I Heart Sainsburys
So, I have an apartment in Edinburgh for a month (woo!), and part of the reason for getting the apartment was the whole "self catering" idea. You know, cook some of my meals at home and the like. And the kitchen in the apartment is very cute and efficient.
On Monday night, I stopped at the local convenience store to get breakfast supplies. But a convenience store isn't exactly the best place to get filling sustenance, right? On Tuesday afternoon, I grabbed my purse and started walking to find a local grocery.
Well, I walked. And I walked. And I walked. In fact, I ended up walking all the way around Edinburgh castle. (For reference, this is where I'm staying. The green bit below Princes street is the castle outcropping). And I found the following: loads of cool buildings, Boots, H&M, many many many bars, but NO GROCERY STORES.
I did find a cheesemonger by my apartment, where I was able to pick up some cheese and bread, and next to them was a liquid deli, where I bought some port and two different whiskys to try (hey, when in Rome..). But cheese and alcohol won't really suffice for the entire month's food supply.
Even better, when I asked "where could I get some fresh fruit and vegetables around here?" the answer I got was a sad smile and "Sorry, luv. You're in a bad part of town for that. The best you'll do is Tesco."
Tesco? That does NOT sound like a fresh fruit sort of place, and the way he said it made me even more hesitant.
So I brought my cheese and liquor home and went onto the handy internet. Sure enough, no grocery stores around here at all. I had heard where a Sainsburys was, but it was going to be a bit of a hike. And then the power of the internet really came through...
On a lark, I went to http://sainsburys.co.uk and discovered that, oh yes! you can order your grocerys online and have them deliered to your home. And they had an open delivery spot on Wednesday afternoon!
Angels sung. And I spent an hour going through and getting all the staples, and lots of heavy stuff that I wouldn't want to drag back to the apartment on my own. And the Sainsburys man came today, on time, with loads and loads of bags. And the produce was lovely (really - these might be the best bell peppers I've ever had). And I had something to eat other than cheese, bread, or cornflakes today. And they gave me a free sample of some sort of chocolate candybar.
So now I feel free to go browse at the grocery store and know I won't feel compelled to buy anything in particular, so I can just grab whatever catches my fancy. Which is, of course, why I Heart Sainsburys.