I normally skip this sort of activities: short stay over the weekend in a big city, but this time it was different. It was my birthday and I decided to organize a surprise trip for my husband so we could spend some time together. I wanted to make it special and, therefore, I chose a place that was new to both of us: Scotland.
Edinburgh roofs, Scotland
One of the things I took with me was a SIM card given to me by MTX Connect. It guarantees an access to the Internet in over 40 European countries including Scotland. I thought that for such a short trip there is no time to loose for purchasing a local SIM card. I decided for this handy solution to save some time and fuss. Thus, here is my story of a romantic weekend retreat with a short review of the MTX Connect services.
Weekend Retreat
It took me about 2 weeks to organize everything. This was a challenge as I started from getting a workshop organized in Warsaw so we had an excuse to leave the house. I bought a one-way flight from Warsaw to Dublin first with a late arrival at midnight. I booked a hotel at the airport so we could have at least 4 hours sleep before we flew to Edinburgh the very first thing in the morning.
Restaurant at the corner, Edinburgh, Scotland
Travel Tip
I shall never fly from Warsaw Modlin on Friday evening again! The line for security check was 1 hour 15 minutes long! It was unpleasant and highly frustrating. In fact, this airport is doing so badly in terms of security services there are rumors that Ryanair is leaving them (not confirmed information but I can easily believe it).
Weekend in Edinburgh
We arrived at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. The morning was glorious! I haven’t expected the sun and tranquility so we felt wonderful from the start. I got in touch with AirBnB host and he was kind enough to meet us at 9:00 a.m. which was great because we felt tired. The guy was polite and very welcoming. He gave us a few tips on how to move around and where to eat. We came back with a direct flight to Poznań which was a marvellous thing to do.
Full English breakfast on Saturday , Edinburgh, Scotland
Travel Tip
Always contact your AirBnB host in advance. There is a good chance that they will accommodate your needs. Also, find a local person as a reference point and a good source of information. Super hosts are especially helpful.
Food and things to do in Edinburgh
I hate rushing, I dislike crowds, I loath quick guided tours. You might ask: what was I doing in Edinburgh over the weekend. Indeed, this was a tricky journey but even a person like me could find something interesting to do and do it with no rush.
First, we walked a lot. We used tram only twice: a round trip to and from the airport. The rest of Edinburgh was seen by us on foot. It is a fantastic way to spend time actively, enjoy the good weather, feel independent and avoid the crowds of the public transportation. Edinburgh is a walkers’ friendly town!
Beautiful exteriors of restaurants, Edinburgh, Scotland
Second, we followed the advice of the host and ate in pubs and restaurants near the apartment. As our host said: “You can’t go wrong with food in Edinburgh”, and I must say I completely agree with him. All five restaurants and pubs we ate at were terrific!
Further, we kept our restaurant budget tight with one exception: a whisky tasting experience. After all, this was my birthday, I like whisky and this was once in a lifetime opportunity to taste the real thing. This wasn’t cheap but I must say they are well prepared to accommodate guests who are not experts in whisky. Not only we felt welcomed and taken care of but most of all there were packages we could pick up with a profound comment of the waiter. We felt that even if we knew nothing about whisky we tasted the most characteristic ones.
You know what you are drinking. Whisky tasting, Edinburgh, Scotland
Last but not least, we visited the main attraction which is the Royal Mile only once and next day we picked up a long walk to the harbour. Crossing Leith was really nice! No crowds there and we spotted a military cemetery which was really interesting to visit. The harbour was also quite spectacular with a huge ship of the Queen Elizabeth II available for visits (the real Scots name The Queen Elizabeth the First, as the first one was not the queen of Scotland).
Small bookshop in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
True: we haven’t seen even half of the attractions prepared for tourists in Edinburgh so what is the point of such short visits in a city? For me, the main gain is the explorative activities. What I mean is that after 3 days I’m able to say whether I wish to visit a place again and stay there longer. Is Edinburgh a place I wish to go back to? YES! And I have a dream to expand the journey to the Highlands. A week long trekking around the mountains should do the trick!
Charming neighbourhood, Edinburgh, Scotland,
Travel Tips for Weekend Retreats
Walked as much as you can. The major part of mid-size towns and cities have their historical sites located within a 2km radius of the downtown. It is best to see everything you want on foot.
Visit the places that are not top 10 attractions. It’s OK if you don’t see the main attractions. Sometimes the suburbs or small villages near the main city are the most interesting ones.
Spoil yourself even if only once throughout the journey! I’m so happy we tasted whisky in a proper way! Such birthday is memorable and very joyful. There are some things not worth being parsimony.
Sunset is the best moment for taking pictures, Edinburgh, Scotland
Go back to a place more than once. It gives you a chance to fully know it.
The MTX Connect Review
Throughout the journey, I was using a SIM card sent me by MTX Connect. The card was working great. I logged in, in no time and used my connection during the walks at all times. This was a great improvement in my traveling, I must admit. I no longer was looking for free wi-fi services. I could send messages to all friends, which was nice but most of all the internet connection was so important because of my birthday. I received tons of good wishes, emails, pictures etc. so I am really happy that I used this service.
Mobile office in Scotland
