Edinburgh: Waterstones bookshop & Calton Hill

Having visited Edinburgh on a few occasions last summer I can already identify with the late Alan Rickman's experience of the Scottish capital: 'I always feel that when I come to Edinburgh in many ways I am coming home' (source). We were there during the Fringe, when the city is bursting with life and culture, and created unforgettable memories. Waterstones on Prince Street, their West End branch, made it to our list of homes away from home: This four-storey bookshop is the bibliophile's Promised Land: it has a fantastic collection of books and a relaxing atmosphere, not to mention the W Café with its stunning view of the Castle Hill.

The Castle Hill seen from the W Café

To escape the crowded streets, we walked through the Princes Street Gardens from the Waverley station to Waterstones, enjoyed refreshment and stayed longer than we intended - we found time for Waterstones on each of our trips. Just behind the building, running parallel between Princes St and George St, is the charming Rose Street, a narrow street free from traffic with what seems like endless pubs and restaurants.

W Café, a coffee house within the Waterstones bookshop

Victoria Street in the Old Town

In Edinburgh we walked all over the city centre: up to the Castle and down to the Grassmarket, up Victoria Street, along the Royal Mile, where we explored some of the courts, and off in the direction of Calton Hill. Up the stairs to Calton Hill we went to enjoy the spectacular view of the city. We even climbed the stairs to enjoy the view from the Nelson Monument. It was worth it.

The clock tower of the Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street, seen from Calton Hill

The Castle seen from Calton Hill, and to the right, the gothic Scott Monument

Whitby the historic sea front town

On Saturday I celebrated my birthday in Whitby, the historic, picturesque sea front town in North Yorkshire. The harbour splits the town into two parts, with the older located on the East bank. Whitby has old houses, narrow cobblestone streets from mediaeval times, beautiful shopfronts, colourful doors, taverns, cafés, sandy beaches and cliffs, not to mention the famous ruins of the Whitby Abbey, the gothic church on top of the East Cliff.

Whitby is probably familiar to those who have read the Gothic horror classic Dracula by Bram Stoker. Count Dracula is shipwrecked off the Whitby coast and comes ashore disguised as a black dog, and then the "fun" begins! After having been to Whitby I must say that it is the perfect setting for the tale.

The marina in Whitby and in the background the North York Moors National Park

The view from the 199 steps in all directions is simply breathtaking. When you look over the old red rooftops it feels as if you have travelled back in time or have entered a fairy tale. I can recommend entering the town from the steps, which have an adjoining donkey track (there is parking on the East Cliff by the Whitby Abbey ruins). When you walk down the steps you step right into Church Street (see my images below), a charming narrow cobblestone street, where you will find all kinds of wonderful shops, inns and cafés.

Everywhere you look there is something to photograph but on Saturday the town was packed with people, which made it difficult to snap photos. We drove to Whitby and on the way into town you have to pass the North York Moors National Park, which has a beautiful landscape.

Marie Antoinette's Patisserie in Church Street

There was only one thing I spotted in Whitby that bothered me (not for the first time). As we were walking in Church Street I saw the sign of Marie Antoinette's Patisserie with the phrase 'let them eat cake'. It's a phrase commonly misattributed to the Queen. She was supposed to have said it upon learning that the peasants couldn't afford bread. The fact is she never uttered these words; it was just French Revolution propaganda. It so happens that in my bag I had my copy of Must You Go?: My Life with Harold Pinter by Antonia Fraser (an early birthday present). A few years back I read Fraser's biography Marie Antoinette: The Journey, where she corrects the 'let them eat cake' story and I think it's my duty to do so too, in case you spot the quote in my photo of the sign.

I took some photos of the Whitby Abbey, which I might share later. As I said earlier, there were so many people in Whitby that day that made it difficult to take photos. This trip was also a pleasure trip for the family and I wanted to spare them; it's no fun continually having to stop walking while someone is photographing. The idea is to return to Whitby on a weekday and go for a stroll with the camera while they relax on the beach.

A peaceful spot in the village

Last year when I moved to South Yorkshire I was under the impression that I was moving to a small town. It wasn't until people started asking me how I liked it in the village that I realised that I was living in one. I guess in my mind a village is a place that has a few brick houses, narrow cobblestone streets and an old post office with a vintage bicycle by the entrance.

This beautiful spot by the church in Auckley is probably one of few that has that village-feel to it, if one excludes the sound of traffic coming from the main street. The church is called St. Saviour and since I'm not a churchgoer I have never been inside it. I didn't notice the bench until I was walking with my son on a gorgeous spring day and saw the tree in bloom. The spot was like a magnet pulling us across the street; it looked so peaceful. Then we spotted the engraved plaque under the tree, which somehow made it more special.

