Monday, March 23, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Vive Espana
Anna and I went to Spain. We got to Madrid early Saturday afternoon after a very emotional 24 hours. Following a successful Metro navigation from the airport, we arrived at Hostal Yolanda, our abode for the next few days. “Hostel” may not be the best word to describe Hostal Yolanda; guest House Yolanda might be the more appropriate name. Classification aside, it was precious. A Spanish-only-speaking elderly couple runs the joint. They greeted us at the door with a big smile on their faces, and the woman showed us through the winding hallways to our room. The language barrier made checking in and checking out interesting, but we managed. The one and only Mary Kathryn Dykes showed up shortly after we did. Mary Kathryn is a sorority sister and is currently a junior at PC. She is putting her Spanish major into practice by studying abroad in Salamanca this semester. Her boyfriend flew into Madrid on Sunday, so she visited with us (and served as our translator) until then.
We had a late lunch after MK got there. Correction: we had a regular Spanish lunch once MK got there. The Spanish eat lunch around 2-3pm, tapas around 5-6pm, and dinner around 9-10pm. We had traditional “tortillas Espanolas,” kind of like a potato and onion omelet. We leisurely explored the city by foot before a dinner of tapas and vino blanco and then bed.
Sunday morning, we went to Toledo!! Claire Atkins, a friend of Anna’s from Kanuga, has been studying abroad there since September. Over her Christmas break, Claire visited us in Edinburgh, so it was her turn to show us around her neck of the European woods. Toledo is BEAUTIFUL! Claire showed us all around the city. I am not exaggerating in the least when I say we walked ALL DAY LONG. But I’m not complaining; I walked around befuddled at how pretty the city is. The city is very hilly. Our first path was to view all there was to view as we walked down the city. But don’t worry your pretty head about us having to hike back up all the hills because there is an escalator built in the side of the mountain. No joke.
Serving as the religious capital of Spain, the architecture shows the cultural combination of Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim. Since I know next to nothing about architecture—religious or secular—I took Claire’s word for it. We went in the cathedral. I generally stand by the theory that a cathedral is a cathedral is a cathedral. The same goes for this one. It was stunning. It was impressive. It was MASSIVE. The artwork was elaborate (featuring most of Goya’s artwork that is not showcased in the Prado Museum). The statues were everywhere. (The quire featured statues of the lineage of Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew. Except the women were left out. Figures.) The stained glass windows were colorful. It really was beautiful. But it was just another cathedral.
I should mention that we had authentic Spanish sangria whilst enjoying the breeze at an outdoor café. We went back to Madrid that night.
MK left for the airport early Monday morning, leaving Anna and me to our own defenses in the language department. Yes, I have took 4 years of Spanish in high school and another semester in college, but being able to translate on a 3rd grade level doesn't help much with communication skills. MK did write out a few pointers for us, i.e. how to ask our hostel lady if we could store our bags there for the day. After checking out, Anna and I caught up with New Europe’s free walking tour. We’ve done the tour in Edinburgh (several times), London, and Dublin as well. The company’s guides work on a tips-only basis with the philosophy that everyone can take the tour regardless of budget restrictions. In Madrid, however, there is a law that only licensed guides can charge customers for tours. New Europe has been functioning in the gray area: they do no charge for tours, so they do not have to be licensed guides. The Madrid guides are mad that this company is taking away business, so they are protesting. As a result, our tour was joined by 4 protestors holding up signs that read, “ILLEGAL TOURS!” AND “BLACK MONEY IN MADRID!” Of all the things to protest in the world, they choose a tour company??
We learned a lot on the tour. We saw a lot. I probably couldn’t recall 25% of it if I tried, so I won’t. The tour took up most of the day, leaving us time to stroll through the Puerta del Sol and the Plaza Mayor once more before hopping on our short 16-hour bus ride to Paris.
This ends my busy, successful, and fabulous trip to Spain.
We had a late lunch after MK got there. Correction: we had a regular Spanish lunch once MK got there. The Spanish eat lunch around 2-3pm, tapas around 5-6pm, and dinner around 9-10pm. We had traditional “tortillas Espanolas,” kind of like a potato and onion omelet. We leisurely explored the city by foot before a dinner of tapas and vino blanco and then bed.
Sunday morning, we went to Toledo!! Claire Atkins, a friend of Anna’s from Kanuga, has been studying abroad there since September. Over her Christmas break, Claire visited us in Edinburgh, so it was her turn to show us around her neck of the European woods. Toledo is BEAUTIFUL! Claire showed us all around the city. I am not exaggerating in the least when I say we walked ALL DAY LONG. But I’m not complaining; I walked around befuddled at how pretty the city is. The city is very hilly. Our first path was to view all there was to view as we walked down the city. But don’t worry your pretty head about us having to hike back up all the hills because there is an escalator built in the side of the mountain. No joke.
Serving as the religious capital of Spain, the architecture shows the cultural combination of Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim. Since I know next to nothing about architecture—religious or secular—I took Claire’s word for it. We went in the cathedral. I generally stand by the theory that a cathedral is a cathedral is a cathedral. The same goes for this one. It was stunning. It was impressive. It was MASSIVE. The artwork was elaborate (featuring most of Goya’s artwork that is not showcased in the Prado Museum). The statues were everywhere. (The quire featured statues of the lineage of Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew. Except the women were left out. Figures.) The stained glass windows were colorful. It really was beautiful. But it was just another cathedral.
I should mention that we had authentic Spanish sangria whilst enjoying the breeze at an outdoor café. We went back to Madrid that night.
