Our SPECTACULAR Scottish Journey!!!
Jul 12th, 2023, 06:17 PM
#41
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,462
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
June 2, 2023: Giant blue poppies, an amazing azalea forest & an outstanding rock garden!!
After another filling breakfast at our hotel, we slowly walked to the Royal Botanic Gardens, about a 20-30 minute walk from the Ibis.
These gardens are so beautiful and exceeded our expectations! We ended up spending most of the day here, including having lunch on the very pretty outdoor patio of the café.
Some of the highlights are the gigantic blue poppies, the beautiful azalea forest, and the extensive rock garden. And the rhododendrons and Lady Slippers and the Queen’s Memorial Garden! What a relaxing and peaceful way to spend a day in bustling Edinburgh!
We were tired by the end of our visit so we took a bus back to our hotel.
For our last dinner in Edinburgh, we chose the Kao Pao Restaurant which is located in a new, modern shopping plaza, not far from our hotel, in the St. James Quarter. This is a modern style restaurant and the menu is influenced by the cooking of SE Asia. We love this restaurant! It’s another one of our favorites. We chose the Taster menu for 4 people @ 27 pounds per person. (Sorry about spelling out pounds. I tried to insert the pound symbol and ended up with my screen sideways.
The taster menu was so much fun! Our waiter brought out our dishes one at a time, and it was always a nice surprise to see the next dish. Everything was delicious! For dessert, Ed and I shared a banana crème diplomate with peanut caramel and black sesame filo. Roger and Joanne shared a fancy brownie dessert. I highly recommend this restaurant for a wonderful and fun dining experience. It was very busy so making advance reservations is a good idea.
So, before we depart Edinburgh, I want to say my only regret is that we didn’t have at least one more full day in Edinburgh. I feel that we didn’t explore enough of Old Town. We didn’t make it to the Grassmarket area and we didn’t actually walk through the Princes St. Gardens. There is just never enough time!
After another filling breakfast at our hotel, we slowly walked to the Royal Botanic Gardens, about a 20-30 minute walk from the Ibis.
These gardens are so beautiful and exceeded our expectations! We ended up spending most of the day here, including having lunch on the very pretty outdoor patio of the café.
Some of the highlights are the gigantic blue poppies, the beautiful azalea forest, and the extensive rock garden. And the rhododendrons and Lady Slippers and the Queen’s Memorial Garden! What a relaxing and peaceful way to spend a day in bustling Edinburgh!
We were tired by the end of our visit so we took a bus back to our hotel.
For our last dinner in Edinburgh, we chose the Kao Pao Restaurant which is located in a new, modern shopping plaza, not far from our hotel, in the St. James Quarter. This is a modern style restaurant and the menu is influenced by the cooking of SE Asia. We love this restaurant! It’s another one of our favorites. We chose the Taster menu for 4 people @ 27 pounds per person. (Sorry about spelling out pounds. I tried to insert the pound symbol and ended up with my screen sideways.
The taster menu was so much fun! Our waiter brought out our dishes one at a time, and it was always a nice surprise to see the next dish. Everything was delicious! For dessert, Ed and I shared a banana crème diplomate with peanut caramel and black sesame filo. Roger and Joanne shared a fancy brownie dessert. I highly recommend this restaurant for a wonderful and fun dining experience. It was very busy so making advance reservations is a good idea.
So, before we depart Edinburgh, I want to say my only regret is that we didn’t have at least one more full day in Edinburgh. I feel that we didn’t explore enough of Old Town. We didn’t make it to the Grassmarket area and we didn’t actually walk through the Princes St. Gardens. There is just never enough time!
Jul 12th, 2023, 06:49 PM
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,462
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The extensive and outstanding rock garden in the Royal Botanic Gardens!
Love the yellow flowers!
And the ornamental grasses!
A very impressive rock garden
As you can tell, we love this rock garden
An inviting grassy path
Gorgeous rhododendron!
Jul 12th, 2023, 06:57 PM
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,462
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Don't know the name but love this pretty flower
I love Lady Slippers! Haven't seen any in decades.
White Lady Slipper
Gorgeous flower!
