Christmas in Edinburgh
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 from cockburn street |
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Christmas in Edinburgh is something of an affair, although until the 70s it was just another day and not celebrated much. Everything was closed (except for a few newsagents, and a number of Chinese and Indian restaurants), and most was closed for Boxing Day (the day after) as well. Big sales, of course, followed the stores opening though, especially on Princes Street.
They had a big ferris wheel, which I watched them put up, for Christmas, and next to it, little wooden huts for a German Christmas market. Seeing as we've been to Germany, we actually didn't end up getting much- in fact only got a few jumping jacks from one shop, a Santa, which went in the place of the teeny little rose thingie on my wall (let's just say decorating was not my landlord's strong suit), a vampire, and a pirate ship. I think I may try my hand at some of my own. There was also a Gypsy wagon, decorated with lights, and the trees lining Prince's Street were bedecked, with ads for Scottish Power accompanying them. And ice skating in the gardens, for the kiddies, with some other stuff (I didn't go down to all that, just looked down at it from the Bridge). The Outlook Tower with the Camera Obscura was lit up (the tower is white, and thus reflective) with a light that changes colour, green and red being, of course, most popular. Christmas trees, here and there, and decorations around as well, the normal Christmas fare, though quite nice for me at least, with the fog and in a strange city.
After Christmas they added more rides for Hogmanay (New Year)- which is the bigger celebration. A couple of them look like cases of whiplash just waiting to happen- and no, not in a good way. Maybe I'm getting old, but these things really looked less like fun, more being snapped back and forth as much as possible. Plus very very cold. And absolutely no fun on my own. Not to mention one of them was £10 just for it! Ok, so I am getting old. And turning into my mother. Sad thing is, those were the only two that looked in the least interesting too- the rest looked awfully boring.
They had a big ferris wheel, which I watched them put up, for Christmas, and next to it, little wooden huts for a German Christmas market. Seeing as we've been to Germany, we actually didn't end up getting much- in fact only got a few jumping jacks from one shop, a Santa, which went in the place of the teeny little rose thingie on my wall (let's just say decorating was not my landlord's strong suit), a vampire, and a pirate ship. I think I may try my hand at some of my own. There was also a Gypsy wagon, decorated with lights, and the trees lining Prince's Street were bedecked, with ads for Scottish Power accompanying them. And ice skating in the gardens, for the kiddies, with some other stuff (I didn't go down to all that, just looked down at it from the Bridge). The Outlook Tower with the Camera Obscura was lit up (the tower is white, and thus reflective) with a light that changes colour, green and red being, of course, most popular. Christmas trees, here and there, and decorations around as well, the normal Christmas fare, though quite nice for me at least, with the fog and in a strange city.
After Christmas they added more rides for Hogmanay (New Year)- which is the bigger celebration. A couple of them look like cases of whiplash just waiting to happen- and no, not in a good way. Maybe I'm getting old, but these things really looked less like fun, more being snapped back and forth as much as possible. Plus very very cold. And absolutely no fun on my own. Not to mention one of them was £10 just for it! Ok, so I am getting old. And turning into my mother. Sad thing is, those were the only two that looked in the least interesting too- the rest looked awfully boring.