MK left for the airport early Monday morning, leaving Anna and me to our own defenses in the language department. Yes, I have took 4 years of Spanish in high school and another semester in college, but being able to translate on a 3rd grade level doesn't help much with communication skills. MK did write out a few pointers for us, i.e. how to ask our hostel lady if we could store our bags there for the day. After checking out, Anna and I caught up with New Europe’s free walking tour. We’ve done the tour in Edinburgh (several times), London, and Dublin as well. The company’s guides work on a tips-only basis with the philosophy that everyone can take the tour regardless of budget restrictions. In Madrid, however, there is a law that only licensed guides can charge customers for tours. New Europe has been functioning in the gray area: they do no charge for tours, so they do not have to be licensed guides. The Madrid guides are mad that this company is taking away business, so they are protesting. As a result, our tour was joined by 4 protestors holding up signs that read, “ILLEGAL TOURS!” AND “BLACK MONEY IN MADRID!” Of all the things to protest in the world, they choose a tour company??
We learned a lot on the tour. We saw a lot. I probably couldn’t recall 25% of it if I tried, so I won’t. The tour took up most of the day, leaving us time to stroll through the Puerta del Sol and the Plaza Mayor once more before hopping on our short 16-hour bus ride to Paris.
This ends my busy, successful, and fabulous trip to Spain.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Emotionally Drained and Physically Exhausted
This is my attempt to catch up so I can start recording my travels. (Oh yeah… I’m not in Edinburgh anymore.)
Let’s take a trip back in time to two weeks ago. My last day of work was Friday 27 February. Saying goodbye to Mary, Ronnie, Kathleen, Theresa, Ella, and all my other co-workers made me realize that my time in Edinburgh really was coming to an end. I was very excited to have two weeks in the city to do as I pleased, but the end of work meant the end of Edinburgh.
To celebrate our last days as UK tax payers and to end Scotland with a bang, Anna and I went to the most beautiful place on the face of the earth: ISLE OF SKYE!!!!! After our dear friend Erin’s recommendation, we went with the tour group MacBackpakers. If you should find yourself in Scotland (and you should make an effort), you will want to go to Skye. If you are under 30, you should go with MacBackpackers. We easily bonded with our travel buddies (the only Americans again!), and our tour guides could no have been any better. Words cannot describe nor can pictures capture how beautiful this island is. Nothing will do it justice. Here are the links to my picture albums from the trip: album 1, album 2, album 3. I put these up right after we came back, so there are little anecdotes in the captions.
The following Friday (6 March), I had a night on the town with my St. Raphael’s co-workers. Mary, Kathleen, and Theresa all live towards Glasgow and wanting to send me off in a big way and to celebrate their being reinstated in the jobs they never deserved to lose, the girls got a hotel room in Edinburgh. We started the night in Ronnie and Tony’s favorite bar, La Monde on George Street. After dinner, we made our way to Hawk and Hunter, a former townhouse turned private club turned upscale bar. My friends are grungy pub people, and I wouldn’t change that for the world. But it was fun to get gussied up and go to a classy joint. We met for breakfast Saturday morning before the ladies headed back home, giving me one last chance to tell them goodbye and farewell. These women are strong and determined; they fought for their jobs and for what was best for the residents. Although work at St. R’s was not always pleasant, these women (and Ronnie) made it worth while! I am so blessed to have been able to work with them for nearly 4 months!!!
The rest of the week was spent running errands, deciding what to (and not to) pack for my European excursion, and spending time with friends. I went to the Brass Monkey a couple of times. I met friends at the Mosque Kitchen twice. (Yes, the Mosque in Edinburgh serves food, and it is the best – and cheapest – curry available). I pretended like I was JK Rowling at the Elephant House Café. We said goodbye to the gorgeous Italian waiter at Ciao Roma. Finally, it was time to say goodbye. It was also time to do something with our excess luggage; FedEx picked up our bags to be delivered to the US, but the guy wasn’t too sure our forms would suffice with the US customs officers. Keep your fingers crossed for that one… Thursday 12 March was our last night in town. We met our friends at The Globe for the best Snake Bites in town. Everything was smooth sailing…until we had to say goodbye. With every hug, the lump in my throat grew bigger and bigger. With every hug, the haunting fact that I will (more than likely) never live in Edinburgh again grew more and more real. With every hug, the idea that I may never see these people again dangled in front of my face. With every hug, my one-way plane ticket out of Scotland crept closer and closer. Saying goodbye to my friends and to my Edinburgh was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. Why is it we always take something for granted until it is taken away from us?!?!?!?!
Anna and I woke up long before the sun so we could catch the 7am bus to the airport. At 6:30, our buzzer rang. My heart sank into my stomach. I just knew it was going to be the FedEx guy with our rejected suitcases. I opened the door… and it was Ross and Ron!!!! Ron couldn’t make it to The Globe the night before, so he came by to say farewell. Ross lived with us in our flat during Christmas, and he’s become like my little brother. I love this kid so much, I donated extra kids so I could take home the huge teddy bear he gave me for Christmas. Seeing him at my door immediately made me cry one of those cries where you can’t tell if you’re happy or sad. The guys chatted with us while we finished our packing, walked us to our bus stop, and saw us off.
So that’s the end. No more 26 Gardner’s Crescent, snake bites, Visas, Lothian buses, council tax, etc.
But it’s also the beginning of my 6-week trek across Europe!!! I’m in Spain now, but more to come on that later.
Hasta luego.
Let’s take a trip back in time to two weeks ago. My last day of work was Friday 27 February. Saying goodbye to Mary, Ronnie, Kathleen, Theresa, Ella, and all my other co-workers made me realize that my time in Edinburgh really was coming to an end. I was very excited to have two weeks in the city to do as I pleased, but the end of work meant the end of Edinburgh.
To celebrate our last days as UK tax payers and to end Scotland with a bang, Anna and I went to the most beautiful place on the face of the earth: ISLE OF SKYE!!!!! After our dear friend Erin’s recommendation, we went with the tour group MacBackpakers. If you should find yourself in Scotland (and you should make an effort), you will want to go to Skye. If you are under 30, you should go with MacBackpackers. We easily bonded with our travel buddies (the only Americans again!), and our tour guides could no have been any better. Words cannot describe nor can pictures capture how beautiful this island is. Nothing will do it justice. Here are the links to my picture albums from the trip: album 1, album 2, album 3. I put these up right after we came back, so there are little anecdotes in the captions.
