An Anniversary in Edinburgh...

Yesterday Matt and I celebrated 4 years of marital adventure! We commemorated the day with a feast at the ever-popular "Nando's" on Lothian Rd. Yeah, it is a chain restaurant rather than the fancy local places where we have celebrated in the past in Austin and SLC. Still, we decided that splurging our small luxuries fund on a restaurant are for the times when we don't have the novelty of living in Scotland. Indeed, we do have a several day holiday planned through Isle of Skye coming up in just one month time. Best save the wee fund for that this year! And to be sure, this year's celebration was the best I can remember really.

Can you see the excitement on Matt's face about to dig into his Peri Peri chicken, chips and mushy peas as he rolls up his sleeves?

As good as the meal was, I have to confess that the best thing about it was their BOTTOMLESS fountain drinks (with ice nonetheless!). It is a real rarity in these parts to have such free flowing soda fountains, as abundant as you would find in the ol' U.S. of A. I felt like singing The Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Would you believe our blustery, rainy spring Edinburgh lit up with sun for the hour after our dinner? Just long enough to get a picture of us in front of the Princes Street fountain that we pass so often on our walks to campus this year.

That was an event in and of itself as we happened upon three elderly Basque women on holiday to take the picture. We exchanged picture taking services with them since they hadn't gotten one of them altogether and explained with Spanglish and wild hand gestures (turns out that Basque and Argentine Spanish is not as comparable as one might think) our story of being in Edinburgh as they were interested in us being Americans. It was the perfect encounter for the occasion as it added yet one more memorable event in our year long stint here in Edinburgh.

I have to say, when I look back on my 4 married-to-Matt years, that in spite of the fact that they still haven't "hung the jerk who invented work", I have good reason to be singing "The Big Rock Candy Mountain". Truly, life has proven to be "a land that is fair and bright".

Living the Harry Potterlandia Dream....

I am just finishing up the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone book for the first time. Indeed, until a couple weeks ago I had yet to jump on the HP bandwagon. This was not out of principle or smug defiance to a trend so much as my genuine disinterest in the fantasy fiction genre (the joke between Matt and I is that I steer clear of any book that begins with a map - luckily HP doesn't have that). Still, after taking a children and YA lit course this last semester and seeing it aligned with the "classics" like the delightful Winnie the Pooh, Anne of Green Gables and How to Eat Fried Worms I realized I was only cheating myself at this point. The time had come.

And what an inspiring place I live to commence my long-overdue read! I have long been keen on reading books relevant to the place where I live. I read The Grapes of Wrath while living in Oklahoma for a summer, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate while living in Texas and Wallace Stegnar in Utah. It isn't just the Britishness of this book that makes it a timely read while in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is its birthplace to be sure. There are loads of HP references here. JK Rowling lives not far from the LDS church in the Polwarth area with a few collegues on "Writer's Block" and the Elephant House coffee shop gets all kinds of business since it was there that Rowling penned her first manuscripts of HP. Though the Elephant House uses the HP birthplace to enhance notoriety, not all places in Edinburgh are as appreciative of their involvement in the series. Many say that the impressive 5* Balmoral Hotel was not at all impressed with Rowling writing the message "Harry Potter was finished here..." on the bottom of a small figurine in the room when the 7th book was completed. Not to be trifled with, the Balmoral passed up the opportunity to make a themed room out of the event or even put the figurine up on something like eBay. Instead they promptly charged Rowling the price of the figure on her bill.

It is not just where the book was written that makes this a particularly fun read here in Edinburgh. There are loads of places which inspired different parts of the book and you happen upon them during a walk in all different areas of town. Just adjacent to the Elephant House is Greyfriar's Cathedral and Kirkyard which aside from being home of the heroic and anecdotal "Greyfriar's Bobby" it also contains graves of such recognizable characters as "William McGonagall", "Tom Riddle" and the like. What is particularly whimsical to me though is having views of Fettes College while making beds on the 3rd floor at the hotel where I work. After a good ariel view of the college, it is no wonder how a place like Hogwarts took shape. And in just a month's time, Matt and I will take a wee trip on the Jacobite steam train from Mallig to Fort William. Yes, this is the train that could be likened to Hogwart's Express, no 9 3/4 platforms necessary though....

