Perfil de Ericka

If you’re a treasure trawler, Edinburgh has a wealth of charity shops that can offer many items you never even knew you wanted, and some you did. The best place, in my opinion, for finding the best deals (and with the added opportunity of being able to barter!) is the carboot sale on Greenside Row, Sunday mornings from 9am-1pm. 'You’ll never know what you’ll find’ has rarely been a more apt phrase. The boot sale takes place in the carpark- theres a large sign on the side of it, and is level -4. That’s where the fun starts. Things that have been sighted: industrial juicers, computers, popcorn machines, typewriters, a plethora of video cassettes, binnoculars, antiques, diet pills (?- I said, you’ll never know what you’re going to find didn’t I?) and vintage clothes. I usually find things at such a reasonable rate that I don’t even bother to haggle. As an avowed bargain shopper, this means the prices are insanely low. I actually thought twice about writing this review as this would mean more people would come and there’d be less treasures for me! But this news deserves to be shared. Nary a Sunday goes by without me going- and I love sleeping in! Not on Sundays. If you like bargains, or are looking to furnish a new flat, or are Christmas shopping, this may be your hottest tip. You can thank me when you have your new thigh master, or antique teapot. Or no, thank the sellers, who have been known to sell their good for as low as 0.05 pence which in my mind is next to ridiculous. The only dilemma is debating whether to show up early to get the most variety or to show up closer to 1pm to get the best deals. There is always the option to do both- just head down to Elm Row (a four minute walk) Valvona & Crolla and get a lovely brunch in between. You’ll spend more, probably, there then you will at the carboot sale. It gets five stars from me- but I’d gladly give it ten.

In this globalized, multi-tasking world, I have a great deal of time for establishments that concentrate on one sole thing. Plaisir du Chocolat concentrate on just that: pleasure and chocolate (in addition to having an extremely extensive tea list). I must confess: truth be told, I am not a big chocolate eater. This is why Plaisir du Chocolat is amazing: it will definitely satiate the chocoholic- with multitudinous oferings on the menu- but likewise, it will also satiate the occasional chocolate eater- for the very reason that the chocolate is so first rate. If you eat chocolate about once a year- like me- this is the place to do it. The menu is long and suggests a real devotion to chocolate of all types and of all percentages- I've never seen so many dark chocolates on offer. In addition, there are lovely alcoholic selections- naughty hot chocolates and coffees which add to the, I hasten to say, sinful factor of the whole shebang. The prices will be more expensive than say a family size Dairy Milk at Tesco. This is reasonable as the calibre of the chocolate is supreme- and the craftmanship that has gone into creating the products in stunning. If you are totally broke, you'll head to elsewhere to satiate that sweet tooth. But if you've got some flexibility in the pocket book or its a special occasion, Plaisir du Chocolat is for you. Saying that, and also, being pretty poverty stricken myself, I must say, that the prices are not astronomical- and if you like, for instance, Mocha Lattes- this would be a far better place to get them than at, say Starbucks- for many reasons including, the quality is much higher here and the money goes to an independent Edinburgh business. This is definitely a place you would bring visiting friends or family to, a place where tourists should stop in, and where residents of Edinburgh should head when they have a craving for chocolate.

If you are the kind of person who despises swimming lanes but still like to have a float around, Water World may be for you. I have a life-long love of flumes- this is what attracted me to Water World in the first place. The official address says Easter Road- however, it sits between Easter Road and Leith Walk- accessible by each- thus making transportation via bus extra convenient. If you are, like me, over 14 years of age and have no little ones to make the trip look legitimate, I suggest going during school hours when you are likely to have the whole swimming area to yourself. Note, I say area as opposed to pool- there is a wave pool, a gentle canal, a wading area, and of course the aforementioned flumes, that are all connected so you can swim, rather than walk, to any of the areas. There are also, wonders never cease, these air bubble beds where you recline and jacuzziesque bubbles massage your lumbar regions. The flumes are quite tame, but fun nonetheless- that is, if you happen to go when there are no wee ones there. Otherwise, you get looked at funny by nine year olds. That being said, for parents or nannies, this is an excellent place to bring the young ones. They rule this place during school holidays. And there are reasonable rates on pool parties for birthdays and the like. For those of you out there who are financially challenged- like me- but still have a bourgeoisie temperment, this is your make shift spa day. Warm water, jacuzzi jets, all you need is a glass of champagne to complete the picture. That probably isn't happening but there may be Ribena and a Mars bar in the vending machines. Overall, a good way to relax- and a fun one at that. Tickets are 4.20 and there are membership rates if you join Water World.