The following Friday (6 March), I had a night on the town with my St. Raphael’s co-workers. Mary, Kathleen, and Theresa all live towards Glasgow and wanting to send me off in a big way and to celebrate their being reinstated in the jobs they never deserved to lose, the girls got a hotel room in Edinburgh. We started the night in Ronnie and Tony’s favorite bar, La Monde on George Street. After dinner, we made our way to Hawk and Hunter, a former townhouse turned private club turned upscale bar. My friends are grungy pub people, and I wouldn’t change that for the world. But it was fun to get gussied up and go to a classy joint. We met for breakfast Saturday morning before the ladies headed back home, giving me one last chance to tell them goodbye and farewell. These women are strong and determined; they fought for their jobs and for what was best for the residents. Although work at St. R’s was not always pleasant, these women (and Ronnie) made it worth while! I am so blessed to have been able to work with them for nearly 4 months!!!
The rest of the week was spent running errands, deciding what to (and not to) pack for my European excursion, and spending time with friends. I went to the Brass Monkey a couple of times. I met friends at the Mosque Kitchen twice. (Yes, the Mosque in Edinburgh serves food, and it is the best – and cheapest – curry available). I pretended like I was JK Rowling at the Elephant House Café. We said goodbye to the gorgeous Italian waiter at Ciao Roma. Finally, it was time to say goodbye. It was also time to do something with our excess luggage; FedEx picked up our bags to be delivered to the US, but the guy wasn’t too sure our forms would suffice with the US customs officers. Keep your fingers crossed for that one… Thursday 12 March was our last night in town. We met our friends at The Globe for the best Snake Bites in town. Everything was smooth sailing…until we had to say goodbye. With every hug, the lump in my throat grew bigger and bigger. With every hug, the haunting fact that I will (more than likely) never live in Edinburgh again grew more and more real. With every hug, the idea that I may never see these people again dangled in front of my face. With every hug, my one-way plane ticket out of Scotland crept closer and closer. Saying goodbye to my friends and to my Edinburgh was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. Why is it we always take something for granted until it is taken away from us?!?!?!?!
Anna and I woke up long before the sun so we could catch the 7am bus to the airport. At 6:30, our buzzer rang. My heart sank into my stomach. I just knew it was going to be the FedEx guy with our rejected suitcases. I opened the door… and it was Ross and Ron!!!! Ron couldn’t make it to The Globe the night before, so he came by to say farewell. Ross lived with us in our flat during Christmas, and he’s become like my little brother. I love this kid so much, I donated extra kids so I could take home the huge teddy bear he gave me for Christmas. Seeing him at my door immediately made me cry one of those cries where you can’t tell if you’re happy or sad. The guys chatted with us while we finished our packing, walked us to our bus stop, and saw us off.
So that’s the end. No more 26 Gardner’s Crescent, snake bites, Visas, Lothian buses, council tax, etc.
But it’s also the beginning of my 6-week trek across Europe!!! I’m in Spain now, but more to come on that later.
Hasta luego.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Nothing Like Friends, Family, and a Ghost Tour to Remind You How Cool Edinburgh Is...
I have forgotten how incredibly lucky/ blessed/ fortunate I am to be living in Scotland. I hate to endorse a cliche, but I have taken Edinburgh and what has become day-to-day life for granted.
Anna's mom and dad-- possibly the two sweetest Rock Thrill Southerners you will ever meet-- came in to town for several days last week. My family, Kate's family, and Anna's brothers came for the Christmas holidays, and of course we wowed them with our independence/ knowledge/ bravery, but Mr. and Mrs. Wilson reminded us of how (please forgive the "French"...it is needed for emphasis) bad-ass we are. The timing was perfect: with only a month left in the country, sensible parents reminded us of how invaluable our experience has been and will be.
I would say I'm done tooting my how-blessed-I-am horn... but did I mention we had friends come to visit??? One of Kate's friends from high school, Kacie, is studying for her masters in Anglo-Irish literature at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Kacie and her friend Colleen flew into town on 19 February and stayed for a long weekend, leaving in the wee morning hours on the 23rd with barely enough time for Kacie to catch her Monday morning class. It's funny how quickly travelers bond. Vagabonds always find things in common to talk about...
I'm still not done. We had MORE visitors at the same time as Kacie and Colleen! The lovely Lindsey Williams Bauler came to visit!!!! Lindsey and Anna went to high school together, and Anna was a bridesmaid in her wedding this summer; Lindsey and I worked on summer staff in Montreat in 2007. Lindsey brought along with her Halli, whom we affectionately call "H" in honor of CSI Miami (and she motions to take off her aviator sunglasses whilst giving witty one-liners). She's freaking awesome! Yet again, vagabonds bond instantly! Their stories: Lindsey (College of Charleston grad) and Tim (Citadel grad) married in June and immediately moved to Germany, where Tim was stationed in the army. Halli and Cameron are from Oregon, and they married in September and moved to Germany as well. The boys left for Iraq in November (keep the two couples in your prayers), so the girls treated themselves to a mini-break to the UK. Halli and Lindsey flew into London, rented a car, and arrived in Edinburgh on 19 February. With seven girls, three beds, 2 couches, and one bathroom, 26 Gardner's Crescent turned into a (very fab) hostel; I wouldn't change it for the world. What good is having a flat in Edinburgh if our friends can't reap the benefits?!?
I've had such a blast revisiting the tourist attractions with the girls. I took the walking tour again, frolicked around Calton Hill Cemetery, climbed up Calton Hill, and popped in and out of vintage shops. We also took a GHOST TOUR!!!
