Welcome to London - 05.25.25

Today we were traveling from Edinburgh, Scotland to London, England via train. We started our travel day off by fueling at Hula Grassmarket, a bright cafe open for breakfast and brunch. The cafe features healthy, nourishing, and delicious food. They have vegan, gluten-free, and free-from options. I had the Acai Smoothie Bowl (smoothie base: strawberry, banana, blueberry, acai berry, and coconut milk; toppings: homemade granola, banana, cacao nibs, blueberry, goji berry, and coconut flakes) for $12.50*. My mom also had the Acai Smoothie Bowl for $12.50* and my sister had the Maca Nana Smoothie Bowl (smoothie base: banana, maca, almond milk, and vanilla; toppings: granola, blueberries, peanut butter, and house made berry coulis) for $12.50*. My mom and sister had Scottish Breakfast Tea for $3.50* each. We enjoyed the cute atmosphere and healthier fare at Hula Grassmarket, located on the outskirts of the square near our hotel. 

Since nothing can ever be cut and dry for my family, the Edinburgh Marathon took place while we were trying to navigate our way to the train station to catch our ride to London. We had no other choice but to do the impossible and run across the marathon with our luggage. It was a sight to see. My sister and I followed after another family making the great dash. However, my mom did not do the sprint with us. She stood on the other side, and I had to go back and get her and her luggage. It was an event and my sincerest apologies to all who’s path we had to dash across. Fortunately, the reward was worth the risk as we made it to our train on time. 

Our train ride was nice with lovely coastal views. There was a bathroom onboard as well as a limited cafe that I got hummus from. I mostly read on the train, taking frequent breaks to look out the window. I saw countless sheep. Tens of thousands of sheep. There was an overwhelming number of sheep throughout Scotland. The most recent ratio of sheep to people in Scotland is approximately 1.2 sheep per person.

After almost 5 hours on the train, we arrived in London, England. From Kings Cross Station we took an Uber to our hotel, The Wellington by Blue Orchid Hotels, our home for the next week. The hotel was located near Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Victoria Station, and in a quiet residential neighborhood with a park across the street. Writing about it takes me back and how I wish I was in London now. I was not expecting it, but I fell hard and fast for London.

The rest of our day consisted of settling in and getting dinner. We planned to eat at The Windsor Castle, which was near our hotel, but they were not serving food at the time of our arrival. The bartender at Windsor recommended The Duke of York, so that is where we headed off to next. The Duke of York is a Samuel Smith pub. The pub proudly serves the range of beers brewed by Samuel Smiths at the Old Brewery in Tadcaster, Yorkshire. It also serves excellent pub food seven days a week in the upstairs bar. As with most Samuel Smiths pubs, there was an open fireplace in the upstairs library room. For my first meal in London, I had to have Traditional Hand Battered Fish & Chips, Tartare Sauce, Mushy Peas, and Lemon for $18.95* with Samuel Smiths Organic Raspberry Fruit Beer. This was a dramatic fruit beer with an intense, mouth-watering fruit character derived from the natural acidity of organic raspberries. It has a smooth body and finishes dry, with a soft raspberry note, 5.1% ABV. My mom had the Chicken Schnitzel, Rocket & Tomato Salad, Skin on Fries, Aioli and Shaved Parmesan for $17.75*. My sister had Samuel Smiths Steak, Shin and Ale Pie, Creamy Mash, Butter Roasted Carrots, and Gravy for $18.45*. They each also had a cocktail, and we enjoyed everything. We learned quickly that to order anything at the pub you had to go up to the bar to place your order and give payment, for food and drink alike. 

We ended our evening with some sightseeing, the highlight being the Buckingham Palace. I enjoyed our end of day visit as the crowds were manageable. It was a treat to see the Palace in person, and it was just a fifteen-minute walk from our hotel. This was a long day, and my body was ready for sleep before the real start of our London leg of the trip.

*All dollar amounts are in pound sterling.