Oh Alphabet video- where would I be without you? It seems to me, that Edinburgh does not have a plethora of independent video stores- or ones that carry esoteric titles. Thank heavens for Alphabet. They love film. You can tell. In case it's not blatant by the amount of titles stocked (or the categorization method- my favourite for videos- listed by director) you could also tell by the fact that they wallpapered the place with film stills and glossies of actors. This is the place to go if you're jonesing for an old Bergman- or if you want to see exactly what happened in minute detail to Laura Palmer. If you're like me, and you get obsessed with directors and want to go through every last thing they've done, you'll be hard-pressed be able to do this in Edinburgh without visiting Alphabet. They even have Antonioni's Zabriskie Point! Stellar! There is a rather ample international section too which goes beyond the one rack at Blockbuster. And reasonable rates, I find, though with the economics of supply and demand they could easily jack them up and that'd be that. Thank goodness they don't. They want to spread their love of film to me and you. Good on them. FIVE STARS.

The Brass Monkey, in theory, should be a place you'd avoid if you are not a student. This is because it is a student bar- quintessentially, and due to its proximity to faculties of the University of Edinburgh. However, this is only in theory. In reality, the Brass Monkey is a great little bar for anyone. Including Gordon Brown. Whose picture is on the wall opposite the bar. Take note, Mr. Brown probably only visited the place to get in on the youth demographic. In other words, the place had more to offer him than he to it. The Brass monkey does screenings everyday in the afternoon (and there is a pie and soup special to be had). This takes place in the unique 'chill out' room- this translates to an adult size 'play pen' sans the bars. They have these cup holders- the like that I have never seen before- fashioned out of wood- so your pint will remain upright while you lie down and enjoy a film (for free) or a chat. There are nooks in the Brass Monkey- one in the front window, perfect for curling up with a book during the less busy days. There is a long booth in the middle of the bar perfect for catering to a birthday party of a work night's drink's out, and finally there is a room with a few scattered seats that sit in front of a Pac Man/Asteroid arcade game that has stolen many of my fifty cent pieces. By stolen, I mean, I've put in under the duress of being lured by 1980's video games. The Monkey can get extremely busy come Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, so if you like that sort of atmosphere and the banter of Ph D students debating the relative merits of, say, the nuances of grammar in text messaging (for instance), you'll have no trouble at all. Drinks, as expected in a student pub, are reasonably nice. And service is efficient. Even without the Atari component, or the chill-out room, I'd be tempted.

The Manna House is a gem. There's something about that area of Easter Road- where even the shops who have the goods to act pretentious- aren't. Its appreciated. A wide array of breads dominates the baskets behind the counter- pumpkin being one of the seasonally loafs that we sampled recently, and the sour dough which is a stalwart in our household. There are a few tables scattered around- definitely an enjoyable place to have a coffee, but its the cakes that grab your attention. The cakes are pristine and fill a three or four shelved glass case. They are of Parisian standard but what sets them apart is their inventiveness. A shooting star in the center of one if trailed by a string of red currents that comes out of the pastry- this must be seen to be understood. The quirky playing about with patisserie and aesthetics is delightful: and I rarely use the word delightful. You could easily expect to pay triple the price tag of the Manna House for less-inventive ideas- but there's the thing- the lack of pretension. This is the thing: you could have your pain au choclat, or croissant and a cappucinno, you could read Cahiers du Cinema and pretend you are in fact in Paris, and the food would abet you in this daydream. But the prices and the attitude is strictly Easter Road. An optimistic sign for the future of Edinburgh baking.