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On a train to Scotland

Never has a blog post title been more literally accurate. I am in fact, sitting on a train that is headed to Scotland. More specifically, Edinburgh. I decided to forgo posting on my usual blog-post posting day of Wednesday so I could experience what I hoped would be the joys of writing while being whisked through the English countryside, headed for a whole other part of the United Kingdom.
Edinburgh!

(Apologies in advance if you hate your life right now.)

So here I am, facing backwards, in a first-class carriage (because I’m worth it), sipping on my complimentary ginger ale (because it’s 11.36 AM and I didn’t want to be a complete cliché and hit the booze closer to the breakfast hour while clacking on my laptop), looking ahead to a six-day mini-break in one of my absolute favourite cities.

(Apologies again, if you hate your life right now.)
 
First Class Life


The view as we leave King’s Cross station is the grey suburban sprawl of greater London. The sky, in all its British misery, is refusing to admit to itself that it’s summer and is staying stubbornly overcast. This doesn’t bother me as much as it should because visiting Edinburgh under a sky laden with moody clouds and a haze of drizzle is just about right. It adds to the atmosphere of the place, and makes me completely understand where JK Rowling got her inspiration for certain aspects of her magical world. (Yes, this week marked the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter so I was hardly going to write a blog post without mentioning it at least once, especially considering my destination today.)

Oooo, it’s curry Thursday on board so I’ve just ordered myself a chicken curry with pilau rice and a ‘miniature’ naan bread. WHY SKIMP ON THE BREAD, TRAIN, WHY?!?
I mean, it IS train food after all. 

Right. Where was I? Oh yes, moody Edinburgh. This is the second time I’ve visited and I must admit it will be interesting to see how I find it. You see, I was very close to choosing Edinburgh over London when I was planning my relocation to the UK. But knowing I had a built-in support network of friends in England’s capital meant it won out in the end. But a part of me would still like to give living in Edinburgh a go. I mean, being a writer in Scotland? Worked for another woman I know wink wink.

Ooooo, pretty green and yellow fields. I DO love a patch-work countryside vista. (I would love to post a picture of these but taking photos from moving vehicles is NOT my forte.)
Exhibit A of my inability to take photos on moving transportation.

But would I be able to cope with the Scottish weather? I’m headed for a top temperature of thirteen degrees today. So despite the charm of a moody atmosphere, having to live with such utter nonsense in summer would probably do my head in, unfortunately. Maybe I could just try it out in the warmer months? Anyway, sorry, that was me thinking out loud.

Oooo, the train’s entertainment streaming app has season two of Poldark – I’ve been meaning to finish that so I can finally watch season three.
The biggest highlight of this weekend, though, will be that I’m with a dear friend from Melbourne. I friend I haven’t seen since I moved over eleven months ago. I’m looking forward to hearing about news from home – the latest restaurants that have opened, the highlights of upcoming festivals and just general gossip from a place that every day appears further and further in my rear-view mirror. But those thoughts are for another post.

Ooooo, tea time! Lovely cup of tea with a biscuit. Perfect.

Yes, I think I could get used to train travel. Perhaps a trip every week to write my blog post and see even more of a place where I am most certainly settling onto the right track.




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