Giant blue poppies - I didn't know poppies came in blue!
Chinese Pagoda
The amazing Azalea Forest
More pretty azaleas
Pretty in Pink!
And gorgeous in red!
A soothing retreat
Love this fiery red spiky flower!
A small building on the grounds - inside walls and ceiling are made entirely of seashells.
Jul 12th, 2023, 07:27 PM
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,462
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More dishes from our tasting menu
Cucumber salad, chili, lime and peanuts
I think this is the grilled mackerel with pak choi
Banana creme diplomate with peanut caramel and black sesame filo. So delicious!
Roger and Joanne's dessert. Not sure what it's called but I call it the "fancy brownie" dessert.
Jul 13th, 2023, 04:04 AM
#47
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 18,074
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The yellow flowering trees are laburnums. Blue poppies are also called Himalayan poppies, Meconopsis is their genus.
The pretty white flowers are Japanese Pieris, also known as the Lily of the Valley bush or andromeda.
The fiery red spiky one is probably a Chilean firetree.
Looking forward to the next instalment
The pretty white flowers are Japanese Pieris, also known as the Lily of the Valley bush or andromeda.
The fiery red spiky one is probably a Chilean firetree.
Looking forward to the next instalment
Jul 13th, 2023, 05:35 AM
#51
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I first saw blue Himalayan poppies in the gardens at Glamis Castle and was amazed by the color. In a later trip to Edinburgh I saw them again at the Botanical Gardens where I bought a package of seeds even though I knew they'd never grow in Michigan - unfortunately I was right.
Jul 13th, 2023, 06:40 AM
#53
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,462
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jul 13th, 2023, 06:43 AM
#54
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,462
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Really lovely pictures!
An architect/developer friend restored some flats above Tweeddale Court (second and third photos in post no.15) and sold one to his brother and sister-in-law, my BFFs, when they moved back to Edinburgh from some years in Yorkshire. They later bought a house in the New Town and let me stay in the Old Town flat on one of my visits.
The Old Town is a great place to visit, but living there? Yikes.
An architect/developer friend restored some flats above Tweeddale Court (second and third photos in post no.15) and sold one to his brother and sister-in-law, my BFFs, when they moved back to Edinburgh from some years in Yorkshire. They later bought a house in the New Town and let me stay in the Old Town flat on one of my visits.
The Old Town is a great place to visit, but living there? Yikes.
Jul 13th, 2023, 06:53 AM
#56
Fabulous garden photos Karen!
The Himalayan blue poppy UK story goes back the plant hunters of the early 20th century mentioned in zebec’s recent London TR. I bought my wife a plant once, she did the best she could with it, but no luck. We saw a few in Hidcote garden, unforgettable.
The Himalayan blue poppy UK story goes back the plant hunters of the early 20th century mentioned in zebec’s recent London TR. I bought my wife a plant once, she did the best she could with it, but no luck. We saw a few in Hidcote garden, unforgettable.
Jul 13th, 2023, 06:54 AM
#57
You might also like
https://www.alnwickgarden.com/the-garden/poison-garden/
https://www.alnwickgarden.com/the-garden/poison-garden/
Jul 13th, 2023, 08:24 AM
#58
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,533
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You might also like
https://www.alnwickgarden.com/the-garden/poison-garden/
https://www.alnwickgarden.com/the-garden/poison-garden/
Jul 13th, 2023, 08:37 AM
#59
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,533
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just yesterday, we were perusing an old gardening book that we'd found in the attic. Its most striking section was one listing Poisonous Plants and Flowers.
Geetika, in Zimbabwe we were once told that one of the drugs their teens were taking there and ODing on was dattura.
I am done. the dragon
Geetika, in Zimbabwe we were once told that one of the drugs their teens were taking there and ODing on was dattura.
I am done. the dragon
Jul 13th, 2023, 11:06 AM
#60
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,462
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You might also like
https://www.alnwickgarden.com/the-garden/poison-garden/
https://www.alnwickgarden.com/the-garden/poison-garden/
The article says that some people fainted just from breathing in the toxic fumes!