I enjoy this kind of stuff, so bare with me while I tell this tale. The "ghost and torture tour" started above ground with a glimpse of what streets in old Edinburgh would have looked like and a brief explanation (and reenactment) of the witch trials. From there, we crammed into the torture museum, where we saw original thumb screws, jaw breakers, chastity belts, flesh hooks, and ball-breakers (no explanation needed there). We then descended to explore the Niddry Street Vaults, vaults that were built to be storage space but were quickly abandoned. (The vaults were built with volcanic rock, which is very porous; a few hours after it rains in Edinburgh, it rains in the vaults!) Edinburgh has been dubbed by paranormal experts as the most haunted city in the world, and these vaults have been dubbed the most haunted spot in the most haunted city. If you have seen the TV show "Most Haunted," they spent the night in the Niddry Vaults whilst in Edinburgh. In fact, they were attacked, but I'll get to that later.
There are 3 levels of paranormal activity, and all three are represented in the Niddry Vaults. Level 1, the "watchman" ghost, is like a program on repeat. The guard casually strolls up and down the corridor, like he would have done during his lifetime. People occasionally see him and hear his footsteps, but he is unaware we exist. Level 2 is a poltergeist, translated as "noisy ghost." The room with a level 2 is where the Most Haunted paranormal team was attacked (you can watch it on YouTube). The room was converted into a Wiccan Temple in the 90s, and the circle in the middle of the room, used in Wicca to prevent evil spirits from entering, now contains all it once warded off. The priest, however, made a mistake; he bought a used mirror that used to hang inside a wardrobe. The mirror acted as a door, luring spirits into the room but giving them no way to escape. As a result, the temple moved several vaults down, and the circle was deactivated, leaving the aggressive spirits trapped inside. Bad things are said to happen to anyone who enters the circle; I could think of no logical reason to test this theory. A level 3 is a poltergeist that is bent on causing harm. The Niddry Vault's level 3 was a misogynist while he was alive and is said to be a misogynist even after death. After the vaults were abandoned, the rooms were used in all kinds of creative ways, and this particular vault-- the largest vault-- was used as a brothel (more room for beds??). This man enjoyed torturing and killing his prostitutes. When we visited the chamber, our guide split the sexes, instructing the men to go to the left and the women to the right. She said couples were more vulnerable to attack and that most reported attacks were on women on the left side of the room... hence the particular arrangement. Interesting, hmm??? Another story about this vault... In one of the city's great fires (there have been a few), hundreds of people fled underground to the vaults to escape the flames. What they were not expecting, however, was for the structure of rocks to heat up like an oven. After the fires subsided, the the largest vault was full of victims who had literally been cooked to death. As our guide described it, their meat and flesh were falling off their bones just like a roasted chicken. Ok I'm done with the gruesome now.
Today is Lindsey and Halli's last day in the city. Anna and I will be staying with them for several days towards the end of our excursion. They have a Taco Bell on the base, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't already looking forward to a nacho supreme and cinnamon twists.
This is my last week at work, but the good news is the three previously sacked good guys have come back to St. R's and the two bad guys who did the sacking are now suspended. Yay!
Anna and I are going to the Isle of Skye on Monday for 3 days.
All for now.
Anna's mom and dad-- possibly the two sweetest Rock Thrill Southerners you will ever meet-- came in to town for several days last week. My family, Kate's family, and Anna's brothers came for the Christmas holidays, and of course we wowed them with our independence/ knowledge/ bravery, but Mr. and Mrs. Wilson reminded us of how (please forgive the "French"...it is needed for emphasis) bad-ass we are. The timing was perfect: with only a month left in the country, sensible parents reminded us of how invaluable our experience has been and will be.
I would say I'm done tooting my how-blessed-I-am horn... but did I mention we had friends come to visit??? One of Kate's friends from high school, Kacie, is studying for her masters in Anglo-Irish literature at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Kacie and her friend Colleen flew into town on 19 February and stayed for a long weekend, leaving in the wee morning hours on the 23rd with barely enough time for Kacie to catch her Monday morning class. It's funny how quickly travelers bond. Vagabonds always find things in common to talk about...
I'm still not done. We had MORE visitors at the same time as Kacie and Colleen! The lovely Lindsey Williams Bauler came to visit!!!! Lindsey and Anna went to high school together, and Anna was a bridesmaid in her wedding this summer; Lindsey and I worked on summer staff in Montreat in 2007. Lindsey brought along with her Halli, whom we affectionately call "H" in honor of CSI Miami (and she motions to take off her aviator sunglasses whilst giving witty one-liners). She's freaking awesome! Yet again, vagabonds bond instantly! Their stories: Lindsey (College of Charleston grad) and Tim (Citadel grad) married in June and immediately moved to Germany, where Tim was stationed in the army. Halli and Cameron are from Oregon, and they married in September and moved to Germany as well. The boys left for Iraq in November (keep the two couples in your prayers), so the girls treated themselves to a mini-break to the UK. Halli and Lindsey flew into London, rented a car, and arrived in Edinburgh on 19 February. With seven girls, three beds, 2 couches, and one bathroom, 26 Gardner's Crescent turned into a (very fab) hostel; I wouldn't change it for the world. What good is having a flat in Edinburgh if our friends can't reap the benefits?!?
I've had such a blast revisiting the tourist attractions with the girls. I took the walking tour again, frolicked around Calton Hill Cemetery, climbed up Calton Hill, and popped in and out of vintage shops. We also took a GHOST TOUR!!!