So I am curious. What books should you be reading where you live? What inspiring places are around you that result in the imaginative or literary?

Feeling Like a Local...

#15 Having a certain way I "take my tea" and knowing the way Matt does as well. One sugar for me with my Polish raspberry or Chamomile tea and two sugars for Matt with his Twinnings Mint tea.

One great thing about spring and summer weather in Edinburgh: still cool enough in the evening to enjoy a good cuppa. The land of year-round tea drinking:)

EUROvision

Apparently this telly phenomenon has been going on for years but I first heard about it just a month ago while changing bed linens with my Glaswegian housekeeping friend. We were swapping stories about what our favourites have been at cinema this last year and programmes we like to watch. I shared my guilty pleasure in America’s Next Top Model and she confessed she is a devoted Eurovision follower every year.

I was intrigued “What is Eurovision?” 

“Oh it’s brilliant!” She explained that it is like X Factor (American Idol = in these parts) but instead is a one night thing every year where all of Europe has a representative come to sing/dance and compete. Loads of people get curry take-aways that night, throw parties with their friends to watch and vote.

 What luck I had heard about it in time for this year’s competition which took place this last Saturday! And how appropriate it was that I was on the continent to watch it because although Britain competes each year, the Scots are not ones to often consider themselves proper Europeans. Many times before heading on my Holland/Belgium/Germany holiday my co-workers and Girlguiding mates would comment “So are you excited to go on your Europe holiday?” It turns out that I live in the British Isles, not Europe – you have to head to the continent to see a proper European country I guess.

That said, Eurovision great fun. Though there was no curry involved, there were plenty of sweets from Germany and Belgium while kicking back on our last night here and watching each country sing and dance.  I have to admit that although there was a completely different tone to the whole thing, the concept did not stray too far from a strange movie I once saw called “The Saddest Music in the World”. While I didn’t finish watching the whole thing I will add my 2 pence about what I fancied about the acts I did see. Italy had good reason to come in 2^nd place, Britain’s boy band was an utter disappointment, it turns out that there was something oddly compelling about Ireland’s famous Jedward twins (though their performance had airs of 3^rd Reich at times) but the all time favourite of the evening has to go to Moldova. I think this video speaks for itself….

“I never think of Moldova.” I mentioned, somewhat embarrassed, to Matt in passing when they were announced to come next. 

Matt and I couldn’t stop laughing while watching it though. In Matt’s words, “This is perfect! I mean, for all I know this is very traditional for them.” Could be a ‘had to be there’ type of thing but at any rate, it was great fun and it added to the list of why it is great to live four seasons in a new place like Europe…er I mean the British Isles….

Oh and congrats to Azerbaijan for taking home the Eurovision glory this year! 

When it feels good to be homesick...

Well the grand adventure to the continent is at an end. Since the last installment we made our way out of the land of the tulips by touring the Claus Windmill. Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about this windmill that is still operating to grind flour and mix all the goods and spices to make those marvelous “speculaas” cookies , is that it has been operated by the same family for 5 generations. What luck that one of them is Mormon and offered to enrich our travels when talking with them at church! Here's a pic of the missionaries enjoying the tour along with us.

So whimsical and fun!

It was impressive to see how the cogs and wheels of this 18^th century technology could still work and often by the same measures as it had before (note in the picture the hanging pig lard that is used grease rusty parts).

What made this place a dream was the shop below that sold all kinds of windmill ground mixes of cookies, breads and other Dutch delectables. 

Onward we went to Brussels where we ate our fill of chocolate and “moules et frites” at La Grande Place.

