tour or was it Hobbycraft, hmm I am not sure which.
Well last time we were here they had much less wool and things.
Here are a few highlights!

They had loads of things from button to threads, books to machines and much much more.
Even I was impressed and promise to make a needlework monday post!
But I was fluffing ravenous and I knew what I wanted to eat!
There is the most wonderful taco/burrito joint in the food section at St James Quarter, they allegedly started in California.

But the food is so damn good!

And they even have pinto beans!

and of course Scotland's national drink ...

Irn Bru of course!

Really I do recommend them!
And then that was it ... but wait do you need a tram to take you home ....

All those bloody roadworks were to do with the trams being reintroduced to Edinburgh again.