I was someone before Edinburgh
[All between August 28 and September 24, 2026, a moody Thursday]
[Recommendation for the background is Yes I'm Changing which I heard in a coffee shop as I wrote this.]
Data
Days since home: 70
We have been moving
Places behind me are London, Bristol, Hay-on-Wye, Windermere, Fort William. I had excursions to Seven Sisters, Brighton, St Ives and Cornwall, Oxford, Bath and Keswick.
One must think and think really hard when the vibe calls for it
Today I am in Edinburgh. It is a tad bit cold. Not the biting cold that drains a woman of inspiration but the aesthetic kind. Rh's delicious green sweater is a companion and I make a note to never stretch into it (fear of Rh spreads across borders). I am wearing stockings.
This week I will try and capture the last 70 days. I am not being very "travel efficient" in Edinburgh, my mind misses a guilt free idleness. I miss not having to βutiliseβ a day. Wasting my day is a privilege and I am yearning for wasteful hours. I need to hear my own voice in my head. I wrote this in a letter recently:
A lot of life passes in chunks. Soon enough weeks become a singular memory and years are blended into one. A beach day becomes beach days, walks become walking and airplanes become flying. So it takes a bit of serendipitous meeting, a conscious observation to make a moment matter, and to let a memory last.
In continued ramblings with oneself, I spent time in the past weeks with myself and with Ru. It is still a state of utilisation, time never feels abundant. They way we have a Sunday back home is not a Sunday here at all. I know now that travel always has a sense of urgency no matter how prolonged we make it be. And I see why we crash when we reach home, nest, and rest.
Some highlights:
I spent 2.5 hours queuing for a Hobonichi popup in Notting Hill. Yes I got the Techo and a few other things (finally a pencil board, and a lean Weeks). I bought my first cover too β Wine red and terracotta.
Rukun was in London and I spent so much time with her, all around art. This was a curious way to experience a place with someone and certainly new for me. With her I went to Tate Modern museum, and gave her a tour of my favourite paintings in National Gallery, where in she gave me a tour of her favourite pieces there too. We both enjoyed looking at the ultramarine colours of ancient paintings, and I got to show her my newsest-favourite painting of them all, The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger.
- Newest addition to admire: Dutch floral paintings specifically ones by Rachel Ruysch
- I will try and make a small coffee table book for all the paintings I loved and include some nuggets from people who visited with me.
- I also gave a tour to Rhea and Tanvi, which should be written as Rhea and Tanvi let me give them a tour. They showed up with enthusiasm and concentration. Tanvi was told by staff to curb her hand movements when close to a painting (never forgetting that).
- Finally saw The Horse Fair by Rosa Bonheur, enjoyed all the Caravaggio immensely
- Rukun showed me how to see paintings by Edgar Degas and when I showed them to Rhea, the works ended up making an impression on her more than all the other pieces I showed her. I directly linked a love of Degas' works from Rukun to Rhea.
- I saw my first ever Klimt. I need to make a list of all my first evers.
Rhea had a house cooling party, with which we also said our goodbyes to Camden.
For a week we shifted to the edge of Hackney and I got some much needed rest from stimuli. One day though was spent with Rhea eating an iraqi sandwich and going to Bard Bookshop. We did a wine-and-read session.
I loved the V&A museum (but still love The National Gallery most of them all) and enjoyed the Natural History museum. I got socks with ammonites on them.
Took a train to Bristol from Paddington, and fell in love with western railways. This one experience ensured I went to Bath on a train too, even if it was for 15 minutes.
My day in Bath was incredible and joyous, all beyond my anticipation. I went during the Austen festival and saw people in regency clothing everywhere. I rarely paid for tours, but ended up with three tours that day, one of Jane Austen centre (bought socks from there too), Roman Bath tour and a Bath history walking tour. My curiosity for the Roman history of UK has been quenched.
We picked up a car in Bristol and drove for a week, crossing midlands and highlands to finally return it in Edinburgh. I came to adore this car but I am happy to not have a steering wheel in my hand for weeks to come.
Hay-on-Wye was on our list because: 1. I read a book about a bookseller based there, five years ago on a boat. 2. Rhea went to the Annual Literary Hay Festival and reminded up a hundred times that it is a worthy visit to a small welsh town.
In Hay-on-Wye there were too many bookstores, over 20. What I thought would be a tough day to select books became easy. I was immobilised by an abundance of options. And it helped that I was PMSing hard, because in my mopeyness, my brain looked at most books with a "sure whatever" instead of "I want I want". Later I did go on a river side walk by myself to improve my mental health. It helped, actually.
The airbnb in Hay-on-Wye came with a side of sheep and chickens. I said good morning and good night to them each day.
Drive to Lake District was one of the best drives of my life. I cannot even write about it properly, it was too beautiful. Folded in a few long walks and hikes in the two days there. Our hostel in Windermere was tucked inside such a corner of a hill that little light pollution came through at night. But cloudy skies ensured I saw no stars.
Headed to Highlands and to the Great Glen Fault (poorly named), and missed Lake District still. We hiked in the valley floor of The Three Sister peaks, drove to a random ass abandoned castle (which was as big as kothis in India and that was a confusing visual). More hikes. One even to the Glenfinnan Viaduct where I timed to see the train come in.
On our way to Edinburgh we stopped at a strange town with shops that looked cute but served only boutique expensive items for a rich clientele. Felt like a bit of a Get Out movie situation, which is hard not to think of when we are certain to be the only South Asians in an entire village.
Edinburgh has so far seemed a bit kooky and moody, with which I am aligning my moods as well.
Setting off now for another visit to the cemetery.
Culture
Books
Eh... Did finish an audio book. Oh and I started reading The Vivisectors. It feels vile.
Cinema
- I made a new list on the movies that I have always been vibing with, but feel a homecoming with them as I am spending time in Scotland. They are like moody moors, or moorish tendencies.
- There have been a lot of movies this last month, and the stand out are two experiences. But I want to think over them more later and I have to go for a walking tour now so cinema-ya-later.
Saying goodbye to UK soon...
Spooky regards,
Nats