I enjoy this kind of stuff, so bare with me while I tell this tale. The "ghost and torture tour" started above ground with a glimpse of what streets in old Edinburgh would have looked like and a brief explanation (and reenactment) of the witch trials. From there, we crammed into the torture museum, where we saw original thumb screws, jaw breakers, chastity belts, flesh hooks, and ball-breakers (no explanation needed there). We then descended to explore the Niddry Street Vaults, vaults that were built to be storage space but were quickly abandoned. (The vaults were built with volcanic rock, which is very porous; a few hours after it rains in Edinburgh, it rains in the vaults!) Edinburgh has been dubbed by paranormal experts as the most haunted city in the world, and these vaults have been dubbed the most haunted spot in the most haunted city. If you have seen the TV show "Most Haunted," they spent the night in the Niddry Vaults whilst in Edinburgh. In fact, they were attacked, but I'll get to that later.
There are 3 levels of paranormal activity, and all three are represented in the Niddry Vaults. Level 1, the "watchman" ghost, is like a program on repeat. The guard casually strolls up and down the corridor, like he would have done during his lifetime. People occasionally see him and hear his footsteps, but he is unaware we exist. Level 2 is a poltergeist, translated as "noisy ghost." The room with a level 2 is where the Most Haunted paranormal team was attacked (you can watch it on YouTube). The room was converted into a Wiccan Temple in the 90s, and the circle in the middle of the room, used in Wicca to prevent evil spirits from entering, now contains all it once warded off. The priest, however, made a mistake; he bought a used mirror that used to hang inside a wardrobe. The mirror acted as a door, luring spirits into the room but giving them no way to escape. As a result, the temple moved several vaults down, and the circle was deactivated, leaving the aggressive spirits trapped inside. Bad things are said to happen to anyone who enters the circle; I could think of no logical reason to test this theory. A level 3 is a poltergeist that is bent on causing harm. The Niddry Vault's level 3 was a misogynist while he was alive and is said to be a misogynist even after death. After the vaults were abandoned, the rooms were used in all kinds of creative ways, and this particular vault-- the largest vault-- was used as a brothel (more room for beds??). This man enjoyed torturing and killing his prostitutes. When we visited the chamber, our guide split the sexes, instructing the men to go to the left and the women to the right. She said couples were more vulnerable to attack and that most reported attacks were on women on the left side of the room... hence the particular arrangement. Interesting, hmm??? Another story about this vault... In one of the city's great fires (there have been a few), hundreds of people fled underground to the vaults to escape the flames. What they were not expecting, however, was for the structure of rocks to heat up like an oven. After the fires subsided, the the largest vault was full of victims who had literally been cooked to death. As our guide described it, their meat and flesh were falling off their bones just like a roasted chicken. Ok I'm done with the gruesome now.
Today is Lindsey and Halli's last day in the city. Anna and I will be staying with them for several days towards the end of our excursion. They have a Taco Bell on the base, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't already looking forward to a nacho supreme and cinnamon twists.
This is my last week at work, but the good news is the three previously sacked good guys have come back to St. R's and the two bad guys who did the sacking are now suspended. Yay!
Anna and I are going to the Isle of Skye on Monday for 3 days.
All for now.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
An Ode to Brass Monkey
On this the early morning of my 5 month anniversary in Edinburgh, I have decided to write about one of my favorite places in the city: Brass Monkey.
Brass Monkey is located on Drummond Street just off of South Bridge, a stone’s throw from the National Museum and the Royal High School. It looks like it is just a normal Edinburgh pub: a dark wooden bar as you walk inside, tall stools, and a few tables at the back. You might think it’s a bit quirky if you visit the uni-sex toilets, but the real reason Brass Monkey is a special place is because of its cinema room. The side room has a 2-foot raised platform that is- I would guess- 10 x 15 feet, and it is covered in futon mattresses. The edges are lined with pillows, turning the room into a giant bed. Every day at 3:00pm, they play a “cult movie” on the projector. The movie is chosen by the viewers, so if you are lucky enough to get there first, you can have a say in which movie gets played that day.
I frequent Brass Monkey on the weekends. Kate and I went today and were surrounded by snuggling couples, and the movie to celebrate Valentine’s Day was True Romance: a shoot-em-up Christian Slater movie. I loved it.
Other movies played there: Dirty Dancing, Good Will Hunting, The Professional, Seven, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, A Clockwork Orange, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Amelie, etc. Love it.
Since today does mark five months in Edinburgh, it simultaneously marks only one month remaining. Am currently in the process of planning European excursions. Will post an itinerary… when Anna and I finally decide what exactly we are doing.
I have 10 days left at work. Yes, I am counting. Yes, it is that bad. I won’t post on it now because people who speak honestly about the horrid situations going on at St. Raphael’s Care Home are mysteriously disappearing, not in a mafia disappearance act, but in a sacked and escorted off the premises kind of way. Not kidding. Here’s an article written about it.
Another update to come soon.
Peace, love, and Edinburgh.
Brass Monkey is located on Drummond Street just off of South Bridge, a stone’s throw from the National Museum and the Royal High School. It looks like it is just a normal Edinburgh pub: a dark wooden bar as you walk inside, tall stools, and a few tables at the back. You might think it’s a bit quirky if you visit the uni-sex toilets, but the real reason Brass Monkey is a special place is because of its cinema room. The side room has a 2-foot raised platform that is- I would guess- 10 x 15 feet, and it is covered in futon mattresses. The edges are lined with pillows, turning the room into a giant bed. Every day at 3:00pm, they play a “cult movie” on the projector. The movie is chosen by the viewers, so if you are lucky enough to get there first, you can have a say in which movie gets played that day.
I frequent Brass Monkey on the weekends. Kate and I went today and were surrounded by snuggling couples, and the movie to celebrate Valentine’s Day was True Romance: a shoot-em-up Christian Slater movie. I loved it.
Other movies played there: Dirty Dancing, Good Will Hunting, The Professional, Seven, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, A Clockwork Orange, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Amelie, etc. Love it.
Since today does mark five months in Edinburgh, it simultaneously marks only one month remaining. Am currently in the process of planning European excursions. Will post an itinerary… when Anna and I finally decide what exactly we are doing.
