Pre-Christmas in Edinburgh: Day 1

by wh

Christmas Market, Edinburgh

Me and my sis heading to Edinburgh, Scotland for 3 days 2 night. People may think we were crazy visiting Scotland around December but we went there with no regret and having lots of fun. Mainly because the city of Edinburgh having a Christmas market, a fun fair and a Santa's igloo; and the snowing is just right on time making the city looks beautiful... the city makes us feel Christmas, having an early white Christmas...

On day 1, we arrived at the Edinburgh about 3.30 pm and it already seems like night time for us. Since we couldn't go to any hill or castle, we went to the Christmas events near the Princes Street. Indeed, I'm already feeling Christmas when I pass by the Christmas fun fair and the Christmas Market.

Time to go!!! waiting for the 1.55 pm train to Edinburgh

at the Newcastle Train Station

The Princes Street at night?(4 pm)

with the light tower slide on the right...

Scott Monument with a Ferris wheel at the back

which they called the Edinburgh Wheel...

The Edinburgh's Christmas Market...

Lots of stalls selling foods and gifts...

weihee standing near a store selling

Aberdeen's Angus Burger...

A Gypsy called Amelia doing fortune-telling

with her customer in a lovely Christmas decorated carriage.

Extraordinary Chocolate!!! My favourite Whisky Chocolate shot

called the Highlander worth 3 pound a shot!

It does worth the money we paid as it is a good warm stuff for

people like us who can't stand the coldness of Edinburgh.

We both chosen the Highlander.

Hot chocolate and whisky mixed really well together!!!

Authentic Carousels...

Teddies in Scottish Tartan clothing...

The place where you put candle in...

I don't know what it called...

Decorations for Christmas...

Small ceramic houses... almost the same

from what I saw in Bristol's Christmas German Market...

Christmas snow globes...

Moustache man toy figures...

Christmas decorated five stars hotels...

Unfortunately that's not the places

we stay in Edinburgh...

It looks like this picture was taken from Google

or the internet but it's not, this beautiful Christmas tree

with lots of presents stick on it is taken from my cam!

Rose Street, Edinburgh

Not a famous street in Edinburgh but

we found two beautiful Roses on the Rose street...

A Red Rose mosaic on a pavement

at the start of the Rose street...

A White Rose mosaic on a pavement

at the end of the Rose Street...

This one is more popular than the other two.

It is called Heart of Midlothian,a heart-shaped mosaic

built on a pavement of the Royal Miles.

People will usually spit on the heart as in the old times,

it is considered illegal to spit on the street apart from on the Heart.

Another reason is that people will gain some luck

if they able to spit right on the door of the tolbooth.

A band playing Christmas song at Princes Street as

their one hand holding a piece of paper with tune,

and another hand playing music instrument. Impressive ain't it?

to be continued...

Merry Christmas!

by wh

Merry Christmas 2009

WH Off Doon Geordie's Toon!

by weihee

Angel of the North, Gateshead

On December 13th, "I'm off doon toon." It's a phrase used by people from Newcastle in Geordie accent, means "I'm off down town" and the word "toon" is specifically refer to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. People from Newcastle also refer themselves as Geordie. One of the famous Geordies is Cheryl Cole who is one of the judges of X-factor, speaks strong Geordie accent. When I went shopping with my sis in a boot selling shop, I can't believe I heard many Cheryl Coles speaking inside the shop. They all speak in a same way.

A road sign near Newcastle City Centre...

Near Newcastle Quayside...

Near Newcastle Central Train Station...

That day I went to Newcastle to visit my sis who I didn't meet for almost 2 years. She's now studying in Northumbria University, Newcastle. I spent almost all my times in Newcastle doing my dissertation.(and some of it in sight-seeing)

Doing my research using

books from Northumbria University library.

Raining day at Northumbria Uni...

A local church near Northumbria Uni...

One of the monuments in city centre...

Grey's Monument, near the Monument Metro Station.

I got fined £20 here in this very station. :)

I got caught by a policeman in Newcastle of unable to show him my metro train ticket at that time. I'm so unlucky at that time. Newcastle has a railway system called "Metro" which is similar to London's "Underground". However Metro is a little bit different from London's Underground. Metro doesn't have any staff or machine checking passenger's ticket. This means that anyone would have a chance to get away with it if there's no one checking your train ticket. But unluckily things you think that would never happen, happen...!

My sis had been using Metro service for quite sometimes without buying any ticket and never got caught. Unfortunately I got caught in the first use of that service. That day I did bought a Metro ticket but I lost it in some way. I realised I lost my ticket when I was in a Metro station heading back to Northumbria Uni. Then I decided to risk not to buy a ticket from Central station to Monument station. Yup that day I should have bought lottery and I was fined £20 of couldn't show my bloody £1.40 ticket. :)

Part of the Metro Map...

Example of a Metro ticket.

£20 worthy small yellow paper. (if you lost it)

Stop rubbishing, the first place I've been in Newcastle is "Angel of the North" near Gateshead. At first, I thought I've seen this sculpture before inside British museum of London. But it was way too big from the version I saw from the British Museum. Well, it looks beautiful that time after the heavy rain, or else it really does not means anything special to me to be honest.

From Gateshead Metro station, taking a

public bus, bus 21 to "Angel of the North"

Yess! we made it... and there's no rain :)

It looks beautiful after the rainy day...

My and my lovely sis

at the "Angel of the North"...

Next stop- Millennium bridge! I always wanted to see this bridge since I watched a video showing its tilt at a night time which is beautiful. We went to the Newcastle Quayside to look the tilting of the bridge which is about 12 o' clock. However it didn't happened. One of the "bridge staff" changed the tilting time of the bridge and that particular the bridge would not tilt. The gloomy day, the rain; and the changing tilting time of the bridge just spoiled everything. :)

Millennium Bridge behind me

with my little umbrella...

A sculpture that I don't understand

near Newcastle Quayside... I hope he

can blow away the bloody rain...

A view of Newcastle's Tyne Bridge

from Newcastle Quayside...

Ever since I came to Newcastle, it rained 4 days in a row! Until that day I left Newcastle to Edinburgh, the rain finally stopped(how lucky I am) and I can see the bright sun coming out of nowhere (sh*t). Well it wasn't good for me sis either as her first snow suddenly appeared in front of her eyes. It was just an hour before our train to Edinburgh and we're unable to take any nice picture of snowing. So bloody good timing ain't it. :)

Raining days in Newcastle...

Hola Sunshine! Bright sun coming out right on the day

we leaving Newcastle to Edinburgh...

There's this place that I think serving delicious foods and drinks; and worth going for a dinner or lunch. It's called Nancy Bordello, recommended by my sis. The price of the foods and drinks is much more cheaper if you're a student. The environment is probably the best part, it's cosy and relaxing with lots of good musics being played. Sitting in a sofa and having mojito, fish and chips for dinner makes a wonderful treat.

Nancys Bordello,

a pub near my sis's campus...

Great environment and

nice music played in the pub...

I think this is something representing Newcastle, England.

A fish-and-chips made with a special batter

mixed with Newcastle Brown Ale (Newcastle's local beer) .

Well, that's it... there isn't much about my visit in Newcastle. Visiting my sis is the priority not the city. Maybe in future I'll come over here again and plan a better trip in Newcastle and also its neighbour, Sunderland. Sigh... Till then... tada~