Then Bruges where we walked around some neat Mediterranean architecture and then got yelled at by the Belgian waffle lady for mixing up our order. Indeed, this was our token traveling experience where we ended up getting accused of being American. What a laugh! To be sure, there was still plenty of good times had by all and even a few inside jokes between Lori and I. You had to be there….

Then we headed south to Stuttgart where we stayed with a foreign exchange student that the Sweeneys hosted about 13 years ago. There were of course some great sites to see on foot around Stuttgart and more interesting adventures in Munich where we tried their unique white sausage (Weisswurst) in the Victorian Market and then took a walking tour of the city’s many sites. I was particularly taken in by the English Garden (larger than Central Park!) which was full of surprises, including nudity tolerance (why is it always fat, older men that take advantage of nudist parks/beaches?) 

and their surfing wave installed in the park’s wee river.

Still, the company and food was the most noteworthy part of the visit. Turns out nothing makes a better combination than a Serbian family who has learned the art of German cooking. Great culinary things happen when these worlds collide!

As the 10 day stint has come to an end I have been fighting the homesick feeling for several days now. I think it was offset by a handful of ribald young Brits who got onto the same canal cruise boat as us in Bruges. Most of them were on board while we were getting ready to leave when a straggler from their group arrived holding two 1 litre bottles of ale in each hand. One of the red-faced friends of his in the back shouted “Sorry mate but there is no beer allowed on the boat. The Belgian guy just told me.” The straggler looked down at the bottles and muttered “Well I wish you would have told me that before I bought this!” He shrugged then hopped on the boat, his hefty frame tilting the small boat back and forth while his friends all shouted and teased him from the back. It must have been their outspoken and distinctly British humour that got to me. It seemed so familiar after having that out of place feeling that is inevitable during any kind of travels. That event coupled with the fact that every time a German had to break down and talk me through a transaction in English they ended with a “cheers” (no doubt not knowing an American accent from a British one) made me increasingly homesick for Edinburgh.  Would you believe the heat and sun even overwhelmed at times and made me pine for the cool and moody weather from Scotland? Sure sign that it is time to head home…

Lovin' Holland in the Springtime!

Cheers to Tulips in Kuekenhof! Fijne Moederdag to my mum - wish she could have frolicked through these flowers with me today...

I AMsterdam

Adventuring Amsterdam has been a peculiar experience from the start. It began with an overnight ferry ride starting in the remarkably industrial Newcastle and crossing the North Sea due south.

Have you every ridden a ferry overnight? I haven't. In fact, I haven't even been on a cruise. Before this I always told "cruise people" that I was never much interested in going on a cruise (too claustrophobic, booooring, weird, etc). And after now having done the "poor man's cruise" or as Matt and I call it a "krooz", I can safely say that all of my reservations about doing it have been confirmed. It was one bizarre way of traveling I tell you - kinda like riding an aircraft carrier that has been taken over by Circus Circus. That said, it was not without it's absurd and disorienting charms...

So AMSTERDAM!

What a world! We just got finished exploring it today and it was singular. Not much Dutch charm to it. It is more like it's own country really. A country run by rich, bike riding, hipster young adults. Oh and when I say "bike riding", I mean it. This is a whole level of beach cruisers with front-end baskets than I have ever seen or even heard of! Check this bike parking lot:

The canal cruise recording reported that there are 25,000 bikes parked there with 9,000 overflowing into other areas central to the city. And the city is absolutely run by these beach cruising hipsters I tell you! Aside from trying to adjust to the whole looking for traffic on the right hand side of the street bit. It was terrifying crossing that bike lane! It doesn't help that they allow mo-peds and motorbikes in this lane too. The cyclists run this city.

What an interesting place it was to explore. The historic Rijksmuseum seems so out of place in a city that seems to have more cultural influence from American Apparel than the domestic goddesses of an 18th century Vermeer painting. And to be honest, there is something so irreverent about seeing the Ann Frank house somberly sitting on the banks of a canal that is 24/7 floating frat parties. Still, that is what this place is about and who am I to ask for a different experience?