Sometimes I feel like an eighty-year old when I talk about the weather on the blog but it feels as if summer has already arrived! We were in London on Tuesday and the city was bursting with life; people in shorts or skirts in the sun; all outdoor tables at cafés and restaurants occupied and everyone looking happy. We ended our day in the Chelsea district and enjoyed good (raw) food and coffee at Startisans, a pop-up café with street food on the Duke of York Square. I could have sat there until the evening enjoying the scenery and people watching.

Have a wonderful weekend!

A road trip to Luxembourg City

Hello again, how have you been? During my blog break we took a spontaneous road trip to Luxembourg with a short stop in London. As soon as we drove into London, I realised how much I had missed it. By the Marble Arch my heart was beating faster and at Hyde Park Corner I felt a sense of thrill (the area is part of my London comfort zone). The London stop was way too short for my taste but in the evening, as I was standing on a deck of a ferry, breathing in the refreshing sea air and admiring the White Cliffs of Dover, I was feeling more than content.

Why the London-intro to a post on Luxembourg? Compared to my London excitement, arriving in Luxembourg after eight months away took me by surprise. As probably most of my blog readers know, Luxembourg was our home for more than a year and the move to the UK last November was done in a bit of haste. I didn't really have the time to say goodbye to the city. Without dwelling much on such thoughts I sometimes wondered if perhaps I wasn't quite done with Luxembourg, but as I walked its streets again - I could have done so blindfolded and still found my way - I realised that I was indeed done. I loved seeing the city again but there was nothing I was holding on to; if my destiny with Luxembourg was once entwined it had been disentangled.

I hope my tone of voice doesn't come off as negative. My old city, Luxembourg, is a place worth visiting and I would especially recommend it to those who enjoy city life but aren't fond of big and noisy cities. Luxembourg is small and quiet (probably boring for those seeking wild nightlife) and in the city centre, you not only have narrow cobblestone streets but also a beautiful landscape. You can walk down into the Pétrusse Valley and at certain points, you almost have to remind yourself that you are in a city.

My son and I went for a walk in the valley and ended our walk in the old quarter, Grund, where I took these photos before sitting down at a café. (See more photos of Luxembourg.) To me, this part always looks more like a set of a fairy tale than an actual place where people live. From what I have heard it is very expensive and mostly inhabited by foreigners, which I find rather sad. The fact is that Luxembourg has one of the most expensive housing markets in Europe. Even some of the foreigners working there, and some citizens, choose to live on the German, French, or Belgian side of the borders where housing is cheaper. We actually thought about doing that; we thought about moving from Antwerp, where we lived before, to a place in the south of Belgium. I'm glad we didn't and instead got to experience living in Luxembourg.

Paris: one year ago at the Palais Royal

I woke up this morning with Paris on my mind and when I looked at the date I remembered with a smile that I had arrived in Paris on this day, exactly one year ago. It so happened that I had some photos in my files from that trip that I hadn't posted on the blog. The one above shows the mood at Le Nemours café, which is right by the Palais Royal in the 1st district. We didn't sit down to have coffee, as we had just enjoyed a lovely lunch and dessert at a restaurant on the Left Bank. But it was pouring down rain and the Palais Royal passages surrounding the gardens provided shelter.

At Café de Flore, Paris

Today I decided to take you to Paris, yet again, to a rainy afternoon in the 6th district. A wonderful Paris cliché is going to Café de Flore on the corner of Boulevard Saint-Germain and Rue Saint-Benoît. It seems as if for decades nothing has changed in there; as if you could expect to see Sartre and Beauvoir sitting there with their friends talking about philosophy. Or over at Les Deux Magots, only a few steps away.

Café de Flore was a haven in the pouring rain. We sat outside under the awning, completely sheltered, enjoying coffee and the tarte maison, which on that day was a lemon tart. The café was crowded and the streets were filled with people in a hurry carrying umbrellas. I think Café de Flore is one of those places that have become a second home to some Parisians. There were people sitting inside that looked so comfortable. It felt as if they had moved in. They were sitting alone at a table with all their stuff, quite oblivious to what was going on around them. I thought to myself, if I came back the next day would they still be sitting there?

Paris: rain in the 6ème

Paris was as beautiful and wonderful as I had expected it to be and in a way I felt I was home. I cannot explain it any other way. There was not enough time to visit every district but I felt I was visiting many cities within one and each had its charm. The food was delicious and the people watching was delightful. I was especially fond of the 6th (my lovely hotel was there) and Le Marais.

I need to go through my photos but I took this one after heavy showers on Rue Saint Sulpice in the 6th district.