watchingthedaisies

A Walk Along Portobello Promenade

Portobello lies just 20 minutes from the centre of Edinburgh, and boasts a splendid two mile long beach, a thriving community and LOTS of wonderful restaurants and cafes.

As a lover of good food, Nature and the mighty outdoors, Portobello ticked all my boxes, as the ideal location for a week long Scottish vacation.

The weather was glorious throughout my stay.

Beach Activities

The sunshine brought lots of people to the golden sands – some to walk the promenade, picnic on the beach, swim, sail, fly a kite, walk the dog(s)…

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Culinary Delights

I enjoyed alfresco breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at a number of beach side eateries including The Beach House http://www.thebeachhousecafe.co.uk, Miro’s http://www.mirosportobello.co.uk and Crumbs http://www.facebook.com/crumbsofportobello

The coffee and crepes at Crumbs were particular favourites, eaten by the beach wall, simply watching the world go by.

By the way, Crumbs also provides cake for their canine customers!

Mindfulness

A comfortable bench provided the ideal spot to catch up on some holiday reading.

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The Turkish Baths

While a visit to the Victorian Turkish Baths at Portobello Swim Centre helped me relax further.

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The Outdoor Pool

I was 3 years old, when my late mother took myself and my three younger sisters for a week by this Scottish shore, rather than our annual holiday in Donegal.

Memories flooded back of a visit to Portobello’s Outdoor Pool opened in 1936, which featured a wave making machine that created waves up to 3 feet tall. Sadly, the pool closed in 1979, and has since been demolished.

While researching this post, I learned that James Bond actor Sean Connery was a lifeguard there in the 1950’s. I wonder if he was working the day we visited?

A Vintage Poster

I just had to buy a vintage poster, which is now framed and gracing my bathroom wall.

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Brigid P. Gallagher is a retired natural medicines therapist, passionate organic gardener and author of “Watching the Daisies- Life lessons on the Importance of Slow,” a holistic memoir dedicated to the art of mindfulness and healing from debilitating illness.

 

32 comments

  1. Portobello beach looks lovely Brigid and a perfect place to recharge.
    Canine treats for dogs sounds a thoughtful and practical idea.
    The precious memories at a special place I find are second to none. Great to think you could have been in the presence of Sean Connery. 🙂🌻

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  9. Good on Crumbs for dishing up cake for the furbaby customers, what a good idea! Love the photos – it looks and sounds wonderfully refreshing, calming, and uplifting there. Very cool poster! And I’m surprised about Sean Connery being a lifeguard back in the day, what a great factoid to discover!
    Caz xx

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    • Hi Caz. It was lovely to watch all the happy dogs. I loved watching everyone from the comfort of a nice seat with nice food and drink. Everyone was so friendly, and the sun shone brightly. Sean used to be a milkman too I think. xx

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  15. Lovely place, love that building and the poster, Great memories to have from your childhood, I bet it brought up some feelings for you. Beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing.

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