September 2009
11 posts
The Edinburgh Festivals' Cavalcade →
Photos from the crazy parade the first weekend of the festival - August 8, 2009.
This was the parade through Holyrood Park (we think normally held down Princes Street). It was great because people were able sit all along up the hillsides that begin the hikes up to Arthur’s Seat. Very very weird parade with general milling about, performances, and hamburger and haggis stands around for food...
Georgian House, New Town →
Click here to see the architecture for which the New Town is famous, and to see the few pictures I have of an 18th century house there.
Scotch Whiskey Heritage Center →
For all those whiskey lovers out there, this album contains photos of the largest whiskey collection in the world.
Enjoy! You know who you are. :)
I'm Home!!!
I actually got home on Wednesday. Happy 9-9-9, by the way!
I have been recouperating and also already swept up into things here in NYC, hence not on the blog. But it does seem necessary to mention that I am no longer in Scotland.
However, as previously stated, I shall keep recounting my many adventures of the last month, as well as posting some much needed photos. I am so excited to share...
Foods of Scotland.
I have definitely been trying to try all of the foods of Scotland. I certainly couldn’t come back without having at least tried Haggis! So here is a list of the local cuisine which I have…let’s say enjoyed:
- Haggis - I ate some. That’s all I’m going to say.
- Black pudding - Yeah. No.
Those were both part of the Full Scottish Breakfast, which also includes...
And now for a little catching up...
I really swear I am going to keep posting pictures and videos and other fun things, even after I’m back in NY. I have some really cool stuff to share, so I hope you will keep coming back to check it out.
I’m going to start the catching up now. It does mean that I will be going back into those first weeks in Edinburgh and the sights that we saw. Hopefully it will make sense. Check...
I'm posting this from a train!!!
How cool is that?!
I’m currently on the train from Edinburgh to London and using their wifi. It’s pretty darn cool, is how cool it is. We just reached and are currently leaving Newcastle, so that means I’ve officially left Scotland and entered England. Wow. My time in Scotland has reached its end.
I’m on my way to London to stay with my friend Hassan for a day and a...
I'm off to Skye...
Sounds so romantic, doesn’t it? Or like a song. Actually, I’m off to the airport to go pick up a car and then drive up through the Highlands. Here’s hoping I’m not still stuck in Scotland in a month circling a roundabout uncertain how to get off!
It’s also my last week here, so…here’s to enjoying every moment (minus the head cold that I have right...
August 2009
35 posts
And the grand total is....?
Including the show that I will be seeing at 5:30 this afternoon, I have seen a grand total of…
46 FRINGE SHOWS
over my 4 weeks here! Plus I also saw the Tattoo, and there was lots of sightseeing done as well.
I’m pretty darn proud of that!
46!!!
The Last Weekend of the Fringe!
Wow, it’s kind of difficult to believe or take it in, but it is the last weekend of the Fringe and I will soon be finishing up my last week in Edinburgh!
As you are well aware, I have been absolute rubbish (look! I’m turning British!) at updating this blog recently. I do promise that I will be continuing to add pictures and to actually talk about the shows that I keep telling you...
The Edinburgh Military Tattoo Official Website →
So, what did we do the first 2 weeks? The Sights -...
The 2nd week passed much faster than the first one because of all the day trips we did, but we still packed a lot in, and saw shows too! Besides the bus tours, here’s what we did…
8.14.09 - Friday
Though the weather forecast said “heavy rain,” and it was the hardest we’d had yet, we did yet another day trip, though this one within Edinburgh. We took the bus out to...
So, what did we do the first 2 weeks? - ST....
Finally catching up a little more on the first 2 weeks of running around… The day after Loch Ness was our 2nd organized bus trip with the same company, and again we had a great time with a great driver who told great stories. And was wearing a kilt!
8.13.09 - Thursday — ST. ANDREWS & THE KINGDOM OF FIFE with Rabbie’s Bus Tours
This was a trip staying much closer to...
WatchThis is a video of a show performing a preview on the street to drum up audience members and buzz for their show - Oua Umplute. It’s awesome zingali music (gypsy music), which I now know I love and the performers were so so talented. Based on this performance, we bought tickets for the show and saw it later in the week. Enjoy!
Fireworks from the Castle - Saturday 8.8.09 →
These are the fireworks over Edinburgh Castle that happen after the last show of the Military Tattoo every Saturday night. This was our first Saturday and we thought the 2nd show was at the normal 9:00 time…not so. We waited 2 hours in the cold. For future reference, the fireworks start at 12:00 am. Not 10:30. But a great show! Enjoy, mom!
WatchEnjoy a little bit of Scotland!
WatchView from the top!
WatchView from the 3rd level of the Scott Monument.
The Scott Monument →
Photos from our climb up the really tall tower, the Scott Monument, on 8.8.09. Beautiful views, and I’m so happy we did it then because it was clear and the next day was our first day of rain!
So, what have I been doing the last 2 weeks? -...
Our 2nd week was truly a week of getting out of the city, as we had 2 pre-arranged bus tours in a row, and this made the week go by particularly fast! I was going to do one post on the entire 2nd week, but the Loch Ness day alone is becoming rather long, so I am going to split the day tours off into their own posts.
8.12.09 - Wednesday — LOCH NESS & THE HIGHLANDS with Rabbie’s...
So, what have I been doing the last 2 weeks? The...
