Real Ale, Bathroom Graffiti, Buried Alleys, & Fajitas

We were standing at the customs desk trying to look as confident as possible while this portly and rather grumpy Belgian police officer decided our fate.  Would we be hearing the wonderful sound of a click and slam of the stamp that would let us return to our house or the fateful words "Please come with me" while being lead into some sterile security office to begin deportation proceedings?  He read over our papers, very slowly.  He looked at the passports again.  He looked at us.  Again.  We held our breath.  How did this happen?

Rewind a few days back.

Edinburgh was named Travel Destination of the Year at the Travel Awards last year and for good reason.  It's not a massive city.  With a centrally located train station, walkable and bikeable streets, unique attractions, lots of food and drink options, and citizens that may be some of the nicest people in Europe you really couldn't go wrong.

We spent last weekend in Edinburgh exploring nooks and crannies, most of which were food and beverage related.  So, you want to know what there is in Edinburgh that is worth risking deportation for?  Well, here you go.

Pubs.  Good pubs are the heart and soul of this city and there are plenty to choose from.  We had the pleasure of being pointed in the right direction by some locals so we were thankfully introduced to a couple of gems.  First off is The Wally Dug on Northumberland Street.  It's the perfect example for why you have to look below street level in Britain.  There are some great finds under the stairs.  The Wally Dug is one of them.  Most of the ales on tap are Belhaven, and there are some excellent selections from their stock.  They also have some craft cask ales available, which are certainly worth a taste.  Cask ales (as opposed to those served from kegs) are something special and not a brew you're going to find in very many places outside of the United Kingdom.  Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and served without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure, they're not going to taste quite like anything else.  Sometimes they come out a little warmer than you'd expect, and that's something to get used to.  But, with all the variety of ales to be had you're bound to find one or six that you enjoy.  I do love my Belgian brews, but, wow, it was nice to have a stout again!

If you happen to be in Old Town, then another great option (and this one is my favorite) is the Jolly Judge tucked in, up and around James Court, one of the famous closes or alleyways.  It's another one of those places under the stairs, with a warm fire and an excellent selection of cask ales, ciders, and whiskies.  The atmosphere is spot on.  It was awfully tempting to spend the day there.  That's just two places.  There were several others that were just as lovely.  Milnes Bar, one of the Taylor Walker pubs, comes to mind as well.  Wherever you end up grabbing a pint, I'm pretty certain you'll discover one commonality (besides the beautiful ales).  The folks that tend bar in Edinburgh really are a wonderful lot.  They're happy to have you in their establishment, they'll serve you with a smile, and will go out of their way to make recommendations if you need one.  Pubs in Edinburgh are the way pubs are supposed to be.

Ok, if you're not into ales or whiskies then a coffee shop may be a better choice.  The Elephant House is probably one of the most famous coffee shops in the world.  To be honest, I hadn't heard of it.  But, Harry Potter fans probably have.  Apparently, this is the spot where J.K. Rowling penned a good portion of her novels.  While the coffee is pretty good, the pastries look irresistible, and the atmosphere is unique, the bathrooms are the real draw.  No, seriously.  Normally, when I step into a restroom and see the walls have been covered (and I mean COVERED) in graffiti I feel like I'll need to wash my hands twice.  At least.  But, after glancing around I realized that it wasn't vulgarities and phone numbers scrawled on the walls, but beautiful and sweet messages of thanks from all over the world for lives enriched by literature.  It's worth a peek.

Now, Edinburgh has lots to see and do.  Capital cities are like that.  There are all sorts of museums.  Museums on whisky, museums on weaving, museums on torture.  Of course, there's also the giant castle sitting on top of an extinct volcano smack dab in the middle of everything.  I'm sure they're all fascinating, but you'd need more than a weekend to see every attraction.  One thing we did get in, which I highly recommend, is definitely one of the most unique spots I've ever visited.

The Real Mary King's Close tour takes visitors underneath modern day Old Town (yeah, I know that sounds confusing).  This tour isn't your typical history tour.  You actually go underneath the city into the old house foundations and actual streets that were built over during the construction of the Royal Exchange.  It's a bit complicated to explain, but basically when they decided to build the Exchange they determined it would save time, money, and materials just to level off the buildings that were already there and use their foundations as the foundations for the Exchange.  Most of these underground spaces were filled in or can't be accessed, but there is a section that was reopened to the public in 2003 that provides a space to explain 15th and 16th Century life in Edinburgh.  While the tour has its cheesy moments, ok, it has a lot of cheesy moments, it is quite fascinating to walk through streets trapped in time.  It isn't something for everyone.  The tour is dark, dusty, and a bit tricky to maneuver.  But, in my opinion it's worth checking out.  You won't find something like it anywhere else.  Huge thanks to the friends that led us down there.

Last but not least, food.  You're going to think I'm nuts.  Maybe it's the fact I haven't encountered a respectable bowl of salsa in a year, but in all seriousness take a break from the burgers, fish & chips, and haggis and head over to Rose Street for some Mexican at Miro's Cantina.  Scottish Mexican food may seem like the most bizarre idea ever, but there isn't a hint of Scotland about the place (save some of the servers).  The nachos are to die for.  There isn't a drop of freakishly liquid fluorescent orange cheese sauce anywhere.  The fajitas, well, it could be my flavor starved palate talking, but they were the best I've had anywhere.  Those alone were worth risking deportation for.  I will hold on to that memory for a long time.

So, obviously, we did make it back to our house free and clear, not that I wouldn't make telling you about Scottish Mexican food a priority while sitting in a Belgian prison.  Turns out that if one guy in the  Luxembourg foreign residency office gets sick then all of us who depend on the necessary paperwork are up a creek.  Thankfully, calls were made and the suspicious looking Americans were stamped through with an extra glare thrown in.  Oh well, even if things hadn't turned out, it would be difficult to regret those fajitas.

I can see why Edinburgh gets such rave reviews.  There are few places that live up to the hype, but the capital of Scotland definitely meets and exceeds expectations.  My only regret is that we didn't have more time.  Hopefully, we'll be able to make it back (legally) some day to see even more of this fabulous old city.  Edinburgh has a great deal to offer the tourist and if you're heading to the UK, please put it at the top of your list.  You won't be disappointed.