I have 10 days left at work. Yes, I am counting. Yes, it is that bad. I won’t post on it now because people who speak honestly about the horrid situations going on at St. Raphael’s Care Home are mysteriously disappearing, not in a mafia disappearance act, but in a sacked and escorted off the premises kind of way. Not kidding. Here’s an article written about it.
Another update to come soon.
Peace, love, and Edinburgh.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Winds, Fairies, and Sheep
I went to Ireland. Have I mentioned that? I did. Pictures. More pictures. The lovely Anna and I flew into Dublin on 14 January, and we arrived back “home” in Edinburgh on the 18th.
I’ll just tell the highlights; a detailed description of our 5 days in Ireland would be quite lengthy.
The weather was horrific. Terrible. No matter how descriptive my language is when recalling the weather, it will not do it justice. Our tour guide Danny, a life-long Dubliner, said he had never seen weather like this. Rain, hail, and sleet were a constant. The winds got up to 105mph one night. You know how crazy news anchors will stand in the middle of a hurricane? They can stand still. When we got off the bus, we literally had to hold on to each other. Despite the weather, the trip was great! It couldn’t have been better!!
We spent the first 2 nights in Dublin in Abigail’s Hostel… very nice accommodation for anyone who is looking into Ireland. We walked around the city for hours on end until finally our weary legs took us to an open-top tour bus. The Guiness Store House was one bus stop, so that was our “splurge” of the day. I do love me some Guiness. The museum takes you through the history of the Guiness family, growing the hops, the specific water, fermentation, the wooden barrels, and advertising. Finally, you get to enjoy a pint on the top floor with a panoramic view. Anna even got a lesson on how to pull the perfect pint: the carbon dioxide, the nitrogen, and the 119.5 seconds it takes for the gases to settle. She even has a certificate to prove her accreditation.
Our Shamrocker Southern Rocker tour left on Friday morning. The 19 of us included our Irish tour guide, our Slovakian bus drive, 15 Aussies, and the token 2 Americans. We stopped briefly at the Rock of Cashel (our first of many castles) and then explored the Mitchelstown Caves with a tour guide who lived her life for stalactites and stalagmites. The best part of Friday was our trip to Blarney Castle. The grounds are gorgeous: green grass, tall trees, and a meandering stream. The castle was dates back to the 13th century, but what it is really know for is the BLARNEY STONE. The Stone of Destiny was cut in two, one half going to Scotland and 1 half being built into the structure of Blarney Castle. Now known as the Blarney Stone, kissing it will give you the “gift of the gab.” Kissing it, however, is no easy task. The floor of the 2nd story has a hole about 1 foot from the wall and 2 feet long. You have to lay on your back with your head positioned over the hole. Two iron rods have been installed for you to grab while you lower your upper body, head first and upside down, towards the ground to reach the Blarney Stone. If you are limber enough to clear it with your chin, you give it a kiss and pull yourself back up. An old man sits next to the hole, day in and day out, whose job is to support your back and help you earn the gift of the gab. He has one joke: don’t use tongue. He either 1) thought I was a precious American, 2) thought I desperately needed eloquent speech, or 3) felt bad for the girl shaking from her fear of heights because he let me kiss the stone TWICE. Anyone who is anyone kisses the stone, included Brad, Angelina, and Bill Clinton. I’m in their ranks now.
We spent Friday night in Killarney, my favorite town we visited. The streets are narrow cobblestone, and they’re lined with pubs and small businesses. We (the Irish tour guide, 15 Aussies, and token 2 Americans) heard an Irish story teller at one of the pubs. I was rolling on the floor laughing. He told stories of pub regulars (the policeman, the bum, the man who died with a glass of Bush Mills in his hand, and the nun) as if he owned the bar.
On Saturday, we headed towards the Dingle Peninsula. Danny said normally it would take 3 hours to drive the route, stopping every few miles for 30-minutes or so; however, this was the day the winds started to pick up. Our stops were less often, and our time off the buss was very time-efficient. If it looks like I’m in pain in my pictures, it’s because I was. The tour would have been even shorter, but we were stuck behind a herd of sheep for a good 30 minutes. No joke. The farmer and his 2 dogs moved the herd of sheep from one pasture to another. We had lunch in a local pub before the winds took out all the power. We stayed in the very Irish town of Doolin on Saturday night. The town only has one hostel, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear if their only business was from the Shamrocker tours. Saturday night was when the winds blew over 100mph. The hostel wasn’t well-heated, so we all crammed around the fire in the living room with our books and journals. In such a quaint Irish town, delivery is not an option. As one of the Aussie girls put it, when in Doolin, do as the Dooliners do. We bundled up and braved the hail and high speed winds. Note: running a quarter of a mile with high winds and hail is not a good combination. On top of all this, the bridge that runs over the river is supposed to have a resident fairy. Irish fairies are not Tinkerbells, but rather are nasty creatures capable of serious harm. If this fairy catches you, it will hoist you over its should and carry you away, never to be seen again.
First thing Sunday morning, we visited the Cliffs of Moher. If you are a Princess Bride fan, which I am not, you would recognize the landscape as the “Cliffs of Insanity.” If you have been there before, you will know that the winds and the waves create a constant mist rising up from the ocean 400 feet below. With the abnormally strong winds, the top observation plateau looked like an upside-down waterfall. The Cliffs ended up being yet another time-efficient photo opportunity. Next we went to the Burren plateau. The plateau is a limestone landscape, like it’s straight out of Wuthering Heights. The weather miraculously cleared up enough for us to enjoy an old monastery. Clonmacnoise is right on the shore. The masonry work in its Celtic crosses is world-famous. Modern-day stone masons have tried to replicate the crosses but have failed. The chapel, various stone buildings, and the graves of all of Ireland’s 70-something saints stand in your line-of-sight while looking out to the water. Beautiful.
