“In just 50 years Edinburgh had more impact on our ideas than any town of its size since the Athens of Socrates

Day 02-A Travel Destination Where You Love the Culture.

When I think of culture I think of the people, the lifestyle, the food, the literature, the way of life, the arts, the architecture, I think about what makes that city tick. You would think that if you love the culture of one city the most, you'd probably love that city the most. However, in my case that isn't true. My favorite travel destination based on culture is Edinburgh, Scotland.

Edinburgh is officially the Literary Capital of the World. Home to Stephenson, Rowling, and Sir Author Conan Doyle, Burns, Scott you never know when you are going to stumble across a piece of literary history. Maybe you'll stroll to the medical university where the inspiration of Sherlock Holmes was born. Edinburgh has a literary haunt on every corner and it's this love of literature that makes the culture there so exciting.

The Architecture in Edinburgh is also some of the most unique in all the world. I do not mean that there are circle buildings, or they are pained purple or they are weird. What I am referring to is the way the old city of Edinburgh is on a hill separated by a park and overlooks the more modern city of Edinburgh. This contrast of the old and new is stunning. It is wonderful to sit in the park and gaze up at the ancient city.

There also is a certain zest to the Scottish Culture, and a certain level of relaxation. When in Edinburgh my friends and I spent a descent amount of time at a pub called Whistle Binkies. This pub was kind of like an American Rock and Roll bar (or what they think it is) and had great bands playing constantly on stage, great beer, and friendly service. If the upstairs area with the bands is too large for you and your group down by the bathrooms there are two caves perfect for larger groups. This is the pub where I learned Scottish men really do not wear anything under their kilt, that whiskey and beer are the norm and that staying out until the next morning is not that unusual. I also (maybe this was naive) trusted everyone there. They got me into a cab safely when my friend decided to go home with the lead singer or a band and everyone was kind. I never once felt unsafe or nervous about being somewhere unfamiliar. Accompany this with the lore of the Lochness Monster and the way people just seem to conjugate in parks and relax, or even have an impromptu boxing match without anyone getting mad and you have a culture that is just perfect for me.