Scottish Retreat Part 1: To London and Edinburgh

I left DFW on August 25th. “The Scottish Writers Retreat” presented by No. 1 London Tours did not begin until September 3rd. Kristine, Diane, and I met up in London and then traveled to Edinburgh and farther north before rendevousing with the other tour members in Glasgow. 

This trip across the pond began with a very good omen: an almost full plane on a 2-seat row (plebe section) with no one next to me. I must say that American Airlines has upped their game in the last few years. Most of the planes are newer and most of the flight attendants are happier in their careers.

After a pleasant flight and a lucky early check-in at my Heathrow hotel (Sofitel Terminal 5), I jumped on the Tube to meet my friends near Horse Guards. I was leaving for Edinburgh the next morning so I knew I would not stay out late. Besides, the Sofitel is a great hotel to chill and catch up on sleep.

Before I slept, I made my way to Westminster and jaunted down the street to The Clarence. We were joined by romance author Susana Ellis for dinner. She would be joining us again in Glasgow. The Clarence was a bit odd in that there were strict rules where you could sit if you were eating or drinking. We headed upstairs to the restaurant and sat in the wrong room, but the room had a gorgeous ceiling. After being directed to the correct room,  and we had dinner and I had the roast chicken:

We walked through Trafalgar Square as our destination was Cecil Court, the location of Mark Sullivan Antiques. David, the salesman with a Shakespearean voice, was present and we had a delightful visit. Between the 4 of us, I believe 3 of us bought something. Poor Kristine found nary an Artie-fact. (Artie, better known as Arthur Wellesley, better known as the Duke of Wellington).

Here’s what I bought:

I recently wore this pendant to work and it warded off all bad juju! I thought the tiger was my totem, but it really may be the lion. 😉

Trafalgar Square cannot be passed without a requisite photo of Admiral Lord Nelson. There were some other animals in the vicinity, too.

The next morning I caught my British Airways flight to Edinburgh and quickly found a taxi to the No. 11 boutique hotel on Brunswick Street, very near to Calton Hill. Below was my first glimpse of Scotland:

After talking to the proprietor for a bit and checking to see if Kristine and Diane had arrived, I decided to take his advice and walk up Calton Hill for a view of the city. It was a very short walk, but going up the hill was brutal. The hill has wonderful views of the city and was extremely beautiful and historical.

Looking out upon the city from Calton Hill. It was near dusk so the lighting was not the best.

No. 11 was one of the best hotels I have stayed in — and the price was very reasonable. Just look at the Georgian Suite I was lucky enough to get to spend a few nights in:

Also, when Diane and Kristine finally arrived, I was on the porch having a Laphroaig (when in Rome), and then we had a tasty dinner at the hotel restaurant and I lay my head to sleep looking at the beautiful ceiling.

Next post: seeing Edinburgh, walking the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace, and Edinburgh Castle.