Snow Days

Last week, while the East Coast of the US was slammed with a blizzard and large accumulations of snow, Edinburgh had their own snowy treat. From what we hear, snow in Edinburgh is pretty rare and the little bit of snow that does fall down in this part of the world very rarely sticks. But, this year, things were a little different: Edinburgh woke up to 4 inches of heavy, white snow on Wednesday morning (23 December)--just in time for a real White Christmas!

Edinburgh is a beautiful city, any time of the year. But it was especially picturesque in the snow. Despite the accumulation, I opted to walk to (and from) work on Wednesday to enjoy the fresh blanket of snow. It was gorgeous and the unexpected, and unusual, experience of snow seemed to put people in an especially jovial mood--one man commented how it was like walking on mashed potatoes, another woman (after recognizing my American accent) talked about how the snow must remind me of home, and nearly every person I passed had their camera out.

The Water of Leith Walkway, just before sunrise

Just before sunset

New College

Edinburgh Castle

Just a few meters from our flat

Flower vendor in the middle of the city

Balmoral Hotel

City Centre

We aren't putting much hope in any more snowy days here, but it sure was nice to see Edinburgh covered in snow, at least once!