Then we went back to Dublin and then back to Edinburgh.
The 3 most popular sites in Ireland: The Guiness Store House (check), the Blarney Castle (check), and the Cliffs of Moher (check). A successful holiday.
I’ll just tell the highlights; a detailed description of our 5 days in Ireland would be quite lengthy.
The weather was horrific. Terrible. No matter how descriptive my language is when recalling the weather, it will not do it justice. Our tour guide Danny, a life-long Dubliner, said he had never seen weather like this. Rain, hail, and sleet were a constant. The winds got up to 105mph one night. You know how crazy news anchors will stand in the middle of a hurricane? They can stand still. When we got off the bus, we literally had to hold on to each other. Despite the weather, the trip was great! It couldn’t have been better!!
We spent the first 2 nights in Dublin in Abigail’s Hostel… very nice accommodation for anyone who is looking into Ireland. We walked around the city for hours on end until finally our weary legs took us to an open-top tour bus. The Guiness Store House was one bus stop, so that was our “splurge” of the day. I do love me some Guiness. The museum takes you through the history of the Guiness family, growing the hops, the specific water, fermentation, the wooden barrels, and advertising. Finally, you get to enjoy a pint on the top floor with a panoramic view. Anna even got a lesson on how to pull the perfect pint: the carbon dioxide, the nitrogen, and the 119.5 seconds it takes for the gases to settle. She even has a certificate to prove her accreditation.
Our Shamrocker Southern Rocker tour left on Friday morning. The 19 of us included our Irish tour guide, our Slovakian bus drive, 15 Aussies, and the token 2 Americans. We stopped briefly at the Rock of Cashel (our first of many castles) and then explored the Mitchelstown Caves with a tour guide who lived her life for stalactites and stalagmites. The best part of Friday was our trip to Blarney Castle. The grounds are gorgeous: green grass, tall trees, and a meandering stream. The castle was dates back to the 13th century, but what it is really know for is the BLARNEY STONE. The Stone of Destiny was cut in two, one half going to Scotland and 1 half being built into the structure of Blarney Castle. Now known as the Blarney Stone, kissing it will give you the “gift of the gab.” Kissing it, however, is no easy task. The floor of the 2nd story has a hole about 1 foot from the wall and 2 feet long. You have to lay on your back with your head positioned over the hole. Two iron rods have been installed for you to grab while you lower your upper body, head first and upside down, towards the ground to reach the Blarney Stone. If you are limber enough to clear it with your chin, you give it a kiss and pull yourself back up. An old man sits next to the hole, day in and day out, whose job is to support your back and help you earn the gift of the gab. He has one joke: don’t use tongue. He either 1) thought I was a precious American, 2) thought I desperately needed eloquent speech, or 3) felt bad for the girl shaking from her fear of heights because he let me kiss the stone TWICE. Anyone who is anyone kisses the stone, included Brad, Angelina, and Bill Clinton. I’m in their ranks now.
We spent Friday night in Killarney, my favorite town we visited. The streets are narrow cobblestone, and they’re lined with pubs and small businesses. We (the Irish tour guide, 15 Aussies, and token 2 Americans) heard an Irish story teller at one of the pubs. I was rolling on the floor laughing. He told stories of pub regulars (the policeman, the bum, the man who died with a glass of Bush Mills in his hand, and the nun) as if he owned the bar.
On Saturday, we headed towards the Dingle Peninsula. Danny said normally it would take 3 hours to drive the route, stopping every few miles for 30-minutes or so; however, this was the day the winds started to pick up. Our stops were less often, and our time off the buss was very time-efficient. If it looks like I’m in pain in my pictures, it’s because I was. The tour would have been even shorter, but we were stuck behind a herd of sheep for a good 30 minutes. No joke. The farmer and his 2 dogs moved the herd of sheep from one pasture to another. We had lunch in a local pub before the winds took out all the power. We stayed in the very Irish town of Doolin on Saturday night. The town only has one hostel, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear if their only business was from the Shamrocker tours. Saturday night was when the winds blew over 100mph. The hostel wasn’t well-heated, so we all crammed around the fire in the living room with our books and journals. In such a quaint Irish town, delivery is not an option. As one of the Aussie girls put it, when in Doolin, do as the Dooliners do. We bundled up and braved the hail and high speed winds. Note: running a quarter of a mile with high winds and hail is not a good combination. On top of all this, the bridge that runs over the river is supposed to have a resident fairy. Irish fairies are not Tinkerbells, but rather are nasty creatures capable of serious harm. If this fairy catches you, it will hoist you over its should and carry you away, never to be seen again.
First thing Sunday morning, we visited the Cliffs of Moher. If you are a Princess Bride fan, which I am not, you would recognize the landscape as the “Cliffs of Insanity.” If you have been there before, you will know that the winds and the waves create a constant mist rising up from the ocean 400 feet below. With the abnormally strong winds, the top observation plateau looked like an upside-down waterfall. The Cliffs ended up being yet another time-efficient photo opportunity. Next we went to the Burren plateau. The plateau is a limestone landscape, like it’s straight out of Wuthering Heights. The weather miraculously cleared up enough for us to enjoy an old monastery. Clonmacnoise is right on the shore. The masonry work in its Celtic crosses is world-famous. Modern-day stone masons have tried to replicate the crosses but have failed. The chapel, various stone buildings, and the graves of all of Ireland’s 70-something saints stand in your line-of-sight while looking out to the water. Beautiful.
Then we went back to Dublin and then back to Edinburgh.
The 3 most popular sites in Ireland: The Guiness Store House (check), the Blarney Castle (check), and the Cliffs of Moher (check). A successful holiday.
Monday, January 19, 2009
New Years Served up Hogmanay Style
Here is my 20-day overdue New Years account.
