The approach

I was looking at the sea. THE SEA. I forget that I have been living on an island for quite a while now. Even though Brighton is just a stone's throw away, I've only visited it once during the five years I've spent in London; and even then it was not 'real' sea, it was the channel, and it was full of greasy fish and chips wrappers and sticky chewing gum. Then for a few years I was landlocked in Yorkshire, and the hills were much more immediate. And now I was looking at it from a train window, heading north, and the wind was raising spray off the tops of the waves. And I was going to be living in a city which is actually on the sea. That is very, very exciting stuff.

As we neared Edinburgh the firth of Forth became visible (I thought 'firth of Forth' was some elaborate linguistic joke to be played on unsuspecting foreigners, but wiki tells me firth is 'the word in the Lowland Scots language used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland. In mainland Scotland it is used to describe a large sea bay, or even a strait'). The weather was brilliant and you could see all the way to the Northern shore. And then the hills of Edinburgh became visible. I love the mad geography of this city.

A sample of mad geography through the train window.

I dumped my bags at the appartment and went to explore, and buy some food. My temporary home is in Stockbridge, which, I found out, is basically the South Kensington of Edinburgh. I went to the very top of the New Town hill first, to have a look towards the bay - you can actually see the sea from the city, which is completely mad and wonderful for me (can you see the sea? I know I know, ha ha). Then I strolled down, and the further down I went, the more interesting the area became. I actually have a corner Delicatessen, and at least three cafes; once you've crossed the bridge over the Water of Leith, it gets even better. There is a cheesemonger and a boulangerie, and lots of brick-a-brack shops; it has a much more fresh and liberal feel than Kensington, proven by the fact that I've only lived there half an hour before I signed my first 'green the council' petition. Yes, I like it. It is less then a kilometre to the sea, which is absolutely mad; I am already plotting my first run, which will certainly be along the Leith, then along the coast and back home - unfortunately uphill.

Yes, it is a specialised chandelier store.

Sample of Stockbridge.

And a specialised grampohone store.

Making friends.