Just so you believe me about the hipster and frat party bit, I give you the following photos...

Yep. That is a wooden shoe boat.

Still there were some nice wee bits to enjoy...

 

And would you believe us Northern folk got to buy some Dutch sunscreen today? I think I even got a wee bit sunburned and it felt marvelous.

Oysters in Oban and other Highland adventures...

After some deliberation about how to best use a day of adventuring Caledonia with the Oklahoma Sweeneys, we decided on driving through the bonnie Loch country of the Trossarchs and onto the coastal town of Oban then the magnificent Glen Coe of the Western Highlands. Though the drive was marvelously scenic, there were a few intense moments of culture shock along the way after hitting a handful of curbs on the left side of the road. “Why don’t they just make their roads wider?! It doesn’t make sense!” cried our chauffeur. An understandable frustration indeed, but after being here for nearing a year now, Matt and I have come to terms with inconvenience in favour of preserving cultural history. Needless to say, there were few dull moments throughout the day.

After passing the famous “Doune” castle (for all you Monty Python fans), we arrived at Oban just in time for the first few pains of lunch hunger. Our trusty (albeit 2007 ed.) Lonely Planet Guide led us to the McGillans Seafood stand which offered a special of the day of the most gorgeous plate of scallops with buttery slabs of bread and and rich cheddar coleslaw. Though Lori and I narrowly escaped a mistake of ordering crawdads as we had loftier impressions from the menu that read “sweet, small lobster plate”. Lori took one look while they lifted these “small lobsters” into the gutting sink and set our orders straight back to the special. A good call too as the scallops were fresh from that morning. Gorgeous they were!

While wandering the town, Matt and I happened upon yet another seafood stand that offered oysters for 75P a piece. We have always talked about trying them but never had the ambition to do it in the landlocked places where it has been an option nor the funds to pay at the restaurants that would serve them. We recognized a perfect (and poetically memorable) opportunity when we saw it. After handing over a 1.50 over the tower of cooked crabs, I asked the girl who started to pry our oysters open for us “I am not even sure how I would go about doing this. What do you recommend?” 

“Ya slide it oof the back reeght here,” pointing to the tail end of the shell where she had just busted the thing open. “Then give it a wee chew and the flavour will come. Maybe add a wee lemon or vinegar.”

Matt and I said cheers and tried it just as instructed, with a wee bit of lemon, a wee chew and the flavour came just as promised. A good sea flavour it was too!

After a good walk about in town, some Magnum bars and a brief visit to the local museum, we were back into our car bumping around those narrow roads once again. 

Matt called this part of the trip “the Highway 1 of Scotland”. Indeed the West Coast had much to offer. The sites became even more impressive on our way towards Glen Coe as we passed over some tidal waterfalls where the lochs meet the sea and the extraordinary Castle Stalker. Marvelous.

 Truly the best part of the day had to go to Glen Coe itself though. Nothing on my list of “seen it” in Scotland can rival the beauty that is the true Western highlands. Such a rich and incredible history attached with it too. Here are the famous “Three Sisters” hills.

While hiking up The Devil’s Staircase with Matt, I kept visualizing the different clans dragging their highland cattle around these austere hills 300 years ago. What a story to have in such a severely beautiful place.

Matt and I decided that our ascent up to the top of the staircase merited some “shouting into the highlands”. I even did a bit of yodeling since we were the solitary ones up that high. And somehow it felt fitting. 

Matt even worked up enough hunger by the end of the hike to fill up on the culturally rich “Cullen Skink” soup at the “Green Wellie” petrol stop on the way home. It was fishy delicious and perhaps the best end to a stellar day out in highland country – 2 things this country does best: scenic lochs in the highlands and oddly named fishy soup.