Hogmanay is Edinburgh's New Years celebration. The city's population during the holiday triples… or something ridiculous like that. The celebration starts 29 December and lasts through New Years Day.
Monday 29 December 2008
The Torch Procession: the coolest thing I’ve done in Edinburgh. I had a bit of trouble pushing through the crowds to get to my friends, but thanks to my persuasive skills, a security officer let me cut through City Chambers. I caught up with everyone in front of St. Giles Cathedral right as the crowd started moving. If you’ve been to Old Town, picture High Street’s sidewalks and road packed shoulder to shoulder from the City Chambers all the way down to the John Knox House. Now picture a lit torch in everyone’s hand. For fear of sounding like a 12-year-old, it was so cool. We walked west on the Royal Mile, north on The Mound, and turned right to walk east on Princes Street. This is the only time of the year thousands of people could get away with lolly-gagging down the usually traffic-packed Princes Street. We caught up with the bagpipers right about Calton Hill Cemetery and followed them up Calton Hill, where we were greeted by a 20-foot bonfire. Then the fireworks. My family can tell you that I’ve never been one to be amused by fireworks. One display looks like the next, and you’ve seen it all after the first 30 seconds. Maybe it was the view of Old and New Towns behind me, the Shame to my left, Nelson’s Monument to my right, and my friends all around me… but these were hands down the best fireworks I’ve seen. The show went for nearly 20 minutes, and I loved every second of it.
Tuesday 30 December 2008
Dance Festival. Grassmarket was closed from Victoria Street down to Kings Stables Road to make room for two stages. Simultaneously on each stage were a variety of dance performers. We saw tap dancers, break dancers, Scottish folk dancers, swing dancers, salsa dancers, Chinese dragon dancers, and show girls. My favorite was the country western dance troop. All claiming to be siblings (and yet they look nothing alike and are all about the same age) and to be from Texas (with a Hollywood-heavy fake accents), they broke down and taught a line dance to the couple thousand in the crowd. I ate it up. It took me back to my Scuffle Town days of high school. Sigh…
Wednesday 31 December 2008- Thursday 1 January 2009
New Years night was fun, but my favorite parts were the two days leading up. We met our friends at Angela’s flat in the Grassmarket. We then leisurely wandered back up to the top of Calton Hill to watch the firework displays. Yes, plural. Fireworks shot from Calton Hill, the castle, and another location too far away to tell. This was the first year in several years that I wasn’t in Montreat with my beloved summer staff friends, so I must admit I missed the crowded living room in Glen Rock. We saw no ball drop, so there was no count-down. There was no collective, “Happy New Year.” The suckers who paid for the street party tickets collectively sang “Auld Lang Syne” (it is Scotland…), but the economically wary kids on the hill missed out on such. But it was still a great way to bring in the New Year. We moved on then to Scott’s flat and stayed awake until it hurt to hold our eyes open.
So that is how I spent my New Years. With new friends in a foreign land. Couldn't have been better!
Hogmanay is Edinburgh's New Years celebration. The city's population during the holiday triples… or something ridiculous like that. The celebration starts 29 December and lasts through New Years Day.
Monday 29 December 2008
The Torch Procession: the coolest thing I’ve done in Edinburgh. I had a bit of trouble pushing through the crowds to get to my friends, but thanks to my persuasive skills, a security officer let me cut through City Chambers. I caught up with everyone in front of St. Giles Cathedral right as the crowd started moving. If you’ve been to Old Town, picture High Street’s sidewalks and road packed shoulder to shoulder from the City Chambers all the way down to the John Knox House. Now picture a lit torch in everyone’s hand. For fear of sounding like a 12-year-old, it was so cool. We walked west on the Royal Mile, north on The Mound, and turned right to walk east on Princes Street. This is the only time of the year thousands of people could get away with lolly-gagging down the usually traffic-packed Princes Street. We caught up with the bagpipers right about Calton Hill Cemetery and followed them up Calton Hill, where we were greeted by a 20-foot bonfire. Then the fireworks. My family can tell you that I’ve never been one to be amused by fireworks. One display looks like the next, and you’ve seen it all after the first 30 seconds. Maybe it was the view of Old and New Towns behind me, the Shame to my left, Nelson’s Monument to my right, and my friends all around me… but these were hands down the best fireworks I’ve seen. The show went for nearly 20 minutes, and I loved every second of it.
Tuesday 30 December 2008
Dance Festival. Grassmarket was closed from Victoria Street down to Kings Stables Road to make room for two stages. Simultaneously on each stage were a variety of dance performers. We saw tap dancers, break dancers, Scottish folk dancers, swing dancers, salsa dancers, Chinese dragon dancers, and show girls. My favorite was the country western dance troop. All claiming to be siblings (and yet they look nothing alike and are all about the same age) and to be from Texas (with a Hollywood-heavy fake accents), they broke down and taught a line dance to the couple thousand in the crowd. I ate it up. It took me back to my Scuffle Town days of high school. Sigh…
Wednesday 31 December 2008- Thursday 1 January 2009
New Years night was fun, but my favorite parts were the two days leading up. We met our friends at Angela’s flat in the Grassmarket. We then leisurely wandered back up to the top of Calton Hill to watch the firework displays. Yes, plural. Fireworks shot from Calton Hill, the castle, and another location too far away to tell. This was the first year in several years that I wasn’t in Montreat with my beloved summer staff friends, so I must admit I missed the crowded living room in Glen Rock. We saw no ball drop, so there was no count-down. There was no collective, “Happy New Year.” The suckers who paid for the street party tickets collectively sang “Auld Lang Syne” (it is Scotland…), but the economically wary kids on the hill missed out on such. But it was still a great way to bring in the New Year. We moved on then to Scott’s flat and stayed awake until it hurt to hold our eyes open.
So that is how I spent my New Years. With new friends in a foreign land. Couldn't have been better!
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