i+alia [via sco+land] a to z :: p - a picnic in princes street park

this is more a travel tip than a blog post, but this is a travel series after all. one of my favorite moments in the UK was very simple. on our first afternoon in edinburgh, don't-be-ridiculous (henceforth dbr) and i walked all over trying to decide what we might want to commit to eating. the haze of PCSM was heavy. inside was too hot. outside was crowded. one place was just strange. ugh.

then dbr had a stroke of genius: 'why don't we go to the grocery at marks & spencer's to get some dinner and sit outside.' marks & spencer is a department store (super affordable!) that also has a grocery section. it was like Whole Foods meets local bodega. we landed a feast of fresh and interesting salads, plus two sandwiches, plus two bottles of water, and a bag of crisps for under a tenner [spelling? this is an expression use for a ten-pound note]. amazing!!

then we settled down to eat under the trees of princes street gardens just across from the train station in edinburgh. it was cool and crowded enough for people watching but big enough for privacy. also, gorgeous flora.

so, travel tip: if you're in the UK and short on cash or just feeling something fresh and easy, visit marks & spencer, and weather permitting [folks kept telling me that its usually awful], plop yourself down for a picnic.