After seeing the gardens and the Castle and walking the Royal Mile those first 2 days, Carrie and I…saw lots and lots more around the city. I plan to add picture albums of most of these sights, and there will be further detail within the captions, but to give you an idea…
8.7.09 - Friday
First official day of the Fringe!!!
SCOTCH WHISKEY HERITAGE CENTER
Complete with ride through...
WatchThis guy is by far my favorite performer/crazy person we’ve seen on High Street. We spotted him on 8.7.09, our 3rd day here and the opening day of the Fringe. We were just walking along and noticed him off to the side, on a stage that I believe was just not in use at the time, so he had set up shop. There was no one stopping to watch. No audience at all. At first it didn’t seem...
Fringe Crazies - The First 2 Weeks →
Click the link to see what it’s like to walk High Street. These are my pics of street performers, flyerers, and the general madness going on around the Fringe, as well as some venue sites.
Again, there should be a button in the top left corner once you’re in the album to see them in a slideshow.
Carrie has left me!
That is to say, she’s flying her way home to America right now. And Edinburgh is making a sad face and crying…er…that is to say it’s raining.
I am now officially on my own in Edinburgh!
Carrie’s departure also means that today completes 2 full weeks here!!! It’s been such an amazing 2 weeks and I am so thankful that I had her here to share them with me. ...
2 AWESOME Things! and assorted thoughts on the...
#1: I just bought a slew of tickets for myself for the next week and for the price of 1 full price ticket to a Broadway show, I am going to ELEVEN shows! Awesome!
#2: Carrie and I have been seeing a number of Fringe shows amongst all the touristy travelling we’ve been doing (there will be a post soon outlining just how many, but it’s a lot) and I am so amazed and thrilled by the fact...
WE DID IT!
Today Carrie and I ordered full Scottish breakfasts and both tried Haggis and Black Pudding!!!
I’VE EATEN HAGGIS!
Not going to say I loved either, in fact I was having some gag reflex issues, but I have officially eaten at least a little bit of both.
The Royal Mile & Old Town →
More pictures from our first full day in the city!
Prince's Street Gardens & Edinburgh Castle →
Follow the link to see pictures of the Castle.
And for anyone in En Garde, Ren Faire, or into stage combat, I took lots of pics of weaponry and they’re in here if you’re interested!
WatchI took this video today and it fit perfectly with the topic I had been writing about. So here is the Royal Mile as viewed from the top of Calton Hill (which we still don’t have any idea how to pronounce). I’m sort of announcing things as the camera moves - Carrie thinks I sound sad, but I was just being quiet since it was very quiet in the area I was standing.
This is sort of...
8.6.09 - THE CASTLE and lots and lots of walking
Our second day in the city was the largest of our “tourist” days so far as we headed over to the Edinburgh Castle and Old Town. We walked all over the main centre of the city and saw our first performance (on the street) of the month as well. Here are the main points, pictures with more details will follow.
After breakfast across the street (sausages or a fried egg on a roll) we...
Stockbridge & the Royal Botanic Gardens →
Click on the yellow link to see pictures of our trip to the Botanic Gardens and the walk there and back through New Town and Stockbridge.
Within the album, there is a button at the top left, I believe, for a slideshow (hit F11 to make it full screen) and the captions should show up on their own. Hope it works!
Regarding photos:
It has taken far far far too long to get those photos up due to the connection, due to tumblr, due to international internet hookups, I don’t know. But they’re not as maleable as I’d like and, well, I have a ton of photos and would like to be able to post more at one time. So….
From now on, for the larger albums in particular, I’m going to be posting a link to a...
WatchRose Street, walking towards our apartment. It is this great little street just off of Princes Street (one of the big ones lining New Town, known for shopping and lots of people and being completely under construction this summer). Rose Street has lots of pubs and it’s known for being a bit rowdy/noisy, but really, especially coming from NY, this is nothing. It’s especially not...
Day 1 - 8.5.09 - Arriving...
So going back to the beginning…
We arrived Wednesday morning, took a bus in from the airport, walked to the Factotum office to pick up our rented flat keys, walked to our new residence (none of which was the best idea with my heavy suitcase, because, if you didn’t know, Edinburgh is VERY VERY hilly). It’s number 161 Rose Street and when we chose it (and saw photos online) we...
A preview...
So it’s been just 2 days and I’ve seen a Castle, complete with the birthing closet of James VI, son of Mary Queen of Scots, watched my first street performer of the festival (“The Space Cowboy”…of course), shared my first sticky toffee pudding (in case you don’t know…amazing!!), and am, of course, already sunburned. :) You know me. And that’s not...
We're Here!!!
We’ve arrived. It worked. And there are already stories to tell!
Also, I am so excited to repoet, we have internet in the apartment!…however, it has been the feistiest, most frustrating thing so far. It is working, for this short moment in time, so I wanted to take the opportunity to say hi, that I’m not ignoring you, and that I will do my best to post frequently. But...
T Minus 4 Hours til Departure!!!
We leave for Scotland today! I went home for Lauren’s wedding this past weekend, which was beautiful (yay Lauren!), but because I was in LA I was completely focusing on LA and the wedding. I can’t quite believe the trip finally here. After all of the planning, it’s here!!!!!!
We fly out of JFK at 7:55 tonight, it’s supposedly about 7.5 hours, and arrive at 8:20 am or...
July 2009
13 posts
Trotternish →
Trotternish - the area where I’ll be staying on Skye. Northeast part of the island.