After Lar and I went to see Tatyana with some friends in Edinburgh, we stopped by The Voodoo Rooms for some drinks. Apparently Lar had been holding out on me about this place. As soon as we walked in and I saw the amazing ceiling and tufted bar I exclaimed, “This place is wonderful!” To which Lar replied, “Yeah, I’ve been here before.” Oh have you, dear sister? And you didn’t tell me about it? Since when have you not told me about a beautiful place in your adopted hometown? What else have you not told me about?!?!

I can tease Lar like this since she’s still in Greece and won’t be reading this until a week later – too late to defend herself, muwahahahaha!

Needless to say, I loved The Voodoo Rooms. It’s the exact type of place that I always want to go to after a concert/performance/movie – dark, shimmery, fancy cocktails and a cheese platter on the menu. Seriously, give me a glass of wine and a cheese platter and I’m as happy as the day is long. That is until I realize that I’m trying to eat less dairy and drink less alcohol, dang it!

The Voodoo Rooms is actually more than just a bar, it’s a live music venue with FOUR bars. We only hung out in one of the bars, but I believe there was a drag show going on in the other room. Or maybe there were drag queens walking around just for kicks. I was talking to one at the bar (see photo above) and she said something so witty, which I immediately thought I should repeat on this blog and then immediately forgot all about it as soon as I sat back down next to Lar with my drink. Curse my horrible memory!

Do you have a favorite bar you like to go to after a movie/concert? In Atlanta I either go to Leon’s, Apres Diem (if I’ve just seen a movie at Midtown Arts), Cafe Intermezzo (if I’m on that side of town which is rare), or 4th & Swift (they have sticky toffee pudding and a great whiskey selection).

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Dearest Lar,

It already feels like you’ve been gone for a month and it’s only been five days! How did you end up at such a luxurious place without wifi?! That’s practically camping in my book. Well, at least I hope it means you’re relaxing and fully enjoying being disconnected from society. I imagine you riding around Hydra on a donkey searching in vain for an internet cafe so you can drop a line to your loving twin sister *ahem*

Always thinking of you,

Cath xoxo

Aren’t hidden bits of greenery in cities wonderful? The Water of Leith Walkway is one of those spots in Edinburgh: a dappled oasis in a dessert of stone and asphalt. It’s a 12 mile foot and bike path that follows the Water of Leith through the western neighborhoods of the city.

It runs fairly close to our flat, and we can take it down to the sea, to the sea, to the beautiful sea!

Above: a secret garden. Below: a view of one of the city’s gothicy spires.

When Cath was here we went to the Water of Leith, donned matching hats, had a picnic on the banks of the water, and posed for . erm.chic blogger photos:

Unrelated: at this very moment I’m on a Greek isle (yea for blog post scheduling!) without wifi (eeegads, I’m missing a limb!), but I promise to take lots of photos of what is sure to be a dreamy place.

While I was working in the states I took two vacations in six years and one of them was my honeymoon. So two vacations in the span of six weeks is blowing my mind a bit. But when I’m not looking bewilderingly at sun and warm beaches, I’ll be mentally blowing kisses your way.

—-

Dear Cath,

How’s your week going? (You’ll have to respond telepathically unless I’ve found an internet café via donkey). I never imagined myself on a Greek isle, but if I had, it would have been with you in tow too. As beautiful as this place is (sure to be), I’d take Ocean City, Maryland with my twinie any day, rather than an exotic locale without.

Miss you so very much!

Donkeys and ouzo-ly yours,

Lar

I used to have a massive crush on Jamie Oliver way back when. Cath doesn’t even know this, but for a brief few weeks my first year in college I investigated ways to move to London and work at the first restaurant he was starting with a staff of under-privileged young adults he trained. Being privileged and in the wrong country didn’t stop me from filling out an application online. I am shocked — shocked, I tell you!– that I never heard back.

The crush has long since fizzled (and I have my own talented foodie/chef/scientist in my kitchen), but I still have soft spot for Jamie because I think his push for education and healthy food is inspiring. So when Cath was here, we decided we should stop at the new Jamie’s Italian off Rose/George Street in Edinburgh.

The restaurant is in Edinburgh’s historic Assembly Rooms, and the decor is incredibly bold: abattoir meets Italian café meets Jane Austen (because of the Assembly Room restoration bits). Not right for a child’s nursery perhaps (a bit like that red room that so frightens a young Jane Eyre) or a spa, but an intriguing background for chomping on polenta and tippling prosecco.

And though it’s a chain it doesn’t feel too chain-y (mostly to do with the decor) and the food was deeeelicious! The only downside is the service. Our waiter was pretty nice, but the rest of the staff look a bit dour and aren’t particularly friendly. Cath and I stumbled in right before they opened for the day (the doors were propped open, so we walked in), and the staff at first ignored us and then made us feel a bit silly that we walked through the open door in the first place. Maybe you aren’t meant to be charming in a meaty ballroom café — ruins the ambiance?

We stuck around for 15 minutes (waiting for it to properly open) before re-entering the lion’s den/stomach, and overall I’m glad we did. With a friendlier staff I would definitely make this a go-to place when Naked Chef nostalgia hits and/or I get a polenta fry craving

Have you guys tried a Jamie restaurant or any celebrity chef restaurant? Tell me the good, the bad, and the delicious!

—–

Dear Cath,

Okay, now it’s beginning to really feel like you haven’t been here for a month and I do NOT like it a bit. Writing these posts make me feel like you still are just sort of waiting for me to go meet you in town some where. HARUMPH.

Once I leave for Greece on Thursday it’s really going to feel like I’m missing a limb without any wifi and connection to you! We must make a skype date sometime before then!

xoxoxoxox,

Lar

Such a misleading blog title, isn’t it? Did you guys know there was such a thing as a military tattoo? And that a military tattoo has nothing to do with indelible ink on muscly soldiers?

In fact, if someone asked me, “Lar, would you like a tattoo?” I’d say, “I lack the commitment.” But if you said, “Lar, how’s about a military tattoo?!” I’d say “Yes please!” I mean, just look at all those bagpipers set against a massive fortress of a castle on a beautiful balmy night in Edinburgh. Isn’t that way better than permanent Chinese characters and tribal arm bands?

And look there’s even comic projections in case bagpipes and drums aren’t enough (as if!).

And it all ends with a bunch of beautiful fireworks over the Castle. Oooo!!! Ahhhhh!!!

And of course of the best way to see the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is with your twin:

Hope you guys have a wonderful, smarvelous weekend. If you are in Decatur (I will be in spirit – sniff, sniff) do make it down to the Decatur Book Festival, and tell us what you see, do, read!

—–

Dear Cath,

I still am so happy we went to see the tattoo. I thought it would be touristy, but good — it was touristy, but fantastic (apart from some of the “jazz hand” moments), didn’t you think? I still really appreciate how much they tried to make their jubilee and old comics theme work together 😉

You should start a tattoo in Decatur. I guess we just call those parades, and it’s not so much military as anyone-who-wants-to-wear-a-costume. Still ;).

Miss you more than ever!

xoxoxoxo,

Lar