Home in time for Christmas

Christmas made perfect with the reindeer on Princes Street

The folks in Princes Street Gardens

Walking Arthur's seat with my brother on Christmas Day - it was a little windy?!?

note the scarf I knitted while bed bound with a broken foot - defo a winter warmer

It's quite nice to read for myself and some of my older followers will remember my posts from last Christmas longing for the days of living in Edinburgh and the trip I took with my Brother where I set myself the time scale of living there by the following Christmas

- and iv gone a done it :)

As my timing was a little bit mad, the family decided to break with tradition of Christmas at my Mum's and all decided to come north and spend it with me in my little flat in the city.

I have to say, I am a traditional girl at heart but I welcomed this change, for the first time in years I was given Christmas off so we spent Christmas eve at the market and fair on Princes Street made extra christmassy by the reindeer's that were out for the day and then heading home for a lot of chocolate watching good old classics like home alone.

It was even nicer that my Brother made it home from France for the weekend, a surprise to the folks I wish I could have witnessed ( - priceless reactions I'd imagine) but all the same was lovely to be able to show him my new home. On Christmas day itself we seemed to join in what possibly is a Scots traditional in the local area of walking Arthur's seat. Living in the surrounding areas its a really lovely view and a great place to walk.

I like the simple things in life and it made me smile that everyone who passed us wished us merry Christmas, such a simple gesture but politeness that I feel is usually lost these days.

Walking with the family in tow in the very high winds that like to batter Edinburgh, gave me time to think and reminisce of being a child and going off into the country with the family for weekends of walking, something at the time seemed boring and something I did as the whole family was doing it and I wasn't going to be left behind.. I realise now how lucky I was to be able to go those places and have that family time in the great outdoors.

This a pact I've made with myself, to see as much of Scotland as I can while Edinburgh is my base, and ideally do most on foot.

Something about the Scottish air that seems as though you can breathe deeper and clearer.

The explorer in me is excited to get out there and see what I can find

xxx