Calm, Quiet & Portobello #BetterPlaces

My first memory of being at Portobello beach still makes me laugh when I think back to it. It was summer 2008 and having met Iain just a few weeks prior, he decided to take me on 'date' to the beach, to visit the arcades, have chips on the Promenade and relax on the beach (which quickly turned into going to the Swimming Pool as the beach wasn't as warm as we'd first hoped). At the time, Iain lived in a lovely little flat just a stones throw away from Portobello beach & it's Promenade and little did I know that a few years later, after he'd moved out of there to our first home closer to the city centre, that we'd end up back in that very flat expecting our first baby.

It's now been 3 & a half years that we've lived in Edinburgh's Seaside and during that time I've fallen head over heels for all Portobello beach & the Promenade has to offer. Back when I was counting down the days until John was born, I'd walk the length of the Prom hoping to bring on labour, thinking about how lovely it'd be to walk the route with my baby in tow. And just weeks later I was back into that routine, now pushing a buggy with a bundled up newborn, whatever the weather! In the summer, Portobello beach may be mobbed but it's still the perfect place to relax and escape the bustle of the city, with ice cream and fish & chips on offer, with the choice to sit on the sand, one of hundreds of benches, or my favourite, the beach wall. It's our favourite way to end an otherwise busy summers day.

Regardless of the weather, the two parks located right of the Prom are also a lifesaver as far as I'm concerned. Perfect for the days when the boys are being pests and we need to get out the house. Both parks are fenced in making them ideal for John (& now David!) to burn of energy whilst I have two minutes seconds respite. On days when the swings & slide are soaked, it's not game over as we've still got Tumbles, the arcade & Portobello Swimming Pool to choose from too. As for those days where I wake up and can tell straight away that we're destined for disaster, it's coats on and straight to Crumbs for breakfast. It's been a little cold for this recently but I can't wait until Spring when the mornings, when the pavements are a little less frosty - I can almost hear the mini cinnamon sugar donuts & marshmallow crepes calling!

More recently though, Portobello beach has become my escape, my place that I quite literally run away to. On the days when the boys have been anything but angels, when everything has gotten on top of me and my head feels ready to pop, it's trainers on & off I go. Before starting running last year, I'd often go for walks along the Prom, especially in the evenings when it's only runners, cyclists & dog walkers to keep you company, and aside from the occasional daft dog jumping in your way, it's the perfect way to be alone with just your thoughts. Now though, it's headphones in & one foot in front of the other. I love nothing more than running past the arcade, lit up in all its glory, right past the Victoria-esque pool & into Joppa. Then it's back again, past the new seafront apartments, along the way of the stoney beach & to the Seafield end of the Prom. My legs may ache & I may feel my pulse in my ears by the end, but one things for sure, I feel a million percent calmer and those little things I was wound up about no longer matter.

This #BetterPlaces post is in support of the Syndol Find Your Better Place campaign with BritMums. Syndol is now formulated for headaches. Visit www.syndol.co.uk for online resources with information about headaches and how to restore calm in your life.

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